Smile Train Sprint Triathon 6-29-08

( More photos added to album. See link at bottom of story)

A triathlon? Yes a lot of you might not know I used to compete in Tri's but I did for 6 years starting in 1999. Actually my first one was in the summer of 1998 but I'll tell you all about that later. Right now lets get back to this one.

I had lost interest in triathlons as I got more serious about seeing how I could do focusing on my ultrarunning so after a disastrous Kure Beach Tri in June of 2005, I had quit the sport. My bicycle had sat in the same spot in a corner collecting dust for three years now, still with the race number from that day attached. I had still done a little swimming but a couple of months later I quit the Y because I just wasn't using the membership enough.
So how did I end up doing a Tri this past Sunday? Well my friends Jerry and Margo have both signed up for the Beach to Battleship Iron Distance Tri in Wilmington coming up this November, (the same day as MMTR so I can't go cheer for them ). Margo had been looking for races to do as part of her training and came across this one in Wake Forest and she copied the Werners and I on the e-mail she sent out wanting to know if we all might be interested. Frank and Karla had just done one low-key tri at SJAFB last year and had expressed an interest in doing some more. It wasn't even on my radar after 3 years but since it was only 10 miles away from home and wouldn't interfere with anything else I had on my schedule I decided to join in the fun. With just a 250yd pool swim and 12 mile bike, I knew I could fake my way through it and the 5k run would be barely a warm-up so I signed up.

I had planned to go ahead and join the Y and start some swimming and maybe ride the bike some but I kept putting it off. I wanted to get Umstead over first and then I needed more time to recover before I started. I was putting in a lot of hours at The Athlete's Foot so I didn't think I would have much time to train so I put it off longer. Then as June was approaching I decided to wait until after my vacation. So finally 2 weeks ago today I finally joined the Y and began swimming and working out as part of my injury rehab. Last Saturday I dusted off the bike and lubed it up , then headed out for a 10 mile ride. I went back out this past Saturday for another 8 to make sure everything was working OK and those two rides would be my bike training over the past 3 years.

Sunday morning I was up at 4:15 and after a little breakfast I made the short drive over to Wake Forest. Since it has been so long I was a little nervous and kept going over what I would need in transition and planning my race. I shouldn't have worried because once things got started it all seemed so natural, almost like I'd never left the sport.
So, anyway, I had plenty of time to get ready. Margo was there along with husband Bill who also was competing as well as their older daughter Stephanie. Younger daughter Gabriella was there too but she was not competing but would be cheering us on. Frank and Karla were there with brand new bikes they had just bought the day before. They had been doing all their riding on Mt Bikes but with Ragbrai coming up next month they were ready to get some road bikes. And of course Jerry was there excited as ever. Also saw Mike Walsh there with his wife Denise who would be starting her first tri ever.

The swim would be 10 laps in the pool at Heritage Swim Club so I warmed up just 100 yds before lining up for the start. We would all start in 10 second intervals making it a time-trail format. They had a glitch in the computer that seeded us because they had me seeded 23 out of 300+ and Margo was 21st. We both should have been mid-pack but we would just have to do the best we could and hope not too many would swim over us. I got off to a good start and was doing a good job staying relaxed. I actually was a little faster than I had hoped and that was even after being held up by a slower swimmer I couldn't get around.

I was a little slow in transition partly due to my number belt being messed up. I should have checked it before the race, but after fiddling with it a while I just put it on loose and hoped it would be ok. The bike course had a few short but fairly steep hills in the first mile as well as 5 or 6 speed bumps but then we would turn onto some country roads for some mostly easy peddling. Of course with no training any slight incline was a problem for me to pedal well but I settled in and by about 3 miles I was feeling ok and breathing well. I expected to average about 16 mph but would have been happy with 15 so when I hit the halfway mark going 16.4 I was very pleased. It was a bit easier pedaling back and I was able to bump that up to 17 overall by the time I finished. Along the way I actually passed a whole 2 people and one of them had a flat. I lost count of how many passed me but it was about 20. Oh well, it was all for fun today anyway. (I'm competitive sometimes. I can't help it).

Yes, I was very happy with the bike but when I stepped off and headed into transition my legs were done. The lack of bike training was showing. It's always difficult to run off the bike but with training it does become easier. I'm a long ways from being there now though so I started out with numb, rubbery stumps that felt like I was wearing lead boots. I shuffled along just trying to relax and keep my breathing and heart rate that were still elevated from the ride under control. It was a hilly run course but I was determined to run the whole way despite the way I felt. I mean its only a 5k!!

Well finally after about halfway I started to regain some life in my legs but I was still quite slow finally finishing it in 29:43. My total for the event was 1:22:27 placing 8th out of 9 in my age-group. They had that wrong too. Before the start they had me at 41 ( I wish) and then still had me wrong in the results at 53 (I'm 52 ). All of us had a lot of fun and were happy with their results. Margo won her age-group and Karla was 4th out of 10. Very good considering she is a novice swimmer and just got her road bike the day before. Jerry also won his age-group and Frank was 4th in it. And Stephanie won hers too. Bill and I have a lot of work to do to move up in our group but we were both pretty happy with the result anyway.

While I was waiting for everyone to finish I saw a familiar face but couldn't remember why. Then she recognized me. It was Kara LaBella. She and her sister Laura had come to the Umstead series runs the NCRC and I put on last year. She had just begun doing tris last year and is doing well. Today she would finish 2nd in the 30-34 age-group and 8th overall woman. Pretty impressive for a relative novice at the sport. ( pretty face too )

Here are the results

Here is the website and some photos I took. I missed Margo and Stephanie and Jerry on the course due to timing with the staggered starts. Hopefully I'll have more photos to add that Frank and Karla took so check back in a few days if your interested.

South Dakota Travels Part 5

Thursday would be my last day in the west and I would began the long drive back to Viborg. My plan was to drive back through the Badlands National Park and then head back. As you drive along the Interstate you can see the outer boundaries of the Badlands area but as you head South and enter the park, an amazing otherworldly place opens up around you. I knew it would be interesting but after going there I think I found it to be the most interesting place I saw on the trip. It's a bit hard to describe so I'll let the pictures do the talking.
I wanted to get in another short run so once I got about 2/3rds of the way around the park drive I came to a parking area at one of the trailheads. There aren't many trails in the park so the choice was easy to make. The photo above was taken along the Capital trail. The trail is marked with metal post every few hundred feet but in areas like in the photo, the trail is not always clearly defined. With the mounds of dirt and rock all around and because of the hard surface, footprints don't show up in dry weather. It would be very easy to get dis-oriented and get lost. Fortunately most of the trail is easy to see once it opens up in the prairie but coming back I got slightly off course. I was only able to regain my bearing because I could catch glimpses of the parking lot when I was on higher ground.

Because of the recent rains the prairie was in bloom with a myriad of wildflowers and I was able to get a few shots of them on the run. I went another 4 miles, feeling ok but fighting a strong headwind on the return trip. Once again it was only about 57F while I was out running. After the run I took a short walk through a fossil interpretive area. South Dakota and Wyoming are known for vast amounts of fossil finds from many eras. In the badlands are many mammal fossils and in other parts of the State dinosaur bones including the worlds largest most complete T Rex have been found. I would really like to spend more time in this area in the future.

Finally it was time to head back to meet Frank and Karla back in Viborg so I began the long drive back east over the prairie. On the way I made a stop in Mitchell Sd to check out the famous Corn Palace which is decorated differently each year with corn over the entire exterior. I was disappointed to find that only the murals were decorated this year while the rest of the normally colorful areas were plain plywood so I didn't take a picture. Here is a site with some from previous years. Then the final hours drive back to Viborg and into another late day thunderstorm. Back in Viborg and more visiting with the Strunk family and then Saturday we drove back to Omaha for the flights home.

I really enjoyed my trip to SD and highly recommend to anyone to visit if they have a chance. I hope to go back someday and spend more time hiking in the beautiful areas I saw now that i have done the tourist visit.

Here are the last days photos

South Dakota Travels Part 4

My destination on Thursday would be Jewel Cave National Monument, about an hours drive southwest of Rapid City. My route would take me back by Mt. Rushmore and then on part of the Needles Highway and onto the Peter Norbeck Memorial Scenic Byway. This was a very beautiful drive over probably some of the roughest terrain in the Black Hills and onto the shoulder of Harney Peak at the border of Custer State Park. Near the highest point of the drive there were wonderfully steep switchbacks, 10moh hairpin turns and sometimes barely wide enough for one car. And all with no guardrails. What fun ! Just make sure you pay attention and have good brakes!

I was a bit worried about going in Jewel Cave because the constant temperature of 49 degrees and I had no jacket but as it turned out, I was glad to finally arrive and get a chance to go inside. This turned out to be the coldest morning yet at 43F and windy. It was a relief to get under ground and warm up. I did have a long sleeve shirt and layered with two t-shirts I was comfortable in the cave . Jewel Cave is now listed as being the 2nd largest cave in the world at 142 miles of passages with only Mammoth Cave in Kentucky being larger. New passages are being explored all the time and a few miles more have been added since the brochure was printed at the Visitor's Center.

Most of the cave is dry so there are not as many formations like in a lot of eastern caverns although there are a few very rare formations in some parts of the cave and one in particular that has never been seen anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately they are not accessible to the public. There is one wet area that was very pretty on the tour though and I got some good shots inside. The tour only covers half a mile in 1.25 hours. The rest of the cave would require crawling through passages about 8" x 18" for long periods. They do offer a short tour for those wanting to experience crawling around that can fit through a concrete block on the veranda outside the visitors center. No Thanks. I'd fit but I ain't going .

The area outside of the monument is the location of the biggest fire in modern history of the Black Hills in 2000 and the landscape is obviously still scarred but also much new life is abounding. After leaving the area I headed to the George S. Mickelson Trail for a short run. There is a trail section and parking area in site of Crazy Horse Mountain so I chose that location to get in a little workout. The trail is a converted rail trail from the original CB&Q RR, which later through mergers was the Burlington Northern at the time it was abandoned and turned over to be made into a rail trail.

It was still chilly, about 55F , perfect for a run but very windy too and the grade along this section is fairly steep by railroad standards. I felt ok after the marathon 4 days prior but the legs injuries were noticeable. I actually ran a decent pace; going downhill. As I was finishing up the run there were once again storm clouds brewing and more rain on the drive back to Rapid City.

Here are the days photos

South Dakota Travels Part 3

So Tuesday morning I was up and out early again. After coffee at Starbucks while I caught up on my e-mail, I headed back into the mountains and over to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. It was another cool but lovely day in the 50's making it very pleasant for walking around in the sun. Rushmore was very interesting. I think seeing the old photos and videos of the construction were amazing. The area all around in the Black Hills is stunning with the numerous rock formations and greenery. I've never been a rock climber but I've always loved clambering over rocks and there are plenty suitable for that in the area. I took advantage of that to gain some nice vantage points for photos all week.

Here are the photos from Rushmore.

After a few hours I headed down into the valley to the town of Keystone, an old mining town to catch a ride on the 1880 train. While I waited I had lunch and then took a walking tour of the town by some of the historic buildings and mines. I could hear the whistle of the old engine from the train as it headed into town so I headed on over to the depot.
The 1880 Train or The Black Hills Central Railroad is a tourist ride over what's left of a spur line of the original Chicago, Quincy and Burlington RR that was built in the late 1870's to service the mines and communities that sprung up after gold was discovered in 1876. The train today is pulled by a 1920's vintage Baldwin 2-6-6-2 articulated mallet saddletank engine. This engine was rare in it's day and is the only surviving one of it's type. It was actually from a logging RR in Washington State and was purchased by the tourist line for these excursions.
The ride goes from Keystone over to the shops in Hill City, about 10 miles away and then returns for about a 2 hour trip. On the way over there are wonderful views with Harney Peak, the tallest mt in SD and the tallest east of the Rockies at over 7,000 ft. ( The Black Hills are a separate range from the Rockies and lie about 150 miles east of them. Mt Mitchell in NC of course is the tallest east of the Mississippi river) I saw several deer and a half-dozen wild turkeys as well as a bison ranch. There are several mine sites along the way and many of the abandoned structures still stand.
We arrived in Hill City and I could see a lot of the other rolling stock and 3 of the other engines that belong to the railroad. One of the older steam engines is usually just used in TV,and movie scenes and two diesels pull the train during less busy times of the day. The steam engine is the only one powerful enough to pull all the passengers up the steep grades along the route.
On the way back I was getting very chilly. It dropped into the upper 40's and with no jacket and a breeze blowing through the open car it was quite uncomfortable. There are about 19 road crossings along the way so there were a lot of opportunities to hear the whistle echoing through the hills. After I arrived back in Keystone I took advantage of that and chased the train back to Hill City taking numerous photos of the train in action. One shot turned out great and was just a matter of perfect timing. While I waited for the train to come around a bend , a automobile from the same 20-30's era as the steam engine stopped at the road crossing. If not for the modern road signs the picture could have been taken almost 80 years ago.

Here are the photos from the train.

South Dakota Travels Part 2

After we finished the marathon and returned to the Strunk residence, it was time for me to say good-bye for a couple of days and head west to the Black Hills. I drove as far as the Capital, Pierre to spend Sunday night. Lots of open plains and farmland. You pass through the Ft Pierre National Grasslands on the way and for as far as you can see are only gently rolling hills of grass. Boring but with a strange beauty of its own. I could only imagine what it would have looked like 150 years ago with herds of bison roaming around and Indian hunting parties hiding in the grass waiting to strike.

Pierre sits on the banks of the Missouri river and is steeped in history from the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the westward expansion. I walked around town after checking in to my motel and checked out the Capital building to loosen up after the 3 :30 hour drive.

Sunday morning I was up fairly early as usual and after a short visit to the river I was heading further west. I decided that my first destination would be Devils Tower National Monument in the northeastern corner of Wyoming, about 25 miles across the SD border. When I was 12 my family spent four days in Wyoming but we didn't make it into that part of the State and I had always wanted to visit, especially after watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind. If you haven't ever seen the movie you should check it out. One of Spielbergs first blockbusters and Richard Dreyfus was great in the lead role.

It took several hours and I was finally in Wyoming. The area is very beautiful and I decided to do a loop which would take me in both directions around the Monument. I drove through the Belle Fourche river valley and was loving the scenery and in awe of how remote the area is. Also noticed I was low on gas. Should have stopped before leaving the interstate! I had to drive through a cattle drive too as some cowboys were moving a herd to another pasture. I had to ease my way through the cows and then one of the men on a horse rode up and guided them back out of the road.

The first view of the monument was exciting and I pulled over to take the first picture. There would be many more. What an amazing site and every angle is interesting. It is no wander the Native Americans believed it to be sacred ground.
I walked the 1.25 mile trail that encircles the whole monument taking in the views around. It was a cool day, in the 50's so it was very pleasant walking. At one point you can still see the remains of a stake ladder that two local men used to be the first to climb to the summit nearly 100 years ago. On the way out I stopped and sat for a while in the meadow at the base of the monument enjoying the prairie dog town. They were so cute and there were many babies enjoying their first Spring.

I still had plenty of daylight ahead so after barely making it back to the Interstate to get some gas, I decided to head to the scenic drive through Spearfish Canyon back over the SD border. The Black Hills had been through an 8 year drought but now they have been in a period of record breaking rain this Spring. The area was very lush and green and creeks and waterfalls that normally would have been dry were flowing with water. The drive through the canyon was awesome with gorgeous views all around. My first stop was Bridal Veil Falls which can be seen from the road. Later I could see Spearfish Falls off in the distance. Eventually the road comes to a small resort area and there is a parking lot just above the falls. I took the short walk down below the falls. Very pretty and I could feel the spray from the falls across the creek.

After leaving the Canyon drive I drove in the town of Lead, site of the Homestake mine, still the worlds richest goldmine and the reason for white settlers to pour into the Black Hills. I didn't have time to take the tour and it was getting late in the day. Just up the road is Deadwood. It doesn't look anything like it did of course when Wild Bill Hickcock came to town seeking riches in the gold mines. There is a No. 10 Saloon in town but it is a block or so away from where the original one where Hickock was shot was located. In 1876 there were nothing but wood shacks and tents built onto wood platforms and that's what the real saloon would have been. It had burned down and the new one was built later of more substantial material. Here is more history on the Wild Bill.

After a short visit in Deadwood I made the drive to Rapid City which would be the center of my travels for the next few days. It rained everyday I was in the Black Hills but fortunately it would always wait until I was done sight seeing for the day. The first evening in Rapid City a thunderstorm passed through and left a beautiful double rainbow. I got pictures but couldn't get it all in one shot. Here is the photo album from this day

South Dakota Travels Part 1

The first thing we did after arriving in South Dakota was to go to the family reunion for Karla's Mom's side of the family on Saturday. It was going to be held at her cousin Candy and husbands Steve's horse farm about an hour north of Viborg, above Sioux Falls and almost into Minnesota. Just as we were getting close we drove across a bridge over Split Rock Rock. Wait a minute I just saw this picture in South Dakota magazine I was reading last night. As it turned out the farm is on the bluffs just above ther river and Palisades State Park is directly across the river What a beautiful location and to ad icing to the cake a spur line from the Railroad goes right by the house.

All of Karla's family were very nice to me and we enjoyed a relaxing day with plenty of good food. The weather was in the low 70's making it perfect for a picnic. And that picture in the magazine. It was an ad for pontoon boats rides on the river. Steve knows the guys that owns the boat and arranged for us all to take a boat ride. It is a very pretty river with exposed pink quartzite formations along the river giving its name. Then it was time to drive back to Viborg and get ready for the marathon the next morning.

Here are the photos from that day

recovery update

I'm happy to report that I am seeing some improvement in my condition over the last two weeks. I have been very good about sticking with the treatments and workouts that are suppose to aid in my recovery. The chiropractic visits seem to be working in bringing things back into alignment. I had another session with the massage masochist this week and it didn't hurt nearly as much as last week and the muscles are much less tight and knotted. I've been in the pool working on my swimming regularly and sticking with the weights on schedule too. I've been riding the exercycle in the gym a few times and finally went for a 10 mile ride on my real bike for the first time in three years last Saturday morning. The biking and swimming don't seem to aggravate the painful areas and the cross-training will be good for me so I will continue to do them now as part of my regular training.

I have only run 3 miles since the Boogie. That was last Thursday night when I went to the NCRC Social Series at Lake Johnson. I waited for Jenn to show up late from work and we ran an easy 3 miles around the lake. There was a little discomfort but not bad and I was fine afterwards. Probably shouldn't have run but I wanted to run with her since it had been a long time since we'd had the chance to run together.

I've got an important post I'll be writing in the next week or so but first I have to catch up on a few things I don have some free time tonight and this weekend so hopefully I can get caught up here. Look for what's coming up this weekend and I'll also try and post my South Dakota travelogue and photos from the rest of the trip after I left Viborg and the Swan Lake Marathon.

Boogie Blues and other problems

Mmmmm, this Klondike bar is soooo good. Oh, hello. I'm glad your here reading my blog. Yes, I know I haven't written much lately and have been slow in posting my reports. I have been a bit busier than normal the past few months but things have settled down a bit now. But the real problem is I just haven't felt much like posting lately. I have had a very frustrating year with my running performances. There have been a few successes and good times but too many times I've had sub-par performance and several dnf's. Even some of my training runs have been a struggle for a while so now I just have to face reality. I'm injured. I have been for quite a while but I stubbornly tried to run through it and hope it would go away. Well, as you now know that plan didn't work out too well.

I had been on quite a roll with a couple of really great years doing things I never imagined I would be able to accomplish and I guess I had begun to believe that I could go on forever at that pace and not have to take a break. Oh, I thought I should rest but there was always another grand adventure or challenge that I needed to train for or compete in so rest would have to wait.
I guess it started way back last August when I realized I had developed plantar faciitis in my left foot. I was able to run with it so I did and it finally went away a couple of months ago. In the meantime I was still having some running successes including a 5oK pr and my back to back marathons in Nov. and a strong run at Frosty 50 and Tybee although I failed in pr attempts n both races.

I think the real problem started soon after the double marathon in November though. I noticed a lot of stiffness and soreness in my upper hamstrings and into the area where they attach to the pelvic area (my butt) on my training runs. When I would take a short break and start to run it was painful until I got moving again but I figured like everything else it would soon pass. Trouble is it didn't. I had a few massages back in Dec and Jan that seemed to help some but of course I kept racing. I began to notice that my times on courses I normally trained on were becoming dramatically slower at the same effort and my legs were tiring early in my runs.

By the time the Umstead 100 came around I was in a lot of pain and was doubtful I would be able to even start but I was so hard headed and intent on going for the PR that I ran anyway. And of course that didn't turn out too well either. It was another problem that ultimately caused my dnf but after just one loop my legs were tired and achy and I was going much slower than I normally do for a 12.5 mile and even before I had the other problem I was not enjoying being out there and just wishing it would be over. Since I dropped at 69 miles I thought my recovery would be quicker than normal and I took my customary week off after a 100 miler but over the next few weeks my legs and butt were in quite a bit of discomfort and feeling so weak. My hamstrings hurt worse after a 6 mile run than they normally would after a 50 miler. By the time the Garner 5k rolled around they were finally feeling so much better and I was so happy to run a great time there and have life in my legs. But then a week later was the meltdown at Fargo. My legs felt so weak and achy by the 7 mile mark and by 9 I was a mess.

And now I am a big mess. After Fargo I hardly ran at all and I really had no business running Swan Lake but I couldn't pass up a chance to go to SD and run with the Marathon Princess. And then it was time a week later for the Boogie. I knew I shouldn't go but I didn't want to miss out on the fun. Pretty dumb. One loop and coming up Bethel Church Hill one time and my hamstrings were screaming at me for mercy. So I finally listened too them and quit.

So now what? Well before I left for SD, I began to see a chiropractor. X-rays and other test revealed a sublaxation in my lower back and apparently the nerves are only firing about 30% into my hamstring area. That would explain a lot of the weakness.The extreme tightness in my legs and a slight pelvic misalignment combined with the PF have helped to bring about muscle imbalances as other things tried to compensate and relieve the pain creating a screwed up mess in my legs. The good thing is there is a real good chance that it can be corrected. I am taking some time off running and I have re-joined the Y after an absence of three years. There I am working on some strength training as well as swimming and biking again. I am also seeing my massage therapist again and will stick with it regularly until the pain is finally gone. The session Thursday was excrutiating but after I left his office I could already tell a big improvement.

So what about the Boogie? Well it was very hot the first loop, around 94F I think. Typical weather for a Boogie. I really enjoyed being there and seeing so many friends from the MTC and others. A wonderful group of people as always. I started off easy and settled in for a long night ahead. My butt pain was bothering me when I started but as usual it eased off after a mile or so and I was not doing too bad. I ran mostly alone in those early miles but did see a few friends after reaching the Dog Pen aid station. When I rolled into the main a.s. at 6 miles I was doing ok and shortly after heading down the hill, Tony Rouse caught up to me and we ran the next couple of miles together. I assumed we would probably stick together for a good part of the night as we so often do but halfway up Bethel Church Hill I had to let him go as my legs were hurting so much and getting tighter with every step. I know my buddy Fred must have been shocked when I walked into the aid station and as he asked me what I needed I only responded that I was done for the night. Fred and I have shared a few hundred miles on the trail in these ultra's the last couple of years so he knows I don't quit easily unless there is something wrong.

So then I just sat and rested, talked to a few friends and waited for the Trail Angel to finish the marathon. She would place 2nd overall woman in the race and was happy with that on a hot night. I walked with her while she cooled down and told her my sad story of dropping as well as filling her in on the SD trip. It is always nice to have an Angel there to listen when I'm feeling down and it always makes me feel better having a good friend to lend a sympathetic ear.

Now I just take it easy and hopefully I can ease back into running soon. I just know there are not going to be any pr's coming anytime soon but I will be happy just to run pain-free before long.

Here are the Boogie pictures I took

Preparing to Boogie

Yes , Boogie time is finally upon us. Last year I decided not to run with my western states trip looming so I just volunteered. That was fun as usual but I have been looking forward to returning to run it this year. Not too long ago I was planning to go for a 50 mile PR attmept and was confident that I would be able to accomplish that goal. But recently I have been having doubts and have just about decided not to even run it. I have really been struggling with my running for several months now and with the pain and sub-par performances my training as well as my motivation have been lacking.

I decided to wait and make my decision until after the marathon last Sunday and see how that went and how I would feel this week. Although the pace was slow, I defintely felt better than I have in a while and I think maybe the injury issue is finally getting better. I had two nice easy runs on my trip out to western SD this past week and felt ok so I now plan to go ahead with the Boogie. I've already written a couple of reports on the Boogie as well as written and recorded a song so I won't repeat the race info here now. Go to the archives in June for years past if you're interested in that. Of course you can find the race website at the link for the Mangum Track Club in the sidebar fo the blog too.

I am suppose to run the Race for the Cure 5k in the morning and hopefully take a nap before driving to Ellerbebut that plan isn't looking too good right now. I should be home but thunderstorms in Cleveland have delayed my flights and I'm still waiting for a plane to carry me home. It's looking like it will be after midnight befpore I land in RDU and well after 1 am before I can get home so I will probably be sleeping in and not attempt to wake up at 5am. I hate to miss it and run with Karla. The race has had special meaning the past couple of years and I was looking forward to being there and running in pink with her again. I guess I'll be wearing pink at the Boogie in her honor instead.

Swan Lake Marathon 2008

With a 6am start, we were up early but with it being only a 5 minute drive over to the lake we we in no rush. During the evening there had been thunderstorms until the early hours of the morning but sunrise dawned to a beautiful morn with a promise of good weather ahead of us. We arrived at the camp in time for last minute preparations and walked over to the starting line.

At the go signal, we headed off into the prairie on the dirt road at a relaxed pace with neither one of us feeling too confident of a good time,but just looking forward to finishing comfortably. Frank was with us and hoping to hang around for a while but as we made the first turn and up a little hill he dropped behind a little and that would be the end of that. We passed through the first mile in 9:37 feeling good and settled in for the long distance ahead. We hit mile 2 in 9:56, about what we were hoping to average for the day. The field for both races was small so we were already spread out quite a bit and it would just be the two of us alone to enjoy the sights around us. It was a little humid but otherwise felt great with the air around 59F and only a slight hint of the usual prairie wind.

The course is comprised of two large loops in a figure 8 so we began making the first lap around the lake area. It is a pretty lake with some shaded areas and some small homes along the waterfront. Karla pointed out where she and her friends would lay out by the lake on what used to be a little beach area. As we came up one of the small hills to the 5 mile mark our paced had slowed to the 10:15 range. We still felt ok but both thought the effort seemed like we should be moving faster. Oh well, it was all for fun so we just moved along and hit the highway and headed into Viborg. It is about 2miles into town once you get onto Hwy 19. Very flat but also very little traffic. It is also one of the few paved parts of the course with most on smooth gravel roads that felt nice and soft from all the rain in the area recently. After passing quickly through the small town we were back into the farm land and another long straight dirt road. This one had a little mud but was easily avoidable. I was wearing new, mostly white shoes and they would still be mostly white by the end of the race.

The road was straight as an arrow with a few gentle hills as we headed back to the lake to complete the first large loop. Already the pace was slowing to about 11 minute miles. I was feeling good but I could already tell Karla wasn't having one of her better days. I think this is the 7th marathon I have run with her as well as countless long training runs so I can easily tell when she isnt having a good day. I noticed some beautiful, fragrant lavender flowers growing by the road so I picked a small sprig and handed it to her hoping it would lift her spirits and she stuck them in the strap of her water bottle. Soon we passed the spot where the half- marathoners would turn to finish and I looked back and could just see Frank in the distance so we knew he was going to finish in about the time expected. We continued straight ahead and back to the lake somewhat frustrated that the pace was slowing with each mile.

After a while we reached the mile 16 aid station where Karla's Mom and Aunt Ginny were volunteering. We spent a couple of minutes there before moving on. By then it was evident that it was not a good day for the Princess. I was feeling good but at the pace we were moving I should have. Time was not important to me though so I stayed with her and just tried to keep her spirits up as much as I could. But by mile 18 the fatigue was too much and she started walking. At that point we made the decision to just get to the end with as little stress as possible. The next several miles would pass slowly but we used the slow pace to get in some bird watching as well as admiring the flowers along the marshes.

As we continued the run- walk , we saw lots of redwing blackbirds and several beautiful birds that neither of us remembered ever seeing before with a yellow head and big white spots on it's wings. I tried to get some pictures and hope they turn out ok.( a look in Carmen's bird book showed it to be a yellow headed Blackbird ). By mile 24 she decided she just didn't want to run anymore so we walked the last two miles. It was a beautiful day for a walk and only reached 72F for the day. A nice morning for two friends to share a walk around the lake. Too bad we were suppose to be running a marathon.

It's time to re-group for both of us now but I was encouraged that my legs felt a lot better than they have in a long time. Hopefully I have turned the corner and good times are ahead. The race itself is a nice one. A certified course in a lovely small town prairie setting. Plenty of aid along the course and good food at the finish. Not the place to come if you need cheering crowds but if you like a small, well organized race this is a good one to give you an excuse to check out South Dakota.


Here are the photos from the race:

I'll post the rest of my South Dakota photos in other post for anyone interested in my travelogue

Greetings from Viborg

The trip out went well with no problems encountered. I'm always amazed at the vast amounts of farmland passing below as I fly over the heartland of America. We flew into Omaha and rented a nice car for the 2.5 hour drive to Viborg. The first thing I noticed as I flew over Omaha were the vast networks of railroad tracks. Omaha is the home of the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF also has a big presence in the area. As we started the drive I noticed the hills over to the east and Karla told me they were the Council Bluffs which the city in Iowa gets it's name from. I found the countryside on the drive over to be pretty and green although quite flat the further north we drove. They have been getting a very heavy rainfall for a long time and there is a lot of flooding in low lying areas Many fields are under water and it doesn't loook good for a lot of crops getting put in in time this year. Could be more price pressure on food this year as a result. It is sad to see the damage knowing that it will affect so many farmers livelihood.

We finally arrived in Viborg around 5pm and met up with Karla's parents. After dinner we drove over to Swan Lake to pick up our packets. We wouldn't have time to do that at the regular time on Saturday because we are driving north of Sioux Falls to Karla's Strunk family reunion. Her mother is part of the race committe so it was no problem picking up our numbers early. We were allowed to pick our own numbers so I am #1 and Karla is #2. I guess the others will think we are the out of town hot shot elite runners. Ha! Frank is #100 in the half-marathon. It looks like here are only about 100 in both races, a few less than last year. Probably due to the Deadwood Mickelson Trail marathon being held the same day in the Western part of the state. It is surprising how many marathons they have in SD considering how little the population is compared to some other states.

It looks like we will get lucky with the weather. The start should be in the 50's and the high is only suppose to reach 75. With the 6am start heat shouldn't be a problem although there won't be any shade on the course. It's nice to get away from the heatwave in NC ths week. I'll try to post results tomorrow. Stay Tuned

Returning to Dakota Territory

Over the 52 years of my life I have been fortunate to have traveled over a large portion of the USA. In my youth my family took several long car trips out West to California among others as well as a couple of trips North into Canada and South to Florida. I also have traveled to many other States with past jobs I've had. In the process I figured I had been in about 33 States but had never been to either one of the Dakota's so I guess it is a bit strange that I will have visited both on two separate trips within a three week period. I hadn't really planned it that way but it's funny how things work out.

A couple of years ago the Marathon Princess was perusing the schedule of races at Marathonguide.com and was shocked to see that there was a Swan Lake Marathon in Viborg SD. Shocked because that is where she was born and raised and her parents still live there. As a teen, she and her friends would go to Swan Lake in the summers to hang out by the lake. When you consider the town has maybe 800 residents and is about 45 minutes from a town of any size and is in the middle of corn country. Last year she was able to go and run the race but I was not able to make the trip but I promised her if at all possible I would go this year to run with her and visit her family. So I made arrangements to take a weeks vacation to run and then head West into the Badlands area for a few days.

Here is a link to the race website.

Last year there were 85 finishers in the marathon and 38 in a half marathon in which Frank ran.
The race cap is 300 but I don't know how many will show up. The course has been certified and is a Boston Qualifier. I have no plans for that though. Karla and I will run together and just hope to get finished in good shape. Neither one of us has been running well lately. Perhaps I'll post more on that subject when I get home.

I'll try to post the results from SD if I can and I should have a lot of photos form the race as well as some scenes from the Black Hills when I return. Stay tuned.

Fun in Fargo

Uff da !! What is wrong with me? That's what I was wondering as I hit the wall at only 9 miles into the race. I had come into the race not expecting to run a real fast time. My plans were to run as much as I could with Margo and just have some fun and maybe run 3:50-3:55 which should be well within my ability right now.

The trip was long but rather uneventful. We flew into Minneapolis with a change in Chicago and there we rented a car. From Minn, we drove to ND, which took about 3:45. Once you leave the city it was very rural with some rolling hills and nothing but huge acres of farmland and woodlands along with many of the 10,000 lakes in the state. As we got closer to ND the hills became smaller and by the time we were about 30 miles away from the border it was table-top flat. We made a quick trip to the FargoDome to pick up our packets and then visited briefly with Wendy and Dan, friends of Margo's from the 50States and DC Club. Then we had a nice salmon dinner at the Timber Lodge. We both had the wild rice soup and it was delicious, almost like having dessert before the meal.

The race didn't start until 8am so we had no problem waking early enough to have plenty of time for the short drive back to the race start in the morning. As we lined up it was a beautiful morning in the upper 40's with only a slight breeze. That would change as the day wore on as there was a high wind advisory for the afternoon. Seems to be normal for all of the plains states.
We started off a bit too far back I think and spent a good amount of time weaving our way through the pack. Still hit the first mile in 9:10 and soon were able to settle in to a decent pace but still had to do some maneuvering around for a couple of more miles.

As we entered the downtown area, being the train lover I am, I quickly spotted the old Great Northern Railway Depot off to the side and snapped this shot.

Here is a link to a photo of how it looked in 1909

Most of the course so far was very flat of course. The only hills were very small and short and usually at underpasses for roads or RR tracks. I was feeling good and we were clicking off the miles at about 8:30 pace. shortly after 5miles I began to drop behind Margo a little bit and although I felt ok the pace seemed a little strong for me. It was still a little cool but the sun was warming up things quickly. By the time I hit 7 miles I dropped the pace even more and watched as she disappeared in the distance. I was now content to just make it an enjoyable training run at about 9 minute pace and be happy with about 4 hours.

So how did that go? Not too good. Uff Da ! A common term for the northern great plains area and the norwegians that settled in the area. I'll let you look it up here. By 9 miles I had hit the wall and was slowing down fast. I was having a hard time understanding how I could be having this meltdown so early in a run. By 11 miles I was toast and doing the ultra survivor shuffle. If I had not traveled so far I would have taken the short-cut back and dropped at 13 miles. I was really dreading those last15 miles. This was going to be a long slow deathmarch to the end. I passed by a bank and the sign said it was up to 65F and still warming. But the wind was picking up too. At least for now it was not too bad and was helping things to feel cooler.

I resigned myself to the fact that I was having a bad day and just tried to enjoy the race as much as possible. We crossed over the Red River of the North which forms the border of ND and Minn. I took a few pictures along there of the river. We then went onto the campus of Concordia College, on a sidewalk winding through and by the belltower. Just as I passed the tower the bells began to chime 11am. I immediately thought of Metallica's song "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Time marches on ! And then my right hamstring cramped on me big time. I hobbled along trying to stretch it out and a nice lady feeling sorry for me said Sir, are you going to be OK? Yes, thank you I'll be fine in a few minutes. So for the rest of the day I would run until I felt a twinge in the leg and then walk a minute or two. Why not? No hurry now.

Finally I was nearing the end and a good thing too. By now the wind was full force with gust over 40mph that would nearly blow you over. I was really happy to finally get this one over with. I've actually felt better at the end of a couple of my 100 milers than I felt the last half of this marathon.

They really do a great job with the races even if I didn't do a good job of running it. The organization is excellent and the community really supports the race. Many people had set up extra aid along the course in front of their homes and several business too. There were bands at many points as well as some individuals playing in their yards. Several accordion players and polka music along with more mainstream music. As I said before the course is very flat. My only complaint with the course would be the number of turns. Just looking at the map I counted 74 and I know there were several more along the greenways and sidewalks we ran on at times.

If you've never been to North Dakota then maybe this will be your excuse to check it out. Be sure and watch the movie too. Do they really talk that way? Well yes , some do. I overheard a couple of conversations between locals that included a yeah, you betcha in it. Very friendly folks too. We went through some very nice neighborhoods but even the older smaller working class neighborhoods were very neat and well kept.

So, even though my race was a big disappointment,I still had fun and was glad I had the chance to go and share the trip with my great friend Margherita.

Here are the rest of the photos

On to the next one.

Heading to Fargo with Margo

The Fargo Marathon wasn't even on my radar until earlier in the year when my good friend Margherita asked for somebody to go with her. She is doing the 50 States and DC and needed North Dakota and this looked like a good option. That's her in the picture before this years Umstead Trail Marathon.
I had been wanting to try and go to another marathon with her for a while now but our schedules never seemed to match. other than running at Umstead the past two years, the last time she was able to make a trip with me and the usual crowd was back in Nov. 2005 when she was helping to support me in my Boston Qualifying attempt at the Richmond Marathon. I failed but in the process she ran a PR. So after looking over my schedule I decided to skip a couple of ultra's this Spring and plan to go to Fargo. I've never been to North Dakota either so it should be a good trip. Look for a report when we get back.

Here is a link to the race website

Garner " A Great Place to Be Running" 5k

What a difference 2 weeks can make. After the Skirtchaser 5K and my disappointing performance there I decided it was time for a little break from running. Actually I have been uncomfortable running for the past 7 months and my back to back marathons last November. Although I have had a few decent performances since then, overall I have not been too happy with the way things were going. Several massages over the Winter and some stretching seem to help but the pain and discomfort kept coming back. At least the plantar fasciitis has gone away but I needed some rest. So I took a week off completely and then the past week I only ran 3 days for a total of 21 miles.

I was raised in Garner from just after my 8th birthday and my parents still live there so I was happy to have a chance to run a race in my hometown. The last time was at The Warm Winds Welcome 10k back in the early-80s that went right in front of their house at the 4 mile mark. But as the day drew near for this one, I wasn't sure if I should even run due to another mystery pain that came up on my first run after the week off. What's up with that!?!?!
On Thursday,I ran 5 miles on the trails at Umstead and felt great and then I rested the next two days so I decided to go ahead and give it a try. The race would be starting early at 7am so I headed over toward Garner before the sunrise. I was very happy that the weather would be unseasonably cool. After having 88F two weeks ago, the low 50's would be perfect. I quickly checked in and then began to look for friends. Several members of the NCRC Racing team would be there as well as some of the usual suspects. Frank and Karla and Laura, Alan and Jerry and Brad all showed up. After a brief visit with them I headed out for a mile warm-up. I was very happy that the legs felt fine and actually had more zip in them than I can remember when. Hopefully this would be a good sign.
Soon it was time to line up so we headed out into the street. I stood next to Laura but told her I had no plans to try and stay with her today. My goal was to hopefully go back under 23 minutes again and would try for 22:30. The first half-mile was very flat and I quickly settled into a quick but comfortable pace. After the first turn we had a gradual downhill and I started looking for the mile marker. I was hoping with the pace that I would be at least 7 minutes so I was very happy to hit it in 6:45 and be feeling good.
The next mile I tried to just stay relaxed and hold the pace as well as I could. I assumed I'd slow down a little because we would be making up that little bit of downhill. Actually it was a mostly flat course and the slight elevation changes were hardly noticeable and I hit mile two in 6:55. I was still feeling good but the faster pace was not easy to hold. I know I lost concentration and slowed more than I should over the next half mile and then I felt a twinge in my hip. That snapped me back to attention and I focused on not hurting the hip again. Finally we made the turn back onto Aversboro road and the finish was within sight. I pushed strong and although I did slow that last mile, I was able to just dip under 22 minutes and stopped my watch in 21:58. Woohoo! I am very pleased to run that time especially considering the training I've been doing and the nagging injuries I've been dealing with lately.
Laura would end up winning the overall womens race and Karla would place third in her-age-group with a run 3 minutes faster than at Skirtchaser. ( note, the winner of the womens 45-49 age-group was Betty Geiger, the former Betty Springs. She was a world-class runner in the 80's and a favorite in the 1st women's Olympic Trials Marathon in 1984 that Joan Benoit won.)
Tim Meigs and Mark Newton, of the NCRC Team, both over 40 years old ran great races and finished 2nd and 3rd overall.
In spite of my nearly two minutes improvement over two weeks ago, I could only place 4th in the 50 and over age-group. Only 52 seconds separated the top 4.

Here are some more photos

Here are the results

Skirtchaser 5k

Due to my decision to run in the Fargo Marathon in a couple of weeks I had to miss going to the Promise Land 50K, one of my favorite ultra's. Skipping PL was probably a good idea anyway because I have not been running too well since Umstead and I would probably have had a terrible performance the way the weather turned so hot over the weekend. However that did open up a spot on the weekend to have some fun and jump into a shorter race, the Skirtchaser 5k. I haven't raced a 5k in about a year and a half so I thought it would be fun to see what I could do. Karla was pretty excited about the event because she loves the skorts and thats all she runs in these days. Karla and Frank arranged to come back early from the OBX to run and I made arrangements to leave work at TAF for a couple of hours to make it in time for the 5pm start.
I walked out of the store at 4 and immediately was surprised at just how hot it had gotten outside. I heard the high reached 88F, certainly the hottest I've run in this year. It was exactly one mile to the race start from the store so I ran over for my warm-up. I was happy to see Margo and Maureen had made it as well as Karla and Frank. Lots of other friends from the NCRC were there to run and quite a few that weren't running were there just to join in the fun and cheer on some of us from the NCRC Racing Team.
The format of the race was for the ladies to start at 5 and then the men would chase after them 3 minutes later. Cash prizes were paid out to the top 3 regardless of gender. Their were no age-groups for this one.
With about 20 minutes to go I warmed up another mile and headed back to the starting area. I was feeling the heat just waiting for the start and found some shade to stand in until after the women started. To make it even tougher the start is two blocks straight up a steep hill. The rest of the course would be gently rolling. Fine for a longer race but very tough for running all out in a 5k.
I had no one in particular to chase especially since the one I would preferred to chase couldn't enter so I told Karla I'd use her as my motivation to run fast. I started off slowly up the hill so as not to get into oxygen debt right away and then after making it to the top I settled in to a hard relatively comfortable pace. I had hoped to average about 7:30 pace for the race but with the heat and hills I was satisfied and even a little surprised that I hit the first mile in 7:48. After making the next turn I could see Karla up ahead and focused on catching her. I finally pulled beside her before the 2 mile mark and gave her a pat on the back and a "Hey Beautiful ! " as I passed by.
I hit mile two in 7:44 so at least I was consistent. The last mile was predominately downhill and I was trying to push as hard as I could. Just before the final turn there was a short, block long hill and I felt I was slowing to near walking pace before finally making the top and turning onto the nice downhill finishing stretch. I actually had sped up a little that last 1.1 and averaged 7:30 for that section and finished in 23:50 chip time. A bit disappointing in way because it was the slowest 5K I've run in the 9 years since recovering from my soccer knee injury, but considering my training, recovery from Umstead and the conditions and course, it wasn't too bad I guess.
Margo and Maureen were already finished and were by the road cheering for me and the others It was Mo's first 5k and she did great. Margo ran the exact same time as I did in 23:50. We waited for Frank and Karla and some other friends and then went to join in the block party with a live band, drinks and pizza. But I couldn't hang around too long because I had to run back and close the store before 7.
Here are the official overall results. You have to subtract 3 minutes from the mens times and these are gun times, not chip times. Too bad there weren't any age groups or I would have won the 50+ group.

I only regret missing my ultra friends at PL and at Crowders Mt 50K. Hope everyone there had some big fun.

Ok, if I have to. Umstead 08

Well I just spent two hours finally typing my report from Umstead and as I was finishing the last paragraph I hit something on my keyboard accidentally and it disappeared. I guess the story was not meant to be told.
So forget it. Here's the short version.

I didn't have a good day from mile 12 on. Got stupid and let my electrolytes get out of whack and ended up a staggering, dazed and confused shell of a runner between the start of the 6th loop and the next aid station. It had been chilly and raining and as I headed out on lap 6 I didn't think to put on dry clothes or grab a jacket so I became hypothermic although I never really felt cold. Dropped out because I couldn't think or walk straight let alone run. If I hadn't stopped when I did I would have collapsed on the trail within the next half mile. Wonderful volunteers helped get me back to the lodge where I was taken care of by Angels. The end.

Now on to the next one!

Umstead Stories 2008

There are many reasons why I find myself continuing to participate in the many ultra events that I do. Many of those reasons I find hard to explain to others outside the sport, and that is mainly because I don't think I quite understand it myself. But the one thing that is easy to understand is why I enjoy the many special people I've met through this sport and in being a member of the running clubs in the area.
There is great personal satisfaction in completing a tough run but it is nearly as much so to watch your friends do well, especially when they are newcomers to the sport or going for a special goal. One of the great benefits of volunteering is being a small part of the successful completion of a tough event. I know my successes have been helped so much by the support and care from volunteers and friends and their family's crewing.
At this years Umstead there were so many runners attempting to finish their first 100 miler and out of 104 finishers, 38 completed the distance for the first time.
We probably had more participation from the Mangum Track Club than any other group this year and quite a few of those were first timers. Some of our relatively new members that got their first finishes were Cameron Kelly, and Frank and Donna Maguire. Of all the runners in the race Mark Long probably had the most people pulling for him. Mark along with Doug Dawkins are the true heart and soul of the MTC. Since Mark's first attempt at the hundred in 1994, he had not been able to quite put together a successful race and had failed in several attempts here at Umstead. After being able to stay awake all night at last Fall's Hinson Lake 24hr run his confidence seemed to grow knowing that it was possible to fight the sleep monster. And with a relaxed attitude and better pacing he finally got that elusive 100 mile finishers buckle.
Another MTC member and NCRC former president Ben Dillon also got his buckle. Ben has been very active in volunteering for probably the entire existence of the race and ran the 50 miler several years ago. He always said he had no interest in doing the 100 but over the past couple of years Ben had began to run more ultra's and made the decision to go for it. Ben ran a smart steady race and just cracked 26 hours in his first attempt. Another NCRC member and current club board member Jennifer Frahm would also being going for her first. She probably had the most meticulous plan of anyone in the race and although things got tough late in the run, she persevered and got her finishers pendant and was 1st female in the 20-29 age-group.
A couple of out of state friends also came for their first. John Straub from PA came down. Unfortunately his wife Debbie, also an ultrarunner couldn't make the trip due to recent surgery on her calves but John ran a very strong 20:40 finishing 10th overall.
Rick Gray came over from Tenn. with his wife Tammy along for support. I was a bit surprised to learn that Rick was a first timer as he is a very strong runner but he certainly didn't perform like it was his first and was close behind John at the finish in 20:48. Rick and Tammy are one of the nicest couples you can meet and it was nice to have both of them offering encouragement to me all day.
Which brings me to a couple of my favorites. Dorothy Hunter is a charter member in the Ultraman Joey's Angels and Princesses Club. She has been running ultra's for about 9 years now I think and was a David Horton student at Liberty. I first remember seeing her at some of my first Ultra's in Virginia but it was at the first GEER 50K in 2003 that I met her and future husband Todd at the finish line. Since that time I have shared many miles on the trail with Dorothy and it is always a pleasure to be in her company. Tiny, petite and adorable but with the heart of a lioness, she is always a strong competitor that won't quit. I had no doubt that she would not only finish but do great. I was a little worried though when I saw her out training a couple of weeks before and she had a chest cold and looked terrible. Luckily she recovered in in time and ran a great race. Everyone that saw her on the course all day could see her smiling and having a great time. I was happy to be at the lodge when she finished to congratulate her and give her a hug. 23:09. An awesome run and 3rd in her age-group.
I wouldn't have to wait much longer for the lady I got up from my nap to see finish. Jenn Ennis is another of the charter members of the Angels division of my club. I had met her before I ran my first ultra when I became an active member in the NCRC back in 2001. It wasn't until around early 2005 that we started to become closer friends and since that time I've been lucky to have gotten to know this special lady quite well and share frequent training runs together. Sadly I was unable to run her first 50K with her two years ago due to my training for Boston but she ran a great debut in a time it took me 3 years to run. She followed that shortly with a 50 miler in 10:07 at Umstead 2006. I told her then then she was a natural at the sport as her training was even less than mine.
I was finally able to run an ultra with her at the 2007 Frosty 50k. She improved a little despite slowing due to shin pain that nearly turned into a stress fracture and caused her to miss last years Umstead. I was happy to learn that she intended to run the 100 this year. I knew she would do great despite less time to train than she had hoped for. She had expressed doubts on numerous ocassions that she was ready but I assured her that she would not just finish but would run under 24 hours. At the pre-race dinner Friday night someone asked her what made her decide to run ultra's. She just pointed at me. Well, I'm not sure can take credit for that but hopefully my enthusiasm did rub off on her and provide some inspiration. Well as predicted she had a great run and finished in 23:30 and when she walked in the lodge with that big beautiful smile, she looked like she could go out and run another 50 miles. Like I said, she's a natural and I'm sure she did it on even less training than I had for my first.

Congratuations to all the other finishers as well as the other first timers.

Maybe I'll tell my story soon

Umstead 08 Photos

I finally got around to posting the photos I got along the way at Umstead last weekend. Due to the damp and cloudy conditions the quality on most is not too good. I tried to get everyone I saw that I knew along the course in the 2nd loop but was unable to get all. I'll try and post some thoughts on the race soon but I've been very busy this week.

Here is the link to the pictures

The 1st 100, Umstead 2004

Running a 100 miler had been a fantasy goal of mine ever since I had first heard of Western States back in 1978, but as I have mentioned before, it was not until Feb. 2002 at Holliday Lake that I finally ran my first ultra. I ran my 2nd ultra in 2003 at the Frosty 50K and it was soon after that race that I set my goal of running a 100 in the near future.
I ran my first 50 miler in October of 2003 at Mountain Masochist, just barely making the cut-off in 11:55 and afterwards began training for Umstead. Leading up to MMTR I had only been averaging 25 miles per week so I felt I should try and increase that as much as I could. Over the next 6 months I would complete 3- 50k's and just three weeks before I ran in the inaugural Umstead Trail Marathon. So in the 6 months between MMTR and Umstead I increased my weekly average to a whopping 29.1 miles per week including the mileage in the races.
Although I had been a volunteer at Umstead since 1998, I had no desire to run the race there. The old course was all on rough gravel roads and I didn't even like to train on them, let alone take that kind of beating on my feet for that long. I only ran on the single-track when I went to the park. However when I saw how the park was re-surfacing the roads to make the bike and bridle trails I had changed my mind and was eager to run it.
In 2004 the Turkey Creek trails still had not been opened so the course was a ten mile loop with about 2 miles still on gravel road but the rest on the bike and bridle trails. After MMTR a key component of my trainng was to go and do at least one loop a week on the course at exactly the pace I planned to use in the race. I would walk the hills and run the rest so that over time I knew every inch of the course and my body had adapted to the pacing. One day after doing my 10 mile loop I decided to walk another loop just to see how long it would take just in case I was unable to run late in the race. I thought it would also be good training since I would be using the walking muscles in the race. That 20 miles was the longest training run I did not counting the races previously mentioned.
My first goal was to finish the race but I also was determined that I would try to run in under 24 hours. From the first time I had heard of the sport, finishing in one day had been considered a good time and I had always believed that I could someday run one under 24. Based on my inexperience and slow time at MMTR, all my friends and other ultrarunners I talked to tried to discourage me from trying. They thought I should concentrate on just finishing my 1st one and my projected time based on my 50 mile time would have been about 28-30 hours. However I was confident in myself and my plan and I would not be deterred from going for my goal.

The following is a slightly edited report I did after the race in an e-mail to the Ultra-listserv

Hot Dawg!, YeeHaa!, Woohoo! Yeah Baby !! What a great experience for my first 100.

We started at exactly 6am walking up a steep hill from the lake and then I fell into an easy running pace. Soon after hitting the B&B trail and a small incline I began walking. Jay Finkle said. "walking already" and I said yep, I've got a plan and I'm sticking to it. Soon afterwards I was running along with Mark Mintz, a local guy that I had met at the spaghetti dinner Friday night. He was running his first ultra, going for 50 miles for his 50th birthday. I explained my plan to him so he decided to stick with me . We would enjoy running about 33 miles together before he ran out of gas and said he was going to probably walk it in.
So anyway, I had planned to cover the first lap in about 1:55 which was about the average of my training laps. I went through in 1:54 and was feeling great. I started eating then. My plan was to avoid sweets and gels and stick with solid food. This strategy would end up working well for me as my energy level stayed constant for most of the race until the last 7 or 8 miles and my stomach was in great shape almost the entire race. The aid stations are like a buffet and I ate a lot of turkey and cheese, potato soup, chicken and rice soup, baked potatoes, bananas, cracker and PB, and mid-afternoon, a couple of slices of pizza.
The next few laps went very well and according to plan. I had estimated I would slow too and average 2:15 per lap the next 4 laps and getting to 50 miles in 11 hours. I hit 50 in 10:59, exactly on pace. The support from all the other runners, volunteers and race staff was terrific. Being that I am a local , I was cheered loudly everytime I came into the main aid station and it was certainly a big moral booster.

Note:In the photo above, taken at 50 miles, some of my family are visible including my Mom and Dad. My oldest son and Daughter-in-law are just out of the picture. Notice Anita Finkle sitting in the chair with a sick stomach and contemplating dropping out. She would rise from the dead and with pacing support from Neal Jameson, eventually pass me and continue to a strong finish."

I had figured the next few laps I would slow more to about 2:30 per lap and expected to have to walk more. I did slow but was still running just as much as I had in the early miles. Well the next two laps were almost exactly 2:30 each and I was still feeling better than I could have ever imagined. From mile 70 to 80 for the first time I began to feel tired when I reached mile 74 and realized I still had a marathon to go I had a little mental breakdown. I ended up slowing too much on that lap and lost 12 minutes off my pace. This started to worry me a little since I was still on sub- 24 pace but I knew I couldn't afford to slow anymore. So I went out on lap 9 on a mission. I would either pick up the pace or blow up trying. At least I would still have plenty of time to make the 30 hour cut-off.
I couldn't believe how well that lap went. I felt great again and actually ran it faster than I had run since the 5th lap. As I came into the main aid station for the last time there were only a couple of volunteers around. Matt Kirk , a friend and the winner of the race in 15:05 was resting on the hood of a truck parked there and when he saw me he was so excited knowing that I was going to make my goal. He jumped up and said Joey, you're doing it man, a sub-24! He tried to get me to eat something but I was ready to get it over and for the first time my stomach wasn't too happy. I had been getting blisters on both forefeet but I didn't want to top and fix them either. I just wanted to get done. I gave my water bottle to Matt to fill while I made the last trip down to the lake and back. When I got back he forced me to at least eat something so I took some cheese and crackers from him and headed out.
The last lap was the only time I finally had to dig deep, something I had figured I would be doing after the first 50 miles. the last lap was a struggle but mostly due to the blisters. My feet hurt so bad that running down the hills hurt worse than walking so I had to walk more just because of the pain. I was also finally getting sleepy but I never let my determination to go sub-24 waiver. And finally I could see the finish. I thanked the few people that were there including Matt who was waiting for me just down the hill. Here is a guy that had won the race 9 hours earlier and he was yelling to the timers, "it's Joey Anderson, sub-24 as he escorted me the final yards. What a fine example of the spirit of ultrarunning.
Then I said to RD, Blake Norwood, "I'll take one of those 100 miles-One Day buckles please." Blake shook my hand and handed me my first ever buckle and then Sally Squier, the #1 Aid Station Captain and friend gave me a big hug and said, I knew you could do it.

Me too.

Umstead 100 is coming fast

My home 100 Ultra is coming up this weekend and I'm getting excited to once again challenge myself on this course.
I learned of ultramarathons soon after I began running in 1977 but it wasn't until 1998 that I saw one first- hand. At the time I was doing little running and playing in an over 40 soccer league. I knew that the Umstead race had been held for a few years (1994 was the first) but had not made an effort to check it out. But on this day, I had a soccer game in Cary so before my game started I decided to drive into the park and check things out. I stood around watching for about an hour before it was time to head over to my game. Afterwards I returned to the park to watch some more around 1PM.
I had not been there long when I decided to start helping at the aid station at the lodge. I was amazed and intrigued by these amazing people and wanted to learn and experience as much as I could. I was soon put to work recording the runners split times as they came around to finish each loop. Eric Clifton would be the winner that year and I was in amazement that after running so far that he could still run so fast at the end. I also remember meeting Joel Zucker from NY. He was quite loquacious and made an impression on everyone around I'm sure. Sadly Joel, one of the founders of the ultralistserv would die later that year after finishing the Hardrock 100.
Also that Fall, I would tear my ACL in a game ending my life as a soccer player. I was Blessed to have a miraculous recovery from the knee injury and 3 months later began trying to see if I could become a runner again. I started cycling and swimming as part of my rehab of the knee and began participating in Triathlons. I continued to return as a volunteer for a few hours at Umstead the following years. Finally in 2002 I ran my first ultra and my knee was stronger than ever before the injury and to this day has never been a problem for me. Then in 2004 I was finally ready to run my first Umstead 100.
I hope to have time to post my report from that race this week if I can find the time. Until then you can check out the race website here

The First Race: The Natural Light Classic 10K

March 11th, 1978 was my initiation into racing and a major turning point in my life. Prior to that day I was just running for general fitness and was more interested in trying to put some muscle on this skinny frame. think I weighed in at about 132 pounds in this picture. You have to love the outfit and the large paper number. And dig that mustache.
So anyway, I was running about 10 miles a week with maybe a couple of weeks that I ran 13 and 15 miles. I had run one 5 miler in December on the track with my boss just to see if I could go that far. We did that run at exactly 8mp. I was aware of the Olympics and the Boston Marathon but had just recently learned that there were actually "fun runs" open to regular people and that you didn't have to be an elite athlete to participate, so when I saw they were having one in Winston Salem I decided that I would like to try it out. I had no idea what I was doing and knew no one to ask for advice so two days before the race I did my 2nd 5 mile training run.
We got up early Saturday morning for the 2 hour drive to Winston Salem and search for Hanes Park where the race was to be held. We got directions at a gas station after arriving in town and soon found our way to the Park. It was a beautiful morning in the 50's with the high eventually reaching the mid-60's. I was surprised at the wide range of runners milling around. Mostly men but there were several women and quite a few older men( kind of like me now). I was nervous and a bit intimidated by the whole thing so I found a spot in the middle of the pack as we lined up on the street. I wasn't too happy to see that we would start on a hill and that the first mile would be all uphill. What follows is taken from my running journal entry for that day.

I ran my first race today, the Natural Light Classic 10K at Hanes Park in Winston-Salem. There were 280 entrants.The first mile was mostly uphill and I started out easy and hit the first mile in 9:15. I never knew a mile could seem so far as that first one and I was worried at how many people were passing me.( afterwards based on how many I passed and my finishing spot, I was in about 200th place then) . I thought my time was kind of slow so I picked up the pace as the course flattened out finally. The next two miles seemed to last forever too but I was happy to get my time for 3 miles in 24:00 ( I was feeling good and I usually ran 8mp in training)
Between miles 1 and 3 my hill training began to show. There were several short, gentle hills and I kept up my pace and actually began passing about half the people I would pass in the race on these hills. I made a mistake and grabbed a cup of water and tried to swallow on the run. It messed up my breathing and all of a sudden my stomach hurt and I felt tired. It took me until mile 4 to get back into my rhythm and feel good again. Miles 3 to 5 were nearly flat and straight and I began to feel stronger and confident after my stomach felt better again at mile 4.
I reached 5 miles in 41:00 which meant that I had lost about a minute with the water problem. The last 1.2 miles were mostly downhill back the same way we had started. I was feeling great and picked up the pace and was steadily passing people. When I saw the chute at the finish line
and the hundreds of people cheering me on and knew I had finished still feeling strong, I grinned from ear to ear the last 50 yards I was so happy. My time was 48:59, a 7:54 overall pace and about 40 seconds faster than I had hoped for.( shooting for 8MP) I finished in 176th place( There were a lot of serious runners and not too many joggers in those days)

From that days experience, I was hooked on racing and running and my interest in body-building was replaced with dreams of pr's and future races.

Umstead Trail Marathon 2008

Next year, we're going to come back here and run this thing in 4 hours Tony said. I said ,yeah, I'm sure we can do that if we just leave out that out and back spur on the Cedar Ridge Trail from mile 21 to 24.

This was my 4th time running this race. I missed the 2nd year because I waited too late to sign up but I did volunteer that year. And for the 4th time I had a bad race. For the 3rd year in a row I had my frequent trail companion Tony Rouse along for the fun. It seems funny how both of us find a way to fall apart at this race. Two years ago we could blame the unseasonably hot weather. Last year we went out way to hard, but this year we couldn't come up with an explanation. I guess it's just a hard race but you would think maybe we could feel good just one time.
I really didn't know how I wanted to run this year and really only made up my mind the night before the race. I decided I would go out easy for the first couple of miles and see how I felt. If I felt great I'd go for a fast time. If I just felt OK, then I would continue to run easy and call it a workout in preparation for the upcoming 100 in April. I arrived at Camp Lapihio about 45 minutes before the race and carried my bag inside and went to check in. That took a while because of seeing so many friends to greet. That is one of the great attractions of this local race . I was very happy to see my great friend Margo, as soon as I entered the lodge. This is where I first met her 3 years ago. My friend Jerry had told me about this this amazing Italian Marathon Lady and I recognized her from his description as we ran along in the first mile. I introduced myself and I'm sure she must have thought I was a bit strange as she quickly pulled away. Since that day she has become one of my dearest friends and has played a big part in my becoming a more social person instead of the former hermit of a few years ago. Thats her with the black leggings waiting in the potty line with the Ever Lovely Mrs. Doom and Marie behind her.
Finally it was time to start so everyone gathered outside and suddenly 5 minutes before the start a thunderstorm passed over soaking us all. Fortunately it wasn't cold and the rain stopped by the time we reached the 1st mile. I was cruising along easily and chatting with Doom, Mark Long, and Mike Day. By mile 2 they begin to pull away and I was not ready to push the pace yet. I was waiting to see how I felt once we hit the single- track. Tony caught up to me just as I started onto the Company Mill Trail and we began our usual race chatter. No one else has come close to running as many miles in trail races and ultra's with me than Tony. And the funny thing is we have never planned on running one together. It just seems at some point we seem to find one another and our paces are very similar. Some days he pulls ahead, some days I'm feeling better and then days like today we end up running to the finish. I've lost count of the number of times we have tied at the end.
So as we ran down the hill to the creek bottom, I was tempted to pass some slower runners but held back still waiting since we still had 23 miles to go. As we came to the first climb it became obvious to me that I would not be breaking 4 ours today. Margo caught up to us and I introduced her and Tony. I was really enjoying the single-track sections. The rain from the day before and the morning had the trails nice and wet with mud and standing water. It wasn't the yucky, sticky kind of mud though. Just the fun splashy kind that makes you feel like a kid playing around. We ran together for a while until we came to the bridle trail again. Margo pulled ahead after the aid station and would stay ahead the rest of the day despite having just ran the Little Rock Marathon last weekend. What a strong lady. As we ran down the hill to began the Sycamore Trail I told Tony, that I would not be trying for a fast time today. He agreed that the pace should have felt a lot easier than it did so we would just try to have fun and get in a good workout. I figured as lousy as I'd run in the past I could just take it easy and still end up with a course PR at least.
So for the next couple of hours we would just cruise along having fun and greeting friends on the out and back sections. We were separated for about a mile on the North Turkey Creek Trail as I was walking faster than Tony and he decided to let me go. But I was in no hurry and soon he caught back up to me. It was while he was behind me that I came into the most interesting aid station of the day. Several young ladies were dressed up in evening dresses and had a Prom theme. One of the signs said to kiss the Prom Queen and not being a guy that can turn down a chance to kiss a pretty young girl, I took her up on the offer. They all got very excited and said I was the first person to actually get a kiss. Makes me wonder what's wrong with all the other guys. Well, I guess some of them Are married.
By the time we came off Turkey Creek I was pretty much toast. I was tired and moving slow and with another 10 miles to go I was afraid it would be a long day. At least I could still get that course pr if I just kept moving. Not. I was well hydrated and had taken in plenty of calories but it was just not to be today. By the time we began the climb up the Cedar Ridge Trail it was obvious that even beating last years time would not be happening today. Very disappointing but at least it would soon be over. Ended up in 4:43:35, about 6 minutes slower than last year. But within a few minutes I was smiling again and enjoying the company of many MTC friends in the Lodge. Tony announced our plan to return next year and run under 4hours. I said I think instead I'm going to give up this long distance stuff and go back to running 5K's . Slowly.
Yeah right. See you at the 100 miler in three weeks.

Thanks to MTC member Ron Horton for the photos. Here is a link to the one he took.

And here is his race report with even more photos.

NCRC Volunteer Appreciation Party

And the winner is? Ultraman Joey Anderson !

This past Saturday Evening, March 1st the NCRC held it's Volunteer Appreciation Party. In the past it had been a sit-down dinner and only open to volunteers that had worked at least 20 hours and those with 40 or more could invite a guest for free. This year the format was changed to a more casual affair and anyone in the club could pay $15 and attend. Almost everyone I spoke to liked the new format since it allowed more club members to attend, yet still reward the volunteers.
In years past there were racing teams at most local races from clubs and other groups but now most races don't offer to team competition. One of the things that the NCRC has tried to do recently is to offer something for the more competitive members of the club. Last year we ( the club executive committee) asked for volunteers to step forward to organize a racing team for the club. Mike Zimmerman, owner of The Athlete's Foot stepped up to sponsor the team and supply shirts and singlets. Which brings me back to the photo and the opening of this story.
That is me accepting the award for NCRC Racing Team Grandmaster of the year. I was surprised to receive the award, but then I think I may be the only Grandmaster Male on the Team? Well, although I didn't compete in any short distances the past year, except to run with Karla for fun, I did have a pretty good year at the longer stuff. I opened up the year with a 100 mile PR of 23:15 in Rocky Raccoon and set several course pr's in some 50K's. I ended up the year with a 50K pr at Derby and was the first Grandmaster for the 2nd year in a row. The young man in the background is Travis Wills, the men's team leader. The very pretty young lady I have latched onto in the picture is our ladies team leader, Erin White. Ahh, if only I was 25 years younger.

Thanks to all the volunteers that made this evening a huge success. I look forward to another great year for the NCRC and more racing!