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!

Myrtle Beach 2008

It's hard to believe that in 2005 I really had no desire to come run this race. I was just getting serious into the ultrarunning and loving the trails. I only came because my friend Jerry kept asking me too and I finally decided to run it mainly to pace Karla in her first marathon. We were only casually acquainted at the time through the NCRC and had just run one time before with Jerry and Margo on New Year's Day of 2005 while she was preparing for it. She would go on to qualify for Boston in that first marathon and our great friendship would grow from there as we became regular training partners.
This year, the usual suspects Jerry, Karla, Frank and I would return for the 4th year in a row. The past few years the NCRC and other Triangle area runners have been coming down as a group making it a special weekend, not to be missed. Sadly this year it fell on the same day as the Holiday Lake 50K++, my first ultra in 2002, but I was committed to coming to run MB with Karla. Mark and Terri Dowd along with some others put on a great pre-race pasta dinner and post-race party at the Breakers Resort where we have a large block of rooms reserved.
We arrived early Friday afternoon this year and went straight to the race expo for packet pick-up. I was most pleasantly surprised to see the Trail Angel was there.

We were able to spend some time talking which we haven't had in a few months and I really needed her understanding ear that day. Funny how Angels tend to appear when you need them.

Saw lots of other friends there including my other lovely training partner Jenn.
I was finally able to meet Eric Nesbit's family. I have been coaching Eric for the past three months to prepare him for a PR attempt in the half-marathon.
We had a good time hanging around at the Marriott and the expo for a while and then it was off to the club pasta dinner at the Breakers Resort. More good times there socializing and then it was time to rest and get ready for bed.
The only thing I don't like about the race is the 6:30 am start time. The good thing is it's only a mile to the start from the hotel so I don't have to get up toooo early at least. It was a lot warmer than ever before the start but we sat in the car until about 6 to stay warm before heading to the start. There we saw lots of NCRC people of course and other friends including the Dummars and Emily.


















We moved up through the runners ahead and found Jenn. She had not thought she was training adequately to run sub-4 like last year, but I had been telling her for months that I thought she was stronger than ever and should go for it. She decided just to go out easy the first few miles and see how she felt. I was once again just planning on running easy with the Marathon Princess and have some fun while training for the upcoming ultra's in the Spring.
Karla has been coming back stronger in every race and although she knew she was not quite ready to try for sub-4 , we were hoping to run about 4:10. The gun went off and Jenn quickly disappeared ahead of us. So much for starting easy! Karla and I did start easy and went through the first mile in 10:06, just about exactly where I wanted it to be. After that we settled right into our planned pace and for the next several miles ran very consistently averaging about 9:25 pace. I guess with all the racing I've done and the aches and pains I've accumulated the past few months are the reason, but I never felt too good in this one. That pace should have felt like I was just out for an easy training run but I felt like I was working too hard. I could only hope it wouldn't get worse and maybe feel better as the day wore on. We were having fun anyway. What could be better than to be running a marathon with Karla?
We passed Frank who was in the half after about 7 miles and saw many others from the club out on the course. We played leapfrog with Clarissa for a while as she was doing the run/walk thing in the half.
After about 10 miles I could tell Karla was having a hard time holding the pace and then she told me she didn't think she had it today. We immediately decided to stop pushing the pace and just relax and try to get through the rest of the race as easily as possible. We slowed down a little and then steadily made our way around the course talking and enjoying the company as the miles passed by. She continued to slow gradually and by 20 miles was beginning to struggle. She said she was afraid there would be some walking today and by 21 miles she gave in and took a short walk break. I would spend the next few miles trying to keep her laughing and smiling as we tried to get to the finish as quickly and painlessly as possible. I looked back every once in awhile and with about three miles to go I saw the Dummar's coming. Susan was looking great and would go on to finish in a PR 4:20, about 30 minutes faster than last year. She should think about breaking her leg more often. She has been setting Pr's from 10K to 50K since last year.
We finally found our way to the finish in 4:35:08 chip time. This was Karla's 10th marathon and I have had the pleasure of running 7 of those with her. Frank was waiting with the camera as usual after having exceeded his expectations in the half. He has been struggling with PF for months and had only run about 30 miles this year. We found Jenn and she was beaming after running a big PR 3:53. I told ya she could do it. Now she finally believes me when I tell her she can qualify for Boston and is ready to start doing some speedwork after the Umstead 100 coming up in April.
Eric and family had already left. He didn't have a good race and missed his goal but I'm sure he will achieve that time in the near future. We then saw Laura and Katie. Laura had a sub-par day but just two weeks earlier had run a sub 8 time in the Uwharrie 40 mile. Katie missed her goal by one minute but still ran 3:16 and won the 25-29 age-group!

We then waited around to watch Jerry finish. He would struggle today , a combination of lack of training , the Tybee marathon two weeks ago and getting sick. Somehow he survived and made it. Then it was off to the River City Cafe for a big, fat juicy BBQ Cheeseburger and Fries. Mmmmmm.

On to the next one.

Tybee Results. Finally

Well , for those of you that don't already know, the qualifying attempt was a failure but even with that bit of disappointment it was still a great trip. It would have been nice if Margo could have made it. It was her idea to begin with afterall but family commitments kept her from making the trip. Two of my faithful companions, Karla and Jerry went for fun and to support me. Jerry would be running the marathon and Karla in the half.
I was happy to find the drive down wasn't nearly as long as expected. We made it to our hotel on the Interstate in just 4.5 hours and after checking in decided to go over to the Island to pick-up our packets and figure out where we wanted to park the next morning. It would have been nice if I knew the best way. We ended up taking the scenic route with a million stop lights and rush hour traffic making it a most frustrating drive taking nearly twice as long as expected.
After picking up my packet I sought a local for directions back but then realized that the car we drove down had a navigation system. Duh! So while they shopped I went back to the car and figured out how it worked. After a few minutes I had our route programmed in and saved a half hour on the trip back.
Race day morning looked promising despite the most unpleasant hotel clerk I think I've ever had to see first thing in the morning. We all kind of felt sorry for someone that seemed to be so miserable. But the weather was looking good and the drive back over to the race site was quick and uneventful. We were lucky to find a parking spot only a block away from the starting line. It was a bit cold so we stayed in the car until a half hour before the start and then I went for a warm-up run and made last minute preparations.
As we walked to the start, it was sunny and warming quickly. I looked around to see if I could spot any of the MTC members that I expected to be there but didn't see any. I lined up with Karla and Jerry but I would have to race ahead of them today. And then , it was time to go.
I planned to start easy and gradually work my way on pace. After just 1/4 mile, I spotted Jay Finkle up ahead. I was tempted to run up to him but I knew he was planning to run even faster than me so I resisted the urge knowing I would get caught up in a pace too fast. I passed through the first mile easily in 8:06, within the range I wanted to be. It was in the 40's now and the air was calm. Perfect conditions for a pr attempt.
As the next several miles passed, I could hardly believe how effortless it was to maintain pace. I felt like I was just out for a training run and my splits for each mile were very even, only varying by a few seconds and in the range they need to be. I was sticking with my hydration and calorie replenishment plan and by 10 miles I was finally convinced that I may have a real shot at making it. I had not really been too confident in the last few months. I had been feeling very beat-up and depleted after a hard November and even though I took it quite easy in December, I have still never felt completely recovered . It also wasn't the best thing for me to race at Frosty 50K if I wanted to do my best here.
I noticed after 10 miles that although I still felt very good, I finally felt like I was in a race and not just out for an easy run. My breathing was getting a bit deeper and I could feel the effort. Even so, I felt good and was still on pace.
Because the Island is so small the course is a double loop and there are several small loops and out and back sections so around the 11 mile point I was able to see some people that were ahead and behind me. I spotted Jay and Anita, Richard Lassiter, Darrell Elliot, John Marrota, John Hutchinson and Charlene Simmons from the MTC. I was a bit surprised to see Charlene . She lived in Chapel Hill but moved to Chattanooga several years ago. I spotted Jerry and Karla who had planned to try and run the first half together and then Jerry would go on to run the second half. He had pulled ahead of her a little but looked like he was struggling. Karla looked relaxed and was running well and by my estimation looked to be running about the pace expected.
I passed through the half in 1:46:57, almost exactly where I wanted and needed to be. I was still feeling good but the 13th mile had been a little slow. I just thought maybe I had lost focus so I picked the pace back up a little bit. 14 and 15 were still a few seconds too slow so I decided to pick up the effort again and went through mile 16 in 8:06, right back where I needed to be. It wasn't easy though but I've struggled a little and been able to come back strong before so I wasn't worried yet. But then a quarter mile later I got a side stitch just as I turned a corner and into the bit of breeze that had kicked up. I used every trick I could thing of to work out the stitch while trying to maintain the pace but it didn't work. That mile took me 8:36 and my energy was fading fast. I walked at the aid station and took in some gel and water and headed out planning to try and regain the pace but it wasn't to be. Although the effort was there the pace was not and I was so deflated to pass through the next mile in over 9 minutes. I knew then that the attempt was over.
From that point on I just tried to run as fast as I comfortably could and hope for at least a good time. Maybe I could still run a 3:40. I passed by the start finish area just before 21 miles. and saw Karla. She took this picture and then asked how I was doing. I told her not too good but maybe I could still run 3:45. A couple of miles later and I was still slowing down and thinking maybe 3:50. Still slowing as I passed mile 24 I was hoping maybe I could run 3:55 and at least beat my Richmond time from November. Well, I couldn't even do that And despite the cheering efforts of Scott Foxx and friends from a house along the course I had to do a lot of walking in the last mile. Richard came by me in the last mile running a smooth pace while I struggled along and eventually finished in 3:56:58.
Karla was waiting for me at the finish and then I spotted Jay Finkle. He had run a great race and qualified for Boston in 3:18. Anita came in right behind me while I was still in the chute. We walked around to wait for Jerry to finish and a lot sooner than expected he come home in 4:10. Amazing considering how little training he has been doing. Karla ran a strong 200:50 for the half. With her strength and determination I think she will be back in pre-cancer shape within another 6 months.
Darrell Elliott got a pr and Boston Qualifier too in 3:29 so I was very happy for him and Jay having successful runs. I got to see Charlene for a few minutes just before we headed to the car to start the long drive home. I enjoyed the race despite not achieving my goal. The Savannah Striders and the Tybee Island people put on a nice race. Nothing fancy but well organized and a bargain compared to many other races. I would recommend to anyone to try it at least one time. On to the next one.

Tybee Island or Bust.

Road Trip!,

Some of the usual suspects will be heading down to southeastern Georgia this weekend for the Tybee Island Marathon. It's a long way but when looking at my schedule for the year, this race seemed to be one of the few chances I had of squeezing in a Boston qualifying attempt. I would have liked to have had more recovery and training time after Frosty Fifty but with the Umstead 100 coming up in early April, I didn't have many options.
But that's OK, I'll give it a good shot and have some fun in the process. Tybee is a very beautiful place and I'm looking forward to seeing it. Karla will be racing in the half-marathon as she continues to work towards regaining her sub-4 hour marathon shape. This will be a good test for her to test her fitness and be ready for Myrtle Beach in two more weeks. My great traveling buddy Jerry is coming along for the fun too. He will be running the full and just hopes to improve over OBX as he also works his way back into shape. Unfortunately Margo has family commitments and will not able to join us.
Several friends from the Mangum Track Club will be attending including Jay and Anita Finkle, Darrell Elliot and Tom Gabell. Maybe some others as well as a few NCRC people may show up too. The course is pancake flat and with the near perfect weather forecast I should have a great chance at running well. I just have to run smart and hope I have recovered completely.

Race website

What's the Point, 2007

Congratulations to Tyler Peek, the 2007 What's the Point Race Champion. That's Tyler on the left accepting the trophy from last years winner Tony Rouse. Notice both of them and Jay in the background wearing their NC Ultra Series jackets.
Tyler literally ran away with the title this year with no one being close by mid-year. He won by almost 700 points and this was without even running Derby and getting the double points or the 500 point bonus for running all the MTC events. His total of 3,107 was the fifth highest in the competitions 6 year history. If he had just gotten the bonus he would have moved into 3rd. I don't think anyone will ever challenge the Finkles totals from 2004 of 4091 and 4092, and that was without the massive points possible for the Hinson Lake 24hr run that wasn't started until 2006.
Tyler as usual went quietly about winning the title and let his feet do the talking. He is a very good runner and a great all-around person that represents the spirit of the club very well. Not only did he rack up a lot of miles but he did it with some great performances. Tyler doesn't have the typical skinny runners build, no doubt from the requirements of being a Captain in the Durham Fire Dept. One of those quiet heroes that surround us.
I knew from the beginning that I would not be a factor in this years race with my schedule. It looks like last year was my one best shots at it, but in a classic battle to the end, Tony came out on top. I won't be winning this year for sure as I plan to cut back just a little in the number of ultra's and I will have to miss a couple of the MTC events. I will however continue to participate and I encourage all of you that are members of the MTC to join in the fun

Frosty Fifty Photos

Thought you might like to see something besides my toe from FF so here is a picture of Jenn. She's looking good and running strong.

Here is a link to a set of photos on the Twin City Track Club website. Over 250 pictures for your perusal.




Here's one of me.

Frosty 50K 2008

Eeeeeeuuuuuu. That's soooo gross!

That's the response I've gotten from most people

Actually it's not that bad. Compared to some other less impressive blisters I've gotten, this one is like a two on a pain scale of one to ten.

But lets backtrack a little. I had signed up for this race for a couple of reasons. #1 is that it is a nice race put on by some nice people on a nice, relatively flat fast course and I was hoping to run a PR for the distance. #2, is the many friends and familiar faces that show up to run each year from the MTC, NCRC, VHTRC and others.
I was looking forward to making the trip again with the lovely Jenn. We convinced Mike Walsh that it was time for him to run again and after a little persuasion he too signed on. So I met Jenn at 5am and we headed West, picking Mike up along the way.
We arrived without incident about an hour before the race. It was a cold morning, about 27F so after a little socializing and picking up our packets, we waited in the truck until shortly before the start. With a few minutes until 8, we made our way to the start and with the customary bugle call by RD Dan Besse, we were off. My goal was a pr and hopefully a 4:40 time but I knew I needed to start easy. I settled into a comfortable pace until we came to the first little hill, about 1.5 miles in and then gradually picked up the pace. As usual when I try to run for time, I find myself alone for most of the run but there were several opportunities to talk with some friends along the way as they passed me or ran alongside for awhile.
There are now some mile markers along the way so I was checking my pace after a couple of miles. I thought I ran the 5th mile in 8:57 but then realized it was 7:57 which was much too fast. I was feeling good but I knew I had to back off or blow up later.The first turnaround is approximately 7.77 miles in and I was hoping to arrive in about 1:10, but I had not slowed nearly enough and passed it in 1:07:30. It was good to have a cushion but not that much that soon. Having the out and backs is one thing I enjoy about this race. You get to see everyone at least three times on the course and it is good to see the friendly faces and share encouragement along the way. Lots of folks knew I was trying to run hard and I really appreciated their support along the way. Jenn was hoping to improve over her Derby pr too and she was looking good and running comfortably when I saw her.
I had run with Tony Rouse a few mile on New Years Day and we had talked about the race. Tony said there was no way he would keeping up with me today. We have run many miles in these things together over the years so I was not surprised to see that he was not far behind me. I had began to feel a hot spot on my left big toe early in the race and finally at about 12 miles I sat down and took off my shoe to try and adjust the sock and see if I could see anything rubbing. About then Tony and Matt caught up to me. I was soon back on the run and run up to catch Tony. My shoe adjustment didn't seem to help so I just accepted the fact that I would be getting a blister but it was not really hurting but more like a minor nuisance.
Tony and I would enjoy running together for the next 10 miles or so. I was still feeling good and we were still holding onto about 9 minute pace. The stop had cost me most of my time cushion but I was still on pace with a 2:19:35 time at the halfway point. I was running ok as we began the 2nd half of the race and we were still right on 9 minute pace as we ran over the small hills again. I was getting a little tired and although I realized a 4:40 wasn't going to happen I was still hopeful of getting the PR. Quatro had encouraged me at the turn to run a negative split but I knew that wasn't going to happen today.
We passed through the aid station at around the 19 mile mark on pace but I could feel it slipping away from me. Tony was running well but he said he was going to slow down and wait for Mark Long, but he looked back and Mark was catching us anyway. The three of us ran together for a while and after the next aid station I pulled ahead for awhile. I saw my Trail Angel Laura coming towards me but she was not feeing good. She had been in 3rd place for the women and running strong but now her stomach was hurting. I wished her well and was hoping she would be able to hold on. As I reached the last turnaround, I was disappointed to see that my cushion was now gone and I had slowed too much the last few miles. Now I was going to have to run faster on the return than I had the last 7 miles just to get the pr.It was discouraging but I wasn't going to give up without a fight. I tried to keep pushing the pace until I passed through the damsite aid station again and then I would check my pace with the mile markers again. My energy would ebb and flow as I tried to push it back to 9 minute pace. I never felt bad but just could not hold the pace I needed.
Just as I passed what would be about the marathon point I tripped over an exposed root in the dirt road and rolled over onto my back with my right hamstring cramping. It was actually a very gentle fall so I just lay there letting the cramp relax before getting up. Several people passed by and checked on me as I was on the ground resting but I assured them I was fine. I got up no worse for the fall and began the final 5 miles to the finish. By now the pr attempt was over but I was still running a decent pace. I decided to run as comfortably as possible and still get a good time. If I could just maintain I would still get a course pr at least and break 5 hours.
The last miles passed uneventfully. Quatro passed me with 3 miles to go but I couldn't hang with him . I could see Mike Walsh was gaining on me the last mile or so after coming off the last hill. I was glad to see he was having a good run. When I had seen him earlier in the run his knee was bothering him and he was considering dropping out. At the end he was running strong and finished only 7 seconds behind me. I had not run with my camera today but I wanted to get a picture of Jenn finishing so I went to the truck to get it. I was standing near the finish talking to Dale Tiska while looking across the lot so I could see runners approaching. Suddenly I looked over and there was Jenn crossing the finish line. She had been wearing a white shirt everytime I had seen her but had removed it and was now in a red shirt so I hadn't seen her coming. Oh well. She had a good run and got the pr in 5:15. That makes four 50k's and 4 four pr's for her.
I finally made my way over to change my clothes and was shocked when I removed my socks and saw the toe. I had expected to see a small blister on the bottom of the toe and thought it would probably popped itself. But the good thing is it still doesn't really hurt and after draining it Sunday night you would never know it had ever looked like the photos. Overall it was a great time spent with good friends and in the end although I missed the goal time I still ran fairly well. Now it's time to recover and be ready for Tybee Island next month.

Looking ahead in 2008

Happy New Year friends, family and anonymous readers. Once again I'm planning a big year so here is what's in the plan for 2008

Jan.
Start off the year with a 50K PR attempt at the Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50K.

Feb.
Travel down to the Tybee Island Marathon for an attempt at qualifying for Boston and a marathon PR.

Mar.
Mostly training and a repeat at the Umstead Trail Marathon.

Apr.
100 mile Pr attempt at the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run.

May.
Start the month with a fun weekend at the White Lake Triathlon with a group of friends. This will be my first Tri in almost 3 years. Not planning on becoming a triathlete again but will just do the sprint distance for fun. ( See note at end of post)
I may return to Capon Valley 50K again but not sure at this point.

June.
I will travel to South Dakota for a weeks vacation and run the Swan Lake Marathon with Karla in her hometown. Then come home and run the Boogie 50 miler.

July.
Grandfather Mt. Marathon and probably Catherine's FA 50K again

Aug.
Travel out to Washington State for a vacation and run the Cascade Crest 100 if I can get in it.

Sept. Hmmm, haven't really decided yet.( Trying the Wasatch 100 lottery. If I get in , cancel the CCC in Aug.)

Oct.
Depends on if I get my Boston qualifier at Tybee in Feb. If I don't then I will try another marathon this month, probably at Baltimore. If I do then I will most likely run the Grindstone 100.

Nov.
Mt Masochist 50mile +. Then probably run OBX Marathon with Karla again. Finish up the month with my 5th Derby 50K so I can get my veterans vest.

Dec.
Rest and Training

Already some changes in plan. I didn't get into White Lake Tri. I'm not sure if I will try to enter any others. Just have to see if I can squeeze one in. I also decided at the last minute to enter the lottery for Wasatch 100. I'll know by early Feb. if I get in. If so, then I'll skip Cascade Crest this year.

Well, that's the plan. I look forward to seeing many of you at a lot of these events and on the roads and trails training.

2007, the year in review

2007 was an interesting year with a few highs and lows but overall another very rewarding time. The Spring was an especially successful time with many personal records. The 2nd half of the year saw a few disappointments but even then there were several highlights. I had focused so much energy on training for Western States and after my DNF there, I seemed to be tired for a much longer than normal amount of time. The recording setting heat of the summer and early Fall probably contributed a lot to that too. So here is how it went.
Jan.
The year started off slowly as I was recovering from the knee injury that caused me to miss running the last 2.5 weeks of December. I was very happy that after a few test runs I was able to run the Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50K on the 6th with my friend and frequent training partner, the beautiful young Jenn Ennis. I had wanted to run it last year which was her ultra debut but training for my Boston Qualifier didn't allow it. We had a great time and she improved her time despite running with considerable shin pain the last half.
On the 20th I traveled to Virginia and the Swinging Bridge Trail run held on the beautiful Willis River Trail. Had a lot of fun running most of the 35 K with my trail buddy Graham.

Feb.
My first main goal for the year was to attempt a 100 mile Pr at Rocky Raccoon in Huntsville State Park, Texas. I wasn't quite as fast a I hoped but accomplished the goal with a 23:15 and I got to run a little with the Trail Princess.
Two weeks later and with a quick recovery, I ran the Myrtle Beach Marathon with Karla, The Marathon Princess. As always it was joy to run beside her. It was a tough, slow run for her as she was just beginning to recover after completing her cancer treatments just two months earlier.
A week later I found myself at the Mt. Mitchell Challenge 40 miler. I was feeling good but after a 100 just three weeks before and the marathon last week I expected to be tired. Ended up having a great run and achieved my goal of breaking 8 hours. Most enjoyable was the perfect weather conditions and running with Tony Rouse for about 35 of the miles.

Mar.
On the 10th I ran the Umstead Trail Marathon again. Although not nearly as bad as last year, I still had a long slow run. At least I had good company with Tony again and many of my friends were running and volunteering in my home training area.
I was happy to see the return of the Gator Trail 50K on the 24th. I had not had the chance to run it in the past and was planning to go for a 50K pr. The weather was unseasonably hot and I had a disappointing meltdown and a warning of the hot weather yet to come.

Apr.
In April I returned to the Bull Run Run 50 miler. With perfect weather and trail conditions, and some great company from Fred Dummar in the first half of the race, I improved my time by over 1:40:00 from two years ago.
Two weeks later I returned to one of my favorite races, the Promise Land 50K and again Blessed with great conditions, I ran a course PR by 40 minutes and probably felt better from start to finish of any ultra I've ever run.

May.
I returned to Capon Valley 50K with hopes of a new course PR and with the way I had been running I felt that would be easily done. Warm weather and some lingering fatigue from a hard year of racing and training however caused it to be a slow day. At least I got to run in a gorgeous setting with many friends and especially nice to run the early miles with the Trail Angel Laura.
A week later a group of us ran the 26.7 mile length of the Falls Lake Trail for fun with the great roving aid support of Mike Waldvogel and Rhonda Hampton.

June.
Started the month running the 5k Race for the Cure with Karla and Jerry. Her first time in this race as a survivor. A wonderful day and she showed much improvement as she continued to grow stronger.
Then it was off to Western States. A fantastic vacation but a heartbreaking DNF. Lessons learned and someday I hope to return and claim my finishers buckle.

July.
Was hot but a welcome cool front moved into the southeast just in time for Catherine's FA 50K at Massanutten Va. I think the weather was the major factor in my shattering my course PR there. As always a great day and post race picnic with my VHTRC friends.

Aug.
I decided not to try any racing in August. It was a miserably hot month and I wanted to concentrate on training for better things in the Fall.

Sept.
The hot weather continued and I had a miserable half-marathon in Danville Va. It was easy to ignore the pain and suffering though sharing the ride and day with the Trail Angel.
I had high hopes of improving my distance run at the Hisnon Lake 24 hour run this year but it was not to be my weekend and I was coming down with a bug that bothered me for most of the week afterwards.

Oct.

October saw more training and my first 10 mile race in a very long time at the American Tobacco Trail. The NCRC and R.D. Aaron Quick did a great job with this first time event. I ran well but a bit slower than hoped for.

Nov.

The Marathon Double month. I was afraid that my time at the ATT 10 miler in Oct. was an indicator that I was not ready to qualify for Boston and I was right. Looking back I should have not run Hinson Lake. Just not enough recovery time to run a quality marathon. I still ended up with my 3rd fasted marathon ever. Sunday was even better as I got to run OBX with Karla and had Jerry along for over half the race. It was a great day and I was so happy and surprised that Karla had improved so much in the past year. Another few months of training and she will be back as strong as ever. Finished up the month with another 50K pr at Mark Long's wonderful little road ultra, the Derby 50K and sharing the trip with the Lovely Jenn.

Dec.
After a hard year of training and racing, I have cut back on my training a little and stayed away from racing to let myself recover. I look forward to another great year which I will kick off in another week at the Frosty 50K. Hope all of you had a good year too. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in the new year ahead and possibly meet some more of you that stumble upon my blog.