tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23657154551834548522024-02-07T16:10:03.630-08:00One Last Lap: Doc Ott's Running BlogDoc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-53322047008669479762019-10-05T13:00:00.000-07:002019-10-06T03:06:06.918-07:002019 Thru The Leaves 50K Results (or: I'm Running Ultras Again!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPtmsOtBbYze-dpolp9pwoX6qLumyF4bT5MXl1u8g_fm3YTynexbmfV12fskJ3-LYsn_3DIgkO8aZfoJjynVhCtRWATT-t9_pxwCy2_3bQtEuiDfLOenBwcq9BSivjx-QP7_e5qsHmTU/s1600/20191005_125421-816x612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPtmsOtBbYze-dpolp9pwoX6qLumyF4bT5MXl1u8g_fm3YTynexbmfV12fskJ3-LYsn_3DIgkO8aZfoJjynVhCtRWATT-t9_pxwCy2_3bQtEuiDfLOenBwcq9BSivjx-QP7_e5qsHmTU/s320/20191005_125421-816x612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
4:46:40<br />
3/x overall<br />
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What a welcome back! A few years ago I hung up my ultra racing shoes, which was a depressing, but based mainly on the fact that it stopped being fun. I was trying so hard to be really good I just started to hate it. I quit ultras in 2013 and in 2014 stopped running marys.<br />
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I always said that I would come back to running/racing when it was fun again. In 2016 I came back, but slowly, just getting into half marathon shape only to help my friend Matt through his first half, then getting in marathon shape to help him in his first marathon.<br />
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After a recent half marathon with my lovely wife, I figured out I could come back to longer races and this time I wouldn't be competitive. I burned out before, and this time around I want to do it for a long time, so I had to hold back.<br />
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So a month ago, I decided to enter this race which didn't give me much time to up my mileage from 35ish to 70ish a week. I managed to get three long runs over over 4 hours done on Saturdays starting super early so I would finish each run with my peeps in the <a href="https://www.glroadrunners.org/">Grass Lake Road Runners</a> club.<br />
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My goal today was simply to enjoy the run, not racing, but just enjoying. It really was everything I wanted it to be, though the course had so many roots and rocks I'm surprised I only fell (hard) twice considering my luck with tripping hazards on trails.<br />
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The course was one of the toughest trail runs I've done, with maybe 20% of the course being flat. It only had ~3000' ft of elevation change over the whole course, but the switchbacks and the 90+ step stairs slowed everyone down.<br />
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I ran the first two and half laps with the eventual winner, Zach Cain (the other guy in my finish line picture) who was running his first race above a distance of half marathon. He skipped the marathon distance and went straight to a 50K, which takes guts.<br />
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He wasn't totally sure how fast to go out, so him and I ran with another runner (the eventual 5th place finisher) chatting about races, our pedigrees, ultras, hundos, etc. Turns out these two guys did research on ME because they saw I was entered and at Ultrasignup.com, my street cred is solid.<br />
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Eventually Zach took off and then I ran with the eventual 2nd place finisher and we also had the standard ultra runners conversation for a half a lap, and I wasn't on my own until 60% of the way through the race, when i started my 4th lap. I had been doing fine doing their pace but once they hit on of the few long flat sections, they took the opportunity to make up some time and picked up the pace which I was not in the mood for.<br />
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By myself I slowed a little but not much, taking only a few walk breaks on the steeper uphills as well a the 95+step set of stairs we had to do each lap. At least they had a good aid station at the top.<br />
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I was totally happy with my results. (podium!) This was exactly what I hoped it would be. A solid, yet fun run to give me the taste again. The ultra 'community' is completely different from the 'marathon' community. I have many friends I have met from running ultras. I have zero friends I met through running marathons, and I have ran 8x as many Marys as I have Ultras.<br />
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Ultra runners are just more laid back, going out to enjoy the event and the camaraderie. The races also have way more fun volunteers and the food spread is always awesome. (My picks today were Pringles, Coke, PB&J tortillas) I don't know if I ever want to do a road marathon ever again.<br />
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What now? Well, I need to recover a bit (feet fairly sore) before I make any commitments, but it felt good enough I can continue on in this new chapter. Thank you, Ultra Gods, for letting me back into the realm,Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-59154715351285011982014-05-18T16:21:00.000-07:002014-05-21T05:25:58.623-07:00This is the end, beautiful friend. <br />
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The short version: The Buffalo Marathon will be my 100th marathon/ultra and it will be my last, at least for a while. Maybe forever.</div>
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The long version: All of us runners have a story as to why we started, for me it realizing in 2005 that I was overweight/ unhealthy and running was the only exercise I enjoyed (and it was cheap) Yes, I ran in high school, and was mid-level varsity in cross country, but I stopped as soon as I went off to college.<br />
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In the fall of 2005, I ran my first race in over 20 years, a little 5K and did ok, but knew I wanted to do more. I decided soon after that I wanted to train and run my first marathon, which I did in June, 2006. That represented the start of 8 years of running psychosis. In no particular order, here are all the goals that I made for myself, every one of them I achieved along the way:<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Sub 3 marathon<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run Boston (2007)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run a marathon in all 50 states, each under 4 hours, before age 40<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run a 100 mile race (x8)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Get a ‘real’ sponsorship<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Top 10 finish in a national championship race (x2!)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Set a world record (a cheezy one, yes, but still a WR)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Finish every race I ever started (not a single DNF)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run around the Earth (total mileage equivalent)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run a barefoot marathon<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Win a marathon (x7 I think) and win a Hundo<br />
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After 8 years, as I am about to hit the magic 100 marathons/ultras, I look at what I have accomplished and think about what else there is to do that is different/new/exciting in terms of running and that list is very short, and behind each one is a reason against it:<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- 50 states again (too much $$, time away from family)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Even more 100 milers (I have finished 8 of them, now ‘old hat’)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run marathons faster (2:49 is a fine PR, thank you)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run Badwater/Spartathalon/some-other-really-long-race (time to train ‘right’ too much)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Run across the US (too much $$, time away from family)<br />
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Put another way, there is no goal I can see in my (exclusively) running future that is anywhere near worth the effort needed to achieve that goal. And before you ask, marathons just don't do it for me after 100 of them and the effort (money/training) is now (sadly) never worth the payoff.<br />
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There will always be people closer to the ‘crazy cliff’ who will do those things (and more) no matter what I choose to do. I have accomplished so much and have nothing left to prove. I have no monkey on my back I need to remove. I am really quite happy with where I am. I want to go out with my head up, so to speak.<br />
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Running 110+ miles/week is time consuming. Those long hours on the road are no longer fun. I started running for improved health, but the difference between 40 miles/week and 110 miles/week is almost ziltch in terms of health. I could be doing a lot more ‘other things’ that I am starting to enjoy.<br />
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Now I have time that I can give back to the running/exercise world. I was recently elected at the President of the <a href="http://www.fallingwatertrail.org/" target="_blank">Friends of the Falling Waters </a>trail. I sit on the board of the <a href="http://www.fitnesscouncil.org/" target="_blank">Fitness Council of Jackson</a>. I am the race director/timer/marketing/all-other-jobs-too for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FallingWatersFA" target="_blank">Falling Waters Fat Ass race series</a> (spring and fall!) There are also other hobbies I wish to pursue, including <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MESJOphotography" target="_blank">photography</a> and study of the Tao. I look forward to spending more time with my lovely wife as well.<br />
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Will I ever run a marathon again? Definitely, maybe. I know my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DocOttUltradude" target="_blank">ultrarunner facebook page</a> will soon go away, and maybe this blog as well, though I like it as a diary. Who knows.<br />
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I want to thank all of you who have supported me and listened to me ramble about my boring running career. I know I have inspired at least a few of you, and that does make me happy. My experience and knowledge will never leave so feel free to keep asking me questions. I will always have answers. Promise.<br />
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Thank you, goodnight, and don't forget to tip your waitress.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-52997041853819102562013-10-27T06:52:00.000-07:002013-11-02T07:34:59.096-07:002013 Halloween Hustle Marathon Results 3:30:26<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TrfldiEjIYb0FeYRDjUVMcfBLHXxjta1Hdb7ptkQHijLBSy7Y_CC_eyOhdntd4sDwbjoAmRnFIkFxAu6Nx1R9PznZCLMLPUal8yNihVrzX3S7P7BklMtYnooCCA3mFEvgbNH-X5KzoA/s1600/hhh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TrfldiEjIYb0FeYRDjUVMcfBLHXxjta1Hdb7ptkQHijLBSy7Y_CC_eyOhdntd4sDwbjoAmRnFIkFxAu6Nx1R9PznZCLMLPUal8yNihVrzX3S7P7BklMtYnooCCA3mFEvgbNH-X5KzoA/s1600/hhh.JPG" height="320" width="280" /></a>I try to come home to southern Wisconsin every few months to visit my folks so Salacia and I decided to head back in late October to spend the weekend enjoying the cool fall weather. About 10 days before the trip, karma told me to check the race schedule to see what might be going on. Turns out there was a marathon that weekend with a start line about 4 miles away from my parents house, so of course I signed up.<br />
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The race is still young and is trying to go with the whole run-while-in-costume schtick, and I would guess that maybe 1/3 of runners were dressed up in something resembling a costume. I found out later there were cash prizes for the costume contests. I had been hoping that my large entry fee was going to some good charity. Oh well. I have burnt plenty of money on other races, and they can't all be cheap.<br />
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The course was a little bit of everything. The first 4 miles were flat pavement out in the wide open with a little wind. Then it turned into residential roads with gentle hills and lots of turns. Then dirt trail in heavy woods. Then long hills in open farmland. Repeat. They get mad props for variety of race course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuRAqcIvqNEhie3gRl3LrfquCfyyABSIWlzNInFNp0xWhhY8dnNO0s4B-LHcvPAtUWMAFF1aYSFKu6lMZL_ZJjnCjXYn9u4M-3dH5SHOGrpydVEEslWgh4_ieQKDTL-xAVcCC1NZqqkE/s1600/start.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuRAqcIvqNEhie3gRl3LrfquCfyyABSIWlzNInFNp0xWhhY8dnNO0s4B-LHcvPAtUWMAFF1aYSFKu6lMZL_ZJjnCjXYn9u4M-3dH5SHOGrpydVEEslWgh4_ieQKDTL-xAVcCC1NZqqkE/s1600/start.JPG" height="312" width="320" /></a></div>
Being late October in Wisconsin, of course it is going to be a cool morning, so it was no surprise a 7-10 mph breeze with 32 degrees met us at race start. I wore two shirts + a throwaway shirt at the start and the temps increased to low 50's and slightly higher winds as the race wore on. I tossed my throwaway shirt just before we went into the shady woods with lower temperatures. That was a mistake, but not fatal.<br />
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It is rare for my mother and my daughter to see me race, so this time being able to see both of them whilst running was cool. I first saw them at about mile 1 (they avoided the chaos of the start) and four more time throughout the race. I have run many many races and almost never get a loved one to actually cheer me on as I run by. It was nice and I even stole a few hugs from Salacia when I had a chance.<br />
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In my new method of starting slow and speeding up in an effort to meet as many people as possible during the race, this was a fun race. I met many people including a Zoology professor at UW-Madison, 2 graduate students (biology and psychology) students, a supply chain manager, a manager of a local Target, a hedge fund manager, and a nuclear medicine technician and an IT guy (that's actually what he called himself). A few of them running their first marathon (those are the most fun to talk to) and a few veterans. The last group I ran with had just shy of 200 marathons run total between the four of us. We had some fun conversations.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxKmr1oBbdE0o6HCKaiFSxKKJiV5GMqFZl9F72f4rH1syGsSo3soLBoDH-wdLMUyHlxwHyvoC_nczpxdFcWBAIsIh2chfcP8adPCBWzHbbwbHSrdmtQwreEfwDveGFc-9eZIyMXCKIrA/s1600/course.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxKmr1oBbdE0o6HCKaiFSxKKJiV5GMqFZl9F72f4rH1syGsSo3soLBoDH-wdLMUyHlxwHyvoC_nczpxdFcWBAIsIh2chfcP8adPCBWzHbbwbHSrdmtQwreEfwDveGFc-9eZIyMXCKIrA/s1600/course.JPG" height="214" width="320" /></a><br />
I carried my camera with me to take pics of people and things but I wanted to make sure I got a good quality photo of my handstand and I knew that Salacia would be at the finish line. As I approached I was looking forward trying to find her and eventually did about 30 feet before the finish line. I stopped stone cold and handed her the camera (people immediately started talking, trying to figure out why I stopped there. I walked towards the finish line while she got the shot ready asking her "Are ya ready?" When she responded in the affirmative, I turned, did my handstand to the cheering crowd, and then looked back again at her and asked 'Did ya get it?' and again she answered in the affirmative. That was cool.<br />
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There was one sad moment of the day. About 20 feet past the finish line I saw a man on the ground having CPR being performed on him. Obviously overweight, I assumed he was a recent half marathon finisher and it happened very soon before I finished as the ambulance that had been partked 1/4 mile away had not yet got to the spot. Knowing what the statistics are regarding people who have CPR performed upon them is not great, I assumed the worst. I have been checking the news and had he passed away I am sure there would have been a mention somewhere. Since there was not, it seems like her survived which is great news.<br />
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Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0Middleton, WI, USA43.109249468005309 -89.53244006582025343.086062968005308 -89.572780565820253 43.132435968005311 -89.492099565820254tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-31859806284018964762013-10-13T14:06:00.000-07:002013-11-02T08:09:17.366-07:002013 Wildlife Marathon Results (Or: A New Way to Enjoy Marathon 'Racing')3:24:55<br />
11/123 overall<br /><br />
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This was my third time running my only 'real' (not counting my FA races) local marathon, with the starting line about 10 mile from my house and portions of the course along some of my most favorite running routes. I try to no run the same race in consecutive years as I try to keep memories of individual races separate in my head. This was the 5th running of the wildlife race, but I had run it <a href="http://run.docott.com/2009/10/2009-wild-life-marathon-results.html" target="_blank">the inaugural year</a> and <a href="http://run.docott.com/2011/10/2011-wildlife-marathon-results.html" target="_blank">the 3rd year</a>.<br />
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So it was a beautiful course, and the race operation is getting better, now in its 5th year. The first year, there were only 28 finishers, but now there are over 100. While there are other bigger races going on right around this time (Detroit, Grand Rapids) this race is small and full of love. It will only get bigger and better.<br />
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After my <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/07/a-new-restart.html" target="_blank">'restart'</a> a few months ago, I have been trying to come up with new/different things to get me motivated to run marathons, like running barefoot for example. Recently came up with a new idea where I start out slow, find someone to chat with, and when the conversation goes stale or reaches natural end point, speed up and meet someone new and start over again. Repeat until you find a person you want to finish with or until you reach a point where catching the next person is out of the question. My local race seemed like a great place to test out the new method. As predicted I learned a lot.<br />
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I got to the race about 45 min before the start and along with standard pre-race things (bib, timing chip, emptying my bowels, etc.) but I also got to chat with many friends of mine who were also running either the full or half marathon. Since it was my local race I knew quite a few of them. All good folks.<br />
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I had been sick most of the week before, so I was trying to rest and did little running. I wanted to start out 'slow' so I planted myself about halfway back hoping that would be about the 4 hour group of people. After about 1.5 mile I realized I had already matched up with people more along the times of 3:40. There were plenty of people in that group, so that was ok.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hcl8tMMX37-Euz3-oKk8QCe4WUHHM2zVdD0oH1AKnGXr8Df7yAHPbdLviFz9npu0J9PSE31RqUSt5diuuI8ontjqleWXogOb1TTcPJ-yNgsDql4Mh2Kkw1gUIukjWnVbneVL8HAHmKM/s1600/course.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hcl8tMMX37-Euz3-oKk8QCe4WUHHM2zVdD0oH1AKnGXr8Df7yAHPbdLviFz9npu0J9PSE31RqUSt5diuuI8ontjqleWXogOb1TTcPJ-yNgsDql4Mh2Kkw1gUIukjWnVbneVL8HAHmKM/s1600/course.2.JPG" height="268" width="320" /></a></div>
In brief, here are a few stories I got to hear in the first ~11 miles.<br />
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- At about mile 5, the eventual 3rd and 4th place female finishers in the half marathon caught me and the group I was with (The half marathon started after the Marathon, so these ladies were cruising at about 6:45) so I decided to fly with them for a half a mile. While focused and clipping along, we still managed a short conversation about half marathons and how cool it was that 5 of the first 6 half marathoners were women.<br />
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- A brother/sister group, his 9th, her 1st marathon. They both live outside Detroit and had never been to Jackson before, and were surprised. There found we have some cool stuff here.<br />
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- A 30ish year old runner on his 14th marathon, who was interested in my state quest and asked me lots of questions (cost, time, motivation) about it. He has been 'considering' that idea for a while. I gave him plenty of pros and cons.<br />
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- Three separate teachers over different parts of the day. A college professor, a 3rd grade teacher, and a gifted/talented teacher.<br />
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- At least 5 people who I tried to strike up a conversation with who ignored me or couldn't hear me because of their earbuds. I brought my iPod but only listened to it when I was doing my 'sprints' to catch the next group of people.<br />
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At ~mile 10 I met up with a young woman who was running her first race. She wanted to run under 3:30 and I am not 100% sure she did. I ran with her for a while, trying to keep her nearest competitor (at that point about 1/2 mile ahead) close. At this point, I was on a 3:25 pace, and I thought I could catch a few more people, so I said my goodbye wishing her luck, and decided to try to catch a few more people.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGedXTJc-w8NCeAVoVF517xXa-W_ULZeurz-BlFUKyku23XcRFOFgTguzBK9dKk7rLTO-dNLYKf0WAaYm-GVmcaDNx5Lo3gvNnpVSVOq94_UdZd7tFnLZ_UfM1mfq0valKy_mNmMrWfAo/s1600/course.1..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGedXTJc-w8NCeAVoVF517xXa-W_ULZeurz-BlFUKyku23XcRFOFgTguzBK9dKk7rLTO-dNLYKf0WAaYm-GVmcaDNx5Lo3gvNnpVSVOq94_UdZd7tFnLZ_UfM1mfq0valKy_mNmMrWfAo/s1600/course.1..JPG" height="266" width="320" /></a>I eventually caught the next runner at about mile 12 who would eventually be the first masters finisher. It was first marathon and she is a cross country/track coach so she had a huge support group. We joined up with another gentlemen on the course and the three of us stayed steady for quite a while. Her longest run before this day had been 20 miles so at mile 15 I did my best to prepare her for what was going to happen to her at mile 20. I was blunt, but tried not to scare her. She started to fade at about mile 21, but I tried hard to motivate her. doing my standard late race motivation.<br />
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It was a great race, and it gave me a huge dose of I-Love-Running motivation. As someone who is trying to get back to the love of the sport, this helped a lot.<br />
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<br />Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0Falling Waters Trail, Jackson, MI 49201, USA42.1999037 -84.469256142.1528537 -84.5499371 42.2469537 -84.3885751tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-88954967134300261192013-09-28T17:30:00.000-07:002013-09-30T06:54:23.910-07:00FWFA Marathon Results (Or: Mark's Little Race)3:31:01<br />
1/4 overall<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUtkMXWbSRYh0kDZhHGIzOcN8z4bOSuaNdP5fv5tQZL4VJn5HZBZTL8J99LWpc2jEGVMY7WE84rxrAEwIXCQMLXB5LVEKM1pI-wNVy_j-3yJgFytzOTs-Fnrqpg5pS2t40cXFgexUhiw/s1600/IMG_3152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUtkMXWbSRYh0kDZhHGIzOcN8z4bOSuaNdP5fv5tQZL4VJn5HZBZTL8J99LWpc2jEGVMY7WE84rxrAEwIXCQMLXB5LVEKM1pI-wNVy_j-3yJgFytzOTs-Fnrqpg5pS2t40cXFgexUhiw/s1600/IMG_3152.JPG" height="320" width="257" /></a><br />
Fat Ass races are low-key events that have no entry fee, no timing chips, no race shirts, nor fancy finishers medals. With marathon entry fees going up, especially at bigger races, there has been a boom of these types of races around the country. These smaller, more personal races are more for the purity of the run. They can be just as fun and memorable as any big time race.<br />
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As I near my 100th career marathon(+) I decided I want to start my own Fat Ass race and bring people from around the southern Michigan area to a beautiful part of Jackson, the Falling Waters trail. I had figured out that there was a simple (read: almost impossible to get lost) 13.1 mile out and back section of the trail. Add that it was late September so the temperature was perfect and the trees had started to turn color and you got yourself a perfect set of race conditions.<br />
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My day began at 5:30 am with Misty and I going to setup the aid stations for the race. Since it was free, I went cheap on the supplies. At the 3.5/8.5 mile point I put a small table with a gallon of gatorade and a gallon of water with some cups. A similar station was placed at the the 6.55 mile turn around. We then headed to the start finish line to setup a table for people’s contributions to the event. I had asked for people to bring what they could for post race food. We ended up with a good variety including cookies, pretzels and apple cider.<br />
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For an 8am start, the first people showed up around 7:25. I hand made 2”x3” ‘race bibs’ out of some tarp I had lying around. I am trying to make this race a little different and fun. The runners seemed to enjoy it. A little after 8am, I explained the route and how simple it was and we took off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQA9XQVtDeaeRCGdo5PgC7RXhFsT-4vjNw0mRrNxKKO3T4wgRPF503OLcQ7THIj5dydRFxDGxsTFEwPaq1xqW6ZGVtXjMyJ2EWdasPdS7wOlusJV2zoe8jaQdEIC9O0xB6JeswgaBYzhg/s1600/IMG_3165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQA9XQVtDeaeRCGdo5PgC7RXhFsT-4vjNw0mRrNxKKO3T4wgRPF503OLcQ7THIj5dydRFxDGxsTFEwPaq1xqW6ZGVtXjMyJ2EWdasPdS7wOlusJV2zoe8jaQdEIC9O0xB6JeswgaBYzhg/s1600/IMG_3165.JPG" height="200" width="190" /></a>As an added incentive to make the race more interesting for me personally, I ran it barefoot. I have been doing barefoot/minimalist running for a little over a year now and never run more than 14 miles barefoot before, but I knew that this would be a great first marathon sans shoes. The course is on paved trail the entire way, but this asphalt was is good condition so it was not that bad. Every once in awhile, I would wander off the trail and run along the grass next to the trail to give my feet a little break from the hard asphalt. The problem was that, while it was soft, the grass was high and it was hard to see sticks and rocks so I was running very cautiously. In the end, I ran a total of 3-4 miles on the grass. I was pleasantly surprised that I had only 2 quarter sized ‘wounds’ on the balls of my feet, that was it. Of course it slowed me down, but I was quite happy with a 3:31 finish time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6vL09kqrq773bhrRQtNUb7qIQ0gMJTt2o1CdTIrQoJOJviXPRApTYXFf1h6v5mRFsddm5k9I5_ox3C72e0pwhu07eYxUfYcsI8cIAAYmbnQKT1lrI9wFsB9Heka0JXHHIWtIUZRoQVE/s1600/1266814_741377539209670_1858983310_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6vL09kqrq773bhrRQtNUb7qIQ0gMJTt2o1CdTIrQoJOJviXPRApTYXFf1h6v5mRFsddm5k9I5_ox3C72e0pwhu07eYxUfYcsI8cIAAYmbnQKT1lrI9wFsB9Heka0JXHHIWtIUZRoQVE/s1600/1266814_741377539209670_1858983310_o.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>In order to get a few more attendees, I had both a half and full marathon distance. Misty was kind enough to hang at the start/finish and make sure that people got their finishers medal for the half marathon and hold down the finish line until I came in later. She is such a sweetie.<br />
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With the idea of trying to make this free race ‘unique’ I decided I wanted to make homemade finishers medals that were still fun. The design I settled on was a poker chips with hole drilled in it, the race information put on it by hand with a permanent marker and a twine lanyard. Memorable and cheap, all at the same time :)<br />
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The last finisher came in only 35 minutes after me, so I was able to get home pretty quick after that. It helps that the starting line is less than 2 miles from my house. The total cost to me to put on this race was less than $15, which is just fine. There were fewer people than I had hoped, but those who came were very happy with the event. I hope to do it again in the spring time.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0Falling Waters Trail, Jackson, MI 49201, USA42.1999037 -84.469256142.1528537 -84.5499371 42.2469537 -84.3885751tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-44935627993879093802013-09-07T19:30:00.000-07:002013-09-09T11:55:45.693-07:002013 Woodstock Mellow Marathon Results (Or: A Crappy Trail Race)<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">3:20:12</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">2/114 Overall</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1st Masters</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2 years ago I ran the marathon at this ‘festival’ in 3:42. Yup, that race was horrible with it raining most of the 24 hours before the race. I won it, so that took some of the this-course-is-really-crappy sting out of the experience. This time, the course was dry, but in some ways, it was worse. I am not planning on running it again, just so ya know...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <a href="http://www.runwoodstock.com/" target="_blank">Woodstock</a> is a actually a weekend long party with music and people camping out and trying to get the whole <a href="http://www.woodstock.com/" target="_blank">woodstock</a> feel. While people are chillin’ and listening to 1960’s music, there are races going on. Lots of them. The following race distances happened during the course of the 3 days: 1 mile, 5K, 5 mile, 10K, 10 mile, half marathon, full marathon, 50K, 50 mile, 100K, and 100 mile. All had different start times and were run on two different loops with some parts of the loops overlapping. That meant you were never alone for too long. You would think that would be good, well it wasn’t if you were trying to run it fast. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ9YsqZbinjXSWHwQk7pRaKhPk7T-Ohus87QvBhxOgaKoHd2Rtv2QoHW_sziHOpfF6W6FsaSZmL6yrroqtXyFd_RmIIWxZEPv79E_rZ70te2vzliLz2T9XvFbhyu06xcIIjApu8YogKo/s1600/woodstock.2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ9YsqZbinjXSWHwQk7pRaKhPk7T-Ohus87QvBhxOgaKoHd2Rtv2QoHW_sziHOpfF6W6FsaSZmL6yrroqtXyFd_RmIIWxZEPv79E_rZ70te2vzliLz2T9XvFbhyu06xcIIjApu8YogKo/s1600/woodstock.2013.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> About 60% of the course was on single track with lots of rocks, roots, stumps. So not only was the trail crappy (some people like such a challenge, I do not) there were 100K and 100 mile runners on the trail who had been running for hours, so they were going slower than me so I had to keep slowing and asking for permission to go around them. That was more than frustrating, not because I thought the were in my way, it was just frustrating that I had to be rude saying ‘On your left’ about 3126 times during the race. I felt like I was being rude, trying to pass them to get a good finish time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After the first loop I was in the lead by at least 300 m, which was the farthest could 'look back' at any point. My lack of serious marathon training did catch up to me as I was passed by two people at mile 15 and 17 respectively, though I did not slow THAT much. Well, until I fell down.... As with my last race, someone in front of me who should have finished before me took a wrong turn on the course and was disqualified.<a href="http://run.docott.com/2011/08/2011-old-farts-marathon-results-or-how.html" target="_blank"> I learned my lesson</a> to study the race course well before a race. Other still need to do that I guess. You never know when you will be the lead dog (or nobody near by) and if you don't know where you are going, you just might get DQ'd (or run long) because you took a wrong turn. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tnxodVAMHO_H6-iU4WhcMKdQ3pDVhILdIcEUokegDErXQoTM2UO3xLIkfNZUs7adQZaAf-X9IhjzfEpAc1lvwHvOqfWIBMY_xt8vaWUv2gY0-NPdW49YKeCJyRKFtd9-ZVyUCKPdxjg/s1600/IMG_1815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tnxodVAMHO_H6-iU4WhcMKdQ3pDVhILdIcEUokegDErXQoTM2UO3xLIkfNZUs7adQZaAf-X9IhjzfEpAc1lvwHvOqfWIBMY_xt8vaWUv2gY0-NPdW49YKeCJyRKFtd9-ZVyUCKPdxjg/s1600/IMG_1815.JPG" height="320" width="259" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few days before the race I had been running on the road in my VFF’s and came down wrong, jamming my big toe pretty bad, a condition I later found out was <a href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/turf-toe-symptoms-causes-and-treatments" target="_blank">turf toe</a>. Such an ailment has been know to keep NFL football players out of games. Yeah, it hurts, but it wasn’t stopping me, of course. About a week before the race I had smashed my other big toe and it was still not 100% either. You don’t know how important your big toe is to your running form until you injure them. So as I was running this rocky/rooty course I was paying more attention than I wanted to on the ground in front of me. This task removes the enjoyment of running trails, being able to look at the trees and such. In the first 21 miles, I only stumbled (slightly) 3 times, never actually falling. At mile 21 I hit a rock and went down hard jamming my big toe on a mostly hidden rock. Again. I actually did cry out in agony and the next 40 steps were very very tender.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It was the kind of injury that knew would be ‘ok’ in a few minutes, but it slowed me down because now I would spend the last 5 miles looking exactly 3 feet in front of me trying to not trip yet again. It is amazing how un-fun such a run is. I knew my place was pretty much set and I just wanted to finish without getting seriously injured, so I was not that upset with the resultant pace, but the reason for the slowing was frustrating. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ElmN-KILXPK5r6262seUNPZtdC7QSqLWGqI4nBV0gzJ5fiXhHpHlDZV1mZ3FPwUjpS14LBlnW-I3RT_jEhPUAVtBklirFy82mEBLxs9NqbW_zsW7kY0Tml4gXvZ-oN_R63MGe_HIeWs/s1600/IMG_1814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ElmN-KILXPK5r6262seUNPZtdC7QSqLWGqI4nBV0gzJ5fiXhHpHlDZV1mZ3FPwUjpS14LBlnW-I3RT_jEhPUAVtBklirFy82mEBLxs9NqbW_zsW7kY0Tml4gXvZ-oN_R63MGe_HIeWs/s1600/IMG_1814.JPG" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd and 1st place finishers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After I crossed the finish line with my handstand, I chatted with Matt, the 31 year old winner who came in 4 minutes before me and was actually a really nice dude. We chatted afterwards for a good 10 minutes talking about running ultras, the course, etc. That was cool. It was completely different than my last race a few weeks ago (where I also finished second) where the winner had no intention of talking to me or any other racer that day. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> As a big local race, I had many many friends who were running the races offered or helping out others as crew. I tried to chat with as many as I could throughout the day, but due to the varying start times, I only got to chat with ~10 of them. I only hung out for a little while afterwards, having some food and listening to the tunage</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">, watching people occasionally cross the finish line to cheers from audience listening to the band. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will never race here again. I hate the course because of the constant tripping hazards and crowded trails, and am not a huge fan of the entire setup (so many races on top of each other) but I might come back as a crew member or pacer. I could handle that. There are plenty of races within a reasonable drive, so it is not like I am going to miss it. </span></span></div>
Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0Hell, MI 48169, USA42.4347222 -83.98500000000001442.422332700000005 -84.00517 42.4471117 -83.964830000000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-42093106875308586112013-08-22T11:27:00.002-07:002013-08-22T11:30:04.935-07:00The 16 Mile Training Run (or: The 'perfect' endurance workout)<br />
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So we all have our favorite workouts, be it a certain route, format (tempo, interval), or time of day. Today on my new 16 mile route I had a major revelation. I contend that 16 miles is the sweet spot workout when training for any distance from half marathon up to 100 milers. </div>
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Before I explain why it is good for so race training of various lengths, let me just talk about how awesome the distance is as a training run. Here a few good reasons:<br />
1. It is 'short' enough that your body does not bonk, so you can get away with only carrying liquids.<br />
2. It is long enough that your body has to work for it, meaning you can't sluff it off.<br />
3. It is long enough you will experience lows and highs during the run, so you have to keep your brain frosty.<br />
4. It is short enough you can (after a few times) do it multiple times a week, as opposed to a 30 miler which you can do <b>maybe</b> twice in a week.<br />
5. It is short enough such that you don't have to carve out a major chunk of your real-life schedule to fit it in.<br />
6. It is short enough that you can do it fast (tempo-ish) or you can do it long-run pace.<br />
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For half and full marathon training, you are trying to teach your brain that your body can handle the distance. Now, running a 16 mile race in training for a half seems silly, but I would disagree. The 16 mile training run builds endurance which you need for a half, and also give you that mental confidence. And for marathons, well every training schedule has many 16(ish) mile training runs.<br />
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<a href="http://automationclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/600px-I-16.svg_.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://automationclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/600px-I-16.svg_.png" height="200" width="200" /></a> Using the 16-miler for ultra training is a little different, as you would think 16 miles is short, but after 16 miles in an ultra is when your body is getting to the point you need to start thinking about putting calories in your body. 16 mile training runs are great when you incorporate them into other ultra important training aspects including <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/06/stomach-issues-in-ultras-or-food.html" target="_blank">ultra diet training</a> and <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/05/training-for-end-of-marathon-or-prepare.html" target="_blank">mental end-of-race training</a>. The 16 miler is essential there too. And remember you can <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/09/ultra-training-for-busy-parents-or-how.html" target="_blank">train for a 100 mile race and still have a life</a>.<br />
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So go out and map a 16 mile route. Find one that is flat and fast. Find another one that is a little tougher. Find one that has nothing but hills. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-56337936292688771632013-07-21T06:55:00.000-07:002013-11-07T13:21:38.571-08:002013 Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame 10K Results (Or: A Little Farther For the W)38:10.9<br />
1/100 Overall<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHePzC04VcHPeq4q18akufSscf0CuG0HFH78tb4hyxHd8SeDrDvHRAtbEHCqA2me8ntEk-My70UB_bwKLGZCFPIImil5HaPWfJwzD951KHcAEll1mbRhJJvwq2Xj6AjmUV9ioW76OmMY/s1600/hardware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHePzC04VcHPeq4q18akufSscf0CuG0HFH78tb4hyxHd8SeDrDvHRAtbEHCqA2me8ntEk-My70UB_bwKLGZCFPIImil5HaPWfJwzD951KHcAEll1mbRhJJvwq2Xj6AjmUV9ioW76OmMY/s1600/hardware.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
So I recently decided that I needed to get <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/07/a-new-restart.html">back to my running roots</a> in an effort to re-motivate myself before I totally gave up on this sport. My first race in this new ideology was a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/07/2013-kenya-dig-it-5k-results.html">small town 5K</a> a few weeks ago which was great fun. This race was the next in the logical length sequence, a local 10K. I discovered a few things about myself, all of them good.<br />
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The race was organized by the <a href="http://lansingsportshalloffame.org/">Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame</a>, an organization trying to promote athletic achievement in the (duh) Greater Lansing area. They have an annual induction ceremony and such, and just like the NFL hall of fame, they have a sports event to coincide with the induction, in this case, a 5K and 10K pair of races.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACH5RqhcPTAUktq5cypJyhetF3F0Acbtr4j3-l75TjjigcxMp8qeQPNGSHbJzkb2cY11zu3Il_zJAr8Z5LzlTKtsj-9-GeGFg8C2XQGDHfhNKoZSkV2wHpych5yksEaj5uKagGxz1NNo/s1600/grand.river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACH5RqhcPTAUktq5cypJyhetF3F0Acbtr4j3-l75TjjigcxMp8qeQPNGSHbJzkb2cY11zu3Il_zJAr8Z5LzlTKtsj-9-GeGFg8C2XQGDHfhNKoZSkV2wHpych5yksEaj5uKagGxz1NNo/s1600/grand.river.jpg" height="266" width="320" /></a>The race started in downtown Lansing just a few blocks from the state capital, then headed south along the Grand River with both races being simple out and backs. I made sure to enjoy the view of the river during my warm-up, because I had a feeling that I would not be wanting to sight see during the race. I was right.<br />
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At race start, I looked around and tried to get a 'read' on the competition and saw nobody who looked like they were real speed demons. There were a few high school guys up front with me but they were both running the 5K, so I would not know what I was in for until ~1.5 miles in when the 5K races took their turn.<br />
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I go out in what I think is a comfortable pace, hitting mile 1 in 6:02, but not knowing if I could hold it that long. It felt good, but difficult. Part of this race experience was to test that middle distance speed+endurance race strategy. I have been doing more short (6-8 mile) training runs with a speed component, and it paid off. As I came up to the 5K turn, the leader was ~50 meters in front and I was gaining on one of the teenagers. Much to my surprise, the leader had turned, which meant I was leading the 10K race and I would stay there all day. There was volunteer whose job it was to be lead dog (well, he had a bike) for the race who had been waiting at the 5K turn. He wasn't really paying that close attention, so I actually had to say 'GO!' to him as I almost ran into him. I did not look back to see what sort of lead I had, but from cheering spectators, I could tell it was small.<br />
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I hit the turnaround in 19:10 and finally had a chance to see what my lead was, and I got concerned as it was only about 20 meters. I was feeling ok, but not sure how long I could hold that pace. You see, I always start races too fast and generally wilt at the first sign of distress. For whatever reason, this race was different. I was going hard, but still had plenty of energy. I ate a <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/hammer-bars.fb.html">Hammer Nutrition Energy Bar</a> 2 hours before the race, my <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html">electrolyte pills</a> as well as some <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurance-amino.ea.html">amino acid pills</a>. My brain and muscles did great all day long.<br />
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The mile markers came and I was holding 6:05-6:10 pace mile in and mile out, which surprised me a little. I was getting tired, but maintaining speed. Again, this is not normally me. With about 1.5 miles left to go, I looked over my shoulder to see what my lead was down to, and I swear he was only 5 meters behind me. I briefly had my standard thought in such a situation, "oh good, soon he will pass me and I can relax and take second place". Then a new, never seen before thought appeared.. "Or, you could press a little harder and try to break his confidence, drop him, and go home with hardware." I bore down, pumped my arms and tried to put in a good 600 meter pickup in an effort to separate me from him and it did not work. With about 1200 meters to go, he was still 5 meters back. By now I was breathing heavy and my arms were doing a lot of work. Nearing the finish, maybe 400 meters from the end there was 1-block-long hill, and so I again I dug a little deeper, tightened my face and pounded up the hill in an effort to separate myself and this time it worked. When I got to the top of the hill I looked again and he had dropped back to about 10 meters behind me. I was confident now I could hold him off, but I still caught myself glancing back to make sure he didn't have some super-human afterburner that he was waiting until the very end to use. He did not. <br />
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Finish time of 38:10 means I negative split a 10K. <b>Read that again.</b> I, the not-known-for-consistent-speed runner negative split a 10K race. No, that has never happened before. In my 140 races in the modern era, I have negative split (maybe) 2 races. That is just not my nature. Until today.<br />
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A pleasant post-race cool down with some of the other runners, including Karen, the female overall winner. As we were coming back from our cool down run the announcer was asking if anyone had seen Karen or I and that we were to report to the finish line. They had been wanting to give us our hardware.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYp-FBWdnTzFVT_Cw2ZV2n3Db6i5qokJ6f8zyeg8MrZJvYbiX6rMWdyG_m5tMQXhLpFwK4-ZDs_Jt_uoHB_IVjADDoca8i1UicfFU1w9SsaffYtLQjpzaleHGvl5ESvKZBnmJBaDaQcg/s1600/finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYp-FBWdnTzFVT_Cw2ZV2n3Db6i5qokJ6f8zyeg8MrZJvYbiX6rMWdyG_m5tMQXhLpFwK4-ZDs_Jt_uoHB_IVjADDoca8i1UicfFU1w9SsaffYtLQjpzaleHGvl5ESvKZBnmJBaDaQcg/s1600/finish.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></div>
My award given to me by <a href="http://www.msuvarsitysclub.org/Bio_Eric_Zemper.html">Eric Zemper</a>, a 2013 inductee into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame. In reading his resume, he is a pretty big deal. Nice guy, too. The whole award ceremony was done in short order and I packed up and got ready to go.<br />
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You might just think this was just another race, but it was significant. The W is nice, for sure, but more importantly I learned that I do have some killer instinct still in me. Lately I have been trying to get my groove back, and it is returning, but the competitive incentive is helping.<br />
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I am really looking forward to my next race in 3 weeks, a local half marathon. I would tell you my goals, but I am not sure what they are yet, except I wan to enjoy it. :)Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0333 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933, USA42.734142 -84.54798399999998542.732684 -84.550505499999986 42.7356 -84.545462499999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-35993866116454863942013-07-16T12:34:00.002-07:002013-07-16T12:34:26.182-07:00A New (re)Start <br />
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Short Version: I have chosen to stop running Hundos and am going back to running shorter races (<50 miles) until such a time that I want to run Hundos again.<br />
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Long Version:<br />
This might make more sense if I give you a brief history lesson.<br />
Fall 2005: I run my first race is roughly two decades, a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2005/11/souper-run-5k-results.html">21:24 5K</a>. It was a great day, the beginning of what I refer to as the 'Modern Era'.<br />
<a href="http://www.docott.com/images/sunburst.2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sunburst 2006" border="0" src="http://www.docott.com/images/sunburst.2006.jpg" /></a><br />
June 2006: Realizing that as I have gotten older, I prefer slightly longer races, I try my hand (feet?) at the 26.2 mile distance and manage to break 3 hours in my<a href="http://run.docott.com/2006/06/2006-sunburst-marathon-results-or-how-i.html"> first ever marathon</a> in Indiana. I am flying high emotionally for about a week.<br />
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Spring 2008: After two handfuls of marathons, I set a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states before I turn 40 years old (8/18/2012) Which makes me an official 'state chaser. I check off this feat in <a href="http://run.docott.com/2011/10/2011-hartford-marathon-results-or-its.html">October, 2010 in Connecticut</a>.<br />
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2008: 15 marathons, 1 ultra marathon.<br /><br />
2009: 13 marathons.<br />
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2010: Knowing I am close to the 50 states goal, I decide my new goal is to go ultra, but not in small steps, I go straight to crazy land. In April, 2010, I attempt a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2010/04/24-hours-of-virginia-race-results.html">24 hour race </a>(my only such race to date) to see if I can even finish a 100 mile race if I attempt one. I manage to run 101 miles in ~20 hours before I stop (I achieved all my goals, so I was done) In July of 2010, I attempt my first 100 mile race and <a href="http://run.docott.com/2010/07/2010-us-track-and-field-100-mile.html">finish 9th in the USATF 100 Mile national championship</a>. I am now in elite company, as a 100 mile finisher.<br />
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late 2011/early 2012: Thinking I am invincible I start focusing on 100 mile races and do poorly, with my worst 100 mile time in Jan 2012, a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/01/2012-beast-of-burden-100-results-or.html">21:01:51 at the Winter Beast of Burden</a>. Emotional damage done.<br />
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2012: I re-evaluate my training, and realize I am not the hot stuff I thought I was and start solving my problems (diet, training, race-day-procedure, etc. ) I get things turned around and get my 100 miles times back down to damn-near competitive.<br />
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August 2012: I pull a massive PR (by over an hour) running a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/08/2012-summer-beast-of-burden-100-results.html">15:27:56 at the Summer Beast of Burden</a>. While it was a great day, I end up in the ER for 30+ hours from dehydration and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhabdomyolysis">rabdomyolosis</a>. The mental trauma from that little experience causes concern.<br />
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Jan 2013: While DNS'ing a 100 mile race in Florida, I decide to go down and volunteer for the race, where I meet Mike Morton who turns me onto a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/03/nutritional-ketosis-or-why-i-dont-eat.html">ketosis diet, which I start in March, 2013</a>.<br />
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April 2013: I run the <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/04/2013-indiana-trail-100-results-or-how.html">Indiana Trail 100 </a>and at the end, I end up in the back of an ambulance, but after another solid race.<br />
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Early summer 2013: I start training for the 2013 100 mile championship but my heart is not in it. Doing 35+ mile days is no longer enjoyable. I have the worst position, that of someone who is >this< short of being slightly competitive in my sport (the 100 mile distance) so I am trying hard, but since I am trying hard, it has stopped being fun. When you hobby becomes more like a job, it stops being an enjoyable pastime. I had hit that point. I am now on the restrictive ketosis diet which is rough mentally, and not helping my running attitude.<br />
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June 2013: I run the inaugural <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/06/rx-run-12-hour-results-or-water-shed.html">GR Well-being 12 hour race</a>, where, after 6 hours I am kicking butt but I have to stop for medical reasons. Turns out, I cannot (with my biology) run long races in hot weather on a ketosis diet as I cannot get enough fluids into me, I just can't. When I drop after 6 hours, sadly, I am not that sad. The previous 2 hours were tough mentally. I was asking myself 'why am I doing this?' more often that was appropriate.<br />
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That day I make two watershed decisions: |<br />1. I am dropping the ketosis diet and going back to a gluten-free paleo-style diet. It is quite healthy and more importantly, it don't mind it. <br />2. I will not be running the 100 mile national championship this year. My heart is just not it. I am not doing this for a paycheck, and it was not worth the anguish.<br />
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Which leads me to now. I knew I needed to do something drastic to get my groove back before I completely give this sport up, which I do not want to happen. I started running because I like eating food and I still do, so I can't stop running, but I can take a moment to enjoy it again, so I have. I want to become more of an ambassador to running, and I found that as a 100 mile running 'freak' I was so far from most other runners, they did not feel like they could relate to me.<br />
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I have decided to start over again. A few weeks ago, I ran my first <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/07/2013-kenya-dig-it-5k-results.html">5K in over 2 years</a> and it was awesome. The euphoria afterwards reminded me of my first marathon back in 2006. In a few days I will run a 10K and then in the middle of August, I am running a half marathon. And then, back to my precious marathon in the fall. I am planning on running 3-4 of them (and RD'ing a local FA marathon) before the end of the year.<br />
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While I am re-starting, I have a few advantages going for me....<br />
- I am running only 50-60 miles/week now and it feels<b> great</b> to be running that little.<br />
- I am in shape, have some endurance, and a lot of experience in racing.<br />
- I have a meager following on this blog and<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DocOttUltradude"> facebook</a> to try to inspire other runners.<br />
- I have no long term goals that are acting as anchors around my neck.<br />
- I have no toenails so I do not have to worry about losing them in marathons.<br />
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The last few weeks running in the new 'mentality' has made a huge difference. Instead of running 12-15 miles slow and feeling blah, I am doing 8-10 miles at a good clip, and afterwards I feel great, as if I actually did some positive work. I feel like I did way back when. I like that feeling, and I want it to stay...<br />
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Elite marathoners take weeks off with no running after major races. I have not taken a break from running since I started again in 2005. The longest I have gone without running is 3 days in the span of 8 years, and only that is after 100 mile races. Maybe I just needed to take a break, and I sincerely hope this will get be back to where I want to be.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-54189641346206570612013-07-07T16:29:00.001-07:002013-07-16T13:42:21.738-07:002013 Kenya Dig It 5K Results (Or: I think I Just Overdosed on Endorphins)<br />
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4/158 Overall<br />
1/13 Age<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETLSQE5DDoT_jEKM091tjfzOK6bt-TJBAFQ34Sj74ucGpP4hqcGWOdiq6vq4pZHd9xdG8eX4puqQpOiT4AxK5pCTAHBcNS1fYKgycB6luieUjjEi8FVzeTa6Gi6cCxIcmT7nY44jT0zc/s1600/IMG_0272edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETLSQE5DDoT_jEKM091tjfzOK6bt-TJBAFQ34Sj74ucGpP4hqcGWOdiq6vq4pZHd9xdG8eX4puqQpOiT4AxK5pCTAHBcNS1fYKgycB6luieUjjEi8FVzeTa6Gi6cCxIcmT7nY44jT0zc/s1600/IMG_0272edit.JPG" /></a>My running lately has taken a lot of turns. Having a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/06/rx-run-12-hour-results-or-water-shed.html">few medical issues recently</a> and some motivational issues, I have decided to take a step back and one of the new solutions is to go back to running local short races for the thrill of a fast turnover, raising money for a good cause and enjoy the small town ‘connection’ to such races. This one fit the bill quite nicely.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.comeinunity.org/kenyadigit.html">Kenya Dig It 5K</a> is a fundraising run organized by the Tecumseh High School to raise funds for <a href="http://living-water-mission.org/">drilling water wells in Kenya</a>. It has been going for 5 years and they have dug over 70 wells in the town of Eldoret, Kenya.<br />
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Fundraiser for good cause, check.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mytecumseh.org/">Tecumseh</a> is a small town of 8500 people and the race was held at the (rather nice) High School. The race only had about 100 runners, but there might have been 50 volunteers. As usual with such races, the volunteers were plentiful and very kind. Nothing but smiles when I checked in and when they were bringing out plates and plates of goodies post race including fruit, cookies, and popsicles.<br />
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Small town ‘love’, check.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJehE5XuRnp1LImVwRnpCdNw1zl-DjWi3MakF7spBnX8QENF-fo81xb3pBaaSsmaEniODjboVw0AJxNQqzE13s6bxihRZSsV4RAb54RvFtgUEt9YXLLKSU1TanX2_spBji3d_oI8c84A/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJehE5XuRnp1LImVwRnpCdNw1zl-DjWi3MakF7spBnX8QENF-fo81xb3pBaaSsmaEniODjboVw0AJxNQqzE13s6bxihRZSsV4RAb54RvFtgUEt9YXLLKSU1TanX2_spBji3d_oI8c84A/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy cemeteries are cool</td></tr>
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The race began in the front parking lot of the High School, then out for a quick tour of the local neighborhood which included a half mile section through a cemetery. I have never run through one when training and certainly never during a race. That was a little weird. I had done a warm-up along the course barefoot to see if I wanted to do the race sans shoes, and the asphalt in the cemetery was old and rough and hurt my feet a lot. I could have ran on the grass, but the headstones were REALLY close to the road and running on graves is not something I am cool with. I ended up wearing my Vibrams for the race. Yes, I got the requisite number of inquiries about my footwear.<br />
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It was clear from the beginning there were some fast young folk in this race (winning time was 15:50ish) so I was happy to be in 5th place after the first 400 m. I did not bring a GPS watch so I had to wait until I hit the mile marker to see how fast I was going. I was hoping to stay close to low 6's but since I NEVER train at this pace, I had no idea how fast I was going, just that I was doing a clip I thought I could hold for the race. 5:40. Yikes, I did not even realize I could go that fast.<br />
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<a href="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/p480x480/999814_567112266665510_1959270136_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo" border="0" height="213" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/p480x480/999814_567112266665510_1959270136_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>There was a water station at about mile 1.8 and while the temperature was only 70, it felt way hotter. Because of my recent water history, I of course slowed a beat to grab a cup and drank half of it, trying to keep steady. Mile 2 came in at 11:39, so I had slowed a little, but that was no great surprise. I go out too fast, this is old news. I managed to pass a young running stud at mile 1.5, so I felt comfortable that I would keep my 4th place. The last mile was an actual struggle. I was breathing very hard and driving my arms for all they were worth. We came back to the High School but had to run behind it and then do 3/4 of a loop around the track to the finish line (a-la Olympic marathon finishes) and as I came in I could see the elapsed time up on the scoreboard and it was high 17's. I just wanted to break 18:30 and so I bore down and sprinted as best I could. I crossed the finish line and stopped and hunched over for a moment trying to catch my breath.<br />
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Fast turnover, check.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_6Jfb_JyKvDCmsBLPEtgMJE9YZ3XWWA99jqEUptMbtjyh2q9dB90pMN67Xmx1sWNyj92j04xSA6YyU8oiAavVuQ4kdu9J3MfQtlTT1qrH0bwgUkkX4MxU5NJCCSkGNuTT7VHxQR2xGU/s1600/IMG_0273+-+Edited.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_6Jfb_JyKvDCmsBLPEtgMJE9YZ3XWWA99jqEUptMbtjyh2q9dB90pMN67Xmx1sWNyj92j04xSA6YyU8oiAavVuQ4kdu9J3MfQtlTT1qrH0bwgUkkX4MxU5NJCCSkGNuTT7VHxQR2xGU/s1600/IMG_0273+-+Edited.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Wow that was totally awesome. The feel at the end of this race was a feeling I have not had in quite a while. Accomplishment and pure joy. I certainly enjoy finishing ultras and marathons, but the endorphins were so thick (due to my speed, I guess) that I was totally trippin' for several hours. I was very happy, and emotionally overdosing on it.<br />
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It reminded me of why I started running again, and now 7 years after I started running again, I needed a race like this. It has been 2 years since my last 5K. Now I realize how important such races are to me, be it sprint work or just the variety of the race distance. I shall add a few more to my race calendar.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-34213759559244782892013-06-22T21:00:00.000-07:002013-06-23T06:37:33.527-07:00RX Run 12-Hour Results (or: A Water Shed Day in My Running Life)<b id="docs-internal-guid-307c0929-711e-b9ca-b575-6c38f193d6c5" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-307c0929-711e-b9ca-b575-6c38f193d6c5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">43 miles in first 6 hours. 0 miles in last 6 hours.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, I had high hopes coming to Grand Rapids and kicking some serious butt on a beautiful 1.55 mile loop timed race. My training had been going ‘ok’, and I had my ace crew chief (My lovely wife Misty) there to help me. Alas, I would ultimately pull myself due to a medical issue, a decision that was more long term than you might think. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Misty and I arrived in town the night before, picked up our packets, ate dinner and just relaxed in our hotel room. It was standard night-before-race conditions where I go to bed and wake up at 2 am, unable to fall back asleep and I have crazy nightmares in my half-awake state between 2 am and when the alarm went off at 5:30 am. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being the day after the Summer Solstice, there were plenty of hours in the day to have a 12 hour race and it be light the whole time, so I was totally ok with an 8 am race start. The temperature was already in the mid 60s and a little muggy, but the sky was overcast and combined with a gentle breeze, nobody complained. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The race was put on by a local company <a href="http://www.grwellbeing.com/" target="_blank">WellBeing, LLC</a> and they are trying to promote mental health (addiction, depression, etc) treatment with basic exercise instead of drugs. As anyone who gets runner high more than a few times a week can tell you, it totally works. While when I started running back in 2005 it was to loose a little excess weight, I quickly realized how my life had become low stress, and I sure liked it. Here was a local organization I could totally support. This was their first race, so they had some hiccups, but I thought they did a great job. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFImnAghfRrqaafam8b3STmvrweKOYukOd6HI4l414Nuz810XzVpemD17GBKANKlerG8XvoGKrQ7TGmaQqpEfDNRTSRlnFA7kosELm8dSqZ22hHrhokd30bcWdRGSejKQTYNKv6b_2fQ/s1600/IMG_0135+-+Edited.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFImnAghfRrqaafam8b3STmvrweKOYukOd6HI4l414Nuz810XzVpemD17GBKANKlerG8XvoGKrQ7TGmaQqpEfDNRTSRlnFA7kosELm8dSqZ22hHrhokd30bcWdRGSejKQTYNKv6b_2fQ/s1600/IMG_0135+-+Edited.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Miller, Friend and Fellow Ultrarunner</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The course was a simple 1.55 mile loop along the Grand River, which was actually quite beautiful. With a loop that distance, you only need the one aid station at the start finish which was stocked with standard ultra fare (even though there were only a handful of ultrarunners) but of course I did not partake of any of it, due to my <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/03/nutritional-ketosis-or-why-i-dont-eat.html" target="_blank">ketosis diet</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the low-carb diet, I brought along my own stash of fuel including fresh berries, almond butter spread on low-carb tortillas, and homemade keto energy gel. I set up my aid station just past the start finish where Misty hung out and helped me when I came around when she was not walking herself. She managed to (officially) finish 7 laps of the course in between helping me. I enjoyed coming up behind her on the race course. Her smile helped me a lot. She is just so darn cute...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The race started, and as usual, I started out fast, doing the first 8 miles in just over an hour. It was a little fast, but I felt good. My ankle was uncomfortable but it has been for 8 months and I knew it would only get a little worse then just be a constant pain, so I ignored it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hit the 26.2 mile point of the race in 3:26, so that was nice. I was feeling pretty good and of course making wild predictions about how many miles I could actually run. I was running each 1.55 mile loop in 13-14 minutes, loop after loop. I was doing what I wanted, running even. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The temperature would eventually get to 88 degrees and I knew that so I was drinking as fast as I could, roughly 8 oz of liquid every mile. Yup, that's a lot. Think about doing a ‘shot’ of water, once per minute, every minute, for 6 hours. That's how much I was consuming, and yet it still was not enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ketosis involves using fat as your primary fuel source (instead of carbs) and I have been doing it since March, with the desired results in that I can run and run and muscles do not get sore. One issue is that if you body is burning fat for fuel, it requires more water than a ‘normal’ diet just because of the nature of the process. Put more simply, keto athletes have to drink more water than non-keto athletes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that is why 1oz of liquid per minute was still not enough for me. I have had dehydration problems long before I went keto so I might have other medical hydration issues. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everything (besides my hydration) was going great. My muscles were not cramping, my mind was focused. My stomach was doing just fine as well. My hourly <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/" target="_blank">Hammer Nutrition</a> pills were keeping me going just fine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had urinated twice in the first 4 hours and everything was cool, as it was a light yellow which is what I wanted. But of course, I had a lot of liquid ‘on board’ at the start of the race and I burned (ha!) through that pretty quick. Halfway through my 28th lap (which would be my last) I stopped to pee a third time, and a stop sign showed up. Yup, I had blood in my urine. <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/06/dehydration-can-be-real-problem-or.html" target="_blank">Again</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I continued on and met Misty finishing her 7th lap about 100m from the start/finish and gave her the bad news. We decided to stop there and get water in me and monitor the situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/08/2012-summer-beast-of-burden-100-results.html" target="_blank">last time I peed blood in an ultra</a>, I ended up in the hospital for 36 hours. I was not going to do that again. So we sat there for an hour and a half putting water down my gullet as fast as I could drink it, and eventually my urine cleared, but I had been scared enough and my motivation had taken a huge hit as I knew I was not going to achieve my goal miles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My health is worth a hell of a lot more than how many miles I can run, so I decided at 7.5 hours into it to pull myself from the race. Misty and I packed up and left as I did want to hang around and beat myself up after I made the (hard) decision to bail. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To take my mind off the situation, Misty took me out to an early dinner and a movie. She is the most awesome life partner I could ask for. She knows me so well and knows how to help me when I need help. She knows what to say when, how to be supportive, and when to just be a shoulder to cry on. </span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A very depressing end to a race, but it made start to think about much bigger things. It is time to re-evaluate my running career. I am not sad, mind you. I see this is a karmic sign to make changes. To go back to enjoying my running. </span></b>Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-9960908838167742752013-06-04T16:44:00.001-07:002013-06-05T07:06:42.261-07:00Dehydration Can Be A Real Problem (or: Blood in Urine! Not Again!)Last summer I posted a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/08/2012-summer-beast-of-burden-100-results.html" target="_blank">100 mile PR</a> by over an hour with a solid 15:27, but then spent the next 30+ hours in the ER. What was said to be <a href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rhabdomyolysis-symptoms-causes-treatments" target="_blank">rhabdomylosis</a> probably was at least part of that, but it was also compounded with dehydration. That day in upstate NY was quite warm, and while I thought I was drinking enough liquid, I only urinated twice, the first being orange, the second being red. Blood red. We shall ignore (for now) the fact that I should have stopped, blah, blah, blah. What we should note was that I was a few pints low on liquid and the IV bags were plentiful and fast-draining for me afterwards.<br />
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So you would expect me to be better about drinking more liquids. Well, I thought I was doing better. Fall came and temperatures dropped, so I did not have to keep my liquid intake as high as in the summer and I seemed to have no problems.<br />
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In the spring of this year, I became a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/03/nutritional-ketosis-or-why-i-dont-eat.html" target="_blank">ketogenic athlete</a> getting the majority of my energy from fats instead of carbs. When you are on a ketogenic diet, turns out you need to be <a href="http://highfatlowcarb.com/faq/#HowmuchwatershouldIbedrinking" target="_blank">drinking more water than normal</a>, because of the way your body uses the fat for fuel. So I needed to up my water intake just because of my diet.<br />
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When I ran the Indiana Trail 100, it was cold (30-40 degrees) but I made sure to drink lots of water, and I urinated many (read: enough) times so I was ok. I drank roughly a quart of liquid (with electrolytes) every 16 mile loop. That means I I drank 3 gal of liquid during the race. at the temp never went above 45 degrees. (read: it was cold) Summer finally arrives in Michigan and my training runs were being done in 70+ degree heat, so I had to start drinking <b>even more</b>.<br />
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Now, I have never been good about drinking enough water, even before I went ketogenic. I just don't like the taste of water. I use Mio (and generic equivalent) flavoring to make it taste better, and when running add <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes-fizz.elf.html?navcat=fuels-energy-drinks" target="_blank">Hammer Electrolyte Fizz</a> to also help, but it is the physical act of drinking lots of liquid that I still struggle with.<br />
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Then last week happened.<br />
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Memorial day weekend I spent in CA with brothers and friends and I did have more alcohol than I should have and less water than I should have, so I was a little dehydrated but thought little of it. I got back and then had a 34 mile training day on Wednesday and everything was fine, or so I thought. For my long day of the week, I was planning on doing 50ish miles on Friday. My body was totally ok (not sore from Wednesdays workout) so I took off for the first marathon of the day at 7am, knowing I had plenty of time to hit 50. At mile ~9, I picked up my friend Joel (who coincidentally told me a few days previous that he wants me to help him train for a 12 hour ultra) and we did 8 more. I had drank <u>what I thought</u> was enough water for the run up until that point, and sure enough, I had to go pee. It looked like Coca-Cola. Yup, blood in my urine.<br />
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I did not pass go, I did not collect $200. I stopped my run for the day, even though just like in August I felt just fine otherwise. Within two hours I was in my doctors office getting checked out. Sure enough, I had blood in my urine, but no infection (good news). We suspected rhabdomylosis again, but 2 things indicated that was not it. One was the fact that in those two hours I drank a good amount of liquids and my urine went back to clear (rhabdomylosis doesn't clear that fast) and subsequent blood test confirmed no rhabomylosis.<br />
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It looks like it was dehydration. We waited 3 days (and about 5 gal of liquid later) and did another battery of tests (blood and urine) as well as getting an ultrasound on my kidneys. The good news was that the urine sample came back negative (no more blood) and the blood test came back all cool. Again, it was negative for rhabdomylosis and other stuff (blood sugar, electrolytes, etc.) were all good as well.<br />
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The ultrasound was different. They found a cyst, but the good news is that it was not of size/location to cause concern or need for more tests. <br />
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Crisis, averted. What is funny is my doctor's official record says 'Patient may resume running and should drink water before, during, and after all workouts'. Ummm. yeah. :)<br />
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So I am supposed to drink 2.5L a day just because of my diet in addition to whatever I should be drinking for my running, which in the summer is A LOT. How the heck do I down that much liquid? I need to come up with some solution. At least now I have some more motivation because I know what will happen if I do not get enough.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-66289575022731853722013-05-05T03:43:00.000-07:002013-06-25T05:25:12.207-07:00Training for the End of the Marathon (Or: How To Prepare For The Hard Part)<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhU7Ta-1hKGRzRuNJiv5BKGYyGorx9HVM7UX2hC6eAceBwgneCKiGgksixcSchAHcnDb8AHVLwSEE_Gr1zzS8hvZ562TtrXDg6d9oTVyPlCtSr2Hycp9XBlS2dGt4O7GG1-FcNvjlhmCSSrfaUwTvreb2sXfjLvtpY6fCVE=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fini!" border="0" src="http://www.docott.com/images/racepics/10races/10.ak/fini.jpg" style="line-height: 1.15;" /></a><span style="line-height: 18px;">Preparing for long distance races requires <br />preparing your body in many ways, both physically and mentally. You need your muscles to be strong enough to get you through it but you also need to be prepared for those things that out are there in the unknown, beyond your ‘normal’ training. There is a lot of unknown beyond that longest run you do that you should spend at least a little time working on.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Most people when training for their first marathon, top out at 18-20 miles for their longest run. While this prepares the muscles for the long haul that is the marathon distance, what about those last 5-6 miles? You are going to be tired and want to quit, that’s for sure. Are you going to be ready to tackle that?</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">For many people training for a marathon, there just is not enough time to actually do a 26 mile training run and some would say they don’t even want to, however you can easily (and only occasionally) mimic the conditions that you will be experiencing those last miles. One is being just plain physically tired and the other is the dreaded ‘bonk’ at the end of marathons that happens to so many marathoners. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Problem 1: Energy Source</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;">The well-known marathon bonk usually comes from a lack of glycogen in your body. When you eat carbohydrates (a standard pre-marathon ritual) your body turns those carbs into stored energy in the form of glycogen which gets jammed into your muscles. The funny (annoying?) thing about that process is that you can only pack so much glycogen into your muscles at once, and guess what? That is only 3-4 hours worth of ‘effort’ that is stored, which inconveniently, is just a little less than what the average marathoner needs to get to the finish line. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">While you might be able to consume gels and gatorade during the race, your body is not meant to digest and process food while running and many peoples stomach will reject such ‘food’ in which case bad things can happen, like gut-rot that really hurts when you are running. You are putting food in your stomach, but your stomach-processing-system is off line so that food you ate just re-coagulates in your stomach forming an very hard to digest glob in your stomach. This happened to me at the end of several races (before I figured it out) and would sometimes last more than 24 hours. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkU4wzubugcq0KZ5ElstFHjao4U18vEZc_ekUQeNMHY-S8UEImmIezacGBSRscMYuDW27o6pJKq6VTAO9M9Ep8-flSKlXvBRiNr4YAYQfOxbyYGC26J13gPzzXHBIkyiInhnD4aap_tQ/s1600/Tired+marathon+runner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkU4wzubugcq0KZ5ElstFHjao4U18vEZc_ekUQeNMHY-S8UEImmIezacGBSRscMYuDW27o6pJKq6VTAO9M9Ep8-flSKlXvBRiNr4YAYQfOxbyYGC26J13gPzzXHBIkyiInhnD4aap_tQ/s1600/Tired+marathon+runner.jpg" style="line-height: 1.15;" /></a><span style="line-height: 18px;">Your muscles need the glycogen, but more importantly, your brain needs the glycogen, too. If you run out mid-race and your body is not prepared with a backup system ready to go, your brain goes a little weird and you have officially ‘bonked’ and bad things can happen. As a general rule your brain is the very last thing you want to starve of its fuel source.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">The backup system is there, but most people have never had to use it since we don’t go very long without eating. Evolution has made you a very efficient machine such that you can go a week or so without any food (but you need water) because your body, if pushed to the task, can burn fat as your primary fuel source. In modern society, however, we eat plenty of carbs, evenly spaced out, so we rarely get to a point where we have to burn fat as our primary fuel source hence we are not very good at it. Waiting until mile 20 of a marathon to force your body to learn-on-the-fly how to burn fats is, well, just not nice to your body. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Training your body to burn fats efficiently is something you have to ‘teach’ your cells. Some athletes will go all the way and eat very few carbs and burn fats as a primary fuel sources all the time. These <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/03/nutritional-ketosis-or-why-i-dont-eat.html" target="_blank">ketosis</a> athletes are hard core and the diet is VERY restrictive, but every marathoner can learn from the concept. We are trying to train your body to burn fat when needed and not be shocked when it happens. As with any other training component, the first time you do it, it might be a little harsh, but each subsequent time, it will be easier. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Most people the night before their long run of the week might have a second helping of pasta, or a little more to drink before they go out for their run. If you want to mimic the end of the race, try (in training) to bend your comfort level. Instead of a big meal the night before, have a small salad. Go to bed just a little hungry. Instead of having a pre-run protein bar, just have a cup of tea. Your muscles can handle the 15 mile run you have planned, but where is the energy going to come from? Of course you have enough fat on board to finish the run (you have days worth!) but you need to get your body to start burning that during your 15 mile run, so you go in with low glycogen levels and your body will make the switch early in the workout. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">While this is a similar method needed when training your stomach for <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/06/stomach-issues-in-ultras-or-food.html" target="_blank">ultramarathons</a>, it is not so bad as you just have to burn fat for the last handful of miles, assuming you have packed your 20 miles worth of glycogen into your muscles. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Problem 2: Mental State</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"> You are tired at the end of races, whether it be a 5K or a 100 mile race, if you are doing it right, your tank is getting low at the end. Your body is doing what is supposed to, it is telling you “hey buddy, I’m tired and its time to stop here. We are getting low on fuel and you want to survive another day, we need to stop”. It is a pure survival mechanism.</span><br />
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<a href="http://ftper.newsusa.com/Thumbnail/OSleepApnea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ftper.newsusa.com/Thumbnail/OSleepApnea.jpg" height="194" width="200" /></a><span style="line-height: 18px;">That first 15 mile run you did was a little rough because you had never run that far before. The 5th time you did a 15 mile race it was no problem, because your brain knew how to handle all the operations needed (including metal) to make to the end of that run. The first and 5th 18 mile run was the same. It should not be a surprise that your first run longer than 20 miles (your first marathon) will have the same effect. If you brain has never experienced that anguish that first time could be rough. We don’t want it to be rough, we want your first marathon to be fun. So we just have to expose your mind to that crappy place that will be miles 20-26. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">This training is also easy, you just need to run when you are tired, and if you have family and kids, it is still easy. You either wake up early, or go to be late. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Early morning runs are just that simple, you wake up early. Early enough to get up, run your ~12-15 mile run and be home before the rest of your life (spouse/kids) wakes up. As a rare occasion, it might not be that hard as long as you mentally prepare before such a workout. You have to get over that hump of your alarm going off and NOT hitting snooze. Think about it the night before. Visualize you getting out of bed, putting on your running clothes, grabbing your prepared water bottle and get out the door. The sooner you get out running (less than 10 minutes is great) the sooner you will be testing your ‘I am tired, darnit!’ resistance. Remember, this is meant to prove to your mind that when your body and brain are tired, you still have plenty of energy to get through the workout. What is really cool is when you come home and watch your family wake up from their sleep, you are wide awake and juiced with endorphins and are happy as you know you already have your workout for the day done before they even wake up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkWG-eZMnIxRzhpilVmXLIuNUiX5ndQvX0Kr0dDJ--UGx7s9thUQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkWG-eZMnIxRzhpilVmXLIuNUiX5ndQvX0Kr0dDJ--UGx7s9thUQ" style="line-height: 1.15;" /></a><span style="line-height: 18px;">Late night runs are similar, but you are trying to tired yourself out during the day (no naps, no lounging around after dinner) getting stuff done, cleaning, playing outside with your kids, whatever. Put your family to bed, then go out and do your 10-15 mile run. Of course you will be tired, that is the point. You are trying to prove to your mind that even when it THINKS you don't have enough energy to keep going, you really do. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Again, as with any ‘new’ training protocol, the first time you do either of these ‘alternative’ runs, it will be hard, but every subsequent one will be easier. You do not need to be doing these all the time and even just 3-4 of these types of runs before a race will make a noticeable difference. </span></div>
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I contend this is a slippery slope, and I want to try to explain why. But first, a disclaimer:<br />
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<i>I am about to compare running to a drug or alcohol addiction. But please do not interpret this as A) negative reference to those with serious drug problems or B) that addictions are healthy. I am merely trying to explain a phenomena that I have seen with ultrarunners and the similarities with drug and alcohol addiction. ---<b>Please, do not be offended---</b></i><br />
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People try drugs or drinking because to makes them feel good, reduces stress, put them elsewhere emotionally. When you are doing drugs or alcohol you can do too much or you can do it in moderation.<br />
Doing it too much leads to a certain tolerance and then you have to do more and more and eventually you have to start doing more hard core drugs. Think cocaine to crack. Meth. Heroin. You know the stories. Alcohol is the same way. If you drink a lot, you get a tolerance and need more and more and it starts not being good enough.<br />
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And you can never really go back a level. You never hear of a person who has a cocaine problem, goes to rehab, goes back to smoking dope and enjoys it and can handle that level. True alcoholics who drink serious liquor can not easily go back to enjoy 1 glass of wine with dinner.<br />
<br />Moderation, however is a good thing. Many people stay at one level for quite a long time and are happy with that level. There is a point in addictions that you start chasing level 'upgrades' faster than you should. This is where the problems really start.<br />
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Ok, so lets talk about running and why we even do it. All runners know of what is called a 'runner's high' that comes from the endorphins coursing through our blood when we have a good solid run. This is a totally natural thing and evolution has supported it. Nature wants us to exercise so we stay fit so we can catch our food. It's all good.<br />
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Eventually we grow to like it and want more, so we run more. We start running a little longer and it might take us 5 miles to get that feeling. Then we want more.<br />
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We enter an actual race. Get a bib and toe the line for actual competition. We scream through our first 5K and we feel awesome. The high we feel can last for days. We may even wear our race shirt to work the next Monday and talk about it incessantly around the water cooler, annoying our coworkers.<br />
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The 5K is the first step, the first real level of addiction. Think of it as your first beer.<br />
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Eventually for many of us runners, 5K's soon become not enough of a high. We start needing a heavier drug so we might start training harder and go to a half marathon, or even a full marathon. (Malt liquor for our example)<br />
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Do a few of those and then that high after each one subsides. You need more, so maybe a <a href="http://www.docott.com/50states/" target="_blank">marathon in every state</a>, or running marathons in consecutive days, or trying to run <a href="http://marathonmaniacs.com/" target="_blank">30 marathons in 6 months</a> to get another 'star'. (Wine, if you are following along)<br />
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Then, it gets really bad. because by now you really enjoy the 'moving up' getting closer and closer to the edge of the crazies. You like being unique, the 'weirdo' at the office. You enjoy being different and you want to be <b>more</b> different.<br />
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The next step in this addiction is of course the ultra marathon, 50 miles +. The difficulty starts getting steeper, but that is what you want. If it takes more effort, the payoff is going to be higher. (And yes, we have reached the hard stuff, liquor)<br />
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So you run a 100 miler and it feels AWESOME when you finish. Amazingly, the emotional high of finishing your first 100 mile race is quite similar to the emotional high many people feel after their first 5K and their first marathon. You feel on top of the world.<br />
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But by now, you have gone through quite a few levels of running, and you starting to actually enjoy the increasing of difficulty. You are changing drugs so fast, you enjoy finding higher levels. You are moving up so fast you have no intention of leveling off. Let's go crazy. <br />
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And there are levels to go to. You can do a series of hundos in a short time frame (the <a href="http://www.run100s.com/gs.htm" target="_blank">Original Grand Slam</a>, or the <a href="http://www.midwestslam.com/" target="_blank">Midwest Grand Slam</a>). You can run the toughest footrace on the planet, <a href="http://www.badwater.com/" target="_blank">Badwater</a>. You can do the <a href="http://www.runtri.com/2007/06/by-raymond-britt-published-in-running.html" target="_blank">Badwater double</a>, or heck, the <a href="http://www.badwater600.com/" target="_blank">Badwater Quad</a>. You can do 150 or 200 mile races. You can race across the <a href="http://runitfast.com/2012/07/23/the-last-annual-vol-state-500k-results-2012/" target="_blank">state of Tennessee</a>, or run <a href="http://www.seejohnrun.com/Trans_USA_Ultra.htm" target="_blank">ocean to ocean</a>.<br />
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My point is this, if you start chasing up the ladder to fast and not enjoying the intermediate challenges, you are going to run out of news drugs to try. I know friends who run their first Hundo and then do several and within literally a year, Hundos bore them and <b>need</b> something bigger. Going back down a level is never really in the cards.<br />
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My name is Mark, and I am an running addict. I suffered this problem in my own life. Once I finished my <a href="http://www.docott.com/50states/" target="_blank">50 state quest</a>, I needed a new challenge and I went straight to Hundos, skipping 50 mile and 100K races (I have never raced either distance) but when I started taking the Hundo drug, I consciously decided that I was going to stay here and enjoy it. I was going to cap my racing to 3, maybe 4 Hundos a year, no more. I want the races to still be a big deal. I want to enjoy the training, the lead up, and the post race bliss. I want to still have those same feelings I did when I ran my first marathon. I have done 8 now, and I can already feel the high weakening.<br />
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Right now, I still love the 100 mile distance. I am training hard for it and getting better, always learning from my mistakes and successes. It is still a lot of fun and challenging. Of course I am going to run Badwater. Of course I will probably run across the <a href="http://www.docott.com/tranmi/" target="_blank">entire state of Michigan</a>. Of course I will run across the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=San+Diego,+CA&daddr=Brunswick,+GA&geocode=FUEy8wEdeVIE-SlLHpKtD1PZgDF53xX9_SE6DQ%3BFYFP2wEd34kk-ylpgBcxlNfkiDFe6Y2Tx5idNg&gl=us&hl=en&mra=prev&dirflg=w&sll=32.386702,-99.304819&sspn=0.005291,0.005944&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=32.132445,-99.31817&spn=25.92133,37.353516&z=4" target="_blank">entire United States</a>. I am just trying to take my time and enjoy each challenge. I don't want to run out of new drugs before I die.<br />
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There is a lot of marrow to be sucked out of each level of running addiction. Take some time to enjoy each one or you will run (ha!) out too soon.<br />
<br />Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-33832726557326842892013-04-20T13:04:00.000-07:002013-04-30T14:42:25.722-07:002013 Indiana Trail 100 Results (Or: How to Embrace the Suck)<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5760742567945272" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
18:19.56<br />
2/57 overall (152 started)<br />
1st male overall<br />
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The Indiana Trail 100 is the first ever trail 100 in Indiana and it was put on by a set of top notch crew of race directors at <a href="http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2987.htm" target="_blank">Chain O' Lakes State Park</a>. All that was controllable was done perfectly. Absolutely everything about this race (except the weather and the trail) was perfect. The fact that they got 250 runners the very first year is amazing in an of itself.<br />
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The RD’s had several training runs over the last 6 months including a nice run the day after <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/11/indiana-trail-333-fa-results-or-course.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving</a> so people could come get a feel for the trail, and I went down for two such runs. It was nice because it helped me to know how much hill work I should be doing. The course was 6 times around a 16.6 mile loop with gentle rolling hills through beautiful terrain. One of most beautiful trails I have been able to run on. However, when it rains, there a few wet crossings. When a monsoon rolls through, like it did 2 days before the race, it gets bad. Really bad.<br />
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The race personnel changed the course the day before the race to avoid water hazards that were over waist deep, but that meant some brand new trails were being blazed by the runners. Yes, there was some actual bush-wacking done during the day. At night, that would cause some problems. At the pre-race briefing the night before, we were told that the trails were some of the worst conditions that the RD’s had ever seen, and they have been running these trails for decades. That was not a good sign at all.<br />
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On my way into the area on Friday, seeing the ‘High Water’ road signs was not a good omen either. I choose to stay at <a href="http://www.brickarkinn.com/" target="_blank">Brick Ark Inn</a> only 10 minutes away from the race. Misty and I had stayed there back in November and loved the hospitality of Tammy the innkeeper. She was very accommodating for the runners who were staying there, getting up at 3:45 am on race morning to make us breakfast.<br />
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My ace crew chief (my lovely wife) was unable to attend this race as my step son had major back surgery 3 days before. Luckily, I have enough experience that I spent some time making drop bags for myself the week of the race. Knowing it would be cold and wet, spread over the two drop bags (start/finish and at mile 9 of the loop) I had 5 full sets of clothes. Extra everything just in case. Turns out, I only did 2 costume changes all day long. At noon I removed one long sleeve shirt, going down to 2 layers. Then, at 7pm, I added a long sleeve shirt. That was it. During the warmer parts of the day (mid 40’s) when the sun was out, I would sweat just a bit, but when the sun went behind a cloud I would get a little cold. I surmised from those observations I was ok.<br />
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I have recently changed to a <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/03/nutritional-ketosis-or-why-i-dont-eat.html">ketosis diet</a>, so food at my drop bags were low-carb tortillas with butter, blackberries, blueberries, cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs along with some salami. I ended up eating only the tortillas and berries, nothing else sat well in my stomach, but that was no great surprise. I also had my standard first-aid type of things at both aid drop bag locations. I was well prepared.<br />
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I was able to follow my <a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/04/is-really-quite-simple-unless-you-are.html">aid station gospel</a> to a tea, never being at any one of the 23 aid stations (the entire race total) for more than probably a minute. I always knew what I needed when I rolled in, and often had a friendly stranger help me get pills out of bags, but that was about it. I truly believe this method is one of the huge reasons for my success at this distance.<br />
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Knowing that it was going to be wet, I wanted to avoid wearing socks, so I decided to start the race with my Vibram Spyridons. I added some <a href="http://www.2toms.com/" target="_blank">2Toms sports shield </a>which really helped. I packed 4 other sets of minimalist shoes in my drop bags just in case, but decided early on I was going to keep them on as long as possible. I did not expect to keep them on until the very end. I have never done a 100 miler in the same set of shoes before. It certainly shaved off some time, not having to change them out. I did some research (after the race of course), and before this race, the farthest I had ever run in a pair of Vibrams was only 29 miles. Hmm...<br />
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Ok, so lets talk about the weather. The temperatures were in the low 30s at start with a light snow and the winds up to 20 mph most of the day. The high for the day was in the low 40’s in afternoon and when the sun went down the temperature plummeted down into the 20’s.<br />
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Because of the heavy rainfall two days before, There were ~35 water crossings and ~60 unavoidable mud stretches were what made it this course so rough. What’s even better (worse?) was that they were spaced out evenly over the whole course so you never had to go much more than half a mile before you got muddy and/or wet. The water crossings were usually calf/knee deep and the water was relatively clean, so after a good mud section, the water would clean it off nicely. I’m being sarcastic of course. :) I was reminded of my previous worst-ever-race-conditions, the <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/01/2012-beast-of-burden-100-results-or.html" target="_blank">2012 Winter Beast of Burden</a>. That was just cold. This was wet AND cold. making this the worst running conditions I have ever run in, at any distance.<br />
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The race course was well marked, and yet I still made a wrong turn on the first lap, which added at least 10 minutes to my time. And of course, it was an obvious turn complete with big white sign. On my second lap, some large sticks were put in the way there, so I knew then I was not the only person who went wrong at that turn which made me feel a little better. :)<br />
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To bring in some elite runners, the race offered a $25,000 prize for anyone who could break the US 100 mile trail record which brought out a few speedsters, including the eventual winner,<a href="http://dreamliverun.com/"> Michelle Yates</a>. With there being a 50 mile distance as well, I started behind the lead pack of 8 people and let them take off. I have done this enough times to know, it is not who is in the lead at mile 3 that wins. I wanted to get into my long-term pace as fast as possible. While I walked/jogged through the muddy parts, I still ran the uphills, even after mile 50. My switch to minimalist running and the subsequent shortening of my normal stride helped. I have been doing a lot of hill work which also helped.<br />
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The aid stations were great, always with workers willing to help, though I needed little. For everyone of my laps, except the last, I followed this simple routine:<br />
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<b>Start/finish: </b>Swallow 3 <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html" target="_blank">Hammer Electrolyte</a> pills, 2 <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurance-amino.ea.html" target="_blank">Hammer Endurance Amino</a> pills, 1 <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/anti-fatigue-caps.af.html" target="_blank">Anti-fatigue</a> pill and then leave the aid station with 20 oz handheld filled with flavored Hammer electrolyte laced water and something solid & small to eat (small bag of fruit for example) while I walked out of the aid station. Because of these supplements, my muscles never cramped (the electrolytes) and my brain never faded either (the amino acid pills)<br />
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<b>Mile 4 aid station: </b>Drink 1 cup of water.<br />
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<b>Mile 9 aid station:</b> Refill the handheld with same custom concoction (I made 2 gallons beforehand) making sure I drank the entire 20 oz since the last major aid. Again, grab something solid and small to eat on way out of aid station.<br />
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<b>Mile 14 aid station:</b> Drink 1 cup of water.<br />
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That's it. No need for a complicated plan. So short and simple, even I can't screw it up.<br />
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I carried my iPod from the very beginning and ended up listening to techno from about mile 50 until the end pausing it only to chat with runners I was passing and aid stations workers. It kept me moving, even when I was power-walking to the beat near the end.<br />
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As expected, I did not touch 80% of the stuff in my drop bags, but that is a good thing. You never know what you WILL need, so I pack pretty much everything, knowing full well I will not touch much of it. Before a Hundo, you never really know what is going to go wrong (something always does) so you must prepare for all reasonable scenarios.<br />
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At the end of lap 5, there was only about 15 minutes until sunset and I knew life was going to go from bad to worse. While I could walk around many of the mud spots by bush-wacking a little bit, at night it was harder to find the right detour, so I ended up going through more mud than I did any of the other laps. And it was way colder. And I was tired. There is no pill or food that could cure the 'my feet are cold and wet and I hate this course' problem I was having. Experience and unwillingness to quit kept me going. At no point did I even think about stopping, but slowing way down was contemplated.<br />
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Being on a ketosis diet as an ultrarunner gives me one small advantage in that at the end of race a little carbs serves as extra-special fuel. So I drank some Pepsi at the aid stations and only water in my handheld the last lap. I will be honest, I didn’t feel like it helped, and it made my stomach upset I think. Though, my stomach gets upset at the end of all my Hundos.<br />
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Once the sun went down, the temp dropped quickly into the 20’s and I started getting even colder, but kept slogging. I was down to power-walking most of the loop, but even that still at 15 min/mile pace. Keeping your arms up really makes a difference when you hit that stage.<br />
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A word about the overall winner, <a href="http://dreamliverun.com/blog.html">Michelle Yates</a>. She is an elite runner, and while this was her first 100 mile race, she has won the 50 mile and 100K national championships as well as qualified for the Olympic trials. I did not mind losing to her at all. The fact that she beat me by less than an hour is pretty awesome, actually. I would like <a href="http://www.timetorun.net/Results/2013/Indiana%20Trail%20100/Final%20100%20Mile%20.html" target="_blank">the record to show</a>, that my lap 5 split was the same and my lap 6 split was faster than hers :)<br />
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At about mile 88, I passed a couple of people and as I said ‘good job!’, one asked me if I was Mark Ott. I said yes, and she said to her running companion “I told you, he’s the male overall leader”. What?! She told me that the leaderboard said I was in the lead after lap 3 and 4. I was on my 6th lap (she was on her 5th) and I didn’t even know there WAS a leader board. I found it later inside the aid station tent that I never went into :) I knew nobody had passed me (actually, no one passed me all day long) and now, for the first time I knew I was the leading male. Crap, now I had to try not to lose it. I hate pressure.<br />
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I was passing people at a good clip, so I was trying to keep an eye on every headlamp I passed and making sure the lamps never got closer behind me. I had no idea at all how much of a lead I had on the #3 runner, so I assumed they were right behind me, so every time I looked behind me and it looked like the light was getting any closer, I would pick up my speed a little bit if not outright running. At about mile 95 I caught up to two guys but they were moving pretty quick. Turns out, they were on lap 5 but still moving good. I got into a good pace with one of them and we power-walked the last 5 miles of the loop together keeping each other company. It took my mind off the awfulness of the trail.<br />
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I finished the race and went into the aid station tent for the first time. Boy, was it warm in there! RD Mike came over and gave me my awesome winner plaque and congratulated me. It was a great feeling, but then my nausea set in. I have a track record of always getting sick and my blood pressure dropping bad at the end of Hundos. After sitting for about 5 minutes, I had to go puke, but on my way out the tent, I sortof sat down. Quickly. ‘Medic!’ was the next word I heard someone say and in short order, I had two EMT’s on me asking me questions and putting warm blankets around me. About 5 minutes later I was in the back of an ambulance trying to convince the EMT’s that I didn’t need to go to the hospital. They were pushy about it, but I explained to them that A) This is normal for me and B) The conversation with my wife would be much worse if I went to the hospital. When they were finally able to get a blood pressure on me (it took them a little while), it was 88 over 42. They got concerned and even tried to trick me into letting them take me to the hospital against my will (key word: disorientation) by asking me questions (confirming my street address, for example) just to see if I would get them wrong. In my delirious state I kept telling them ‘Please stop. My head is fine and I am thinking clearly, I just need to stabilize’. They did not trust my experience of my own body I guess, but they were doing their job, so no foul.<br />
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Of course, I had yet to deal with my feet. The feet that have been cold and wet for now almost 20 hours. Once the medics released me after almost an hour, I went back into the tent and carefully removed my Vibrams and before I put a pair of dry socks and shoes on, I hold my feet up to the heater to try to warm my toes. It was not working. I decided I need to get stable mentally ad physically so I can go back to the B&B and take a shower and get some rest. I left everything including my award and buckle and drove the 15 minutes back and carefully took a shower. The warm water on my toes was excruciatingly painful. Houston, we have a problem.<br />
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Turns out, I had real life case of <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/frostbite/DS01164/DSECTION=symptoms" target="_blank">frostnip</a> on my toes, and all 10 of them were completely numb. The pain coming from the de-frosting was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life. It really did feel like someone had cut off my toes. I ended up having to soak them in lukewarm water for 30 min just to make it so that I could rest, as sleep was impossible. Oh, and I was wandering around my room at the Bed and Breakfast sobbing like a baby it hurt so bad to move. Luckily no other soul was awake to hear me grovel.<br />
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I got up about 7am the next day and had a little breakfast before heading back to the race to get my stuff and chat with folk and cheer on the other runners. In looking at the leader board, I could tell it was a rough night. The<a href="http://www.timetorun.net/Results/2013/Indiana%20Trail%20100/Final%20100%20Mile%20.html" target="_blank"> final race results</a> tell the tale. In the 100 mile race, there were 152 starters, only 57 finished, with 20 of those over 29 hours and only 3 finishers under 20 hours. For those of you who don't know, that means it was a tough race.<br />
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I am not sure what helped me out the most, my switch to minimalist footwear, my ketosis diet, my <a href="http://run.docott.com/2012/12/hundo-stairstep-week-or-my-100-training.html" target="_blank">HSW training</a>, or my mental attitude and experience. It was certainly some of all of those things. I am just glad I get to keep the title “Pretty good Ultrarunner”. That’s all I really want.<br />
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<a href="http://dreamliverun.com/1/post/2013/04/indiana-100-a-more-detailed-report.html" target="_blank">Race report from #1 finisher, Michele Yates</a> <a href="http://paulstofko.blogspot.com/2013/04/indiana-100-miler-race-report.html" target="_blank">Race report from #3 finisher, Paul Stofko</a><br />
<a href="http://rick-roadtobadwater.blogspot.com/2013/04/indiana-trail-100.html" target="_blank">Race Report from Rick Simon </a> <a href="http://clutchrunner.blogspot.com/2013/04/indiana-trail-100.html" target="_blank">Race report from a friend, Andrew Siniarski</a><br />
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</b>Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com6Chain O' Lakes State Park, 2355 East 75 South, Albion, IN 46701, USA41.3414041 -85.37847149999998941.2937126 -85.459152499999988 41.3890956 -85.297790499999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-12034319287587922902013-04-06T13:09:00.000-07:002013-06-23T14:40:16.415-07:00Stomach Issues in Ultramarathons (or: Another Easy DNF Fix)<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few weeks ago, many of my friends attempted the 100K and 100 mile distances at a race in Wisconsin. More than a few of them DNF'd partly because of 'stomach issues', which is honestly a common DNF reason. While many people who run hundos train their legs for the race, they do not train their stomachs. I offer the following suggestions to make race day easier on your tummy. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyone who knows anything about marathons has heard of the dreaded ‘bonk’ which happens to many a rookie marathoner ,usually around mile 20. The cause is pretty simple to understand and involves how many carbs you can jam into your body.</span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your body converts the carbohydrates you eat into stored glycogen in your muscles. Even if you are a large person, it turns out you can only pack about so much into your muscles before they are ‘full’. Depending on who you ask, this is about 2000-3000 calories. This fact is why marathoners will ‘carbo-load’ before a big race packing that glycogen in as tight as possible. It is also well known how much energy it takes to run 26.2 miles, which is (amazingly) about 3000 calories. What that means is that most marathoners who carbo-load and/or take only a small amount of carbs during the race have little problem getting to the finish line.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you ‘bonk’ you have run out of glycogen and while your muscles are trained to use that as their primary fuel source, your brain also needs it. When it runs out, your brain goes foggy. Bonking is a physical and mental problem. Your body does have a backup system to keep you from dying and that is the fat you have stored. And there is a lot. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In ultramarathons of 50 miles and longer, life is much tougher than a marathon. Even if you jam 3000 calories into your muscles the days before, you are gonna burn through that in the first half of a 50 mile race. That means you are going to need to consume a few thousand calories during the race to prevent bonking. For a 100 mile race it is even more.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4011fd05-203e-2b05-faa9-2093c63ee89e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting all those calories via liquids (gels or XYZ-ade) is generally not enough as they are not that calorie dense. This is why most ultramarathoners consume solid food during their longer races and why aid stations are usually stocked with all sorts of delish solid foods which generally have oodles of calories per serving.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your stomach, however, is not built to process solid food while you are running. Think ‘fight or flight’. You are definitely ‘flighting’ while running so your insides are busy converting stored energy into usable energy. When you consume solid food while running you are asking your body to suspend that (important) process to do something very different, convert consumed food into stored/usable energy. This is why right after a big meal you just want to sit, not go for a run.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that is why (I posit) that many people get stomach issues that slow them down and/or cause a DNF in an ultra. I further propose that these issues can easily be solved with simple training, and you don’t even have to become a ketogenic athlete to do it, but of course that would be best :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first solution is simply training your body to consume solid foods while running. I know, I know, it sounds simple, but it is commonly overlooked by ultrarunners when training. When they are doing their long runs (generally 20-30 miles) they run it like running a marathon, having a good dose of spaghetti the night before and consuming gels and energy drinks during their run, and very rarely attempting to eat solid food, simply because they don’t have to eat solid food to get through that workout. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a huge fan of the concept ‘train as you fight’ which means you want to train your body both physically and mentally for as many race day issues as possible beforehand. That means you need to practice eating on the run, but more importantly, you need to practice eating solid food when your body needs it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, if you are running 20-30 mile you can get away with only liquid fuel during the run because your body has a good chunk of glycogen stored because of your normal diet. So, let us remove that. You need to start your long run depleted. The day before a long run, avoid carbs, in fact, maybe even skip dinner and go to bed hungry. Wake up, have your coffee and then go for your run. You will run out of stored fuel quickly maybe only 5-10 miles, which is what you want. You have just put your body (mentally and physically) in the same boat you will be in at mile 40+ and you didn’t have to run 40 miles to get to that point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, as you are hungry and running is when you start testing your foods. Yes, you are testing, because we are all an experiment of one. You want to try every solid food you have ever heard of people consuming during an ultra. Jello. Beef Jerky. Hard-boiled eggs. Cookies. Gummi worms. Fruit. PB&J. Grilled cheese. Spaghettios. You are testing different thing to find out what YOUR body can handle under those conditions, and more importantly what your body cannot handle. When do you want to find out that food X makes you want to vomit, during a 20 mile training run or mile 60 of your first Hundo? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know in my training, I figured out (after 5 Hundos) that I did best with fresh fruit. It is a simple food and my stomach has little problem breaking it down while running. The more ‘complex’ the food (read: processed) generally the harder it is for your body to break down. So chocolate chip cookies might look good and taste good, but there is a good chance your stomach will reject them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The goal here is to get a list of things you can and cannot eat. You avoid the cannot foods at aid stations and you pack your drop bags with the can foods. It’s really that simple, but not as simple as the other solution, which is training your body to not need as much solid fuel to make it to the finish line. Burn the fuel you have on board, fats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I said earlier, we can only store 2000-3000 calories as glycogen in our muscles, but we can store (depending on who you believe) 40,000+ calories of fat energy in our bodies. You have plenty of fuel on board, but your body is not used to using it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are born with the ability to burn carbs or burn fats. In modern society, we consume plenty of carbohydrates to get us through our day so our bodies rarely have to use fats as a fuel source. Your body can make the switch of course, the most obvious instances being when you bonk in a race (you don’t keel over and die right then) or when you are stranded on a desert island with only water and you survive for a week or so with no food. In both cases, your body’s survival mechanism has kicked in. Your body loves you THAT much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, if your body is not ‘practiced’ in that using-fats-for-primary-fuel-source process the ‘shock’ of the transition is rough, especially when you are deep into a long race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People who follow a ketosis diet actually exploit this fact and eat very few carbs. I am such an athlete. I have trained my body to burn fats as my primary fuel source from the get-go as I have no glycogen on board. In effect, my body ‘bonks’ about 0.5 miles into every run I do. Since my body has made the adjustment (which took a few weeks) it is little problem for me. The benefits are numerous, but I will not go into that here, you can read about it in my </span><a href="http://run.docott.com/2013/03/nutritional-ketosis-or-why-i-dont-eat.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">previous post on ketosis</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of my readers have no desire whatsoever to go keto, and that is totally cool, but you can still benefit from the concept. You need to train your body to run on fats when the need arises. Think of it as training the backup system ‘just in case’. If your body has never really used that fat-burning-system until you are at mile 50 of a 100 mile race, of course it is gonna be rough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So how do you train your body to burn fats? Simple, do a carb depleted run (much like our first suggestion) but this time instead of consuming solid foods containing carbs, you simply drink water and make sure you are getting enough </span><a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">electrolytes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. That’s it. You are trying to bonk and more importantly, you are running THROUGH the bonk with no carbs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Its gonna be rough the first time, just like the first time you ever ran 15 miles without stopping, but like that workout, it will become easier every time you do it. And once again, on ultramarathon race day when you run out of stored glycogen (you will at some point, I promise) your body will transition over and start burning through the HOURS of fat energy you have stored up. You will probably be consuming carbs during the race, but the fat burning process is gonna help you go the distance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ultramarathons are tough, but when you recognize that your training has to be changed more than simply ‘run more’ you will have a much better chance of finishing. DNF’ing is to be avoided at almost any cost. But that is for another post...</span></div>
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</b>Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-48232382256182101702013-03-31T05:27:00.000-07:002013-04-30T14:43:29.589-07:00Nutritional Ketosis (or: Why I don't eat any carbs. Ever.) So a few months ago I had a long talk with Mike Morton who is an elite ultrarunner and we chatted about a bunch of things but one stood out, nutritional ketosis. You can google it, but here is the short loosy-goosy scientific explanation.<br />
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When you eat sugar/carbohydrates, your body converts this into stored energy in the form of glycogen in your muscles. This form of fuel is what you need to sprint, run up a flight of stairs or throw a baseball. Generally, you can only store enough glycogen in your muscles for about 3-4 hours of heavy use (running) which is A. why people carbo-load before marathons and B. why people 'bonk' at mile 20 of a marathon. 'Bonking' is what happens when your body runs out of glycogen and your brain (needing that energy) no longer has it. You go fuzzy and get really tired. Your body has run out of the primary fuel source it is used to using (sugar/carbs) and then goes into starvation mode, burning fats.<br />
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Now, you can only store 3-4 hours of fuel in the form of glycogen in your muscles, but there is literally DAYS worth of fat energy stored in, well, your body fat. Your body has that (literally) for times of starvation. Most people know you can go a few weeks without eating any food (but you need water for the conversion) no problem. generally, in modern society we never have to tap this storage because there is plenty of food to go around. 20,000 ago people were not eating 3 square meals a day. Nor were they eating processed food, but I digress.<br />
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So this 3-4 hour issue is a big deal for ultra runners like myself. When you are running for 18, 24, 30 hours at a shot you obviously have to be continually jamming carbs down your gullet to get enough calories (because your body has that pesky glycogen as a primary fuel source) which is not an easy feat.\r\n\r\nSee, anyone who has ever been to a big family dinner knows you eat your food, then your body wants to sit and digest it. Nobody goes to Sunday dinner with the fam then immediately goes and runs a marathon. Your body is good at turning digested food into stored fuel OR turning stored fuel into burnt fuel. You were never built to do both at the same time.<br />
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There are work-arounds such as finding things that your body can digest easily (fruit works great for me, gels for other people) but it is still fighting your bodies natural processes.<br />
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So here is where ketosis comes in. Put simply, you convert (adapt is the technical term I guess) your cells to burn fat as the primary source of fuel, not the back up. It takes some time (a few weeks) of eating a low-carb diet (<50g per day total which is the amount of carbs in 1 Milky Way candy bar) for your body to make the switch, but then, when you go out for a run your body is burning fat from the get go, the fuel source that you have oodles of just lying around.<br />
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You obviously have to be very very careful, eating the right food and keeping close track of your diet and such, but it is doable. It is different than the Adkins diet in that A. it is a long term solution, ketosis being more of a lifestyle instead a of a temporary diet change and B. people do Adkins wrong. Many people cut down on the carbs and increase protein intake too much which harms their liver. It is counter intuitive, but on the ketosis diet you need more fat, and not the kind you would think. Butter, lots of butter. Bacon, too. Yum.<br />
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Not to get medical, but ketosis has been used for decades to treat people with <a href="http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/treatment_ketogenic_diet" target="_blank">epilepsy </a>as well as <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22250030" target="_blank">diabetics</a> and is now even being looked at as a <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/10/ketogenic-diet.aspx" target="_blank">treatment for cancer</a>. And, I am not the only person looking into this for athletics reasons either as <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00392032?LI=true" target="_blank">cylclists</a> and <a href="http://www.jissn.com/content/9/1/34/abstract" target="_blank">elite gymnasts</a> have been doing studies into the effects of ketosis and endurance activities. Oh, and the<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/"> long term effects are not negative</a> when used to fight obesity. In short, it has been 'proven' enough for me to try it.<br />
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So, in March I decided to try it myself, knowing it would take a few weeks to make the transition, and I wanted to be 'over the hump' before my next 100 mile race in mid April. I dropped my carbs to around 100 for a few weeks (so as the cut off would not be THAT harsh) by removing all sugary snacks, chips, soda, etc. That part was not that hard with my only problem being a craving for sugar, but I seem to have enough self control to get over that. Then, in mid-March I dropped below 50 g.<br />
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Initially I lost about 6 pounds the first week and felt a little groggy, that was about it. The weight loss was all water weight and is common for people making the transition and I did gain most of it back . Now, by now you might be saying "That CANNOT be healthy". Well, I am not going to try to convince you that it is ok based on studies, or that many cultures have followed it in the past with no big problems. I will only say that you should trust me. Trust me, that as a scientist I have done my homework as well as monitoring myself very carefully. I have done all the blood tests and consulted with a few doctors while I do this. This is not being done on a whim, so please, have some faith in me.<br />
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Changing of diet, and living it everyday takes a lot of preplanning. I eat lots of salads, eggs, butter, olive oil, meat. Having a paleo-diet-following wife who is a great cook helps a lot. As ketosis becomes more well-known, the internet is a great resource for recipes. My morning fried egg with onion, bacon, shredded cheese cooked in butter is delish. Travelling is the biggest pain as you can;t stop at McDonalds or Subway for really anything. You have to haul it all with you or go to a grocery store. I will mention you can eat a big salad prepared in a 1 gal ziploc bag easily :)<br />
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Ok, so lets get back to the why of this project. A classic training run for marathons is carb-depleted runs where you on purpose do not carb load before a long run to 'bonk' early in the run and get practice running post-bonk. You are giving your body practice burning fat. Well, now I was -always- post bonk, since I had no glycogen to speak off. My body is trained to burn fat as its primary fuel source, not as the backup.<br />
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But since I can store DAYS worth of fat fuel in my body (as opposed to 3-4 hours of glycogen) so I can run for hours without getting tired. Three weeks after I made the below-50 switch I did my first real solid ketosis-adapted run. It was 25 miles of constant rolling hills done in 3:42. That is nothing fast, and this diet (and my minimalist transition) mean I run a little slower than I used to, but I am giving up speed for endurance. The 25 mile run is actually 3 trips around an 8.3 mile loop. Before the run I drank only a few cups of coffee. During the run I consumed water and electrolyte pills. That was it. No gatorade, no gels, no stockpile of food the night before. Ok, so I did it fueled only by fat I had on board, but I will also mention that the time for each loop were 1:15, 1:14, and 1:13. Yup, I negative split the workout (that never happens) -and- after I was done, I felt fine. I was not tired, or sore, and I really didn't even feel like I had been running for almost 4 hours.\r\n\r\nI am still in the early stages, and the real test of a 100 mile race is coming up soon. So far, everything is going the way it is supposed to. Again, I am not trying to convert anyone to this diet. It takes a lot of self-control and support, and pre-planning. I seem to have enough to do it and I have seen (at least initially) awesome results. We are all an experiment of oneDoc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-65621440581901355582013-02-03T05:11:00.000-08:002013-06-23T14:39:08.065-07:00Aid Station Gospel (Or: One big way to prevent DNF’s) <br />
It is really quite simple, unless you are having to do major foot repair, you should never be at an aid station for more than 90 seconds. DNF’s happen at aid stations because they are inviting, relaxing, and comfortable. They are filled with people who will listen to your complaints and give you anything you want while you sit there. The longer you sit, the harder it is to get up and move again. So to prevent this, you want to try very hard to keep your aid station duration under 90 seconds, which is easier than you think. DNF's at mile 92 have happened at 100 mile national championships (the people in the top 5) because people sit too long and cramp up physically and give up mentally. You can avoid both by spending as little time as possible at the aid stations. It's not as hard as you think..<br />
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This "go fast at aid stations" mentality is not just for people who are trying to get fast finish times, it is about keeping moving. It doesn't matter if you are at the death march stage of the race, you still want to get in and out of aid stations as quick as possible. Once death march comes along, you are going to want to sit and relax for a while. And THAT is how most DNFs starts.<br />
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<b>#1. Don't Sit</b><br />
Your body wants to stop, it will want to stop after you have done 10 miles. Sitting is what your body wants to do, then lie down, then sleep. You can sleep when you cross the finish line. Only if you are changing shoes do you want to be sitting. Of course you are tired. Tough. Suck it up, buttercup.<br />
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<b>#2 Prepare Mentally Before You Arrive</b><br />
You will have plenty of time before the aid station to think about what you want. You want to keep your mind frosty during the run anyways, so always being keeping a mental list of stuff you want to do when you get to the next aid station. Are your socks wet and need to be changed? Need a higher concentration of liquid in your handheld? More sunscreen sprayed on you? What pills are you going to take? Whatever. You should not be waiting until someone asks you about your feet to know if you need to do something with your feet.<br />
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<b>#3 Make Sure Your Crew Knows Your Plan</b><br />
Your crew (properly prepared) should be kicking your butt to get back on the course. No excuses, no whining allowed. Get your stuff, change what needs to be changed and go. You can chat when you cross the finish line.<br />
They should know what you need, pills, new socks, etc. They should know your drop bag contents better than you. They should not have any sympathy. They should be heartless. If they have a stopwatch, have them time you when you get there, giving you a 90 second countdown. They should be pushing you to get out. You want your crew to be cruel. Get it? Crew-L? I crack myself up sometimes…<br />
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<b>#4 No Story Telling</b><br />
There will be plenty of time at the finish to tell your crew all the fun stuff that happened. Don't waste breath in the aid station telling your story. You are allowed to say "Remind me to tell you later about the crocodile I stepped on 2 miles ago".<br />
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<b>#5 Prepare Your Gear for the Aid Station</b><br />
You are going to have your handheld refilled at the aid station. Was it water and now you want soda? If so, open the top and dump it out. You can do that while you are running, don't waste time having the aid station worker unscrew it. You want to be handing them an empty bottle with the top off and saying 'soda, please' and that's it. Are you changing out your shirt or changing your hat? Get the old one off, it will save a little time, but more importantly, will prevent you from forgetting during that precious 90 seconds.<br />
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<b>#6 Know Your Drop Bag</b><br />
You have your bag packed with all the stuff you will need. Know what is where, and make sure your crew knows too. The last thing you want is spending 60 seconds trying to find that small tube of whatever. 1 gallon clear plastic bags with logical groups of stuff is good. For example, all your bottles of various pills in one bag. 3 pairs of spare socks in another. If your crew can do it, it's best if your entire drop bag contents could be spilled out on the ground before you get there so you can quickly find what you want.<br />
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Get in, get out, keep moving.<br />
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Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-10054176774324133862013-01-19T18:30:00.000-08:002013-04-12T05:47:45.681-07:002013 Long Haul 100 Furlong Race Results (Or:How to make the most of a DNS) 1:25:22 for 100 furlongs (12.5 miles)<br />
1/22 overall<br />
<img alt="" class="alignleft" height="317" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2013/LH/LH.fin.jpg" style="float: left;" width="331" /> You might call it a DNS, but I call it prudence. This weekend, I was supposed to be running the 100 mile race, but due to a nagging ankle issue I had to ultimately drop down the 100 furlong race. Not running the Hundo was sure to depress me, but I tried to make the most of it, and I succeeded.<br />
By the time I realized my ankle was going to prevent me from running full Hundo (mid December), I already had plane tickets for Misty and I as well as hotel and rental car paid for in Tampa. We decided to still go through with it and enjoy the warm weather of Florida in January.<br />
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We took off in the sub freezing weather of Detroit Friday morning and landed in 60 degree weather in Tampa. Oh, so beautiful. On Friday night, we met up with a handful of local ultrarunning folk who were racing whom I met last fall at the Beast of Burden in NY. It was conversations with them that convinced me to come down for this race in the first pace. I also invited along one of my running friends from Michigan to join us for pre-food and drinks as well.<br />
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It really was fun conversation talking, swapping stories, training strategies, race plans, as well as giving friendly grief to one another. I love the ultramarathoning community. All good people who are laid back and friendly. No meanie heads.<br />
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While the Hundo started at 7 am, Misty and I woke up about 7:30 and took our sweet time arriving to the site about 9 am for the 10 am start of the 100 furlong race. I had thought about coming to the start to cheer people on, but I was told the night before ‘The start will be boring, sleep in’, and so I did.<br />
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My right arch/ankle had been sore and tender for weeks so I had been babying it for a while trying to get better, but I wanted to have SOMETHING to show for my trip, but I was still a little scared as I have not done any sort of ‘run’ on my ankle in over three weeks. I decided to start it by running and go as long as I could and if I started walking, no problem. I would walk and finish and earn the t-shirt I received at check-in the night before.<br />
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The real races this day were the ultras, the 100 mile and 100 K. My ‘race’ was very low key, with maybe 25 runners. I was not sure if this was for friends and family who were here to support the ultra folk or actual runners trying for fast times. I am guessing the former as I won the race, however a few of the runners looked like speedsters.<br />
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I knew I want to be as gentle as possible on my feet for my ankle’s sake, I decided to run in my new pair of Vibrams to force me to make short, quick strides. The race started and I took off like a bolt dropping my first mile in 6:44. I had obviously not done a real run in 3 weeks and the adrenaline was coursing through me. The ankle was tender, but not that bad. I paid very close attention to it, and it never got worse. In fact, I would say it felt better after the hard 12 miler than it did before I started, which was way cool.<br />
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The ultra runners has been running for roughly 3 hours by the time I started so it was obvious when I came whipping by them that I was a (lazy) 100 furlong runner. I gave a thumbs up and/or verbal encouragement to every runner I saw, which was most of them due to the nature of the course. A huge out and back with a couple of loops inside that. I actually like such courses for ultras so you never feel alone no matter what your pace is. Point to point races, while visually diverse, have long stretches sometimes hours where you don’t see another soul, which can be depressing.<br />
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I kept looking at my watch (a rarity for races) as I was feeling strong and wanted to keep the sub 7 pace I had started as long as possible. At about mile 5, I tripped on a root, stumbled a few steps and then gave up the ghost, rolling over and crashing down pretty hard. I was back up in a few moments but it took at least a half mile to unkink everything I kinked when I fell. Most of the race was on trail but the few sections on pavement helped me keep my pace right near 7 min/mile for the entirety of the race. I felt awesome all the way through the finish, coming in just over 1:25. No bad considering my injury and lack of real running recently.<br />
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After the race I was met by my lovely wife with a nice sandwich from a local place and we chatted for a little while before we offered ourselves up as volunteers. We were stationed at the aid station that wasn’t. It was an intersection that the runners run by 4 times each 14 mile loop and where the spectators/crew spent a lot of time but the only aid was water and Heed. Our job was to keep an eye on the station (crewed by other people) and help keep an eye on the runners. I was sent there to be a set of ‘ultra eyes’ meaning, someone with some experience in case something went wonky. As a last minute volunteer, you get put where they need you, and that’s where they needed me I guess. <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://www.docott.com/run/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" /> <br />
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Somewhere in the mid-afternoon I was tasked with putting out some reflective markers along one stretch of the course and whilst doing that I came across another runner friend, Ed, whom I met at Beast of Burden last August. I biked next to him for a few miles which was great fun. We chatted, me biking, him running gently but strong.<br />
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Misty and I left about 4 pm to head back to hotel and get ready for dinner with a High School friend of hers. Dinner and a few drinks along with fun conversation was great fun, and then I left them about 7:30 to their girl talk and I headed back to the course to help out some more. I returned to the aid station that wasn’t and hung out there for many many hours. I tried to help the runners with suggestions when it was warranted and wanted. Tips for stomach issues, how to walk faster, etc. Simple things that when you are at mile 70 of a Hundo, you will forget until someone (me!) reminds you. It really makes a difference. Damn, I need to write a book…<br />
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A little before midnight, the eventual winner asked if I was available to pace him to the finish, as he feared 2nd place was gaining on him. His wife took over my aid station watching duties while I motivated him the last 4 miles, frequently looking back to make sure nobody was sneaking up on him.<br />
<img alt="" class="alignleft" height="347" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2013/LH/Mike.Morton.jpg" style="float: left;" width="297" /><br />
Soon after I returned to the aid station that wasn’t, Mike Morton, famed ultrarunner stopped by to see what was going on. Mike is a quiet, but very nice guy who is also just a kick ass ultrarunner holding the US men’s record for 24 hrs, winning Badwater 2012 (missing the course record by 76 seconds) and a few Western States victories. Oh, and he was selected as the 2012 Ultrarunner of the year. Suck, he not.<br />
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All day long people had been coming up to him and telling him congrats on his 24 hr record, how he’s awesome, etc. I knew he needed no more accolades and I also realized this might be the only time I ever get to chat with him in person, so I made the most of it, talking shop.<br />
We chatted about training (food, mileage) and racing (USATF and race frequency) and at one point I gave him an idea and he said ‘Wow, thats a great idea! I’m gonna try that.’ That was freaking cool. He also told me about he had recently to switched to a nutritional ketosis eating plan. Basically, it is a ‘smarter’ Atkins (low carb) diet. Not for weight loss, but for endurance. Trains your body to run of fat only and your long runs become very sustainable as humans carry enough fat stores to run for days on end. I have since done much research, and I will be trying my hand at it as well.<br />
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At about 2 am I talked to the volunteer chieftan asking her if there was something else she wanted me to do. She asked if I was willing to play golf cart driver running supplies up to the far flung aid station as well as cart (dropped/finished) runners and gear around the course and to the parking lots (~1/2 mile from start/finish). No problem, but by now the temperature was in the low 40’s and I did not bring THAT many clothes so driving an open air golf cart made me a little cold. I suppose it did help keep me awake.<br />
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At about 5 am I knew I had to pull plug since I had a 30 min drive back to my hotel and knew I had to get at least a few hours sleep before I got on my plane back home. I thanked them for a great race and the opportunity to give back to the ultra community that I love so much.<br />
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With a scant 3 hours of sleep, which seemed to be enough, Misty and I were on our way back home. It truly was a great weekend where I thought I would be depressed for not racing the Hundo, but ended up having a great time running a solid 12.5 mile race and helping other runners. A great and unforgettable experience, as usual.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-10254106598354172072012-12-14T05:39:00.000-08:002013-04-12T05:41:52.581-07:00Hundo Stairstep Week (Or: My 100 training schedule, sortof) So this running blog started out as personal diary of sorts for me and almost nobody read it except my late Aunt Nancy and my mother. Slowly, a few other relatives started reading it and life went along just fine. Then I started down this ultramarathoning (specifically the 100 miler, known as a ‘Hundo’) path and I seemed be quite successful. More and more people started asking me for advice on what I did since it was working, and so this blog is now my test bed for my specific training advice. While my race entries give a hint as to the work I do in between races, I thought it time to start explaining in a little more detail what I do day to day to achieve the success I have have found.<br />
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I have no silver bullet for hundo training, and many people who train for hundos do so in a very different way than I do. I also know many people who have DNF’d hundos by following some other method of training. As with any training schedule or advice, I subscribe to the ‘to each his own’ theory. I will simply say that as of this writing I have completed seven hundos with exactly zero DNF’s. What you are about to read is the core training piece of what helped go from a career personal worst (PW) 100 mile time of <a href="http://www.docott.com/run/?p=185" target="_blank">21:02</a> in January of 2012 to a personal record (PR) of <a href="http://www.docott.com/run/?p=197" target="_blank">15:27</a> in August of 2012. Feel free to take or leave it, but I promise, if you can do this workout. your chances of finishing a hundo go way up.<br />
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First, we need some motivation. The DNF is the worst thing to happen to a distance runner, not for only the immediate dejection of the resultant race but because of the more permanent damage: the memory of a DNF and how great it felt. I talk more about DNF’s and its negative connotation elsewhere, but at this point just trust me, DNF’ing is a bad thing. Recovering from one is really tough, so lets just avoid it in the first place, m’kay?<br />
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There are two basic reasons that people DNF. The first involves something tragic that happens race day such as breaking an ankle. <a href="http://www.docott.com/run/?p=197" target="_blank">Urinating blood</a> is also a good reason to stop. These DNF’s do not count (in my mind) as the ‘bad’ kind as they lie outside of your control. The other reason DNFs occur is because of lack of preparation. Leg cramps, exhaustion, and upset digestive system are three of the most common reasons people bail in a hundo, and all three are completely preventable in my opinion. It simply requires better training and this 1-week training schedule will help because it will prepare you physically and more important mentally for the journey that is a 100 mile race.<br />
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Let me give you the punchline first. This is called the Hundo Stairstep Week or HSW, for short and it is a simple 7 day script for daily mileage, 0 - 30 - 0 - 35 - 0 - 45+ - 0. That’s it. Now go do it.<br />
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Ok, if your jaw just hit the floor because the thought of doing 110 miles in a 5 day stretch scares you, then I assume you will have a hard time doing 100 miles in under 30 hours. If you are wanting to run a 100 mile race, marathons should be very easy to you at this point and doing a 30 mile run should not even make you flinch. This is not something you do 4 months before the race nor is it something you do every other week for 3 months. You must have a solid 60-70/week base before you pull this off and doing it only one time 4 weeks before the race will make a notable difference. As with any hard workout, the more often you do it the better. I can’t handle it much more often than every 3 weeks myself.<br />
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Many people in preparation of ultra events will do the ‘back-to-back long day’ workout where they do a 20ish mile day followed immediately by a 30ish mile day. I think these are a great idea, but still too short. The crux of the HSW is the 6th day, the long day. But before that, we must get through days 1 through 5.<br />
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<strong> Day 1:</strong> Rest. Don’t run. How hard can that be? Well, this week is gonna be long, and days off are when you get the rest (pun intended) of your life in order. Most of us have personal lives, family, and work that takes up time. On the 0 mile days (1,3,5, and 7) is when your ‘real life’ takes precedence. You might be carbo loading and planning for the running days, but rest days are when you run (more puns!) your errands. You make dinner for your family, you get caught up on work. You are getting rid of any excuse you might have to cut your actual workouts short. Run days should be as clear as possible. I am happily married and have 3 kids and not a one of them complains about how I don’t spend enough time with them because I am out running. I take good time management skills of course.<br />
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<strong> Day 2:</strong> The 30 miler. This short day is meant to just be another long run. You carbo load, take your electrolytes and fuel during runs, and do it gently and relaxed. You should use run as a test case for new things, beit clothing, location, pace, or whatever. This is the best day to try completely new things. These can also be specific types of long training runs such as carb-depleted runs or sleep-depleted runs. You want to pay very close attention to problems as they come up, including (especially) mental ones. Did you get mentally tired at mile 20? What did you say to yourself to get through it? Leg cramps at mile 15? Did you take anything for them or did you just try to gut it out? Did that work for you? When you get home, write what you learned down or you will forget it.<br />
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<strong> Day 3:</strong> Rest. See day 1. Remember, your family wants to see you too. See a lot of them today.<br />
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<strong> Day 4:</strong> The 35 miler. This one will be a little tougher as you will not have recovered completely from your 30 miler just two days beforehand but that is a good thing. When you hit mile 20 you will be darn tired, but you have been thinking about this workout for a while. you have the route planned out, got your ‘aid stations’ system set, etc. You have little excuse but to ‘finish the darn workout’. Nobody said anything about fast. This is not a speed session, this is a time-on-feet exercise. Listen to a book-on-tape. Run a new scenic route. Embrace the difficulty by focusing on the benefits you are reaping. As with day 2, you need to be focusing on problems that arise but more importantly the solutions you implemented. Did they work or fail? If they failed, why did they fail? This is training where you work out these issues. No crew member in the world will know as much about your body and its issues than you do. Listen to the good and the bad. Do not ignore the bad news, or it shall be your undoing.<br />
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<strong> Day 5</strong>: Rest. You might want to get a lot of sleep. Maybe spend the evening sitting on the couch relaxing with a loved one. You are going to need it.<br />
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<strong> Day 6</strong>: The real long run of 45+ miles. This is obviously the most crucial part of the whole week and everything is focused on this day. I look at the day 6 workout as I would a serious race of marathon(ish) distance. This includes what you do the night before (what to eat, when to go to bed, etc.) when you get up and what you do immediately upon waking (shower, eat, poop…) Your clothes were picked out, route already planned, and fuel ready to go the night before. You are preparing your mind for the task ahead. Mental preparation and focus here is vitally important. . On day 6, you are doing nothing new. You are using proven techniques for clothes, fuel, routes, everything. You want to make your running conditions as perfect as possible because you are going to be out for a long time. Line up running partners to help you for part of the work out, stagger them if you have more than one. Load your .mp3 player with your best motivational tunes. This is your ‘race’ day of the week.<br />
The first HSW you do will be tough, but each subsequent one will be easier. The distance for day 6 is 45+ which mean you want to do at least 45 miles, as it won’t start being hard until mile 30ish. Be open to going longer. I have had many a day 6 where I was planning on doing 50ish and ended up doing over 60, a decision that was made at about mile 47. The speed of your day 6 workout is the last of your worries. You are just trying to get through the day. Survive it, and don’t cut it short unless you have a really good reason. Your body will give you plenty of excuses to stop, many of which you will think are completely legit at the time. Your stomach might get upset. Your legs might cramp. When they do, solve the darn problem. Or more importantly ask yourself this simple question “Well, if this happened now in my run, it stands to reason it would happen in a similar place in the 100 mile race. What are you gonna do then?” Whatever your mind tells you, do that here, in training. Build up the confidence that you can run on a slightly sore muscle or upset stomach, or mentally exhausted.<br />
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<strong> Day 7:</strong> Rest. Hard. You deserved it. You should not be so beaten up that you can’t walk up stairs for days, but your legs should be rough. It will take you a few days, but that is ok. After your 100 mile race, you’ll be pooped then too. The first time you do any new workout is the hardest time. Each subsequent workout of the same ilk will be easier. The first time you do a HSW it will hurt, but so did you first marathon. So did you first 15 miler. You’ll get over it. the more you sweat in training the less you bleed in battle.<br />
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<strong> Answers to anticipated questions:</strong><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Where does my ‘base’ have to be before I try this workout? I think this would kill me.</span><br />
Ideally you should be able to be doing 60-70 mile weeks comfortably before trying this. Work up to it if that help you mentally. Do a 0-20-0-25-0-35-0 week to test out the challenge.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">I have small kids and a FT job, how can I find the time?</span><br />
Great question. I have a solution for people in just such predicaments. In fact, you will get even better Hundo training than us people who can do our runs during the day.<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">What is I fall and sprain my ankle? </span><br />
Stop. Call in the cavalry. There is a fine line between tough and stupid. Touch, even caress that line, but never, ever cross it. Blood in urine? Stop, no matter how good everything else feels.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">I can do 100 miles a week, but only if I run 15ish miles per day. Isn’t that enough? </span><br />
I will answer your question with a question. A friend comes to you who is training for a marathon. They tell you that they run (dutifully) 6 miles every day. Thats over 40 miles every week. They ask you if they can run a marathon on only that training. What do you tell them?<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Do I really have to do 0 mile-days? How about some cross training?</span><br />
I rarely take days completely off myself. I might do some light cross training or a long walk to work out kinks. Just be light.<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Is it ok to walk during my ‘runs’? </span><br />
Power-walking? Heck yeah. You need practice walking anyways as you are going to be doing that in your Hundo. Don’t worry, everyone does. That (along with why skipping and lying on your back every once in awhile is a good thing) is another blog entry.<br />
I welcome your comments, but at my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DocOttUltradude" target="_blank">facebook page</a>. Feel free to ask any questions!<br />
<h6>
This concept copyright Dec 2012 by Mark E. Ott. Feel free to re-post and give credit, but don’t steal it, that’s just un-cool.</h6>
Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-43715930503696509732012-11-23T05:44:00.000-08:002013-04-12T05:44:38.805-07:00Indiana Trail 33.3 FA Results (Or: Course Familiarization is a Good Idea) 4:44:59<br />
1/9 overall (but it doesn’t really count)<br />
<img alt="" class="alignleft" height="292" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/IT33/start.jpg" style="float: left;" width="409" /><br />
In April of 2013, I will be running the inaugural <a href="http://www.indianatrail100.com/" target="_blank">Indiana Trail 100</a> (aka, the IT100) in Albion, IN. The race director for that race is trying really hard to pull of a great race and has been having several training runs on the course. He decided to have a 50K(+) Fat Ass race the day after Thanksgiving and invited people to come down and do two loops of the 16.6 mile course. Next spring, we will do the loop 6 times for a total of 100 miles, but this time it was just twice around for a cool 33.3 miles. Had it been be, I would have called it the Indiana Trail Vinyl Race. If you have ever owned a record player, you should get that joke.<br />
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I have several friends in southern Michigan who are planning on running the IT100 next year as well and they also wanted to come down for course familiarization. We decided to make a big fun road trip for five of us.<br />
So with the race a pleasant two hour drive from my house, and a 9 am start, friends Catherine, Ryan, Andrew and Mark all met at my house a little before 6 am Friday morning fresh with ‘turkey hangovers’ and headed out. The drive down was fun as we talked about running almost the whole way, often giving details about our bowel movement history associated with trail running. We all decided that marathoners almost never discuss such topics, but it is an amazingly common topic amongst ultramarathoners. I have no idea why, but it probably has to do with our general quirkiness.<br />
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We arrived about an hour before race start and did our usual pre-race stuff. We chatted with other runners, laughed about the weather, prepped out feet and places we chafe, and even took a group photo. One of the most fun things was that several runners who I didn’t know but knew me came up and started chatting. That pretty much never happens. I guess I am starting to get some ‘street cred’ in the ultrarunning community which is something I never really thought I would ever get. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, I must admit.<br />
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While this was a FA race, it had all the trappings of a real (albeit small) trail race. It was chipped time to test the entire system (including timing mats at all the aid stations for splits) and the aid stations were totally legit with many standard choices of food. At the start/finish point there was lots of food as well as some free samples of a blister guard product. This was by far the most awesome free race I have ever participated in.<br />
The race took off right at 9 am and the wind was howling already 15-20 mph with the temperature in the mid 30’s. We were told that once in the woods, the wind was not too bad. They people were wrong as it was very windy for about 75% of the run, maybe more.<br />
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I was in the front very early but was passed within the first mile or so by 4 people who were only planning on doing 1 loop. I would eventually pass them all at about mile 13 as they stayed near each other at a good clip. I slowed down a little that first loop, so that means they slowed down more than I. Nobody was looking for fast times, just out for a good run, so no great shakes there.<br />
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The course was absolutely beautiful. The scenery reminded me of <a href="http://www.harpethhillsmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Flying Monkey</a> and the course itself reminded me of <a href="http://www.burningriver100.org/">Burning River</a>. A zillion little ups and downs and lots of small turns but every once in awhile you had a long straight section where you could actually pick up some speed. This is NOT a PR course, for sure.<br />
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When I got to the start/finish line after 1 loop I went to my drop bag that was prepared as if I was running a Hundo complete with chia seeds and individual jello/fruit cups. For whatever reason, I was in the mood for cookies and sure enough, that was the only solid food I would eat all race. I never eat cookies at ultras. They seemed to sit well in my stomach this time, so I was happy.<br />
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15-20 mph winds, mid 30’s for temperature and light snow on the second loop made for a not-too-pleasant race conditions which is why many people decided to drop after only one loop. There were 34 starters and 25 of those stopped after one time around the horn. The nine of us who finished both loops was composed of 4 of the 5 crew that I came with from Michigan. Andrew has been having knee issues and never planned on doing both loops anyways. I would find him sleeping in the ‘team’ van when I finished my second loop. The second loop was a little tougher as the weather got worse, not better. The temperature was actually dropping and the light snow falling was, while beautiful, depressing from a runners standpoint. I felt 5 degrees colder just seeing that white stuff fly around me.<br />
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While I ran this as a race, it was also a test of sorts. I like my training runs to have some element of race-specific training and while running the actual IT100 race course for familiarization was my primary goal, I also came into this race kinda tired and beat up. I had run a total of 100 miles in the 6 days leading up to this event, including a sub 40 min -barefoot- 10K the day before. That race had my feet beaten up pretty good and left my ankle sore.<br />
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I have had a sore ankle for a few weeks now and refuse to drop training mileage to allow it to heal and when I started this race, it was sore from step #1. I taped it pretty good and put some tape over the sore parts of my feet to prevent things getting worse, and sure enough, my ankle never got worse even after 30+ miles of trail running. I call that a small victory.<br />
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There were a total of 3 aid stations along the 16.6 mile loop and one aid station was a double-duty aid station, at the mile 4ish and mile 13ish point. As I came up to this mile 4/13 aid station as a mile 13 aid station (second loop), Mark and Catherine were coming up to the same aid station as their mile 4 (second loop) aid station. I got to chat with them for a few moments and while they looked tired and beaten down, I knew they would finish just fine.<br />
<img alt="" class="alignleft" height="271" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/IT33/finish.jpg" style="float: left;" width="404" /><br />
Being only about 3 miles from the finish, I finally turned on some techno and picked up my pace as I knew I had plenty of energy left. I rolled into the finish line a hair until 4:45, which I thought was pretty good considering the toughness of the course. After some tortilla chips and a cold beer and conversation with another runner and the timing guy, I had to get out of the wind as my body was starting to get REALLY cold.<br />
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Instead of heading home with the rest of the crew, my lovely wife met me at the finish line and we made it a nice romantic weekend together staying at a local bed & breakfast for the remainder of the weekend. It was a great ending to a good running weekend.<br />
I did not follow my normal food routine for ultras, I came in beaten down after a solid week of running, had a <a href="http://www.docott.com/run/?p=202" target="_blank">tough race the day before</a>, but I still managed two loops in under 5 hours. While I will not make any predictions or cocky statements about the 100 on this course next year, I will say I hope to do well here. Too bad I have to wait until April.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-57111373637841670972012-11-22T05:45:00.000-08:002013-04-12T05:47:32.620-07:002012 YMCA 10K Results (Or: Barefoot!!) 39:15 (5/76 overall)<br />
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<img alt="" class="alignleft" height="315" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/turkey.trot/before.jpg" style="float: left;" width="365" /><br />
While you might think that this is just another boring race report of my local Thanksgiving morning 10K race, you would be wrong. Yes, it was my local Thanksgiving day 10K race (along with 5K run and 5K walk events) but I would be doing this one without wearing shoes.<br />
A few months ago I started the slow transition to the minimalist/barefoot philosophy. While I ran my first ever marathon in a minimalist shoe (<a href="http://www.merrell.com/us/en/barefoot" target="_blank">Merrell</a> Road Glove) a little over a month ago, this race was my first time racing without any protection on my feet, and on asphalt no less. Even barefoot running ‘purists’ warn that while humans ran barefoot for eons with little problem, our cave-person ancestors were not running on asphalt.<br />
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Before I signed up for the race I needed to decide if I was going to run the 5K or the 10K, entries fees being the same price, a mere $20. I knew I was going to run it barefoot so I thought I should maybe beg off and just do the 5K, especially since I was going to be doing a <a href="http://www.docott.com/run/?p=203" target="_blank">tough 33.3 mile trail race</a> the next day in minimalist shoes.<br />
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As I was trying to decide which race to do, I mentioned the idea to my 12 year daughter and she said to me “If you’re gonna do something crazy, go all out, Dad”. So with that little conversation, I decided to go for the 10K race. It seems only my mother would have told me to do the 5K. Actually, my mother would have told me to not do it barefoot at all. When I told her later I was going to run is sans-shoes, she gave me that 73 year old mother heavy sigh over the phone. So predictable she is sometimes…<br />
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When I showed up to pick-up my race packet race morning I found out it was a chip-timed race. Ya know, one of those things you string through your shoelace? Yeah, I didn’t have one of those, so I ended up taping the chip to the side of my ankle. A position I later found out was not optimal. (read: it didn’t work)<br />
<img alt="" class="alignleft" height="362" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/turkey.trot/run.jpg" style="float: left;" width="243" /><br />
The reigning 10K winner (2 years running, actually) was local phenom Joel Medina. Not only is Joel a great runner and a former student of mine, but he is also a really nice guy and a person I am proud to say is a good friend. We ran the 3.1 mile loop with another local running legend, David Swarts. Actually, David is a race walker and completes at the national level winning all sorts of awards including several national championships. Great guys that I am glad to know and so of course our warm up run was fun as we talked about our training amongst other running related banter.<br />
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I ran the warm up in my VFF’s but tried very hard to watch the road to make note of any areas I should be careful of come race time when I had nothing on my feet. Asphalt is pretty crappy to run barefoot on, but with rocks, potholes and broken glass it can really suck. Luckily I saw no major areas of concerns, though all the turns seemed to have quite a fair share of small pebbles which are annoying. I would end up taking them all very wide and gentle.<br />
As race start got close, the air temperature was in the mid 40’s, but the asphalt was probably closer to mid 30’s. My feet never got numb or even that cold except when standing around before and just after the race. While waiting for start, I found my lovely wife and chatted with her while as I stood around in my homemade huaraches (http://docott.com/sandals) while people stared at them. About a minute before the gun I took them off and gave them to Misty as I would see her a few times during the race. She would hold onto them just in case something went wrong (if I stepped on a piece of glass for example) and I needed to put coverings on my feet.<br />
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The balls of my feet was very tender before the race so I put a strip of duct tape on them to give them just a hair of protection, but that was it. My only real goal was to finish still barefoot and not hurt myself. If I finished under 45 minutes, that would be even better. I certainly did not think I would break 40 minutes. You have to remember, I never train for races anywhere near this distance. I still think of marathons as ‘sprint’ races.<br />
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When the gun went off, I just tried to get into a comfortable stride, knowing that every step was going to be a little uncomfortable. About a half mile into the race, I realized how easy it was feeling and decided right then that I might as well try to ‘race’, meaning put some real effort into the run. My bare feet didn’t seem to be actually slowing me down so I bore down and took off. I need more practice with the faster leg turnover and I certainly never want to run this fast in training, so why not?<br />
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My daughter was staying at her mom’s house the night before which was only a block away from the racecourse, so she decided to come out and see me run. That is always a great motivator. She is a really good cheerleader, actually. It was her fault I was having to run 2 loops, so she should be out there suffering in the cold, anyways. <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://www.docott.com/run/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" /> <br />
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As I came through the first loop in the low 19’s, I was welcomed with a lot of cheering. Many people had seen my bare feet before the start, but now they were excited as the barefoot guy was near the front of the pack. About halfway through my second loop I came upon the 5K walkers so I had to do a lot of slaloming which was tough because of the ground and how I didn’t want to run in potholes. Some people were kind and sortof gave the 10K runners an open column to run by, but others who were walking in large groups which took up most of the road. I have heard many a marathoner complain of similar instances in larger races. No offense, but just because you got your entire family to join you for the walk, doesn’t mean you can take over the entire width of the course.<br />
<img alt="" class="alignleft" height="304" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/turkey.trot/after.jpg" style="float: left;" width="373" /><br />
I had forgot my stopwatch in my car, so I did not have my run time, but the race clock (zeroed to the start of the 5K race ~3 min after I left) read about 36:15 as I crossed the finish line. I had looked a few moments before I actually crossed so it was certainly not exact. No problem, I had a chip on my ankle, right?<br />
When results come out, there is nothing listed. Not only was I nowhere to be found, Joel wasn’t listed even under the 10K results and he won the race. Again. Turns out they were having horrible issues with the timing system with people’s time being put down for the wrong race and such. My timing problem was because the orientation on my ankle (on the side) made it such that the timing mat never saw me. After some detective work and photographic evidence provided by my lovely wife, it was determined my time was close to 39:15. No prize money or records broken, so I was ok with a small error bar on my time. It was way faster than I had expected to run, so who was I to complain.<br />
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My feet did quite well and were just really tender afterwards. After some parting goodbyes to friends, I headed home to a hot shower, lotion on my feet, and a wonderful turkey dinner with my lovely wife. Truly a most thankful day!Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-87890888132427133012012-11-04T06:03:00.000-08:002013-04-12T06:08:21.613-07:00Mental Weakness, Overcome I am not a good racer, and never really have been. When I was in High School, I always ran stupidly and at the first sign of pain or discomfort, I would back off. When I started running again in my early 30’s after more than a decade of sedentary life, my mental toughness was even below the low level I had when I was younger.
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When I ran my first marathon, I trained hard and did quite well, breaking 3 hours. I trained some more and eventually got my PR down to 2:49 and thought I could get even better. But every time I would shoot for a PR, something would happen between my ears. At mile 15 my leg might start to cramp. At mile 17 I might felt tired. At mile 21 my ankle started giving me grief. In all cases, I would back off and roll in with race time closer to 3:10 rather than 2:50. I stopped telling people I was shooting for a sub 2:55 at races because I was tired of coming up with excuses as to why I failed in those goals, which was happening all the time it seemed.<br />
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I have read zillions of articles and books talking about how to get through such issues, using mantras like ‘keep moving’, thinking about how Chuck Norris never ran a marathon, focusing on just getting to the next tree on the trail. Not one of those thing ever worked for me. No matter what I tried, my mind could never be fooled. I could not ‘block out’ anything. The more I tried to block out the pain in my calf, the more my calf hurt and made me want to quit outright.<br />
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I have never DNF’d a race in my life (with one small exception, a 50 mile race where I dropped to the 50K distance but I was really really sick so I should have not even started) because if I know that if I DNF once, especially in a Hundo. it will be tragic for my running career. Now obviously, if I fall and break an ankle in a race, I am gonna drop out, I am not that dumb. What I mean is a race where my body is able to finish, but my mind tricks me into stopping.<br />
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Nobody’s body wants to run a 100 mile race, and we have to overcome the body rebelling everytime we attempt that distance. When you stop because of stomach issues, cramps, tiredness, you are giving into your brain telling you what it always tells you after a long duration of physical exertion. Please stop, it’s time for a break.<br />
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Why is a DNF so bad? Well, for me it is because I know how my mind works. Let’s say I am at mile 75 of a 100 mile race and I have been running for well over 10 hours and my body is beaten down and tired. My mind is also tired, trying to stay focused. I come to an aid station and sit down. This is what my brain has been telling me to do for hours. Sit down, take a nap, have a nice bowl of soup and curl up with a good book. Just stop, it’s been a long day already. Blah blah blah. As I sit, my legs and body cramp up and any pain I was suffering gets worse. My body protests more and next thing you know I choose to not continue.<br />
My body instantly is happy as it knows it gets to go into recovery mode. I eat lots of delicious food and don’t have to worry about expending any energy anytime soon. Yes, I am disappointed about not finishing the 100 mile race, but lots of people DNF, right?. My friends will give me words like ‘You’re in inspiration for just trying!’ or ‘You did more than I could ever do!’ or equally reassuring words to blunt the magnitude of my failure.<br />
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Fast forward to the next Hundo. Sure enough, at mile 75, my body will again be tired, my body sore. This happens at this point of every Hundo, and I know that. But now, my brain, who remember is trying to get me to stop, has some new ammunition. “Remember that last race? You felt really bad at this same point? You stopped then, why not stop now? Remember how great it felt to sit in that chair and relax?”<br />
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That memory of giving up will come back into focus and it will be very hard memory to refute. Remember, I am a mental weakling when it comes to racing and I know it. If I had the memory of a previous DNF I would have to fight that very hard at the end of every Hundo I ever do. I could not handle that and I would wilt more often than not. That is why I absolutely must do everything in my power to never DNF.<br />
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The closest I ever came was the 2012 Winter Beast of Burden in Lockport, NY. I had run this race the year previous and finished 2nd overall so I was prepared for the cold, snow, and dark that is the hallmark traits of this race. My second time around was not so good, but it started out great.<br />
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I passed the 50 mile mark at 7:41, a mere 3 minutes out of 2nd place. Then the sun went down and my brain decided to go to sleep, literally. While I won’t go into detail here as to what happened, I just want to mention what happened at mile 75. I had walked most of miles 50-75 and it was horribly dejecting. I was dead tired and it was already very late, past 11:30pm. I came into the mile 75 aid station which was warm, and had friendly aid stations workers, unlike outside the tent which was well below freezing, snowing, and windy. I knew I had to get out of there quick or I was going to DNF, like many before me already had. I sat and changed my shoes and had a bit to eat. After only about 2 minutes I got up to make my way back into the snow and as I stood, I almost passed out, I was that weak. I knew not to tell anyone because they might try really hard to convince me of stopping. I decided to quietly sit for just 2 more minutes resting and then I got up very slowly, turned off my brain, and went back out into the cold wind. Every ounce of my soul and body wanted to quit, but I was on auto-pilot now. I just had to get back out on that trail and start moving again and let muscle memory do the work. Don’t think, because if you do, you will stop. I am mentally weak when it comes to racing, so I removed the weak link, I stopped thinking about how I felt and just moved. I finished the race in over 21 hours, my worst ever 100 mile time, but I learned a whole lot, especially about how to mentally train.<br />
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‘Train as your fight’ is a familiar mantra, stolen from military leaders. Basically it comes down to prepping everything you can before a race such that there are no surprises on race day. Most of the preparation is obvious and long known. What your stomach can handle during hot days. What clothes you should be wearing depending on the conditions. What shoes to wear and how often to change them. What to carry with you and what to have access to in your drop bags. That’s all important and I had figured out all that stuff a while ago but I knew I needed to work the hard parts. Training differently made my weaknesses (little mental toughness) less tragic. Play to your strengths, and minimize or nullify your weaknesses, that is the key to success. I am sure someone famous said that at some point in history. They say that ultrarunning is 10% physical and 90% mental. I successfully changed those figures to my advantage not because I wanted to or because I like training hard. I changed the system because I had too.<br />
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In 2012, I managed to focus my training and built my body up such that on race day, I could turn my brain off and use it only as a notepad for doing no more than thinking about what I had to do at the next aid station. There were no feelings going on in my head at all, which meant there was never any mental discussion of DNF’ing whatsoever. Sure, I hurt and was tired, but nobody was listening to my body complaining. It was more like a hard-nosed and heartless coach that when you complain they say “Whatever. Get back out there and try harder!”<br />
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After my personal disaster that was a 21:02 at the Beast of Burden, I came back and did a 16:59 and 15:27 to round out my 100 milers for 2012, in both cases without trying that hard, meaning I had more to give in both cases. It seems my methods actually work. I have high hopes for my 2013 season, but I promise, I am not thinking about it too much,.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-14018909026188436052012-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:002013-04-12T10:14:20.082-07:002012 Lakefront Marathon Results (Or: Pacing is Fun!) 3:44:52 (right on schedule!)
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<img alt="Fini" class="alignleft" height="365" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/lakefront/fin.jpg" style="float: left;" width="234" />This was my 5th official race as a pacer and this was as enjoyable as the others. I get to help people achieve their goals, I work on my own even pacing, (something everyone needs practice with) and I also got a great weekend with Misty. This was also the first marathon I have ever run in minimalist shoes, and so it marked the beginning of a new era in my running career.<br />
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The race being in Milwaukee on a Sunday morning meant Misty and I left Michigan Saturday morning, timing it such that we would have a few hours free in Wisconsin before I had to be at the race expo. With our packed lunches we were free to do ‘whatever’ and after some discussion, we decided this year (last year we went to the art museum) that we would go to the <a href="http://www.millercoors.com/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Miller-Coors</a> brewery and take the tour of one of the oldest breweries in the country. They had a slick video and well scripted tour guide that emphasized all the good things about the history of the company and didn’t mention some of the dark sides. No great surprise in that.<br />
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After a few glasses of free beer, Misty dropped me off at the expo while she went to the Mayfair mall. My job was as usual for expos, talking to runners about what the job of the pacing crew was, how to run the race smart, what to do the last 18 hours before the gun, etc. With a good crew of fellow pacers and lots of runner questions, my 2 hour time shift went by fast. The expo itself was small and relatively unexciting, but for me that seemingly describes every expo.<br />
<img alt="Free Beer!" class="alignleft" height="285" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/lakefront/miller.jpg" style="float: left;" width="264" /><br />
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With the race starting at 7:30 am, the pacers were on the bus by 6 am for the drive to the start line at Grafton High School, mere miles away from where my father grew up. It was gonna be cold and since I was going to be running slower than my normal pace, I loaded up on clothes complete with a -pair- of gloves. I say that because somewhere between the high school and the gun I lost one of my gloves. They were cheap throw-away kids size knit ones you can get for $1 so I wasn’t sad, but annoyed as somewhere during last minute costume changes and running off to empty my bladder multiple times during the last 20 minutes I lost one of them. At about mile 5, one of the runners in my pack asked me if I wanted a glove. She was wearing these bright green kids size knit gloves and said that she was going to ditch them anyways so I took one of them. I ran the rest of the race with one black glove and one lime green glove. Only Misty seemed to notice at the end of the race.<br />
With over 2000 finishers, there was quite the crowd at the starting line, including about 100 people who began the race following me and my 3:45 sign. The weather was just this side of perfect with a light breeze at our back, partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 40s all day long. To give you an idea of how perfect the race conditions were, the Chicago Marathon was held the same day a few hours south of us and a course record was set. Beautiful.<br />
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I waited until a few miles into the race with the crowd spaced out a bit before I gave my standard pacer briefing to my runners. How we were going to run even pace all day long, how we deal with water stations and tell them the incentive that if they make it to mile 18, they get to hear the one really funny jokes I know.<br />
<img alt="pacer" class="alignleft" height="368" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/lakefront/run.jpg" style="float: left;" width="237" />As we passed each mile marker, I would check the elapsed time against the pace chart and determine how many seconds difference between the two. Negative numbers meant we were under our projected time, positive meant we were over. For the first 13 miles, theat number fluctuated between -5 and +8. That is pretty much as even pace as you can get.<br />
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At the half-marathon mark I still had a solid crew of 15 people, including several people who were gunning for Boston qualifying (BQ) times as well as personal record (PR) times. In the end, there would be 2 BQ’s and 3 PR set by my runners, a better track (ha!) record than my previous paced marathoners.<br />
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Being my first marathon in minimalist shoes (<a href="http://www.merrell.com/us/en/barefoot" target="_blank">Merrell Road Gloves</a>) I was a little concerned. I had been making the transition the way you are supposed to, taking my time over many weeks transitioning between normal running shoes and minimalist so I was confident. The only thing that hurt was the bottoms of my feet which just got sore. Everything else known to give issues to people making this transition (sore calves, arches, etc) was no big deal, so I was happy with only sore souls. That sounds like a country song lyric to me…<br />
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I was doing just fine keeping even pace until a long downhill section at mile 23 which caused me to speed up a little more than I had wanted to. My crew took off in front of me as they were running a more natural race pace, meaning they sped up on the downhill. At the bottom I adjusted my pace a little to get back into my time window, wanting to cross the finish line in the 15 second space between 3:44:45 and 3:45:00. During my ‘gentle’ running of miles 24-26, a few people who had been running with me earlier and dropped back before the hill caught up with me and even passed me, which as a pacer, is a great thing. You actually want to see people you have been running with all day pull ahead of you.<br />
<img alt="medal" class="alignleft" height="313" src="http://www.docott.com/racepics/2012/lakefront/medal.jpg" style="float: left;" width="361" /><br />
I crossed the finish line right on schedule, 8 seconds under the time on my sign. While none of my runners were right next to me, a few of those who finished before me stayed to thank me, which was just totally cool.<br />
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The post race operation was wonderful, a bag of food, a huge finishers medal and some more free beer (I love Milwaukee) along with hundreds of happy finishers faces all around made for a great moment. Seeing my lovely wife waving at me with her happy smile made it even better.<br />
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We had a pleasant walk back to the hotel and after a quick shower, we headed back home after yet another wonderful weekend. A free marathon and kid-free weekend with my wife, umm yeah, I’ll take it anytime you offer it.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com0Milwaukee, WI, USA43.0389025 -87.90647360000002742.6676295 -88.551920600000031 43.4101755 -87.261026600000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365715455183454852.post-8212192481023712022012-09-09T10:12:00.000-07:002013-04-12T10:15:34.250-07:00Ultra training for busy parents (Or: How I run >100 miles/week and still have weekends free) Being a good parent requires sacrifice. Taking kids to school, doctors appointments, soccer games, and the water park all take time and energy. Playing with your kids, going to the beach on the weekends, throwing a ball in the backyard are even more important activities that cut into time we could spend on the trails, preparing for that next ultra. While most people can train for a marathon running on 40 miles a week, most ultra runners need much more than that, and hence more time spent away from our families. Parents who are ultra runners have an especially hard time because we feel guilty being gone for 5-6 hours on a Saturday when your kids want to be with you on the beach.
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As runners, we also try very hard to replicate race conditions in training. We test our shoes, clothes, run hills, test out foods to be eaten, and on and on. For longer ultras (100 milers) one critical race condition is almost impossible to ‘practice’; that being, the pure exhaustion near the end of the race when you seemingly have no motivation or energy to keep going. Even a 40 miler in training won’t help you much for that end game exhaustion.<br />
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I recently married my second wife and now have 3 kids whose time I enjoy very much, but I wanted to be able to get to 100+ miles/week consistently without taking away any time with my family, and came up with a workout that solves all of these problems.<br />
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The workout has three pieces and is meant to be done during a normal workday when spouses are at work and kids at school. The leaving your weekends free for fun and relaxation.<br />
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<strong> Phase 1:</strong> Wake up at 3am and take some time to wake up. Have a cup of coffee, small breakfast, or your standard pre-long run fuel. Grab your running gear and set off for a 16-20 mile run near your home. You will be out in the dark on roads with drivers not expecting runners that early so you need to be careful. Time it such that you are home before your kids wake up.<br />
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<strong> Phase 2: </strong>Now that you have had a good workout getting endorphins flowing, you start your normal day. Send the kids off to school, go to work, and keep moving. When you get home don’t relax or take a nap but rather spend quality time with your family. The key is to become (and remain) tired. Put the kids to bed and then stay up maybe cleaning the basement, organizing your running clothes, whatever. Just don’t stop moving.<br />
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<strong> Phase 3:</strong> At midnight or so, grab your running gear and head out and do another 16-20 miler. By far the hardest part of this entire workout is the start of this second run for the day. This is what the rest of the day has been focused on. Get out there and start running. After a few miles, you wake back up and make it through.<br />
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At first look, you might think that this workout will kill you. Remember that first 15 mile run you ever did? Remember how awful you felt afterward? After a few such runs, they become easy. This workout is similar in that each time is easier than the last time. Your body will adapt quickly to this crazy plan.<br />
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This is meant to be your long run for the week and if you do it on a weekday, your weekends can now be spend more with your family than alone on the trails. With a little planning and sacrifice of your time, you can get weekly long ultra training run done without your family having to lose their time with you. Weekends can go back to being family time, sleeping in, playing on the beach. Something all parents wish they could do more of.Doc Otthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505861261887668398noreply@blogger.com3