Beyond the Green Jewel

Now that Green Jewel is done and over with I can start concentrating on training for the Midwest Grand Slam. The Green Jewel went well, a good weekend with good friends even if it never stopped snowing all weekend.
Regardless of the snow I wore shorts anyway and was glad I did as the temperature wasn’t too cold. The Green Jewel is a gage of where my training is each year and although I still did well I felt that I struggled in the second half. A lot more walking than I would have liked, but from what I heard afterwards most runners were 10 to 20 minutes behind their normal times. So maybe I went out to fast or maybe it was the footing. I felt very comfortable through the first 20k, which I can probably attribute to the Isagenix E-shot that I took prior to the race. It made the first 20k feel really smooth. I was on course for a PB for the half, but knew that it would not continue in the second half, where it gets hillier.
I did run the big hill this year instead of walking it as I have in the past. I got to the marathon distance at 4 hours, so I don’t think that I was pushing it too hard.
Either way I finished in 4 hours 46 minutes, about 15 minutes slower than last year and 2 minutes quicker than 2011.
The rest of the crew all did well and were very happy to finish. 7 runners and 4 crew members left an lasting impression on some of the locals, glad to see a “large” international contingent taking part.

Now that I have a had a week to recover I feel it is time to step it up a gear and get the training started for the MWGS and more specifically the Kettle Moraine 100, first race on the agenda.
Last week’s recovery was not quite that, what with a nice trail run on Tuesday and then a tempo run on Wednesday I also ran fairly hard on Friday. No long run on Saturday and 29k on Sunday at a quicker than normal long run would be.

The plan is to work on the long runs as time on feet as opposed to distance and work on my endurance. I need to be feeling better longer in to a run than I have been.
Nutrition is another item of concern, but with Joan’s help with Isagenix I am working on rectifying this.
So the Crossfit experiment is over as I won’t have time for it and although I liked the whole idea of Crossfit and the way it works, it doesn’t work into my plans right now. It may again in the future when I have more spare time and I’m not training for a race(s).
For now it will be running trails on Tuesday, regular runs on Wednesday and Friday, which maybe the equivalent of speed work, long runs on Saturday and Sunday. Thursdays maybe trail runs too, but I might also try experimenting with other workouts on Mondays and Thursdays as cross training.
For my long runs I also have to work on pacing, running too fast with others doesn’t work and so it will be either by myself on Saturdays or with Joan for part of the run. Sunday’s, I will just have to play it by ear. This past Sunday’s run was quicker than I would have liked, but I still think there is a place for quicker long runs too, once in a while.
Next on the Agenda is the Harry Rosen 8k run in Toronto, yes I said 8k. It’s Joan’s benchmark race for the year every year and lets her know how she is doing. It should be interesting this year with next to no training for most of the last 6 months. I’m sure she will do well though as she is a tough competitor.

The schedule for the year is now:

March 2 – Green Jewel 50k – Done – 4:46

April 6th – Harry Rosen 8k

April 27th – O24 24 trail race

June 1st – Kettle Moraine 100

June 15th - Mohican 100

June 29th - Pacing at Western States 100

July 27th – Burning River 100

September 6th – Hallucination 100

With possibly more to come.

The New Year and what is to Come

It’s a new year and time to start planning this year’s racing schedule etc.. Two years ago I was listening to a few podcasts while doing all my long runs in preparation for Burning River and one in particular was the 100 Mile Ultrarunning podcast. I found the podcaster’s (is that a word?) commentary very relevant and found that I was looking forward to each and every one, but they were not aired that often. One topic that Dale (the podcaster) touched upon was about creating a new series similar to the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, but something that was logistically more manageable for the average Ultra runner. Especially those of us that live on the east side of the continent. Getting into the Grand Slam is difficult if not for just the challenge of getting selected in Western States lottery, which I missed out on again this year. Then there is the cost and time involved in getting to and racing 3 western based races.
So Dale came up with the idea of a Midwest Grand Slam, approached four race directors, who were all over it, and got it together for an inaugural series in 2012. As I was listening I thought that it would be a great series to do and contemplated it for 2012. My problem was that, at that point I had only completed one 100 miler and was a little unsure of whether it would be a good choice to attempt four in one year with my lack of experience. As it turned out it was a good choice as my experience at Vermont last year taught me a lot, and if I had attempted the Midwest Grand Slam instead I may have faltered at the first hurdle.
So with my failure at VT100 behind me and completing 100 miles at NC24 as well a great run at the Creemore 100 I think I was deemed ready for the challenge. So one of the first things I have done this year is to sign up for all four races and send in my registration for the Slam.
The races are:

Kettle Moraine 100 in Wisconsin on June 1st
Mohican 100 in Ohio on June 15th
Burning River in Ohio on July 27th
Hallucination 100 in Michigan on September 6th

I am now committed to do this and one factor that is motivating more than any is the fact that if I complete the Slam I would be the first Canadian to do so!

Part of the buildup to the first race will my annual trek to Cleveland to do the Green Jewel 50k in March and then April I will again go to Ohio to compete in the O24 24 hour race. So the training has been well under way, double long runs with Oliver and Rick on most weekends. Oliver is doing the Green Jewel as well and both will hopefully be crewing/pacing for me through some of the races, along with Joan of course.

Another part of the training that cropped up recently was that I have tried Crossfit the past two weeks. I have tried to get into a training regime that worked on strength and core work, without the required results. Mostly due to my inability to keep the work up. I have found that at Crossfit it is only about getting there. The instructor drives you through a tough 1 hour work out that varies daily. I am not fanatical about it like some, but I can see how this can really help me. I will do this to mid-February when I have to start to taper for Green Jewel and another month afterwards prior to O24. After that we will see, as there will be a lot more running to do then.

Another running trip popped up by chance when I didn’t get into WS100. One of the people we camped next to at VT100 last year did get in. Gary Bennington from Montreal was successful and congratulated him via Facebook, I also let him know how lucky he was!!!Not long after his girlfriend Kate got in touch with Joan to ask if I’d be interested in Pacing and both of crewing for Gary. Woohoo! We obviously said we would do all we could to make sure we could get there and help out. Other than having the opportunity to run it this is the next best thing and the experience will be invaluable for when I get in next year!!!!! Let’s hope.
WS100 will still be a logistical challenge. We will be there, but We go to Virginia Beach the first week of July so we will go to WS100 and then drive to VB from Buffalo Airport when coming home. Another possible issue is the Midwest Grand Slam. I will have done KM 100 on June 1st, Mohican two weeks late and then in another two weeks be pacing Gary. I don’t see this being a problem for pacing Gary at WS100, so hopefully everything goes well.

It’s going to be a busy year. Luckily I get another 5 vacation days this year too. And when Joan gets back into running condition there maybe a couple of other running trips for her races too. The first one is already planned with Joan’s benchmark race the Harry Rosen 8k in Toronto in April. Looking forward to many more and a busy year.

Creemore Fat Ass 100 Miler

I have been busy with races this fall, whether it be running them or supporting others and with most them in the US, it was nice to finish the racing season with a home grown event. On December 1st I took part in the Creemore Fat Ass 100 mile run. This was put on for Scott Garret as his last (12th) 100 miler of the year, put on by the ultrarunning community, by his friends.
I was more than a little apprehensive about running as 100 miler in this part of the world in December. Who knows what the weather would be like. In the weeks before it was all over the place and we had a bit of snow in the week prior to, but as the weekend approached the temperatures looked like they would be pretty good. On Saturday morning it was cool (below 0C) and breezy, the forecast was for the temperature to increase as the day progressed and through the night with rain coming over night.
There were 27 of us to toe the line at the start and at 7 am we were off. The wind was rather bitter as we ran out the drive way from Pierre and Leanne’s place. We ran out on the main road towards Airport Road for a few hundred meters to get in the extra distance before turning around and heading out on the course proper. The course consisted of running the road into Creemore, through town to Collingwood St and then south up the hills. Eventually we would turn into a farm and through the fields and trails of the Creemore Vertical Challenge course. Through a ravine and up the other side to the midpoint aid station which is where Joan was stationed. From here we would run the roads back to Airport Road and then after 100 metres or so head back into the trails back to the start finish area. A total of 10.6k that we had to repeat 15 times.
After a few laps I got into a groove where I would walk about 100 metres through town and walk most of the uphills, I would also walk the stretch on Airport Rd. This seemed to work well. The weather though was not cooperating very well. With the wind the temperature never seemed to warm up at all, and of course the more you ran the more tired you felt and therefore the colder you felt. I never felt cold, but I never felt warm either.
I found that the aid stations didn’t have a lot of food that I was interested in early on so I was taking a gel every hour and also trying to take my S caps too, although I wasn’t really sweating a lot. Joan had made up some Ionix/Energenix mix for me to drink after every lap. A good recovery drink to flush the system of lactic acids, etc.
The first few laps were:

1:15, 1:17, 1:14, 1:18, 1:27.

I was feeling pretty good and part way through the day Shawn Patton and Crystal Fetcher joined me to pace for a lap. So I got to talk to Crystal about her first book being published and what it was about etc.

The first part of the course was pancake flat until you leave Creemore and head across the bridge up Collingwood St. It’s a good climb from there and then a sharpe downhill before another climb. Cresting that hill doesn’t end the climb though as you have to continue for another kilometer to the entrance to the farmers field and a nice downhill to the trails. The trails although snow covered were very runnable, a little slippery in places, especially the downhills in the ravine. The uphill out of the ravine was steep and another walking section to the aid station. The southerly wind would howl through the aid station and all along the road it was a head wind to the next turn. The road to Airport Rd was all downhill for about 2k and I was hitting 4:30k’s along this stretch for most of the day and into the night. The last trail section was quite long, but fairly flat, but nothing but single track.

Next few loops were:

1:20, 1:24, 1:37, 1:36, 1:40

As you can see the pace slowed somewhat, but after ten loops I was feeling a little fatigued, but knowing that I was counting down single digits for laps to finish. Just after 9pm arriving at the midpoint aid station I had Bryan Pellerin join me to pace for a few laps, this helped a lot as I was struggling at this point, but he got me running when I didn’t want to. I would still spend more time running than walking at times, but I was still moving forward.
Half through Bryan’s 3rd lap with me, Helleina Rothenburg joined me for a couple of laps. Helleina is great to run with because she likes to talk. Which keeps you awake. We hadn’t seen each other in a while so we had lots to chat about. I did a lot of walking on these laps and Helleina would try to keep me running, mostly unsuccessfully. Helleina left me with only 2 laps to go, it was raining and had been since about 1 am and although the temperature had gone up, it didn’t feel like it, because the wind was still blowing. I headed out for the final two loops with thought that my head light might not make it through the loop. I had extra batteries, but was not hopeful about being able to replace them out on the course. I got the first set of trails and the mud was getting very difficult to maneuver through, slipping and sliding everywhere. I was surprised not to go down at all. The last section of trails were even worse. But I got to the start/finish area and had Pierre change my batteries. Off I went for the last lap I figured I had 3 hours to beat 24 hours and decided I could walk the entire loop and still have time to spare, so that’s what I did. I kept my light off through town to conserve the batteries. Just as well as into the trails they were fading again and I was almost on hands and knees looking for the trail in the mud. It was very difficult going. At the aid station Joan had some relief and would head off to the finish to see me there when I was done. She had been at the aid station for the entire 23 hours!! Wow, what a trooper. She is amazing.
On the walk down the big hill I passed two runners, running, I was walking! One of them was Chris Battaglia who was in some serious pain and a hurting unit.

I finished in 23hours and 1 minute a new PB for a hundred miler.

The last 5 laps were:

1:45, 1:55, 1:43, 1:31, 1:57

Over all I felt quite pleased about my performance. A good run, took it easy when I needed too and got through the tough parts. Some great support on a tough day weather wise. This has definitely got my confidence back up for my next great adventure. Thanks Joannie!

JFK 50 Mile - 2012

After a weekend at home, next up was the JFK 50 Mile race in Boonsboro Maryland. I had done this race back in 2008 and it was my first 50 miler. I didn’t particularly care for it at all, it was boring at times (The tow path), the trail was good, but the temperatures were rather cold. I think they said it had been one of the coldest on record.
So why go back. Kevin asked and that was all it took, and the fact that it was the 50th running of it. Eventually RickyMac signed up too and both he and KevO had the goal to make it their 50th marathon or ultra, in the 50th running for their 50th birthdays and of course it was a 50 miler.
Rick and I drove separately which after Missouri was a good choice, as I didn’t want to be crammed with 3 others in a car, unless it was a limo!! We drove part way down on Thursday night, and although we had planned on meeting up with Kev and Chris we took a wrong turn and ended up going another way.
We arrived in Hagerstown, Maryland midafternoon and as it was too early for the expo we went shopping. Then it was off to the expo, which wasn’t much more exciting than last time, but I did pick up a jacket and a sweatshirt for good prices.
Back to the hotel, met up with Kev and Chris and went to the Olive Garden for dinner.
Then back to the hotel and get ready for the next day and then bed for the night.
The morning came early, as they usually do, and took off to Boonsboro for the start. This year we had the luxury of having Chris with us to drop us off at the start and pick us up at the finish, only a few miles from our hotel.
It was barely light when we headed to the start area from the warmth of the school and we were still walking up to the start when the gun went off to signal the start. I think it caught a few by surprise, but we weren’t worried about setting any course records or anything.
So off we went and started the long climb up to the top of the Appalachian trail. From the start you more or less climb 2 to 3 miles up the road to the trail head and it is a fairly steep climb near the end. Once on the trail the climbing continues. The idea is to get to the trail head before the larger crowds of runners or you will be stuck behind and not able to run your own race. We all seemed to manage that. Kevin left me behind and I left Rick behind at the beginning of the trail.
Once on the trail I remembered parts of it, but had forgotten about large chunks of it. The climbing seemed relentless, but the views were spectacular. Luckily it was a nice sunny day, cool, but sunny. For some reason a lot of runners, me included seemed to have trouble tripping on roots and rocks. I had never experienced this before and have no explanation for it, but I was catching my toes on things regularly, almost going down a couple of times. The last few miles of the trail were very gnarly, to the point where it was hard to run and in some cases very dangerous. Getting off the trail was actually a relief, I was actually looking forward to the tow path. That didn’t last long.
It seemed that once I was on the tow path I couldn’t get into a rhythm. I was trying to run and it felt awkward. I would check my watch and find I was running to fast and try to slow down, but it didn’t seem to work. Eventually I came up with a plan to run 1.5 kilometres then walk half a k. this seemed to work well and kept me spirits up. Unfortunately it is a long stretch along the tow path and even the new strategy started to fall apart, but I would fall back to it and force myself to keep it up. Although I was being passed by others early on the path, I would find myself passing those same people later. Finally after 26 miles I got off the tow path and started the climb up to the rolling hills that would take us back to Williamsport and the finish. It would 8 miles to the end. At this point I was trying to calculate what finish time I could get, but I was realizing that it would take some monumental effort to beat my previous time here. Although I had a burst of energy on the road, it wasn’t enough and I would still need numerous walk breaks. Meeting up with a few other runners and chatting about this and that (running), I came in to finish at 9 hours and 12 minutes. Kev O was already dressed and had actually been back to the hotel for a shower too. He had finished in 7:53, 83rd overall. We weren’t quite so hopeful for Rick as Chris hadn’t even seen him on the course at all. So Kev took me back to the hotel so that I could shower and change.
We got back and found Rick already done!!! He had had a great race finishing in 9:48.

A good effort by all, although I wasn’t quite happy with my time, I was happy to be done. I’m sure that will be my last JFK though. I would support someone on it but not run it again. Like most races, there so many more out there to do, why do the same ones over many times.

Missouri and the Ozark 100

After two weekends in the US racing and supporting, I was off again for another running weekend down south. This one was a biggy. Supporting and pacing Scott Garrett for his 11th 100 miler of the year in his attempt to run one a month for 2012. This was to mark his 50th birthday. What some guys will do to avoid the reality of age.
This would be the longest road trip of them all, to Missouri and back for the Ozark Trail 100 in Mark Twain National Forest. A sixteen hour drive split up in to two days of driving there and back.
Scott and Shannon picked me up just after lunch on Thursday and we loaded my Rubber made tubs on the back of his Volvo and off we went. Next stop Waterloo to pick up Jeff Ashizawa who was also helping out and who I had never met, but knew of as he is quite an accomplished Ultra Runner in his own right. We picked up Jeff and headed on our way to Detroit all tucked in to Scott’s Volvo. It was rather tight and would find this would be rather painful upon arriving back home.
A rather painless border crossing and we were headed off to make to Gas City, Indiana to stay the night. I think we arrived sometime around 10, after stopping earlier for pizza in ?????
A fairly good relaxing sleep and we were up and at ‘em. Not much of a breakfast at the Super 8, but we went over to Starbucks to get some caffeine for the next stage of the journey. We drove past Indianapolis and St. Louis before stopping for lunch at a Grocery store, which helped stock up on other needed supplies. After miles and miles of nothing but flat terrain we finally started noticing hills. We arrived at the Bass River Resort fairly early, but eventually Scott Checked in we had the pre-race meal and listened to the RD’s pre-race instructions. Then it was off to find our cabin which was nearer the start. Bass River Resort was the finish. We travelled another hour plus t get there and were lucky to spot it, actually Shannon just happened to glance at a small sign as we drove by. Again we settled in for the night and readied for our early start.

The 6 am start would be cool and did manage to find it in time, on a road in the middle of nowhere, in the forest! Off Scott went and we went back to the cabin for a nap. It would be at least 10 am before we would see Scott again. After our nap we went for Breakfast at Paula’s Home Cookin’ in town. That in itself was an adventure. Talk about stereotyping, these people fit the mold of south local yokels! Talking about hunting, their guns, and not much else. And of course everyone knew each other. Not that I’m complaining about them, as everyone we met down there was very friendly, but we just didn’t quite fit in, but Jeff figured he could very easily after some time.
Off to the first crew accessible aid station to wait for Scott. On our way we thought we were getting lost, but managed to find our way. Getting there with about 20 minutes to spare. Scott came in looking good on a beautiful morning, we got everything ready for him and then sent him back on his way.

No it was another 6 hours or so before we’d see him again and that’s when Jeff could start pacing. So it was time to relax for us and we went to the nearest town big enough to have a Walmart and looked for gas and lunch.
Scott expected to be at the 48 mile mark at about 4 pm and he showed up at about 4:01. This aid station was bubbling with activity and was just basically a road crossing where the trail intersected with the road. Again Scott was doing well, he’d been through a few bad patches was up now, a quick snack and a refill of supplies and off he went with Jeff leading the way.

Shannon and myself went to the finish area to get our cabin there ready and have a nap so that I would be ready to run through the night with Scott. I didn’t sleep well, but got up and had some pizza. Or was that before my nap? Anyway we were off to the 64 mile aid station to meet with Scott and Jeff. We were unsure of timing and got there what we thought was just barely enough time. As it turned out we waited for a good hour and it was cold. Luckily there was a good bonfire going and we took up a few spots there waiting. A few false alarms, but eventually they came in. Jeff was cold as was Scott. They got into some warm clothes and when Scott was ready we were off. I lead into the darkness and boy was it dark. I started with a headlamp and a hand held, but my handheld was cheap and fairly useless. I put it away eventually. We did quite a bit of walking to start as I tried to get an idea what Scott wanted from me as a pacer. I would try to get him to run as often as possible. When I took over pacing we figured Scott was in about 30th place and we spent most of the night passing and being passed by the same runners. Gradually as the night drew on, Scott was not being as responsive to my chit chatting and I was finding it harder to come up with things to talk about. Every now and again I would hear Scott start to shuffle his feet loudly in the leaves< I knew he was falling asleep. “SCOTT” I would yell, “Are you awake?” He’d grumble and we’d continue on. I would sometimes get a little too far ahead of him and have to be conscious of his weariness. We would walk a lot, but run every now and again. Sometimes out of necessity as the cold would dictate how fast we moved. In the wee hours we’d arrive at an aid station and Scott would say that he’d need 3 minutes sleep. So after 3 minutes I would wake him and we’d be on our way again. At the second last aid station after another “nap” (Scott was at his lowest before coming into this station) we headed out and Scott seemed rejuvenated. We had started passing people even while walking before we got here and now he wanted to run and we passed more. As daylight arose there was an extra jump in his step and we ran a lot more than we walked, mostly only walking on the up hills. We were moving well and came into the final aid station feeling great, knowing that we had moved up substantially in the standings and Jeff and Shannon were there to greet us. Scott’s spirits were lifted and he had a goal to get in under 28 hours. This had been a tough race, only a few weeks after another tough one at Oil Creek and he was determined to beat his time there. Looking at the time I knew there was no problem beating it, but Scott didn’t. We left and ran the best we’d run all night we started passing more individuals. It was by far the best part of the run I had been involved in. The trails were great and the surrounding country side was beautiful. I can’t imagine what it would have been like about a month earlier with the leaves changing. Now they were just on the ground. The last few miles seemed to drag on, but Scott was still pushing hard. We kept trying to figure out where we were in relation to the finish line, but each time we thought we were in one place we would find that we were completely wrong. Finally we came out into a clearing and knew we were close. Scott came in at about 27:51 in 17th place overall and 1st runner over 50. An incredible experience and I was proud to be apart of Scott’s 11th 100 miler of the year. I loved running on the course and gave me thoughts about doing this one myself at some point in the future. The only draw back from the weekend was the long drive and my left hip is still bothering me from that.

MCM Weekend

Following the back to back weekend was another trip to the US, this time to Washington DC for the Marine Corp Marathon. The difference this time was that I wasn’t running. I would be acting as support, guide, coach, photographer, driver and chaperone for four lovely ladies who were going to be running the race. As I had done the race before and been to DC a number of times I offered my services to help out Shannon, Cindy, Karen and Joan. They warned me that I might never be the same, travelling for a weekend with four crazy blonds.
So we left on Thursday after work picking up Shannon and her minivan and then Karen and then on the highway. We travelled without incident to Erie, Pennsylvania. Got up in the morning and started the required shopping in Erie and then a “short” stop at Grove City for the outlet Mall. A couple of hours later we were back on the road. We arrived at about 10 pm in Alexandria, Virginia and settled in for the night. The next morning we headed off to the expo and got the girls checked in and did some more shopping at the expo.

Then it was sightseeing time. The girls had never been there before and so were keen to see what they could, in hind sight it may have been a bit much walking for the day before a marathon.

Regardless, we saw a lot of the museums and monuments before heading back to the hotel and then up the road to the nearest Olive Garden for dinner. Sunday morning came early and the ladies got ready and we headed out to drive to the Metro station and then head to Pentagon for the start.

This is where things started to resemble the time I did the race. Poorly organized for such a large race! Maybe it’s a case of too many people for the area that it is run in, at least the start and finish. We had to walk for a long way to get to the start area and by the time the girls got to the port-a-potties the race gun went off, signaling the start of the race. There were many people still lined up to use the facilities. The girls weren’t too worried, they weren’t in it to win it anyway.We all walked to the start area and took lots of pictures before I said my good bye’s and headed out to find them elsewhere on the course. I walked across the Potomac in to DC and along the course back towards the 9 mile mark where I could see them coming. I felt I got there early enough that I would be able to have a bit of brekkie. The temperature was a little cooler than I was thinking it would be so to get a bit of warmth in a restaurant was great. Back at the race I was not sure I would even see the girls in time to take pictures never mind see them at all.

I saw Shannon first and she was looking good and strong. The crowds of runners were thick, but I did see Cindy and Joan next, Cindy all smiles as usual, but looked like she was feeling the effects of her injuries. I never saw Karen at this point. Another hiccup in the day’s adventures was the Metro. The DC Metro is a fantastic system, but on this day although starting the Metro early for the runners I don’t think they put on any extra trains, as there were long waits between trains. Meaning each one was crowded with spectators and later, runners. I made it to the 17 mile mark unsure whether or not anyone and gone by yet. I walked around and just as I was suspecting that Shannon had gone by already, there she was. Still looking strong, but saying she was struggling a bit. I waited around at a point where I could see the runners going one way and coming back another way, but was afraid that I’d miss them this way, so I headed back over to the 17 mile mark and saw Cindy coming along. No sign of Joan though. Karen was next and was obviously just enjoying the race.

Joan came along shortly afterwards and was in tears. All her injuries were coming back to haunt her and she was not having a good time. I walked up the hill with her and encouraged her all I could. And then headed over to the 21 mile mark to see all but Shannon go by who was already past at that point. I walked again with Joan for a bit and reminded her to take her S Caps which she had forgotten about, hopefully that would help. I let her go, knowing the next time I would see all of them was at the finish. I got to the Metro and it was pure pandemonium. I waited 20 minutes for a metro which was packed with people, bikes, strollers and one old lady with a walker. Nobody could move. By the time I got to Arlington Cemetery I assumed I was late and would have at least missed Shannon coming across the finish line. Another hiccup! The instructions for spectators tell you to get off the metro at Arlington Cemetery. This entailed a walk back towards the finish line then up the hill and beyond, and beyond…. It seemed like I had to walk forever to get to the family meeting area and was hoping that the girls would be able to find their way there too as there seemed to be a few ways around.
I go the designated area and looked for Shannon and no, she wasn’t there. I walked around through mass crowds of people for an hour with no luck in finding anyone. I was starting to get worried. None of had any way of getting a hold of the others. I would back to the finish area and then back again numerous times. Finally going back to the meeting area I saw Cindy there. And within minutes, Karen and Shannon showed. They had all struggled, but were happy with finishing. I walked back up to the finish area to wait for Joan and she came through fairly quickly.
Results:
Shannon - 4:37:39
Cindy - 5:28:50
Karen – 5:31:06
Joan - 5:55:55

We all got back together and looked to get out of the downtown area. Another adventure begins. When we approached the metro we saw a long line and asked what it was for. The Metro was the reply. It was out of the building and wound down the street. And there were two lines, one on each side of the building. Now what? We decided to walk to either a taxi or the next station. We walked for about 45 minutes with no luck getting a taxi and still a long way from the next station, this after a marathon. Although Cindy was just wired from the juice she was drinking on the course. We had a 4pm late checkout but were in danger of missing it. Eventually we were able to wrangle a taxi and get back to the car. The girls got changed and showered in 30 minutes!!! Four women showering in 30 minutes! and not together either! Wow!
We were on the road by a little after 4 and were on the long road home. Another thing was this was the day before Hurricane Sandy and there was a lot of talk about not being able to make it home due to weather. As it turned out we had no issues and made it home in Barrie by about 2am. A long weekend, on the go a lot, but a lot of fun and some great runs by the ladies.

Back to Back again.

Another long time between blog postings, but here goes as I try to catch up on the whirlwind of events over the past month and a half, as well as what is coming up. Yes that’s right, I’m not quite done yet this year.

It started in the middle of October with Oliver, RickyMac and myself heading down to Dover, Delaware for the Monster Mash Marathon, the first of a back to back weekend. We left Thursday night and stayed in Syracuse before setting of for the remainder of the drive to Delaware. A decent drive and in the comfort of Oliver’s Acura was nice. We shared the driving all weekend and arrived in Dover with lots of time to spare before the expo even opened.
Dover is not a very big place, but it was homecoming weekend (whatever that is) and the hotels were full, luckily Rick had booked ours ahead of time.
This was only the second year for this race and there were a few little things that they could have done better, but generally a good little event. The expo was just a packet pick up, nothing else. We went to the Olive Garden for dinner, across the road form the hotel and after a walk around, retired for the night.

The race starts at in the Dover Speedway on the track and the first mile is around the track. At 7 am we were off and running, that lap around the track is not runner friendly, with an extreme camber to the infield. Once we got out of the stadium it was much better. In to town and around a nice part we hadn’t seen yet. But by 10k we were headed out of town to the country roads for the next 30k. The only complaint I had (other than track) was that the country road section was rather boring. It was a nice day and there was some scenic areas, but generally it was well…. blah. My run went very well, I didn’t see Rick and Oliver after the start until an out and back at about half way and then until the finish. This was my first marathon in 2 years and I felt great, other than a few aches and pains early in the race. I finished very strong with a time of 3:36 outside the speedway. Rick came in next just over 4 hours, followed by Oliver shortly after wards.

We raced back to the hotel to beat the late checkout, showered and were back on the road by a little after noon. We were now on our way to Atlantic City for marathon number two. A two plus hour drive away.
I had attempted to run Atlantic City a few years ago when accompanying KevO for his first back to back. I was injured at the time and never made it through the first mile before my calf seized up. My memories of AC were not fond ones and not just because of my race, the city was a real sleazy hole and the race itself seemed very poorly organized. So I was very hesitant about this year’s race.

We arrived in AC and went to Baly’s for the expo etc.. Already the City looked better, cleaner and things were looking up. It still has a very sleazy side to it, but it looking better. The expo was much bigger and had more to offer. On our way from the expo we wondered through the Casino. Rick tried to spend a few dollars on a slot machine, but they wouldn’t take his bills.
Then for lunch on the boardwalk in the sun, meeting up with fellow runners and a few back to backers. After a couple of beers it was back to the hotel and then off to do a bit of shopping and eat.
The next morning came too quickly and we headed off to the start. It was great being able to stay in the casino and stay warm waiting for the start. It wasn’t cold out, but it wasn’t hot either so it was more comfortable in the Casino.
Soon we were in the corrals waiting for the start. I thought we’d all run together, but once the gun went off I started off at my own pace, a comfortable pace, and left Rick and Oliver behind. We ran along the boardwalk for a bit then into town, through a tunnel and around, before coming back to the boardwalk again. I was a little apprehensive as to how I would feel, but the legs were ok, a little sore at the start, but once we got going they just felt slightly stiff. I was waiting for things to go downhill, but it never happened. I ran well. After the halfway mark we off the boardwalk again and into some more neighbourhoods in the south end of town. A this point I struggled a bit, but once again was able to pick up the pace felt really strong in finishing. Actually I felt stronger finishing this race than I did the day before. Time = 3:41. The finish area was a nice courtyard of the hotel and was a sun trap so it was nice and warm, I enjoyed my free post race beer and some big pretzels (great idea), and waited for the others to finish. They finished in about 4:12 with smiles on their faces as usual, although Oliver’s was more like a grimace. My impressions of this race were that it was very well done was a decent course, flat and fast. I’m not sure about the boardwalk running though. I talked to the race director afterwards and he said that the race has been under new management for the past few years and they have made big changes. I noticed!!!
After changing a nice walk/stretch along the boardwalk to go to the Hard Rock Café for Oliver and have some lunch and then back to the car and off we went home stopping in Scranton for the night on the way back.

A successful B2B weekend.

Next up the Marine Corp Marathon. I wouldn’t be running, only acting as driver, photographer, chaperone for four blonde’s!!! Would I survive? Stay tuned.

Back to Back Weekend

This coming weekend will mark the first time in two years that I will be running a marathon, almost to the day. Two years ago I ran the Lochness marathon in Inverness Scotland on October 3rd and then a week later I ran Munich. Both great events which I ran with Ricky Mac. This weekend I will travel down to Dover, Delaware with Ricky Mac and Oliver to do the Monster Mash Marathon on Saturday and the Atlantic City Marathon on Sunday. My first Back to Back in about 3 years. In for a penny in for a pound.
When Rick asked me a few months ago if I’d be interested in going I thought that this would be a good preparation for the JFK 50 Mile in November. I hope to rest on my training for North Coast a few weeks ago as I haven’t done a lot of distance since then, 32k a week ago followed by 20k the next day. Oliver signed up last weekend and it should be a good road trip with no intentions on PB’s or anything like that.
Dover is a small race with, at last count, only 188 runners registered for the marathon. Atlantic City will be a redemption run as I attempted this race a few years ago and only got through the first mile when my calf blew up on me. So hopefully this race will go better.
How am I feeling? Not bad. My right knee has been acting up lately, but I attributed that to some of the strength work I was doing, specifically the Sumo Squats. So I have stopped doing those and there is an improvement, but the problem is not so much with what I am doing, but more of an inherent problem. I went to Physio yesterday and Shaun told me that with the slight deformities in my right lower leg (foot stick out normally and apparently I have a curve in my tibia) cause some issues. So back to doing some physio exercises that manipulate the glutes into working properly. Lunges, starting with small amounts of movement to get the technique and posture correct. I’m continuing with the core work and strength (not the week before a race though).
So Thursday late afternoon we head off and will stop part way down to Dover for the night before driving the rest of the way on Friday, so that we are not rushed. It’s a two hour drive between Dover and AC so that should be easy!!!
After the race on Sunday it will be pack up and on our way to Scranton to stop the night at the Hampton Inn. Apparently Rick has stopped there before and it is a nice hotel with a bar that has $2 pints. Drive home on Monday. Simple as that!!!!

North Coast 24 Hour storm

"It was a rainy day" just doesn't quite cover it. The North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run was a huge success despite the conditions.
Myself and Chris B. Battman travelled down to Cleveland last Friday with Joan VH doing the driving and offering up support for us during the race. We got to the Second Sole Store in Rocky River for the packet pick up and met up with race director John and his girlfriend Hope. Then we were off to Dave's place, who had graciously offered up his home for us to stay in. Getting there was a bit of an adventure though, as the GPS wanted to take us to the wrong side of Cleveland. I used my instincts and got to the right side and then we phoned to get more intricate directions. We were there by just after 6 pm and met up with Dave and his wife Sandra. A couple of beers and some wine and we were then eating our fill of pasta. a few hours of chatting and laughing and it was bed time.
Luckiy the race doesn't start till 9 am so we could almost sleep in. We were up by 7 and on the road by 7:45 for the 45 minute drive to the start. Dave said he would see us later as he planned on coming out to "pace" or run a few laps (20 miles) with me.
Once at Edgewater park, we unpacked and set up our tent near the RWOL's base camp and met most of that group, who Chris knew.

Chris had run this event last year.
I was also ran into Pam R. who I met at Green Jewel earlier in the year. We had kept in touch via FB since.

At 9 am the horn sounded and off we went for the first of many .9 mile paved bike path loops. Sounds rather monotonous and I was a little leery and what to expect. I had no real plan and wasn't sure how I would fit in walk breaks, so I just went with how I felt. After about 4 laps I took my first walk break and thought I would do that every 3 loops there after. I tried, but it didn't quite work out that way. The two front runners were running like fiends and I was getting lapped after 5 or 6 laps. Now I'm not really fast, but I'm not slow either and this took me by surprise. Later someone mentioned that Jay Aldous (one of the two) was going for the Masters record and attempting to run 160 miles. he was looking strong early.

The weather early was overcast and cool but soon warmed up enough to take the outer shell off and eventually the sun would come out for varying degrees of time.
The running was going well and every know and again I would take a full lap walk break,but generally I would walk from the timing mat to the corner where the lake started, about 100 meters. Joan VH had decided to take advantage of some downtime and run while we were and ran about 13 miles of her own. I would pass Chris every now and again, but he was only a few laps behind me.
At Lap 41 the storm clouds started to draw closer and by the second half of lap 42 not only was it raining heavily, but hail started to come down. marble sized hail, enough to sting, but not damage. The wind picked up and RD John runners to take shelter in the pavilion, most did as did I... for a few minutes and then decided I was wet already and the hail had stopped, might as well continue on. The storm seemed to take its toll as the path was a lot less crowded after the storm arrived. John said that reports were that the storm would blow by after about 45 minutes to an hour. The storm might have, but the rain and wind didn't. There was some clearing later in the evening, but that was temporary too. Basically it rained off and off all night. THe wind kept blowing too and as the night drew on the temperature dropped. Keeping moving was a necessity to keep warm. Running worked even better, the problem was talking your aching body into moving faster than a walk wasn't always successful.

The breaks in the weather provided for some nice views, with rainbows and a glorious view of downtown Cleveland at sunset.

As the race progressed I was trying to contemplate how far I would go. I was feeling good for the first 40 odd miles, by the time I hit 50 miles I was only 9 hours into the race and the mind was thinking about the possibilities... 120, 130 miles or more maybe. I struggled a bit after 50 miles, but at 55 miles seemed to get a second wind for the next 10 miles I was flying and feeling great. I kept to my plan for those laps and it seemed to be working well. Some time during these laps Zack showed up to do some pacing for Pam. He walked with us while I did a one lap walk break and caught up on a few things. On my 64th mile Dave showed up and was ready to run for a while. We walked a lap and then he got ready and we ran. But unfortunately he couldn't stay. So we didn't get as much of a run together in as we thought. Probably just as well as it shortly after that that the wheels started to come off and I started to go down hill. I was expecting to at some time and it they fell off with a thud.

I had planned on having extended breaks at 33 miles 50 miles and 66 miles. It gave me a chance to rub the legs out and put some Traumeel on to help with any aches and pains. By the time I got to 65 miles I needed it badly and stopped for a lay down and a leg rub. Getting going form a walk was hard to do at this point, getting from laying down and trying to run was near impossible. I would walk a lap or so and then continue running. When I got to 70 miles I was doing the math in my head; 30 miles to go to make one hundred and 9 1/2 hours to do it. At 74 miles it was a marathon to go and 8 and a half hours to do it. Just a minute I could walk that and still have time to spare. So it began the long walk or death march to the finish. Joan went to go and sleep as she would be needed to drive home in the morning and I continued on. The laps seemed to get longer with every time around. As the night went by I was thinking about how few people were left on the course. from 150+ to start, there only seemed to be about 30 out there now. I didn't see Chris much, or Pam either. Sue Scholl was still going around very strongly and I was thinking that she might even win this the way she was going.
There was a time when I hit 91 laps that I realized that I had 20 laps to go to hit 100 miles, and at 15 minutes per lap (my walking pace) I still had 5 hours to go. That seemed like an eternity. Each lap I would count down the 15 minute intervals, it didn't make it any better.
Joan joined me with about 6 laps to go, and at this point I was in a very dark place mentally and physically. I knew I would finish but it wouldn't be pretty. When the dawn broke it helped with my mood a little, Pam passed us with about two laps to go to 100, and she was her usual cheerful self. she started singing Good morning Sunshine (grrrrr). She was still quite a few laps behind me.
At about 22 hours and 40 minutes I crossed the 100 mile mark and called it a day. I received my buckle from John with a hand shake and looked behind me to see Chris come to the timing matt. He still had quite a few miles to go and not long to do it to get to 100 miles. At this point I went to the car to lay down and nap for the remainder.
Just before the siren went off to signal the end of the race and 24 hours were up, Joan and Chris got back to the car. Chris smiling with his buckle in hand. He had done it with 12 minutes to spare.

We quickly got our stuff together and headed back to Dave and Sandra's who had offered us breakfast, a shower and a hot tub. We readily agreed to accept.
A 45 minute drive and we were back in Novelty, Ohio for some well needed hospitality. We showered jumped in the hot tub for a bit and then had breakfast. It was at about this time when I think it all caught up to me. I wasn't feeling well and thought I better go to the bathroom and then got up and passed out. Luckily Dave was there to catch me and lay me on the floor. A cool damp wash cloth and a drink of water and I was feeling fine. Not long later we were on our way back to Barrie. Chris and I out cold from Cleveland to Buffalo.

Overall a good day etc. a great event, the only downer was the weather, and no one can control that. We met some great people and had a lot of fun, regardless of how grumpy I was at the end.

North Coast 24 Hour.

In 5 days I will be running my first timed event. The North Coast 24 hour race in Cleveland at Edgewater park. Am I ready for it? I don't know really what to expect so not really. But my feelings are, maybe being a little naive, but how hard can it be compared to Vermont or last years Burning River? the course is a .9 mile loop in a park on a paved trail on the waterfront. SOunds "easy", but I'm sure mentally it will be tough.
My logic is that if I can run 50 miles in 8 hours and 45 minutes at Sulphur Springs on a fairly hilly course then I should be able to get 50 miles done in 10 hours at least and then another 14 hours to complete the last 50 miles to get 100 in. Easy eh? I'm sure it won't be, but I will hopefully have fun trying. My goal is to complete 100 miles and get a buckle. I think it will also be a confidence booster after struggling at Vermont. Its been a struggle to get back on track since, but a few changes in direction and staying away from races (as hard as that has been) has helped in the healing.
I started a strength and core training program a few weeks ago and I hope to see some fruits from that in a few months. I think I know what my problems have been over the past year and hope to make the necessary changes. lack of strength, not enough long solo runs, too many events, no hill work..... So the changes have started. Now I just need a boost of confidence.
So a drive to Cleveland and run around in circles for 24 hours and see what it leads.

Follow to come next week. Keep your fingers crossed.