Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Big news
Well, I've decided to make a change. I don't know if it will be a permanent one, and I don't know if I'll be successful, but I feel the need for a new challenge. I've created a new blog to chronicle my new endeavor; you can read about it here. I'll be making all new posts to that blog, so if you are interested please subscribe to the feed there. Thanks to everyone who's read my posts and offered support and encouragement.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Brief Race Report: FANS 17 Hour
Wait, 17 hour? Wasn't this a 24 hour race? Umm, yeah, it was supposed to be.
FANS was a Centurion race and has a walking division, so I was excited about this race. I was on track for first place and 105 miles (and a course record) when the wheels came off on lap 30 (about 12:30 am). I just lost all energy (and will) and slept in my car for a while, then decided I couldn't go on (I was chilled and had no energy at all). So I went to get some food and went to the hotel to sleep.
I was disappointed, but at the same time this is the second longest I've ever gone in my ultra career, and up to the point where I crashed I held a good pace (13:40 average). I was leading the entire race and was two laps ahead of the second place walker.
I reached 50 miles in 10:52:22, and I reached 100k in 13:50:38. If I had been registered in the 12 hour I would have won and I would have set a course record. If I had been racing in a 50 miler or 100k I would have been very happy. Unfortunately it was a 24 hour race, so I'm a little bummed. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now but figure out what to do next. Not sure what that will be, but once I recover physically and mentally I put together a plan for something.
This is a great race if you are looking for a fixed time event. Here are a bunch of pictures of the race from Julie Berg's blog:
http://julieberg.blogspot.com/
My only suggestion to improve the race would be to have a greater variety of food, and to have more hot food available at night. Other than that, a very well run and well supported race with a lot of great "crowd support" from the crews and families of other racers, plus the timers and event volunteers.
I'll post more later, and I'd like to mention the great performances by other walkers. But I've got to get to work and then fly out later today for a business trip, so my lengthier report will have to wait.
FANS was a Centurion race and has a walking division, so I was excited about this race. I was on track for first place and 105 miles (and a course record) when the wheels came off on lap 30 (about 12:30 am). I just lost all energy (and will) and slept in my car for a while, then decided I couldn't go on (I was chilled and had no energy at all). So I went to get some food and went to the hotel to sleep.
I was disappointed, but at the same time this is the second longest I've ever gone in my ultra career, and up to the point where I crashed I held a good pace (13:40 average). I was leading the entire race and was two laps ahead of the second place walker.
I reached 50 miles in 10:52:22, and I reached 100k in 13:50:38. If I had been registered in the 12 hour I would have won and I would have set a course record. If I had been racing in a 50 miler or 100k I would have been very happy. Unfortunately it was a 24 hour race, so I'm a little bummed. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now but figure out what to do next. Not sure what that will be, but once I recover physically and mentally I put together a plan for something.
This is a great race if you are looking for a fixed time event. Here are a bunch of pictures of the race from Julie Berg's blog:
http://julieberg.blogspot.com/
My only suggestion to improve the race would be to have a greater variety of food, and to have more hot food available at night. Other than that, a very well run and well supported race with a lot of great "crowd support" from the crews and families of other racers, plus the timers and event volunteers.
I'll post more later, and I'd like to mention the great performances by other walkers. But I've got to get to work and then fly out later today for a business trip, so my lengthier report will have to wait.
Friday, June 01, 2007
It's time to do it
Well, I leave for FANS in four hours. Up to Minneapolis and the pre-race pasta dinner, then hopefully a good night's sleep before the race starts at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning. My hotel is less than 15 minutes from the race, and I've found a Starbucks within a two minute drive of the hotel, so all the key logistics have been worked out.
It took me a while to pack all my gear. I have a full suitcase and a half full backpack. The scary thing is that the only "street" clothes in there are a T-shirt, socks and underwear; everything else is race gear. Here is what I remember packing:
I'll post results as soon as I can. I'm out of here!
It took me a while to pack all my gear. I have a full suitcase and a half full backpack. The scary thing is that the only "street" clothes in there are a T-shirt, socks and underwear; everything else is race gear. Here is what I remember packing:
- 2 short sleeve shirts
- 1 long sleeve shirt
- 1 sleeveless shirt
- 2 pairs of shorts
- 2 hats
- 2 bandanas
- 3 sweat bands
- 4 pairs of socks
- 3 water bottles
- 2 bottle packs (one single bottle pack, one double bottle pack)
- my usual medical kit (band aids, foot repair, sunscreen, bodyglide, extra shoe laces and zip ties and safety pins)
- sunglasses
- flashlight and headlamp (part of the course is not well lit at night)
- lightweight shell in case I get chilled at night
- 2 pairs of shoes
I'll post results as soon as I can. I'm out of here!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Growing the Online Racewalking Community
I really enjoy reading blogs, especially racewalking blogs. I've found a small number but I'm sure there are others out there. I'm going to post all of the blogs I know of; check them out, there are some great reads out there.
If you know of other blogs on racewalking, please post in the comments and I'll add them to the list. I used to have a list on my sidebar but I screwed up the HTML. As soon as I've fixed it I'll post all the links on the left.
Thanks!
Ollie (fellow ultrawalker and all around great person)
Journeyman Phil (racewalking and ultrawalking in Australia)
Sarah (fast racewalking up in Canada)
Daniel (another fast racewalker)
Ray (elite US racewalker)
Rachel (elite Canadian racewalker)
Steve (asthma-challenged racewalker making incredible strides in his marathon performances)
Racewalker55 (couch potato to marathon racewalker)
Karen (training for a marathon in California)
Tammy (another inspiring couch potato to racewalker story)
Phat Girl Walking (racewalking in the bay area)
Added 5/25/07:
Race Walking Record has a news feed dedicated to race walking
Added 5/26/07:
Chris (another ultrawalker!)
Who else is out there? Make yourself known!
If you know of other blogs on racewalking, please post in the comments and I'll add them to the list. I used to have a list on my sidebar but I screwed up the HTML. As soon as I've fixed it I'll post all the links on the left.
Thanks!
Ollie (fellow ultrawalker and all around great person)
Journeyman Phil (racewalking and ultrawalking in Australia)
Sarah (fast racewalking up in Canada)
Daniel (another fast racewalker)
Ray (elite US racewalker)
Rachel (elite Canadian racewalker)
Steve (asthma-challenged racewalker making incredible strides in his marathon performances)
Racewalker55 (couch potato to marathon racewalker)
Karen (training for a marathon in California)
Tammy (another inspiring couch potato to racewalker story)
Phat Girl Walking (racewalking in the bay area)
Added 5/25/07:
Race Walking Record has a news feed dedicated to race walking
Added 5/26/07:
Chris (another ultrawalker!)
Who else is out there? Make yourself known!
Monday, May 21, 2007
The Bad, The Ugly and the Good
This post will be about my workout two weekends ago and my workout yesterday, thus the change in the traditional order of the title:
The Bad and The Ugly
Last weekend I did some long training at White Rock Lake. I normally start my long walks around 4:00-5:00 am, so I get many of my miles out of the way before the sun comes up and it starts to heat up (I would say most weekends I'm finished by 10:30 or 11:00).
This weekend I had to start later, around 9:15 (we had our first Team in Training training session that morning). I did three loops of the lake (including an out-and-back on the spillway) so about 10.25 per loop. First loop 1:59, second loop 2:09, third loop 2:36 (last few miles were a death march, 16:00 - 18:00 minutes per mile, and that time does not include pauses to rest or vomit/dry heave).
I thought I was drinking a lot (I carried two bottles and I drank at the water fountains from time to time). I stopped at my car every loop to refill my bottles, drink a bottle of Yoohoo (a member of the North Texas Trail Runners introduced me to that and it is so good!) and eat some potato chips. I also used three packages of Clif Shot Blocks (I don't think I'll do that again, they made me queasy and I felt like I needed to belch or vomit but couldn't) and two Succeed caplets every hour. I don't think I ate enough because of mild nausea and lack of desire, a result I think of the Clif Shot Blocks and HEED, which I can tolerate in cooler weather but which makes me sick to even think about in warm weather.
After I finally stopped I couldn't keep any water down for a few hours (anything I drank would come back up a little while later). After I finally had some food I started to feel better and could eat and drink without problems. But I was sooooo tired, more tired than I ever remember being after any races I've done. That afternoon and evening I had the worst leg cramps of my life (and I don't usually cramp). I had them in both calves, causing me to scream out in pain. It was not very fun.
I posted this information to the e-mail group for the North Texas Trail Runners and got lots of advice, most of it conflicting. The two things that stuck out were that I probably had too many electrolytes, not too little, and I probably shouldn't push so hard this early in the hot season. My body still needs to adjust to the heat.
The Good
This weekend my wife and daughter went out of town so I took advantage of their absence to do my last long training walk before FANS. On Saturday while I was shopping at Central Market I went to their prepared foods area and bought some macaroni and cheese and a twice baked potato. I also bought Gatorade and more Yoohoo. Finally, I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I got up early Sunday and started walking by 5:00 AM. I walked a 3.2 mile loop at Breckenridge Park. Every two loops (or 6.4 miles) I stopped at my car to eat and drink. My goal was to maintain a 12:30 pace for as long as possible since this is the pace I plan to maintain for the first 30 or so miles at FANS.
Surprisingly, I was able to maintain a 12:02 average pace for almost 42 miles. I was slowing in the final miles, but I was slowing to 12:30 - 13:00, so I didn't slow that much. I ate and drank successfully without any sickness, and I felt good most of the time, even when the temperatures crept into the low 80s. I only used one electrolyte cap when I felt some "crampy" feelings in one calf. Other than that it was: Gatorade, Coke, Yoohoo, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, Mac & Cheese, Twice-Baked Potato, Pringles. I always try to eat real food during ultras, so this seemed like a good test of that strategy. Things seemed to go well.
I'm still getting some blisters on my left heel, but I seem to be getting blisters on my old blisters and they don't hurt; I can tell they are there, but they don't bother me. I probably had blisters for 20 miles yesterday, with no issues.
The Rest
I did get some new shoes and they are working well. They are the latest version of the Asics Gel Speedstar (I've used this shoe before and decided to return to it). I wish it had a little more forefoot support, but other than that I'm very happy with it. I'm going to bring three pairs of shoes to FANS; I plan to start in the Speedstars and switch to a more supportive shoe if I feel the need.
So I guess now it's time for FANS. I plan to stick to my normal weekday training schedule this week, then do 10-15 miles next weekend, then no walking all week until the race. I hope we have good weather, that's all that's stressing me out at this point! I hate waiting for the race - this is the worst part of training and racing!
The Bad and The Ugly
Last weekend I did some long training at White Rock Lake. I normally start my long walks around 4:00-5:00 am, so I get many of my miles out of the way before the sun comes up and it starts to heat up (I would say most weekends I'm finished by 10:30 or 11:00).
This weekend I had to start later, around 9:15 (we had our first Team in Training training session that morning). I did three loops of the lake (including an out-and-back on the spillway) so about 10.25 per loop. First loop 1:59, second loop 2:09, third loop 2:36 (last few miles were a death march, 16:00 - 18:00 minutes per mile, and that time does not include pauses to rest or vomit/dry heave).
I thought I was drinking a lot (I carried two bottles and I drank at the water fountains from time to time). I stopped at my car every loop to refill my bottles, drink a bottle of Yoohoo (a member of the North Texas Trail Runners introduced me to that and it is so good!) and eat some potato chips. I also used three packages of Clif Shot Blocks (I don't think I'll do that again, they made me queasy and I felt like I needed to belch or vomit but couldn't) and two Succeed caplets every hour. I don't think I ate enough because of mild nausea and lack of desire, a result I think of the Clif Shot Blocks and HEED, which I can tolerate in cooler weather but which makes me sick to even think about in warm weather.
After I finally stopped I couldn't keep any water down for a few hours (anything I drank would come back up a little while later). After I finally had some food I started to feel better and could eat and drink without problems. But I was sooooo tired, more tired than I ever remember being after any races I've done. That afternoon and evening I had the worst leg cramps of my life (and I don't usually cramp). I had them in both calves, causing me to scream out in pain. It was not very fun.
I posted this information to the e-mail group for the North Texas Trail Runners and got lots of advice, most of it conflicting. The two things that stuck out were that I probably had too many electrolytes, not too little, and I probably shouldn't push so hard this early in the hot season. My body still needs to adjust to the heat.
The Good
This weekend my wife and daughter went out of town so I took advantage of their absence to do my last long training walk before FANS. On Saturday while I was shopping at Central Market I went to their prepared foods area and bought some macaroni and cheese and a twice baked potato. I also bought Gatorade and more Yoohoo. Finally, I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I got up early Sunday and started walking by 5:00 AM. I walked a 3.2 mile loop at Breckenridge Park. Every two loops (or 6.4 miles) I stopped at my car to eat and drink. My goal was to maintain a 12:30 pace for as long as possible since this is the pace I plan to maintain for the first 30 or so miles at FANS.
Surprisingly, I was able to maintain a 12:02 average pace for almost 42 miles. I was slowing in the final miles, but I was slowing to 12:30 - 13:00, so I didn't slow that much. I ate and drank successfully without any sickness, and I felt good most of the time, even when the temperatures crept into the low 80s. I only used one electrolyte cap when I felt some "crampy" feelings in one calf. Other than that it was: Gatorade, Coke, Yoohoo, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, Mac & Cheese, Twice-Baked Potato, Pringles. I always try to eat real food during ultras, so this seemed like a good test of that strategy. Things seemed to go well.
I'm still getting some blisters on my left heel, but I seem to be getting blisters on my old blisters and they don't hurt; I can tell they are there, but they don't bother me. I probably had blisters for 20 miles yesterday, with no issues.
The Rest
I did get some new shoes and they are working well. They are the latest version of the Asics Gel Speedstar (I've used this shoe before and decided to return to it). I wish it had a little more forefoot support, but other than that I'm very happy with it. I'm going to bring three pairs of shoes to FANS; I plan to start in the Speedstars and switch to a more supportive shoe if I feel the need.
So I guess now it's time for FANS. I plan to stick to my normal weekday training schedule this week, then do 10-15 miles next weekend, then no walking all week until the race. I hope we have good weather, that's all that's stressing me out at this point! I hate waiting for the race - this is the worst part of training and racing!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Speedy Walking!
Big Congrats to Sarah who broke 30 minutes racewalking a 5k! Good job. My PR is 31:06 so I'd be eating her dust.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Big Weekend
This weekend was my last final "big weekend" of training for FANS. I would have like to have done it next weekend, giving me a three week recovery and taper, but my schedule forced me to peak a week early. I'll still do some good miles next weekend, then lower the intensity and distance gradually.
On Saturday I went to a local park where I mapped a 3.2 mile loop (FANS is a 2.4 mile loop). I repeated the loop 10 times for 32.1 miles in 6:20:23, an 11:51 pace. On Sunday I went to White Rock Lake and did the "long loop" (standard 9+ mile loop plus the spillway addition for about 10.3 miles per loop) three times for 30.84 miles in 6:30:10, a 12:40 pace. Saturday I walked in new shoes and got some big blisters on my left heel. Sunday I switched to older shoes and the blisters only got a little worse. Both walks went pretty well and were fairly even in terms of splits; no major crashes. Now I just have to recover and maintain for FANS.
Yesterday was the kick off for the Fall Team in Training season. As I mentioned previously I am a coach for the DFW Metro Walk Team. I'm really excited about the opportunity to coach. We will have 35-40 walkers on the team, so it's going to be a big group and hopefully a lot of fun. Training starts Tuesday, but the real hardcore training will start on Saturday. I'll let you know how we are doing as the season progresses. My team is training for Nike Women's Half/Full Marathon, Dublin Marathon and the Dallas Half Marathon, all in late October/early November. It's great to be able to help people achieve their personal goals and do things they never thought possible! I can't wait to get to know the team.
On Saturday I went to a local park where I mapped a 3.2 mile loop (FANS is a 2.4 mile loop). I repeated the loop 10 times for 32.1 miles in 6:20:23, an 11:51 pace. On Sunday I went to White Rock Lake and did the "long loop" (standard 9+ mile loop plus the spillway addition for about 10.3 miles per loop) three times for 30.84 miles in 6:30:10, a 12:40 pace. Saturday I walked in new shoes and got some big blisters on my left heel. Sunday I switched to older shoes and the blisters only got a little worse. Both walks went pretty well and were fairly even in terms of splits; no major crashes. Now I just have to recover and maintain for FANS.
Yesterday was the kick off for the Fall Team in Training season. As I mentioned previously I am a coach for the DFW Metro Walk Team. I'm really excited about the opportunity to coach. We will have 35-40 walkers on the team, so it's going to be a big group and hopefully a lot of fun. Training starts Tuesday, but the real hardcore training will start on Saturday. I'll let you know how we are doing as the season progresses. My team is training for Nike Women's Half/Full Marathon, Dublin Marathon and the Dallas Half Marathon, all in late October/early November. It's great to be able to help people achieve their personal goals and do things they never thought possible! I can't wait to get to know the team.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Les Jeux Sont Faits
Well, I've made a slight change in my race plans. I was having trouble getting Laurel Highlands to fit in my work schedule right now (it's a long story, and I'd just as soon forget about it), and I'm still intrigued about doing another 24 hour race, so I've decided to race in FANS on June 2 in Minneapolis, MN. I've booked my travel and sent in my registration so I'm all set. FANS will be a Centurion event this year so I will have the opportunity to re-qualify as a Centurion. My goal is to hit 100 miles again. My stretch goal is to hit 105. I think it is a realistic goal if I can stick to my race plan. I've estimated a pace for every lap, including the inevitable slow down that will occur as it gets later, and I've allowed myself an extra minute every three laps (except for the first lap, every lap is about 2.4 miles) for aid. Based on my experience at Ultracentric I think this is realistic. I only stopped twice at Ultracentric - once to change shoes, once to use the port-a-pottie. Other than that, I paused for less than a minute at the aid station from time to time. So hopefully I will have a good day and we will have good weather and I can add some miles to my 100 mile Ultracentric finish.
This weekend I had a bad training experience and a great training experience. On Friday night some members of the North Texas Trail Runners were going to the Cross Timbers Trail on Lake Texoma (site of my only DNF) to do night hill training. The goal (for some of us, myself included) was to run/walk from about sunset to sunrise, around 8:40 to 6:30. I got there a little late and started walking around 9:15 PM. The weather was so humid and muggy that within 30 minutes I was totally soaked to the bone. I repeated the short (2.5 mile) extra hilly section three times, pausing at my car each lap to replenish fluids and snack. After a few hours there were only two of us left on the trail, then the last guy decided to leave. I sat in my car a while eating a snack when I realized that I wasn't having fun and didn't want to be there any more. It was about 2:00 AM. I made the one and a half hour drive home and crashed into bed. It felt good to sleep.
Saturday I made all my FANS plans and decided to do some FANS-specific training. I mapped a 3.2 mile route in a local park and planned to repeat the loop for 30 miles. I got started around 4:30 AM on Sunday morning and did ten laps. It got pretty warm and very sunny and by the end I was very tired, but I was able to turn in my fastest ultra distance training ever: 32.1 miles in 6:10:30, an 11:33 pace! I've never broken 12:00 minutes per mile in an ultra distance race or training, so I was very excited. I don't plan to go this pace at FANS, but this gave me the confidence I needed to go into FANS. So Sunday was a great day.
While you're visiting my blog, go over and give Steve a big shout of congratulations for setting a TWO HOUR marathon PR. Way to go, Steve!!
This weekend I had a bad training experience and a great training experience. On Friday night some members of the North Texas Trail Runners were going to the Cross Timbers Trail on Lake Texoma (site of my only DNF) to do night hill training. The goal (for some of us, myself included) was to run/walk from about sunset to sunrise, around 8:40 to 6:30. I got there a little late and started walking around 9:15 PM. The weather was so humid and muggy that within 30 minutes I was totally soaked to the bone. I repeated the short (2.5 mile) extra hilly section three times, pausing at my car each lap to replenish fluids and snack. After a few hours there were only two of us left on the trail, then the last guy decided to leave. I sat in my car a while eating a snack when I realized that I wasn't having fun and didn't want to be there any more. It was about 2:00 AM. I made the one and a half hour drive home and crashed into bed. It felt good to sleep.
Saturday I made all my FANS plans and decided to do some FANS-specific training. I mapped a 3.2 mile route in a local park and planned to repeat the loop for 30 miles. I got started around 4:30 AM on Sunday morning and did ten laps. It got pretty warm and very sunny and by the end I was very tired, but I was able to turn in my fastest ultra distance training ever: 32.1 miles in 6:10:30, an 11:33 pace! I've never broken 12:00 minutes per mile in an ultra distance race or training, so I was very excited. I don't plan to go this pace at FANS, but this gave me the confidence I needed to go into FANS. So Sunday was a great day.
While you're visiting my blog, go over and give Steve a big shout of congratulations for setting a TWO HOUR marathon PR. Way to go, Steve!!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Yes, I'm Here: New Challenges
It's been almost a month since my last post. I'm doing well and getting ready for new things.
My ankle seems to be 95% better. I still get a little soft lump on the front of my shin and I can feel it, although there is no pain. But I've been putting in some decent miles at a decent speed and feel good. I recently bought two new pairs of trail shoes (since New Balance discontinued my beloved 781s), Merrell Overdrive and Merrell Octane. So far they've both performed well. The octanes got a good workout their first time out of the box - mud, mud and more mud, but not slippery mud - sticky mud that gives you platform shoes and occasionally flies off in a big chunk. Plus some creek crossings (actually, many creek crossings). The insert of one shoe was moving around so I'll have to watch that.
I also bought a double-bottle pack, the Nathan Elite 2v. Recently my Camelbak FlashFlo bladder got funky and smelly, and I decided to try a bottle pack instead of buying a new bladder. I've always loved the FlashFlo (I bought it when I joined Team in Training in 2003 and have used the same pack ever since, only replacing the bladder once) and thought it was a great pack. It has only one drawback - it's a pain to refill during races. I have to take the entire pack off, and it's hard to open and close the bladder. Also, you can't totally refill the bladder while it's in the pack, so you can't take full advantage of the 45 ounce bladder.
So for now I'll try the bottle pack. I used it for 24+ miles and 5+ hours this weekend with no problems. The Elite 2v has two removable pouches on the sides that I can't use because they interfere with my arm motion when walking; itdoes not have any storage in the rear, just a bungee cord to hold a jacket or something similar. However, I was able to take one of the side pouches and attach it in the back (whether this is by design or just good luck, I don't know). Then I attached my Amphipod pouch to the front and I was ready to go: Clif Shots, electrolytes, Advil and lip balm in the front; cell phone, toilet paper, ID/insurance card and spare Clif Shots in the back.
The big news is that I've been asked to be a Racewalking coach for the Team in Training DFW Metro Team this summer! I've never coached before but always wanted the opportunity, so I'm very excited. I've been attending the last training sessions for the team finishing their season now, plus I've been attending recruitment meetings. The season starts May 6 with Kick-Off, then training starts the following week. So far we have 20 walkers on the team and still a week of recruitment meetings, so it looks like we will have a great team. I can't wait to get the chance to share my love of racewalking and my support for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with the team. I'll keep you posted on our progress.
I'm currently trying to adjust some responsibilities at work so I can travel to my next race, Laurel Highlands Ultra in Johnstown, PA. I did this two years ago and loved it. Unfortunately it conflicts with some scheduled work activity, but I'm trying to get the schedule shifted around.
After that I plan to do three summer runs in Texas (UGH!):
Capt'n Karl's Run - June 30, a 12 hour all night race starting at 7:00 PM
El Scorcho - July 15, a 50k on a flat asphalt 5k loop, starting at 12:00 AM (midnight)
NTTR Night Run - a prediction run on the rugged North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine
After that I'll be training hard and long for the Heartland 100, my first 100 mile race. Then hopefully the Ultracentric 24 hour, then hopefully the Texas Double: SunRock - SunMart 50 miler on Saturday, December 8; White Rock Marathon on Sunday, December 9.
Of course things can change at any time and life intervenes, so I'll just take it one mile at a time and see what happens.
If you are still here, thanks for reading! I hope to post more in the near future, especially on the progress of the TNT Walk Team.
My ankle seems to be 95% better. I still get a little soft lump on the front of my shin and I can feel it, although there is no pain. But I've been putting in some decent miles at a decent speed and feel good. I recently bought two new pairs of trail shoes (since New Balance discontinued my beloved 781s), Merrell Overdrive and Merrell Octane. So far they've both performed well. The octanes got a good workout their first time out of the box - mud, mud and more mud, but not slippery mud - sticky mud that gives you platform shoes and occasionally flies off in a big chunk. Plus some creek crossings (actually, many creek crossings). The insert of one shoe was moving around so I'll have to watch that.
I also bought a double-bottle pack, the Nathan Elite 2v. Recently my Camelbak FlashFlo bladder got funky and smelly, and I decided to try a bottle pack instead of buying a new bladder. I've always loved the FlashFlo (I bought it when I joined Team in Training in 2003 and have used the same pack ever since, only replacing the bladder once) and thought it was a great pack. It has only one drawback - it's a pain to refill during races. I have to take the entire pack off, and it's hard to open and close the bladder. Also, you can't totally refill the bladder while it's in the pack, so you can't take full advantage of the 45 ounce bladder.
So for now I'll try the bottle pack. I used it for 24+ miles and 5+ hours this weekend with no problems. The Elite 2v has two removable pouches on the sides that I can't use because they interfere with my arm motion when walking; itdoes not have any storage in the rear, just a bungee cord to hold a jacket or something similar. However, I was able to take one of the side pouches and attach it in the back (whether this is by design or just good luck, I don't know). Then I attached my Amphipod pouch to the front and I was ready to go: Clif Shots, electrolytes, Advil and lip balm in the front; cell phone, toilet paper, ID/insurance card and spare Clif Shots in the back.
The big news is that I've been asked to be a Racewalking coach for the Team in Training DFW Metro Team this summer! I've never coached before but always wanted the opportunity, so I'm very excited. I've been attending the last training sessions for the team finishing their season now, plus I've been attending recruitment meetings. The season starts May 6 with Kick-Off, then training starts the following week. So far we have 20 walkers on the team and still a week of recruitment meetings, so it looks like we will have a great team. I can't wait to get the chance to share my love of racewalking and my support for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with the team. I'll keep you posted on our progress.
I'm currently trying to adjust some responsibilities at work so I can travel to my next race, Laurel Highlands Ultra in Johnstown, PA. I did this two years ago and loved it. Unfortunately it conflicts with some scheduled work activity, but I'm trying to get the schedule shifted around.
After that I plan to do three summer runs in Texas (UGH!):
Capt'n Karl's Run - June 30, a 12 hour all night race starting at 7:00 PM
El Scorcho - July 15, a 50k on a flat asphalt 5k loop, starting at 12:00 AM (midnight)
NTTR Night Run - a prediction run on the rugged North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine
After that I'll be training hard and long for the Heartland 100, my first 100 mile race. Then hopefully the Ultracentric 24 hour, then hopefully the Texas Double: SunRock - SunMart 50 miler on Saturday, December 8; White Rock Marathon on Sunday, December 9.
Of course things can change at any time and life intervenes, so I'll just take it one mile at a time and see what happens.
If you are still here, thanks for reading! I hope to post more in the near future, especially on the progress of the TNT Walk Team.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Three Days of Syllamo and Injury
Well, a week and a half ago I completed the Three Days of Syllamo stage race. I completed all three stages within the cutoffs, 93.5 miles in 25:10:27. The course was tough, LOTS of climbing (the RD estimated there was 12,000 - 15,000 of elevation in the 50 miler), lots of tough terrain, some creek crossings, etc. But it's a wonderful race, some of the best times I've ever had on the trails. Here are my final times:
Day 1 (50k): 8:39:34 (course was a little long, about two miles longer)
Day 2 (50 miles): 12:51:33 (course was a little short, maybe three miles)
Day 3 (20k): 3:39:20
In my last hard training two weeks before Syllamo I had some weird pain in my right ankle and shin, along with a raised soft bump on my shin. After about five days the pain and bump were gone so I decided to go ahead to Syllamo and see what happened. My ankle hurt some on day 2 and hurt a lot on day 3, and after the races my ankle and foot swelled up a lot. Yesterday I went to the doctor and everything looked normal, so he said it might have been signs of an impending stress fracture. He said I should take it easy for a couple of weeks (cycling next week, then elliptical trainer, then easy walking) and it would probably be fine. I had hoped to do a half marathon this weekend with my family, then a 50 miler in two weeks, but I will skip those two races and give myself time to recover.
I might try a 100k in Kansas at the end of April, the Free State Trail Ultra, but I'm not going to count on it. I'd rather recover fully than do something that causes the injury to linger. So for now I'll take it easy.
Here are pictures from the race. This will give you a good idea of the course.
You can't search by bib number, so if you want pictures of me you'll have to click on the links below:
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634031&image_id=51
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634031&image_id=160
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634033&image_id=121
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634033&tcount=126&scount=123
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634033&tcount=126&scount=124
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&image_id=169
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&tcount=293&scount=171
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&tcount=293&scount=172
http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&image_id=281
Day 1 (50k): 8:39:34 (course was a little long, about two miles longer)
Day 2 (50 miles): 12:51:33 (course was a little short, maybe three miles)
Day 3 (20k): 3:39:20
In my last hard training two weeks before Syllamo I had some weird pain in my right ankle and shin, along with a raised soft bump on my shin. After about five days the pain and bump were gone so I decided to go ahead to Syllamo and see what happened. My ankle hurt some on day 2 and hurt a lot on day 3, and after the races my ankle and foot swelled up a lot. Yesterday I went to the doctor and everything looked normal, so he said it might have been signs of an impending stress fracture. He said I should take it easy for a couple of weeks (cycling next week, then elliptical trainer, then easy walking) and it would probably be fine. I had hoped to do a half marathon this weekend with my family, then a 50 miler in two weeks, but I will skip those two races and give myself time to recover.
I might try a 100k in Kansas at the end of April, the Free State Trail Ultra, but I'm not going to count on it. I'd rather recover fully than do something that causes the injury to linger. So for now I'll take it easy.
Here are pictures from the race. This will give you a good idea of the course.
You can't search by bib number, so if you want pictures of me you'll have to click on the links below:
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
http://www.printroom.com
Sunday, February 25, 2007
It Had to Happen: My First DNF
Well, it happens to most people, and now it has happened to me. Yesterday I had my first DNF at the Cross Timbers Trail Run 50 miler. Here's the story.
I rode there (TX/OK border) with my friend from North Texas Trail Runners, Deb. I woke up at 2:45 AM, got to Deb's house by about 3:30 and we hit the road. We got to the race start about 5:15 to prepare for the 6:30 start. The weather was really unpredictable; they were saying we were supposed to have rain that night and possibly severe storms during the day. It turns out we had a little mist and light rain at night, and a little rain about 20 minutes into the race, and then the sun came out.
So we all started with flashlights but only needed them for about 15 minutes. After the rain parts of the course got pretty muddy and slick, so of course at 35 minutes into the race my feet slid out from under me on a turn and I landed on the right side. My leg was covered with mud, my shorts had mud in them, and I had some small cuts and nicks. Nothing major, and I wasn't hurt, so I just hopped up and moved on. My hand was soon covered with blood from a very small cut on my thumb, but eventually it stopped bleeding and dried up.
The course is very challenging, probably the most challenging course I've ever raced on. It has lots of hills (10,000 feet of elevation gain over 50 miles) and the hills are generally steep. The race has a tight cutoff: 12 hours. I've done four fifty milers; my first one was about 12:45, the others were under 12:00. So a 12 hour cutoff on difficult terrain would be a major challenge. And this is where I made my most significant mistake.
I planned to do a 13:30 pace for the first half of the race, then 14:30 for the second half. This would give me a little cushion for finishing under 12 hours. Unfortunately, I made a stupid beginners mistake and went out way too fast. My pace for the first ten miles was 12:22, over a minute faster than plan. I tried to hang with some of the runners from NTTR (Lynn, Rochelle, Bill), and I pretty much did for the first 10 miles. But I had no business being up there with them. I'm not sure I could have finished this race at all, but burning up all my energy on the first 10 miles sealed my fate.
After the turn around and aid station I headed back the way I came. There were some confusing intersections on this part of the trail, and I was walking alone, so unfortunately I made a wrong turn somewhere. I saw people on the trail through the woods, but I couldn't seem to get to the trail. Also, I didn't want to "cheat" the distance so I didn't just cut through the woods and get back on the trail; I tried to track back the way I came. Instead I made a big loop and got back on the trail about 0.25 - 0.50 miles before the place where I made the wrong turn. So I wasted time being lost and then repeated a short section of trail! As a result, my second 10 mile loop was a 14:29 pace.
By now the sun had come up and dried up most of the trail. The mud on my leg had dried, and the mud in my shoes had turned to dirt and grit that was irritating my feet. So I changed socks when I got back to the race start at mile 20, then headed out for the 2.5 mile out-and-back that everyone talks about. This is a short section, but for many people it takes twice as long as it normally would. It has many, many hills, all very long and steep. That is the most difficult thing about this course - hills that are both long and steep. If you've ever trained on the North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine, it is like all of the most difficult sections of that trail crammed into 2.5 miles and lengthened. I struggled through this section with dead legs, not thinking I could climb another hill.
I saw a few of the NTTR people ahead of me, most looking good on their way back to the start area and another loop. By this point the wind was incredibly strong! Strong gusts were rocking the trees and raising up sand and dust. It was tough on a few narrow sections of trail with a sheer cliff dropping off to one side and the wind battering you around.
At this point I was debating what to do with the rest of the day. I was certain I would miss the intermediate cutoff (10.5 hours before starting the final 2.5 mile out and back) so I knew I would DNF. I was tired and slightly dehydrated and didn't know how I could keep going. I finally got to the turnaround and the aid station and headed back to the start area. I saw a few people behind me and tried to offer them whatever encouragement I could. The whole time I was thinking that I would drop at the start area, giving me a total of 25 miles for the day.
A little before I arrived at the aid station I ran into Deb. She was almost five miles behind me. Her main goal was a good 12 hour training run (she's training for Umstead 100) so she was planning to do as many miles as she could in the twelve hours of the race. She encouraged me to just stop worrying about the DNF and think of it as a good training run. So I decided to stop at the start area and have some food, rest for a bit, then head back out and do the final twenty miles, getting 45 miles for the day. I had a coke, a cheeseburger and some chips, then filled my bottle and went out for the 10 mile out-and-back. Again the wind was blowing strongly and everything in the start pavilion was blowing around.
The next 10 miles were uneventful, except for the sandstorm. Literally. The sky was a weird brown/green color, the air was gritty, and you could no longer see across the lake. It was really weird. My wife said they had the same thing in Dallas about 1.5 hours away. It lasted about 30 minutes, then cleared up and the sun came back out.
I was slow; sometimes I racewalked, sometimes I slow walked, once in a while I stopped on steep hills. But I kept going, and I was in relatively good spirits. I stopped to eat and drink at the aid stations. I was pretty sure that I was slightly dehydrated because I wasn't sweating much (I tend to sweat A LOT, even in cold weather) and I always felt thirsty. My wristband was dry and when I would wipe the little sweat from my face it would hurt. I had grit in my eyes and mouth and my face was covered with salt, so that was all uncomfortable.
I made the turnaround and headed back. About seven miles from the finish I ran into Deb. She was planning to turn around there and not do the full ten, so I waited for her at the aid station and we headed back together. This made the final seven miles much more enjoyable as we talked about other races and experiences. It really made the time pass quickly.
Finally we were on the last section and headed to the finish. We were actually passed by two runners who had gotten their second wind and were trying to make the cutoffs (I don't think either of them had time, but I think the RD let them go on anyway). Deb and I finally left the trail for the quarter mile on road back to the start. We turned the last corner, made it to the finish and stopped. I sat down, and Antje from NTTR brought me a hot, delicious hamburger. Oh, it felt good to sit.
Deb and I almost immediately got in the car and headed home. After the quick drive home Deb dropped me off at Campisi's where I met my family for a big dinner (fettuccini alfredo and cheese toast never tasted so good). The other diners at Campisi's must have been confused - I was still wearing my race clothes (minus shoes - I had switched to flip flops) and number, and still had mud on my leg and arm and little bloody wounds. The defeated warrior....
All in all, I'm glad I did this race. It was great hill training, and it taught me something about race planning and sticking with the plan. I don't know if I'll do this race again, but I probably will. I don't know if this will ever be a race I can finish as a walker unless the cutoffs are increased. So maybe next year I'll do the marathon, or I'll do the 50 again but just consider it as a training day. I might see if I can get a group together to go to this trail once every month or two for training - in my limited experience, this is the best hill training available in Texas (I've heard Bandera is the other).
If you're looking for a challenging trail Half Marathon, Full Marathon or 50 miler, this is a great choice. Some of the trail markings could be improved, but other than that it is a typically well-run race with good aid and a beautiful and challenging course.
Final results:
Loop 1: 2:03:34 (10 miles)
Loop 2: 2:24:47 (10 miles)
Loop 3: 41:26 (2.5 miles)
Loop 4: 53:51 (2.5 miles)
Loop 5: 2:42:36 (10 miles) (includes break and meal at start)
Loop 6: 2:48:30 (10 miles) (includes backtrack and aid station with Deb)
Total Distance: 45 miles
Total Time: 11:44:47
I rode there (TX/OK border) with my friend from North Texas Trail Runners, Deb. I woke up at 2:45 AM, got to Deb's house by about 3:30 and we hit the road. We got to the race start about 5:15 to prepare for the 6:30 start. The weather was really unpredictable; they were saying we were supposed to have rain that night and possibly severe storms during the day. It turns out we had a little mist and light rain at night, and a little rain about 20 minutes into the race, and then the sun came out.
So we all started with flashlights but only needed them for about 15 minutes. After the rain parts of the course got pretty muddy and slick, so of course at 35 minutes into the race my feet slid out from under me on a turn and I landed on the right side. My leg was covered with mud, my shorts had mud in them, and I had some small cuts and nicks. Nothing major, and I wasn't hurt, so I just hopped up and moved on. My hand was soon covered with blood from a very small cut on my thumb, but eventually it stopped bleeding and dried up.
The course is very challenging, probably the most challenging course I've ever raced on. It has lots of hills (10,000 feet of elevation gain over 50 miles) and the hills are generally steep. The race has a tight cutoff: 12 hours. I've done four fifty milers; my first one was about 12:45, the others were under 12:00. So a 12 hour cutoff on difficult terrain would be a major challenge. And this is where I made my most significant mistake.
I planned to do a 13:30 pace for the first half of the race, then 14:30 for the second half. This would give me a little cushion for finishing under 12 hours. Unfortunately, I made a stupid beginners mistake and went out way too fast. My pace for the first ten miles was 12:22, over a minute faster than plan. I tried to hang with some of the runners from NTTR (Lynn, Rochelle, Bill), and I pretty much did for the first 10 miles. But I had no business being up there with them. I'm not sure I could have finished this race at all, but burning up all my energy on the first 10 miles sealed my fate.
After the turn around and aid station I headed back the way I came. There were some confusing intersections on this part of the trail, and I was walking alone, so unfortunately I made a wrong turn somewhere. I saw people on the trail through the woods, but I couldn't seem to get to the trail. Also, I didn't want to "cheat" the distance so I didn't just cut through the woods and get back on the trail; I tried to track back the way I came. Instead I made a big loop and got back on the trail about 0.25 - 0.50 miles before the place where I made the wrong turn. So I wasted time being lost and then repeated a short section of trail! As a result, my second 10 mile loop was a 14:29 pace.
By now the sun had come up and dried up most of the trail. The mud on my leg had dried, and the mud in my shoes had turned to dirt and grit that was irritating my feet. So I changed socks when I got back to the race start at mile 20, then headed out for the 2.5 mile out-and-back that everyone talks about. This is a short section, but for many people it takes twice as long as it normally would. It has many, many hills, all very long and steep. That is the most difficult thing about this course - hills that are both long and steep. If you've ever trained on the North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine, it is like all of the most difficult sections of that trail crammed into 2.5 miles and lengthened. I struggled through this section with dead legs, not thinking I could climb another hill.
I saw a few of the NTTR people ahead of me, most looking good on their way back to the start area and another loop. By this point the wind was incredibly strong! Strong gusts were rocking the trees and raising up sand and dust. It was tough on a few narrow sections of trail with a sheer cliff dropping off to one side and the wind battering you around.
At this point I was debating what to do with the rest of the day. I was certain I would miss the intermediate cutoff (10.5 hours before starting the final 2.5 mile out and back) so I knew I would DNF. I was tired and slightly dehydrated and didn't know how I could keep going. I finally got to the turnaround and the aid station and headed back to the start area. I saw a few people behind me and tried to offer them whatever encouragement I could. The whole time I was thinking that I would drop at the start area, giving me a total of 25 miles for the day.
A little before I arrived at the aid station I ran into Deb. She was almost five miles behind me. Her main goal was a good 12 hour training run (she's training for Umstead 100) so she was planning to do as many miles as she could in the twelve hours of the race. She encouraged me to just stop worrying about the DNF and think of it as a good training run. So I decided to stop at the start area and have some food, rest for a bit, then head back out and do the final twenty miles, getting 45 miles for the day. I had a coke, a cheeseburger and some chips, then filled my bottle and went out for the 10 mile out-and-back. Again the wind was blowing strongly and everything in the start pavilion was blowing around.
The next 10 miles were uneventful, except for the sandstorm. Literally. The sky was a weird brown/green color, the air was gritty, and you could no longer see across the lake. It was really weird. My wife said they had the same thing in Dallas about 1.5 hours away. It lasted about 30 minutes, then cleared up and the sun came back out.
I was slow; sometimes I racewalked, sometimes I slow walked, once in a while I stopped on steep hills. But I kept going, and I was in relatively good spirits. I stopped to eat and drink at the aid stations. I was pretty sure that I was slightly dehydrated because I wasn't sweating much (I tend to sweat A LOT, even in cold weather) and I always felt thirsty. My wristband was dry and when I would wipe the little sweat from my face it would hurt. I had grit in my eyes and mouth and my face was covered with salt, so that was all uncomfortable.
I made the turnaround and headed back. About seven miles from the finish I ran into Deb. She was planning to turn around there and not do the full ten, so I waited for her at the aid station and we headed back together. This made the final seven miles much more enjoyable as we talked about other races and experiences. It really made the time pass quickly.
Finally we were on the last section and headed to the finish. We were actually passed by two runners who had gotten their second wind and were trying to make the cutoffs (I don't think either of them had time, but I think the RD let them go on anyway). Deb and I finally left the trail for the quarter mile on road back to the start. We turned the last corner, made it to the finish and stopped. I sat down, and Antje from NTTR brought me a hot, delicious hamburger. Oh, it felt good to sit.
Deb and I almost immediately got in the car and headed home. After the quick drive home Deb dropped me off at Campisi's where I met my family for a big dinner (fettuccini alfredo and cheese toast never tasted so good). The other diners at Campisi's must have been confused - I was still wearing my race clothes (minus shoes - I had switched to flip flops) and number, and still had mud on my leg and arm and little bloody wounds. The defeated warrior....
All in all, I'm glad I did this race. It was great hill training, and it taught me something about race planning and sticking with the plan. I don't know if I'll do this race again, but I probably will. I don't know if this will ever be a race I can finish as a walker unless the cutoffs are increased. So maybe next year I'll do the marathon, or I'll do the 50 again but just consider it as a training day. I might see if I can get a group together to go to this trail once every month or two for training - in my limited experience, this is the best hill training available in Texas (I've heard Bandera is the other).
If you're looking for a challenging trail Half Marathon, Full Marathon or 50 miler, this is a great choice. Some of the trail markings could be improved, but other than that it is a typically well-run race with good aid and a beautiful and challenging course.
Final results:
Loop 1: 2:03:34 (10 miles)
Loop 2: 2:24:47 (10 miles)
Loop 3: 41:26 (2.5 miles)
Loop 4: 53:51 (2.5 miles)
Loop 5: 2:42:36 (10 miles) (includes break and meal at start)
Loop 6: 2:48:30 (10 miles) (includes backtrack and aid station with Deb)
Total Distance: 45 miles
Total Time: 11:44:47
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
A little update
I haven't posted in a while so I probably have very few readers left. For those of you diehards, here's a quick update.
I've had a great year so far. I've been doing some good training and getting in some good mileage. I've been doing some back-to-back long walks to prepare for Three Days of Syllamo. I also did the Houston Half Marathon with my brother and his wife (his first half, her second) and I paced someone last weekend for the last forty miles for Rocky Raccoon 100. She was injured but wanted to finish so the forty miles took us 15 hours! But she finished and got her buckle, so I was very happy for her. It took a lot of guts for her to stay out there and push herself to finish, especially since she is a fast runner and it was hard for her (mentally) to walk.
So here are my plans for the rest of the year:
02/14/07 - Cross Timbers (50 miles)
03/16/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 50k
03/17/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 50 Miles
03/18/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 20k
04/01/07 - Texas Half Marathon (with brother and sister-in-law)
04/15/07 - Rocky Hill Ranch (50 miles)
06/09/07 - Laurel Highlands Ultra (70.5 miles)
07/07/07(?) - Capt'n Carl's Night Run (12 hours)
10/13/07 - Heartland (100 miles)
11/17/07 - Ultracentric (24 hours)
12/08/07(?) - SunMart (50 miles)
I'm excited about the year, especially about Heartland and Ultracentric.
Hope to see some of you guys on the trails!
I've had a great year so far. I've been doing some good training and getting in some good mileage. I've been doing some back-to-back long walks to prepare for Three Days of Syllamo. I also did the Houston Half Marathon with my brother and his wife (his first half, her second) and I paced someone last weekend for the last forty miles for Rocky Raccoon 100. She was injured but wanted to finish so the forty miles took us 15 hours! But she finished and got her buckle, so I was very happy for her. It took a lot of guts for her to stay out there and push herself to finish, especially since she is a fast runner and it was hard for her (mentally) to walk.
So here are my plans for the rest of the year:
02/14/07 - Cross Timbers (50 miles)
03/16/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 50k
03/17/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 50 Miles
03/18/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 20k
04/01/07 - Texas Half Marathon (with brother and sister-in-law)
04/15/07 - Rocky Hill Ranch (50 miles)
06/09/07 - Laurel Highlands Ultra (70.5 miles)
07/07/07(?) - Capt'n Carl's Night Run (12 hours)
10/13/07 - Heartland (100 miles)
11/17/07 - Ultracentric (24 hours)
12/08/07(?) - SunMart (50 miles)
I'm excited about the year, especially about Heartland and Ultracentric.
Hope to see some of you guys on the trails!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)