tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66245682024-03-12T23:40:52.019-05:00Walking DistanceEverywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
--Steven WrightAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comBlogger341125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-38529890447326429522008-10-13T17:58:00.001-05:002008-10-13T17:59:42.918-05:00Heartland 100 Race ReportI haven't posted on this blog in a while, but I have a new blog and a new project. You can read about the Heartland 100 <a href="http://beatprostatecancer.blogspot.com/2008/10/heartland-100-race-report.html">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-55220575043187724602008-07-07T10:52:00.003-05:002008-07-07T11:37:02.776-05:00Last Big Weekend Before Capt'n Karl'sThis weekend was a three day weekend and my family was out of town so I had plenty of time for some good training.<br /><br />On Friday I went out to Flower Mound to train on roads. I walked a potential new course for our <a href="http://www.teamintraining.org/ntx/currentparticipants/1390219/DFWMetroFall">TNT</a> group (I didn't like the new course so we'll have to keep looking). The route was about ten miles. I returned to my car to refill my pack and then went out to do 11 more miles on the <a href="http://www.runningahead.com/maps/cfba26e181a54af08b5b27d3e9150546">South Course</a>. I stayed steady most of the workout but started dragging on the uphills at the end. I wanted to stay below a 12:00/mile pace and ended up with an average 11:58.<br /><br />On Saturday I coached the team. I walked and ran with various people on the course and ended up doing seven miles. My pace varied from running 8:00/mile to walking 17:00/mile. As always, training was fun and it was great to be out with the team. The parents of one of our mentors made pancakes after training, and they were delicious.<br /><br />Sunday morning I went to <a href="http://www.dorba.org/trails/trail_guide/garland.html">Rowlett Creek Preserve</a> to get some trail and hill training. I started in the dark with my flashlight, and I got turned around on some of the new trails. I eventually found my way out and did a little over a 10 mile loop of the north side of the park. I stopped at my car to refuel and then headed out for another loop. The problem with RCP is that ten miles is a little too far for me to go without refilling my fluids, and there is no place to do that except the parking lot. So on my second loop I ran out of water and got a tad deyhdrated. I had planned to do one more loop but I was just beat and it was starting to get hot. I didn't want to run out of water again so I called it a day. My pace on the trails and hills was about 13:32 for 21 miles, which is pretty good for me walking on trails.<br /><br />Now it's time to taper and get ready for <a href="http://traversetrailrunning.com/karl.html">Capt'n Karl's All Nighter</a> (12 hour). I would like to get 50 miles but I'm not sure that's realistic right now so I'll just play it by ear. Also, that would depend on how they handle the end of the race. In some timed races with large loops there will be a short loop that can be used for the last hour of the race. That way you don't have to worry about being in the middle of the long loop when the 12 hour limit is reached (you wouldn't get any credit for the miles you completed on the partial loop). I don't know if Capt'n Karl's will have a short loop at the end. The course is seven miles long which means I would have to do 49 or 56 miles. I don't think 56 is realistic. So, long story short, if there is no short loop at the end I will try to get 49 miles. If there is a short loop, I'll go for 50+. I don't know if my current level of training is enough to get me there, but it's worth a shot.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-3917430588710675962008-06-29T21:36:00.002-05:002008-06-29T21:52:38.809-05:00Double Negative SplitToday was a great day! My goal was to complete three laps of White Rock Lake. The lake trail (pavement, asphalt) is about 9.25 miles, so my final mileage would be around 27.75 or so. My goal was to do the first two loops in 12:00 per mile, then maintain whatever speed I could for the last loop.<br /><br />I got up at 4:00 AM and was at the lake and ready to walk at 5:30. The first loop went well: 9.26 miles in 1:50:38, an 11:57 pace. Right on target. I was taking in calories every 30 minutes: Jelly Belly Sports Beans, a Vanilla PowerBar Gel, and part of a Clif Bar. I was carrying water in my Camelbak.<br /><br />I stopped at my car to refill my pack. I ate some potato chips and drank some gatorade.<br /><br />The next loop went even better than the first: 1:49:29, an 11:53 pace. The lap felt a little more labored than the first but overall it was relatively easy and smooth. Again I ate every 30 minutes: half of a PB&J sandwich, some more Sports Beans, then the other half of the sandwich.<br /><br />Again I stopped at my car to refill. I finished the gatorade, ate half of a PowerBar, drank some water, took two Advil and then started my final lap.<br /><br />Surprisingly, this loop was the best of all. I walked 3.75 miles in 44:18, an 11:49 pace. At this point I ran into some friends and a fellow coach from Team in Training, Dave and his wife Meg. We chatted very briefly (I love seeing people I know at the lake, especially TNT folks - it's like a big family). I started up again and felt faster than ever. I was doing a 10:30 pace and realized I needed to slow it down. I finished the rest of the loop 1:02:38, an 11:34 pace! Overall my pace for the day was 11:50, and I felt great. I was tired but not exhausted, and I wasn't sore at all.<br /><br />A big part of today's success was the weather. A mild cool front and rainstorm came through early this morning so the day was slightly cooler and overcast. The temps were in the low 70s when I started and were in the low- to mid-80s when I finished. I don't think I would have finished as strong if the weather had gotten warmer faster.<br /><br />Today's workout gave me some needed confidence going into my next race, <a href="http://traversetrailrunning.com/karl.html">Capt'n Karl's All Nighter</a> (a 12 hour race starting at 7:30 PM on Saturday night, July 19). I still don't know how well I'll do, but I feel like if I control my pace I can feel strong throughout most of the race. I don't have any mileage goals for the race - I just want to stay on my feet the whole 12 hours and avoid any "death march" loops at a sluggish pace.<br /><br />Distance: 27.65 miles<br />Time: 5:27:03<br />Pace: 11:50Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-53664527771963176172008-06-08T19:03:00.001-05:002008-06-08T19:03:54.471-05:00I'm backNot sure why, when or for how long, but for now I'm back walking.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-34350033514296712562007-06-27T18:06:00.000-05:002007-06-27T18:09:24.324-05:00Big newsWell, 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 <a href="http://makethepath.blogspot.com">here</a>. 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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-75177297318396987032007-06-04T09:51:00.000-05:002007-06-04T09:54:26.609-05:00Brief Race Report: FANS 17 HourWait, 17 hour? Wasn't this a 24 hour race? Umm, yeah, it was supposed to be.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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:<br /><br /><a href="http://julieberg.blogspot.com/">http://julieberg.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-81670234019993053692007-06-01T08:46:00.000-05:002007-06-01T08:58:49.697-05:00It's time to do itWell, 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.<br /><br />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:<br /><br /><ul><li>2 short sleeve shirts</li><li>1 long sleeve shirt</li><li>1 sleeveless shirt</li><li>2 pairs of shorts</li><li>2 hats</li><li>2 bandanas</li><li>3 sweat bands</li><li>4 pairs of socks</li><li>3 water bottles</li><li>2 bottle packs (one single bottle pack, one double bottle pack)</li><li>my usual medical kit (band aids, foot repair, sunscreen, bodyglide, extra shoe laces and zip ties and safety pins)</li><li>sunglasses</li><li>flashlight and headlamp (part of the course is not well lit at night)</li><li>lightweight shell in case I get chilled at night</li><li>2 pairs of shoes</li></ul>I think that is everything, but I'm probably leaving something out. Right now there is a <a href="http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/weekend/USMN0840?from=36hr_topnav_outdoors">chance of rain with temperatures in the 60s and 70s</a>. Hopefully we won't get the rain, but the overcast weather would be wonderful. The worst thing would be lightning because they will suspend the race (for our safety - I won't argue with that) but any time that elapses during the suspension will be lost. So that could kill my 100 mile hopes. But I'm thinking positively right now. A little rain won't bother me, just keep the lightning away.<br /><br />I'll post results as soon as I can. I'm out of here!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-8583248074811763232007-05-22T12:35:00.000-05:002007-05-26T11:52:51.790-05:00Growing the Online Racewalking CommunityI 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br /><a href="http://blueollie.wordpress.com/">Ollie</a> (fellow ultrawalker and all around great person)<br /><a href="http://journeymanphil.wordpress.com/">Journeyman Phil</a> (racewalking and ultrawalking in Australia)<br /><a href="http://cdnracewalker.blogspot.com/">Sarah</a> (fast racewalking up in Canada)<br /><a href="http://digiola.com/wordpress/">Daniel</a> (another fast racewalker)<br /><a href="http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-2SBUhrE7bqgjGtujGptSaJBZ9A--?cq=1">Ray</a> (elite US racewalker)<br /><a href="http://runnerslife.ca/blogs/rachwalker">Rachel</a> (elite Canadian racewalker)<br /><a href="http://baycitywalker.blogspot.com/">Steve</a> (asthma-challenged racewalker making incredible strides in his marathon performances)<br /><a href="http://racewalker55.blogspot.com/">Racewalker55</a> (couch potato to marathon racewalker)<br /><a href="http://people.tribe.net/3fbaf037-b5b2-4e63-9746-e8ceff84f122/blog">Karen</a> (training for a marathon in California)<br /><a href="http://www.kaminy.net/tammyblog.htm">Tammy</a> (another inspiring couch potato to racewalker story)<br /><a href="http://phatgirlwalking.blogspot.com/">Phat Girl Walking</a> (racewalking in the bay area)<br /><br />Added 5/25/07:<br /><a href="http://www.racewalkingrecord.com/">Race Walking Record</a> has a news feed dedicated to race walking<br /><br />Added 5/26/07:<br /><a href="http://fwdmarch.blogspot.com/">Chris</a> (another ultrawalker!)<br /><br />Who else is out there? Make yourself known!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-2759773592350875062007-05-21T14:53:00.000-05:002007-05-21T15:19:16.543-05:00The Bad, The Ugly and the GoodThis post will be about my workout two weekends ago and my workout yesterday, thus the change in the traditional order of the title:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bad and The Ugly</span><br />Last weekend I did some long training at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=white+rock+lake&near=Dallas,+TX&fb=1&cid=32827159,-96731747,9795575407001220728&li=lmd&ll=32.833371,-96.725264&spn=0.035555,0.067549&z=14&om=1">White Rock Lake</a>. 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).<br /><br />This weekend I had to start later, around 9:15 (we had our first <a href="http://www.teamintraining.org">Team in Training</a> 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).<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.nttr.org">North Texas Trail Runners</a> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good</span><br />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 <a href="http://www.fans24hour.org">FANS</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.runningahead.com/maps/b962b9aee2c54b0bb7b9a8bead39d4a3">3.2 mile loop at Breckenridge Park</a>. 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rest</span><br />I did get some new shoes and they are working well. They are the latest version of the <a href="http://www.asicsamerica.com/products/product.aspx?PRODUCT_ID=240005562&SELECT_PRODUCT_COLOR_ID=240014811&TITLE_CATEGORY_ID=250001542">Asics Gel Speedstar</a> (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.<br /><br />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!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-58570602855066981932007-05-19T15:32:00.000-05:002007-05-19T15:33:24.867-05:00Speedy Walking!Big Congrats to <a href="http://cdnracewalker.blogspot.com/">Sarah</a> who <a href="http://cdnracewalker.blogspot.com/2007/05/i-did-it.html">broke 30 minutes racewalking a 5k</a>! Good job. My PR is 31:06 so I'd be eating her dust.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-37401369000419072012007-05-07T11:01:00.000-05:002007-05-07T11:10:46.622-05:00Big WeekendThis weekend was my last final "big weekend" of training for <a href="http://www.fans24hour.org">FANS</a>. 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-18163310084462840162007-05-01T20:19:00.000-05:002007-05-01T20:42:57.914-05:00Les Jeux Sont FaitsWell, 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 <a href="http://www.fans24hour.org/">FANS</a> 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 <a href="http://ultrawalker.blogspot.com/2005/12/ultracentric-24-hour-race-report.html">Ultracentric</a> 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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />While you're visiting my blog, go over and give <a href="http://baycitywalker.blogspot.com/">Steve</a> a big shout of congratulations for setting a TWO HOUR marathon PR. Way to go, Steve!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-86690824192357578422007-04-23T16:45:00.000-05:002007-04-23T17:27:29.688-05:00Yes, I'm Here: New ChallengesIt's been almost a month since my last post. I'm doing well and getting ready for new things.<br /><br />My ankle seems to be 95% better. I still get a little soft lump on the front of my shin and I can <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> 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), <a href="http://www.merrell.com/Shop/Detail.aspx?NavID=FT-O-ACT&PID=11083">Merrell Overdrive</a> and <a href="http://www.merrell.com/Shop/Detail.aspx?NavID=FT-O-ACT&PID=12023">Merrell Octane</a>. 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.<br /><br />I also bought a double-bottle pack, the <a href="http://www.nathansports.com/our_products/hydration_nutrition/elite_2v.html">Nathan Elite 2v</a>. Recently my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Camelbak-Flashflo-45oz-Running-Hydration/dp/B000JO05P2">Camelbak FlashFlo</a> 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 <a href="http://www.teamintraining.org">Team in Training</a> 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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />The big news is that I've been asked to be a Racewalking coach for the <a href="http://www.teamintraining.org/chapter.adp?chapter_id=48">Team in Training DFW Metro Team</a> 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.<br /><br />I'm currently trying to adjust some responsibilities at work so I can travel to my next race, <a href="http://www.laurelultra.com">Laurel Highlands Ultra</a> in Johnstown, PA. I did this <a href="http://www.geocities.com/marshall/blog/lhtr2005.htm">two years ago</a> and loved it. Unfortunately it conflicts with some scheduled work activity, but I'm trying to get the schedule shifted around.<br /><br />After that I plan to do three summer runs in Texas (UGH!):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.traversetrailrunning.com/">Capt'n Karl's Run</a> - June 30, a 12 hour all night race starting at 7:00 PM<br /><a href="http://www.elscorchorun.com/">El Scorcho</a> - July 15, a 50k on a flat asphalt 5k loop, starting at 12:00 AM (midnight)<br /><a href="http://www.nttr.org">NTTR</a> Night Run - a prediction run on the rugged North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine<br /><br />After that I'll be training hard and long for the Heartland 100, my first 100 mile race. Then hopefully the <a href="http://www.ultracentric.net/">Ultracentric 24 hour</a>, then hopefully the Texas Double: SunRock - <a href="http://www.petroleumwholesale.com/sunmart.web/race/default.aspx">SunMart 50 miler</a> on Saturday, December 8; <a href="http://www.runtherock.com">White Rock Marathon</a> on Sunday, December 9. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-7519318128118847462007-03-27T10:05:00.000-05:002007-03-27T10:16:53.969-05:00Three Days of Syllamo and InjuryWell, a week and a half ago I completed the <a href="http://3daysofsyllamo.org/">Three Days of Syllamo</a> 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:<br /><br />Day 1 (50k): 8:39:34 (course was a little long, about two miles longer)<br />Day 2 (50 miles): 12:51:33 (course was a little short, maybe three miles)<br />Day 3 (20k): 3:39:20<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I might try a 100k in Kansas at the end of April, the <a href="http://www.psychowyco.com/id1.html">Free State Trail Ultra</a>, 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.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ghome.asp?domain_name=phillipwalrod&group_id=35">Here</a> are pictures from the race. This will give you a good idea of the course. <br /><br />You can't search by bib number, so if you want pictures of me you'll have to click on the links below:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634031&image_id=51" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634031&image_id=51<img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634031&image_id=160" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634031&image_id=160<img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634033&image_id=121" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634033&image_id=121 <img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634033&tcount=126&scount=123" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634033&tcount=126&scount=123 <img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634033&tcount=126&scount=124" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634033&tcount=126&scount=124 <img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&image_id=169" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634032&image_id=169 <img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&tcount=293&scount=171" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><script><!-- D(["mb","http://www.printroom.com\u003cWBR\>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid\u003cWBR\>\u003dphilipwalrod&gallery_id\u003cWBR\>\u003d634032&tcount\u003d293&scount\u003d171\n\u003c/a\>\u003cbr\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid\u003dphilipwalrod&gallery_id\u003d634032&tcount\u003d293&scount\u003d172\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>http://www.printroom.com\u003cWBR\>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid\u003cWBR\>\u003dphilipwalrod&gallery_id\u003cWBR\>\u003d634032&tcount\u003d293&scount\u003d172\n\u003c/a\>\u003cbr\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid\u003dphilipwalrod&gallery_id\u003d634032&image_id\u003d281\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>http://www.printroom.com\u003cWBR\>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid\u003cWBR\>\u003dphilipwalrod&gallery_id\u003cWBR\>\u003d634032&image_id\u003d281\n\u003c/a\>\u003cbr\>",1] ); D(["mb","\u003cspan class\u003dsg\>\u003cbr clear\u003d\"all\"\>\u003cbr\>-- \u003cbr\>Marshall King\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>"Take any group of nice people on a trip; if five bad things happen to them in a row, they will end up as cannibals."\u003cbr\>~Edward Luttwak\u003cbr\>\n\u003c/span\>",0] ); D(["ce"]); //--></script>http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634032&tcount=293&scount=171 <img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&tcount=293&scount=172" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634032&tcount=293&scount=172 <img class="TargetAlertIcon" src="chrome://targetalert/content/skin/new.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=philipwalrod&gallery_id=634032&image_id=281" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.printroom.com<wbr>/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid<wbr>=philipwalrod&gallery_id<wbr>=634032&image_id=281 </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-34607840698310141552007-02-25T10:23:00.000-06:002007-02-25T13:23:37.420-06:00It Had to Happen: My First DNFWell, 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.<br /><br />I rode there (TX/OK border) with my friend from <a href="http://www.nttr.org/">North Texas Trail Runners</a>, 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.umstead100.org/">Umstead 100</a>) 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Deb and I almost immediately got in the car and headed home. After the quick drive home Deb dropped me off at <a href="http://campisis.us/">Campisi's</a> 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....<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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 <span style="font-style: italic;">challenging </span>course.<br /><br />Final results:<br /><br />Loop 1: 2:03:34 (10 miles)<br />Loop 2: 2:24:47 (10 miles)<br />Loop 3: 41:26 (2.5 miles)<br />Loop 4: 53:51 (2.5 miles)<br />Loop 5: 2:42:36 (10 miles) (includes break and meal at start)<br />Loop 6: 2:48:30 (10 miles) (includes backtrack and aid station with Deb)<br />Total Distance: 45 miles<br />Total Time: 11:44:47Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-19200567334502893162007-02-06T10:49:00.000-06:002007-02-06T16:08:25.763-06:00A little updateI haven't posted in a while so I probably have very few readers left. For those of you diehards, here's a quick update.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />So here are my plans for the rest of the year:<br /><br />02/14/07 - Cross Timbers (50 miles)<br />03/16/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 50k<br />03/17/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 50 Miles<br />03/18/07 - Three Days of Syllamo: 20k<br />04/01/07 - Texas Half Marathon (with brother and sister-in-law)<br />04/15/07 - Rocky Hill Ranch (50 miles)<br />06/09/07 - Laurel Highlands Ultra (70.5 miles)<br />07/07/07(?) - Capt'n Carl's Night Run (12 hours)<br />10/13/07 - Heartland (100 miles)<br />11/17/07 - Ultracentric (24 hours)<br />12/08/07(?) - SunMart (50 miles)<br /><br />I'm excited about the year, especially about Heartland and Ultracentric.<br /><br />Hope to see some of you guys on the trails!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-11144369580090061952007-01-09T09:29:00.000-06:002007-01-09T09:30:13.643-06:00New Music GoodnessNew to me, at least. I'm in love with <a href="http://deerhoof.killrockstars.com/">Deerhoof</a>:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hx8pjdLzzi4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hx8pjdLzzi4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-55662743374875105792006-12-31T12:50:00.000-06:002007-01-01T11:08:23.012-06:002006 Year in Review - A Year for RebuildingWell, it's that time again, time to review what happened in 2006. (Here are my summaries of <a href="http://ultrawalker.blogspot.com/2004/12/happy-new-year-year-end-roundup.html">2004</a> and <a href="http://ultrawalker.blogspot.com/2005/12/2005-year-in-review.html">2005</a>).<br /><br />Miles walked: 1,347.1<br />Time spent walking: 11 days, 2h 24m 19s.<br />Average pace: 13:24/mile<br /><br />Number of races: 5<br />Shortest race: Bunny Boogie Fun Run 5k<br />Longest race: <a href="http://ultrawalker.blogspot.com/2006/12/sunmart-2006-race-report.html">SunMart 50 mile</a><br />Fastest pace: 10:01/mile (Bunny Boogie Fun Run 5k)<br />Slowest pace: 13:27/mile (<a href="http://ultrawalker.blogspot.com/2006/12/sunmart-2006-race-report.html">SunMart 50 mile</a>)<br />PRs: 5k, Marathon, 50 mile<br />DNFs: 0<br />DNSs: 2 (Rocky Raccoon 100 [flu], Houston Ultra Weekend 24 hour [death in family])<br /><br />Miles cycled: 914.4<br /><br />Well, this is not a great report, but it is what it is. I had a hard time getting my year started and encountered some difficulties early on that made my training suffer. In 2004 and 2005 I walked over 1,800 miles, but this year I only walked 1,300.<br /><br />But I was able to turn it around and got in some good miles in the last half of the year. I also PR'd at the marathon and 50 mile distances. And, as I had hoped, I got a bike and rode almost 1,000 miles, most of them to and from work. So this was a year to regroup, refocus and rebuild. I feel good about my results in the second half of the year, and I look forward to seeing what the new year brings. My big goal for 2007 is to finish my first 100 mile trail race, the Heartland 100 in October. This was also my goal last year but I just couldn't train for it the way I needed to, so I never registered.<br /><br />I hope everyone had a great year and has an even better 2007!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-30779440740701902722006-12-10T23:17:00.000-06:002006-12-11T09:52:46.195-06:00SunMart 2006 Race ReportSuper Long! Make sure you've had your morning coffee:<br /><br />This was my third <a href="http://www.petroleumwholesale.com/sunmart.web/race/default.aspx">SunMart</a>, and only my second ultra since last year's SunMart. Winter was hard on my training (serious case of the flu, two deaths in the family, extremely busy at work) and I had decided for a time to give up ultras. But eventually those thoughts faded and I realized how much I enjoyed the distance, the trails and the camaraderie of ultras. I completed my third <a href="http://www.nttr.org/html/rockledge_rumble.htm">Rockledge Rumble 50k</a> in November, then geared up for SunMart.<br /><br />I had to attend my company holiday party the night before the race (I'm not a big fan of office parties and was dreading the event). I had hoped to leave Dallas around 9:00 PM for the three hour drive to Huntsville. Unfortunately that was unrealistic and I didn't leave town until about 10:45, arriving in Huntsville around 1:45.<br /><br />On the way I was bored and didn't feel like listening to any music so I scanned the AM frequency looking for interesting or weird talk radio. I found it: <a href="http://www.coasttocoastam.com/">Coast to Coast</a>. I picked it up during a call-in segment, and here was a typical quote from a caller:<br /><blockquote>I know you've always said that you wouldn't use the collective mind-power of your audience to influence the weather, but....</blockquote>And more of the same! Looks like I missed a great show Saturday night:<br /><blockquote> In a special 5-hour show, <b>Art Bell</b> conducted a 4-hour interview with <b>Jim Sparks</b>, who discussed his eighteen years as an alien abductee.</blockquote>I was rooming with TO, a member of the <a href="http://www.nttr.org/">North Texas Trail Runners</a>; in November TO completed three marathons and one 50k on two back to back weekends, qualifying him for a Rutehnium Level membership to <a href="http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/criteria.html">Marathon Maniacs</a>! TO finished the SunMart 50 miler on Saturday, then finished the White Rock marathon on Sunday! He's a running machine!<br /><br />Another NTTR member, Don, had picked up my packet for me and dropped it at the hotel. So after getting my room key and my packet, I chatted with TO for a couple of minutes and then fell fast asleep.<br /><br />But only for three hours. The alarms went off at 5:00 AM. I got dressed and threw on my race clothes and gear, threw my stuff in my bag and headed for the car. I arrived at Starbucks at about 5:45 for a coffee and donut, then to the gas station for Gatorade and water, then drove the five miles to the race headquarters at <a href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/huntsville/">Huntsville State Park</a>. It was 32 degrees at this point, a little too cold to stand around, but perfect weather for racing.<br /><br />I met up with some friends and ultrawalkers from my first SunMart, Becky, Vicki and Patty (Patty is a local DFW racewalker and a racewalking <a href="http://www.walkingandfitness.com/">coach</a>). I chatted with them and dropped my bag with their gear, then chatted briefly with TO and another NTTR member, Bill, then the race started and we were off.<br /><br />Interestingly I encountered two other walkers at the beginning of the race. They said they were from Idaho and had walked the American River ultra in 12 hours and were hoping to do SunMart in 11 hours. This was too fast for me so I didn't make any effort to stay with them. We passed each other a few times in the beginning, then I pulled slightly ahead and would see them on the two long out and back sections (one at about 2.5 miles into the 12.5 mile loop, and one entering and exiting the Start/Finish area). This out and back is one of my favorite parts of SunMart. I love seeing my friends several times during the race, and I also enjoy seeing the front runners and greeting the other racers. I made a real effort to shout out an encouraging greeting to almost everyone I met on the trail.<br /><br />The first loop was uneventful and I was ahead of my race plan the whole way. I gained three minutes over my goal time of 2:39 and didn't feel like I was pushing too hard. I saw TO and Bill and they both looked strong.<br /><br />The second loop turned out to be a good loop, but it felt labored. I felt like I was pushing myself, and I worried that I was going to use up everything I had and not leave anything for the second half of the race. I purposefully slowed down (I planned for the second loop to be 45 seconds slower per mile than the first loop) but I still gained three minutes, so at the end of the second loop I was six minutes ahead of plan but a little bit concerned. TO and Bill still looked good, but Bill had passed TO, who appeared to be struggling a little bit.<br /><br />I promised myself that I would take a little Advil at the halfway point, so after I crossed the timing mat and stopped at the aid station, I popped two Advil. I noticed my hands and wrists were a little swollen. This usually means too much or too little electrolytes, and since I hadn't taken any electrolytes caps I assumed it was too little so I popped two. During the first two loops I took a few Clif Shots, and I ate small handfuls of snacks at each aid station and drank soda or water (for some reason some of the aid stations had diet Pepsi - Yuck! What's the point??? I <span style="font-style: italic;">wanted </span>the sugar). Someone had the brilliant idea of spreading peanut butter on Oreo's, then topping the whole thing off with M&Ms; I started referring to it as Redneck Gu!<br /><br />Loop three felt good, but it turned out to be my slowest loop and far below my goal. I had planned loops two and three to be at the same pace, but loop three was nine minutes slower than loop two; I lost all of the six minutes I had gained, plus an additional three minutes. I wasn't worried because I was still well within the cutoffs, but I was a little discouraged, and I wondered how bad loop four was going to be. What was really weird was that loop three felt pretty good and felt <span style="font-style: italic;">fast</span>. But at least I was only three minutes behind my race plan, and I had more than enough time before the cutoff.<br /><br />About three miles before the end of loop three the two racewalking women from Idaho passed me. They looked good, and while one of them stopped at the aid station the other powered ahead and cruised up the hills like they were nothing. Then her friend passed me trying to catch up. As I entered the start/finish out-and-back I again saw TO and Bill. TO had passed Bill, but they both looked great. I also saw a few other NTTR members on this loop, plus some familiar faces from past SunMarts.<br /><br />After I crossed the timing mat I said Goodbye to Becky (she wasn't racing due to an injury, and her friends were doing the 50k, so I wouldn't see them again), grabbed my flashlight and headlamp and moved out for the last loop. I always love starting this loop as a back-of-the-packer. People are always so encouraging (and a little sympathetic) since they know we are probably in for a darkness finish and some physical suffering. You can also cheer in the back-of-the-pack 50k racers that are less than half a mile from the finish.<br /><br />Loop four is a strange mixture of suffering and excitement. There is a lot of physical pain, and there is usually a look of disappointment on some people's faces (I'm assuming their day did not go as well as expected). But there is also excitement because we all know that we are almost finished and that we won't be seeing each other again. There's a strong sense of camaraderie since the only people left on the course are the back-of-the-packers, who I refer to as the Flashlight Finishers since we will be finishing in the dark. It's a good way to finish the day.<br /><br />I felt good on loop four. I took two more Advil just to keep everything moving smoothly. I watched my watch closely and saw that I was making great time. At each aid station I was moving ahead of my planned time for the loop. As I was walking into one of the aid stations I heard one of the volunteers yell at some racers that were departing, "Enjoy the dance tonight!" and I burst out laughing. It felt good to know that every step brought my closer to the finish.<br /><br />At about four miles from the finish (at the long wooden bridges) I saw off in the distance the two racewalking women from Idaho. They were pretty far ahead so I didn't think I could catch them, and I was interested in trying. I just wanted to stick to my plan and finish feeling good. I was on track for a PR so "beating" someone didn't seem important.<br /><br />At this point the 50k and 50 mile races merged, and I spent a couple of minutes talking to a 71 year old man in the 50k who was coming back from an injury and had recently completed the Vermont 100. He told me his goal was to finish in eight hours, and after a few quick calculations I told him I thought he would do it easily (looks like he finished in 7:54). He was a cool cat, decked out in black with an earring in his ear. His accomplishment was quite an inspiration!<br /><br />Then I chatted briefly with two runners that I passed (one of whom seemed to be having some leg problems) and she said, "I just want you to know that I've really enjoyed your smile all day." I said back, "I figured if I kept smiling I wouldn't cry." She replied, "Yeah, but you were smiling the whole time." That made me feel good - I always try to enjoy the experience, otherwise why do it?<br /><br />Right before the last aid station I passed Bill who was powerwalking but said he was fading fast. Then right at the last aid station I saw the two other walkers! They stopped at the station, but since it's only 2.79 miles from the finish I didn't see any need to stop; I waved at them and kept right on going. Since I was ahead of plan I hadn't had to turn on my lights yet, which also explains why I was ahead of schedule for the loop.<br /><br />I cruised up the hill out of the aid station and passed one more racer. Then I turned on my lights and walked from glow stick to glow stick, and didn't see another soul until I heard the cheers, whistles and cowbells of complete strangers cheering for me at the finish. I crossed the line, gave up my chip, got my medal and my finisher's afghan, then headed straight to the car and straight to the nearest Mexican restaurant. I arrived home at about 10:45 PM, so the whole trip lasted about 24 hours and I was only in Huntsville for about 17.5 hours.<br /><br />My official time was 11:12:55, a little over 14 minutes faster than last year, and about 35 minutes faster than 2004. I was faster than last year on three of the four loops, and walked my fastest loop ever (2:36, a 12:28 pace).<br /><br />I really enjoy SunMart. Sometimes it is criticized because of the inconvenient Packet Pickup (which is about an hour away in Houston, and there is no early pickup or race day pickup), and sometimes it is looked down on because it is one of the biggest ultras and attracts people of all abilities. These things are both true. But it is a well supported race with lots of pre- and post-race food, awesome freebies (this year: large gym bag, race logo polo shirt, race logo technical shirt, race logo technical hat, race logo water bottle, two Hammer Gels, plus the following "cheap" freebies: nail care set, rain poncho, gloves, disposable camera, stuffed bear, sunglasses), a beautiful course, and the wonderful opportunity to see your fellow racers numerous times during the race, to receive and give encouragement, and to enjoy being outdoors and pushing yourself toward new accomplishments. The course is relatively flat but very rooty, sometimes muddy (not this year), portions of jeep road and portions of wonderfully twisty single track. I think SunMart is a great race, and would make a great first 50 miler. The aid stations are almost sumptuous, even at the end of the race, and the whole experience (excluding packet pickup) is positive. I look forward to doing it again in the future.<br /><br /><style>.g {text-indent:3px;padding-right:3px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap;letter-spacing:0;word-spacing:0;background-color:#FFFFFF; z-index:1;border-top:0px none;border-left:0px none;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;border-right:1px solid #CCC;} .chip{background-image:url('http://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/chip.gif'); background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:top right;} .s4{background-color:white;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid black;border-bottom:1px solid black;} .s3{background-color:white;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s1{background-color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#ffffff;text-decoration:none;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid black;border-bottom:1px solid black;} .s0{background-color:white;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid black;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s8{background-color:#99ccff;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid black;border-bottom:1px solid black;} .s7{background-color:#ffff99;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid black;border-bottom:1px solid black;} .s6{background-color:#c0c0c0;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid black;border-bottom:1px solid black;} .s5{background-color:#c0c0c0;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid black;border-bottom:1px solid black;} .s2{background-color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:100.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#ffffff;text-decoration:none;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid black;} </style><table id="tblMain" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><table class="tblGenFixed" style="font-size: 10pt; width: 521px; height: 124px;" id="tblMain_0" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="g s0"><br /></td><td colspan="2" class="g s1">2004</td><td class="g" style="display: none;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td><td colspan="2" class="g s1">2005</td><td class="g" style="display: none;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td><td colspan="3" class="g s2">2006</td><td class="g" style="display: none;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td><td class="g" style="display: none;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="g s4"><br /></td><td class="g s5">Time</td><td class="g s5">Pace</td><td class="g s5">Time</td><td class="g s5">Pace</td><td class="g s5">Goal</td><td class="g s5">Actual</td><td class="g s5">Pace</td></tr><tr><td class="g s6">Loop 1</td><td class="g s7">2:42:00</td><td class="g s7">0:12:57</td><td class="g s8">2:42:00</td><td class="g s8">0:12:57</td><td class="g s7">2:39:00</td><td class="g s7">2:36:00</td><td class="g s7">0:12:28</td></tr><tr><td class="g s6">Loop 2</td><td class="g s7">2:59:00</td><td class="g s7">0:14:19</td><td class="g s8">2:48:00</td><td class="g s8">0:13:26</td><td class="g s7">2:49:00</td><td class="g s7">2:46:00</td><td class="g s7">0:13:16</td></tr><tr><td class="g s6">Loop 3</td><td class="g s7">3:06:00</td><td class="g s7">0:14:52</td><td class="g s8">2:49:00</td><td class="g s8">0:13:31</td><td class="g s7">2:49:00</td><td class="g s7">2:55:00</td><td class="g s7">0:14:00</td></tr><tr><td class="g s6">Loop 4</td><td class="g s7">2:59:00</td><td class="g s7">0:14:19</td><td class="g s8">3:06:00</td><td class="g s8">0:14:52</td><td class="g s7">3:01:00</td><td class="g s7">2:54:00</td><td class="g s7">0:13:55</td></tr><tr><td class="g s6">Total</td><td class="g s7">11:47:50</td><td class="g s7">0:14:09</td><td class="g s8">11:27:04</td><td class="g s8">0:13:44</td><td class="g s7">11:18:00</td><td class="g s7">11:12:55</td><td class="g s7">0:13:28</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-52465871895981353982006-12-10T16:19:00.000-06:002006-12-10T16:21:32.906-06:00SunMart PRI had a great day at SunMart yesterday. I'll post a report soon, but for now my finishing time was 11:12:55, about a 14 minute PR. I beat my goal time on three of the four loops. The weather was great and I couldn't have asked for a better day to race.<br /><br />More soon.....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-27205156559401945902006-12-07T08:31:00.000-06:002006-12-07T08:36:20.444-06:00Tom Waits and SunMart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AMl1p_1IaRM/RXgmvaOii5I/AAAAAAAAAAM/3GLAsDuzzQA/s1600-h/diner_tom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AMl1p_1IaRM/RXgmvaOii5I/AAAAAAAAAAM/3GLAsDuzzQA/s320/diner_tom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5005793581758319506" border="0" /></a><br />No, Tom Waits will NOT be at SunMart (but wouldn't THAT be cool!). It's Tom's 57th birthday. Happy Birthday to the most innovative musician in American music today!<br /><br />Tomorrow night, <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> my company Holiday party (uggh!) I'm heading to Huntsville, Texas for <a href="http://www.petroleumwholesale.com/sunmart.web/race/default.aspx">SunMart</a>. This will be my third year in a row. My training has been spotty so I don't have any major goals for the race other than making the cutoffs and finishing (and having a good time). My bags are all packed, my flashlights are tested, my gel is ready, my Advil is stashed in my pack, all is ready. Just need to make the drive, then get up early and hit the trails. I'll post my results on Sunday.<br /><br />Good Luck to <a href="http://oneinchahead.blogspot.com/">Ed</a> at the White Rock Marathon, and to anyone else racing this weekend.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-1164140027631301612006-11-21T14:03:00.000-06:002006-11-21T14:13:47.700-06:00Is Wal-Mart Green?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ufcw655.com/images/WalMartBadNeighborindex.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://ufcw655.com/images/WalMartBadNeighborindex.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />"It makes scant difference whether Wal-Mart starts stocking organic food or not, because the real problem is the imperative to ship products all over the world, sell them in vast, downtown-destroying complexes, and push prices so low that neither workers nor responsible suppliers can prosper. (In fact, Wal-Mart's decision to sell organic food will almost certainly mean the final consolidation of the industry into the hands of a few huge growers that ship their produce across thousands of miles -- not to mention that the people ringing up the organic groceries will still make below-poverty wages and taxpayers will still be footing the bill for their health care. There's something gross about buying a healthy carrot from a sick company.)"<br /><br />~Bill McKibben, <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/11/hype_vs_hope.html">Hype vs. Hope</a>, Mother Jones MagazineAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-1163295473621003512006-11-11T19:25:00.000-06:002006-11-13T14:35:46.583-06:00Good Day to RumbleMan, what a race. It was about 45 degrees at the start, which was freezing while waiting for the race to start but was perfect racing weather. At first my legs felt like lead because I was so cold, but I eventually warmed up.<br /><br />Since I did a marathon two weeks ago I didn't have any goals for this race - just finish and have a good time. I half-heartedly used my watch but didn't obsess - just eat, drink, and be merry (and keep walking). Turns out I had a GREAT, GREAT race. I've done this race three years in a row and this was my fastest time ever - by 39 minutes! That's right, I beat my fastest time on this course by 39:39, and I walked my second fastest 50k time ever (although I don't trust my 50k PR, I think the course was short). I broke 13:00 per mile (12:57) which makes me very happy because this is a very rugged course with lots of ups and downs.<br /><br />So tonight I'm on cloud nine. And I don't feel sore at all, just tired!<br /><br />It was a great day, and I saw a lot of good friends at the race (I got hugged at all three aid stations, which is always nice!). And my race number was 69, which got me lots of ribald comments, especially at the aid station staffed by the Harley riders. And as I was finishing they announced me as the first racewalker (there wasn't a racewalking division) and mentioned I was a member of the club (<a href="http://www.nttr.org">North Texas Trail Runners</a>). I got a nice marble finishers award and a custom-made ale (Mud and Guts Ale) specifically for finishers of this race (for the expiration date, it says "Drink Before <a href="http://www.ws100.com/">Western States</a>").<br /><br />So yes, a good day, a great day. Now I'm going to drink some <a href="http://www.shiner.com/beers/beers-hefe.html">Shiner Hefeweizen</a> (if you're from Texas, you'll know), watch a movie and drift off to sleep.<br /><br />Distance: 50 km<br />Time: 6:42:08<br />Pace: 12:57Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-1163080072070019972006-11-09T07:43:00.000-06:002006-11-09T07:47:52.090-06:00Are you ready to Rumble?<a href="http://www.nttr.org/html/rockledge_rumble.htm">Rockledge Rumble 50k</a>, that is. I wasn't planning to do this race, but at the last minute I changed my mind and registered last night. As long as it didn't fill up before I registered, I'll be out on the trails Saturday morning for a nice little walk in the woods.<br /><br />I know <a href="http://oneinchahead.blogspot.com/">Ed</a> will be there, and <a href="http://www.breakingthetape.com/runnersusan/">Susan</a> was considering it. Anyone else? Hope to see you there - it's a great race!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6624568.post-1163011677207837132006-11-08T12:35:00.000-06:002006-11-08T12:48:00.336-06:00Things that make me feel.....<span style="font-weight:bold;">Happy:</span><br /><blockquote>Donald Rumsfeld's resignation.<br /><br />Change in leadership of the house (and possibly Senate); I'm not a huge "capital-D" Democrat, but of the two national parties the Democrats most reflect my priorities.<br /><br />Six states had minimum wage increases on the ballot; all six passed.<br /><br />It appears that Arizona will defeat the anti-Gay marriage proposition.<br /><br />All of the anti-choice measures were defeated.</blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sad:</span><br /><blockquote>So many states approved anti-Gay marriage or anti-Civil Union measures (WTF! Why do you care if homosexuals have civil unions. Butt out!).<br /><br />Arizona adopted English as an "Official Language" (they should receive the Failure to Face Reality Award!).<br /><br />That in Texas not a single Democrat running for National or State-wide office received more than 39% of the vote.</blockquote><br />Oh well, all in all the results are good and hopefully we will have a new national dialog and new priorities.<br /><br />I was researching new quotes for my e-mail signature and developed a nice list that I feel summarize my social and political views. So, for what it's worth:<br /><br />"Our modern industrial economy takes a mountain covered with trees, lakes, running streams and transforms it into a mountain of junk, garbage, slime pits, and debris."<br />~Edward Abbey<br />%<br />"It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment."<br />~Ansel Adams<br />%<br />"We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered. A nation can flounder as readily in the face of moral and spiritual bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy."<br />~Dr. Martin Luther King<br />%<br />"The essence of the problem is about consumption, recognizing that a society that consumes one-third of the world's resources is unsustainable. This level of consumption requires constant intervention into other people's lands. That's what's going on."<br />~Winona LaDuke<br />%<br />"Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners."<br />~ Edward Abbey<br />%<br />"The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun."<br />~Ralph Nader<br />%<br />"Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress."<br />~John Clapham<br />%<br />"Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it."<br />~Henry David Thoreau<br />%<br />"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death."<br />~Rachel Carson<br />%<br />"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."<br />~Mahatma Gandhi<br />%<br />"In today's integrated world economy ... eradicating poverty may contribute as much to U.S. security as eradicating terrorism."<br />~Lester R. Brown<br />%<br />"Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat."<br />~William Sloane Coffin Jr.<br />%<br />"Take any group of nice people on a trip; if five bad things happen to them in a row, they will end up as cannibals."<br />~Edward Luttwak<br />%<br />"Civilization is tissue thin."<br />~Iris ChangAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17514266716923777837noreply@blogger.com