Recovery Status

I'm still here recovering from Syllamo. I'm feeling better but tired. As you'll see when you read my race report, I didn't sleep well during the trip (20 and 30 degree nights camping) and didn't sleep well my first night home, so I'm still getting caught up on my sleep. My aches and pains are mostly gone except for some pretty severe pain in my right knee. It doesn't hurt when I walk on it; it only hurts when I've been sitting and I have to get up, or if I try to cross my legs. I'm going to give it a few more days before I worry.

Also, I've got some pretty bad fever blisters/cold sores! :( This happened to me after my very first half marathon. I guess I pushed myself so hard and got so tired that my body is depleted and the cold sores emerge. They are really uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing.

I'm working on my race report--I'm still waiting on my photo CD from Walgreens (I hate photo finishing at Walgreens, I don't know why I keep going back there) and once I have my digital photos and some time I'll finish the report and get it posted.

I still haven't caught up on all the RBF posts out there (121 posts to read) so I don't what's going on out there in blogville. Hopefully I'll get caught up soon.

In the meantime, here is my tentative race schedule:

Heroes for Children 5k--April 23, 2005 (they actually have a judged racewalk division with prizes, and the race sponsors children suffering from leukemia)
Prickly Pear 50k--May 7, 2005
Heartland 100 Mile--October 8, 2005
Rockledge Rumble 50k--November 12, 2005
SunMart 50 Mile--December ?, 2005
Bandera 100k--January 7, 2006
Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile--February 4, 2006
Three Days of Syllamo--March ?, 2006
Gobi March--April ?, 2006

Perhaps too ambitious. We'll see....

Also, I've noticed that my blog template doesn't look too good with Internet Explorer (I use Firefox so I hadn't noticed it until recently). I'll try to fix the problems, but I also want to highly recommend Firefox for it's functionality, stability and anti-monopoly qualities. Check it out.

I'm alive

I just got home about an hour ago after driving back from Syllamo. I had no cellular connection there (in fact, we had to drive for over an hour before my phone got a signal) so I couldn't post from the race.

Results:
20k: 3:25 (16:30 pace)
60k: 9:27 (15:13 pace)
40k: 6:31 (15:44 pace)

74.4 miles
19 hours, 23 minutes

It was great! I took lots of pictures so I'll post a detailed report with pics very soon. My friends Frances and Marla also finished all three races and felt good!

Thanks to everyone for the warm wishes!

Only two days left--Last Post before Syllamo

Tomorrow morning I'll be on the road to Arkansas for Three Days of Syllamo. My friends from SunMart are picking me up at a truck stop in Rockwall, Texas, and we're all riding out together. We'll be camping at the race HQ.

The weather has been changing from day-to-day. Yesterday the forecast was for possible rain on Friday and then clear on Saturday/Sunday. Now the weather calls for storms on Friday, clear on Saturday and rain on Sunday. The temperatures are supposed to be lows of high 30s/low 40s, with highs of 50-60. Perfect racing weather. There's nothing we can do about the weather so we'll just have to take it as it comes.

I've got my bags already packed, so tonight I'll just do a final gear check. I've got a few disposable cameras to carry in my pack plus I'm taking the digital camera for pictures on the road and at the camp.

Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and support. Someone suggested I make audio posts from the race. I've set up my blog for audio posts but I'm not sure if I'll do it. If I have cellular reception I will post short reports via Yahoo! mail on my cell phone. I'll be back on Monday with more info. and will post pictures and details as soon as possible.

See ya'!

Another ultrawalking blog!

Ultrawalker Dave Littlehales has joined the blogosphere. Always great to have more walkers, especially more ultrawalkers. Welcome, Dave!

Syllamo Update: 9 days till Race Day

The Syllamo Race Director sent an e-mail last night with final instructions on the race. Everything is falling into place: I've prepared my gear checklist, camping arrangements have been made, I've started martialing my supplies, etc. There are 44 racers doing all three races (29 males and 15 females). In addition, there are sixteen 20k racers; eleven 60k racers; and six 40k racers.

In the race instructions the RD told us a little about the course profile. Looks like we'll be doing some climbing:

20k: 3,000' (Click here for profile)
60k: 8,000' (Click here for profile)
40k: 4,000' (Click here for profile)

It's not brutal, but it will be a good challenge. By way of comparison, here are some of my recent training walks:

Mission Peak: 3,016' (6.85 miles)
North Shore: 2,193' (17.2 miles)

Here are the elevation gains for some of the more prominent 100 mile races:
Rocky Raccoon: 5,375'
Heartland: 6,000'
Kettle Moraine: 7,685'
Rio Del Lago: 9,000'
Arkansas Traveller: 12,086'
Leadville: 15,600'
Western States: 18,000'
Angeles Crest: 21,610'
Hardrock: 33,385'

(Thanks to the great site Run100s for the elevation information)

So mile for mile the second day of Syllamo (8,000' over 60k/37.3 miles) will have more climb (214' per mile) than all of the above races except Hardrock and Angeles Crest. Of course, 37 miles of climbing is a lot different than 100 miles of climbing.

The challenge in this race is to go fast but not too fast. "Leave something in the tank" is what I keep saying to myself. If I burn everything up on the first two days then day three will be a death march. Luckily the cutoffs are very generous:

20k: 5 hrs. (24:08 per mile)
60k: 12 hrs. (19:18 per mile)
40k: 9 hrs. (21:44 per mile)

If I can't make those cutoffs then either the course is brutal or I'm injured.

So there's not much left to do but wait, recheck my list, wait, plan my nutrition, wait, wait, wait.............

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Updated 3/11/2005 with links to course profiles (see above). Whoo doggy, some steep hills!

Test

I'm blogging from my phone. If this works I'll post short reports from Syllamo.

--

Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.com

Mini Syllamo

As most of you know, my next race is the multi-day race Three Days of Syllamo. Although I've raced farther than the longest day of this race (day 2 is 60k or 37.3 miles; I've done two 50 mile races), I've never done this much mileage over three days. One of my concerns is that I will be too sore from the previous day's walk to successfully complete the next day. So I decided to make this weekend, my last hard training weekend before my taper, a "mini Syllamo." Starting Friday I did three long walks in a row.

Day One: 12 miles
This day was harder than I expected because I had "dead legs." I hadn't trained all week due to lightning storms in the mornings so I'm not sure why I felt like I was dragging. I wasn't fast (which was OK since I knew I needed to go slowly and pace myself if I wanted to successfully complete three long walks) but I did finish the mileage.

Time: 2:24:08
Pace: 12:00

Day Two: 30.3 miles
This day actually went well. I walked at White Rock Lake since the trails at North Shore were very muddy due to recent rains. However, I was able to walk on the dirt trail that other runners have worn next to the cement/ashpalt running trail. So I would estimate that about 80% of the walk was on a surface resembling "single track" with some grass thrown in here and there.

I purposefully took the walk slow because I knew I had one more day to go. I kept a nice even pace all the way through the walk and did not discernibly slow down, which I was happy about.

My only problem on this day was my feet--the bottoms of my feet were very sore, especially my left one. I attribute this partly to the asphalt and concrete, and partly to the fact that the natural slope of the walking surfaces meant that my left foot took more of the force of my footfall. However, the biggest cause was probably my shoes. I've been waiting to have some extra money to buy new shoes. I ordered them last week but they did not arrive in time and I stupidly walked in my old shoes. They have over 550 miles on them, so this was a dumb thing to do.

When I got home I put them in the garage and this week I'll take them to RunOn and leave them in their donation box, along with a couple of pairs of old NB110 racewalking shoes.

Surprisingly I felt pretty good after the walk. I was definitely tired, but I spent the day running errands with my daughter and spent a lot of time on my feet--the bookstore, two grocery stores, an "indoor play area," etc.

Time: 6:28:15
Pace: 12:48

Day Three: 20.07 miles
Today I wore different shoes, some Asics 2080s that were old but hardly used. My left foot was still tender, but the new shoes helped.

Unfortunately, it rained all night so I still couldn't go to North Shore, and I couldn't walk on the dirt trails at White Rock, so all of today's miles were done on asphalt and concrete.

Again I took it slow, but in my second 10 mile loop I started getting that "horse running to the barn" feeling, plus I got a second wind. I turned in some decent splits during the last half, including several in the 11:30 range. When it was finally over, I was sure glad it was over!

Time: 4:11:44
Pace: 12:32

Three day totals:
Distance: 62.4 miles
Time: 13:04:07
Pace: 12:34

I enjoyed my little experiment. Although it wasn't on trails, I basically walked about 20k less than I will at Syllamo, and I did it with a faster pace than I plan to use at Syllamo, and I did it without a taper or aid stations (when necessary I refueled at my car). I ate and drank on the "run" and only stopped three times in 62 miles. So I feel ready! I just wish the race was here.

My taper plan is to do relatively easy walks this week and next week, probably only about 4 miles instead of the normal 6.1. The only exception is that two days this week I will be in San Jose on business and plan to tackle Mission Peak. It's too much fun to resist. Then next weekend I will do about 10 easy miles; the following weekend and the whole week before the race I won't walk at all. Then it will be time to head to the mountains!

I hope everyone is having great racing or training! Good luck and keep up the hard work!

Silly blog games

bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

Ultras in the News

Here are a couple of links to interesting news articles on extreme ultramarathoning:

Here is a good article on Dean Karnazes and his effort to run 300 miles non-stop.

And here is an astounding article on the famed "Marathon Monks" who run 24,800 miles over seven years as a path to enlightenment. And they don't wear Nikes or Montrails and they don't have Gatorade or electrolyte caplets.

Amazing!

Ever felt like walking 10,000 miles?

If so, then check out this Australian couple walking from London to Cape Town, South Africa! They are walking without third party support and are not affiliated with a charity or cause; they are just walking to walk.

They also have a blog.

People can really do some amazing things!

2006?

Maybe. If I can find the money.

Measuring the Distance

Did you ever wonder how they measure race courses, especially trail races? Scott Dunlap has an interesting interview with Dr. David Dreyfuss, a physicist who also helps organize races and accurately measure course distances.

In Memoriam: Hunter S. Thompson on the Honolulu Marathon

Hunter S. Thompson, "outlaw journalist," is dead.

Here is an excerpt from his column on the Honolulu Marathon:

"There are 30,000 of them now and they all are running for their own reasons. And this is the angle -- this is the story: Why do these buggers run? What kind of sick instinct, stroked by countless hours of brutal training, would cause intelligent people to get up at 4 in the morning and stagger through the streets of Honolulu for 26 ball-busting miles in a race that less than a dozen of them have any chance of winning? This is the question we have come to Hawaii to answer -- again. They do not enter to win. They enter to survive, and go home with a T-shirt. That was the test and the only ones who failed were those who dropped out."

Warm, Muggy Walk

This is the second Sunday in a row when the temperature was 63 degrees at 4:30 AM. I can't believe this is February. Personally I'd prefer some more winter weather. Winter in Dallas is usually great for walking/running.

Today I did my long walk at White Rock Lake again. We had some rain on Friday and it was gray and cool on Saturday so I thought North Shore would be too muddy.

I decided to do some hill training, so my plan was to do two loops of the lake; on each loop I would leave the lake trail and do four repeats of Loving Hill. All went well except that I was pretty sore after the first loop. Loving Hill is great training for Heartland because it is a long, somewhat steep hill (similar to the rolling hills of the Heartland course), not a short and very steep hill.

I wasn't as fast as I was last week, but I that's because I was so fast last week and I'm still a little tired and sore from that effort. But today felt like a good effort and I maintained a fairly even pace throughout the morning. So I'm pleased with today's training.

Distance: 26.64 miles
Time: 5:18:43
Pace: 11:58

On a scary note, we had some serious medical drama this week. My wife went to the doctor for her five year transplant anniversary appointment and bone marrow biopsy. After the procedure (she's had at least ten of these!) she fell asleep, then I noticed that she wasn't breathing! She used to have a high tolerance to the sedatives and pain medications they give for the biopsy, but I guess her tolerance has worn off and she was overmedicated. The nurse called a "code" and doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners all rushed in and started giving her mouth to mouth, preparing IVs and breathing bags, etc. They gave her a dose of Narcan to immediately counteract the effects of the narcotics, and after that she woke up and was really confused to see about 10 people in the exam room.

Thank goodness she was OK and there were no long term effects. We stayed at the clinic until well after 7:00 so she could be observed and we could make sure she wouldn't have any further problems. She's doing well now and feeling fine.

What's the lesson to this story? ALWAYS take someone to the doctor with you. I've spent enough time in hospitals with Angela to know of the potential for mistakes, mismedications, lack of attention, etc. I don't blame the medical community as a whole--they are understaffed and trying to do too much. But it is so important to have someone knowledgeable about your personal circumstances and health history to help mediate for you and keep an eye on you. Don't forget it!

Happy training, everyone.

For Those About to Run.....We Salute You

I went out Sunday morning to do 25 miles. I decided to do my training at White Rock Lake on the asphalt/pavement running path since the trails at North Shore were still muddy and I wanted a little break from the mud. We have had some sort of freakish warm front move in--at 4:30 AM on Sunday morning it was 63 degrees!

As I got to the lake I started thinking about the route to run, the distance, etc. I thought about Richard at the Freescale Marathon in Austin, and VJ and Patrick doing the half. So I decided to do 26.2 in honor of their efforts.

As I started figuring out the logistics of 26.2, I realized I'd have to do two lake loops, then almost half a loop before turning around and going back to the start. I didn't feel like thinking that much, so I just decided to do three loops. Each loop is about 9.3 miles, so that meant 27.9. In the end I walked a little short out and back to reach an even 28 miles.

I felt great all day in spite of the heat. In fact, my marathon split was less than one minute slower than my marathon PR (PR: 4:56:57; split 4:57:42). I slowed down for the last 1.8 miles because I was pretty exhausted at this point. I ended up at 5:20:14 (11:26 pace). My marathon PR pace is 11:20. So I felt like this was a good workout; I'm sure if I had tapered and I was racing I could go quite a bit faster. I don't have any road marathons on my schedule but maybe I'll try to do one next winter.

I didn't walk today but will do the normal 6+ miles tomorrow. I really need to start planning my Syllamo taper. Congrats to all the Freescalers!

Distance: 28.0 miles
Time: 5:20:14
Pace: 11:26

I'm still here

I got a comment from someone wondering if I was going to post again. I guess I have been a little remiss. I've been so busy I've been scanning everyone else's blogs but haven't had time to really read them thoroughly or to comment (congrats to Richard on his excellent half marathon and PR!).

Last week I wasn't feeling well so I didn't walk at all during the week. I felt a bug coming on and I knew if I got up early to walk and pushed myself that I would get sick.

On Saturday I went to my niece's two year birthday party. I tossed around the football with my nephews and ran around the back yard. It sure made my knees sore, and I jammed my thumb; it was an interesting shade of purple for the next couple of days. At the party we found out that my brother-in-law is about to do a 14 month tour in Afghanistan. We are all concerned for him and his family (he has a four kids, from 2 years to 14 years). So I'm unofficially adopting one of the nephews and will make sure to be there for him in his dad's absence.

On Sunday I had one of the hardest workouts in my life. Once again we had rain so the trail was muddy. The mud was the slickest I have ever experienced; it was often like ice. In some instances I had to find a branch on the side of the trail to help me get up steep, slippery hills. I fell three times in the first three miles, including two face plants. One was so hard that my Garmin came halfway loose from the strap. Luckily I was able to secure it once the sun came up.

My plan was to do thirty miles. The trail is about 8.5 miles long, so I did one out and back (17 miles) and then another out and back of 13 miles. It was brutal. Some miles, when the trail was relatively smooth and mud free, I could do 11 to 13 minutes miles. But on some of the muddy miles I did 16-18 minute miles. I even tried running sometimes because it was easier than walking.

Then, I managed to jam my toe HARD against a rock--TWICE! I knew it was going to be bad when I took my shoe off but I just kept going. I successfully finished the thirty miles in 7 hours 14 minutes, a pace of 14:28. That felt pretty slow to me, but after reviewing my walking log I realized that it's not much slower than my 50k PR of 7:21:48, a 14:13 pace.

When I got home it took me about 15 minutes to get the mud off my legs and out of my socks and shoes. My toe was just as I expected--fat and deep, dark purple. But all in all I was pleased with the day. It was hard, but I enjoyed being outside and the weather cleared up and was beautiful. For the last couple of days I have felt terrible. Everything was sore on Monday, even the tops of my feet. But now I'm feeling much better and am planning to walk tomorrow morning.

That's about all for now. I hope everyone else is having fun and training hard.

The.Coolest.Thing......Ever......

If you have a Garmin Forerunner, you HAVE to check out this site: MotionBased. It will download your GPS data from your watch and display it on maps. Not one map, but many different maps:

Street
Topo
Photo
Elevation
Basemap (?)
Satellite
Contour

It will show you elevation profiles. It will tell you total elevation gain and loss, highest and lowest elevations, temperature, speed, splits, etc., etc., etc. It will even let you replay your entire run/walk and will show you your movement both on a map and an elevation profile. It is incredible, and the vast majority of the features are FREE!

Here are a couple of maps of my urban adventure yesterday. First, street:



Next, photo:



Finally, topo:



I can't believe all of the information that is available, and it is mostly free. If you use Garmin, you've got to check it out.

Urban Adventure

I had an unusual training experience yesterday. My wife and daughter went to the opera to see Madame Butterfly, so I decided to take the opportunity to do some afternoon training. (In case you're wondering, I love opera and Madame Butterfly is one of my favorites, but this was a Mama-daughter activity). We've had some rain this week so I knew the trail would be muddy. But I also have a maxim I like to remember: You can't choose your weather on race day, so don't choose your weather on training day. Plus, I really do like walking in the rain, and walking in mud is definitely an interesting experience.

On the way to the lake it started raining so I knew it would be messy (and cool; it was 40 degrees). And I wasn't wrong. It rained almost the whole time I was walking; within one and a half miles I fell and scraped my leg, covering my right side with mud. But it was fun and I enjoyed the experience of struggling through the mud.

It began to rain harder and never stopped, so the muddy trails turned into small creeks and streams and most of the time I walked in water that covered my shoes.

My plan was to do 14 miles; seven out and seven back. Everything went according to plan and I was heading back to the car when I encountered a small problem. About 2.5 miles from the trailhead there is a small stream with some rocks placed so you can walk across it. On a normal day your shoes won't even touch water; on a day that has seen some rain you might get the bottom of your shoes wet; on a rainy day you might get water about halfway up your shoes.

On a day that has seen a lot of rain, the creek grows to about six feet across and turns into a raging river about 2-3 feet deep! Uh oh. That river separated me from my car. I waded a little way in and realized that was a stupid thing to do. The water really was fast and I could feel the current tugging on my legs. I couldn't see the bottom so had no idea where to put my feet. I decided I didn't want to become a flash flood casualty so I waded out of the creek. I really had no idea what to do. I found a pretty large fallen tree and carried it to the creek. I thought I could throw it across and either walk on it or brace myself with it. I threw it across the creek and it instantly rushed downstream! I walked along the bank looking for another place to cross and couldn't find one. I was stuck.

I decided I would have to leave the lake and find my way on the neighborhood roads surrounding the lake. The trail had recently crossed a road so I ran back to that intersection. That's right, I ran. I don't know why, but I felt like running, not walking. I didn't go fast, but for the rest of the day I ran instead of walking.

I headed down the road and using the map mode on my Garmin I found I was going Northeast instead of Southeast. There aren't a lot of streets in this area so I had to run where the road took me. I ran for a while in the wrong direction, then I was able to turn right and run away from the lake (still not South, but I felt like I might be heading to a road that would lead South).

After a little while I found a fire station so I stopped and got directions. Fortunately I was going the right way. I followed the firefighter's directions and ended up running on the grassy median of a four lane, 55 mile per hour highway. By this time it was almost dark and I was soaked; I had been walking or running in non-stop rain for three hours.

Finally I started to get my bearings and turned off the highway onto a small, deserted road. That road let right to the lake entrance and I ran the rest of the way to my car. I ended up doing 17.25 miles instead of 14, and I was out for about four hours and fifteen minutes instead of three hours. But in spite of all this "drama" I still had a great time. My only concerns were worrying my family (I didn't have my cell phone so I couldn't call and tell them I would be late) and the hours at the park. I was afraid they would lock the park gate before I got back and I would be trapped. Luckily that wasn't the case.

After I got to my car I headed to Starbucks for a soy latte (a venti this time) and I treated myself to a cookie since I hadn't had any lunch and only brought one Clif Shot with me today (I left my Hammer Gel flask at home by mistake).

---------------------------------------------

Did I mention I set a PR Saturday in the Lake Benbrook Half Marathon? My time was 2:13:55 (10:13 pace), 2:15 faster than my last half marathon (2:16:10, a 10:23 pace) and five minutes faster than last year's Lake Benbrook Half (2:18:51, a 10:35 pace). It's not a great race; the course is kind of boring and they only serve water at the aid stations. I didn't bring enough Gel and ran out of steam at the end. I think I could have hit my goal time (2:10) if I had had more Gel and if I had tapered during the week. I didn't decide to do the half marathon until the Friday before so there wasn't any opportunity to taper.

HILL training

I was in San Jose, CA for three days this week for work. While there I wanted to find a good place to train. Luckily the very helpful and informative Ultra-G told me I should try the trails at Mission Peak, only about 15 minutes from my hotel. So I headed out there yesterday and today at about 5:00 AM.

Sometimes I'm a little dense, so even though it was called Mission PEAK, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. This trail is up, up, up to the peak. There is more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain in less than three miles, and there are almost no flat portions until the trail plateaus toward the top. It was really hard going up and my times were anywhere from 15 to 18 minutes per mile. Several times I wasn't sure if I would make it (tired, so tired....), and I was especially concerned about getting down in time to get back to my hotel and shower before work.

At least I had company during my training--cows. The peak is in a wilderness preserve and they have free-roaming cows and goats, so I saw lots of cows. To entertain myself I greeted them like I would greet a passing runner or hiker. I don't think the cows cared, but I amused myself.

The last half mile was the hardest--the trail is very rocky and, from a running/walking perspective, almost not a trail at all; it's more like a jumble of big rocks. Also, the trail seemed to steepen significantly. Here's a picture of the final approach to the peak.

But once I got to the top it was all worth it. The view was just incredible, a 360 degree view of cities, wilderness, fog and clouds. Here's a daytime view from the top looking toward the urban areas to the west. And here's a view looking toward the mostly wilderness and rural areas to the east. Imagine these views at about 5:45 AM with the sun about to rise over the mountains to the east and not another soul in site. It was so beautiful and peaceful.

After enjoying a few minutes at the top, it was time to go down. This is where things got really interesting. The trail was way too steep to walk down (at least, to racewalk). I really had no choice but to run! And run I did, all the way down (three miles). My times were between 6:15 and 9:00 per mile, all thanks to gravity. A few times I really felt out of control and had to slow myself down before I took a tumble. But I felt great, and when I finally got back to my car my legs felt this great burn, like they had been worked well and appreciated the challenge.

Below is the altitude chart created by my Garmin Forerunner. It is not to scale so the steepness is exaggerated, but you can see that I'm not lying; it's straight up, then straight down.



I was really excited when I read in the Mission Peak brochure that hikers should plan five hours for the round trip ascent and descent; it took me 1:28:15, a pace of 13:41.

So if you are in the Bay Area and looking for a hill to train on, I highly recommend this one. It's very beautiful and very challenging.

Here is a photo essay from Bay Area Hiker with a lot of great pictures of the trail and the peak.

Great Trail Training Yesterday

I had a great training session yesterday at the North Shore Trail. I felt tired, but I was still fast and got faster and faster. Four of my five fastest splits were in the last five miles (of a twenty mile walk). Also, I got a negative split:

1st Half: 2:10
2nd Half: 2:07

My pace was faster than the last three training sessions on this trial even though this was the farthest distance:

12/26: 18.2 miles @ 14:42 pace
1/2: 12.21 miles @ 13.35 (mud and rain)
1/9: 15.25 miles @ 13:05
1/16: 20.3 miles @ 12:53

I'm not sure why yesterday was so good. I didn't change anything--same food, drink, gel, etc. I guess I'm just seeing the effects of my training, and I like them!

Distance: 20.3 miles
Time: 4:21:40
Pace: 12:53

Degrees of Separation?

Check this out! Put in your URL and see who you are directly and indirectly connected to on the internet. Pretty cool. Here's mine:

Speaking of losing things

This morning I lost another toenail, on the toe next to my big toe on my left foot (I lost the same toe on the right foot after Sunmart). I suspect this is a due to the residual effects of SunMart plus my recent trail training. No matter though; it doesn't even hurt.

Guess who's coming to our house tonight?

The Tooth Fairy.

Lela lost her first tooth!

Recent Activities

Training is going well. Sunday I did 15.25 miles at North Shore. It was muddy in spots but overall the trail was great. I got there early again and walked with my headlamp. I love walking in the dark.

I fell once--my first fall ever on trails! I managed to tuck and roll and end up on my back with no injuries. It was a beautiful day with weather in the 40s and 50s and sun. After the walk I got my usual Soy Latte from Starbucks.

After the walk I painted the dining room and sitting room, took down the outdoor Christmas decorations and raked the leaves! Ugh, I was tired......I sure slept well Sunday night.

Distance: 15.25 miles
Time: 3:19:44
Pace: 13:05

Today I did some Acceleration Tempo training. It went better than I expected. My mile splits were:

12:18 (warmup 1/2 mile)
10:52
10:03
10:10
9:55
9:34
11:01 (cooldown 3/4 mile)

Distance: 6.25 miles
Time: 1:05:07
Pace: 10:25

In my last post I talked about about a cold front coming through. Well, it came and went. Today at 4:30 am the temperature was 66 degrees!

I hope everyone is having great training and a great new year!

Artist's Choice™

Have you guys been to Starbucks and seen the Artist's Choice™ CDs, the CDs where a selected artist picks 15-20 songs that he/she likes? Well I thought it might be interesting to see what the different members of the RBF™ would pick for their Artist's Choice™ compilations. If you are interested, you can either post your selections on your blog or leave them in my comments. Here are my choices:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Let The Train Blow The Whistle - Johnny Cash
2. Chez Max Coiffeur Pour Hommes - Serge Gainsbourg
3. Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis - Tom Waits
4. Biggest Lie - Elliott Smith
5. Can't Make a Sound - Elliott Smith
6. Supplique Pour Être Enterré A la Plage de Séte - Georges Brassens
7. Trouble in Mind - Lightnin' Hopkins
8. Take the Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
9. Roll My Blues - Jolie Holland
10. Fruits of My Labor - Lucinda Williams
11. Hell Hound on My Trail - Robert Johnson
12. I Can't Quit You Baby - Led Zeppelin
13. Don't Worry About the Government - Talking Heads
14. Poor Places - Wilco
15. Theologians - Wilco
16. Hell is Chrome - Wilco
17. Anywhere I Lay My Head - Tom Waits
18. Like a Soldier - Johnny Cash
19. Chelsea Hotel No. 2 - Leonard Cohen
20. A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to be Free - Elliott Smith
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Anyone else?

On a walking-related note, we've had a cold front come through today so tomorrow's walk will be chilly. The temperature is supposed to be 27 but it will feel like 17 degrees (yesterday's high was 70). Time to get out the hat and gloves.
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Check out Artist's Choice lists from VJ & Deene.

20k in the Mud

Yesterday I felt fortunate because the rain predicted for the end of the week had not come and was anticipated on Monday or Tuesday. Whoops! Meteorology is not an exact science. When I left my house this morning it was foggy and raining. I went to the North Shore Trail anyway because I really want to do all my long walks on trails--I need to train on a surface as close as possible to my races.

When I got closer to the lake there was no rain and the streets looked dry so I once again felt fortunate. It was still dark so I put on my headlamp, then gulped down a Hammer Gel and headed out of the car. As I did, a light, gentle rain started. I hit the trail and walked carefully since there are some small cliffs at the beginning (the trailhead is called Rockledge Park for good reason) and it was damp and dark. The walk was great--the trails were deserted and the temperatures were in the 60s.

After about mile 4 it started to rain, not really hard but hard enough to get the trail good and wet. And that is where the fun began. I avoided the mud and major puddles for a while, but it started raining harder and harder and the trail turned into a little creek! I discovered two interesting things about trail walking in the rain and mud:

1. Your strategy totally reverses. Normally I look for smooth dirt to walk on and avoid rocks, roots and leaves where possible. But in the slick conditions the rocks and leaves became my friends. They gave me enough traction to get up and down the hills relatively safely.
2. On single track trails, you pretty much have to walk/run in the water. The water gathers in the center of the trail for one reason: gravity. You are subject to the same force--if you try to walk on the sides of the trails, you end up sliding down into the center anyway (and almost falling in the process) so you might as well just stay in the middle and get good and dirty.

The more I walked, the slicker and messier it got. I turned around a little after six miles and never saw another runner or walker. I started to see footprints after the five mile marker on the return trip--it looked like two guys running together, and I could tell from their footprints that they were getting just as messy and wet as I was.

I walked through mud and water that came up over my shoes. At one point I put my foot someplace I thought was solid but I sank down to the tops of my shoes. When I lifted my foot it came almot all the way out of the shoe! I shoved my foot back in but the shoe was filled with dirt and crud.

I never fell until about mile 11.8, within distance of my car, when I came across a guy walking the trail with his dog. We exchanged pleasantries and I tried to make room on the trail for all of us, but I slid and landed on my right side. I wasn't hurt, just muddy.

Back at the car I stomped around in some puddles trying to wash off some of the mud and dirt, then headed to Starbucks for a nice warm Soy Latte. When I got home I sat on the back porch for about 15 minutes to hose off my legs, feet and shoes.

It was a great walk and I'll never be afraid to walk on trails in the rain again! What a blast! It wasn't fast but it was fun.

Distance: 12.21 miles
Time: 2:45:54
Pace: 13:35

Happy New Year! Year End Roundup

Today is a good day to sum up my racewalking activity this year and think about the new year ahead. Here are some statistics from 2004:

Miles walked: 1,854.1
Time spend walking: 14 days, 22h 13m 35s. I spent about 4% of my year walking!
Average pace: 11:47/mile

Number of races: 16
Shortest race: 5k (Dino Dash and Uptown Run)
Longest race: 50 miles (Heartland and SunMart)
Fastest pace: 9:49/mile (Flagpole 8k)
Slowest pace: 15:05/mile (Heartland 50 Mile Endurance Run)

It was a great year and I really enjoyed my training and races and I hope for another exciting year.

Good luck and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you in blog land. Be proud of your accomplishments and look forward to a great new year!

Help Tsunami Victims! Make a donation......

The Tsunami tragedy is horrifying and hard to fathom, and that makes me all the more aware of my good fortune and my wonderful family and friends. If you haven't already done so, please consider donating to one of the many organizations that is helping the survivors. One easy way to donate to the American Red Cross' Tsunami fund is through Amazon.com. Amazon alone has already raised almost $9 million! Share your many blessings with the victims of this tragic catastrophe!

Goodbye, Toenail

I lost the toenail on the small toe next to the big toe on my left foot. This was the last remaining effect of SunMart. There was already new nail growing underneath and there was no pain or blood, so I don't expect to have any problems.

Also, I walked today, 4 1/4 miles. I took it easy and didn't push hard or go long. I'm just trying to get back in the habit of almost daily walking and trying to give my body some time to recover and adjust. So far, so good.

2005 Goals and this weekend's walking

A lot of people are posting goals (as usual, Chris got things rolling) so I thought I would post my own.

I really only have four walking/fitness goals:

1. Complete the Heartland 100 Mile Endurance Run in October.
2. Get a bicycle and do some cross training.
3. Stick with an exercise routine--primarily just situps and pushups, but I want to stick with it to improve my strength and reduce my gut.
4. Lose about 10-15 more pounds (about 5 of those pounds were added this month!).

On a related note, I think I'm going to change my race plan and training plan. I had been planning to do another 50 mile race in February (Rocky Raccoon) and then a three day race in March (Three Days of Syllamo: 20k, 60k, 40k). But the problem with racing this frequently is that I am almost always in taper mode or recovery mode so I don't get much opportunity for quality training.

This point was driven home yesterday when I went out for my first trail training walk since SunMart. I went to the North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine at about 6:15 yesterday morning. It was still dark so I used my new Petzl Tikka headlamp for the first time (it worked well!). I also used my CamelBak M.U.L.E. pack for only the second time since I planned to be out for about four hours with no good place to refill my smaller pack. I also thought I might need to store the headlamp and some of the cold weather clothes I was wearing (it was about 30 degress when I started).

My plan was to do the whole trail (it's a 9 mile trail so out-and-back is 18 miles). It is, in my opinion, a fairly rugged trail with lots of ups-and-downs, lots of rocks and roots, and, yesterday, lots of frozen mud and puddles (I fell once on the ice and banged my knee). I've done this trail before and love it but it can be very hard on the legs. I was in good shape and moving well for about the first 13-14 miles of trail, and my time at the turn around was good. After about 14 miles I started to slow down due to some pain in my left knee and my right ankle (I seem to have a recurring problem with that ankle that I need a doctor to look at). After about 17 miles I was in agony and had to just walk to the finish. After I got home I had some Advil and an ice bath and felt much better.

After thinking about this I've decided I need to take a different approach for a little while. Since I started ultras back in October I've never gone back and rebuilt my base; I've tapered and recovered, but once recovery was over I started high mileage long runs immediately. I think I need to take a little time to rebuild my long distance endurance.

Also, even though I've done three trail ultras, I really haven't trained very much on trails. I'm going to start building my base on trails as much as possible (I can never train on trails during the week but I can do all my long walks on trails if the weather permits). I think part of the soreness I'm getting in my knees and ankle is because I'm not used to the additional stresses that trail walking places on your body. So again I need to take time to rebuild and do as much training as possible on trails.

My plan is to start with some shorter daily walks for a couple of weeks and long walks in the 10-15 mile range for three weeks. Then I'm going to start increasng my long run mileage (increases two weeks in a row followed by a shorter third week). I can't increase by the tradtional 10% because I will never reach ultra distances, but I can increase by 5 miles per week (if my body permits). I'm not going to race in Rocky Raccoon in February. Instead I'm going to focus my attention on the Three Days of Syllamo three day race in March. That gives me slightly over 2 months to rebuild the base before this race. I think this race will be a great training race for Heartland since it will be 74.5 miles on rugged terrain over three days.

After Three Days of Syllamo everything will be focused on the Heartland 100. As I get closer to March I will post my training plan for the 100 miler.

Is everyone else thinking about plans and goals? What's on your horizon?

Happy New Year to the RBF!

Local man needs a Marrow Transplant

The need for Marrow hits close to home. A firefighter in my town has leukemia and will soon need a bone marrow transplant. Think about talking to your friends and family about registering for the National Marrow Donor Program. They could save a life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the RBF and anyone else who stumbles across this blog! Enjoy some time with your family.

Looking for Advice

As you know if you've read my blog for long, I'm really interested in increasing the number of people in the Bone Marrow Registry. I'm on the Volunteer Advisory Committee for the local Bone Marrow Donor Program office, and my wife and I frequently work to encourage people to register their marrow.

I'd like to take this interest to the next level and had an idea that I wanted to bounce off the RBF. I was thinking of asking friends, family members, co-workers, businesses, etc., to sponsor every mile that I walk. By the end of this year I will have walked approximatley 1,850 miles. If I could get people to pledge an amount per mile for every mile I walk in 2005 (I was thinking $.01, $.10 and $1.00 for starters) then every step I take would raise funds for the Bone Marrow Registry. If I could get enough people to pledge a total of $5 per mile, then I would have raised $9,250. Every 50 mile ultra I walked would raise $250!

I would then use the money raised to support local donor drives or some of the drives being organized by patients in need. It costs between $25 and $95 to perform the HLA Typing required to add a potential donor to the registry so one of the biggest problems adding people to the registry is cost.

To increase awareness of the cause and my efforts, I would hand out brochures on the National Marrow Donor Program at races and other events, and I thought I would try to get some custom training shirts made with information on my efforts and a web address where people could learn about what I'm doing.

What do you guys think? Does this seem feasible? I'm strongly motivated to do something for other people, but I've been unable to find the right forum do become active. This would combine my love of walking and racing with my concern about the Marrow Donor Program and the anguish I feel when I read about people waiting for a bone marrow transplant but unable to find a donor (see my sidebar for a list of some of the people who are waiting).

I'm open to suggestions and criticism so feel free to be honest. If you like, you can e-mail me directly (there is a link button on my sidebar). Thanks for your thoughts!

More Cancer Patients that Need Your MARROW!

Check out 12 year old Amy who has started Amy's Army to find bone marrow donors for herself and others in need.

Sukriti is a 12 year old Indian girl who is also in need of a bone marrow transplant.

Megan is 22 and has been battling cancer for three years.

Krishna is a 41 year old mother of two who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in May, 2004.

Kailee was adopted from China and has very severe Aplastic Anemia.

And Sonia is a 15 year old girl who has been battling cancer for 12 years!

Have you registered? Could you be the person that saves a life? Do it today!!!!!

Pictures from SunMart

Here are some pictures from SunMart. For once the official race photographer got a lot of pretty good pictures of me. There's also a picture of me and Frances, my pacing buddy and comrade for much of the race.

SunMart Race Report

It's long and probably boring, but here is a too detailed race report on SunMart. Thanks again to everyone who commented! I do appreciate all the support and encouragement.

On the mend

I'm slowly getting better. I still have a cough and am tired and weak, but I don't have the stuffy nose and headache any more and my throat isn't sore. Also, I'm pleased to say that almost all of the soreness in my legs is gone! I still have a little discomfort in my left knee area but it is getting better.

And I'm still working on my race report. I've been too tired to do much on it but will probably have something posted tonight.

Take care, everyone. Happy running/walking!

I'm sick....

The whole week before SunMart I was fighting off a little bug with vitamins, fruits and vegetables and as much sleep as I could get. It worked and I didn't get sick, but I think now that my body has been depleted I'm not able to fight it off so I'm sick. It's just the usual--sore throat, stuffy nose and head, slight cough, etc. It's worse today than yesterday so I'm taking the day off from work and I'm just going to lay in bed and rest. Unfortunately my wife left town Sunday to help care for a sick relative so I'm single parent this week. But that's OK, Lela and I will just take it easy and watch some movies or read books in the evenings until I feel better.

Sunday was a pretty tough day physically. My legs were really, really sore, and I had trouble fully extending my left leg so I had to walk with a limp. Yesterday was better, but making the transition from sitting to standing or standing to sitting was difficult. Today everything seems to be on the mend and I'm less sore and more able to walk with a normal gait.

I also got three blisters on the tips of my toes. They were pretty ugly--blood mixed with whatever it is that is inside a blister. I think I have 1-2 toenails that are not sure if they want to continue to be a part of my feet but haven't fully made up their mind. And I had some pretty yucky looking chafing in my underarm area. Other than that, I'm in tip-top shape! ;)

This little break will give me some time to work on my race report. I didn't take pictures this time (and I'm glad I didn't or I might not have made the cutoff) but the official race photographers took a lot of photos and some of my friends at the race took some, as well, so I should be able to post some photos soon.

Thanks to EVERYONE for all the great comments and support. It means a lot and I still can't believe you guys read this! Take care and happy trails....

SunMart results

Well, I made it (just barely). My watch shows 11:47:50 (the cutoff was 12:00). But that's 46 minutes faster than Heartland! And the course wasn't "easy." There weren't major elevation changes but there were enough hills that it was hard on the legs. And portions of the course were so rooty that it was tough going--I saw two runners do full face plants on the trail right in front of me.

I'll post more later when I have time, but I'll briefly say that it was really hard but really fun. And I never, not once, thought "No more ultras for me." I have decided to adjust my training and racing schedule, but I feel like I'm in this for the long run.

Before I go, here is one of the coolest things about SunMart: "premiums." At race check in I went through a line where they handed me a large gym bag with the SunMart logo. Then I walked down the line and filled it with stuff! If I remember correctly, I got:

Sunglasses
Pedicure set in a little case with the SunMart logo
Bandana
Disposable camera
Rain pancho
SunMart hat (choice of colors)
SunMart polo shirt (choice of colors)
Portfolio with the SunMart logo (like you would use at work--pad of paper, slots for business cards, etc.)--I'm really excited about that because I can carry it at business meetings and declare my love of ultras

Then at the finish I received a nice medal and a choice of a Tyvek SunMart jacket or an afghan (I chose the jacket). I came home with about 50% more stuff than I took with me!

Right now I can't sleep even though I'm exhausted. I had a lot of soda and coffee for the drive home (three hours!) and I think the caffeine is keeping me up.

Thanks everyone for your support. I'll post more about the experience soon.

I'm outta here!

Off to SunMart. I'm working about three hours today (let me clarify that--I will be at work for about three hours; I won't say if I'll be working or not!) and then driving to Houston for packet pickup. I'll post all the ugly details on Sunday.

Hope everyone has good training and good racing (VJ) this weekend!

Happy Anniversary! Five Years Cancer Free!!!

Today is a wonderful day for my family. Today is the five year anniversary of the stem cell transplant that saved my wife's life. Angela was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia on her 30th birthday, November 2, 1999. She received chemotherapy but she immediately relapsed. The only thing that could save her life was more chemotherapy, radiation and a bone marrow/stem cell transplant; happily her younger sister was a perfect match. On December 8, 1999, her sister's cells dripped into Angela's veins and started rebuilding her blood marrow and restoring her to life. She had a very hard time recovering, including time in ICU, two total hip replacements and severe lung damage that will be with her forever. But she is with us today, and that is all I care about.

Here are some photos of Angela with me and our daughter, Lela. Today I celebrate Angela's life and her "5th birthday" and thank her for being such a wonderful wife and mother!


This is one of my favorites, a family self portrait at the State Fair of Texas. We have a lot of fun together.


Here we are on the Midway at the Fair.


Angie and Lela love the food at the Fair.


Mmmmmmmm, funnel cake.......


The two of us at my last birthday.


Lela and Angela at a "Breakfast with Santa" last weekend.

Congratulations, Angela. I LOVE YOU!

Happy birthday to . . .

Tom Waits, the king of cool. Happy Birthday, Tom.

Marrow Registry saves another life, but others are dying - Join the Registry today!!!

Back in October I blogged about several seriously ill people who were waiting to find bone marrow donors on the National Marrow Donor Program registry. Two of them, Pia Awal and Varun, found matches! Pia's organization has added more than 14,000 people to the registry. So please think about registering. You just might be the person who saves a life. Minority and multiracial individuals are especially underrepresented in the registry, so if you are a minority or multiracial person PLEASE consider registering.

Sadly, Sagarika lost her battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia the day after Thanksgiving.

For more information, go here (in the U.S.) or here (in Canada).

New shoes?

I'm thinking of buying some trail shoes: the Inov8 Terroc 330 (scroll down). I like them because they have a lower heel and less rigid sole. The product matrix even mentions "Trail Walking" and "Long Distance Walking" as good uses for them. They've received great reviews from running magazines and from some members of the ULTRA list. I'll have to balance the checkbook and see if they fit in the budget (where's Santa when you need him???).

If I get them I'll let everyone know.

Houston Racewalker gets nice article in the Houston Chronicle

Here's a nice article on Becky Browning, a wonderful racewalker from Houston. She's a very friendly and generous person (in fact, she's the person who encouraged me to sign up for SunMart and she's putting up a shelter for all of her racewalking friends that will be there) and also a great athlete. Last year she walked three marathons on three consecutive weekends and also walked the Antarctica Marathon. Check it out!

Back in town

We spent the Thanksgiving Holiday in Corpus Christi, Texas, visiting relatives. We were very busy because one of our relatives is very sick and requires a lot of care, so my wife and I did everything around the house to give his caregiver a break. I only managed to do two walks, one of six miles and one of ten. But that's OK since I'm tapering for SunMart.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend.

2x20

This is the last weekend before I start my SunMart taper, so I wanted to put in some good mileage. I decided to try something that I've been meaning to do but have never been able to schedule: back to back 20 mile walks.

I went to the lake early yesterday and started walking just before 6:00 am. The day was great for walking: it was in the upper 50s/lower 60s and overcast; the forecast rain came later in the day, after my walk.

I felt a fair amount of discomfort during the walk (soreness in my legs and ankles) but I was able to walk through it and not slow down my pace; I kept a really even pace for the whole walk. I made two loops of the lake and included Loving Hill once in each looop. The lake trail was packed, as it always is on Saturdays, especially with all the competing marathon training programs (Luke's Locker, Train to End Stroke, Team in Training, Run On, Cross Country Club of Dallas). It reminded me why I like training on Sundays.

After the walk I went home, made a nice warm Latte and soaked in a COLD tub. BRRRRRR! Getting in was agony, but it felt great. I wonder if you guys in the North soak in cold tubs--I bet your water is twenty degrees colder than mine, at least. It would have been refreshing to drink, but not so great to sit in!

Distance: 21.4 miles
Time: 4:27:02
Pace: 12:29

Sunday was identical to Saturday. Same weather, started walking right before 6:00 am, same route around the lake, including Loving Hill twice. The second time was brutal--it was more of a stagger than walking. But I felt good throughout the walk and turned in some great times on the last two and a half miles, including 1.5 miles at about an 11:00 pace.

The lake was much quieter today. I really prefer Sunday training--it's nice not to have to deal with the crowds and the groups that like to run in a mob. Afterward I again enjoyed a Latte and an ice bath. It really helps with recovery--it's made a huge difference in my ability to recover quickly and keep training.

Distance: 21.5 miles
Time: 4:27:19
Pace: 12:27

After yesterday's training we went to see the Moscow Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. Today I'm taking Lela to Chuck E. Cheese. All in all, good training and good quality time with the family.

Yummmmmm!

Clif Bar has come out with two seasonal flavors: Spiced Pumpkin Pie and Caramel Apple Cobbler. I haven't tried the Pumpkin Pie, but the Caramel Apple Cobbler is wonderful! It tastes great. I ate one during my walk today and really enjoyed the flavor.

If you like Clif Bars, check this one out.

Rockledge Rumble Pictures

You can see pictures of the Rockledge Rumble here. I am bib 168. There really aren't any good pictures of me but there are good pictures of the trail and other racers. It was a great day for a race.

Next race

I registered for SunMart yesterday--50 miles. It's only 27 days away! SunMart is one of the biggest ultras in the country. It's also supposed to be a pretty easy ultra--few hills, a rooty but otherwise not too difficult trail. This is good because the 50 mile race has a 12-hour time limit. Since my Heartland time was 12:34:37 I'll need to keep a faster pace to make it under the limit. But I think that the fact that the trail is easier and less hilly, plus my ongoing distance training, will help me meet this challenge. I felt great for 33 miles at Heartland--I think the hills and my failure to eat enough or take gel is what made the last 17 miles so slow. This time there will be no hills and I will definitely eat; people joke that SunMart is the only ultra where you actually gain weight during the race (SunMart is supposed to have phenomenal aid stations). Also the course is four 12.5 mile loops so I will have frequent access to my supplies and snacks.

So basically it will be a challenge, but I'm ready to take it on. I know a lot of other walkers doing the 50k and one doing the 50 miler, and one of the walkers is setting up her own canopy where we can leave our stuff and socialize, so I think it's going to be a GREAT race.

20 miles, hills and no rain

The forecast called for rain today but there was none while I was walking, so it was a perfect day for a walk--50 degrees and overcast. I wanted to walk the trails at Lake Grapevine today but it rained yesterday so I thought they'd be too muddy for a good walk. Instead I walked at White Rock Lake on the asphalt trail and neighborhood streets around the lake. I threw in as many hills as I could--five repeats of a short hill at the beginning of the walk, then five repeats of Loving Hill right in the middle, then a couple more repeats of the short hill before arriving back at my car. I felt a lot of discomfort in my ankles but I still kept a decent pace. Overall it was a good walk and now I feel relaxed and pleasantly tired. I've got some work to do today (which raises the question, Why am I blogging instead of working!?) so the wife and daughter went to the movies and a craft fair. My goal is to finish my work so we can spend the afternoon and evening together.

Last night we went to Medieval Times as a special treat for my daughter because she was good at school. Medieval Times is not one of my favorite places but she loves it! She wore her Halloween costume, a medieval princess, and of course got lots of attention. She had a great time, and that's what matters.

Distance: 20.00 miles
Time: 4:04:20
Pace: 12:13

Guts

This is the face of guts. Chris just knocked down a really difficult marathon, and did it well. Go read about it here.

Lung Transplant Recipient to Racewalk Marathon

This is an incredible story. A man who received a double lung transplant is racewalking his first marathon; he will be accompanied by the father of the 14 year old daughter whose lungs were donated. It's such a difficult story to read--there is so much pain in the world, but it is always so amazing when people can draw some strength from the pain. The story also reminds me of my wife, who has an emphysema-like condition due to her bone marrow transplant and who had two hip replacements due to long-term steroid use (just like the transplant recipient in this article). Life is so tenuous. I hope everyone spends some time with their families today.

Unexpected Tempo Training

Today I went out to do an easy 6+ miles; this was my first walk since the 50k on Saturday.

My normal route is to walk about .55 miles to the track near my house, then do 5 miles on the track, then .55 miles back home. Normally the first half mile is pretty slow as I warm up and work out the kinks. But today I looked at my Garmin and noticed that I was doing an 11:30 mile. That's not very fast for me, but it is faster than normal for the first warm up half mile. Once I got to the track I kept a nice steady pace; I didn't push very hard, but I did try to keep a strong form and quick step. My first mile on the track was 10:30! I was really surprised--this is almost equal to my half marathon PR pace (10:24).

I just kept walking at a strong pace, not really knowing what to expect. My next mile was 10:11!! This is faster than my 15k PR pace (10:15). Well now I was intriguted to see how fast I could go. I was really surprised by the speed because I was still in "recovery" mode after the 50k.

My next three miles were 9:41, 9:51, 9:44!!! Better than my 5 mile, 8k and 5k PR paces. If this had been a race I would have beat my 5k PR!

So wow, I don't know what to say. I know a fellow racewalker who always talks about the theories of a German physiologist (named Von Aachen?? I don't know the spelling) who expounded on the benefits of Long Slow Distance for both speed and endurance. I guess the long distances, plus the difficult terrain of the trails, has strengthened my leg muscles and increased my foot turnover. I also think the difficult trail terrain has strengthened my feet and ankles and given me a more powerful toe off, which is a significant aid in racewalking.

So for all you speed hounds out there, don't neglect LSD. It just might make you faster!

Distance: 6.15 miles
Time: 1:03:53
Pace: 10:23

Worldwide Running Blog Map!

Mark has put together a REALLY cool world map where he will post the locations of all running and walking bloggers. If you'd like to participate, read his instructions here.

Check it out, it's pretty cool!

Rockledge Rumble Results

The official results were sent out to the ULTRA mailing list (they aren't posted to the web yet). I finished 45th out of 60. I seem to consistently finish toward the top of the final third of the pack! I gained ground as the race progressed--at the 9.5 mile turnaround I counted 10 runners behind me. I moved up two places sometime in the afternoon, then passed three more in the last few miles. I'm happy with that result. I can't wait until the next one--I'm thinking of doing the 50k at Bandera. It's supposed to be a really tough course (you can see a photo essay here) so I'm interested to see how I can do.

Rockledge Rumble 50k

Yesterday I raced in my first 50k, the Rockledge Rumble. The race is run on the North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine. It is a wonderful trail but very rugged--lots and lots and lots of hills, loose rock, roots, boulders.

The race was put on by the North Texas Trail Runners and it was very well organized. There is a 50k, a 25k and a 10k. I was originally registered for the 25k but in a moment of foolish optimism I changed to the 50k the morning of the race.

We started at 7:30 and as we left the start area I overheard a spectator say to a friend, "There go the crazy people." I thought that was a good start to the race.

I decided not to use my Garmin Forerunner during the race because the last time I used it on this trail I lost signal frequently. Since the mile markers on the trail are not reliable and are often missing, this meant I really had very little way to pace myself. I made an attempt to gauge my pace from the locations of the aid stations, but it was too hard to do the math when I was so exhausted. So basically I just walked the best I could and didn't worry too much about pace or time; I knew I could finish within the 8:30 time limit.

Yesterday was not the best day for an ultra. The sun was out and bright all day and the temperature got up to about 80 degrees. Luckily I had lots of liquid with me and my Succeed caps. The aid stations were well stocked with water, HEED energy drink (I don't recommend it but it didn't make me sick) and Coca Cola. They also had the usual fare--animal crackers, potato chips, M&Ms, salty snack mix, etc. I also had a Clif Bar with me and Hammer Gel.

The course for the 50k was out and back on the full trail (about 19 miles), then through the starting area and back out for a 12 mile loop on the trail. It was very hard to walk through the aid station at the start/finish area and not just stop! Also, the turnaround was at the top of a flight of stairs (stairs! After 19 miles of jumping and scrambling and falling and skipping I had to climb a flight of stairs! How cruel!) so I was even more tired once I got there and didn't relish the idea of going back down.

I spent most of my time on the course alone, which is how I prefer it. A couple of times I walked with a few runners and we struck up brief conversations. I was right behind one woman whose significant other met her every chance he could (we crossed a few roads on the course) and cheered her on--it was awesome and very touching!

I was really flagging during the last ten miles and had to slow down. One bad thing about an out-and-back course is that every hill you go down on the way out you will have to climb on the way back, so you know exactly what you are in for. As I started the second loop I knew I would have to do it all again, and I wasn't sure I could. It was about that time that I started eating some Hammer Gel. Lately in my training I've been avoiding Gel. I don't know why, except that I wasn't sure it was making a difference in my performance. But now I'm convinced that it can make a huge difference. As I mentioned above, I was slowing down and very tired on the last loop. I started eating Gel, and with about 4 miles left I got a huge surge of energy--and I mean huge!

The first (and last) aid station is 3.1 miles/5k from the start so I could use it for pacing. My first 5k split was 37:58. My last two 5k splits were 39:26 and 39:13. This is certainly not lightning fast, but I think it's pretty strong for the last 10k of a 50k race. During that last 10k I passed three runners who had past me earlier in the race. I felt like I did at the beginning of the race--I was jumping and leaping up the hills and running down them. Even the pain in my back and ankles had subsided. I can't be 100 percent certain that the Gel made the difference but I didn't make any changes to my eating or drinking habits other than eating Gel toward the end.

I'm going to try eating more gel in my next few training sessions and see if I can tell a difference. Whatever powered those last 10k, I hope I can find it and harness it again in the next race.

The end was somewhat anticlimatic. I climbed the stairs again, but right as I was finishing there was another runner (a man in his 50s or 60s) who was having some medical trouble so I just crossed the line and got out of the way. Fortunately he just needed an inhaler and he was fine. Because of the commotion I didn't get my finisher's awards so I waited until things calmed down and went back up to the finish line. The main award was a baseball cap with the race logo and "50k Finisher" emblazoned on it. It has quickly become my favorite hat! I wanted to sleep in it but my wife wouldn't let me.

Because of the finish line confusion I don't know if anyone recorded my finishing time. But I don't care what the official results say--I know how I did, and that's all that matters to me.

If you are looking for a fun, challenging, well organized 50k, I would definitely try this one. I'm planning to do it again next year on the 10th anniversary--the race director said it will be a special race.

Distance: 50 kilometers
Time: 7:21:48
Pace: 14:13

I'm back

Hi, everybody. I'm back after my little break. Thanks for all the comments on my last post. I'm glad you guys find my blog interesting.

I'll offer a little explanation about my last post. I found that two things were starting to cause me problems:

1. I was spending way too much time on the computer, both at work and at home, reading blogs and the news. Some of this was natural (the election was only days away) but I was really concerned that I was going to find myself in trouble at work if I didn't get more productive, and I definitely wanted to spend more time with my family and less time with my laptop.

2. The news and political blogs I was reading were starting to become an emotional and spiritual drain on me. I use the word "spiritual" not in the religious sense, but simply to say that they were a source of negativity that was starting to become depressing.

To solve these problems, I'm taking an extended vacation from the news, politics and political blogs. I use Bloglines to read all my favorite blogs, so I've deleted all my subscriptions except for my favorite blogs in the RBF. Politics is important, but right now the tone in the U.S. is so negative and dishonest (on both sides of the political spectrum) that I'd rather save my personal energy for my family, my interests and volunteer work. I'm exploring several alternatives and will let you guys know when I settle on a plan. I was hoping to coach walkers in the Special Olympics but the local chapters don't have a walking team. I'm also exploring helping with the National Marrow Donor Program or Team in Training, and I've accepted a position on the board of the PTA at my daughter's school. So those things, plus ultrawalking, should keep me busy.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to read my blog and encourage my efforts. It's crazy to think that you strangers keep coming back to read my random thoughts. I really do appreciate it.

Off the grid

Hey everybody, I'm out of here for a while, taking a break from blogging. I've enjoyed reading about everyone's successes, struggles, thoughts and concerns. It's a crazy world out there, and it's not getting any saner, so be careful and have fun.

Bloggers! Spread the word!

My wife's life was saved by a Bone Marrow Transplant (also called Stem Cell Transplant, but these are NOT the stem cells that are so controversial right now--these cells are taken from the marrow of healthy, living adults). Fortunately for her, one of her sisters was a perfect match and she was able to have a "matched related donor" transplant. Unfortunately, about 70% of patients who need a transplant do not have a matched related donor and they must go to a donor registry to search for a possible match.

If you are in a minority population your chances of finding a match are dramatically reduced. Stem Cell Transplants can save lives, but only if we are willing to register with a bone marrow registry. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, take some time to sign up! It only takes a prick of the finger and a small blood sample to register your marrow type (called HLA type) and possibly save a life. If you are ever a match, the donation process is simple and almost painless.

I've recently become aware of several people of Indian or Asian descent who desperately need transplants but who do not have a match. Read their stories to understand why this is so important, and why a simple act on your part can save a life:

Sagarika
Pia Awal
Gurdeep Bedi
Hai Bin

You can learn more about stem cell donations at the National Marrow Donor Program website. They have information on the procedure for harvesting bone marrow, information on success stories, and information on where you can register. Sagarika's website also has a very good FAQ on stem cell donations and transplants.

Consider this:
The NMDP facilitates an average of 200 marrow or blood cell transplants each month and has helped give more than 18,000 patients a second chance at life. Each year more than 35,000 children and adults in the United States are diagnosed with diseases for which a marrow or blood cell transplant could be a cure.

Please send this information to your friends and family, and go register yourself. You never know who will be the match. Imagine how you'll feel if you save someone's life!

Go buy this album now

I received the new Elliott Smith album, From a Basement on the Hill, yesterday in the mail. It's really incredible. It continues the direction he went in Figure 8 with some bigger songs and a bigger sound, more electric guitar, some feedback/sound loops, etc. It's also got several of the soft, sweet songs that may remind you of Either/Or or Elliott Smith. Some songs remind me of The Beatles, a couple remind me of Queen, but they are all individualized by Smith's great songwriting and unique voice. I really love this album and have been listening to it non-stop since I got it (right now I'm listening to "Shooting Star"). You can hear some song samples and buy the album here.

One more thing: my favorite song on this album also happens to be the best description of the current U.S. administration: "A distorted reality is now a necessity to be free."

Buy it and enjoy!

Tough Weekend

It's been a physically tough weekend! It got off to a bad start when I worked the "Goblin Golf" game at my daughter's school carnival. You wouldn't think this would be a demanding assignment, but I had to bend over and get the ball our from under the wooden putting green all night, and it was no easy feat! By the end of the night, and especially the next day, my upper thighs were sore. But I did have a great time at the carnival. There aren't enough parent volunteers (has anyone else had this problem) so a small group of us did a lot--prepared a basket for the silent auction, baked two cakes for the cake walk, donated candy and toys for the prizes, setup and disassembled the three kindergarten games, worked the games all night, etc. My wife and I also make snacks every day for 21 students (popcorn, goldfish crackers, baby carrots, grapes, cheerios, etc.). We love doing it, but when you ask other parents for help (or money) you can hear the wind blowing.

Saturday we spent the day catching up on all the things that had been ignored during carnival week--laundry, house cleaning, working on the carpet stains from last week, etc. Then my daughter and I walked down to a local outdoor art festival in the park near our house. She had cotton candy and two hot dogs! I had some baked peaches with raisins and a cinnamon/sugar sauce. Excellent! We listened to some music, she played on the playground, then we walked home. It was a nice day to be outside and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Today I took the rare occasion to sleep in and do my long walk in the afternoon. My wife and daughter had afternoon plans so I walked at about 1:45 pm. It was a good day to walk--it was sunny when I left the house, but by the time I got to the lake it was overcast and occasionally sprinkling (and in the 80s!). My plan was to do 20 miles and to do some hill work, and to do it at a 12:30 pace. So I used the "Virtual Partner" mode on my Garmin to track my pace. I started at my usual spot and repeated some smaller hills around the 0.5 mile mark. Then I went around the lake to about mile 7 and left the lake to walk in some of the neighborhoods around the lake.

Specifically, I walked "Loving Hill." There is a street near the lake called Loving Avenue, and it is a straight, long and pretty steep hill. We used to train here during my Team in Training days. So I decided to do some hill repeats on Loving Hill. I'm not the only one who had that idea. I saw several bicyclists doing the same thing. The square I use (up Loving, then west, north and east back to Loving Hill) is almost exactly one mile and I did it five times in a row. I was really exhausted but I held my pace most of the time and recovered well on the downhills. I hope to keep increasing my repetitions on that hill to train for future ultras.

I also remembered why Heartland was so painful. After Loving Hill I got pretty tired and my ankles started to hurt. But I still had eight miles to go so I had to suck it up and keep walking.

Throughout the entire walk I had stayed well ahead of my virtual partner. If you don't have a Garmin, the Virtual Partner allows you to set a plan (Pace/Time, Pace/Distance, Time/Distance) and then it shows two little running icons and tells you how far ahead/behind you are. It's a good training tool and a lot of fun because you can actually start to visualize this person following you (or ahead of you, as the case may be). Well, after about 14 miles I ran out of fluids in my CamelBak. I had to stop twice at water fountains to drink, and on my second stop that sneaky little Virtual Partner passed me! I had about five miles left and I was really feeling tired, but I wasn't going to let this guy beat me. I stayed more or less even for several miles (but it was a struggle) and then I finally pulled away at about mile 18 and put some distance between myself and my little digital nemesis! I ended up finishing the day 4 seconds below my intended pace.

Something I learned today: I actually speed up on hills! That may be why the hills took so much out of me at Heartland. I found that I increased the distance between me and Virtual Partner on hills, which I thought was interesting. I kept pushing on hills today because that was part of the intention of today's training, but in races I need to ease off and take the hills at a more moderate pace. That will help me last longer and stay strong to the end.

That's all for now. I'm going to get out in the morning for a recovery walk. I want to get my body used to walking while tired, so I'm going to start walking the day after my long walk. We'll see how that goes!

Distance: 20.02 miles
Time: 4:09:04
Pace: 12:26

Great profile of Olympic Gold Medal Walker

Here is a great profile of the career of Robert Korzeniowski, winner of four gold medals in racewalking (including gold in the 50km at Atlanta, Sydney and Athens). The has dominated the sport, especially the 50km, for more than a decade. What an incredible athlete!

Leave No Trace

I recently heard about this organization and I really feel strongly about their purpose and "trail ethic." Check out their site and learn more about outdoor ethics. If you can't join, at least consider adopting their Seven Principles when you head outdoors, whether it's on trails or roads.

Back on the trails

Today was my first walk since Heartland. I got up early and went to the Rowlett Creek Preserve. The Preserve is a mountain biking trail with 11 loops that add up to about eight miles. It's a nice mixture of twisty rooty trail, smooth dirt trail and major ups and downs. The trail can be pretty hard on the legs because the ups are not long uphills but quick, steep inclines. I have to run and jump up them--there's no way to walk them.

I got to the trail when it opened at 6:00 am. Unfortunately, I forgot about the shortening of the days this time of year, so it was completely dark when I started. I tried to walk in the dark but very quickly lost the trail. I decided to head home and get my flashlight. However, I forgot that I had been walking in the moist, dewy dirt. Unbeknownst to me, I tracked mud all through the house. I headed back to the trail, did all of the loops once, then headed back home. I was so dismayed to see the footprints all through the living room. I still haven't cleaned them up.

Distance: 10.02 miles
Time: Don't know--Garmin was all over the map today and kept switching to "Rest mode" even though my pace hadn't slowed

Tonight I took my daughter to the local high school track to work on her Marathon Kids program. Like a classic beginner she went out too fast and had to walk after a while, but she enjoyed it and wanted to keep going. She did some running, some racewalking (it sort of looked like racewalking!) and some regular walking, plus we took a nice break after about a mile and watched some guys playing football. Yesterday I took her to Chuck E. Cheese, hell on earth for a parent but a kid's dream come true. Then we went to Paciugo for some ice cream/gelato. If you have a Paciugo nearby you should definitely check it out. Their gelato is delicious and all of the flavors have less fat than ice cream; the water based flavors are fat free.

Distance: 1.25 miles
Time: A long time!

I'm still trying to decide what my race schedule will be. I think I will not race in December (except maybe a local 5k like the Jingle Bell Run) to give myself a chance to train hard for the longer distances. I may do a 50k in January, then a 50 mile race in February, then the Three Days of Syllamo stage race in March. This is all tentative, of course. I'm not sure what my body can tolerate and will have to build up my endurance slowly. I'm really intrigued by the three day stage race so I really want to do that one. It would be interesting to head out three days in a row for some beautiful mountain racing!

Do your part!

It's almost election day here in the US. Don't forget your role in the democratic process! VOTE! As "outdoor enthusiasts," we have a vested interest in the condition of our natural resources. None of us wants to breathe in polluted air or run through polluted streams. I'm sure we all want to preserve the earth's wonderful natural beauty for ourselves and the rest of the planet. Remember that when you enter the voting booth on November 2nd.