Going Back to Cali - Fit for Business 5k/10k

I know I am both
a. old
b. may possible have too much random stuff floating around in my head when

anytime I think of going to California I am reminded of LL Cool J's "Going Back to Cali".  The first tones of brassiness at the beginning of this song were once an ex-girlfriend's ringtone and whenever I hear it on the radio I still have a Pavlovian response to reach for my cell.  Then I realize that was like 6 years and 5 phones ago and I settle back and just enjoy one heck of a song.  It nevertheless always makes me think of a warm and fun place.

I mention this because I am heading back to California again after spending a wonderful weekend in Huntington Beach last month.  This time I get to take part in an inaugural 5k and 10k in Bakersfield, called "Fit For Business!" I was looking for an opportunity to test my legs and see if they had any fast-twitch muscle fibers left as I get ready for as many triathlons as possible in 2011.  Contacted to help kick off an inaugural event by the Kern Economic Development Foundation to be their keynote speaker and run in my choice of 5k or 10k which would do just that was just plain serendipity.

Registration for these races will open March 24th, but I wanted to start getting the word out now for all of those looking for a way to shake off some rust in May, push your boundaries or just enjoy an Saturday run in Bakersfield!

Stay tuned for more information as it gets developed and check out their facebook page HERE for more details as well!

Ironman 70.3 - Boise

I'm in.

Not exactly a Michael Jordan-esque proclamation of "I'm Back" when he came back from his first retirement, I am nonetheless, extremely excited to be making my Ironman 70.3 debut this June in Boise. I will be racing as part of the Idaho Team Beef to show what athletes who live a healthy lifestyle while balancing their diet with Beef can do on the athletic stage.  Heck, I have been doing it for years now already!

While I know I will be nowhere near as prepared as I would like to be for this race, as I will just be getting fitted for my bike next week and have done next to no cycling in my life, I knew the time was right. I have recently begun swimming again trying to regain the form which made me fairly competitive in high school (5:15 500-yard freestyle) all while continuing to run, do book signings, speeches and my normal litany of travel.  Hitting the pool has been extremely hard given I have not and will not be home for a single weekend until mid-April at the earliest but it is challenges like this that I thrive on.

With one confirmed Olympic distance tri schedule for May 1st at St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, FL and another tentatively schedule three weeks after that, I know I will be taking a crash course in all things triathlon very soon. And while I know I have my work cut out for me (some of the leaders ran half marathon times I would be happy to run in a half-marathon alone!) I have every intention on making a splash!


Hope to see you in the City of Trees in June!

Sandbox Indoor Trail Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 6; 4th Edition 
91.7 miles raced in 2011
Race: Sandbox Indoor Trail Marathon
Place: New Richmond, WI
Miles from home: 1341 miles
Weather: 45 degrees; cool (Indoors)

“In that moment I realized the frustration that comes when the body breaks beneath the compelling demands of the will to victory.” –Roger Bannister

For the inaugural Sandbox Indoor Trail Marathon, the first man to run under 4 minutes in the mile had a quote in his book, The Four Minute Mile, which perfectly described my feelings right around mile 20. Here, without warning, I became completely separated from body and learned the true frustration which arises when my body will no longer do what my mind so wants it to do. But I am getting ahead of myself.  I am also burying the lead, as I am known to do. For that, you will have to read on. It is worth it.

My goal for this race was to keep my streak of sub-3 hour marathons alive which would help me in about 15 subsequent goals at the same time.  I was running the race with one of my best friends, Dani Ashford, who I knew was going to crush the competition. Dani was running just her third marathon ever and unless some unheralded speedster came out of the woods, there was no way she would lose. Dani did not share this sentiment, especially given her inability to train as of late because of a busy work schedule, ridiculous amounts of snow in the Twin Cities area where she lives and a soon-to-be-happening move across the country.

On the Saturday before the race, in between signing a book or two at the packet pickup, I checked out the terrain and course with Dani. With the marathon course being just shy of 120 loops, we figured that 90 second loops were necessary for a 2:59:59. Dani, hoping to run a 3:10 would have to average 95 seconds per lap. We tested out the turns of the course which were far more forgiving than we expected they would be, except for one which was far sharper than ideal.  Both Dani and I were employing ICEPSIKEs on our shoes and wanted to see how they would work on this terrain.  Dani told me that one of her weakest skills was handling turns-something one would definitely have trepidation about with a course that had over 800 of them.  Having a decent eye of angles and how to run them I pointed out to Dani how and where to make cuts, showing that hugging each wall would be inefficient in some places and of utmost importance in others.  How well this advice would play out in the next day with dozens of other runners around us remained to be seen.

Anticipating SandBox Indoor Trail Marathon

With my 127th Marathon looming, one could think that the marathon itself may have gotten a little stale for me.  And I have often felt in races myself, "OK, let's get to mile 20 please so we can then really see what this race has in store."  However, I am giddy with excitement about the Sandbox Indoor Trail Marathon which I detailed in a blog posting HERE.

My goal for this race is no secret- I would like to go sub-3 hours for the third straight marathon this year. However, with the unique layout of the course, with what seems to be two right angle turns and no less than 5 curves to go around every lap (of ~105 laps, give or take), is that something I can do?  I have no idea and that is what is intriguing me!

I am also especially curious to see what riff-raff (and i include myself in this description) shows up to run this race.  I think that says a great deal about the character of the people who decided to try out a new race in a new venue in a completely unique fashion.  They are adventurers and experimenters.  You will have some plodders and you will probably have a 2:35 guy who is hoping to mop up the competition is a small-town race.

I do know one of my favorite people in the world will be there - Dani Ashford.  The former Minnesota golden Gopher Steeplechaser will be taking part in her third marathon.  I more or less convinced her to do this one since it is so close to her home.  So even though she is in the midst of packing her life into boxes for a cross-country and the ridiculous amount of snow and cold weather have kept her training down, she is doing the marathon as well.  And she has to be one of the favorites to win the women's race for sure.

Because of the unique surface of the race, I will be employing a product I use for slick footing back home in Salt Lake City called ICESPIKE.  Having utilized them in the Rocky Raccoon 50 mile trail race last year and seeing how they provided great footing but also were unobtrusive at the same time. I thought this would be the perfect place to try them in a race as well.

So there are all sorts of fun and interesting things to look forward to in this race.  it is going to be an exciting weekend for sure!

ING Miami Half Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 6; 3rd Edition 
65.5 miles raced in 2011
Race: ING Miami Half Marathon
Place: Miami, FL
Miles from home: 2532 miles
Weather: 60-70s; Slight humidity, sunshine

I have come to learn the difference in cold weather over the past few years.  Nothing I have experienced in Salt Lake City has compared to East Coast cold.  It is, plain and simply, the humidity.  you hear about a dry heat and scoff but I will take 95 degrees in SLC over 80 in, say Washington D.C. with its normal humidity any day of the week.

After getting reintroduced to weather that hurts when visiting my family in NW PA last weekend (-14 degrees or so in temperature- not counting wind chill) the 30 plus degrees in Salt Lake City when I returned home was downright balmy.  The 60s and 70s in Miami this past weekend were glorious.  But what was so wonderful about this weekend’s weather, at least for me and many other similar runners, was very low humidity in the air.  In fact, the weather conditions were just about perfect.

Me, some guy named Dick or something, and GP.

As is usual, I met a plethora of fascinating and special people at the expo where I was happy to be part of an excellent guest speaker schedule which included my good friend GP Pearlberg.  I saw runners who I had first met last year when I ran the Miami Marathon and got to catch up on how their running had gone the through the past 365 days.

My goal for the weekend was to help my good friend Shannon set a new personal best in the half-marathon.  Having already done two marathons in January alone, her attempt at setting a new PR in the half might be stretching it a bit (especially since she is not fully back from a severe iron deficiency problem late last year and is still getting used to a completely new gluten-free diet.) But I like to help people strive for all they can get.  As Robert Browning said “Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?”

2011's Birthday Run- Vermont City Marathon

Each year, since 2008, I have run my age in years on (or close to) my birthday.  With a marathon scheduled last year the day prior to my birthday, I fudged my own rules as to when the miles could be run and did 34 miles on May 30th, the day prior to my birthday.   This year, I will fudge them an extra day just to make sure that I can have them coincide with my appearance at the Vermont City Marathon on May 29th. 

This marathon will mark my first time ever running a marathon in the Green Mountain State.  Actually it will be my first race of any kind in Vermont.  Actually actually, it will be the first time my feet ever will have been put down in Vermont.  What a great way to spend a birthday weekend!

As of right now I am not sure where the extra 9 miles of running will come to get me from the marathon distance to my 35 years.  I am sure I will come up with something interesting.  In the meantime, I am happy to be looking forward knocking off the 41st state in what should be my 132nd marathon.  

With my presentation on Saturday at the Sheraton Burlington’s Amphitheater I will be detailing and discussing not only my 52 Marathons in 52 Weekends but also my solo running of the 202 mile American Odyssey Relay.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Burlington on Memorial Day Weekend!

Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 6; 2nd Edition 
52.4 miles raced in 2011
Race: Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon
Place: Phoenix, AZ
Miles from home: 660 miles
Weather: 50-70s; Chilly and bright sunshine

I made no bones that I had two goals for this race

1. to run a sub-3 hour race 

2. more specifically a 2:57.   

For those new to my madness, I like to keep myself entertained in marathons by choosing exact times to knock off.  For example, in Dallas in December I ran 3:02 which was the last time between 3 hours and 3:30 I had never run (meaning I have run a 3:01, 3:03, 3:04 etc at one marathon or another somewhere in my travels.)  Next on the list of times not run? 2:57.  I had run 2:58 on three previous occasions and a 2:56 was mine in the Hangang Marathon back in 2008.

Being such a numbers guy I was quite surprised when I learned just last weekend after running a 2:59 at the Mississippi Blues Marathon that of the 76 times I have run a marathon within 7 days or less of running another I had never run consecutive sub-3 hour marathons.  This seemed impossible.  I had 16 sub-3s to my credit, surely two had been back to back.  Nope.  There had been many closer permutations of this but never had I run them consecutively.  Well then, here’s my chance.

I spent the two days prior to race in my usual spot – signing books at the expo.  I was working with Sof Sole for this race as I debuted a yet-to-be-released-to-the-public insole in my K-Swiss shoes.  I spent a few minutes catching up with Steve Scott (the most prolific sub-4 minute miler in the history of running) and also talked to both Frank Shorter and John Bingham.  On the side of the aisle of people you do not know, I once again was privy to the stories about successes and failures ailments and goals and dreams from the assorted masses gathered at this race.  After now more than two years of doing this lecture and book signing circuit, I never get tired of seeing the wide eyes of newbies, learning about the sport itself from people who have forgotten more about it then I know, and laughing at those who don’t realize I am the guy next to poster when they either say “That’s impossible!”

Some of my closest friends in the world I owe to this fantastic but exhausting lifestyle.  And for the thousands I can say are more acquaintances than friends, I wouldn’t want anything more than the fact that they too feel they can share their life and stories with me.  And now that I will be working with Sof Sole at various Rock N Roll races, ones where there is a much larger percentages of people taking that first step into marathoning, I have a feeling the experiences of mine I share with those will be far outnumbered and outclassed by the awesome experiences that get shared with me. Every time I sit down to  new expo, knowing the next two days will be long ones indeed I think: "Here we go again” and sigh.  When I finish I think “Can’t wait to do this again!” and smile.

Mississippi Blues Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 6; 1st Edition 
26.2 miles raced in 2011
Race: Mississippi Blues Marathon
Place: Jackson, MS
Miles from home: 1746 miles
Weather: 30-40s; Chilly and bright sunshine

For the third year in a row, I started my running and racing in Jackson, Mississippi.  And for the first time, the temperature and weather behaved exactly how it should for the deep south in January- darn near perfect.

When I look back over this race it always surprises me of the numbers.  There were just about 700 marathoners in the race.  However, it feels so much bigger.  It feels like you are part of something more important and more special.  With every "Thank you for running in Jackson!" you receive from the volunteers on the course you get this sense you are wanted and appreciated.  From the warm hospitality to the fantastic finisher's medal to the succulent beef wraps at the end of the race (oh so yummy and I am taking credit for that one!) this is a race that should be on your calendar next year.  Period.

Prior to the race I had the distinct pleasure to be the special guest of the Mississippi Beef Council.  Signing books out of their booth I was able to tell those who always wondered how I fueled myself, well, how I fueled myself.  With beef being a major part of my diet, and one that I find incredibly healthful, it was awesome to experience so much feedback from other runners who incorporated beef in their diets as well. And for those who did not, while they are missing out, it was also excellent to hear their viewpoints and exchange information.  It is always fantastic to have intelligent conversations with people who have differing viewpoints but respect each other enough to allow the other to have those different opinions.

The expo itself was a treat as i got to see so many old friends.  This was my 6th trip to Jackson in the past two years.  I couldn't definitely see someone living here for quite some time.  Not me.  Why?  Because I would melt into a puddle during the humidity of the summer.  But if they ever dome this place, I am there!

New Year's One Day Race Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 5; 39th Edition 
1025.4 miles raced; 350 yards swam and 9 miles biked in 2010
Race: New Year's One Day Race

Place: San Francisco, CA
Miles from home: 741 miles
Weather: 40-50s; Intermittently rainy

In 2007, I wanted to end my year of running by doing a race which started prior to the New Year and ran over the 12 o'clock hour.  However, I did not get into the race lottery.  In 2008, I spent the New Year taking care of a drastically flu-stricken girlfriend.  Last year, I wanted to do a fun race on a looped course in Wyoming but two weeks prior the race was canceled due to lack of funds. (I think that was the reason.)  So, I decided to make my own adventure and ran for 6 hours around the park across the street from my house. I surprised myself with 43 miles.  Given the fact I was merely running for fun, by myself, I was quite pleased with this total.

This year, I had originally planned to be in Florida to take on a 12 hour event but life intervened as it so often does.  The race venue changed to San Francisco and the race changed to a 6 hour event, instead. With the month of December being one of the toughest months I have had to deal with in quite some time, the mere fact I showed up on race morning surprised me - especially when travel snafus made what was already going to be one of the most convoluted travel weekends I have ever had (long story) even more crazy.  But, I arrived in San Francisco ready to take on the 6 hour challenge with extreme melancholy making me almost wish a few hours later that I had left my heart in San Francisco. However, I had a plan and a goal and that was to run 48 miles (a 7:30 minute mile pace) or potentially more.

I had previously ran this exact same course two years ago and found that even though there is probably only about 3 feet of elevation change per loop (at most), it seems to be a relatively tough course to do loops around.  Perhaps it is the three 90 degree angle turns and the one even sharper in degrees that add to the level of difficulty.  I know in 2008 it was the very unseasonably warm Halloween weather which took me from hoping to run close to 80 miles to barely eking out 68.3 miles. The weather for this race looked far more palatable but storms were looming.  Regardless, the race needed to be run.  I was as ready as I knew I would be.

1st Hour - 8:56, 7:52, 8:01, 7:58, 7:57, 8:00


The course loop is an uneven distance of 1.06 miles which doesn't sound like it will throw you off much from just a standard mile.  However, it is just long enough that if you plan on running say, a 7:30 minute mile (as I was), the extra .06 means your per-loop time is actually almost exactly at 8 minutes.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times I forgot to factor in that extra .06 in my calculations on this night.

When the race started for me the 24 Hour people had already been running for 9 hours and those in the 12 hour boat had 6 hours under their shoes.  I get demoralized in races when a relay team passes me - I can't even begin to fathom how annoying fresh legs were to those already hours upon hours into their respective runs.

I spent the first loop running with a trail runner from the greater San Francisco area whom had never done such a timed race as this.  Erik was his name and he seemed like he had a good battle plan.  I obviously wanted to take the first lap a little conservative but when we went through right at 9 minutes, I realized I needed to pick it up some.  There was no way I was going to average 8 minute loops at the end of the race without a few under that time in the first hour.  I bid Erik adieu and picked up my pace.

As each loop went by I was a little concerned that, while not pushing too hard, these 8 minute loops did not feel as easy as I hoped they would be this early in the race.  However, mentally, the first hour went by very fast.  For that, I was quite pleased as I had a million thoughts going through my head.

New and Different Races in 2011

For me, 2011's athletic endeavors plan is to try things new and different, and for the most part, on the shorter side of things. Beginning 2010 with some 50 milers in prep for the 202 miler in April and then ending the year with my 6 Hour Run in San Francisco (recap coming soon) book-ended a year of doing some ultras for me.  Don't get me wrong, I will still be enjoying the occasional marathon or ultra but for the most part, my focus is on trying to see if I have any fast-twitch muscle fibers left and to utilize them, when my traveling and working schedule allows, in the triathlon.  However, without a doubt, some longer races will be calling my name.  the first one up in 2011 of any particular note is the 1st Annual Sandbox Indoor Trail Marathon on Valentine's Day Weekend.

I definitely had not really planned on spending Valentine's Day this way not too long ago but this seems like a wonderful way to take on a new race. Based in Wisconsin in February (I actually just got cold thinking about it) the Sandbox Indoor Trail Mararathon is very intriguing to me for two reasons.

1. Back at the turn of the last century, indoor races of very long length used to back arenas.  I like this homage to the past.
2. The indoor marathon has been done before but I can't say a trail one ever has.

Consisting of 105(ish) laps of what basically looks like an upturned Capital letter "E", the course runs on the Sandbox Arena floor used mostly for motorcycling events. This just looks so unique and fun!

Given the oddity of the course and what looks like no less than 1260 turns (yeah, seriously), I had a feeling the footing might be a little on the potentially shifty side.  As such, I have decided I will be wearing a pair of ICESPIKE in my shoes for the race to help with traction.  It will be an test I have similarly done before given I wore the ICESPIKE product in the Rocky Raccoon 50 mile last year.  They provided excellent traction and didn't even bother me on some of the semi-paved portions of the race.  Now I get to see what they will do on this surface as well.

In any event, it promises to be a marathon unlike any I have ever done, and once you have done 125 (and counting come race morning) sometimes a little variety is good.   Registration is now open and I hope to see you there!