Ran a 10k in June (9 Viewers)

[SteveUK]

So, my Doctor's office calls me today as they have my x-ray on my foot. Nothing is showing up, no fracture, no dislocation. So Tuesday, I am off to see a Podiatrist

Not sure if this is a good thing or not

 

[2Young2BBald]

So, my Doctor's office calls me today as they have my x-ray on my foot. Nothing is showing up, no fracture, no dislocation. So Tuesday, I am off to see a Podiatrist Not sure if this is a good thing or not

It's a good thing, in my opinion! I didn't want to post this when you 1st mentioned it was a stress fracture, I thought I had one a couple of years ago and saw my podiatrist. She told me "healthy men do not get stress fractures, period". Didn't want to insult your manhood. She found it was a tendon issue and cured me QUICK with a cortisone shot (which brought huge tears to my eyes it hurt so ####### much). I think I mentioned, I had Duck-like luck when I found my podiatrist. She is a triathlete too a very cute (and I've seen her in tri shorts). No pics, sorry!

 

[Darrinll40]

So, my Doctor's office calls me today as they have my x-ray on my foot. Nothing is showing up, no fracture, no dislocation. So Tuesday, I am off to see a Podiatrist

Not sure if this is a good thing or not

Didn't want to insult your manhood.

No worries, he's British, stiff upper lip and all. Let's hope it is great news Steve.

 

[SFBayDuck]

We also have Dexter, Sand and some short bald guy in compession socks competing this weekend? Looking forward to reports later this weekend! You guys rock!

Fixed 4.8-Mile Kick Your ### dirt race for me on Sunday. Starts on horse trails, goes to a bike trails and then to hiking trails. This is, by far, the most technical trail run I've done. One part I recall from last year was an uphill that was just like climbing a 2 1/2 story staircase, only the stairs were mossy rocks and tree roots. No Garmin, only chase down the runner in front of you and try not to be trampled from behind. I finished AG 5th last year and would love to get podium this year as the AG awards are pint glasses. I stopped off on my way home from work to get a 5th of Absolut Pepper & a few bottles of Bloody Mary Mix for after. It is suposed to be close to 60 and we've got a crew of about 15 to 20 meeting up to race. They will have a bonfire going for s'mores for the kids who are doing a 2-miler and tons of pizza as well.

You do races right. Hope we get a chance to meet up for one someday! Have fun!

 

[gruecd]

Good luck tomorrow, everybody! Anxiously awaiting the race reports!

 

[Sand]

Just filled up my playlist with music to keep me going on the course. Only 48 minutes, worth, so I better be done by then.

Starting off with a little Bollywood, then a bit of Devotchka, then cranking home with a crapload of Peter Garrett and boys going ape####.

NOW I'm ready.

 

[prosopis]

Just filled up my playlist with music to keep me going on the course. Only 48 minutes, worth, so I better be done by then.

Starting off with a little Bollywood, then a bit of Devotchka, then cranking home with a crapload of Peter Garrett and boys going ape####.

NOW I'm ready.

Go get em!!!!!!!!

 

[Darrinll40]

No 9 today. I think I should have taken it easier this week to recover from the half last Sunday. I did do 8.15 but everything after 6.5 was walk run. When you go out after two whole days rest, and the conditions are ideal (61 degrees), and you start feeling the run after 2 miles, maybe you should stop. Well, you would but I keep going, right up until 6.5.

To be honest, right now I feel exactly like I did after the half. I think tomorrow I am going to do an easy 3.5, and really take it easy next week.

Waiting for race reports.

 

[SteveUK]

So, my Doctor's office calls me today as they have my x-ray on my foot. Nothing is showing up, no fracture, no dislocation. So Tuesday, I am off to see a Podiatrist Not sure if this is a good thing or not

It's a good thing, in my opinion! I didn't want to post this when you 1st mentioned it was a stress fracture, I thought I had one a couple of years ago and saw my podiatrist. She told me "healthy men do not get stress fractures, period". Didn't want to insult your manhood. She found it was a tendon issue and cured me QUICK with a cortisone shot (which brought huge tears to my eyes it hurt so ####### much). I think I mentioned, I had Duck-like luck when I found my podiatrist. She is a triathlete too a very cute (and I've seen her in tri shorts). No pics, sorry!

Thanks 2Young, that's encouraging to hear. The way I am looking at it right now is that I was never going to break any records this winter anyway, so a few months rest isn't going to change much. In the meantime, I'll do some low impact exercise and hopefully keep my weight under control.

 

[Sand]

Race Report:

Just got back from my 10k. I've come to the conclusion that something is gonna happen to me each race. Today - my MP3 player disappeared. Gone for good. So no tunes during the run (coulda been worse - my Garmin was in the same pocket). But, it was spectacular weather for a run, so that part of things was good.

The race wound through downtown Birmingham. Pretty sedate course - between miles 2 and 3.3 or so there is a good hill that climbs 150 feet. It plateaus through to mile 4, then back down to the finish. I was aiming for 50 minutes, with anything under 48 being a superior effort. As I mentioned before the plan was to cruise through 5k and bust it on the way home.

Mile 1: 7:07 Good start, maybe a tad fast. But I was staying underneath any aerobic issues and felt good.

Mile 2: 7:52 Road starts to turn up here a bit, but mostly I was trying to make sure I didn't burn out. I thought I was faster here.

Mile 3: 8:24 All uphill. Felt good going up, but the plan was definitely not to burn out here. Still thought I'd be a bit faster here.

Mile 4: 7:51 This was an undulating part of the course before the downhill. I restrained myself from hitting the gas here until the hills were done.

Mile 5: 6:58 Hammer time. Good downhill part. Just lengthened my stride and starting chewing people up. Thought I was in the 6:40 range here.

Mile 6: 6:57 Course levels out here. I was hurting pretty bad. Surprised I kept this pace. I was flying past people.

Mile 6.2: 1:13 (5:13 pace). Left it all out there. In the last couple miles I got passed maybe three times and I caught 2 of those and repassed them. Major, major pain cave here, but I gave it every bit of what I had.

Total: 46:20 Did the first 5k in 24:14 and the second in 22:06. Talk about a negative split. This course is custom made for those, though, with the elevation changes.

Best part of the day was trying to catch one guy who I spotted in front of me at mile .5 or so. Yellow shirt guy was running really well and I lost him on the backside of the course only to pick him up again at about mile 4. I ran him down with 1/4 mile to go.

Oh, and remember these numbers: 325 and 53. They will become important when the pictures come out.

It has been a long time since I have been so pumped up after a sporting event. In six months I have gone from basically puking after a 2.5 mile run (at 9:15 pace) to being able to bring it home like I did today. I was flying over those last 2 miles. I have only one word to describe this performance:

Triumphant.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Race Report:

Just got back from my 10k. I've come to the conclusion that something is gonna happen to me each race. Today - my MP3 player disappeared. Gone for good. So no tunes during the run (coulda been worse - my Garmin was in the same pocket). But, it was spectacular weather for a run, so that part of things was good.

The race wound through downtown Birmingham. Pretty sedate course - between miles 2 and 3.3 or so there is a good hill that climbs 150 feet. It plateaus through to mile 4, then back down to the finish. I was aiming for 50 minutes, with anything under 48 being a superior effort. As I mentioned before the plan was to cruise through 5k and bust it on the way home.

Mile 1: 7:07 Good start, maybe a tad fast. But I was staying underneath any aerobic issues and felt good.

Mile 2: 7:52 Road starts to turn up here a bit, but mostly I was trying to make sure I didn't burn out. I thought I was faster here.

Mile 3: 8:24 All uphill. Felt good going up, but the plan was definitely not to burn out here. Still thought I'd be a bit faster here.

Mile 4: 7:51 This was an undulating part of the course before the downhill. I restrained myself from hitting the gas here until the hills were done.

Mile 5: 6:58 Hammer time. Good downhill part. Just lengthened my stride and starting chewing people up. Thought I was in the 6:40 range here.

Mile 6: 6:57 Course levels out here. I was hurting pretty bad. Surprised I kept this pace. I was flying past people.

Mile 6.2: 1:13 (5:13 pace). Left it all out there. In the last couple miles I got passed maybe three times and I caught 2 of those and repassed them. Major, major pain cave here, but I gave it every bit of what I had.

Total: 46:22 (estimated) We'll see what the official time is, but it will be close to that. Did the first 5k in 24:14 and the second in 22:08. Talk about a negative split. This course is custom made for those, though, with the elevation changes.

Best part of the day was trying to catch one guy who I spotted in front of me at mile .5 or so. Yellow shirt guy was running really well and I lost him on the backside of the course only to pick him up again at about mile 4. I ran him down with 1/4 mile to go.

Oh, and remember these numbers: 325 and 53. They will become important when the pictures come out.

It has been a long time since I have been so pumped up after a sporting event. In six months I have gone from basically puking after a 2.5 mile run (at 9:15 pace) to being able to bring it home like I did today. I was flying over those last 2 miles. I have only one word to describe this performance:

Triumphant.

I think your MP3 player was trying to tell you to get some real running music (I had to Google up the playlist you listed yesterday because I'd never heard of any of those).Great, great run. Congratulations!!!! The 2nd 5K split is most impressive, along with your progress to date (take that "gulp" off your 1/2!)

 

[Sand]

I think your MP3 player was trying to tell you to get some real running music (I had to Google up the playlist you listed yesterday because I'd never heard of any of those).Great, great run. Congratulations!!!! The 2nd 5K split is most impressive, along with your progress to date (take that "gulp" off your 1/2!)

LOL - I wasn't giving very good track information. I did have:Chaiyya Chaiyya Bollywood (from Inside Man soundtrack)couple Devotchka songs from Little Miss Sunshine soundtrackcrapload of Midnight Oil songsIt was an interesting experience going without. At the beginning when we started there was no talking or noise, just the sound of feet patter. Pretty neat. Not sure if I would have done better with or without. I doubt that it made much difference as when I wore it during the 5k I didn't even hear the music - too concentrated on the race.

 

[gruecd]

Great race, Sand!!! Way to HTFU at the end. Proud of you!

 

[tri-man 47]

Major, major pain cave here, but I gave it every bit of what I had.

I have only one word to describe this performance:

Triumphant.

Super Cool!!! Good to hear you exited the pain cave for a strong and triumphant finish! Great, great start to the weekend reports.

 

[SteveUK]

I think your MP3 player was trying to tell you to get some real running music (I had to Google up the playlist you listed yesterday because I'd never heard of any of those).Great, great run. Congratulations!!!! The 2nd 5K split is most impressive, along with your progress to date (take that "gulp" off your 1/2!)

LOL - I wasn't giving very good track information. I did have:Chaiyya Chaiyya Bollywood (from Inside Man soundtrack)couple Devotchka songs from Little Miss Sunshine soundtrackcrapload of Midnight Oil songsIt was an interesting experience going without. At the beginning when we started there was no talking or noise, just the sound of feet patter. Pretty neat. Not sure if I would have done better with or without. I doubt that it made much difference as when I wore it during the 5k I didn't even hear the music - too concentrated on the race.

Still none the wiser on the music (?) (Must be my age!)Still, good job on the time - see what you can do when you are not distracted by music in your ears?

 

[pigskinliquors]

I'll do a full race report tomorrow or Monday, as Mrs. Liquors is getting out the massage table, as I need it pretty bad! Here goes a quick version:

It was a bit warm (56 at the start, 74 at the finish), but the shade of the trails made it bearable. I wore my old Asics, and 1 pair of Oxysox, and was ecstatic after a ran the first mile with little calf pain (taking a naproxyn probably helped quite a bit). All in all it was an AWESOME experience. I made it back to base (2 loops) at the halfway point in 2:38, and my HR was in great shape. The course was much more difficult than I imagined. There weren't any huge hills, just constant (I mean constant) rolling, and the trail was either very rooty, or soft sand. Both were difficult to navigate at best. Around mile 17 either the naproxyn wore off, or my calf finally gave in, but it cramped pretty consistently for the last 14 miles. I still loved every second of it, and was ecstatic to finish in under 5:50. My Garmin stopped getting satellite around mile 21, but I called my wife before 11:50 = had to be less than 5:50. Full report will follow later. #'s 54 and 114 will be on my to do look up list

 

[2Young2BBald]

I'll do a full race report tomorrow or Monday, as Mrs. Liquors is getting out the massage table, as I need it pretty bad! Here goes a quick version:It was a bit warm (56 at the start, 74 at the finish), but the shade of the trails made it bearable. I wore my old Asics, and 1 pair of Oxysox, and was ecstatic after a ran the first mile with little calf pain (taking a naproxyn probably helped quite a bit). All in all it was an AWESOME experience. I made it back to base (2 loops) at the halfway point in 2:38, and my HR was in great shape. The course was much more difficult than I imagined. There weren't any huge hills, just constant (I mean constant) rolling, and the trail was either very rooty, or soft sand. Both were difficult to navigate at best. Around mile 17 either the naproxyn wore off, or my calf finally gave in, but it cramped pretty consistently for the last 14 miles. I still loved every second of it, and was ecstatic to finish in under 5:50. My Garmin stopped getting satellite around mile 21, but I called my wife before 11:50 = had to be less than 5:50. Full report will follow later. #'s 54 and 114 will be on my to do look up list

INSANE time, CONGRATULATIONS. WOW, just wow!!!!!

 

[tri-man 47]

And the hits just keep on coming !!!

Liquors, you're one tough dude. Way. To. Go.



---

Noticed the irony of Sand running a 10K today while I was in the pool for a great 1 hour swim workout ...bit of role reversal!

 

[Sand]

had to be less than 5:50.

Man, that is a seriously great run. 2 for 2 so far this weekend!

 

[prosopis]

Way to go Sand and Pigskinliquors. Awesome reports.

 

[gruecd]

Way to go, Liquors!!!!

 

[Darrinll40]

Way to go Sands and Liquors!!

 

[Sand]

Noticed the irony of Sand running a 10K today while I was in the pool for a great 1 hour swim workout ...bit of role reversal!

Too bad you're 2,000 miles away. We could do some serious trading of training tips - you are a beast on the run.

 

[Darrinll40]

I just woke up this morning and my legs and back are very sore. I think I am going to have to wimp out on even a 3 mile run this morning.

 

[2Young2BBald]

I just woke up this morning and my legs and back are very sore. I think I am going to have to wimp out on even a 3 mile run this morning.

Why don't you go for a 3-mile walk instead? It'll stretch out the legs, give you a mild workout and avoid the pounding. You may be rushing the comeback just a bit and are being a little hard on yourself.

 

[Darrinll40]

I just woke up this morning and my legs and back are very sore. I think I am going to have to wimp out on even a 3 mile run this morning.

Why don't you go for a 3-mile walk instead? It'll stretch out the legs, give you a mild workout and avoid the pounding. You may be rushing the comeback just a bit and are being a little hard on yourself.

Thanks for the advice, but I found something better. I worked outside in the yard ,raking leaves, shoveling sand, chopping roots and a small tree, and even got to use my chain saw .It was a good hour and a half workout.

 

[SteveUK]

I just woke up this morning and my legs and back are very sore. I think I am going to have to wimp out on even a 3 mile run this morning.

Why don't you go for a 3-mile walk instead? It'll stretch out the legs, give you a mild workout and avoid the pounding. You may be rushing the comeback just a bit and are being a little hard on yourself.

Thanks for the advice, but I found something better. I worked outside in the yard ,raking leaves, shoveling sand, chopping roots and a small tree, and even got to use my chain saw .It was a good hour and a half workout.

Well, this is confusing. Your back and legs were too sore to run three miles but you worked for an hour and a half in the yard? Seems to me a 6 mile run would have been gentler

 

[Darrinll40]

I just woke up this morning and my legs and back are very sore. I think I am going to have to wimp out on even a 3 mile run this morning.

Why don't you go for a 3-mile walk instead? It'll stretch out the legs, give you a mild workout and avoid the pounding. You may be rushing the comeback just a bit and are being a little hard on yourself.

Thanks for the advice, but I found something better. I worked outside in the yard ,raking leaves, shoveling sand, chopping roots and a small tree, and even got to use my chain saw .It was a good hour and a half workout.

Well, this is confusing. Your back and legs were too sore to run three miles but you worked for an hour and a half in the yard? Seems to me a 6 mile run would have been gentler

Back only hurts when I am running, and I only used the legs to walk in the yard. My arms are now a bit sore from swinging my axe.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Way to go Sands and Liquors!!

Great races, both of you! Liquors, looking forward to the full report!

 

[2Young2BBald]

4th Annual Highland Rugged Man lived up to the name today and the 60+ degree weather brought folks out in mass. My Daughter captured some of the course and has posted an Album on FB. . If you look real close at one of the photos you can barely see me in a grey running hat & a red and black shirt through the trees being trailed by a women in a pupleish-pink shirt. She later passed me when I rolled my ankle with less than a 1/4 mile to go

Anyway, it was a bit chillier than 60, more like 48 or so, at the start. This is typically a small event, but I'd bet they had over 200 runners (which is a bunch on a single track bike trail). Fighting traffic was tough for about the 1st 3/4s of a mile, but after a few 100 "on your lefts" a buddy of mine found our pace and only got passed by 3 or 4 people the rest of the race. Hard to discuss the miles individually as they all contained sharp turns, lots of rocks and roots and hill after hill. I mildly rolled my right ankle at about the 3 mile mark, again a few 100 yards later and then rolled right over the top of it with around a 1/4 mile to go. The first two times I didn't even break stride, the 3rd one slowed me a bit. Right now, it looks a small baseball is trying to grow out of the ankle bone. I am not really all that disappointed in this as I loved the run and could use a little break from running and am sure I'll still be able to swim and bike. In the end, I bested last years time by almost 3 minutes, running 46 something over the 4.8 miles (which sounds S L O W, but was cruising on this course). Sign of the times, they only awarded the to spot in each AG, but I doubt I was top 3 in the 40-50 group. A guy I met just prior who was a friend of a friend finished ahead of me in the 40-50 and did not win the AG. And, his knees looked like hamburger from taking 4 spills. I saw another guy who obviously fell in to some type of a picker bush and cut up his face. Have to give major props to my wife for doing her 1st dirt run. As I waited at the finish line I fully expected something like "I don't know why you talk me in to stupid events like this", but there was none on that. Shes sore and agreed it was an ### kicker, but knocked it out in 66 minutes and had a huge smile at the end. The kids enjoyed the 2-miler as well.

We hung around for about an hour after enjoying the sunshine and the Bloody Marys and beer (which explains the rambling nature of my race report). Now, me and the couch are going to get some rest watching FB & NASCAR.

for Dexter's Report

 

[gruecd]

Nice job, 2Young. Sounds like fun. Thanks for posting the link to the photo album. Looks like it was a beautiful day for a run.

In fact, it's so nice here today that I went for an easy 5-miler this morning instead of taking the rest day that's on my schedule. It's awesome out there!

 

[prosopis]

4th Annual Highland Rugged Man lived up to the name today and the 60+ degree weather brought folks out in mass. My Daughter captured some of the course and has posted an Album on FB. . If you look real close at one of the photos you can barely see me in a grey running hat & a red and black shirt through the trees being trailed by a women in a pupleish-pink shirt. She later passed me when I rolled my ankle with less than a 1/4 mile to go

Anyway, it was a bit chillier than 60, more like 48 or so, at the start. This is typically a small event, but I'd bet they had over 200 runners (which is a bunch on a single track bike trail). Fighting traffic was tough for about the 1st 3/4s of a mile, but after a few 100 "on your lefts" a buddy of mine found our pace and only got passed by 3 or 4 people the rest of the race. Hard to discuss the miles individually as they all contained sharp turns, lots of rocks and roots and hill after hill. I mildly rolled my right ankle at about the 3 mile mark, again a few 100 yards later and then rolled right over the top of it with around a 1/4 mile to go. The first two times I didn't even break stride, the 3rd one slowed me a bit. Right now, it looks a small baseball is trying to grow out of the ankle bone. I am not really all that disappointed in this as I loved the run and could use a little break from running and am sure I'll still be able to swim and bike. In the end, I bested last years time by almost 3 minutes, running 46 something over the 4.8 miles (which sounds S L O W, but was cruising on this course). Sign of the times, they only awarded the to spot in each AG, but I doubt I was top 3 in the 40-50 group. A guy I met just prior who was a friend of a friend finished ahead of me in the 40-50 and did not win the AG. And, his knees looked like hamburger from taking 4 spills. I saw another guy who obviously fell in to some type of a picker bush and cut up his face. Have to give major props to my wife for doing her 1st dirt run. As I waited at the finish line I fully expected something like "I don't know why you talk me in to stupid events like this", but there was none on that. Shes sore and agreed it was an ### kicker, but knocked it out in 66 minutes and had a huge smile at the end. The kids enjoyed the 2-miler as well.

We hung around for about an hour after enjoying the sunshine and the Bloody Marys and beer (which explains the rambling nature of my race report). Now, me and the couch are going to get some rest watching FB & NASCAR.

for Dexter's Report

That sounds like fun.

 

[Sand]

In the end, I bested last years time by almost 3 minutes, running 46 something over the 4.8 miles (which sounds S L O W, but was cruising on this course).

That is moving! I'd like to try a trail run at some point. Not sure if there are many around here.

 

[jonmhend]

Great job 2Young, Sand and Pigskin. Looking forward to the updates with pics - runner legs are mmmmm good...

My update:

Ran 11 this morning my longest to date by 2 miles - nice to be able to go double digits. Feel pretty good about how far I've come since August. The strategically placed band-aid must have come off at some point during the run because the chafing/bleeding hit with a vengeance.

 

[Dexter]

Race: The Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike Race.

Type: Duel & single track

Distance: 28.5

Conditions: 60 and beautiful

I had no idea how I would preform. I've been doing a lot of running, but only biking once or twice on the weekends. Last year when I finished I was in so much pain from cramping I couldn't walk for 10 minutes. That's what I get for only using one water bottle. This year would be different.

I knew what to expect so I came armed with my camelbak and a 20oz bottle of Heed water. I knew from reading this tread to drink water even when you weren't thirsty so that was the plan.

My wave took off and the sprinters went at it. The 5 guys I was with also came out fast... too fast. I caught them about 3 miles in and they started dropping off one by one. I knew I had chance to beat my five friends when we hit the third or fourth hill and the two guys left got off thier bike and walked up. I powered through and didn't see them again until 2/3's of the way through.

I stopped at the second of three water stations to refill my camelbak and that's when I saw my friend I thought would win roll by. I had trouble closing my camelbak and lost 3-4 minutes on him. As I continued along the course I rolled by areas I remember laying in the grass trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe how good I felt and how my legs just kept pumping.

Anita's hill: I made it half way up but it wasn't because I quit. There was a huge group of people in front of me walking their bikes up. So I really had no choice, but to stop. Oh well maybe next year I holler at people to get out of the way. ;o)

6 miles to go: I spot my friend who passed me at the water station. He was off to the side stretching his legs as I passed I asked him if he was okay and he complained of cramping up... His camelbak was bone dry and both water bottles empty... He should have stopped and refilled with me earlier but didn't.

The best part of the ride was entering the coral with 2 random guys. All 3 of us picked up the pace and made the final 1k a sprint to the finish. As we hit the last sharp turn the two guys went wide and I was able to cut in on the inside and over take both of them. I could hear the crowd yelling at them " CATCH HIM!" as I put it into over drive and finished a head of them. What a great feeling.

My only regret is I feel like I didn't leave enough on the trails. I felt too good at the finish and I could have had a better time. That being said I improved on my time by 30 freaking minutes and that's with an addition of 1.5-2 miles to the track!

ETA: Just to be clear I didn't win my division. I finished middle of the pack.

 

[prosopis]

Race: The Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike Race.Type: Duel & single trackDistance: 28.5Conditions: 60 and beautifulI had no idea how I would preform. I've been doing a lot of running, but only biking once or twice on the weekends. Last year when I finished I was in so much pain from cramping I couldn't walk for 10 minutes. That's what I get for only using one water bottle. This year would be different.I knew what to expect so I came armed with my camelbak and a 20oz bottle of Heed water. I knew from reading this tread to drink water even when you weren't thirsty so that was the plan.My wave took off and the sprinters went at it. The 5 guys I was with also came out fast... too fast. I caught them about 3 miles in and they started dropping off one by one. I knew I had chance to beat my five friends when we hit the third or fourth hill and the two guys left got off thier bike and walked up. I powered through and didn't see them again until 2/3's of the way through.I stopped at the second of three water stations to refill my camelbak and that's when I saw my friend I thought would win roll by. I had trouble closing my camelbak and lost 3-4 minutes on him. As I continued along the course I rolled by areas I remember laying in the grass trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe how good I felt and how my legs just kept pumping. Anita's hill: I made it half way up but it wasn't because I quit. There was a huge group of people in front of me walking their bikes up. So I really had no choice, but to stop. Oh well maybe next year I holler at people to get out of the way. ;o)6 miles to go: I spot my friend who passed me at the water station. He was off to the side stretching his legs as I passed I asked him if he was okay and he complained of cramping up... His camelbak was bone dry and both water bottles empty... He should have stopped and refilled with me earlier but didn't.The best part of the ride was entering the coral with 2 random guys. All 3 of us picked up the pace and made the final 1k a sprint to the finish. As we hit the last sharp turn the two guys went wide and I was able to cut in on the inside and over take both of them. I could hear the crowd yelling at them " CATCH HIM!" as I put it into over drive and finished a head of them. What a great feeling.My only regret is I feel like I didn't leave enough on the trails. I felt too good at the finish and I could have had a better time. That being said I improved on my time by 30 freaking minutes and that's with an addition of 1.5-2 miles to the track!

AWESOME

 

[El Floppo]

Race: The Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike Race.Type: Duel & single trackDistance: 28.5Conditions: 60 and beautifulI had no idea how I would preform. I've been doing a lot of running, but only biking once or twice on the weekends. Last year when I finished I was in so much pain from cramping I couldn't walk for 10 minutes. That's what I get for only using one water bottle. This year would be different.I knew what to expect so I came armed with my camelbak and a 20oz bottle of Heed water. I knew from reading this tread to drink water even when you weren't thirsty so that was the plan.My wave took off and the sprinters went at it. The 5 guys I was with also came out fast... too fast. I caught them about 3 miles in and they started dropping off one by one. I knew I had chance to beat my five friends when we hit the third or fourth hill and the two guys left got off thier bike and walked up. I powered through and didn't see them again until 2/3's of the way through.I stopped at the second of three water stations to refill my camelbak and that's when I saw my friend I thought would win roll by. I had trouble closing my camelbak and lost 3-4 minutes on him. As I continued along the course I rolled by areas I remember laying in the grass trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe how good I felt and how my legs just kept pumping. Anita's hill: I made it half way up but it wasn't because I quit. There was a huge group of people in front of me walking their bikes up. So I really had no choice, but to stop. Oh well maybe next year I holler at people to get out of the way. ;o)6 miles to go: I spot my friend who passed me at the water station. He was off to the side stretching his legs as I passed I asked him if he was okay and he complained of cramping up... His camelbak was bone dry and both water bottles empty... He should have stopped and refilled with me earlier but didn't.The best part of the ride was entering the coral with 2 random guys. All 3 of us picked up the pace and made the final 1k a sprint to the finish. As we hit the last sharp turn the two guys went wide and I was able to cut in on the inside and over take both of them. I could hear the crowd yelling at them " CATCH HIM!" as I put it into over drive and finished a head of them. What a great feeling.My only regret is I feel like I didn't leave enough on the trails. I felt too good at the finish and I could have had a better time. That being said I improved on my time by 30 freaking minutes and that's with an addition of 1.5-2 miles to the track!

AWESOME

 

[Darrinll40]

Race: The Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike Race.Type: Duel & single trackDistance: 28.5Conditions: 60 and beautifulI had no idea how I would preform. I've been doing a lot of running, but only biking once or twice on the weekends. Last year when I finished I was in so much pain from cramping I couldn't walk for 10 minutes. That's what I get for only using one water bottle. This year would be different.I knew what to expect so I came armed with my camelbak and a 20oz bottle of Heed water. I knew from reading this tread to drink water even when you weren't thirsty so that was the plan.My wave took off and the sprinters went at it. The 5 guys I was with also came out fast... too fast. I caught them about 3 miles in and they started dropping off one by one. I knew I had chance to beat my five friends when we hit the third or fourth hill and the two guys left got off thier bike and walked up. I powered through and didn't see them again until 2/3's of the way through.I stopped at the second of three water stations to refill my camelbak and that's when I saw my friend I thought would win roll by. I had trouble closing my camelbak and lost 3-4 minutes on him. As I continued along the course I rolled by areas I remember laying in the grass trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe how good I felt and how my legs just kept pumping. Anita's hill: I made it half way up but it wasn't because I quit. There was a huge group of people in front of me walking their bikes up. So I really had no choice, but to stop. Oh well maybe next year I holler at people to get out of the way. ;o)6 miles to go: I spot my friend who passed me at the water station. He was off to the side stretching his legs as I passed I asked him if he was okay and he complained of cramping up... His camelbak was bone dry and both water bottles empty... He should have stopped and refilled with me earlier but didn't.The best part of the ride was entering the coral with 2 random guys. All 3 of us picked up the pace and made the final 1k a sprint to the finish. As we hit the last sharp turn the two guys went wide and I was able to cut in on the inside and over take both of them. I could hear the crowd yelling at them " CATCH HIM!" as I put it into over drive and finished a head of them. What a great feeling.My only regret is I feel like I didn't leave enough on the trails. I felt too good at the finish and I could have had a better time. That being said I improved on my time by 30 freaking minutes and that's with an addition of 1.5-2 miles to the track!ETA: Just to be clear I didn't win my division. I finished middle of the pack.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Race: The Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike Race.Type: Duel & single trackDistance: 28.5Conditions: 60 and beautifulI had no idea how I would preform. I've been doing a lot of running, but only biking once or twice on the weekends. Last year when I finished I was in so much pain from cramping I couldn't walk for 10 minutes. That's what I get for only using one water bottle. This year would be different.I knew what to expect so I came armed with my camelbak and a 20oz bottle of Heed water. I knew from reading this tread to drink water even when you weren't thirsty so that was the plan.My wave took off and the sprinters went at it. The 5 guys I was with also came out fast... too fast. I caught them about 3 miles in and they started dropping off one by one. I knew I had chance to beat my five friends when we hit the third or fourth hill and the two guys left got off thier bike and walked up. I powered through and didn't see them again until 2/3's of the way through.I stopped at the second of three water stations to refill my camelbak and that's when I saw my friend I thought would win roll by. I had trouble closing my camelbak and lost 3-4 minutes on him. As I continued along the course I rolled by areas I remember laying in the grass trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe how good I felt and how my legs just kept pumping. Anita's hill: I made it half way up but it wasn't because I quit. There was a huge group of people in front of me walking their bikes up. So I really had no choice, but to stop. Oh well maybe next year I holler at people to get out of the way. ;o)6 miles to go: I spot my friend who passed me at the water station. He was off to the side stretching his legs as I passed I asked him if he was okay and he complained of cramping up... His camelbak was bone dry and both water bottles empty... He should have stopped and refilled with me earlier but didn't.The best part of the ride was entering the coral with 2 random guys. All 3 of us picked up the pace and made the final 1k a sprint to the finish. As we hit the last sharp turn the two guys went wide and I was able to cut in on the inside and over take both of them. I could hear the crowd yelling at them " CATCH HIM!" as I put it into over drive and finished a head of them. What a great feeling.My only regret is I feel like I didn't leave enough on the trails. I felt too good at the finish and I could have had a better time. That being said I improved on my time by 30 freaking minutes and that's with an addition of 1.5-2 miles to the track!ETA: Just to be clear I didn't win my division. I finished middle of the pack.

I am going to have to add this to the list of must dos. Great ride & great posting! I can't imagine what kind of post race party must have ensued with the weather here being so awesome!

 

[2Young2BBald]

In the end, I bested last years time by almost 3 minutes, running 46 something over the 4.8 miles (which sounds S L O W, but was cruising on this course).

That is moving! I'd like to try a trail run at some point. Not sure if there are many around here.

Its the best! Kind of like the swim on a tri. You know people are around you, but you have to just focus on what is ahead or you'll get run over. My buddy slipped and let out an "OH ####!!" I looked back quick to make sure he was OK and bounced slightly off a tree.

 

[Dexter]

Thanks everyone. Not really sure what to write since the trail doesn't count down the miles until 10 miles to go. So a lot of it kind of blends together.

Next Race: Detroit Turkey Trot 10K

 

[2Young2BBald]

Great job 2Young, Sand and Pigskin. Looking forward to the updates with pics - runner legs are mmmmm good...My update: Ran 11 this morning my longest to date by 2 miles - nice to be able to go double digits. Feel pretty good about how far I've come since August. The strategically placed band-aid must have come off at some point during the run because the chafing/bleeding hit with a vengeance.

Don't really want to know where, but have you tried Body Glide versus Band-Aids?

 

[pigskinliquors]

Great races Dexter and 2Young! Way to destroy last year's times

My Race Report:

Pre-race

While one of my neighbors (and best friend) had a party the evening before the race, I behaved fairly well and only had a couple beers prior to calling it an evening at 9:30. Mrs. Liquors gave me quick leg massage, to loosen up the knot in my left calf. I then double checked all my race stuff and attempted to go to sleep at 10:00. Race jitters, and my tweaked calf kept me up much of the night, but I did get a short nap before my alarm went off at 3:30. I foggily got myself a bagel, got dressed and took care of initial bathroom needs. My calf was still a bit sore, so I took a naproxyn (excellent anti-inflammatory), prior to heading out the door at 3:50. As I backed out of the driveway I literally could not see the driveway. In my 10 years in Texas I have never seen fog so thick. It took me 30 minutes to drive the first 10 miles as I was having great difficulty seeing the road. The fog finally cleared a bit so I was able to pick the speed up. I was now nervous about making it to the race on time, so I did what any FBG would do, and started driving fast and taking a lot of chances. I somehow made it to the park at 5:30, and found a parking spot by 5:40. I rushed to check-in and pick up my packet prior to rushing back to the car to get my Camelback on, and nutritional needs in the right pockets. By the time I locked the car (and amazingly remembered to put my keys in the Camelback!) it was 5:55. I jogged slowly to the start line, and the naproxyn was gurgling in my stomach. I found an empty porta-potty and emptied whatever was left inside of me (it was shockingly quite a bit). While I walked out, the race had started. I was 100 yards from the starting line, but just 20 yards from the back of the 150'ish freaks ready to punish their bodies. It was GO TIME!

Race: Loop 1

The morning temp was a bit higher then I'd have liked, but I was pleasantly comfortable in my black Oxysox, trusty old Asics, shorts, Nike dri-fit top and my Camelback. My first steps felt great, as I realized my calf was not tweaking. The giddy-ness I had during that first half mile was unlike any start to a race I've ever had. I had spent so much time "positive-thinking" about my calf and training (or lack there-of), that it had been weighing on my head quite a bit in the days prior. Yet, during those first steps, I KNEW I was in for a long morning, but that I would be able to finish. The trail head was a quarter mile from the start, and during that quarter mile I met an elderly husband and wife with matching t-shirts telling all that they had run a marathon in all 50 states. I was in awe of their accomplishment as I asked them about it, and loved the 2 minutes I was able to share with them. Thanks for the inspiration!

As we hit the start of the trail I was thankful that I'd brought a flashlight. The darkness was more overwhelming than I thought it would be, and it almost seemed dreamlike. The next quarter mile was downhill, followed by a fairly steep uphill. I was shocked to see people power-walking up the hill already. I was more shocked to see many of these people pass me throughout the race. At the moment it seemed unfathomable to start a race of that distance by walking. These people knew more than I did (by the end of the day I learned, what they knew; it was a journey, not a race). At the peak of the first hill my flashlight found two young, female runners, who appeared to be just the motivation I might need to get going. Within 15 steps of the steep downhill, the one leading tripped over a root, and her friend tripped right over her. I stopped to make sure they were ok, and they were not. The second had most likely sprained her ankle while the first was pretty shook up. They assured me and about six others who had stopped that they were fine, and our flashlights one at a time made there way back to the "journey." That mile took 11:34 and would be my slowest for a good 4 and a half hours (mile 1 was 10:02). The girls' fall was quickly followed by two other nasty one's from other people, and I was amazed how much my brain was working to examine the landscape to not be the next victim. I stayed off the accelerator for mile three, but gained intrepidity during mile four. My legs felt good, the sun was rising, and my HR was staying low.

Miles 4-6 were all right at 10:00 pace. I was amazed at how quick I felt like I was running, and how almost unconsciously I made decisions on where to step/jump/duck. My ego already realized that 10:00 pace is flying on trails, and that it was a standard I had no reason to try to uphold. I got a great chuckle and an OMG, when a volunteer stationed at mile 5 yelled to me "Just a Marthon to go". The journey ahead was far from over. Miles 4-6 were also some of my most unforgettable, as I was pacing myself about 25 yards behind, what I would later find out to be racer #54. Her, and her magnificent posterior grabbed an entire roll of toilet paper at the next rest stop, and as she went into the woods to do her business, I marched on to continue mine. As I ran past the rest stop, I realized that the path ahead offered complete solitude. There was not a sole ahead of me, nor anyone who followed. The path looked much like this, and it was ethereal to be in a race, yet all alone. I literally did not see anyone else for another 6 miles. Multiple times during this stretch I questioned whether I had made a wrong turn, only to find a piece of the tape that marked the trail to provide me mental relief. Mile 10 offered the longest of the many built paths. I learned quickly that these, even more than the constant looking for roots made me dizzy. I had to look up and away as the boards disappearing behind me was a disorienting experience. I also learned that roots were not as bad as sand. Long stretches also had very loose and thick sand, that seemed to swallow my Asics while zapping my energy. I now had three nemeses: roots, bridges, and sand.

Mile's 11 through 15 were somehow even hillier than the rest of the route. While there were no constant climbs of 100ft+ elevation, there seemed to be no flat areas (other than the built bridges), in the park at all (most miles included 200 ft of ascent in descent mixed into multiple hills). The hills only looked like this, but my legs understood that this was a different beast than road running. At mile 14 I caught up to a couple other runners, and as I made a turn, quite a few other runners were coming at me. These were some of the leaders, having already started their second loop. As I left the trail head at mile 15, I could hear runners coming from behind me. NOBODY had passed me since mile 4 so I was a bit shocked. With the start/finish line in sight two guys sprinted by me. As I internally said WTF the roaring crowd helped me to realize that these were the leaders of the 25k race coming in. I was ecstatic to be making the turn in 2:42; they must have been really ecstatic to have run the same distance in an hour less (25k started an hour later). I felt great energy in actually seeing other people. While my legs were feeling the ups and downs of the trail, my HR was doing great. I quickly calculated in my head that a 10:45 pace from here forward would get me done in 5:30 hours. I now had a new goal, that I truly believed was realistic.

Race: Loop 2

My new found goal, and cockiness, led to a 10:00 mile 16. During this mile I passed by runner #54 (finally knew her #!), and said to myself (Bryan Urlacher) to remember for future stalking. My cockiness bit me in the behind quickly during mile 17. My left calf started to cramp. I didn't know if the naproxyn had started to wear off, if I was getting dehydrated, or if the wear and tear of the landscape was starting to win. What I did know, is that my new found goal of 5:30 was going to be quite difficult. As I got to the rest stop near mile 21 (where #54 took her potty break), I decided I had better start getting some electrolytes in me. To this point I had relied only on the water in my Camelback, and a Gu every 4 miles. As I grabbed to small cups of Heed on the run I briefly thought about filling my Camelback with it, but instead continued on without stopping. In virtually every race a mistake is made. This was a big one.

With my left calf really tweaky, I somehow still managed to maintain 11:00 minute miles or faster through mile 23. At this point, all alone (as I had been for the last 5 miles!), my desire to relieve myself was too strong. I stopped just off the side of the trail and quickly did my business, only to have both calves seize up with cramps (mistake #2 was stopping to go #1). Telling myself an almost out loud HTFU, I got back at it. My stride was shot, but I was able to mostly run, with a bit of walking/hobbling mixed in through mile 25. During this stretch I also started passing quite a few 25k'ers who were greatly struggling. I was glad to be seeing people, but was empathetic to their pain.

I had an amazing moment at mile 23, as I was no more than 10 yards from a beautiful, large doe, whose eyes told me "HTFU, you can do this!" It was not until mile 26 that it got ugly. I had fully ran out of water in my camelback, and the cramping was horrible. As my Garmin ticked 26.2; I realized that I was a full 1:40 slower than my fastest marathon. Yet, at mile 26.3 euphoria hit me, as I not only was gaining a PR with every step, I was now partaking in the ultra portion of the race. I realized during this time that I must be somewhat masochistic, as the pain was almost enjoyable, as I knew deep down that I had chosen to do this race, to experience that very moment. It was moment of truth time. Could I get in with my body telling me not to do it?

I mixed severe hobbling in between moments of actual running, and made it to the roughest portion of the course and the last (of only three) rest stop. I limped in, and grabbed five glasses of Heed (still no stopping, as my potty break proved that to be a fatal mistake). As the volunteers cheered me on, the real battle started. I still had not been passed on this entire loop, by anyone who I didn't later pass. My mental goal now was to somehow beat all those behind me. right after the rest stop my Garmin lost satellite signal, and was mostly useless the rest of the way. That was more than fine as I didn't need an electronic device to tell me what speed my legs could go. They were telling me with every step/limp. During mile 29 (approximately a 14:00 mile) a runner came up from behind me. As every other such exchange that had occurred previously we told each other how great we looked and offered encouragement. I knew he was lying to me when he said "you look great", but still enjoyed hearing it. I ran with him for 100 yards, but my legs wouldn't let me stay with him. I went back to run-hobbling, and hear "BEAR" screamed (a non-runner in the woods had actually seen a bear!). Knowing my current inability to run this should have scared me, but instead I though "how cool to be running with a bear". I was most likely delirious at this time! Right before mile 30 another runner came up behind me. I actually ran with him for at least a quarter mile, and we both expressed our internal battles, and joy to each other. As my legs seized up to put me back into hobble mode, I told him I'd see him in a few minutes.

With my right nipple bleeding, legs, severely shot, ego somewhere around mile 26 and a Huge smile on my face I ran past the camera near the finish line, and euphorically got back to where I had started. The exact moment I crossed the line to stop, both legs seized up, and two volunteers took me on their shoulders and helped me to the side. They brought me a banana and some Heed, and left me to my grinning self. I sat there for a good 15 minutes watching two others also finish and collapse as I had. I don't know if I had joined there club, or they had joined mine, but I did know I had completed an Ultra.

The data from my run can be found here. While I wish I would have filled the Camelback up more fully, had taken in more electrolytes early, and wouldn't have stopped fully to relieve myself, I was quite happy with my time (somewhere just under 5:50) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience/test. I also know that my Heart was more than ready, as my HR never neared danger point, but I need to do much more strength training for these (hello squats!). This will not be my last Ultra.

Post-race

I made it home with one stop to stretch. I drank a ton of Gatorade and consumed a good 50 grams of protein. Once home Mrs. Liquors filled our jacuzzi with epsom salt, and I soaked for a good half hour. Once out, I went to my neighbors for one beer to bid him good hunting. It was opening day of deer season here, and he was heading into the property off my backyard to try to go get one. Ironically I saw three deer during my run, and he didn't see one! When I got back home, Mrs. liquors gave me a full-body massage to start relieving the pain. Multiple tasty beers through the rest of the night later, my legs were still sore, but the pain was a happy one. I'm still hobbling today, but am very thankful that I made it through this without injury, and with new PR's to chase.

One last side-note. One of the things that stuck in my head during "the dark times" was the following quote from an Ultra-marathoner's blog: "It never always gets worse". Shan, whoever you are; Thanks, you helped me to HTFU!!

Also: all of the photos above are from the park I ran in, but I didn't take any of them.

 

[BassNBrew]

Great races Dexter and 2Young! Way to destroy last year's times My Race Report:

Congrats Ultra Dude. You ugys have some strange ideas about fun.

 

[BassNBrew]

Race: The Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike Race.

Type: Duel & single track

Distance: 28.5

Conditions: 60 and beautiful

I had no idea how I would preform. I've been doing a lot of running, but only biking once or twice on the weekends. Last year when I finished I was in so much pain from cramping I couldn't walk for 10 minutes. That's what I get for only using one water bottle. This year would be different.

I knew what to expect so I came armed with my camelbak and a 20oz bottle of Heed water. I knew from reading this tread to drink water even when you weren't thirsty so that was the plan.

My wave took off and the sprinters went at it. The 5 guys I was with also came out fast... too fast. I caught them about 3 miles in and they started dropping off one by one. I knew I had chance to beat my five friends when we hit the third or fourth hill and the two guys left got off thier bike and walked up. I powered through and didn't see them again until 2/3's of the way through.

I stopped at the second of three water stations to refill my camelbak and that's when I saw my friend I thought would win roll by. I had trouble closing my camelbak and lost 3-4 minutes on him. As I continued along the course I rolled by areas I remember laying in the grass trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe how good I felt and how my legs just kept pumping.

Anita's hill: I made it half way up but it wasn't because I quit. There was a huge group of people in front of me walking their bikes up. So I really had no choice, but to stop. Oh well maybe next year I holler at people to get out of the way. ;o)

6 miles to go: I spot my friend who passed me at the water station. He was off to the side stretching his legs as I passed I asked him if he was okay and he complained of cramping up... His camelbak was bone dry and both water bottles empty... He should have stopped and refilled with me earlier but didn't.

The best part of the ride was entering the coral with 2 random guys. All 3 of us picked up the pace and made the final 1k a sprint to the finish. As we hit the last sharp turn the two guys went wide and I was able to cut in on the inside and over take both of them. I could hear the crowd yelling at them " CATCH HIM!" as I put it into over drive and finished a head of them. What a great feeling.

My only regret is I feel like I didn't leave enough on the trails. I felt too good at the finish and I could have had a better time. That being said I improved on my time by 30 freaking minutes and that's with an addition of 1.5-2 miles to the track!

ETA: Just to be clear I didn't win my division. I finished middle of the pack.

Good job Dexter.Take look at getting some of these. http://www.amazon.com/Zefal-Magnum-Black-B...e/dp/B000BMNQ1W

I'm assuming that your time was under 3 hours. Between a bottle this size and a camelbak you should be able to carry enough water for the entire event.

 

[Workhorse]

Has an excellent training run yesterday: 11 miles. 8.29 pace. Felt amazing the whole way through. Next week is the big jump up to 17 miles on Sunday. I'm going to take that one very slowly.

I'm really beginning to think that I might run my first marathon in sub 3:50, the way my training is going.

 

[Dexter]

Great races Dexter and 2Young! Way to destroy last year's times

My Race Report:

Pre-race

While one of my neighbors (and best friend) had a party the evening before the race, I behaved fairly well and only had a couple beers prior to calling it an evening at 9:30. Mrs. Liquors gave me quick leg massage, to loosen up the knot in my left calf. I then double checked all my race stuff and attempted to go to sleep at 10:00. Race jitters, and my tweaked calf kept me up much of the night, but I did get a short nap before my alarm went off at 3:30. I foggily got myself a bagel, got dressed and took care of initial bathroom needs. My calf was still a bit sore, so I took a naproxyn (excellent anti-inflammatory), prior to heading out the door at 3:50. As I backed out of the driveway I literally could not see the driveway. In my 10 years in Texas I have never seen fog so thick. It took me 30 minutes to drive the first 10 miles as I was having great difficulty seeing the road. The fog finally cleared a bit so I was able to pick the speed up. I was now nervous about making it to the race on time, so I did what any FBG would do, and started driving fast and taking a lot of chances. I somehow made it to the park at 5:30, and found a parking spot by 5:40. I rushed to check-in and pick up my packet prior to rushing back to the car to get my Camelback on, and nutritional needs in the right pockets. By the time I locked the car (and amazingly remembered to put my keys in the Camelback!) it was 5:55. I jogged slowly to the start line, and the naproxyn was gurgling in my stomach. I found an empty porta-potty and emptied whatever was left inside of me (it was shockingly quite a bit). While I walked out, the race had started. I was 100 yards from the starting line, but just 20 yards from the back of the 150'ish freaks ready to punish their bodies. It was GO TIME!

Race: Loop 1

The morning temp was a bit higher then I'd have liked, but I was pleasantly comfortable in my black Oxysox, trusty old Asics, shorts, Nike dri-fit top and my Camelback. My first steps felt great, as I realized my calf was not tweaking. The giddy-ness I had during that first half mile was unlike any start to a race I've ever had. I had spent so much time "positive-thinking" about my calf and training (or lack there-of), that it had been weighing on my head quite a bit in the days prior. Yet, during those first steps, I KNEW I was in for a long morning, but that I would be able to finish. The trail head was a quarter mile from the start, and during that quarter mile I met an elderly husband and wife with matching t-shirts telling all that they had run a marathon in all 50 states. I was in awe of their accomplishment as I asked them about it, and loved the 2 minutes I was able to share with them. Thanks for the inspiration!

As we hit the start of the trail I was thankful that I'd brought a flashlight. The darkness was more overwhelming than I thought it would be, and it almost seemed dreamlike. The next quarter mile was downhill, followed by a fairly steep uphill. I was shocked to see people power-walking up the hill already. I was more shocked to see many of these people pass me throughout the race. At the moment it seemed unfathomable to start a race of that distance by walking. These people knew more than I did (by the end of the day I learned, what they knew; it was a journey, not a race). At the peak of the first hill my flashlight found two young, female runners, who appeared to be just the motivation I might need to get going. Within 15 steps of the steep downhill, the one leading tripped over a root, and her friend tripped right over her. I stopped to make sure they were ok, and they were not. The second had most likely sprained her ankle while the first was pretty shook up. They assured me and about six others who had stopped that they were fine, and our flashlights one at a time made there way back to the "journey." That mile took 11:34 and would be my slowest for a good 4 and a half hours (mile 1 was 10:02). The girls' fall was quickly followed by two other nasty one's from other people, and I was amazed how much my brain was working to examine the landscape to not be the next victim. I stayed off the accelerator for mile three, but gained intrepidity during mile four. My legs felt good, the sun was rising, and my HR was staying low.

Miles 4-6 were all right at 10:00 pace. I was amazed at how quick I felt like I was running, and how almost unconsciously I made decisions on where to step/jump/duck. My ego already realized that 10:00 pace is flying on trails, and that it was a standard I had no reason to try to uphold. I got a great chuckle and an OMG, when a volunteer stationed at mile 5 yelled to me "Just a Marthon to go". The journey ahead was far from over. Miles 4-6 were also some of my most unforgettable, as I was pacing myself about 25 yards behind, what I would later find out to be racer #54. Her, and her magnificent posterior grabbed an entire roll of toilet paper at the next rest stop, and as she went into the woods to do her business, I marched on to continue mine. As I ran past the rest stop, I realized that the path ahead offered complete solitude. There was not a sole ahead of me, nor anyone who followed. The path looked much like this, and it was ethereal to be in a race, yet all alone. I literally did not see anyone else for another 6 miles. Multiple times during this stretch I questioned whether I had made a wrong turn, only to find a piece of the tape that marked the trail to provide me mental relief. Mile 10 offered the longest of the many built paths. I learned quickly that these, even more than the constant looking for roots made me dizzy. I had to look up and away as the boards disappearing behind me was a disorienting experience. I also learned that roots were not as bad as sand. Long stretches also had very loose and thick sand, that seemed to swallow my Asics while zapping my energy. I now had three nemeses: roots, bridges, and sand.

Mile's 11 through 15 were somehow even hillier than the rest of the route. While there were no constant climbs of 100ft+ elevation, there seemed to be no flat areas (other than the built bridges), in the park at all (most miles included 200 ft of ascent in descent mixed into multiple hills). The hills only looked like this, but my legs understood that this was a different beast than road running. At mile 14 I caught up to a couple other runners, and as I made a turn, quite a few other runners were coming at me. These were some of the leaders, having already started their second loop. As I left the trail head at mile 15, I could hear runners coming from behind me. NOBODY had passed me since mile 4 so I was a bit shocked. With the start/finish line in sight two guys sprinted by me. As I internally said WTF the roaring crowd helped me to realize that these were the leaders of the 25k race coming in. I was ecstatic to be making the turn in 2:42; they must have been really ecstatic to have run the same distance in an hour less (25k started an hour later). I felt great energy in actually seeing other people. While my legs were feeling the ups and downs of the trail, my HR was doing great. I quickly calculated in my head that a 10:45 pace from here forward would get me done in 5:30 hours. I now had a new goal, that I truly believed was realistic.

Race: Loop 2

My new found goal, and cockiness, led to a 10:00 mile 16. During this mile I passed by runner #54 (finally knew her #!), and said to myself (Bryan Urlacher) to remember for future stalking. My cockiness bit me in the behind quickly during mile 17. My left calf started to cramp. I didn't know if the naproxyn had started to wear off, if I was getting dehydrated, or if the wear and tear of the landscape was starting to win. What I did know, is that my new found goal of 5:30 was going to be quite difficult. As I got to the rest stop near mile 21 (where #54 took her potty break), I decided I had better start getting some electrolytes in me. To this point I had relied only on the water in my Camelback, and a Gu every 4 miles. As I grabbed to small cups of Heed on the run I briefly thought about filling my Camelback with it, but instead continued on without stopping. In virtually every race a mistake is made. This was a big one.

With my left calf really tweaky, I somehow still managed to maintain 11:00 minute miles or faster through mile 23. At this point, all alone (as I had been for the last 5 miles!), my desire to relieve myself was too strong. I stopped just off the side of the trail and quickly did my business, only to have both calves seize up with cramps (mistake #2 was stopping to go #1). Telling myself an almost out loud HTFU, I got back at it. My stride was shot, but I was able to mostly run, with a bit of walking/hobbling mixed in through mile 25. During this stretch I also started passing quite a few 25k'ers who were greatly struggling. I was glad to be seeing people, but was empathetic to their pain.

I had an amazing moment at mile 23, as I was no more than 10 yards from a beautiful, large doe, whose eyes told me "HTFU, you can do this!" It was not until mile 26 that it got ugly. I had fully ran out of water in my camelback, and the cramping was horrible. As my Garmin ticked 26.2; I realized that I was a full 1:40 slower than my fastest marathon. Yet, at mile 26.3 euphoria hit me, as I not only was gaining a PR with every step, I was now partaking in the ultra portion of the race. I realized during this time that I must be somewhat masochistic, as the pain was almost enjoyable, as I knew deep down that I had chosen to do this race, to experience that very moment. It was moment of truth time. Could I get in with my body telling me not to do it?

I mixed severe hobbling in between moments of actual running, and made it to the roughest portion of the course and the last (of only three) rest stop. I limped in, and grabbed five glasses of Heed (still no stopping, as my potty break proved that to be a fatal mistake). As the volunteers cheered me on, the real battle started. I still had not been passed on this entire loop, by anyone who I didn't later pass. My mental goal now was to somehow beat all those behind me. right after the rest stop my Garmin lost satellite signal, and was mostly useless the rest of the way. That was more than fine as I didn't need an electronic device to tell me what speed my legs could go. They were telling me with every step/limp. During mile 29 (approximately a 14:00 mile) a runner came up from behind me. As every other such exchange that had occurred previously we told each other how great we looked and offered encouragement. I knew he was lying to me when he said "you look great", but still enjoyed hearing it. I ran with him for 100 yards, but my legs wouldn't let me stay with him. I went back to run-hobbling, and hear "BEAR" screamed (a non-runner in the woods had actually seen a bear!). Knowing my current inability to run this should have scared me, but instead I though "how cool to be running with a bear". I was most likely delirious at this time! Right before mile 30 another runner came up behind me. I actually ran with him for at least a quarter mile, and we both expressed our internal battles, and joy to each other. As my legs seized up to put me back into hobble mode, I told him I'd see him in a few minutes.

With my right nipple bleeding, legs, severely shot, ego somewhere around mile 26 and a Huge smile on my face I ran past the camera near the finish line, and euphorically got back to where I had started. The exact moment I crossed the line to stop, both legs seized up, and two volunteers took me on their shoulders and helped me to the side. They brought me a banana and some Heed, and left me to my grinning self. I sat there for a good 15 minutes watching two others also finish and collapse as I had. I don't know if I had joined there club, or they had joined mine, but I did know I had completed an Ultra.

The data from my run can be found here. While I wish I would have filled the Camelback up more fully, had taken in more electrolytes early, and wouldn't have stopped fully to relieve myself, I was quite happy with my time (somewhere just under 5:50) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience/test. I also know that my Heart was more than ready, as my HR never neared danger point, but I need to do much more strength training for these (hello squats!). This will not be my last Ultra.

Post-race

I made it home with one stop to stretch. I drank a ton of Gatorade and consumed a good 50 grams of protein. Once home Mrs. Liquors filled our jacuzzi with epsom salt, and I soaked for a good half hour. Once out, I went to my neighbors for one beer to bid him good hunting. It was opening day of deer season here, and he was heading into the property off my backyard to try to go get one. Ironically I saw three deer during my run, and he didn't see one! When I got back home, Mrs. liquors gave me a full-body massage to start relieving the pain. Multiple tasty beers through the rest of the night later, my legs were still sore, but the pain was a happy one. I'm still hobbling today, but am very thankful that I made it through this without injury, and with new PR's to chase.

One last side-note. One of the things that stuck in my head during "the dark times" was the following quote from an Ultra-marathoner's blog: "It never always gets worse". Shan, whoever you are; Thanks, you helped me to HTFU!!

Also: all of the photos above are from the park I ran in, but I didn't take any of them.

 

[jonmhend]

Great job 2Young, Sand and Pigskin. Looking forward to the updates with pics - runner legs are mmmmm good...My update: Ran 11 this morning my longest to date by 2 miles - nice to be able to go double digits. Feel pretty good about how far I've come since August. The strategically placed band-aid must have come off at some point during the run because the chafing/bleeding hit with a vengeance.

Don't really want to know where, but have you tried Body Glide versus Band-Aids?

Sorry if this is too much info, but your response has me confused. The bleeding I get is on my nipples. I was under the impression the body glide was really meant for below the belt areas. Is this not the case?

 

[jonmhend]

Great races Dexter and 2Young! Way to destroy last year's times

My Race Report:

Pre-race

While one of my neighbors (and best friend) had a party the evening before the race, I behaved fairly well and only had a couple beers prior to calling it an evening at 9:30. Mrs. Liquors gave me quick leg massage, to loosen up the knot in my left calf. I then double checked all my race stuff and attempted to go to sleep at 10:00. Race jitters, and my tweaked calf kept me up much of the night, but I did get a short nap before my alarm went off at 3:30. I foggily got myself a bagel, got dressed and took care of initial bathroom needs. My calf was still a bit sore, so I took a naproxyn (excellent anti-inflammatory), prior to heading out the door at 3:50. As I backed out of the driveway I literally could not see the driveway. In my 10 years in Texas I have never seen fog so thick. It took me 30 minutes to drive the first 10 miles as I was having great difficulty seeing the road. The fog finally cleared a bit so I was able to pick the speed up. I was now nervous about making it to the race on time, so I did what any FBG would do, and started driving fast and taking a lot of chances. I somehow made it to the park at 5:30, and found a parking spot by 5:40. I rushed to check-in and pick up my packet prior to rushing back to the car to get my Camelback on, and nutritional needs in the right pockets. By the time I locked the car (and amazingly remembered to put my keys in the Camelback!) it was 5:55. I jogged slowly to the start line, and the naproxyn was gurgling in my stomach. I found an empty porta-potty and emptied whatever was left inside of me (it was shockingly quite a bit). While I walked out, the race had started. I was 100 yards from the starting line, but just 20 yards from the back of the 150'ish freaks ready to punish their bodies. It was GO TIME!

Race: Loop 1

The morning temp was a bit higher then I'd have liked, but I was pleasantly comfortable in my black Oxysox, trusty old Asics, shorts, Nike dri-fit top and my Camelback. My first steps felt great, as I realized my calf was not tweaking. The giddy-ness I had during that first half mile was unlike any start to a race I've ever had. I had spent so much time "positive-thinking" about my calf and training (or lack there-of), that it had been weighing on my head quite a bit in the days prior. Yet, during those first steps, I KNEW I was in for a long morning, but that I would be able to finish. The trail head was a quarter mile from the start, and during that quarter mile I met an elderly husband and wife with matching t-shirts telling all that they had run a marathon in all 50 states. I was in awe of their accomplishment as I asked them about it, and loved the 2 minutes I was able to share with them. Thanks for the inspiration!

As we hit the start of the trail I was thankful that I'd brought a flashlight. The darkness was more overwhelming than I thought it would be, and it almost seemed dreamlike. The next quarter mile was downhill, followed by a fairly steep uphill. I was shocked to see people power-walking up the hill already. I was more shocked to see many of these people pass me throughout the race. At the moment it seemed unfathomable to start a race of that distance by walking. These people knew more than I did (by the end of the day I learned, what they knew; it was a journey, not a race). At the peak of the first hill my flashlight found two young, female runners, who appeared to be just the motivation I might need to get going. Within 15 steps of the steep downhill, the one leading tripped over a root, and her friend tripped right over her. I stopped to make sure they were ok, and they were not. The second had most likely sprained her ankle while the first was pretty shook up. They assured me and about six others who had stopped that they were fine, and our flashlights one at a time made there way back to the "journey." That mile took 11:34 and would be my slowest for a good 4 and a half hours (mile 1 was 10:02). The girls' fall was quickly followed by two other nasty one's from other people, and I was amazed how much my brain was working to examine the landscape to not be the next victim. I stayed off the accelerator for mile three, but gained intrepidity during mile four. My legs felt good, the sun was rising, and my HR was staying low.

Miles 4-6 were all right at 10:00 pace. I was amazed at how quick I felt like I was running, and how almost unconsciously I made decisions on where to step/jump/duck. My ego already realized that 10:00 pace is flying on trails, and that it was a standard I had no reason to try to uphold. I got a great chuckle and an OMG, when a volunteer stationed at mile 5 yelled to me "Just a Marthon to go". The journey ahead was far from over. Miles 4-6 were also some of my most unforgettable, as I was pacing myself about 25 yards behind, what I would later find out to be racer #54. Her, and her magnificent posterior grabbed an entire roll of toilet paper at the next rest stop, and as she went into the woods to do her business, I marched on to continue mine. As I ran past the rest stop, I realized that the path ahead offered complete solitude. There was not a sole ahead of me, nor anyone who followed. The path looked much like this, and it was ethereal to be in a race, yet all alone. I literally did not see anyone else for another 6 miles. Multiple times during this stretch I questioned whether I had made a wrong turn, only to find a piece of the tape that marked the trail to provide me mental relief. Mile 10 offered the longest of the many built paths. I learned quickly that these, even more than the constant looking for roots made me dizzy. I had to look up and away as the boards disappearing behind me was a disorienting experience. I also learned that roots were not as bad as sand. Long stretches also had very loose and thick sand, that seemed to swallow my Asics while zapping my energy. I now had three nemeses: roots, bridges, and sand.

Mile's 11 through 15 were somehow even hillier than the rest of the route. While there were no constant climbs of 100ft+ elevation, there seemed to be no flat areas (other than the built bridges), in the park at all (most miles included 200 ft of ascent in descent mixed into multiple hills). The hills only looked like this, but my legs understood that this was a different beast than road running. At mile 14 I caught up to a couple other runners, and as I made a turn, quite a few other runners were coming at me. These were some of the leaders, having already started their second loop. As I left the trail head at mile 15, I could hear runners coming from behind me. NOBODY had passed me since mile 4 so I was a bit shocked. With the start/finish line in sight two guys sprinted by me. As I internally said WTF the roaring crowd helped me to realize that these were the leaders of the 25k race coming in. I was ecstatic to be making the turn in 2:42; they must have been really ecstatic to have run the same distance in an hour less (25k started an hour later). I felt great energy in actually seeing other people. While my legs were feeling the ups and downs of the trail, my HR was doing great. I quickly calculated in my head that a 10:45 pace from here forward would get me done in 5:30 hours. I now had a new goal, that I truly believed was realistic.

Race: Loop 2

My new found goal, and cockiness, led to a 10:00 mile 16. During this mile I passed by runner #54 (finally knew her #!), and said to myself (Bryan Urlacher) to remember for future stalking. My cockiness bit me in the behind quickly during mile 17. My left calf started to cramp. I didn't know if the naproxyn had started to wear off, if I was getting dehydrated, or if the wear and tear of the landscape was starting to win. What I did know, is that my new found goal of 5:30 was going to be quite difficult. As I got to the rest stop near mile 21 (where #54 took her potty break), I decided I had better start getting some electrolytes in me. To this point I had relied only on the water in my Camelback, and a Gu every 4 miles. As I grabbed to small cups of Heed on the run I briefly thought about filling my Camelback with it, but instead continued on without stopping. In virtually every race a mistake is made. This was a big one.

With my left calf really tweaky, I somehow still managed to maintain 11:00 minute miles or faster through mile 23. At this point, all alone (as I had been for the last 5 miles!), my desire to relieve myself was too strong. I stopped just off the side of the trail and quickly did my business, only to have both calves seize up with cramps (mistake #2 was stopping to go #1). Telling myself an almost out loud HTFU, I got back at it. My stride was shot, but I was able to mostly run, with a bit of walking/hobbling mixed in through mile 25. During this stretch I also started passing quite a few 25k'ers who were greatly struggling. I was glad to be seeing people, but was empathetic to their pain.

I had an amazing moment at mile 23, as I was no more than 10 yards from a beautiful, large doe, whose eyes told me "HTFU, you can do this!" It was not until mile 26 that it got ugly. I had fully ran out of water in my camelback, and the cramping was horrible. As my Garmin ticked 26.2; I realized that I was a full 1:40 slower than my fastest marathon. Yet, at mile 26.3 euphoria hit me, as I not only was gaining a PR with every step, I was now partaking in the ultra portion of the race. I realized during this time that I must be somewhat masochistic, as the pain was almost enjoyable, as I knew deep down that I had chosen to do this race, to experience that very moment. It was moment of truth time. Could I get in with my body telling me not to do it?

I mixed severe hobbling in between moments of actual running, and made it to the roughest portion of the course and the last (of only three) rest stop. I limped in, and grabbed five glasses of Heed (still no stopping, as my potty break proved that to be a fatal mistake). As the volunteers cheered me on, the real battle started. I still had not been passed on this entire loop, by anyone who I didn't later pass. My mental goal now was to somehow beat all those behind me. right after the rest stop my Garmin lost satellite signal, and was mostly useless the rest of the way. That was more than fine as I didn't need an electronic device to tell me what speed my legs could go. They were telling me with every step/limp. During mile 29 (approximately a 14:00 mile) a runner came up from behind me. As every other such exchange that had occurred previously we told each other how great we looked and offered encouragement. I knew he was lying to me when he said "you look great", but still enjoyed hearing it. I ran with him for 100 yards, but my legs wouldn't let me stay with him. I went back to run-hobbling, and hear "BEAR" screamed (a non-runner in the woods had actually seen a bear!). Knowing my current inability to run this should have scared me, but instead I though "how cool to be running with a bear". I was most likely delirious at this time! Right before mile 30 another runner came up behind me. I actually ran with him for at least a quarter mile, and we both expressed our internal battles, and joy to each other. As my legs seized up to put me back into hobble mode, I told him I'd see him in a few minutes.

With my right nipple bleeding, legs, severely shot, ego somewhere around mile 26 and a Huge smile on my face I ran past the camera near the finish line, and euphorically got back to where I had started. The exact moment I crossed the line to stop, both legs seized up, and two volunteers took me on their shoulders and helped me to the side. They brought me a banana and some Heed, and left me to my grinning self. I sat there for a good 15 minutes watching two others also finish and collapse as I had. I don't know if I had joined there club, or they had joined mine, but I did know I had completed an Ultra.

The data from my run can be found here. While I wish I would have filled the Camelback up more fully, had taken in more electrolytes early, and wouldn't have stopped fully to relieve myself, I was quite happy with my time (somewhere just under 5:50) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience/test. I also know that my Heart was more than ready, as my HR never neared danger point, but I need to do much more strength training for these (hello squats!). This will not be my last Ultra.

Post-race

I made it home with one stop to stretch. I drank a ton of Gatorade and consumed a good 50 grams of protein. Once home Mrs. Liquors filled our jacuzzi with epsom salt, and I soaked for a good half hour. Once out, I went to my neighbors for one beer to bid him good hunting. It was opening day of deer season here, and he was heading into the property off my backyard to try to go get one. Ironically I saw three deer during my run, and he didn't see one! When I got back home, Mrs. liquors gave me a full-body massage to start relieving the pain. Multiple tasty beers through the rest of the night later, my legs were still sore, but the pain was a happy one. I'm still hobbling today, but am very thankful that I made it through this without injury, and with new PR's to chase.

One last side-note. One of the things that stuck in my head during "the dark times" was the following quote from an Ultra-marathoner's blog: "It never always gets worse". Shan, whoever you are; Thanks, you helped me to HTFU!!

Also: all of the photos above are from the park I ran in, but I didn't take any of them.

Wow. I can't even imagine taking something like this on. Guess it gives me something to shoot for...

 

[Darrinll40]

Great job 2Young, Sand and Pigskin. Looking forward to the updates with pics - runner legs are mmmmm good...My update: Ran 11 this morning my longest to date by 2 miles - nice to be able to go double digits. Feel pretty good about how far I've come since August. The strategically placed band-aid must have come off at some point during the run because the chafing/bleeding hit with a vengeance.

Don't really want to know where, but have you tried Body Glide versus Band-Aids?

Sorry if this is too much info, but your response has me confused. The bleeding I get is on my nipples. I was under the impression the body glide was really meant for below the belt areas. Is this not the case?

I don't know about body glide, but I use vaseline on the nipples. Band-aids kept falling off.