Looking Back on 2008

Finally!!! After many years of running, a half decent race picture!!!

I can't believe 2008 is almost over, but it is. This time last year I was dressed up like a penguin and giving the best man's speech at my brother's wedding in Manchester, England. It's hard to believe he's been enslaved for a year (hard to believe I've been married nearly 10).

On the home front we started the year with a new oven and ended it with a bun in the oven, as we found out in November that we were going to be parents again. That was the best news in a year which has been very lucky for me. In the space of a few months in the spring I won Dean Karnazes's new book, an audiobook and a brand new Nintendo Wii (which I've used maybe twice).

In the running world, I made a bunch of new friends and met so many generous and genuine people in the trail running community. It was a year that started with IT band problems which in February nearly curtailed my 50 miler at Rocky Raccoon. Thankfully something clicked back into place on that last loop and I haven't had problems with it since. The last 3 miles of that race was the closest thing I've ever had to a runner's nirvana - the faster I went the better I felt, and I've never had quite that feeling before or since. I was back at Huntsville in April to cheer on Nancy as she ran her first trail race at the Hog's Hunt - she would go on to complete the "Rogue summer trail series" - three 30k trail races during the hottest months of the year. I worked all three races and was glad I wasn't competing.

In June, we had a bunch of runners travel up to Dublin, Texas to run the Dr Pepper 10k, but the charter bus was 2 hours late and we missed the start. We were too late to pick up our packets so we all ran as bandits and I missed out on the chance of winning a case of the Dublin Dr Pepper. My friend Clea did win a case though, and shared some of her winnings when a group of us ran "the Sweaty Twenty" a few weeks later.

On July 4th, Americans everywhere celebrated my birthday as I wondered how the hell I got to be 35 years old. I celebrated by doing a trail run with a bunch of people much older than me which made me feel a lot better, and then I went home and watched the hotdog eating competition. Later that month I started the "hundred pushups challenge" which was a lot of fun and which I completed 6 weeks later in mid-August. I also started coaching a running team from work with the aim of competing in the Silicon marathon relays and winning the Governor's cup - which we did. The cup is still sitting in my office, and in 30 years time I can tell my grandchildren that once upon a time their dithering old granddad actually won a running trophy.

Sometime during the hot and brutal summer I started having really weird dreams that revolved around drinking lovely cold water on hot and dusty runs, That got me to thinking of winter racing, so I signed up for the "Texas Trilogy" comprising the Sunmart 50 miler in December, the Bandera 100k in January and the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler in February. When winter finally came I went signup crazy and also signed up for the Texas marathon on New Year's Day, the Surfside marathon (6 days after Rocky) and the Seabrook Lucky Trails half marathon on March 13th, followed by the full marathon the day after. My work buddies were on such a high after the Silicon relays that they persuaded me to enter a team in the Texas Independence Relay - a 203 mile race from Gonzales to San Jacinto. That also takes place in March - a week before Seabrook. 2009 is already shaping up to be a busy one.

Before that, I had the honor of pacing my buddy John at the Cactus Rose 100 miler in November. I ran the last 45 miles with him and was inspired by the energy and determination he showed in finishing probably the hardest race in Texas.

A few weeks later I travelled to San Antonio to run the inaugural San Antonio Rock'n Roll marathon. It turned into a perfect race - one of those days where it all comes together and running is super easy. A nice little PR didn't hurt either.

Of course, 2008 wasn't all good. I lost two friends this year, both taken long before their time. It made me appreciate what I have all the more - a wife and son I love with all my heart, a job I'm good at and friends I enjoy spending time with. As 2008 fades into history I am happy, content and at peace with myself. I wouldn't change a single thing (well, except for maybe my ankles).

So Happy New year everyone, and happy trails. Let's tip our hats to 2008 and welcome in a great 2009.

Beware the Judderman

One of the things I miss about the UK are the really cool TV commercials - you don't get them like this over here. I vividly remember this creepy little one for Metz Schnapps from the late 90s. Enjoy..... and beware the Judderman!!!


Beware the Judderman my dear, when the moon is fat.
Sharp of tongue and spindle limbed he is, and cunning.
With sweetened talk of schnapps and Metz
And the deliciousness of Judders

But schnapps though sweet has teeth my love,
And sharpened ones at that.

Beware the Judderman my dear, when the moon is fat.

Cometh the Shredder

For the last two days, I've been "shredding". A fellow blogger put me onto a workout DVD called the "30 Day Shred" from Jillian Michaels, the "kick ass" trainer from the reality tv show "The Biggest Loser". We already own another of her workout series - "The Biggest Winner" - and it really does kick my ass, so I had high hopes for this one.

The dvd includes three high-intensity 20 minute workouts - level 1, 2 and 3. You start at level 1 (easiest), progress to level 2 and eventually to level 3 (hardest). Each of the workouts is based on Jillian's 3-2-1 interval system - 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs, the whole lot done three times per workout (with different routines each circuit). Add on a two minute warmup and two minute cooldown, and each workout theoretically lasts 22 minutes. In actual fact, each workout is just shy of 30 minutes. And it is 30 minutes of nonstop work.

The only equipment you need is a set of dumbells and a mat (as opposed to her other dvds which also require a step). I knew from prior experience that there would be no resting or recovery time, and there isn't. So far I've only done the level 1, but it's no cakewalk. The cardio part is fairly easy and I'm good at abs (crunches, reverse crunches and bicycles - all of which I do regularly), but I found the strength portion challenging. Lots of lovely weighted squats and lunges (both static and side) combined with upper body work (you can vary the intensity by adding extra weights). Put it all together and it's a great runner's workout - I had a good sweat going. You would have thought it would be no problem with all the running I'm doing, but I'm a little sore today. I took a quick sneak peak at level 2**, and it looks like quite a step up. I think I'll keep that one until after Thursday's marathon.

Downsides
There is a fairly lengthy introduction that there appears to be no way to bypass. The dvd itself is very basic - not much in the way of extras (not necessarily a bad thing). You have a choice of three workouts, and that's it. Then again, what else do you really need?

I was mildly annoyed that Jillian does not do all the exercises, but at least she's not as annoying as she was in "The Biggest Winner" workouts. I enjoyed hurling abuse at the TV while banging out side lunge/lateral raise combos (all part of the fun, and heckling somehow helps make the time go by a lot faster), but never got to the "I want to put my foot through the screen" stage.

Summary
I liked it. It does exactly what it says on the box - gives you a good, old fashioned "you'll feel it in the morning" workout in less than 30 minutes. Highly recommended for those of you who don't have the time (or the inclination) to spend hours at the gym, and are willing to work really hard for 30 minutes nonstop. As with any of these workouts, you get out what you put in. Jillian just asks for a bit more than most.

** Gavin caught me lying on the sofa watching the level 2 workout and told me off - "daddy, you should be working out, not watching".

The Wrath of the Running Gods

Several years ago I ran a 20 mile road race up in Round Rock. It started and finished at the Dell Diamond baseball ground and consisted of two 10 mile loops. It was super humid and extremely windy with gusts of 40mph. It seemed like you were forever running into a headwind, and by the second loop it had gotten hot as well. I had to dig deep to go back out for that second loop and the whole race just sucked (they never held it there again). It still holds pole position in my "races I hate the most" hall of shame.

Well today's 12 mile run felt the same way. It was warm, humid and super windy at the start. The first mile was directly into the wind, and for some reason my ankle felt a whole lot stiffer than it did yesterday. After that first mile, my legs felt super tight and I was not looking forward to the rest of the run. Whatever happened to the "running is easy" groove I had going about a month ago? It seemed that the rest of the guys were having similar problems, so I offered my usual coach's tough love solution - "I know how to stop the pain, finish the damn thing". Once we got out into the country roads, we could really hear the wind howling, and at some places it was as much as I could do to keep going forward. Did I ever mention I hate running in the wind? It was definitely one of those "suck it up, grit your teeth and put your head down" types of runs.

Despite this we kept up a good pace, and I pushed myself to finish in 1:44:24 (8:42 pace). A decent enough time considering the conditions, but I'm hoping a cold front will come through in time for Thursday's Texas marathon.

Running Gods - I could do with a little break here.

Batman Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Here is "Santa" Gavin opening presents with his reindeer on Christmas morning. My little buddy made it one of the best Christmases ever - we played, we ate, we napped, we cuddled, we wrestled, we went out to see Christmas lights. We had a full day of fun.

One of the songs he's picked up this Christmas is "Grandma got run over by a reindeer". It's been playing all the time on Magic 95.5 (and I mean ALL the time). When he opened up his presents, one of his favorites was a "Batman" action figure, and before I knew it he'd started singing "Batman got run over by a reindeer". He acted it out while singing, and Batman got well and truly squished. We all had a good laugh over that one.

Of course I also spent Christmas Day limping around on my swollen ankle and colorful foot. I do not know how many times I've sprained my ankle this year, but it's been a lot - this has been the year of the ankle. They are without doubt my huge weak point on trail, and I know that if there's anything that will prevent me completing the Trilogy challenge, that is it.

I haven't run a whole lot since Sunmart - first I tweaked a hamstring, then I got sick, then I did the ankle. It's been one thing after another and I sometimes worry that all the groundwork I laid over the last 6 months is being unraveled. So when I got an invitation to run with Clea and Meghan this morning, I knew I had to take a chance on the ankle because I needed the miles.

We met at the stretching stone down at Town Lake for a good hilly run along Stratford Drive and up through Scenic. It's amazing how conversations stop abruptly at the bottom of the hills only to continue again at the top. My Asics did a great job of stabilizing the ankle and it was never a problem. The weather was another matter - I don't know where winter went, but it was horribly humid. I could feel the lack of running in my legs and knew I was a little off-pace, but the good thing about running with friends is that they can pull you through and that's what happened. We got back to the cars at 13 miles and I called it a day. The girls were going back out to get in another 7 and hit 20, but I decided to head off home and ice down the ankle.

Still, maybe taking the break I did is not a bad thing. I'm thinking that if I play it right I can take advantage of it and use the next few weeks (and Thursday's marathon) to run myself back into form for Bandera, then use that as a springboard to peak again for Rocky in February.

So says the eternal optimist.

Understanding Gollum

Gollum carb-loading on fish at Bandera**

What do I have in common with J.R.R. Tolkein's Gollum? Well, on the surface hopefully nothing, but the answer is we're both missing rings. This morning I met Cheri and Dawn for a 6am Walnut Creek run. We had a good time, but somewhere along the trail I lost my wedding ring - I suspect it fell off my finger when I nearly took a tumble on the BMX loop. I went back to look for it after the sun came up, but couldn't find it - never really thought I would. It's my own fault - the ring has been loose for a long time and I kept meaning to take it in and have it adjusted but never did. I've worn it for the last 10 years and my finger feels really strange without it. Between that and being exceedingly clumsy (I nearly fell twice and have a fat ankle to show for it), I should have just stayed in bed this morning.

On the bright side, I went back to Walnut Creek this afternoon with Nancy and Gavin. It had turned into a beautiful day and we walked the BMX loop on the off-chance we would find the ring. We didn't, but Gavin really enjoyed being out in the woods with us. We ran up and down the mountain bike hills, petted a cat we found, played with sticks and had a great time. At the end of the day, that matters a lot more than losing a ring.

Merry Christmas everyone.


** not really

Much Better

I feel so much better today - more like my usual self. I had a nice 9 mile run with Clea and Pancake on the greenbelt this morning and it was so great to be running easily and effortlessly again. A cold front came through Austin last night leaving the temperature in the 30s, and the wind had dropped enough to make it perfect running weather.

It was a great start to a day I plan to spend in front of a roaring fire. It's also soup weather and I will take advantage of it by making some roasted garlic soup with sourdough french bread for supper - yummy.

I'll Never Buy Red Grapes Again

One of the folks in our local running group sent around the link to this video taken at the 2007 Javelina Jundred. I love the hilarious commentary, just don't watch it on a full stomach. You have been warned!!

Walking Walnut

I wussed out of my road group's 10 mile run this morning and stayed in bed (great example there coach) because I was still feeling crappy. I'd been up half the night, and felt so drained and dehydrated I didn't think I had a fast 10 miler in me (which was certainly true). I eventually dragged myself out to Walnut Creek for a 6 mile run/walk (ok, I will admit - it was mostly a walk). I felt a little light headed, was still having some stomach issues, and there was probably a little bit of good old fashioned laziness thrown in there too. The funny thing is I think it did me some good because I've been feeling a lot better since I got home, so I called Clea to take her up on her kind offer of a greenbelt run tomorrow. I need something to kick me back into the swing of things, and maybe a nice Sunday morning run and natter is just the ticket. I've spent the day guzzling gatorade (while dealing with a hyper naughty Gavin - grrrr) and hopefully this is the start of me getting back on track. If Bandera or Rocky had been this weekend, I'd have been dead in the water (or more likely, testing cutoff limits).

In completely unrelated good news, I got the deal I was after on the food processor. Thanks to a timely and fortuitous gold box offer, I ended up with the mighty beast otherwise known as the Kitchenaid KFP750 (in black) for $124. It will arrive after Christmas which gives me time to clear some counter space for it to live. Then I can start chopping stuff.

Pathetic Me

I haven't run since Sunday because I've been feeling like crap - headache, lethergic, achy and unable to stop shivering. I half knew this was coming after my horrible run on Saturday - that's usually an omen that I'm coming down with something. It's pathetic - I doubt I could run a 5k right now. I haven't been able to take time off work because I'm so busy, so I just have to suck it up and hope I recover by this weekend. I feel like I'm losing all the fitness and conditioning I've worked so hard to build. I know that's nonsense and it's just the voice of doubt inside my head, but I wish it would shut up.

Last night I went to our first team meeting for the Texas Independence Relay. This is a 203.67 mile, 40 leg relay from Gonzales to San Jacinto this coming March. We have a team of 12 and based on all the banter flying around last night, we're going to have a good time. There are a lot of logistics to work out, but I think it's going to be a fun experience.

Food Processors?

Tonight's run was canceled due to bad weather - we are officially under a severe winter weather advisory, with forecasts of freezing rain and sleet. Hard to believe it was in the 80s yesterday. It is bitterly cold and windy outside, the house smells of yummy freshly baked cappuccino cookies and I am sitting in front of a roaring fire having just read Gavin a bedtime story. Does it get any better than this?

Here's a question for all you cooks out there. I am in the market for a food processor, and I'm seeking opinions (never really had one apart from a crappy $20 Black and Decker I hardly ever use). I think I'm leaning toward the Kitchenaid series - either the KFP720, KFP740 or KFP750. They are very powerful, have gotten great reviews and I like the fact that they all have a mini bowl and chopper that fits inside the main bowl for smaller tasks (like herbs or garlic for salsa). I own a Kitchenaid stand mixer and love it - I use it all the time for making bread/pasta/pizza dough. Does anyone own one of these food processors (or any other for that matter)? If so, do you like it? I dithered and could kick myself for missing out on a great Thanksgiving deal on the 750, so I'm going to bide my time and see if I can get a good deal in the post-Christmas sales. Nancy thinks her craving this time around may be Mexican food, so it will come in very handy. Mind you, when she was expecting Gavin she craved soup and just after I ordered a big All-Clad stockpot the craving disappeared. Oh well.

Christmas Lights and Tasty Bites

Gavin, Nancy, Tom (my father-in-law) and myself went to the Schlitterbahn Hill Country Christmas spectacular in New Braunfels last night. Schlitterbahn is the number-one rated waterpark in the Country and we have spent many a happy summer's day playing on the myriad of slides and floating in the river.

On the way, we stopped at "Los Cucos" Mexican cafe in New Braunfels for supper and had some of the best Mexican food I've had in a long time. First they brought out the standard bowl of warm chips and salsa, but they had two kinds of salsa. One was a "just different enough to be interesting" rojo (red) salsa but my absolute favorite was the aguacate (avocado) salsa. This is a green salsa synonymous with Houston Tex-Mex (where "Los Cucos" originated). I love avocados, and to make the basic version of this you combine them with tomatillos, onion, cilantro, habaneros and season with salt. I'm going to have to try to reproduce it because it was super yummy - we finished two bowls (of both chips and salsa).

Sidenote : Homesick Texan has a great recipe for this I will have to try. If you're a fan of Tex-Mex and haven't visited her blog, you should.

This was the first Mexican restaurant I've ever been to that had a "healthy meals" section on the menu - a great idea. They also had an excellent kid's menu. I ordered the "grilled chicken, mushroom and spinach quesadillas", Tom went with the "beef fajitas quesadillas", Nancy chose the "chicken fajita nachos" and Gavin had the chicken fingers. My quesadillas were very flavorful and came with the standard accompaniments. Nancy's nachos were also exceedingly yummy and both Tom and Gavin wolfed down their meals too. It was a great little place I will have to remember the next time we go down that way.

Anyway, we got to Schlitterbahn just as it opened. I'm glad we got there early as parking later seemed to be horrendous. The whole waterpark was decked out with Christmas lights, there were machines spouting "snow" into the air, a skating rink and several shows. We wandered around, and the place really came to life once it got dark. Then the lights were really spectacular, but there were so many people there (I hate large crowds) and there honestly wasn't too much to do once you'd seen the lights. We watched some of the light shows on the river, and Gavin had had enough so we decided to go.

Best Moments of the Night
Mark : at one point we were behind a guy who was walking with, shall we say, an exaggerated hip movement. Gavin was following close behind and I could see him trying to figure out what was up. Then he started imitating him - hilarious.

Nancy : the light show synchronized to music on the river

Gavin : getting his own "abominable snowman" cuddly toy made from the "stuffing machine". He called him "Bomino" and has been playing with him ever since.

Tom : going home!!


Photo GalleryDaddy and Gavin compare bad hair days.


Whoops - I guess we forgot to remind Tom to smile.


Daddy and Gavin point out the exact spot where Grandpa Wales "stole" the innertube the last time we went to Schlitterbahn


A-maze-ing - Gavin navigating the straw maze

The Difference a Day Makes

I was so tired yesterday that last night I curled up with Gavin and slept the sleep of the dead. When my alarm clock went off at 4am this morning I felt refreshed and ready to go run some hills. I wanted to test out the hamstring but I was more concerned about some pain I'd started having on the outside of my left foot. I first noticed it during the "run from Hell" yesterday, and when we went to the "Schlitterbahn Hill Country Christmas" event in New Braunfels last night (report to come) I felt a few twinges while walking around with Gavin on my shoulders.

I am happy to report however that this morning there was no reaction from either. While I treated it as a recovery run and ran it nice and slow, I did attack a few of the uphills and some of the downhills. I'm wondering if the foot thing may be connected to my new road shoes. I wore my old ones this morning and had no problems - maybe they just need some extra breaking in.

This morning and afternoon is devoted to making Christmas chocolates and goodies. Nancy is busy making some chocolate dipped coconut bonbons, chocolate pecan fudge, Russian teacakes and truffles. My contribution will be toffee and cappuccino cookies (plus making spaghetti and meatballs for supper tonight), while Gavin is heading up the "product quality and testing" department.

Hamstrung

I had a horrible 28 mile run this morning. Got an email earlier this week from a friend with Round Rock Fit who needed to get her long Saturday run in early. I offered to run with her because it's so dark and lonely out there on the back roads, so we met up at 4:45am and got going for a nice 12.5 miles. She's slower than me, but I didn't mind adjusting my pace because I'd timed it to get back just in time to take my group out for their 25k benchmark. It was a very clear morning, we had a nice run and got back just in time to pick up my group and head back out.

I hadn't run that fast so I figured I would be able to power through, but I just didn't have the extra gear. I felt sluggish, and the further we went the more I just wanted the run to end. I had no problems keeping up with the guys, but I had to force myself to keep going ("you will not walk" my little voice kept repeating). I felt stiff, developed a niggling pain on the outside of my left foot and was just tired. Then, about 1/4 mile from the end I had to vault over a misthrown frisbee golf disc and felt a tweak in my hamstring. I yelled a few choice comments at the guys who threw the disc (none of which they really deserved) and kept going to finish out my run. I was done, in every sense of the word. I was drained, beat and just wanted to get home.

My buddy Tony came to the rescue with some coffee spiked with Baileys which really hit the spot, and we talked about our upcoming night out. Then I just hung around stretching the hamstring. Eventually I dragged myself to the car and drove home - I had to work hard not to fall asleep at the wheel.

Why did I have such a bad run? Why was I able to run a 50 miler with ease last Saturday, turn around and run a half marathon the following day with no ill effects, then this week struggle on a slow 28 miler. My overall pace wasn't bad (9:15) considering the first 12.5 miles was just under a 10 minute mile, but why did I feel so out-of-sorts? I guess it could be because I've been having trouble sleeping since Sunmart. I feel tired but it takes forever to fall asleep. I may also be a little dehydrated too which didn't help.

Still, there's one thing I've learnt about a bad run - know it for what it is. Sometimes you just have a bad run. So I'm going to chalk it up as such and forget about it. Tomorrow I will get up, hit some hills and see how I feel. In the meantime, I am going to go take a nap.

2008/2009 Training Season - Week 16

Saturday 12/13/08
Road - 28 miles. Done - 4:19:08 (9:15 pace). Horrible run - felt sluggish and awful. Tweaked my hamstring while vaulting over a misthrown golf frisbee disc 1/4 mile from the end.

Sunday 12/14/08
Road - 10 miles hilly. Done - did the Far West/Ladera Norte loop. Took it nice and slow to test out the hamstring. Happy to report there was no reaction.

Monday 12/15/08
Trail - 6 miles hilly.
Road - 10 miles hilly.

Tuesday 12/16/08
Rest

Wednesday 12/17/08
Road - 5 miles easy.

Thursday 12/18/08
Rest

Friday 12/19/08
Rest

Interview with Santa

While we were in Houston for the Sunmart race last weekend, we took advantage of a spare hour or so to visit a mall so Gavin could meet Santa. The interaction went something like this:

Gavin:	So are you really Santa?
Santa:	Yes, I'm Santa. What do you want for Christmas?
Gavin:	I want toys, Santa. (Looks dubiously at Santa's grotto) Is this your house?
Santa:	Yes, that's Santa's house.
Gavin:	Really?
Santa:	Yes.
Gavin:	Hmm, so you travel around with your house? Are those your decorations? Can I go inside?
Santa:	(little flustered) So, er, what kind of toys do you want?
Gavin:	I like your Christmas tree. Is that Rudolph? (Considers the fact that "Rudolph" is plastic - decides to let it pass.) I want a spiderman and a dinosaur Santa.
Santa:	Have you been a good boy this year?
Gavin:	Oh yes, I've been a very good boy this year. (Pause.) Did you write that down? Have you got a pen?

We managed to keep him quiet long enough to take the photo above. On the way back to the car he wanted to go back because he "forgot to give Santa my address". We had to assure him that Santa knew where all good boys lived.

On the running front I've had a lazy week - I worked a lot and didn't manage to get back out on the trails until Wednesday night, but it was worth the wait. I have switched up my training from speedwork (for Sunmart) to hills (for Bandera), so I started off with repeats on the Hill of Life. At one point I was running back up the hill just as the sun was going down behind me. For a few glorious minutes I was surrounded in a golden glow as I ran toward a huge full moon high in the sky ahead of me. Later I met some friends for a nightime run and it was about as perfect a running night as you could wish for. The trail was bathed in moonlight and it was an ethereal and effortless run. Those are the kind of runs you live for.

"Deckmart" Weekend

"Deckmart" is Clea's invention, combining the two races we both had planned for this weekend - Sunmart on Saturday and the Decker Half Marathon on Sunday.

Day 1 : Sunmart 50 miler
Objective : PR and break 9 hours
Ok, let me get the suspense out of the way. I smashed my PR by 40 minutes and finished in 8:46:28, good enough for 34th place (out of 159 finishers).

Now that the numbers are out of the way, let's talk about the race. We got to Huntsville on Friday night after a hellish drive from Houston where we had enjoyed a fantastic pasta dinner and picked up our excellent race premiums. We spent a comfortable night and got to the park early on Saturday morning. It was freezing cold - upper 20s/lower 30s. I'd just got out of the car and the first person I saw was Ryan Beard - a really fast runner I know from Austin. We went off in search of the HCTR tents and found Joe, Robert and Meredith. We set up our drop bags and visited for a while. Other folks started to show up and I chatted to Jeff and Cheri (note: absolutely no mention of the GF word), and gave Celeste the race packet we'd picked up for her in Houston the night before. As I walked to the start line, I ran into Ryan Valdez (El Scorcho race director and distorted veracity blogger). We are both signed up for the Texas Trilogy and were excited we were actually about to start it off. It was good to see him and we chatted and took a few photos while we waited for the start. Ryan V. would go on to have a solid race and run almost exactly the time he predicted at the start line.

The gun sounded and off we went on the first of four 12.5 mile loops. I made my first mistake of the day here as I dumped off my gloves before the start. My hands quickly became numb and painful - it took a good 45 minutes for them to thaw out. I settled into a column of runners, and Ryan B. slotted in behind me. We gradually inched our way through the line until we found ourselves behind Meredith and Matt Bush at the front of the column. These three are seriously good runners and I wondered how long I would be able to stay with them, but we talked about this and that, fell into a good rhythm and finished out the first loop together in 1:50.

On the second loop, I bumped into Clea and Meghan who were running the 50k and we ran together and chatted for a while. The girls were full of smiles and were obviously having a great day. By the time the 50k/50 mile routes diverged I'd hooked up with Meredith again - she was in one of the money slots and was looking to push on, and Ryan B. was not far behind. The three of us ran together, taking turns to set the pace until we got to the farside aid station where I had to use the porta potty and we parted ways. Luckily the 50k and 50 mile routes converged again here and out popped Clea and Meghan, who had picked up another runner from my wife's hometown of Brownwood. We got to talking and it turns out he lives just down the road from my father-in-law. What are the chances? We finished out the loop together and I came in at 3:55. I was still running at an 8 hour pace which I figured was a bit too aggressive and decided to settle into a more conservative pace.

I started out on the third loop running by myself. Ryan B. was not far behind me and Meredith and Matt were not far in front. We continued to encourage each other as we passed at the out-and-backs, and I finished out the third loop right at 6:20. I was refilling my bottles before heading out again when Clea came over to see if I had everything I needed. The girls had finished their 50k (both taking 3rd place in their age groups) and she told me I was looking strong. She then told me she wasn't going to run Decker the day after. Bugger - I was banking on her being sensible and stopping me going out psycho fast. Oh well, I laid a mild guilt trip on her (sorry Clea), gave her a quick congratulatory hug, picked up my ipod and set off again.

The last loop was passing by much the same as the third. I did the out-and-back on the jeep road and as I was coming down, Joe Prusaitis was heading up. I think we'd synced up our pace after the first loop because I kept seeing him at the same point each go round. I pointed this out as we passed, and he yelled back that I was smoking this race.

Ryan B. caught me just after the 50k/50 mile route diverged and showed why he'd done so well at Cactus Rose because he powered the rest of the course (it also helped that he had to be back in Austin by 7pm for a party). I caught a few runners along the way and was going well until my Garmin quit about 5 miles from the end. From then on I had no idea how I was doing so I just ran. Once I hit the final aid station I knew I had 2.8 miles to go so I sucked it up and kicked on to the finish line. All the HCTR folks cheered me in as I came down the final stretch to the finish line. I was very relieved to see that clock because I honestly had no idea what time I was running.

I had a good day and was pleased with the PR, but what really made my day was when Joe Prusaitis told me several times that I had run a great race and he was impressed. Coming from an ultra runner and coach of his stature, that was very special.

It was a great Sunmart weekend. I had many friends out there, several of them doing their first ultras. Some of them made their goals, others did not. To those that didn't, I offer this: what truly matters is you had the courage to start. As long as you continue to aim, your day will come.


Day 2 : Decker Half Marathon
Objective : survival
I got to the expo center and one of the first people I saw was Clea. I think she was very happy to see me ("oh, thank God") and explained that she had left several "psycho" messages on my phone to say that she had changed her mind and would I run with her. I was very happy too, otherwise I would have been lining up with the 7:30 pace group. As it was, we had a very enjoyable run over the Decker hills - we took it very easy, stopped for bathroom breaks, chatted the miles away and treated it as a fun recovery run. We crossed the finish line at 2:02:11 (9:20 pace). Could I have run it faster? Maybe, but it wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun. Thanks Clea.


Things I learned from this weekend
My training and conditioning is right where I want it to be - I ran the first half of the 50 miler at a fast clip, and never bonked. My recovery was also very fast - I wasn't sore or stiff afterwards and I felt good running this morning.

The experiment with the brand new trail shoes also worked - I had no problems whatsoever, and I am getting pretty good at taping my feet. The gaiters also worked well - no trail debris or sand got into my shoes. I also ran Decker this morning in new road shoes, and that worked out great.

Gel flasks - always dilute the gel with a bit of water. Makes them much easier to use and cuts down on the weight (which stops them bouncing).

Salty old dog - I could have filled a salt shaker with what I scraped off my forehead on Saturday.

I enjoy running by myself, but running with friends makes the miles disappear so much quicker. Huge thanks to Meredith, Ryan, Matt, Clea, Meghan and "the guy from Brownwood whose name I can't remember" for sharing time on the trail with me.

And finally, this year's Sunmart finisher's jackets are really nice.

2008/2009 Training Season - Week 15

Saturday 12/6/08
Sunmart 50 miler. Done - 8:46:28 (10:32 pace). Great run, big PR and perfect weather. Can't ask for any more.

Sunday 12/7/08
Decker half marathon. Done - 2:02:11 (9:20 pace). Nice easy-paced recovery run, including bathroom breaks and water stops. Ran the whole race with Clea - we had fun.

Monday 12/8/08
Rest

Tuesday 12/9/08
Rest

Wednesday 12/10/08
Trail. Done - did 4 repeats on the hill of life, then a 6 mile run with Marcia, Larry, Jason, Stephanie and Daniel.

Thursday 12/11/08
Rest

Friday 12/12/08
Rest

Gearing up for Sunmart

This is an old picture of Huntsville State Park taken on a beautiful misty morning at the Hog's Hunt back in April. I'll be back there this weekend for the Sunmart 50 miler - the first part of the Texas Trilogy. The weather forecast looks perfect for Saturday - high of 63F and low of 40F. I have all my stuff ready to go, and I am getting ready to break one of the big running taboos. Huntsville is one of those trails that you can run well in road shoes, but last weekend I ran a hole into my "should have been retired long ago" Asics road shoes. So I have three options - I can either wear my Montrail Hardrocks (heavy trail shoes built for technical trail), Vasque Velocities (not as heavy as the Montrails but still no lightweights) or a brand new "never been run in" pair of Asics trail shoes (very light - the trail version of my road shoes). I want to run a fast race so I'm going to gamble and go with the Asics. I will tape my feet really well and take my Vasques in case I need to change them out after one of the loops, but I hope I won't have to.

I haven't run at all since Sunday. I've been working late most evenings which has resulted in a forced taper - maybe all for the good. I've carb loaded well for the last few nights and am hoping for the best.

Besides, with the good news I've had this week I have an extra spring in my step.

Investing in Diapers

I have some great news - I'm going to be a dad again!!! We've known for a few weeks, but Nancy went to the doctor this afternoon and got official confirmation. She is due in July and we are both excited and nervous. Needless to say, the grandparents are over the moon.

We told Gavin and he has informed us that he wants a brother, but if he could have one of both he would name them Dory and Nemo. I don't think he'll be getting the naming rights.

My 100 miler now has the added advantage of sleep deprivation training. From what I recall, I'll be needing it.

The Green Green Grass of Home

There is a word in Welsh - hiraeth - that has no direct translation in the English language. It describes the deep yearning a Welshman feels for his Country. That hit home to me yesterday when I found this montage of my hometown on YouTube. It brought back many wonderful memories - the Neath Abbey ruins, the old railway station where I spent so much time with my dad as a little boy (I loved trains), the historic Castle Hotel (where the Welsh Rugby Union was formed in 1881) and the old canals that wind their way through the Neath valley.

My parents live less than a minute from the beautiful park (Victoria Gardens) shown in the video. The St David's Church clock overlooking the park is the defining landmark of the town - it is the first thing I used to see when traveling home from England.

I recognize many of the streets as part of my old running routes, and the last few minutes show off the wonderful trails of the "Gnoll woods" estate, with the cascade falls and the oh-so-familiar Gnoll pond (spent many happy hours playing in the Gnoll woods as a boy). I ran these trails almost every day when we visited home last Christmas and they are every bit as beautiful as they look.

Yep, Neath is a beautiful little town and a great place to grow up in. Of course, many things have changed since I lived there - my old school is gone, replaced by a police station and holding cells (not much change there then), and what was the old police station is now a trendy wine bar - but the essence of the town remains. The quirky characters and the quiet Welsh humor is still the same. I always enjoy my visits home.