Old School

Someone posted this old school picture on Facebook. It was taken on St. David's day sometime in the late 1970s (St David is the patron saint of Wales and is celebrated on March 1st). The girls are decked out in traditional Welsh dress and the boys are wearing leeks or daffodils. Can you tell which one is me?

Hint : I'm in one of the front two rows.

William Blake for Runners

Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born.
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.

Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.

We are led to believe a lie
When we see not thro' the eye,
Which was born in a night to perish in a night,
When the soul slept in beams of light.

God appears, and God is light,
To those poor souls who dwell in night;
But does a human form display
To those who dwell in realms of day.


There is some poetry that I "just get". William Blake (above quote taken from Auguries of Innocence), Thomas Hardy, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and of course Dylan Thomas are all favorites of mine. They touch my creative soul and release emotions, moods and meaning in the same way a much loved song will trigger memories of a particular time and place.

Of course, there is a lot of crap out there too.

But thinking through a favorite muse can be an excellent distraction when running an ultramarathon, especially one where you will be spending a significant amount of time running at night and can go hours without seeing a soul. In a race where keeping a tight hold on your mental state is key they can provide a relaxing rhythm. If you can open your mind and go with it who knows what path they will take you down. After all, when you need to think, what better place to go than the woods or the mountains? It is said that George Mallory and his companions read poetry to each other in their high camps on Everest prior to their summit attempt. A romantic notion from a bygone age perhaps, but I can understand it. Maybe I'm just an old romantic at heart.

I only hope my endless night will finish in sweet delight. And maybe some Starbucks coffee. And a nice greasy McDonalds breakfast.

8 days to go.

Zombie Runners

I recently read a news report that somebody had hacked into a digital road sign near the UT campus in Austin and managed to change the message (see above). It struck me that this sign would be very appropriate for the last loop at Rocky Raccoon.

Countdown

It's now 9 days and counting to the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler. I've been planning this race for so long I can't believe it's almost here. You can bet the butterflies will be flying in the old tummy for the next week and a bit.

Hot Food for Cold Nights

I love cast iron cooking, and it's a rare day when my iron skillets aren't in use. They are very versatile, and if you treat them right they will last for generations. Seasoned properly, they will perform at least as well as non-stick and are unbeatable for searing meats. I've made everything from cornbread to "toad in the hole" to filet mignon in them.

I recently reseasoned my old dutch oven (an easy process involving baking some shortening into the iron) and tonight I decided to bring it out to play ahead of the winter weather we've been promised. I've been browsing Ashlee Wetheringtons's excellent "A Year in the Kitchen" blog and decided to take a shot at her Hungarian Goulash. I paired it with homemade pita breads from "The Fresh Loaf" for dipping and mopping (modified to use equal measures of wholewheat and all purpose flour - much better taste and texture). I had high hopes, and it didn't disappoint. Very flavorful, and a perfect comfort food for cold nights. The best complement is that I made a full pot and it's all gone (though I managed to save some to take to work with me) - talk about pigs at the trough.

In the build up to the 100 miler at Rocky Raccoon (now only a week and a half away), I have moved on to the taper and tuning stage. My strategy for this week is to concentrate on regular midweek runs that are shorter than usual (about 4 miles or so), but at a slightly faster clip than my usual training pace. This evening I dipped into the 7:30/mile range without really extending myself, which I think is just about the right balance. A nice 10 mile run next Saturday followed by the Scenic Dr loop on Sunday, and then I will enjoy a week of easy running (maybe even no running) up to race day.

And finally, one of my friends who is on the fitness committee with me at work is a certified pilates instructor and he's been giving free "no sweat" pilates classes at lunchtime. While I've done yoga, I've never tried pilates before. He's just added an advanced after-work aerobic pilates class and asked me to come along, spread the word and help get it going. He's promised to "kick my butt" and I'm excited about trying something new (though I'll probably be really bad at it). I think it will be an excellent cross training variation.

Man v Food

Does anyone remember an old Travel Channel show called "Man v Wild"? It starred British adventurer, mountaineer and survival expert Bear Grylls. Each week he was stranded in some popular wilderness destination and had to find his way back to civilization, dishing out survival tips as he went.

Well tonight I watched another Travel Channel show called "Man v Food" which is nothing like it. Instead, host Adam Richman travels the country taking on eating challenges. There's something grossly fascinating about watching people gorge themselves past all normal limits. From the hottest curry on the planet (the chefs wear gasmasks when preparing it) to a 30" pizza to a hideously greasy 12lb combo of burgers and fries to Austin's own Juan in a Million breakfast taco challenge (see below). It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, it may make you want to puke. I enjoyed it.

Painting Walls and Talking Rats

Yesterday was my road group's last big long run before the Austin marathon - we joined up with another training group downtown and basically ran the last 22 miles of the marathon course. It was cold and windy, and I started off running with a few of my guys, pointing out bits of the course as we ran - where the hills were, where the mental low points were, where to push it and where to hold back etc. I felt for our volunteers manning the water stops we'd set up along the way - they looked very cold - and I made sure to thank them for coming out.

Once the group started to splinter, I ended up running with a guy we've dubbed "wildman" because of his long hair. He's run with us on and off all season but I haven't gotten a chance to talk with him much, so we had a good chat while keeping a nice steady 8:30 pace. It turns out he's a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness, and since I've been considering studying for my PT certification (though it's expensive, and what would I do with it anyway) we talked about that for a while. He's also training for an Ironman - something I can never imagine myself doing. He was a nice guy and the miles went by very quickly.

Eventually we made the turn onto Congress at 11th, and he sprinted off to where the marathon will finish at 7th Street. I let him go (because I'm mean) and carried on at the same pace. When I caught up to him, he was bent over recovering. Trying not to laugh I casually said "you know we're not done yet, right? We've still got another half mile back to the cars and we're going to run it". After a second of stunned disbelief he sucked it up and we ran the final half mile to make it a 22.5 mile run. Oh, when you're as evil as I am it doesn't take much to make your day.

I stayed around at the finish until the rest of my guys came in. They all looked strong (and they all ran that extra last half mile) - I'm sure they're going to have a great marathon. However, for some reason there was no water at the finish and it was still cold and windy (especially after we'd stopped running), so after a quick chat we said our goodbyes and I headed off home to paint Gavin's room.

I got the first coat of green on the walls, and the antique white on the ceiling. Then I went back and applied the second coat today. Gavin chose the color and I have to say I like his taste - it looks very good. Once that dries we'll get the painters tape off, fill in any bits we missed, vacuum and shampoo the carpet and then roll his stuff back in. That will make my "honey do" list much shorter.

This afternoon we went to a birthday party for one of Gavin's friends at Chuckie Cheese. What a bizarre place. I'd never been to a Chuckie Cheese before, but the concept is kid-friendly pizza within a kind of amusement arcade presided over by a giant rat (call me Sherlock, but I'm guessing the rat is Chuckie - wow, what a gimmick). It was very busy and filled with screaming kids. Gavin enjoyed himself for a bit while we mingled with the other "overwhelmed-looking" parents. Thanfully, eventually we escaped. I think Gavin is very much like his dad and doesn't like crowds very much. We got home and he went to the swings with his grandpa instead.

Top 10 Marathon Tips

My road group are getting ready to do their final really long run tomorrow (22 miles) before the Austin marathon (I will use it as part of my last really long running weekend before Rocky Raccoon). Some of them have never run this distance before and this is a daunting step leading up to their first marathon, so I've been peppering them with tips, strategies and mental tricks to help see them through. Here are my "top 10" marathon tips and tricks in case any of my readers are in a similar position.


1. Hydration strategy in the days before the run - you should be alternating water and gatorade/powerade/your electrolyte of choice. It is important to be hydrated, but it is equally as important to not dilute your electrolyte levels (or you'll start cramping in the later miles).

2. Carb loading. Increase your carbohydrate consumption as your mileage decreases in the days leading up to the race, but a little bit of protein is important too. Favorite dishes for me include pasta with a tomato based sauce and some lean turkey meatballs, or baked potato with cottage cheese, brown rice and mustard glazed grilled chicken or salmon (a runner's super food).

3. You are all capable of running a marathon. The crucial thing is to believe that you can. Take 10 to 15 minutes the night before to sit down by yourself and focus on the task in hand. Relax your mind and think about what you need to do to accomplish your goals, where you get your motivation when you need to dig deep, and how far you've come in the last 6 months. Remind yourself that you're tough and you can do it. Visualize yourself at each stage of the race, feeling strong and pushing for that finish line. If you believe it can happen, it will.

4. Race day breakfast. I don't care if you drive a Ferrari or a lawnmower, it won't go without fuel and neither will you. Toast with peanut butter and banana used to work well for me, but now I use a meal replacement shake or some Hammer Sustained Energy. Find your magic bullet and stick to it.

5. It is good to be nervous before a race, but never stand at the start line with anything less than 100% confidence you are going to finish.

6. Don't go out too fast - it's far better to be strong in the last 6 miles and pass all those folks who did (and if you get it right, you will pass a lot of people in those last few miles). Having said that, don't be too alarmed if you're running a little faster than your normal training pace as long as it feels natural (my marathon pace is a good 30 seconds a mile faster than my training pace).

7. If conditions are not good or you're not feeling it, revise your time goals. Don't force yourself to run an uncomfortable pace just to hit a certain time (and discard that pace band). You almost certainly will not be able to hold it and end up struggling (see #6), whereas if you hold back a little you may feel better and surge later in the race.

8. Fuel during the race. Work out your strategy in advance and make yourself follow it. For a marathon, I will alternate water and gatorade at each water stop and take a gel roughly every 5-6 miles. If it's warm and/or humid, I lean more toward the electrolyte. I always carry my own liquid and salt caps as insurance (and usually end up giving them to other runners who are cramping). Again, that works for me but your mileage may vary so figure it out before race day. If gels are not your thing, I've also had good luck with clif shot bloks (margarita flavor for the extra salt) and sports beans.

9. There will be some mental lows along the way, there always are, but they will pass (if running a marathon was easy, everyone would do it). It is just something you have to work through, and there are several relaxation and diversion tricks I use to help overcome them. Mantras are good and I use them a lot, but one of my most effective weapons is "the count". If I'm feeling tired or can't find my rhythm, I will simply count each time my right foot hits the floor. By the time I get to 30, I have usually relaxed and found the rhythm I was missing. Remember that during a marathon you can go from a mental funk to a glorious high in as little as a mile, so hang on in there (besides, a few mental lows make for a much more interesting race report)

10. Most important of all, enjoy yourself. Be grateful that you are healthy and able to do this. Enjoy the energy of the other runners, the good wishes of the crowd, and ignore those people who insist you're "nearly there" when you know you've only run a couple of miles!!! We are the lucky ones - remind yourself of that at mile 20. Oh, and smile as you cross the finish line because somebody will want to sell you an outrageously overpriced photograph of it.

The Irony of Toenails

Gavin's room is getting a makeover, so I got put to work today on overhauling it. I cleared out all my office stuff, mudded the ceiling and walls and prepped everything for painting. Gavin went to Lowes with Nancy and chose a nice green color for the walls, then came in to supervise the prep work. I think he's excited to have his room just the way he wants it. I plan on getting the painting finished on the weekend, and I'm looking forward to having him help me.

I also think it's ironic (and kind of funny) that I ran 100k at Bandera without any toenail issues, then tonight I stubbed my little toe on the ladder and I suspect the nail's going to part company with me.

It bloody hurt too!!!

Ice is Not so Nice

We took Gavin ice skating yesterday. I'd never been before and it was horrible - I suck. I was completely out of control - I couldn't stop, turn, or do anything other than stop myself falling over. I was super nervous about rolling my ankles, so I spent most of the time with my feet bent inwards and cursing Nancy for making me go. Gavin hated it as much as I did - we pulled our way around the rink one time and then retired to run around the bleachers and watch Nancy skate around like a pro (she swears she's only been 3 times in her life but I am dubious). Even my dad fared a lot better than I did. I would be happy if I never had to go ice skating ever again!!!

Before that ill-advised trip, I did a nice fast 12 miler with my road group and felt good. I didn't add in any extra mileage and it was nice to just finish at 12.

I was tempted to join Roger early this morning for the first portion of his "hilly road run from Hell", but I didn't get up in time and I'd made plans to meet Clea down at the greenbelt a little later anyway. We had a relaxing 6 mile run and a nice chat, and it was a beautiful morning. When did 18 miles become an easy running weekend?

When I got home I felt like giving level 2 of the 30 day shred a shot. I was surprised to discover it's not really any more difficult than level 1, but it's still a good intense workout. I struggled for balance and coordination on some of the 1-legged exercises, but I still got a good workout. I felt in the groove when I was done, so I decided to start off week 4 of the 200 situps challenge.

200 Situp Challenge : Week 4 day 1
Plan : 32, 38, 32, 32, at least 48
Actual : 32, 38, 32, 32, 250

Yes, that's not a misprint, you did read it right - I did 250 crunches for the last set. I'm pretty good at abs, and now that Bandera's out of the way I wanted to pull out the stops and see how many I could do. I quit at 250 because I needed to shower and go to the grocery store, but technically that means I achieved the program goal. I think I'm still gonna follow the schedule and see it through - I'm a whole lot better at crunches than I was at pushups!!!

Bandera Reflections

Photo Courtsey of Joe Prusaitis

Look at that - now there's a sunset that just screams "Texas". It's almost a week after the race and I am still on a high. I went to Shepler's Western store earlier this week and bought myself a belt to house the buckle, and I rewarded myself by not running at all this week - just doing some cross training and spending the time with my parents instead (I will make up for it this weekend with some long runs though).

Here are my thoughts and reflections

The Bandera Experience
I think I finally "got" why so many people enjoy running out at Bandera. Sure it's rugged and challenging, but it's also very rewarding. Of the three ultras in the Trilogy this was the one I was most nervous about, but I suspect it's the one I will look back on with fondest memories.

Trail Community
Trail running is more than just time and mileage, it is a very tightly knit community which I am very lucky to have stumbled across and very proud to be a part of. Joe and Joyce always put on top notch races and do everything in their power to help you cross that finish line, and the volunteers (all ultra runners themselves) are just the best. I've met so many people and made some wonderful friends in the last year.

Lucky Shirt
Who would have thought that a $7 running shirt from Wally World would become my lucky race shirt, but I've had a PR every time I've worn it (through 2 marathons, Sunmart and Bandera). I guess I need to pack it to take to Rocky Raccoon with me.

Texas Trilogy Standings
I took a look at the Texas Trilogy standings this morning and was shocked to find myself in 3rd place (and 1st male). I calculated I have a 25 minute cushion over the 4th placed dude, which equals excellent motivation for Rocky Raccoon.

Unfortunate Side Effect
Having enjoyed Bandera so much, I am contemplating signing up for the Cactus Rose 100 miler. It is a self supported race (they only provide water) on the Bandera course, but with all the flat bits taken out. I ran 45 miles of it while pacing my buddy back in November, and the race description of "A nasty rugged trail run: No Whiners, Wimps, or Wusses. We give Bonus Points for Blood, Cuts, Scrapes, & Puke" has not deterred me.


200 Situp Challenge : Week 3 day 3 (from Tuesday)
Plan : 33, 42, 30, 30, at least 45
Actual : 33, 42, 30, 30, 45

Tequila Nights at the Bandera 100k

Warm. Cozy. Happy. Curled up in my little nest as a kettle whistles in the background. Bliss. Then the alarm on my watch goes off and I realize the whistling is the wind and I am lying in my sleeping bag in the back of my Ford Explorer about to run my first 100k at Bandera. I groan because right at this moment that's the last thing I want to do.

I had heard a lot about this race - it was tough, technical, rocky and there were lots of hills. It is where Texans go to train for the mountain ultras. I'm not real good on technical trail (especially the downhills) so I knew I had my work cut out for me. I considered dressing in layers, but I knew that once we started running I would warm up really quickly so I just wore my shorts and lucky t-shirt. I had taped my feet the night before, added on my drymax socks, gaiters and Montrail Hardrocks and I was ready to go. Before I knew it we were standing at the start line and we were off.

The course consisted of two 50k loops, with 6 aid stations per loop (including the start/finish line). The aid stations were 5-6 miles apart, so I figured my two handheld bottles would see me through. We got an early wakeup call with the climbs on Big Nasty, Sky Island and Ice Cream hill. I soon realized that if my big weakness was the downhills, then my big strength was the uphills so I decided to attack them. While other folks could take me on the downhills, I could smoke them on the uphills. While I would walk the real steep ones, I resolved to run all the others until I tired myself out, or finished the race (whichever came first).

I ran with several friends old and new at various parts of this first loop, including Ryan Beard, George Hitzfeld, Lorenzo Sanchez and Bill Patience - Bill actually fitted me for my first pair of running shoes many years ago. Then, while climbing the "Three Sisters" I hooked up with Scott Wood from New Braunfels. We ended up running together for the next 10 hours - I would lead the way and set the pace, and Scott would keep me to it. We were very well matched and had a great time getting to know each other. We kept a consistent pace and soon started passing folks who had sped past me earlier. We stopped at the scenic overlook on the top of Boyle's Bump, and I jumped onto the bench to enjoy the panoramic view before continuing on to the Lodge.

We finished out the first loop in about 6:30 feeling strong and set out again. Halfway up Sky Island I came across Ryan B. standing just off the trail. I stopped to see if he was ok and he said his knee had locked up and he couldn't climb any more. He couldn't even make it back to the lodge, but they were sending somebody for him. I was real sorry to see him drop but there was nothing I could do so we kept going. When we got to Nachos I was sad to see Josue sitting down with a bag of ice on his ankle. He had won the race last year but has had so many injury problems this year. He is such a nice, humble guy and I spent a few minutes talking with him.

On the 5.6 miles between Nachos and Chapas aid station I hit a low and had to dig deep to keep running. I kept telling myself "you will not walk" and I'd drained both my bottles just as we hit Chapas. Luckily they had some good food there, and I munched on a burrito and drank some Mountain Dew as they refilled my bottles. The next 5.8 miles between Chapas and Crossroads were just boring and I was still in a bit of a funk. Scott took the lead in a few places and I was just hanging on in there. Once we got to Crossroads, I grabbed my drop bag and had a meal replacement shake and a gel before setting off for the "Three sisters".

Just outside the aid station I came upon a group of kids ripping down glow sticks and throwing them into the brush. I yelled at them and must have scared them pretty good because they started scrambling around replacing all the ones they'd knocked down. Just before we hit the "Sisters", I suddenly started to feel good. Really good. My low spell was gone and I hit the hills really hard. Darkness fell just as we cleared the Sisters and I turned on my headlamp and felt even better (maybe I have vampiric tendancies :-) ). There was a beautiful full moon, and before we knew it we were back at Crossroads.

Scott took some time to put on warm clothes and have some ramen noodles, but I had so much energy I was just about bouncing off the walls. I was eager to get out of there, but I didn't want to leave Scott after we'd run so far. I decided against putting on any extra clothes or gloves because I figured that would be more of a motivation to keep running. The overnight lows were expected to drop into the 20s, but I banked on finishing the race before they got that low. I couldn't believe we only had the one aid station to go, and I intended to hit the last 10 miles really hard.

We set off toward Last Chance at a good clip and the energy kept flowing. Scott hit a low around here, but I told him we were going to keep moving and promised we would walk when we started the climb to "Lucky Peak". He slotted in behind me and we kept going at a good pace while talking about movies. Well, I'd gotten into such a groove I actually ran a ways up "Lucky Peak" before I realized and made myself walk. Once over and down, it was a quick shot into "Last Chance".

We heard the music pumping out before we got there, and what a sight for sore eyes. Roger was cooking up a feast, and I enjoyed pancakes, beans, rice and potatoes cooked in bacon fat. Man, that was good. One of the other guys asked if I wanted any Tequila. "Well hell yes" I said. I think I made his night - he said I was the first runner to say yes and he ran to get it before I changed my mind. One of the girls pulled out a camera to record the "crazy tequila-drinking runner" and we posed with the bottle and the generous triple shot he poured before I slammed it. I got a standing ovation from the aid station crew as we left. I yelled out that they were the best aid station, which netted me another cheer and off we went.

Mile 57 and I still felt great. We had another two major climbs - Cairns and Boyles - and then it was downhill to the finish line. We hit Cairns and Scott was feeling a lot better, so we ran part of the uphill and played it carefully on the downhill. We did the same with Boyles and stopped at the scenic overlook again to celebrate the end of the uphills. We had about a mile and a half to go and I felt the best I had all day. Scott told me to go for it, so I hit the gas and discovered I had several extra gears. For the second time in my life I had hit running nirvana. The faster I went the better I felt, and I hit the lodge, sprinted across the field and crossed the finish line in 13:42:15. It's a really good feeling to finish a tough race like that with plenty left in the tank.

I got my buckle and a handshake from Joe, and a big hug from Joyce. I waited for Scott to finish and we agreed that running together had made it an excellent race for both of us. One of the oddities of trail running - you run for 10 hours with someone and you may never see them again. I hope we get to hook up again at a future race.

I went into the tent and the volunteers made me up some wonderful hot soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I sat around with some of the other runners and noticed that the wind was just as strong as it was in the morning. Eventually I heard my sleeping bag calling and headed off to the car. Once I got outside I realized just how cold it really was and was glad to crawl into the Explorer and zip myself into the bag.

I enjoyed the race - it was the most enjoyable ultra I've run. I had a great day, ran within myself and finished a lot quicker than I thought I would. Except for the "unrunnable" hills, I ran the entire way (I was super careful to protect my ankle on the downs). My legs felt great throughout and I never came anywhere close to cramping or bonking. The wind was a factor, but at least it kept it cool. I am not stiff or sore today, and apart from a blister on my heel that I missed while taping, my feet are fine too. I have a few minor cuts from the sotol cactii, but nothing to write home about.

Running with somebody for so long was fun, and definitely pushed me to finish faster than I probably otherwise would have. I do have a tendancy to get lazy, but having somebody on your heel keeps you moving. I had a few low points, but I was able to push myself to keep going and they invariably passed.

My nutrition plan consisted of a meal replacement shake twice a loop, a gel at (almost) every aid station, some salt caps as needed inbetween and whatever food they had at the aid stations. My aid station plan, as always, was to get in and out as quickly as possible (with the exception of the Tequila stop - I was having too much fun there).

So a good race, and my first belt buckle. Now I have to go find a belt for it. Part 2 of the Texas Trilogy is complete, and my next race is the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler next month to complete the series. Bring it on.

No One as Irish as Barack Obama

I heard this song in the dentist's office the other day and it just stuck in my head. This afternoon I gave a presentation to a gaggle of managers, and the entire time all that kept running through my head was

"O'leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara,
There's no-one as Irish as Barack Obama".

Enjoy.

Bandera Preview

These are pictures from the Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera where I'm going to be running the 100k this weekend. It's remote, it's tough, it's rugged, but it's very beautiful (especially on a clear night with a full moon). I'm not worried about the uphills, but rocky steep downhills are not my forte and I don't have a time goal in mind for this one - I just want to finish. The last time I ran here, I took chunks out of the back of my heels so I'm going to make sure I do a good job of taping my feet. I checked the weather forecast and I'm happy with the temperature, but not so happy with the predicted high winds and 35mph gusts - that could pose a few problems. Still, nothing I can do about it so why worry.

We went to pick my parents up from the airport tonight. They're visiting from Wales for two months and Gavin was super excited to see them - he hasn't stopped chattering all night.

What also arrived this evening was my stick. This is a great runner's tool that helps work knots out of your legs by massaging trigger points. I used to own the travel stick, but Gavin enjoyed playing with it a little too much and it's been missing for months. I finally broke down and bought another one.

200 Situp Challenge : Week 3 day 2
Plan : 30, 38, 23, 23, at least 38
Actual : 30, 28, 23, 23, 40

Knocked off another day of the situp challenge tonight. I had no problems, though I started feeling it toward the end of that last set. That's a good feeling.

First Look at a New Life

Wow. Is there anything more exciting as a dad than seeing the first pictures of what will one day be your son or daughter? Look at those legs - is he doing leg presses or reverse crunches? It's still too early to tell if it's a boy or girl, but there's no denying Gavin's days as an only child are numbered.

Not much else going on here. I went for a 6 mile trail run with some friends yesterday, and that's the last run I plan on doing until Bandera. I'm putting my feet up this week and concentrating on cross training. Tonight I "Shredded" and then had a go at the 200 situps challenge.

Situp Challenge : Week 3 Day 1
Plan : 21, 27, 21, 21, at least 30
Actual : 21, 27, 21, 21, 40

I think I'm going to enjoy it.

Rings, Runs, Resolutions.....and Situps

Steve Spiers, the ridiculously fast Welsh runner who brought us the hundred pushups challenge has just released a new training program - the two hundred situps. The situps are really crunches, and the program is geared to get you to 200 consecutive crunches in 6 weeks. This is an extremely good core workout (though to get a complete ab workout I recommend incorporating reverse and oblique crunches somewhere else in your cross training), and I am a sucker for a challenge so I just did the initial test and managed 80 crunches. This puts me in the "excellent" category (yay me) and starts me off in the third column on week 3. I enjoyed the pushup challenge and was amazed at how much stronger I got in just 6 weeks, so I'm excited to get this going. It's very well thought out, free, and definitely gets the Welshrunner stamp of approval, so why not give it a go?

This morning I was really lacking the motivation to get out of bed and run the 30k with my group, but one of the benefits (kinda) of being a coach is that I had to (especially since I'm missing next week to run Bandera). I took the monster medal with me, and everyone got a good kick out of it (though several asked me why I was running a 30k just 2 days after a marathon - I had no answer that didn't make me sound crazy). It was warm and humid and I was a little stiff for the first few miles, but then I got into it and settled into a nice easy rhythm and finished up in 2:44:37 (8:50 pace). I was pleased with that, especially since it included a good few minutes walking with an injured runner. A lot of my folks struggled though, and I spent a good hour or so after the run talking with several of them about what went right, what went wrong, and how to fix it. That kind of interaction is still the most rewarding part of being a coach.

In other news, I bought a replacement wedding ring - one that fits this time. It feels so good to have something on that finger again, and this ring is definitely in no danger of falling off.

Finally, several people have asked what my New Year's resolution is. I have to admit that I never make one, but if I need something to fall back on, here it is:

This year, I will not take up smoking.

There. Should be able to keep that one.

New Year and New PR

Myself and John Sharp at the finish line with
the finisher's "bat" and the monster medal

My 2009 started at 2 o'clock this morning when my alarm clock went off so I could drive the 180 miles to Kingwood, TX and run in the Texas marathon. My good buddy John Sharp had also entered the race and we'd planned on driving down together, but he'd gotten injured and was unable to run. John has a good heart and decided to come along anyway to volunteer at one of the aid stations and make sure I didn't fall asleep at the wheel. He stayed at our house Friday night, and we enjoyed an Italian "carb loading" feast I had prepared which included salad, sage and garlic Italian country bread, grilled pizza and lots of pasta followed by some yummy Tiramisu ice cream. Gavin was full of chatter and really took to John - the first thing he asked me when I got home today was where John had gone.

So we were on the road by 3am heading East. I was very nervous about encountering drunks coming home from the New Year's revelry, but the roads were largely empty. In fact, I have never driven through Houston with such ease. The time flew by as we caught up and talked our heads off the whole way there and back.

We got to Greentree Park in Kingwood in good time, and I was glad we'd arrived early as parking would have been a huge problem if we'd gotten there any later. It was cold and still - great running weather. I picked up my packet and John wandered off to work at the aid station we would pass through twice on each loop. The route was just over a 6.5 mile loop on private concrete greenbelt trails around the beautiful Lake Houston. Marathon participants would run the loop 4 times.

I love small races like this - things were so personal and done with a great degree of humor. Because this was the 10th anniversary of the race (and because "everything's bigger in Texas"), they had a special "monster" finisher's medal. Look at the photo to the right that compares this medal to the standard Austin marathon finisher's medal. I have never seen a medal this size before, and believe me it's heavy (2.2lbs - I weighed it).

The start was a little confused as the batteries in the bullhorn had failed so nobody heard the start order. Instead, word filtered through from the runners at the back that the race had started and we were off.

As the paths were quite narrow, it was a very congested start with 400 runners all trying to fit through a confined space. I didn't want to risk my ankle by passing on the leaf-covered side trail, so I was patient and slowly made my way through the pack. I eventually found my niche and settled down. About a mile in, I noticed a unique feature of this race. Stapled to the trees along the side of the path were personal messages of encouragement for each runner. I found mine on the way back on the first loop - it read "magnificent Mark Richards". I chuckled with delight - the personal and humorous touches such as this were very much appreciated by all the runners.

I passed through John's aid station and found I had my own cheering section. Another great idea they had was to put your name in big letters on your race bib, so spectators often cheered you on by name. Despite this, I wasn't feeling much of a rhythm during this first loop, and looking at my mile splits later I had quite a few in the 7:45 range, which is a bit fast for me so early in a marathon.

I'd settled down by the 2nd loop and found the elusive rhythm that has been missing since Sunmart. I was running very consistent 8:10 miles that felt very comfortable. A few people passed me on this loop, but I let them go, figuring that I would either reel them back in later or they were simply too fast for me. At one point I passed a group of girls, and two of them broke off from the group and came with me. We ran together for a few miles, and I tried a few conversation gambits, but they weren't very responsive so I just kept to myself (road runners are not like trail runners). When I finished out the loop I stopped to take a gel and some water, and the girls sped up and were soon out of sight. I was kinda glad to let them go.

My good rhythm continued into loop 3, and while I was passed one more time (by a very fit looking runner I dubbed "blue shirt") I was still hitting consistent mile splits and started passing up some of the folks who had gone out too fast and were now slowing down. It was a good feeling.

I finished out the 3rd loop at 2:41, did the math and figured out that I had a great chance of beating my marathon PR of 3:36:59, set in San Antonio back in November. I set off with a purpose, dusted off the fishing rod and started reeling in people who had passed me earlier in the race. About two miles into the loop I spotted the girls who weren't very talkative earlier. Suddenly I got it into my head that my mission in life was to catch them, pass them and put distance between us (yes, I really am that childish). I increased my pace slightly and slowly gained ground. It took about half a mile to catch up with them, but once I did I kicked hard and sailed past. By the time I reached the turnaround point they were nowhere in sight, but I had a new target. I'd spotted "blue shirt" within striking distance, so I went hunting and caught him half way around the lake. This was a good sign because he was still running strongly, but I'd started my kick for home and had plenty left in the tank.

Just after mile 24 I came across a runner who was half walking/half running in front of me and obviously struggling. He asked me if I was on my last loop and I said I was. He said he was too, and I told him to come with me and we could take it home together. He found his legs and took off with me. I soon realized that he was a faster runner than me and told him "you go, boy", but he couldn't hold the pace and started walking again. He waved me on and I told him I'd see him at the finish line and took off. I passed through John's aid station for the last time, got some great encouragement and set my sights on a sub-8 minute mile to finish up. I kicked it up again, relaxed into the run and took it into the finish line. Final mile - 7:50. Way to go.

As I crossed the finish line the timekeeper handed me a card with the number 22 on it. He then added my time below it - 3:34:19 (8:10 pace). Fantastic - another PR and a great start to 2009. I asked what the 22 meant, and he said I was 22nd overall. I handed in the card to get my finisher's goodies and received my "monster medal" along with a cuddly "bat" (of the flying kind) with my finishing position tied around its neck (I'm holding it in the picture at the top of this post). This was another funky touch (apparently last year they had a monkey) which you just don't find in the large marathons.

The after race eats were first rate. I drank my fill of mountain dew, and ate my fill of never-ending pizza (choice of 3 different types). I hung around chatting to various people I'd met on the course, including "blue shirt" who was a super nice guy and congratulated me on a strong finish. It turns out he used to be a member of Hill County Trail Runners and knew a lot of the same people I did. He asked me my name, and rather worryingly he'd heard about me. I assured him it was all lies :-) He told me his name, but I'm awful at remembering names and I'll have to wait for the results to come out to fill in that particular blank.

I congratulated a girl who finished a few minutes behind me and was super happy to have qualified for Boston, and helped out another girl who was having such bad calf cramps that she was in tears (salt tabs to the rescue). Having played Good Samaritan I ate more pizza.

What a great little race this was, and at $40 for early registration it was a fantastic deal (I paid $50 which was still a great deal). The course was very scenic and I loved the quirkiness of it all. On the technical side, I had a very consistent run with very even splits (I also ended up with a nice negative split). I stopped at the end of each loop to have a gel (I used 3 in total) and water. I should have worn my gel flask as it would have been easier (and faster), but it didn't really matter. What did matter was that this run rebuilt my confidence ahead of the Bandera 100k next week.

Absolutely no problems with cramping during or after the race and I'm not stiff or sore at all, even after the 3 hour drive home (just as well because I have a 30k with my road group on Saturday). I'm amazed at how I can set a PR in a marathon and not be sore. I can only put it down to the back-to-back long run weekends I've been doing.

Part one of the Texas Marathon Triple is complete.