Adios Ultras

Back in the Day - me at the 2009 Bandera 100k

This weekend saw the 38th running of the Western States 100 mile race - the Boston marathon of the ultra world - and it prompted me to write a post I've been meaning to do for a while but never actually got around to doing.  Last year I seriously considered entering the lottery to run it, yet this year I had no desire to do so.  For everything there is a season, and I think it's time to bring down the curtain on this chapter of my life and retire from running ultra marathons.  50 and 100 milers require a considerable time commitment to a largely selfish pursuit, and with a young family and a new job, that's no longer a commitment I'm willing to give.  It also requires a certain amount of intensity and passion to fight through the low points, and for me that passion is gone.

To be honest, it's been gone for a while.

I got into the ultra scene several years ago almost by accident, and what attracted me was the challenge of the unknown - exploring the question of how far I could push myself.  But after running and completing 17 ultra marathons (including 2 one hundred milers), I've lost the sense of challenge.

When I ran the Rocky 100 earlier this year, I had come off the best race of my life two months earlier at the White Rock marathon, and had exhausted much of the passion and determination I usually tap into.  I had also picked up a nasty hip injury in the weeks beforehand, to the point that I could barely walk the week of the race.  I debated about whether or not to even show up, and several runner friends a lot wiser than me had advised me not to.

And at some point between mile 30 and 40, I just gave up.  I was limping along and realized the idea of hobbling around all night just to say I finished a race I'd already completed once was not enough motivation to continue.  I had never DNFed before, and always thought it would be something I would never give up without a fight.  But I found it really didn't matter to me any more.

And that's when I realized that doing these bizarre races just wasn't that much fun anymore, and I wondered why I'd even signed up in the first place.

And I knew my ultra days were over.

I don't regret anything about my time in the trail running community - I had some wonderful experiences, met some great people I am proud to call friends, and contorted my ankle into many interesting positions.  I pushed myself to levels I didn't know I could reach, and discovered a lot about myself on many a moonlit trail.  It taught me that I am a gutsy and resourceful little fighter, and it gave me a level of self belief and inner confidence that has translated to much success in my professional life.

And while I will probably still run trail from time to time (oddly enough I'm meeting a few buddies for a trail run tomorrow night - my first time back on the trails in months), I'm checking out of the long races.  Maybe I'll still do a few 50ks here and there, but I'm done with 50 and 100 milers.

Maybe a few years down the line when my boys are older, perhaps they'll enjoy running in the woods with daddy and relight the flame.  But for now, I'm going to concentrate on road running.  I can fit a lot more training into a much shorter time span than I ever could with trails, and I do enjoy the sheer exhilaration of pushing the pace, feeling the wind in my hair, the road flying past my feet, and not having to keep an eye out for snakes!!!  I also have the advantage of regular training buddies to keep me honest, and time goals I can aim for.

However unlikely those goals may be :-)

Three Letters

D. N. F.

Yeah, my race at the Rocky Raccoon 100 didn't turn out as I would have hoped, and ended up handing me my first DNF.  It's all good though - I knew that I was carrying an injury going in, and I woke up on race morning with my throat burning, coughing up junk and favoring my sore hip.  But I decided I was going to go for it and see what happened.  If it didn't work out, at least I would know that I gave it a try.

No regrets.

And that's how it turned out.  I ran the first 20 mile loop bang on pace in 3:04, but that came at a price.  Around 5 miles in I skidded and fell on a frozen bridge and jammed the bad hip.  It tightened up almost immediately but I kept on going thinking I would run it off.  What happened is that I started compensating for it, which resulted in both hips and quads tightening up as well.  A sprained ankle courtesy of another fall on the roots at about mile 13 didn't help.

Second loop I was still running for about 10 miles, but my hips and quads continued to stiffen up to the point where it became a real effort to raise my legs to run.  That reduced me to a walk, and although I finished out the loop in 4 hours I knew I was done.

In fact, I was surprised I made it 40 miles.

Could I have carried on and finished?  Probably.  Could I have finished without injuring myself?  Probably not.  A few years ago I would have sucked it up and done it anyway, but maybe I'm a little older and wiser.  Or maybe it just doesn't mean as much any more.

Do I regret dropping?  No, last night I got to cuddle up at home with the Gavster instead of limping around the woods coughing up a lung.

On the plus side, I did get to see firsthand some of the superstar athletes of the ultra world - Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Hal Koerner, Karl Meltzer, Liza Howard.  And best of all, a Brit - Ian Sharman - smash the course record by running 100 miles in 12:44:53.  It was very cool running around the trails with these guys saying "good job" to you.

And whatever happened in this race, I always had it in my mind that this was going to be my last 100 miler.  I have good finishes at both Rocky Raccoon and Cactus Rose, and to be honest I found it really hard to motivate myself to get up for this one - it's like I've got nothing left to prove to myself.  Maybe it's time to close the book on this chapter of my life.

Besides, I seem to have made the transition back from a trail runner to a road runner.  That's not to say I won't run any more ultras, but probably not 100 milers.  I suspect my next race will be Ryan's El Scorcho 50k this summer.

Until then, I'm just going to enjoy meeting up with my friends for long runs on the weekend, and run for fun.


PS. huge congratulations to my friend Karen F.  It was great to see you out there yesterday.  I've been following the live feed, and I see you just finished your first 100 miler.  Sweet - you deserve it, and I'm so happy for you.

Midnight at the Oasis (El Scorcho 50k)

Last night I ran the El Scorcho 50k, a unique ultramarathon event that takes place on the trails of Trinity Park in Fort Worth. Yes, you heard right - an ultramarathon set in the middle of Texas summertime. Crazy, right? Billing itself as a "ridiculously foolish endurance run" the race starts at midnight (the unique and fun feature), and if you've never run a night race before, this one is a real gem.

The course is a 5k route that loops back to the start/finish. The 25k runners run 5 loops, and the 50k runners complete 10.

Now in it's fourth year, a lot of planning and an eye for detail has obviously gone into what is a very polished and fun event. This is very much a race put on by runners for runners. With a friendly welcome, "down home" sense of humor, wonderful support, enthusiastic volunteers, party atmosphere and great swag (love the technical singlet and the fun finisher's awards) it's one to mark on your calendar for next year.

Make sure to sign up early though. It's sold out in each of its four years to date - no shortage of crazies in central Texas!!!

To be honest, I was a little nervous going into this one. My longest run since March has been 14 miles, but this race has a kinda symbolic meaning for me. When I last ran it two years ago, it marked the kickoff of my training season for my first 100 miler, and being a lover of symmetry I figured it would be good mojo if I could kick off my new training season in the same way - recapture the vibe of that wonderful running year.

So the plan was to hit the first half fairly hard, then go easy and see what I had left for the last loop. And that's pretty much how it worked out. I ran the first few loops doing consistent 8 to 8:30 miles and enjoying myself. I started out with two water bottles and a headlamp, but jettisoned one of the water bottles after the first loop, and dumped the headlamp after the second. The full moon gave some illumination, and it was kinda fun to rely on my instincts and run by feel on the darker sections of the course.

I amused myself at one point by loping along and pretending to be a werewolf - yes, it really is that strange inside my head sometimes!!!

I did run into a slight low point around loop 5 and 6. I think I'd been drinking too much water and was feeling nauseous, but a few e-caps and more of an emphasis on heed fixed me right up.

We lucked out with the weather - it seemed to be somewhat cooler than of late, and the humidity didn't seem as high (though I could be mistaken as I was still sweating like a politician on a lie detector). There was even a slight breeze from time to time, and I loved running under that wonderful moon.

There was a small aid station half way round the course where they handed out paper towels soaked in iced water - that was a great touch that I took advantage of each loop.

I had driven down with a group of friends who all ran the 25k, and by the second half I had my own cheering station and crew waiting for me at the end of each loop. Angel even held an ice pack to the back of my neck to cool me down while I refilled from my drop bag - bliss.

On the last loop I fell in with a guy called Brian who was training for his first 100 miler at Cactus Rose. As I'd run that race last year we got to talking about it, and then shifted onto other stuff and basically chatted our way through the rest of the loop. It's so much easier to keep running when you have someone to talk to (and I have developed a tendency to be lazy in these trail races), and we pushed each other and finished strong in 5:19.

Which I've just realized is a new 50k PR for me - nice bonus.

After the race we went for breakfast, ate like stray dogs and had a good laugh. I had eggs benedict with hash browns (and coffee for the drive home) and they were wonderful. A stop in West on the way home for yummy kolaches (and to give me a break from driving) put the finishing touch on the trip.

An excellent guys weekend. Think I'll sleep well tonight though.

Tapering for the Full Moon

This Saturday I'm heading up to Fort Worth to run the El Scorcho 50k, which starts at midnight under a full moon. I love running at full moon - it brings out my inner werewolf.

I haven't run since Monday, instead I've been hitting the bike trainer. I actually slept in this morning - that hardly ever happens and it was glorious!!!

I'm not expecting too much from this race, but it marks the beginning of my training season for the Rocky Raccoon 100 next February. I'm just looking forward to seeing some old friends and enjoying the experience.

I have a group of runners traveling up with me, and we've figured out the most important logistic - where we're going to go for breakfast afterwards!!!

Lean and Mean in Forest Green

God loves crazy people. Why else would he make so many of us?

- anonymous crazy person

And the races keep on coming. Today I signed up for the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler which is going to be my main goal race for this coming winter season. I have a very ambitious time goal in mind - I'm not going to say what it is other than it is faster than the 21:35 I ran there last year, and I would need to work my butt off to get it. But I have figured out the required loop splits, and I think that if I work hard and get extremely lucky on the day I may have a shot at it.

Winter sunrise over Lake Raven. Huntsville, TX

Of course, it's very easy to have good intentions this far out and that goal may well be revised as we get closer to the race. Still, there's nothing wrong with aiming high and we'll see how it goes.

In the immediate term I've added cycling (on the bike trainer) and weights to my weekly workouts. All the weights workouts I've designed make use of either a Swedish ball or a wobble board to engage the core muscles. On the bike I'm concentrating on leg turnover and keeping my cadence between 80 and 100.

I'll use El Scorcho as the starting point for my base building stage, much the same as I did back in 2008, and then start building up the miles.

I have to say, I'm looking forward to pitting myself against five loops of Huntsville State park again.

The Ultra Experience

I found the following video on youtube, parts of which are quite breathtaking. If this doesn't make you want to get out there and run, nothing will.

El Signed up for El Scorcho

Signed up this morning for the El Scorcho 50k in Fort Worth. It's a fun race that's held in the middle of Texas summertime and starts at midnight. My friend Ryan is the race director and he's put together a really fun and well organized event.

This year I'm getting a group of friends from Austin together to travel up for it - should be a blast.

So if you're an Austin runner and want to join us, let me know and I'll add you to my distribution list - the more the merrier.

Chilling out at the Texas Trails 50k

Trips to Huntsville are always interesting. I guess it's primetime hunting season right now as it seemed like almost everyone we saw in town was decked out in camouflage. I had to constantly suppress the urge to say "I can still see you" every time I passed one of them.

But I didn't want to get shot (and I wasn't sure if it was British season as well as deer) so I contained myself :-)

Last night it got super cold, so after supper we were glad to retire to a nice toasty warm hotel room. We awoke to a cold frosty morning, and got to the park just as dawn was breaking to find the temperatures were down to 22F. As if to make up for it, the lake was simply beautiful - mist floating across the water. Here are some more of the obligatory "misty morning" photos.

Smoke on the water - beautiful Huntsville SP

The race got going right at 7:30am. I had decided to wear just shorts and t-shirt as I knew I would warm up once we started running (and I did), but I did make a concession to the cold by wearing gloves (especially as I was carrying handheld bottles). The weather eventually warmed up into the upper 40s, and it was perfect running weather.

I didn't think there was anyone I knew at this race, but it turns out that quite a few people knew me. At the start line I chatted to Alan from Dallas who I'd met at the end of the Timber Knoll 60k over the summer. I'm glad he remembered me and it was good to visit for a while. We waxed nostalgic about "the crazy guy" from that race and then we were off.

22F at the start line

I seem to be missing the competitive edge I had last season. Maybe it's because I don't have any goals currently, or maybe my goals have shifted, but I'd decided I was going to run this one for fun and ignore the clock. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed just pottering around the park, chatting away with anyone who would listen and enjoying the surroundings. It was a beautiful day, and I finished an easy-paced run in 5:32:02 (36th overall out of 170 finishers), so not a bad effort.

Here are my highlights of the race.

I spent a large portion of the first (10k) loop chatting with Allen Darilek who I'd recognized from Cactus Rose. Our kids are right around the same age and we had a great time swapping stories.

There's about a mile to-and-from the turnaround that you run both ways. That means that you get to see folks both in front and behind you. As I headed out for loop two (the first of two 20ks) I was surprised that several people called out "hey there Welshrunner". I guess there are a few folks in East Texas who've read the blog. Whoever you were, thanks so much for the encouragement and I hope I replied or at least smiled. I seemed to spend most of the day smiling and talking, so chances are good I did :-)

It was good to see and chat with Daryl Lazauskas, who I'd run with at the Seabrook marathon back in March. I hope to see him again at Rocky and that he gets his 500 mile jersey.

Somewhere on the second loop I found myself running behind a young lady with an outstanding rear. It really was hypnotic and I guess it put me into a trance because a good few miles had passed before I snapped out of it (sorry Nancy - it's a guy thing).

The park was simply beautiful, and there was an abundance of fall foliage. As I climbed up onto the levee I noticed the dam had water flowing, and it caught the sun and glistened like diamonds. I stopped every loop to admire it.

There was snow on the trees, and as the sun came out it started melting which resulted in an amazing "summer rain" effect.

I spotted my family right at the end and I got to run the last few hundred yards and crossed the finish line hand-in-hand with Gavin (yes, we got quite a few cheers for that).

Gavin and the "big leaf"	Heading to the finish line

Tomorrow's the Decker half marathon, so another early morning. In the meantime, here are a couple of finish line photos.

At the finish line with Gavin	Really nice finisher's sweatshirt

Halloween Hundred at Cactus Rose

There was drama, suspense, hope, determination, tenacity, triumph, failure, courage, and some plain ole IDGAF all rolled into a span of 36 hours. For some the definition of a life in a day and a half. For others, an expression of life. And for still more, beauty, as defined by the human spirit and human action. If you weren't there, then you can not know, Cactus Rose.

- John Sharp

Warning: this is very long-winded. If you just want the grand summary, here it is: I finished, my feet hurt, I like my new buckle. Sweet.

Otherwise, read on.....

This race has been on my horizon for a while. I signed up in the warm afterglow of the Rocky Raccoon 100 with great plans for a tough training routine that would see me through to the race. Those plans were quickly revised when new baby Dylan came along in July and limited the amount of long runs I was able to do. Sleep deprivation took its toll and over the summer I had a couple of bad races that made me wonder if I still had the passion for ultras. But somewhere along the line I regained my trail mojo and found myself looking forward to the challenge of running 100 miles on the rugged trails of Bandera.

I knew I was undertrained going into this, but if I learned anything this weekend it's that when it comes to running 100 milers guts and determination are much more important attributes to possess.

The last thing I did before driving down to Bandera on Friday afternoon was write down my race prediction and seal it into an envelope for Nancy to open. This was a fun little tradition I started at Rocky Raccoon (where I was within 5 minutes of my actual finishing time) and I wondered how close I would get this time.

For the record, I predicted my time to be right at 28 hours.

Once I got to Bandera I enjoyed catching up with friends at packet pickup, took a peek at the finishers belt buckles, hiked up to the aid stations to drop my bags and then drove into town for my traditional Bandera pizza. Back at the park I taped my feet and wrapped myself up in my sleeping bag in the back of the Yukon.

Once the sun went down it got cold quickly so I cozied myself up in my little nest and slept really well.

The finisher's belt buckle

Almost too well because I overslept. Luckily I was woken up by cars arriving at the park so I threw my stuff together and hurried over to the start line. Ultramarathon start lines are a special place - there is such a buzz of anticipation and energy in the air. The temperature was in the 30s but I wore my shorts and t-shirt because I knew I would warm up once we started running.

The course consisted of four 25 mile loops and we would reverse direction each loop. This was a great idea because we got to see and encourage everyone each time around. The aid stations were roughly 5 miles apart, so I broke each loop down into 5 sections.

So at 5am we were off onto the dark trails. I took a while to find my place in the pack, but then I slotted in behind one of the 50 milers and chatted away the 5 miles to the Equestrian aid station. I hit this in 51 minutes (just over a 10 minute mile pace) which was a little fast but I knew I'd be walking at some stage so I decided to make hay while the sun shone (even though it was still dark, ha ha).

I continued in a similar vein through the next 5 miles to the Nachos aid station, picked up one of my turkey sandwiches and was quickly on my way.

The next section included one of the major climbs up Ice Cream hill, and the sun rose to welcome in a beautiful Halloween morning just as I reached the top. It was an amazing view and I stopped for a minute to enjoy the moment before heading down the back side and back into Equestrian.

The final two sections of the loop included most of the climbs - the Three Sisters, Sky Island, Boyle's Bump and Cairns. It was the toughest part of the course, compounded by the fact that between loops 1-2 and 3-4 we would run them back-to-back in both directions.

Fortunately, along this section I picked up two companions - Brad Quinn and Chris Russell - and we talked and joked the rest of the loop together, finishing up the first 25 miles in around 5:10.

This was a little fast, and although I felt great I knew I needed to ratchet it back quite a bit. I set out a lot more conservatively on loop two and looked forward to the chance to see other friends along the way. In particular I enjoyed seeing Marcia, Cheri, Gordon (who all completed their first 100s), Naresh and Olga (wily veterans).

Joe was handing out a prize for best Halloween costume and some of the ones I remember in particular were Dracula, a naughty nurse, a football referee and a little devil. Various bits of Halloween decor had been hung out around the trail and it all added to the Halloween fun.

I finished out loop 2 at just a shade under 12 hours. I stopped for some chicken soup and set out again, happy in the knowledge that I was halfway there. I picked up my headlamp at Equestrian because I knew it would get dark before I made it back and sailed on through Nachos. Sure enough, by the time I got to Ice Cream hill it was fully dark and I switched into nighttime mode.

I'd seen a light bobbing slowly ahead of me for a while and I assumed it was somebody hanging glowsticks. But when I caught up to him it turned out to be another runner. He said he was having trouble staying awake, and I realized this was not a good place to be sleepy with steep dropoffs at places. I talked to him for a while and recommended he take a 30 minute nap at Equestrian.

I think he dropped at Equestrian.

But I passed through, kept going, and really started to notice how much my feet were hurting. It was probably partly due to the way I'd attacked some of the hills on the first loop, but I'd also missed some spots while taping and they were now rubbed raw. I also had a few blisters forming, my toes felt strange and I had some nasty chafing going on my thighs. But there was nothing I could do about it, so I just tried to ignore it.

Then in the middle of the Three Sisters everything went to hell. I hadn't taken much at the last two aid stations (at Equestrian my bag was blocked by a disconsolate runner who'd dropped and I didn't have the heart to ask them to move) and I realized I was in major calorie deficit - I had some Spiz waiting for me at Boyles but first I had to cross the most difficult portion of the course to get there.

It was a strangely fascinating experience to observe how fast I spiralled downhill, yet I found it perversely challenging. My big strength has always been mental so I kept pushing. Every time I climbed one of those hills (enjoyed that) or scrambled down another rocky downhill (much harder) I yelled out things like "that all you got, Cactus Rose".

It kept my spirits up, but I'm glad nobody was around to hear me vent :-)

I got a timely boost when Olga caught me. She's always a breath of sunshine and has an infectious good humor that can't fail to cheer you up. And that girl also has an awesome powerwalk that soon left me in the dust.

To my road friends who have expressed the opinion that running 100 miles at such a slow pace would be easy, try doing it up and down this and then we'll talk

But I finally made it to Boyles and this was definitely the low point of the race. I downed some Spiz and some pears with heavy syrup and set out for the long tough climbs over Boyles Bump and Cairns to reach the lodge.

I reached the lodge around 1am and my mood had picked up a lot, though my feet had long since turned into hamburger. But on the plus side the chafing had subsided to a dull irritation.

I had seen a lot of people drop here last year and I could understand why - I had been running alone since loop 1, and the idea of going back out for another 8 hours was not very appealing. But I can honestly say I never considered dropping, and I'm really proud of myself for that. I would like to say there was a noble reason behind it - the mystic call of the wild or some such shit - but the reality is that I just wanted the damn buckle.

And I didn't want to have to come back next year to get it.

It had gotten cold - back down into the 30s - and it was a damp kind of cold. The volunteers wanted me to come and sit down for a while and warm up, but I refused. I never sit down at aid stations - that just makes it harder to leave. I just want to get in and out. They also fretted when they discovered I planned on going back out in just my t-shirt and shorts and several volunteered their jackets for me. This was super kind and "above and beyond", and I had to keep insisting that was how I wanted it to be. If I got cold, all the more motivation to run.

I did have some chicken soup though which was delicious.

Heading back out I slogged my way through Cairns, Boyles and through the aid station in a blur. I was mostly power walking, and only a few things stick out in my mind from this portion.

Climbing to the peak of Sky Island I came across three runners coming the other way. The guy was brandishing a large branch and the girls were carrying rocks. They looked so odd I just stopped and grinned quizzically at them. They claimed they'd passed another runner who told them he'd been stalked by an unseen animal (probably a mountain lion) for about two miles. The animal had kept pace with him and kept growling at him so they weren't taking any chances.

I couldn't decide whether there had been some hallucinations going on or if this had really happened, but either way it didn't make much difference to me. If you're a mountain lion and you think a short stocky left-handed Welshman is your ideal midnight snack, then good luck to you.

I didn't see or hear anything so I obviously was not very appetizing. Don't know if I should be offended or not :-)

I also ran into Naresh along with his pacer Jeff F. I think he was having a low moment (probably at just the same place I did) but he pulled through in typical Naresh style and bagged the finish.

Those few miles into Equestrian were never-ending, but I finally got there. It was quiet and dark, but a kind volunteer had set up shop and had some ramen noodles and broth for me. The kindness of the volunteers was the best thing about this race. There was no official aid station food, and he didn't need to be out there in the freezing cold. He just was. And it was very much appreciated.

That's the kind of thing that makes trail running such a marvelous community to be a part of.

The 10 miles through Nachos and back to Equestrian are also a blur, just concentrating on blocking out the pain in my feet. But I remember the uplifting experience of running into my second sunrise coming through the field just before Equestrian. It was outstanding.

Roger greeted me at Equestrian with a delicious swig of black coffee, and the realization that I was at mile 95. Revitalized by the new dawn I continued on.

I got up and over the final climb of Lucky Peak which left me with just over a mile to go. I looked at my watch and it read 27 hours and 49 minutes. Wait a minute, wasn't my race prediction 28 hours? Holy hell, I was about to nail my second 100 mile goal time in a row - 2 for 2.

Then I got another crazy idea - suddenly the most important thing in the world was to see a 27 instead of a 28 on my finish time. I didn't know if I could do it or not, but I sure as hell was going to try so I picked up the pace and blocked out the protests of my feet.

I was convinced the final stretch was around every corner I turned, and when it wasn't I just kicked up the pace a little more. The pain was curiously liberating - I guess the adrenaline from knowing you are only a few minutes away from finishing 100 miles kinda helps too.

When I finally caught a glimpse of the outline of the lodge buildings they seemed a long way away. I had nothing to lose so I gave it everything I had and ran flat out. I came up on the last dip and rise and made the left turn to approach the house. Folks started cheering me in, faces all a blur, and I just wanted to see that finish time. Made the final right turn around the house and saw it. No problem on the time - crossed in 27:56:12. Amazed that I could hit a 7 minute mile at mile 100 - very proud of that.

Do I look a little frazzled???!! With my race shirt, belt buckle and race prediction

I got my buckle, a handshake from Joe and Robert and hugs from Joyce and Diana. Joe was amazed I was able to kneel down, remove my chip and get up again, but other than my feet I feel really good. The feet are pretty mashed though - the skin has shaved away from several toes and I have blisters around toes, on both heels and the bottoms are really bruised and tender. I think several toenails are going to depart and my feet are still pretty swollen today.

I have lots of little cuts on my legs from the sotol cactii, but they don't really bother me. I hiked up to the aid stations to grab my drop bags and hung around with Jeff L at Equestrian for a while. I got my timing just right, got a big hug from Olga (and compared Frankenstein walks) and got to cheer on Marcia and Naresh, then waited for Cheri to come through. I'm glad I hung around because they were all so inspirational - dog tired yet still so completely focused on finishing.

It was humbling and a privilege to share in that energy and determination.


Random Thoughts
I have a new favorite shirt and belt buckle, just because I really had to work hard for them

5 miles doesn't sound like much, but it can be a very long way indeed

100 milers require a very high degree of patience

I enjoyed one of the all-time greatest-ever showers last night. It ranks right up there alongside the one I had after Rocky Raccoon. It's almost worth running a 100 miler just for the shower afterwards. Almost.

I always run fever and have chills after races of 50 miles or more but last night was insane - I was burning up. But as usual it broke overnight and I'm fine today. It's almost as if there's a heat switch that gets stuck on for a while. Very strange.

I wonder why I take my camera to these things when I always forget about it until I'm driving home

And finally, my 100 mile itch has been scratched. Well, for a while at least :-)

Cactus Rose

I have two very swollen and blistered feet from the Cactus Rose 100. On the other hand I also have a finisher's belt buckle. Sounds like a good trade to me.

Race report here.

Feeding Roses

Do not go gentle into that good night
Rage, rage against the dying of the light

- Dylan Thomas

This weekend's Cactus Rose 100 will be a solo attempt for me. There's nothing out there for Nancy and the kids to do so I'm going to drive down by myself and sleep in the back of my new Yukon. I don't have any crew or pacers (by choice), so it's doubly important for me to get my drop bags right.

For every other race I've ever run I haven't worried too much about drop bags because I just grab whatever they have at the aid station, but this is not an option at the Rose because the only thing they have is water. So unless I have my race catered by Taybarns (see last post) I need to nail this.

I plan on running with my two handheld bottles (partly because they're faster to refill and partly because there's a hole in my camelbak), and I've tried to gear my drop bag food to ensure I can get in and out of aid stations quickly.

Here's what I have in mind.

Lodge
2 gallons of homemade Iskiate
4 cans Ensure
1 bottle pedialyte
Pimento cheese sandwiches
4 small cans tomato juice
Salted peanuts

Boyles
2 cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup
2 16oz servings of Spiz
Bananas
Turkey sandwiches
1 box Gatorade powder

Equestrian
3 bottles pedialyte
Several portions of my parents pasty pie
6 small cans tomato juice
Sandwiches
Peanut butter crackers
ipod (ok, I can't eat this but I may want it at some point)

Nachos
2 cans sliced pears in heavy syrup
2 16oz servings of Spiz
Bananas
4 small cans tomato juice
1 box Gatorade powder
Turkey sandwiches
Salted peanuts

Misc
2 Headlamps and one handheld torch
Spare batteries
Blister kit
Salt caps

I finished up my training tonight with 20 road hill repeats and worked off all the soreness in my lower legs. I'll do a relaxed 7 miles tomorrow morning and then rest until the weekend.

I feel good and I feel focused, so Cactus Rose this is your fair warning - I'm going to kick your ass. If I get it wrong and you kick mine then fair enough, but you're going to have to fight me tooth and claw for it. Just know I've gone through 10 marathons and 14 ultramarathons without a single DNF and I don't intend to lose that record this weekend.

Happy Halloween.

Mental Disintegration at the Karl's Kanoe 60k

My ultrarunning has always been based on having the mental chops to hold it together and push through when the going gets tough. It's something I've always been able to rely on, and compensates for the fact that I'm really not a very good runner. So when I came up short at the "Karl's Kanoe" 60k last night it made me question everything.

The course was six 10k loops of Inks Lake state park. The terrain was very technical, but we were blessed with cooler weather than of late. The first few loops were fine, but somewhere on the third loop I had a moment of complete clarity. I thought "my wife, my little boy and my beautiful new baby are at home asleep, so what the f#%k am I doing here?" This was followed with absolute certainty by "I don't want to run anymore". And I didn't. I pulled up and flat out quit.

It's not something I'm proud of, and the only redeeming factor was that I was still stubborn enough that I wouldn't accept a DNF. So I walked. I walked the remaining 20 miles in a death march (my legs were fine - I just had no motivation). From time to time I considered running, but each time the same thought overrode that urge - "I don't want to run anymore". I was passed by folks I am usually hours ahead of and found I really didn't care.

20 miles of walking through the night is a long time to think. I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered if I liked what I saw. I knew I did not - I have never ever thrown the towel in before, at anything. This was a new experience and I didn't know how to handle it. We all have an image we project to the world, and reconciling that with this unexpected reality was hard. I was ashamed of myself, angry at what I was doing, and frustrated that I couldn't do anything about it. I wondered what Gavin and Dylan would think if they knew their dad quit. It wasn't a nice thought.

I wondered if I still wanted to run ultras, or even run trail any more - it hasn't been fun for some time (though I'm really enjoying my road running of late). I wondered what made me think I could run three 60ks in the hottest August on record on about 3-4 hours sleep a night. I wondered what made me think I could run Cactus Rose, or if I even wanted to anymore. That's still an unanswered question.

Yes, this is a pretty pathetic pity party. The only thing I can say in mitigation is that I'm really tired, and I'm sure everything will seem different after a good night's sleep. But I've always made it a point to be brutally honest in this blog, about both the good and the bad. And that's just how I feel right now - warts and all.

I apologize to anyone who was on the wrong end of my bad mood last night. Naresh was really kind and tried to pull me out of my funk every time I saw him, but it just wasn't happening.

On the plus side, at least I finished. And I did get a nice buckle for completing all 3 races in the Darkside series.

And finally, I'd hate for anyone to be put off these races just based on my experience (which is more to do with me than anything else). Brad is a super nice, genuine guy and he, Joe and everyone else put on really great races. And it's all for a good cause - I was glad to turn out and help support the charity.

Running from Crazies at Timber Knoll

Last night was the second race in the dark side series - the Timber Knoll 60k. And as a bonus I actually remembered my headlamp this time!!!

I got to the the park and wandered around visiting with friends. Now many ultra runners can be a little "eccentric", but I had yet to meet a really crazy one...until last night. Some guy latched onto me and claimed to know me from somewhere. He started coming out with the craziest stuff, most of which centered around what a world class runner he was and how many women were chasing him. He asked me if I was fast, and when I said "no" he informed me that I probably wouldn't be seeing him for the rest of the night - fine with me. Thankfully some friends rescued me from his clutches.

The race consisted of a 3 mile out and back, followed by four 8.5 mile loops, adding up to 37 miles. We lined up at the start, Brad set us off and I headed out with the lead group of Ryan, Larry, Naresh and Derek. I wondered where the crazy guy was, and it soon became apparent he wasn't as fast as he had claimed.

I accelerated to the front for a few seconds, just to say I'd actually led a race, before settling back into my usual niche behind the front runners. I was feeling a little pain from my achilles, so I played it conservatively and eased into a much more relaxed pace.

The first loop was hot - around 102F at the start. I fell in with Deanna, a really nice lady from College Station, and we ran and chatted together for a time. It helped take my mind off the heat and my achilles and settle into the race. It was getting dark by the end of the loop and I had to turn my headlamp on for the last few miles.

I started adding walk breaks into loop 2. It seems that I don't have my ultra long distance running legs on yet, but that's ok - looking back at last year, I was at about the same place. I think it's a good thing to ease off for a few months before peaking for a goal race, which in my case is Cactus Rose.

Halfway through the second loop I caught up with Naresh who was suffering severe leg cramps. The poor guy had been sick all week with fever, but he's kind of like an Indian terminator - he just keeps going!!! I walked with him to the mid-loop aid station and then took off. Typical Naresh, he chased me down again and we ran together for a while, but the leg cramps were hindering him and he told me to go on. Mad props to him - he gutted it out and finished despite cramping for the rest of the race.

The sky had been amazingly clear all night - an incredible mosaic of stars - and on the third loop a beautiful orange moon rose. I turned off my light for a few minutes and enjoyed the quiet beauty of the night.

Somewhere on this loop I got talking to another runner who I kept flip-flopping with. His name was RT, and this was his first ultra. He was obviously a good runner, and probably had the legs on me, but my aid station strategy (quickly in and quickly out) kept me pretty level with him for most of the race.

The third loop also contained a lot more walking, as did the first half of the fourth loop and nothing in particular stands out. But that changed as I approached the mid-loop aid station on that final loop.

As I got close, I heard voices.

"Please God, don't let that be the crazy guy" I whispered to myself.

But it was. He was sitting in a chair babbling away to RT, and when he saw me coming he greeted me with a "hey, do you have any weed?"

I wasn't in much of a mood to humor him, so I just replied that I didn't do weed and tried to ignore him while I filled my bottles with iced water. He was on loop 3 and told me that since he ran ultras every week, he was going to stop at 3 loops and claim a 50k finish.

I debated whether or not I should goad him. My bad angel won, and I pointed out that he'd have to add on an extra 2 miles if he wanted to DNF at 50k. He told me that it "didn't work like that", and that he'd calculated it out and he took off.

This was the motivation I'd been waiting for - I sure as hell didn't want to have to listen to him for the last 4 miles, so I fired up the afterburners I'd kept in reserve and took off. Amazing what a bit of motivation will do - here were the gears that had been missing all night. I sped past him and heard him call out "hey, how do you do that". I yelled back "with practice" and his reply was lost in the night because I was gone.

I saw RT ahead plodding up a particularly nasty hill, and I accelerated and powered up it. As I passed him, I nodded back behind me and said "he's crazy, let's put some distance on him". RT agreed and broke into a run, but I was in the groove, and damn it felt good. Soon his headlamp too faded into the distance behind me.

I wondered how long my newfound speed would last - turns out it lasted right to the finish line, which I crossed in 8 hours and 26 minutes, good for 7th place overall.

After the race, I sat around with a bunch of fellow runners and had a great time laughing and joking. I met a lot of new people, made a lot of new friends and was able to watch a lot of old friends finish. I swapped emails with RT with the view to doing some runs together in Austin, and sampled some of Brad's genius post-race food - cake. Boy, was it good!!!

I really enjoyed myself, and hated to cut it short, but I had to go into work. So I said my farewells and headed off back to Austin.

I got back home to discover Nancy had had adventures of her own - the car had died at a gas station the other side of Austin the night before. It was 102F, she had the two kids with her, was unable to even close the windows, and I had the cell phone. Being the resourceful person she is, she managed to get everyone home (even the car).

Before I left I'd taken Gavin aside and told him I expected him to look after his mum and brother, and he really came through for me. He's such a sensitive and kind boy that when he saw she was upset, he went right over to her, put his arms around her and cried with her. He soothed her, told her everything was going to be fine and made her feel like a million dollars.

Yeah, he's a great kid and I'm so proud of him.

Long Night at the All Nighter

Last night was the first race in the Capt'n Karls series - the "All Nighter" 60k at Mule Shoe Bend. It didn't get off to a great start, as I was half way to the park when I realized I'd forgotten my headlamp - whoops. A quick call to Nancy and my amazing wife agreed to drive out to the park and hand it off to me after the first loop.

I didn't really have a plan for this race - I haven't done a long run for weeks and I'm not really in race shape, so I figured I'd just take it slow and treat it as a training run.

The race was six 10k loops along the tough and technical trails of Mule Shoe Bend park. We set off at 7pm and I settled into the "pelaton". The pace was a little slow, but that didn't worry me. On the other hand, the humidity was 100% and it was hot with no breeze - not nice. I tried to space out, but there was a really loud dude behind me who figured everyone wanted to hear his opinions. He very quickly got on my nerves, so at the first opportunity I broke away and accelerated to find my own space - much better.

I figured out that the loops were more than 10k. According to my Garmin they were 6.85 miles, which made the 60k a 41 mile race rather than 37 (update : they were actually 7.33 mile loops which made it a 44 mile race). As this was a training run, I wasn't bothered. Rather I was happy with the extra mileage.

I finished out the first loop and immediately saw Nancy, Gavin and Dylan. Gavin ran up to me with the headlamp and was so excited - he wanted to go run with me. I took some time to go over and visit, play with Gavin and show off Dylan - it was fun. Dylan needed feeding, and Joyce took them under her wing and took them over to their RV. Joe eventually shooed me 0ff up the trail and said he'd look after Gavin. That's full-service race directors right there.

As I headed back out, I realized that what I really wanted was to go home with Nancy and the boys. I wanted to cuddle up with Gavin, I wanted to rock Dylan to sleep, I wanted the fun little chats with Nancy during overnight feedings. In short, I missed my family and I so did not want to do another 5 loops.

But I also knew I would never quit - it's just not in my personality. Thank God for the good old British stiff upper lip - if you want someone to plod on through the night in a sufferfest, I'm your guy. I want to be a role model for my sons and show them they can do anything they want as long as they never ever give up.

Besides, I sure as hell wasn't going to surrender my zero DNF record on a 60k (albeit a long one).

So off I went.

Loop 2 was still humid and hot, and I started taking walk breaks. It got dark about half way through and I struggled to find motivation to run until a friend came up behind me and we ran and chatted for a while.

During loop 3 it started raining - torrential, pouring, driving "can't see more than a few inches in front of you" rain. And I loved it. It refreshed me and made me think of home. I ran hard and enjoyed the sensation of running through it. The frogs loved it too as they were partying all over the trail.

Unfortunately it also turned parts of the trail into a muddy swamp, and running soon became a risky business as I found myself slip-sliding around or sinking into it, and clumps of mud started attaching to my shoes.

On loop 4, my Garmin started playing silly buggers. At first it completely froze, then it turned off. Half an hour later it came back on and asked me if I were running, cycling or swimming. But it was still frozen. Then it turned off again. I guess it doesn't like the rain. So I had no idea how far I'd gone, how long I'd been running and what time it was. Oh well, I just shrugged my shoulders and plodded on.

The second half of the race was head down, slog through, slipping and sliding through a mudfest. I knew my time was going to be bad, and I alternated walking and running (though I have to admit there was a lot more walking than running). I got a few blisters on my heel where I missed taping, and my shoes got heavier and heavier the more mud adhered to them.

I eventually crossed the finish line in 10 hours and 40 minutes with a wry grin on my face - I've run a 50 miler two hours faster than that. But what I didn't realize was that everyone struggled. I finished in 14th place and Joe told me that the finish rate was 40% (53 started, 21 finished). I don't know if it was the rain, the mud, the humidity or all three, but that's a lot of folks dropping.

But the true highlight of the night was watching a friend finish the gutsiest run I've ever seen. Sharpie paced her for virtually the entire race, and really pushed her. She left it all out there, and watching her cross that finish line was truly inspiring.

Feeling the Heat at Hells Hills 50

Getting the boot : my trophy from Hell's Hills

I spent all week wondering why I signed up for this race - I am not a good hot weather runner and was not looking forward to it. So when my alarm clock went off at 2am on Saturday morning I was really not in the right frame of mind for a hard 50 miler.

My goal races over the past year have been built on pre-defined race goals and strategies, nutrition plans and a lot of mental preparation. All three were absent from this race, and the extent of my preparation was deciding to run in my Asics trail shoes to give me a little weight advantage in the heat. Of course, this was not a goal race - I had earmarked it as nothing more than a training run - but it's still a 50 miler. I really shouldn't take these things so lightly.

Anyway, to the race - it consisted of three 16.7 mile loops of the "tough and rugged" mountain bike trails at the Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville. There were also 25k and 50k races being run.

I hung around chatting to Alan Wrinkle before the 5am start, and once we got going it was cool but humid. I hadn't bothered to change the batteries in my headlamp from Rocky Raccoon because I knew it would only be dark for an hour or so, but it made the footing in the first few miles a little tricky. "I mostly disappeared into my head" I figured I would try to get some fast miles under my belt early before the heat descended, and so I found a little niche for myself near the front of the pack. Meredith had a small group of runners who had started running at 2am - they were doing 2 loops as a training run, and started their second with us. I loosely attached myself to them, but generally ran by myself. I was in a funny little mood - not very talkative - and mostly just disappeared into my head. Despite myself, I started to enjoy the run - savoring the smell of the pine and the beautiful full moon. I flip-flopped with Meredith's group for most of the loop - they would catch me and we'd run together for a while, then I would do a quick in-and-out at the aid stations and see if I could get to the next one before they caught me again. Such are the silly games by which I amuse myself at these long races!!!

But it worked. God bless 'em, they towed me to a nice 2:50 first loop. I dumped my headlamp in my drop bag, refilled my water and Gatorade and headed back out for loop number 2. I knew that I hadn't been drinking enough on that first loop, and it was a mistake that would come back to haunt me.

Loop number 2 was when things started going to hell. It was getting hot and my motivation levels kept dropping. I've run virtually all of my ultras with two handheld bottles - my two amphipods are great, but they are not insulated which means the liquid does not stay cold during the summer. I would put iced water in them, but within a mile all the ice would be gone and the water would be hot. In retrospect I should have taken my camelbak.

I ran for a while with a real nice guy from Waco called Paul, and it turns out we were both using this race as an early training run for Cactus Rose. "I want Gavin to be proud of his dad too" We chatted for a bit about the reasons we run these races, and he told me he had four daughters at home who were all at the stage where they thought daddy was the greatest, and were so proud of his running. So his motivation was that he had to make the most of it while it lasted, and he couldn't go home and tell them he hadn't finished a race. That struck a chord with me because I want Gavin to be proud of his dad too. Right now my running doesn't mean anything to him, but at some point it will.

By midway through the loop, I was draining both bottles well before I reached the next aid station, which meant I was getting into hydration deficit. Not good, and this resulted in some none-too-pleasant mild dehydration side effects (no, I'm not going to elaborate). When I left the tunnel of pines aid station, I had already started mostly walking. This meant it would take that much longer to get from aid station to aid station, so I had to start rationing the water I was carrying. This was a catch-22 which put me further and further behind the hydration 8-ball. At one point I was passed by a guy wearing a martial arts vest, then about half an hour later I was passed by what looked like the same guy. Surely I'm not that dehydrated that I'm imagining things?

I finished out the loop in around 6:40, and by now it was seriously hot - about 94F. "I teetered on the edge a few times" I spent a bit more time at my drop bag and cooler sucking down fluids, and popped a few salt caps before heading back out. I also figured out the "martial arts" puzzle - there were two guys running in the same martial arts vest, and the three of us set out together on the final loop. I was reduced to a walk interspersed with some run/shuffle while they ploughed ahead. I continued to plod forward, and tried to figure out why I wasn't running more. I came to the conclusion that it was partly mental - in my goal races, when I was tired I was always able to mentally override my body and push it. Here I just didn't care enough. But that wasn't the whole story - I was also trying not to overheat, and I know I teetered on the edge a few times. After all, I had to run a smart race in the heat just to finish the thing.

It seemed that the aid station would never appear, and I started to feel a little lightheaded - my water long since gone. Until thankfully, gloriously there it was. And there were the two martial arts guys - and they looked a lot worse than I did!!! The aid station really saved me - I filled one of my bottles with ice cold water and poured the whole thing over my head. The shock of the icy water really woke me up and invigorated me. I refilled my bottles with water, heed and as much ice as I could cram in, and downed a few cups of de-fizzed coke. Then I got ready to head out again. The martial arts #1 guy had already gone, and the other one left just behind me.

Then my competitive side kicked in - I told myself I was not going to be passed again so I took off running and put some distance between myself and martial arts #2 guy. I think martial arts #1 guy had the same idea about me because he was gone (he confirmed this when we laughed about it after the race). I had enough energy to run fairly hard for about 1.5 miles, though this wasn't all bravado - I knew that the more distance I could cover running, the less time I would have to spend without water.

Early in the day I had enjoyed the smell of pine, but it was now getting a bit nauseating. And I discovered that as the day had heated up, the heat was being absorbed by the trees and reflected down onto us runners - bugger.

I kept praying for the meadow. Although it is really exposed and crossing it would be brutally hot, it would mean I was close to the final aid station and only about 6 miles from the finish.

I felt that if martial arts #1 guy was anywhere in sight when I got to the aid station I had enough in the tank to take him on the last stretch. But he wasn't, so I guess we'll never know. I was now in that strange buffer zone where I probably wouldn't be able to catch anyone ahead of me, but nobody behind me was anywhere close enough to worry me. The only other thing I could aim for was a sub-11 hour finish. So I set off with that in mind.

Those last few miles were pure misery. The heat was getting to me, my water was quickly gone and the clock seemed to be working against me. I pushed a slow run where I could (mostly any shady section I could find), and was glad when I popped out onto the jeep road. The last portion of the run is completely unshaded, but when you're virtually at the finish line that doesn't matter so much. I sucked it up and jogged up the gravel road until I made the turn into the field and toward the finish line. I beat the 11 hour goal with about 2 minutes to spare - yes (in all the "thank god I'm done" excitement I forgot to stop my watch).

Once I finished I realized I was feeling surprisingly good, especially when I saw the state of some of the other runners. A whole bunch of friends came over to congratulate and hug me - Cheri, Joyce, Diana, Robert, Joe and several others. They were all insistent that I move into the shade and a lady came over with an ice pack which felt wonderful. Joe gave me the finisher's medal and a trophy for finishing 6th overall - something that really surprised me because I'd run horribly and really struggled. But I guess so did everyone else. I joked that it was a triumph for stubbornness over common sense, and there is more than a grain of truth to that.

Things I learned from this run
I am very stubborn, which helps compensate for my lack of natural running ability. After a tough second loop I never considered not going out for the final one. It's always good to reaffirm I can "gut it out" - good old British stiff upper lip!!!

I am not a hot weather runner - give me a frosty morning any day. This run in the heat felt harder than both the Bandera 100k and the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler. I do have a nice tan though.

I recover quickly because I am not sore at all today, though I was definitely feeling the effects of the heat and dehydration last night. Apparently I had a long conversation with Nancy that I have absolutely no recollection of. But I seem to be back to normal today. I did consider getting up early to go run hills with John and Roger, but laziness got the better of me and I slept in instead.

Zero DNF Record Still Intact

I really struggled at the Hells Hills 50 miler today, but with the temperature in the 90s so did everyone else. I finished in 10:58 and came away with a nice trophy for taking 6th place overall.

Report is pending.

Forecast for Hell

I am signed up for the 50 miler at Hell's Hills this coming Saturday. The temperature is forecast to be 97F - should be interesting.

Embrace the Dark Side

Not all those who wander are lost
- J.R.R. Tolkein

No, I am not about to implement my dastardly plan for world domination (at least, not yet....), but if you keep track of my "upcoming races" menu, you may have noticed a few extra items that appeared in there today. This is because I just mailed off my entry form for all three races in Brad's Darkside series this August. I love the above Tolkein quote which was printed on the race shirt of one of last year's races where I managed to finish 4th overall (not as impressive as it sounds - a storm forced most sensible people to quit after a few loops). This year the format is a little different - they are each 60k distances instead of 12 hour times and are much closer together. Each race is at a different State park, they are each 2 weeks apart and all start at 7pm. I'm excited about this because I love running at night and they should be a good yardstick of where I am.

And where I am right now is very happy with another solid mileage day. I got up early to run 8.5 miles with Clea down at Mueller and met up with Marcia, Henry, Roger, Brandon, Naresh et al after work and got in another 6.5 on the greenbelt to give me 15 for the day. Let me just say that summer is definitely on the way because it was H-U-M-I-D. I drained both handhelds and wished I had more, but on the plus side I managed to find that "zone" for the last few miles where I disappear into my head and switch the running to auto-pilot.

And finally a quick reminder - the Saturday after next (16th) is the second running of the "Sweaty Twenty in the pines". So if you fancy running a few miles taking in beautiful scenery with good company, let me know.

Signed up for Hell

I just signed up for the 50 miler at Hell's Hills (the replacement race for last weekend's Rocky Hill Ranch). June in Texas - what was I thinking?

Actually it will be good practice at being self-sufficient for the Cactus Rose 100. Besides, a good sufferfest does wonders for the soul.

Yes, I'm sure that makes sense :-)

When is a Rose not a Rose?

Running at Bandera back in January
When it's a Cactus Rose - "A nasty rugged trail run: No Whiners, Wimps, or Wusses. We give Bonus Points for Blood, Cuts, Scrapes, & Puke".

Nice - my response to a disappointing run is to challenge myself, so I just mailed off my entry form for the Cactus Rose 100 miler (yes Clea, looks like you won the bet). This race is on Halloween and will be my second 100 miler, though it's infinitely more difficult than my first. The completion rate is very low, the terrain is rocky, very hilly and the aid stations are self-manned and have only water - we have to supply everything else, so drop bag tactics are very important. These pictures are from the Bandera race, but it gives you some idea of the terrain (Cactus is run at the same location as Bandera, only it's an extra 38 miles and all the flat bits have been taken out). The cutoff is 36 hours and only one person has ever run it in under 24, so I'll be out there for a while.

Of course, if I complete Cactus Rose I would be very tempted to run the Bandera 100k and the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler too and complete the Tejas Trails 300 series. A nice little granite award would look very nice above my fireplace. Damn OCD!!!!

But that's still a ways off - right now I'm still looking forward to taking a break after the Seabrook marathon and a half this weekend (I need it). Then I need to start formulating a training plan that will get me ready for this beast. I'm thinking I need to focus on hills rather than speed, so there will be lots of squats, lunges and hill repeats on Jester, Ladera Norte, the Hill of Life and St. Eds.

Oh, and somewhere in all that there'll be a new baby too - they are excellent endurance builders!!!