The 50 Year Storm

"What do you mean I have another two loops to go?"

Found one of your passports in Sumatra, missed you by about a week in Fiji. But I knew you wouldn't miss the fifty year storm Bodhi.

- Johnny Utah

Have you ever seen the movie Point Break? It's a semi-cheesy but very enjoyable early 90s hooha in which Patrick Swayze plays Bodhi - a kind of zen master surf dude who dresses up like Ronald Reagan and robs banks to finance his "endless summer". At one point in the movie he tells FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) his theory about the 50 year storm.

Everything moves in cycles, so twice a century a winter storm comes out of Antarctica tearing up the Pacific. It sends a huge swell North 2000 miles, and when it hits Bells beach it'll be the biggest surf this planet has ever seen.

- Bodhi

At the end of the movie, after a suitably dramatic showdown Utah finally apprehends Bodhi on a tsunami threatened Bells beach in the middle of the 50 year storm ("death on a stick out there mate" warn the grizzled locals - yes, I own this movie on DVD). In a stunning moment of pure cheese, he realizes Bodhi would never survive a cage and lets him go so he can paddle off and meet his destiny in the killer surf**.

What's that got to do with anything? Well, I guess yesterday was my 50 year storm. But it's blown itself out - today the waves are lapping gently on my seashore, skies are blue, seas are calm, fluffy ducks are quacking away and I'm feeling just a teeny weeny bit silly :-).

Last night we took Gavin and Dylan down to the playground with some friends from the neighborhood and their kids. While Gavin played with them I took Dylan on the swings for the first time. I sat him on my lap, swung gently back and fore, and he smiled up at me. And just like that everything was alright with the world again.

Later I read Gavin a bedtime story and he wanted me to lie down with him "for 5 minutes". We both ended up falling asleep - it was just the kind of evening I needed and I woke up this morning refreshed and invigorated.

So to sum up, the crisis is over and Cactus Rose is back on the radar. Let's meet back up and have another one in about 50 years - give 'em hell at the sunshine rest home!!! Huge thanks to all my family and friends who left supportive comments on my blog, posted on my Facebook page, emailed me privately or called to check on me.

You know who you are, and I appreciate it.


** about 15 years ago, my brother and I went to Newquay in Cornwall for a surfing weekend. One night a National radio station set up a gigantic screen on the beach and showed this movie. After a good many beers, we put bets on whether the local surf dudes would cheer at this part of the movie. They did.

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.

Glorious Solitude

I love a rainy night

- Eddie Rabbitt

Yes Eddie, I too love a rainy night. We finally got some rain last night, along with an impressive lightning show. It wasn't much, but it was good while it lasted and right now we're grateful for anything - I ran Walnut Creek on Monday evening and it was a dustbowl!!!

This August is officially the hottest ever in Austin, and we've already had 66 days of 100F+ heat this year - in just a few more days we'll set another record for that too.

While I haven't broken any speed records this month I've been steady and consistent, and if I finish my third 60k of the month this weekend, I will comfortably break 200 miles since August 1st.

Part of the reason for that consistency is that I've been spoilt with plenty of friends to run with early mornings, but my luck ran out this week and I did all my midweek runs solo. It's not all bad though - sometimes it's good to run by yourself and disappear into your head.

One trend I've noticed since Dylan was born is that I've tended to switch my running back to early mornings - it's just more convenient, and if I want to go longer I just get up earlier.

This morning's run started off with a limp - my left achilles and right knee were sore, but the pain faded within the first mile and it turned into a really nice run. I finished it off with a good strong climb up Lavaca and around the capital, and felt good.

As an added bonus, the 8 miles took me over 1300 miles for the year - still on target to break 2000 by year end.

Hopefully it will be somewhat cooler by then!!!


*** Update : I wondered this morning why a section of Congress was being cordoned off as I ran through. Turns out they were filming part of the new Robert Rodriguez movie "Machete". Didn't catch a glimpse of Robert de Niro though.

Lucy in the Soup with Mushrooms

Back when we lived in Manchester, England, in the late 1990s I used to travel to our client's office in Liverpool once a week. Sometimes Nancy would go with me and explore the city. She loved Liverpool - took in the culture and history of an old port town - and enjoyed shopping and wandering around the charming Albert Dock (complete with floating weather map, as used by Fred from the "This Morning" show - what a character he was!!!). Some of her favorite places were the Beatles museum, the Liverpool Tate and the Merseyside Maritime museum (which was also my favorite).

Sometimes we'd meet up for lunch and explore the coffee shops around the marina. Our favorite haunt was Lucy's - they served a wonderful lunch special of turkey breast sandwich with cream cheese and avocado alongside a cream of mushroom soup and the quintessential British cup of tea. The absolute highlight of lunch was the soup - it was wonderfully rustic, comforting, flavorful and warming - especially welcome on those winter days when the cold winds blew in off the Mersey, chilling you to the bone.

Ever since we moved back to the US I've been trying in vain to recreate that dish. I've tried and failed many times.....until tonight. I finally found a base recipe that looked promising, tweaked it in several places, and suddenly the memories came flooding back.

So after countless failed attempts here's (drum roll please) my take on.......

Lucy's Liverpool Cream of Mushroom Soup
(serves 8-10)
5 Tbsp butter
1/2 yellow onion
2 celery stalks
1 small leek
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
7 cups skimmed milk
12 to 16 oz button mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Wash the leeks and celery. Chop the green top off the leek, leaving the base. Dice the leek, onion and celery - this combination is your white mirepox and forms the base of the soup

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or stockpot over low heat. Once melted, add the onions, leeks and celery to the butter

3. Keeping the heat at medium-low, sweat the mirepox, stirring occassionally until the onions are translucent. This should take about 5 minutes.

4. Add the flour to the pot and mix well. Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes then slowly add the chicken stock. Continue to stir until there are no lumps.

5. Slowly add the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent any lumps forming. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

6. While the soup is simmering, finely dice the mushrooms

7. After 45 minutes, throw the sage and mushrooms into the pot. Stir until they are well mixed in, then simmer for another 10 minutes.

8. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper (to taste).

Serve with some crusty bread and (if you really want to recreate the experience) a good old British cup of tea!!!

Sunmart's Back...but Not as you Know It

It's no secret that I was a big fan of the Sunmart 50k/50 mile race. It was probably my favorite race - I ran my first ultra there back in 2007 and set my 50 mile PR there last December. The unforgetable experience of running through the "mystic forests" of the East Texas piney woods is the major reason I fell into trail running.

For the past two years, we made it a big family trip - the park was always decorated for Christmas and it signaled the start of our Christmas season. Yes, I have great memories of it and was very sad when they announced last year's race would be the last.

But there is hope. According to the Houston Chronicle the race will be back this year, but with several changes. For one, Sunmart will no longer be the sponsor which probably means no more of the legendary goodies bag. The race will be called simply "Texas Trail runs", and there will be no 50 mile distance. Instead there will be a 50k and a beginner's 12.5 mile run (one loop of the course).

Still, I love running in Huntsville State park - it is an enchantingly beautiful place, and Lake Raven is so peaceful. The course is a fast one – your feet are carpeted by a bed of pine needles, and there are plenty of out-and-backs where you can greet and encourage your fellow runners. The only thing to watch out for are the hidden roots (which are the “root” cause of many spectacular falls - hahaha).

Yes, I may well be tempted by the 50k - watch this space!!!


Oh, and happy birthday Welshrunner blog - this is my 300th post. There have been quite a few adventures contained within those 300, so here's to the next 300 and all the adventures that will be contained therein.

Recovery and Reflections on "Captain Crazy"

I did an 8 mile recovery run this morning. I took it nice and slow but I still felt pretty sore after the weekend, which is unusual for me. Still, after seeing some friends throwing up repeatedly after the race, telling horror stories of dehydration and cramping, or being unable to walk the day after, I'll take my little bit of soreness!!!

This morning's route headed through UT, into downtown and across the river before looping around and climbing back uphill for the last 4 miles. I don't know what happened to the nice cool early mornings we had last week because it was 83F when I started at 5am and humid as all hell. I am definitely jealous of friends who are enjoying cooler climes this week!!!

On the way home I heard the most bizarre commercial on the radio from a company that specialized in "discreet dating" for married folks. Yes, we all know what that means - how nice that we now have a company dedicated to serving the needs of rotten cheating spouses. WTF???!!!!! I am not going to link to them or even mention their name because it's too sleazy for words - I'll just turn up my nose, hum "Rule Britannia" and ponder on whether we should put y'all back under British rule (though God knows, we're not much better)!!!!

Even the radio hosts who would sell ice to Eskimos if they could seemed embarrassed.

"Captain crazy showed up and started saying his usual repertoire of random and increasingly socially awkward things".Anyway, let's turn away from the craziness of the world in general and put the focus back on one particular crazy dude from the weekend. Turns out it wasn't just me because I keep hearing more and more stories about this guy, and I think almost everyone had the "pleasure" of running across him (or being stalked by him) at some point. My favorite story came from one runner who reported that "crazy dude" kept joking that he'd peed in the ice at the aid station.

At least, I hope he was joking!!!