2012 12 Hour ATR Crew Report

The Intro:
For the first time ever, I was a crew member for a runner running a race. I've crewed myself many times over the past few years and have even had a few people crew me during races. But I've never had the desire to help crew. As I've spent the past few years running, I've developed some great friendships, real and online, with other runners and athletes. So it was only a matter of time before I found the perfect running partner. Actually, I've found several over the years but some have moved or moved on. Amanda is somewhere in Turkey or Greece and Catherine is, well, somewhere out of my running circle.

Which brings us to Tabitha, one of many people that I run with but right now, she's the best fit for me. She's faster than me which forces me to push myself. But she's not too fast that I can't keep up with her if I need to. She pushes me when I feel crappy, she talks my ear off about crazy shit, and she listen to my crazy-ass stories. Best of all, she can also run in silence.

Which brings us to the race, the 2012 12 Hour ATR. I've read a few race reports over the years and ran the 8 Hour version (where Tab crewed for me) so I knew the organization would be great. But I've never been to Prince William Forest Park (PWFP) and I had no idea what the course was like. So I was pretty nervous going into this thing blind on many levels and had a few restless nights worrying about getting Tab to her goal of 6 loops (39 miles).

The Course:
The course was much easier than expected. Maybe it was because I was walking the hills or maybe it was because the pace was slow. But damn, things felt so easy and runnable. Nothing at all as difficult as the HAT 50k and, despite being pancake flat, easier than the DRHT 50k. The course is partly single track and partly fire road. There are a few technical sections but generally it's pretty simple and mindless running where you just run and enjoy the scenery. Each loop is 6.5 miles and you run as many loops as you can. There is an aid station at the Start/Finish and a water cooler around mile 2 or so on the loop. Just water though, nothing else. The park was open to the public so you did have non-runners and a few bikers on the trail, but they generally just stepped aside and watched in awe as people just kept running.

The Nitty Gritty Details:
I arrived just in time to pull into the main parking lot to see it full. I saw Tab's car, ditched my stuff there, then headed back to the other parking lot. As I turned around, a guy said he was the "shuttle" and would wait for me up there. I followed him back to the other lot, parked, and hitched a ride with another runner in the back of his truck.

The race was scheduled to start at 0615 and as I strolled into the mass of runners waiting, I only had 5 minutes or so before go time. I found Tab and Nora (and Nora's husband Ivan). The runner's made their way to the start line, got the pre-race brief, we met the virgin ultra runners, and the youngest (12 year old female) and oldest (62 year old male).

And without any fanfare, the race started at 0627. Ivan was crewing and pacing Nora so we hung back, watched them leave, and then proceeded to wonder what the hell we were going to do. So we sat down, talked, and were generally bored out of our skulls. This would be a recurring theme for us. We'd help our runners in and out of the aid station in a flurry of activity and then sit down and do nothing.

The Hard Data:
The data is going to be broken down by loop. As I said earlier, Tab's goal was 6 loops or 39 miles. This would be a time and distance PR. Each loop is 6.5 miles. You'll see in a second that she ended up going further with 7 loops (45.5 miles). But I'll get to the end in a bit. Oh, and this is what I saw. Many loops ended with her going through the aid station without me being there while I was getting her stuff ready. So this isn't a complete list.

Fluids:
1 - water in a handheld bottle and EFS in a small handheld
2 - water in a handheld bottle and EFS in a small handheld
3 - water in a hydration pack and EFS in a small handheld, flat Pepsi
4 - water in a hydration pack and EFS in a small handheld
5 - water in a hydration pack and EFS in a small handheld
6 - water in a hydration pack and EFS in a small handheld, flat Pepsi
7 - water in a hydration pack and EFS in a small handheld

Fuel:
1 - Honey Stinger waffle
2 - Honey Stinger chews
3 - 1/2 a PDJ, Magnesium Phosphate
4 - Magnesium Phosphate
5 - pierogi, ramen noodles
6 - ramen noodles, pretzels
7 - ramen noodles, bagel

Gear:
1 - headlamp
2 - changed hair
3 - dropped handheld and picked up Nathan hydration pack, fixed shoes, got a visor, fixed hair, changed top
4 - changed shoes
5 - no change
6 - no change
7 - no change

Aches/Pains:
1 - tried to pop back
2 - Formula B on left hamstring and IT band
3 - none but asked for KT tape the next loop
4 - shoes hurt, bathroom
5 - tried to use KT tape on leg but peeled it off, castor oil
6 - Imodium, had blister pain
7 - castor oil, bathroom, blister pain

Weather:
1 - temps about 60F, low humidity, no sun until about 0700 (30 minutes into the race)
2 - 60F, low humidity, sun, light breeze
3 - 65F, low humidity, sun, light breeze
4 - 70F, moderate humidity, sun, light breeze
5 - 75F, moderate humidity, sun, light breeze
6 - 75F, moderate humidity, sun, light breeze, partly cloudy
7 - 75F to 80F, moderate humidity, sun, light breeze, partly cloudy
 
Splits:
Splits are by my watch, nothing official. I'd hit the split when she crossed into or out of the parking lot. So the time spent in the "aid station" was from the end of the trail, through the parking lot, across the timing mat, through the real aid station, back through the unofficial "aid station," and then back to the trail.

Loop 1 - 1:24:32
Aid Station 1 - 5:08
Loop 2 - 1:27:48
Aid Station 2 - 4:27
Loop 3 - 1:33:34
Aid Station 3 - 7:53
Loop 4 - 1:33:03
Aid Station 4 - 9:13
Loop 5 - 1:31:13
Aid Station 5 - 11:45
Loop 6 - 1:38:17
Aid Station 6 - 15:30
Loop 7 - 1:40:41
Finish - 11:43:10

Miscellaneous Notes:
- bring food and drink for the crew
- bring a deck of cards or a book for the crew
- bring dry and wet towels for the runner
- bring bags for the runner's dirty clothes and shoes
- bring extra bottles to speed up the aid station time
- bring chairs for the runner and crew
- take photos (I sadly took three, none of my runner)

Pacing:
Tab had a pacer for her last three loops. On loop 5, another runner Mike and myself went out with her. Overall, I could tell she was tired and wanted the pain to end but Mike did a great job talking to her and keeping her busy. I didn't. I completely sucked at keeping her occupied but I think that's because I felt like a third wheel out there. Nothing against Mike, he seems like a great guy, but I didn't feel like I could measure up to him socially (if that makes sense). So I felt like I had no say in how things went. I interjected here and there but it didn't feel like I did much beyond run with them and add a few comments here and there. Although, I did open up about the hot girl running the relay. Might not have been a good idea to share that much information but hey, what happens on the trail stays on the trail, right?

For loop 6, she had Mike again (for a mile or two at least before he dropped). She also had her husband Jason out there. I expected this loop to suck the most but she pushed through the pain and did great. I was ready to go back out there with her but she came through and told me to sit tight, rest up, and be ready for another loop. So it was hard to run a loop, wait a loop, then run another loop. Not so much physically hard as much as more anxious than the other loops. I was ready to go but had to wait.

For loop 7, the last loop, it was Jason again and myself. And while I felt like a third wheel sometimes (I'd think that's a bit obvious when you run with a husband and wife), I managed to take charge and tell Tab what she needed to do and to not panic. And she wanted to a few times. She'd continually check her watch worrying about her time since we had about a 20 minute cushion to finish this loop. In reality, we had more time than that but that's what I was telling myself and her to push us both at the right pace. I could tell the pace was slower this loop than loop 5 but still tolerable. It was close to a death march shuffle but she still gutted it out and even found the energy somehow to push the pace a bit on the steeper downhills. She stumbled a bit on the technical sections but did better than expected.

The Finish:
As we rolled into the final miles of the last loop, I could tell she smelled the barn and picked up the pace a bit. We passed people and got passed. It was all about finishing. I knew we had it in the bag with about a mile to go but still tried to push her a bit. Turns out, no pushing was needed; she pushed herself. We came into the parking lot, she crossed the timing mat, and the race was done.

The Second Finish:
But I didn't finish there. You see, Nora was still out there trying to finish her loop 8 with her husband pacing her. So I ran back out and followed them in the last quarter mile or so. She clicked along at a solid pace, pulling away from me as she walked up the hills. While she may have considered me her adopted crew, I just did my best to help her as much as I could. From what I could see, she didn't need much help. Neither did Tab. They both crushed it out there. All I did was cheer them on, refill their water, then cheer them some more.

The Thanks:
I'd like to thank Ashland Dave for his advice on how to crew a runner. I didn't follow all of his advice and it shows. There's a lot that I'd do differently but I'm still pretty happy that I was able to help as much as I could. I'd also like to thank Tab for letting me crew for her. She put in the training and did all the hard work but was still willing to let me help her. If anyone is ever considering running an ultra or crewing for one, I'd highly recommend doing both. You get to see so many different things from both sides of the fence.

Scooby Doo

Report:
Finally had enough flexibility to go to the group run at the Y and, generally speaking, had a great time. It was a small group of four (including myself) and as expected, I was the only guy. I'm used to it though and didn't let it get to me like it has in the past. We started out at a very comfortable pace that felt almost slow. And yet I was leading the pack. Felt pretty damn bizarre to be in the front, even though the rest were right behind me. As we cleared the first mile mark, I looked at my split and damn near shit myself. Didn't expect to crank out a sub 10 minute mile and certainly didn't expect it to feel like I was walking. I mean, it was was seriously easy. I was a bit freaked out to see my split and I think my mind played some games with me a bit as I went into the second mile. I still hung with the rest of the group but dropped back a bit when I took my walking breaks. I cleared the second mile still faster than expected so decided to speed up a wee little bit to try to catch everyone else. By the start of the last mile, we were spread out over a quarter mile or so. By the end of the run I managed to catch two people and was within a minute or two of the third. Totally unexpected so I rewarded myself by not going back out for a second 5k. Not really, but it felt like a good argument in my head. I knew I wouldn't have time to go another 5k due to my schedule but I didn't want to feel like I was wimping out too much. In the end, I ended up walking another mile as a cool down just because it felt so damn awesome outside.

Weather:
Temps were about 60F to 65F. Light wind. Sun was out but sky was partly cloudy. Humidity was low.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt, toast, egg sandwich, and iced coffee. During the run I had a bottle and a half of plain water. Recovery was some leftovers for lunch.

Aches and Pains:
My left quad was still a bit grumpy but not as much as last week.

Gear:
Wore my rarely used waist belt so I could carry my voice recorder so I could record an episode of my podcast. Outside of that, the usual gear (although it was cool enough for me to keep my shirt on).

Codename - Scooby Doo
As I walked my final mile as a cool down there was a County Sheriff sitting in his car in the dead-end. He slowly creeped up to the intersection and as I turned around, he followed a truck into the local animal shelter. He then led them across the street to the new Sheriff's Office. I think Scooby would agree that something looks mysterious.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 9:57
Mile 2 - 10:30
Mile 3 - 10:17
Finish - 31:42 (34 seconds slower than my 5k PR - WTF!)

Gardening and Composting

In an effort to save a bit of money and to eat more greens, we are going to attempt to grow a small garden next year. Nothing too exciting, just a small experiment to see if we can do it. So in an effort to be a bit more environmentally conscious and to have some nice fertilizer for our garden, we started to compost. So far, it's been ..... interesting.

You see, I am no green thumb. I tend to over-water plants, except for cacti, which I don't water enough. So how in the world will I ever get a garden to grow? Hopefully I can read enough books by some other smart people to make things work.

Meanwhile, I get to play with rotten food in the composter. I did some research and learned what can and can't go into a compost pile. I learned there were a million ways to make them and a million ways to take care of them. So I opted for the small, simple option of building a composter out of a trashcan. Why spend all that money on an expensive composter that you struggle with to open? And why build a huge compost pile made out of nice, new lumber that will end up rotting in the ground anyway? None of that made sense to me so I read a few blogs and online articles about trashcan composters and built my own. Actually, I didn't build it. I bought it. For roughly $15, I was able to buy a decent sized trashcan at the local hardware store. I had a drill and drill bit already so I just drilled holes in the bottom, sides, and top of the can.

Voila! A composter! I added some mulch to the bottom just to weight it down a bit and began collecting trash from the house. I learned that meat and dairy don't belong in the compost heap so I avoided collecting those. I knew we would be able to have egg shells and coffee and tea grounds on hand pretty easily. I drink one or two coffees a day and Yvonne drinks one iced tea a day. She also eats an egg sandwich in the morning, so I knew we'd have a decent start. Plus, our house is pretty much dairy-free due to William's allergies. We still have cheese and food that has dairy in it but for the most part, we're milk-free.

My biggest dilemma was how to collect the compost inside the house but without attracting the bugs or producing an awful stink. So, I re-purposed a OXO Good Grips container by taking out the dishwasher soap and putting the compost-to-be inside. It has a lid that seals, it's large enough to collect scraps for a few days but small enough to fit in the dishwasher, and it's easy to see what's inside (and when it gets full).

We've already filled it up twice (the inside container) and last night I had the kids help me dump out the second load. We went outside and opened the trashcan and were suddenly assaulted by a cloud of bugs. I mean, literally, a cloud of flying bugs. So I shooed them away and dumped the stuff inside. I added some scrap newspaper (I ripped it up first) then added some water.

I have no idea how well this will work. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. And my nose plugged.

It's a Bonfire

Report:
First good run in a long time. Started out this morning wondering if I should just give up on running. Had lots of negative thoughts last night about running and they carried over into the start of today's run. Just lots of bad juju going on and somehow, someway, I kicked it to the curb around mile 2. I don't know what it was but it happened. Like a freaking light switch, I just felt great. Mile 3 was like running on a cloud. Mile 4 wasn't quite as carefree but it was certainly better than the first two miles.

Outside of the negative thinking, the run was about normal. I was tempted to turn down a different road but ended up just staying on the readily established route. Also thought about doing 5 miles but opted to just quit while I was ahead. Had some kids say hi as I ran by their bus stop this morning. Got a bit of an interrogation as the one asked what was I doing and was I exercising. That's right kid, you need to go to school. Just so you can learn to not ask obvious questions.

Quite a boring shot but it also shows just how urban a rural area can be at times.

Weather:
Temps were about 60F. Sun was out but there were also some clouds. No breeze. Humidity was low to moderate.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a glass of water. During the run I had a bottle of water and a bottle of Hammer Fizz (grapefruit - it's okay). Recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by a breakfast burrito and an iced latte. Yay for me not getting hash browns!

Aches and Pains:
My left quad grumbled a bit for the first mile or two. Then my left glute started barking at the end of mile two. Miles 3 and 4 were calm and pain free.

Gear:
Wore arm sleeves (now I know why I don't wear the Nathan ones, they fall down). Wore gloves. Sleeves came off around mile 2 but the gloves stayed on. Also forgot my sunglasses but didn't have to deal with too much glare. As I closed in on the last quarter mile, I could feel something dripping on me. At first I thought it was sweat, which was a pretty normal occurrence this summer. After closer inspection, it was a crack in the bottom of my bottle. Which tells me I can't use the bottom to slam down on the top of my other bottle to close it. Damn.

Codename - It's a Bonfire
Childish Gambino strikes again. Sometimes I wonder how much of an impact music has on my brain when I run. Anyway, today was more rap because, well, I'm like a backwards Oreo. White on the outside and black on the inside. For some reason, this song struck a chord this morning.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:02 (felt too fast)
Mile 2 - 12:23 (felt too slow)
Mile 3 - 11:05 (felt awesome)
Mile 4 - 10:29 (felt a few degrees harder than the previous mile)
Finish - 45:00

Junk under the bonnet

Report:
Just needed to get out and keep the rust off as well as test out the left quad. I'm happy to say, it feel okay. Not great and it was getting grumpy by the end of the run but it was feeling much better overall. Now I just need to not go out and do something stupid.

This is the curvy hill I run up/down to the swamp (swamp is behind me).

Weather:
Temps were about 70F with high humidity (well, it felt high but it wasn't hot). No breeze and overcast.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two bowls of cereal (way abnormal for me) and an iced coffee. During the run I had just one bottle of water. Recovery was a lunch of salad and shredded wheat.

Aches and Pains:
Felt sluggish but well rested (somehow I managed to get a solid night of sleep last night). Left quad didn't give any complaints until the last half mile or so. I did test out some strides going up and down the hill and was able to determine that the downhill wide-open (or long) stride is what hurts my quad. A nice short stride (or stutter step) feels much better. Which makes me wonder if I ganked it somehow during my last long run.

Gear:
Wore gloves for the first half mile then I warmed up. Not much else.

Codename - Junk under the bonnet
For some reason, things just wouldn't stay seated like I wanted them to. Maybe my shorts were too big.

Splits:
Didn't wear a watch so no splits.

Le Sigh

Report:
In dealing with my own personal mess, I come back from my run to find that Tabbystar is bringing me down even further with her negativity. Pretty soon I'll be camping out on Derek R. feed just so I can have a good laugh.

Anyway, today's run was a mess. I got just about as far away as I could get from my starting point when my wife wanted me to run an errand. One that couldn't wait. So I finished my run, ran the errand, and barely made it home before work started. I have yet to take a shower. And I won't have time to take one until I'm done with work today. A full nine hours from now. I feel sorry for the balance ball that I sit on. It's not going to be happy.

The run itself was meh. Nothing terribly exciting beyond the mist/fog. That's always neat to look at. And that was about it.

Here are a few photos from runs/hikes in the past week or so.

Flowers down the road from me.

Fossil Beach at Westmoreland State Park.

A hole in a tree.

Tree on the stairs.

The view from Poopy Point.

Weather:
Temps were about 60F. I think. I honestly didn't pay attention. Humidity was higher than expected. Sun was out. Moderate amount of fog in the tree tops.

Fluids and Fuel:
One glass of water for breakfast. One bottle of water during the run. One breakfast burrito, two eggs, iced coffee, and a yogurt for recovery.

Aches and Pains:
My left quad is still fucked up. I can run and walk on it but it doesn't like the running part. Right ankle felt tight.

Gear:
Wore gloves for the first half. Nothing else. Well, I wore clothes, obviously, but you know what I mean. Oh, and I kept my shirt on the entire time.

Codename - Le Sigh
Why do I come up with these stupid codenames? Nobody really cares anyway.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:26
Mile 2 - 12:29
Mile 3 - 11:18
Finish - 36:15

Why the change?

All three of you that read this blog may have noticed that I put an "adult" label on it. It's something I should have done a long time ago but for some reason it only dawned on me over the past week that I tend to use some adult language, both written and audible. So while I may have applied a NSFW label on a post or two, I didn't feel that it covered everything adequately in the post or on the blog.

So I just applied the over 18 label to the whole blog. Sorry if that's an inconvenience for anybody but I think it's appropriate.

That is all.

Podcast - Mile 41 - Babybel Mile

Remember that Babybel Mile I did a while back? Well, here's the audio to go along with it. Be thankful there wasn't any heaving or barfing. But you can hear me (and my stomach) go downhill rather quickly.

Yep, that pretty much sums up this episode.

The cheese wheel can be downloaded here or viewed on Podbean.

Cry Baby Quad

Report:
Would you look at that? It's after 4pm and I'm just now putting my shit on DM. Does that give you an idea of what my Friday has been like so far? Yeah. It's been one of *those* days.

So, this morning I cranked out a 5k. By walking. My left quad is still all whiny and shit. Sounds like me after 19 miles. So I ignored it this morning and went out for what I had planned on being 6 miles; 3 on my own and 3 with the group from the Y. Turns out yesterday was group run. They changed the schedule. Again. So I wimped out a bit and just did 3 miles. My quad was all nice and quiet like a sleeping baby for the first mile. I figured I could walk a mile, run a mile, then walk a mile and be fine. I get 20 steps into my running mile and the quad wakes up crying like I dropped a brick of Black Cats into the baby's crib. Baby Cheeses.

So I walked. I had some mild relief when I tried running way high on my feet but that was like putting earplugs in the babies ears. It may lessen the noise but there's still that smoke and flashing lights to deal with. In other words, my shins and feet didn't like the altered stride. So I ended up walking the hell back to the Y.

Along the way I did my best to be at peace with the injury. But like any parent will tell you, there comes a time when you just want the damn crying baby to shut the hell up. What did I learn from this? I won't be getting an x-ray or MRI until after my A-race in October. I will do everything possible to complete said race, even if I have to fashion a crutch from a flipping branch. You see, my buckle fever is much worse than my painful quad.

But I'm hoping it's not that serious. It still ebbs and flows, but the pain is still pretty low on my threshold scale. So, I'll walk the damn thing if I have to, I'll just be grumpy as hell about it. Until I finish.

This was my view this morning as the sun came across the field.

And this was my view this afternoon during my lunch walk. Yes, that's a Christmas tree. And yes, they are Elvis fans.

Weather:
Temps were about 70F to 75F, much cooler than expected. Even though I was walking I still worked up a sweat, just not as much as normal. Humidity was moderate to low. Sun was out. Not much of a breeze.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was water and yogurt. During the run I had a bottle of water. Recovery was an iced latte, giant burrito, and apple fritter. It only slightly boosted my spirits.

Aches and Pains:
The cry baby quad.

Gear:
Nothing but my phone.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 18:43
Mile 2 - 15:05
Mile 3 - 18:06
Finish - 53:51

My ass hurts

I don't know what's up with my left quad but now the dull ache is creeping into my glute. Next thing you know I'll have a headache.

Anyway, enough about my ass. Here's some recent pics that I neglected to post.

The other night, I went for a night run. And got some lousy pictures. This is the best of them. Just wish the shots of the full moon had turned out.

And this is of the football game I went to a few hours before the night run. We had a huge crowd turn out to wish our team well and to say goodbye to the field. We'll be playing on a new one later this season.

And during my run the other day I saw a lot more mushrooms, including several with mold growing on them. Yes, it really is that humid here in the summer. But I didn't take a picture of them. Instead, I took a picture of the log cabin hidden in the woods.

And that's about it. For now. I hope to get back to running shortly. Then I can bore you with more of my drivel.

Five Oh Doh

Report:
I think I messed up my leg somehow. Not sure yet but I need to take a rest day and to reassess later this week. What's messed up? My left quad. It was a tiny bit tweaky last week; maybe 1 out of 10 on the pain scale. Sunday's long run ramped it up to about 2 or 3 on the pain scale but it was still within my limits and fully expected. After all, 20 miles is bound to leave you with some aches and pains. Then came yesterday's run. Just 6 miles and it got progressively worse. Maybe a 5 out of 10. If I had been smart, I would have quit while I was ahead. But no, I went out and did 3 miles today. And my pain went from a 2 to a 7 by the end of the run. Not good. So I'm going to just chill the hell out tomorrow, foam roll, and keep things as loose as possible.

Weather:
Temps were about 75F and the humidity was high. Mostly cloudy sky with a decent breeze of about 15 mph or so.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was yogurt and water. During the run I had a bottle of water. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite mixed with milk and water which was followed by an egg, breakfast burrito, and iced coffee.

Aches and Pains:
My left quad was the biggest issue. My left hip and glute were also a bit tweaky but it may have been due to some altered strides. Shins were also a bit sore.

Gear:
None.

Codename - Five Oh Doh
Saw a cop yesterday and what do I see in the first half mile today? Another cop executing a very short traffic stop. After that, I saw a guy walking to work or to his carpool stop. And then, on the way back, I saw a doe and two fawns. And even though the "doe" made for an interesting sight, I was pretty distracted for most of the run by my "doh" move of running on a bum leg.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:56
Mile 2 - 12:11
Mile 3 - 12:57
Finish - 38:04

Back to School

That's right folks, yesterday was the first day of Kindergarten for my son and the first day of 3rd grade for my daughter. Where has the time gone?

Reading the night before the first day of school:

Ready to take the mom-bus to school!

Podcast - Mile 40 - Milestones

As I start this podcast, I'm stuck on the douche-grade hill. From there, I proceed to whine. Thankfully there were no Doombas out there to get me. But there's always an iced latte lurking around the corner. That seems to be my weakness. Iced coffee. I'm also a weakling when it comes to junk food. The junkier the food is, the weaker I get. So I nearly killed myself by splurging on some food that had some poultry in it that I didn't expect. Which meant I was knocking on heaven's door, or hell's, as I had a wonderful allergic reaction.

Thankfully for you, I survived. Wish I could say the same for this crazy podcast. Bah, who am I kidding. I'll keep doing it because I enjoy it. Maybe I just enjoy torturing my listeners. Send me an email and let me know what you love or hate about the show. There's a little button over there on the right side of the blog that will let you send me an email.

Anyway, back to the show. I broke my no-Coke rule after my reaction to the poultry so I had a nice day or two of being depressed. But it helped kill the rot gut and swollen throat. Pretty easy trade off when it comes down to choosing between breathing and being happy.

If you have the stones, download or view this episode on Podbean.

Shot down in a blaze of glory

Report:
Was hoping to go to the group run today at the Y but my schedule just didn't work out that way. So I went for a run by myself. And it sucked. Turned into more of a walk than a run and instead of dwelling on how slow I was going, I stopped and reset my watch before I had gone half a mile. Yep, I knew that quickly how slowly I was going. So, without the pressure of times and splits, I just chilled out as best as I could. My guess is I ran the 2 miles at about 13 to 14 minute pace but I can't be sure.

Saw a deer in the fields and was briefly chased by a dog. He ran to the edge of the road well behind me but thankfully listened to his owner working in the garden. I wasn't too worried about it since I haven't had any issues with dogs on this particular stretch of road.

Weather:
Temps were about 70F but humidity was high enough that I could see it in the sunlight. No wind and plenty of sun.

Fluids and Fuel:
No breakfast before the run. Just a bottle of water during the run. Recovery was yogurt, oatmeal, and iced coffee.

Aches and Pains:
None really.

Gear:
Just my phone.

Codename - Shot down in a blaze of glory
That's how my grand schemes and plans tend to end up. Carnage in a crater.

Splits:
None taken.

Delirious Shrooms in the Purple Rain

Report:
Just a run. Nothing fancy or special about it. Had some stuff on my mind and did my best to shove last night's dream into the deepest, darkest corner of my brain. The last 5 miles I worked on nailing the door shut so it would never come out again.

Yup, that pretty much sums it up for today.

Weather:
Temps were about 80F with high humidity again. Clouds were out nearly the whole time even though I could tell the sun was out too. Only had a slight breeze in the last mile. Light rain came about half an hour after I finished.

Fluids and Fuel:
First breakfast was yogurt and iced coffee. During the run I had one bottle of water and one bottle of Hammer Fizz. Recovery, second breakfast, was an egg, cheese, and roast beef wrap, oatmeal, and another iced coffee.

Aches and Pains:
My right ankle felt tight for the first mile or so. It's the top part where the foot meets the leg. Kind of like where you tie the bow on your shoelaces. After awhile it loosened up. Felt like a knuckle that needed to be cracked. Outside of that, it was just hard to breathe with the stuffy air.

Gear:
No special gear other than my phone. I did ditch my hat after the first 3 miles.

Codename - Delirious Shrooms in the Purple Rain
Listened to some Prince on the second half of my run and did my best to stick to my 50% rule of no music until the second half of the run. Also saw a lot of mushrooms on the side of the road today. Kind of odd but certainly a sign of how hot and humid it's been lately.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:11
Mile 2 - 13:23 (includes a pee break)
Mile 3 - 11:29
First 5k - 36:27
Mile 4 - 11:18
Mile 5 - 11:23
Mile 6 - 11:19
Second 5k - 35:02
Finish - 1:11:29

The Artful Dodger

Report:
Had a bad night sleeping last night. Daughter just about took a fist to the face for scaring the living shit out of me. I was in some sort of deep-coma-like meditation state or something where I think I'm awake enough to hear the thunderstorm all around my house but I can't hear my bedroom door open or my daughter walk in. Shortly after that, my son came in. He didn't risk a fist since he was loud enough to wake me up. Then I had to tell my daughter to turn her audio book down. Then my son came back in. Then my wife stole the covers. Then the storm got even louder. I finally woke up at 0530 when my wife banged the door coming out of the bathroom after her shower. I promptly grumbled, rolled over, and went the fuck back to sleep.

So anyway, I finally got things rolling and made it out the door. It wasn't a fun run but it was miles on the books.

The swamp that feeds the stream that's at the bottom of the hill.

Weather:
Temps were about 85F to 88F. Humidity was insanely high, maybe 70% or more. The sun was out and even though it was pretty cloudy, it seemed like I rarely saw any shade. There was a light breeze but it was barely enough to cool things off.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was oatmeal, a burrito, yogurt, and iced coffee. During the run I took a bottle of water and finished it. Recovery was a single scoop (half serving) of Hammer Recoverite mixed with water and chocolate ZICO. That was followed by meatloaf, broccoli, and potato wedges.

Aches and Pains:
None really to speak of but my stride and gait felt off. Not sure why, just felt funny.

Gear:
No special gear, just my phone.

Codename - The Artful Dodger
No, it isn't a reference to Master Bates. Although that does give me a good chuckle. It's a reference to my wife not running my half-naked ass over. You see, I was running a pretty normal route on a road near my house (it was my lunch hour after all). The road is pretty narrow but still wide enough for two cars to pass each other. Barely. On either side of the road is a ditch. That may be three feet deep in some place. Plus it's on a hill. With curves. Oh, and at the bottom of the hill where it crosses the stream, it's a one-lane bridge. Made of wood. So yes, I do indeed live in the sticks (I have three bridges like that within running distance of my house, the other two are on gravel roads). Well, sure enough, my wife comes barreling down the road right at me. She does a little bob and weave as I wave.

Splits:
Outbound - 21:08
Inbound - 21:22
Finish - 42:30

Podcast - Mile 39 - DRHT 50k Race Report II

Welcome to yet another episode of the One Mile Running Podcast. Why you keep coming back for more, I have no idea. Maybe this long episode will keep you in your place. Maybe not. Anyway, this episode starts with a bit of a race report from my most recent 50k, the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT) 50k. Nothing that I haven't already covered before but maybe it'll give you something to listen to while you go out for your next ultra-training run.

Oh, and if you're wondering why this episode is so long, it's because I'm walking. Because it's the morning after the aforementioned race. So I'm a little tired. Just be happy I stopped recording before I went to the bathroom.

Feel free to send me an email if you want me to talk about you.

Until then, download or view this episode from Podbean.

Babybel Mile aka Cheesy Jokes

Report:
I really need a puke face for this one. Why? Because unlike Nick Symmonds and his recent beer mile, I've stepped up the game and ran the first ever Babybel Mile Challenge. That's right. I've done it.

It all started here.

And, with a bit of planning, I was able to procure enough Babybel cheese wheels to choke a dairy cow. Well, okay, there was no planning. I just went to Costco and bought two huge bags of cheese. Turns out, I barely needed half a bag. Why on earth did I think I could eat 28 of these things? Clearly I must have gone crackers.

That's right, there's 28 of those little devils in there.

So I did a short warm-up mile just to get things moving. Then I made a quick bathroom break before heading out for the full thing. The first few were easy enough but my biggest struggle was with the technique. I had to open each one and eat it. It took a few tries but I eventually learned I could chew on one and work on opening another at the same time. But of course by the time I figured it out, I was ready to barf.

It's been two hours since my run and I'm still a bit queasy. I haven't gotten sick but I'm seriously thinking about it.

Okay, the rules are pretty simple. Run a mile outside and eat as many Babybel cheeses as you can. You must carry everything with you. The wrapped cheese (no unwrapping early) and your trash after you unwrap them must remain on your person until you finish the run. No littering. If you puke, you are disqualified. If you poop your pants, you will not be disqualified but you'll have a crappy story to tell. And finally, the scoring. I think I'm going to go with the following equation:

run time (mm:ss) - one minute (1:00) per cheese eaten = finish time (mm:ss)

Now, this could potentially run into the negatives and that's fine. You run a 5 minute mile and eat 8 cheeses and you'll get a -3:00 time (negative three minutes).

So how did I do? Run time was 14:01. Cheeses eaten was 11. My score was a time of 3:01. Feel free to step up to the plate and cut my cheese time.

The aftermath.

Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Sun, no wind, light humidity.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was iced coffee, yogurt, and a breakfast burrito. Yes, I ate breakfast before this challenge. During the run I had water for my warm-up mile then 11 cheeses for the challenge. No recovery.

Aches and Pains:
None other than a very angry stomach.

Gear:
Wore my bike shirt to carry all 28 cheese wheels and felt like I was wearing a fanny pack from 1985 with a Walkman inside.

Codename - Cheesy Jokes
Had enough of them yet? Don't be cowed by my humor. My jokes aren't really that good. In fact, I often feel sheepish when my jokes are so dry, I have to explain them. To myself. Do I have you by the goat yet? Starting to wine? I think I'll stop here before I get too corny.

Splits:
Finish - 14:01

Old Men and Eminem

Report:
Today's run was sponsored by Insanity Wolf. Or as you folks here refer to her, Biddi. So while she totally pushed me and kicked my ass during Sunday's race, I never really thought I could manage that pace by myself. Turns out I can. I just have to dive deep into my mind and open the cage to let the Insanity Wolf inside me loose.

It's because of that bat-shit crazy wolf that I pushed myself faster than expected. And totally smoked it. Well, as fast as my fat ass could push itself. To put it another way, I did my best to constantly keep my self revving at about 80% to 90% of my effort. And holy shit did it hurt. And suck. But I managed to survive.

Along the way, I saw lots of cars and got a few waves. I guess my neighbors are getting used to a crazy dude running down the road with his shirt off. Anyway, as I neared my turn-around point, I saw a couple of young teenage boys hanging out in the back of the local quickie mart. One on a skateboard and one on a bike. So as typical teenage boys do, they headed down the road with their pack of cigarettes; the skateboarder hanging off the back of the biker. Well, I paid them no mind and just ran my route. As I passed them, I overheard them comment about my musical choice; Eminem. That's right, old men listen to Eminem.

Weather:
Temps were about 75F, humidity was moderate to low, sun was out, and there was no breeze.

Fluids and Fuel:
Took a Hammer Gel before the run and took two bottles, one water and one Hammer Fizz, on the run. Finished all the water and most of the Fizz. Recovery was an iced coffee, chips, and dip.

Aches and Pains:
Felt a little wheezy but nothing too terrible.

Gear:
No special gear but I did take my phone for music and photos.

Codename - Old Men and Eminem
That's right, this old man listens to rap. So get over it young punks and smoke your cigarettes while I get my high from running.

Splits:
Outbound - 20:16
Inbound - 20:23
Finish - 40:40 (a new PR for this route by 24 seconds)

2012 Hartwood Capital Ale House 10 Miler

Report:
Managed to set a PR thanks to Biddi. More details later.

Edited to add more details.

This was a slog of a run thanks to my wonderful pacer/running buddy. Tab took things out insanely fast but I somehow managed to hang on. I mean, 10 minute miles. Holy crap was that fast! But it just goes to show that your body really can do more than you think. So as we reached the second mile marker, I was ready to die. But my incessant whining wasn't doing anything to change Tab's pace so I hung on for dear life until we got to the first water table. Once there, I was able to catch my breath before she took off like her ass was on fire down the next hill. I took another quick walking break at Mile 3 but manged to catch up by stretching out on the downhill and running the tangents. I was able to make up a bit of ground on the uphills too so I finally caught her. We repeated this a few more times where I'd pass her at the water tables then she'd pass me. We finally stuck together around Mile 5 or 6 and by the time we reached the water table near Mile 6, I could tell she was fading a bit. We had joked earlier that she would crash then but she hung on pretty steady through the whole race, only showing some visible signs of sluggishness around Mile 7 or 8.

The last few miles have bigger hills so things slowed down but we took to our ultra-running skills and walked the hills and ran everything else. As we cruised through Mile 9, I noticed my rival behind us. This old guy always wears red and I've long made it my goal to never have him beat me. He has no idea who I am and vice versa but it's still a goal of mine. Anyway, we slogged up the final hill and turned back into the park. As we got within sight of the finish line, I asked Tab if she had another gear. She didn't and I wasn't surprised. So I left her behind and kicked it up to top gear and finished strong passing one more guy at the very end.

Tab finished strong but I could tell she was tired. Probably because she didn't eat a damn thing on the run. And because she went too damn fast at the start. And because she had too much of my whine and cheesy jokes. But in the end, I couldn't have set my new PR without her.

Weather:
Temps were 65F at the start and about 73F at the finish. Humidity was nearly 100% but there was no rain. Partly sunny. No real breeze.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had a chocolate ZICO before the race. No other breakfast. During the run I had a bottle of water for starters then dropped a Hammer Fizz in there at Mile 2. From there I topped it off with regular water at various stages. I also had a mini-flask of Hammer Perpeteum that I finished and one Hammer Gel that I took at Mile 2. Recovery was a beer, some cookies, Hammer Recoverite, and water.

Aches and Pains:
Had some odd bloat and crampy feelings that were high in my gut. Cropped up around Mile 6 but didn't hurt too much.

Gear:
Wore my T-Star running shorts and got lots of compliments. Also wore my singlet with my test script on the back (THE LUMBER JACK).

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:23 (includes about 30 seconds to cross the start line)
Mile 2 - 10:47
Mile 3 - 10:07
Mile 4 - 10:18
Mile 5 - 10:25
Mile 6 - 10:49
Mile 7 - 11:41
Mile 8 - 11:30
Mile 9 - 11:31
Mile 10 - 9:30
Finish - 1:46:37 (a PR by about 12 minutes)

GOZ SLO

Report:
Just a short run today since I pulled 8 yesterday. But I ended up going fast today for some reason. Must have been peer pressure. Anyway, got my run on and felt only a little wheezy by the end.

Weather:
Temps were about 70F. Sun was out. Light breeze. No humidity.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was oatmeal, yogurt, and iced coffee. During the run I had one bottle of water. After the run, I had a bottle of chocolate ZICO. That was followed by a second breakfast of eggs, potatoes, and yogurt when I got home.

Aches and Pains:
The oatmeal sat heavy in my gut during the run but that could have been caused by the fast first mile. Beyond that, I felt a little wheezy in the last half mile but I was pushing a little harder than I should have.

Gear:
No special gear but I completely forgot about my hat and sunglasses. So I dealt with squinty eyes and sun glare.

Codename - GOZ SLO
For those of you in the area, you may be familiar with this particular car. Or not. You see, I know license plates for some odd reason. And I've seen this car in the area several times. Well today, it whizzed by us going quite fast. So if you know this person, please remind them that runners and other pedestrians would be grateful if they slowed down when you went past them.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 9:41
Mile 2 - 10:32
Mile 3 - 10:17
Finish - 31:29 (all of about 20 seconds off my PR - what the actual fuck?)

Obey

Report:
So I went out for a little jaunt today in an effort to punish myself for being a lazy ass couch potato. How have I been a lazy ass couch potato? Let me count the ways. Missing my long run this past weekend and attempting to make up for it on Monday. Instead of doing the full 10 miles of my make-up long run on Monday, I only did 8 miles. Skipping my planned 3 and 5 mile runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Which leaves me with today's run, a make-up session of 8 miles. Not to mention all the crap food I've been eating.

Which brings us to food allergies. For those of you that don't know, I'm allergic to nuts, poultry, and gourds. For those of you that don't care, why the hell are you still reading? So, yesterday I ate crap food. Fried food. Fried mac and cheese nuggets. About as close to death in a paper bag as you can get without huffing silver paint. So after I pour all that crap down my gullet, I attempt to appease the food gods by eating a salad. A taco salad. With some greasy meat on it. That apparently had some form of poultry, likely turkey, in it. Which lead to an allergic reaction which was thankfully mild. I mean, I could barely swallow but I could still breath. Then I made things worse.

You see, as a kid growing up with food allergies, I learned that one of the best remedies that was easily found was Coke. Coke in the can worked best while Coke from the fountain required a double dose. Anyway, Coke worked as a great over the counter anti-histamine. Can you guess what I drank yesterday? A Coke. Now, mind you, I had a valid medical reason. I didn't want to jab the Epi-Pen in my thigh. At all. And I didn't want to take Benadryl so I could fall asleep at work. That left Coke. Which isn't really all that bad since I rarely drink it. But there's a reason I rarely drink it. That shit makes me depressed. And I don't mean like "oh boo hoo, I drank a Coke and now I'm going to get fat." Not even depressed like "oh crap, I drank a Coke and now I'm going to get addicted to them again like an alcoholic is addicted to beer." No, I'm talking about depressed like "oh fuck this shit, I'm not getting out of bed, life just isn't worth it." Complete mental carnage. And no, I have no idea why it does that to me. Although the best theory I've heard is that I'm allergic to it.

Anywho. Back to today's run. I fought some heartburn from yesterday's lunch, some moody blues from yesterday's Coke, and some couch potato flab from eating crappy food. But I survived. Although it was close when that turkey ran across the field. I was a little worried he was going to go get some friends and come back to attack me.

Weather:
Temps were about 80F but probably climbed to about 85F by the end. There was a light breeze of about 10 mph. Sun was out. Humidity was low.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was potatoes, eggs, toast, and iced coffee. For the run, I took my hydration pack with ice water. I also took an EFS shot (Berry flavored). I finished both by the end. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite.

Aches and Pains:
First mile or two had some right ankle pain. It's the top of the ankle where it bends. Felt tight for some reason like it didn't want to bend. Eventually went away. Had some heartburn and some nasty and acidic burps. My right knee ached a bit towards the end. The last few miles also had what felt like some chafe on the back of my right foot around the Achilles at the top of the shoe. Didn't see any in the shower though.

Gear:
Took my hydration pack, phone, recorder, and that was about it.

Codename - Obey
Saw an Obey sticker (without the word, just Andre's face) on a phone pedestal. I'd seen it before but never knew what it meant. Now I do.

Splits:
Outbound - 51:15
Inbound - 51:20 (really happy that I only slowed about a second per mile on the return trip)
Finish - 1:42:36

A little cartoon humor

Just in case you missed it earlier this week:

via - http://www.rhymeswithorange.com/2012/08/August-14-2012/

Community's Freaks and Geeks

Not at all safe for work due to language. But absolutely worth your time. And in case you didn't know the song, it's by Childish Gambino. Also known as Donald Glover. Also known as Troy on Community.

Scared Shitless

Report:
Was hoping to get in a long run this weekend but I ended up just doing a short 1 mile hike with the family. Since I close today, I was lucky enough to have a little extra time this morning to get my long run in. But I still didn't do the 10 miles I wanted and ended up with just 8. Guess it's better than nothing, right?

I got around onto some rarely used roads. Well, rarely used by me at least. It's just not usually in my neck of the woods so I don't usually run on them. At least I got to see some new scenery and even managed to feel pretty good about things. I tried to stick to a pattern of taking a short walking break every half mile. It seemed to work until the last mile or two when I started to get tired.

I also experimented with some new fueling options today as well as new methods of carrying my fluids. I finally found some whipped honey this weekend so I made my own version of the shit sandwich and spread some of it on two flour tortillas. I wrapped each in saran wrap then put both into a ziplock bag. Thankful I did since one of them leaked a bit. Turns out whipped honey starts to melt a bit when it gets warm. As for my fluids, I stashed two bottles into my Nathan vest instead of using my bladder. I also tested out drinking some iced tea as well. Everything appeared to work fine, it's just a matter of perfecting and tweaking things a bit to make it all work better. Assuming I do it again.

Here's a little self-portrait I managed to take during the run.

Weather:
Temps were about 85F, humidity was low, and there was a slight breeze. Sun was out with a few clouds.

Fluids and Fuel:
Put two handheld bottles in my Nathan vest, one with water, one with Hammer Fizz. Both had ice that lasted a decent amount of time. Around Mile 1 I bought a bottle of iced tea. I finished all of my fluids by the end. I also finished my shit sandwiches, taking one around Mile 3.5 and another around Mile 5.

Aches and Pains:
Not really any to speak of. Although my right hamstring is a bit tight right now for some reason.

Gear:
Wore my Nathan vest but took no bladder. Also had some BodyGlide on hand (thankfully).

Codename - Scared Shitless
So as I'm running, eating my shit sandwiches, I see a sign that says NO DUMPING. I found it rather amusing since I really need to take one. Thankfully I was able to hold everything in until the end of the run. The worst part was I was distracted while grabbing my water from the pack and saw something very close to my face. I jumped and put my hands up thinking it was a dog or some other animal attacking me. Turns out it was just a low hanging branch. Sigh. Such a ninny.

Splits:
Splits are from RunKeeper and may not be entirely accurate.
Mile 1 - 11:06
Mile 2 - 14:22 (includes bathroom break and getting a drink at Sheetz)
Mile 3 - 11:34
Mile 4 - 12:52
Mile 5 - 12:19
Mile 6 - 12:16
Mile 7 - 11:53
Mile 8 - 11:40
Finish - 1:39:27

Podcast - Mile 38 - 50-DDDD

Not to worry ladies, I'm not talking about a bra size. Instead, I'm talking about my Doomed Debut Dahlgren Double. You see, I had planned on attempting to do a 50k race on a Saturday then a Fat Ass 50k the next day. Turns out I did the race just fine (setting a new PR) but I followed it with a 6 mile walk. No running, no 50k, just a wimpy 6 miles. I'm pretty bummed but I think I'll survive. I need to learn how to take care of things on the trail instead of just pushing through them like I did in the race. If I had cleaned up my blisters during the race, I'm sure I would have gone longer.

Oh well, 20/20 hindsight, right? Anyway, in this episode I ramble on about back seats, a bed liner, and some other random crap I see on my runs. Again ladies, no worries, I don't talk about sex toys. I do apologize for the issues I had with the previous episode.

From there I ramble into Ashland Dave and his podcast and my new segment called Listener Mail. I do not go into how much I fear this will turn into a circle jerk of me talking about other podcasts. Although I do have a history of poking some fun at some other guys.

Need my email to send me some Listener Mail? Here you go (just remove the spaces):


T K 4 2 O N E @gmail.com

Download or view the podcast and then send me an email. If you dare.

Jurassic Park

Report:
I had planned on going for a run with the YMCA group this morning but my son (and the heavy rain) managed to twist my arm. So instead I went to the dentist with my son where he got a clean bill of health. The skies cleared and I opted for a lunch run instead. After all, I had promised Biddi I would test my latest pair of shorts.

So out the door I went, shirtless, and sporting my new T-Star threads. Nothing terribly exciting during the run other than seeing one walker and one kid riding his bike. And a turtle on a log in the swamp. Outside of that, it was a decent run.

Weather:
Temps were about 75F to 80F. Winds were moderate, maybe 20 mph. Sun was out but so were the clouds. Humidity was moderate but not too noticeable due to the wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Took a Hammer Gel (Banana) before I left and had two bottles of plain water during the run. After the run I had  a bottle of Hammer Recoverite, some shredded wheat, and two slices of cheese.

Aches and Pains:
Felt oddly gimpy today. My knees and ankles and legs felt sore but there were no aches or pains that stayed with me the entire time. Just kind of randomly traveled from one leg to another or up and down a leg.

Gear:
Other than my new shorts, just my phone.

Codename - Jurassic Park
You know that scene in Jurassic Park where the T-Rex is in the side view mirror of the Jeep? Well, that's the inspiration behind my picture in my new shorts. So for those of you that don't get my dry wit, that means I stuffed a sock in my shorts to look more manly. Or horse-like.

Splits:
Outbound - 20:33
Inbound - 20:40
Finish - 41:13

Slacker

Report:
Yes! I won! Well, sort of. Maybe. Kinda. My big win was getting out of bed this morning and going for a run. It's been ages since I've been up early enough to see the post-dawn haze of a humid and cool night. So I was quite pleased with myself for being man enough to beat the gravity well of my bed. And oh, it was so comfy this morning. My wife's pillow smelled great and her side was nice and cool. Ahhhhh.

But I beat the pull and made it up and out the door at a semi-reasonable time. I non-jogged my fat ass down the road and did my best to enjoy such an early morning view. Keep in mind it was nearly 0800. So, I ran down the road, got attacked by deer flies, and ran back home. Turns out the deer flies were out looking for breakfast and found me. There were so damn many of them, there were too many to shake a stick at. Literally. i was waving my arms around like Zach Anner and was hitting them left and right. I had at least five confirmed kills and at least 20 hits. But I also took some damage, thankfully not too much to keep me from completing my run.

Saw one deer, tons of deer flies, and an inch worm on my shorts. ON my shorts, not IN my shorts.

Weather:
Temps were about 70F, humidity was moderate to high, and the sun was out in full. A slight breeze at each end of the run when there were open fields.

Fluids and Fuel:
No breakfast before the run. During the run I had a bottle of plain water and a bottle of Hammer Fizz. With the turnaround in sight, I took one Hammer Gel (Apple Cinnamon - yum!).

Aches and Pains:
Worst was the deer fly bites. Outside of that, things were fine. Did step on one or two pointy pieces of gravel.

Gear:
Wore my Deerfly Patches and was shocked when I didn't catch as many as I normally do. I'm thinking it's because I was wearing a black hat so they thought it was a shadow. Just a theory. Also took my iPod Shuffle but the battery was low so I only listened to a few songs. Also took my phone to snap a few pictures.

Codename - Slacker
Yup. I just scored an early birthday present to myself. A Gibbon slackline. So now I'll really be slacking.

Splits:
Outbound - 31:38
Inbound - 31:43
Finish - 1:03:21

Crazy Walker

Report:
Working some kinks out this afternoon. And boy am I kinky.

Ahem.

So I got up this morning, turned on the news, and promptly rolled back into bed. Once I eventually got my fat ass out of bed, I was motivated enough to eat, drink some coffee, and go to work. Which left me with my lunch break to run.

And run I did. A little. And walked. A little. Overall, things went fairly well. Felt stiff, sore, and tired but things eventually smoothed out and I was able to suffer through the heat, humidity, and horse flies like I normally do. I took plenty of walking breaks, especially on the uphills, but found myself running up a few just because I felt like I was going too slow. Not too much else exciting going on during my run.

Weather:
Temps were about 80F, humidity was very high, sky was overcast, wind was light. Lots of dark clouds and thunder in the distance but no rain.

Fluids and Fuel:
Took a Hammer Gel (Montana Huckleberry) before the run and I hated it. Took a bottle of water during the run and finished it. Recovery was chocolate ZICO followed by water and shredded wheat.

Aches and Pains:
Pretty much everything hurt, but nothing too major. Mostly just stiff hamstrings, quads, and calves. Feet were a little tender and I could feel my blisters flare up at one point, but by the end, everything was fine.

Gear:
No special gear since I thought it would rain.

Codename - Crazy Walker
I swear, every time I got tired and started to walk, a car drove by. Every. Freaking. Time. So today I got to look like a crazy, topless, walker.

Splits:
Outbound - 21:39
Inbound - 21:16
Finish - 42:55

Podcast - Mile 37 - G.I. Joe

That's right folks, it's time for another episode of the One Mile Running Podcast. Just what your ENT doctor ordered, a great show to make your ears bleed.

This episode is focused on G.I. Joes. No, not the big ones that started things off and were the size of Barbies. I'm talking about the REAL ones that were all the rage in the 80s. I freaking loved these toys. So that's what I ramble on about in this show.

Or should it be two shows? Whatever you want to call it, it appears that Cobra snuck in one night and drained my batteries. Which means I had to split the show into two parts. Which means you have to click twice as many times to get the same amount of aural punishment. I hope you enjoy!

Download or view the G.I. Joe portion on Podbean.
Download or view the Cobra portion on Podbean.

2012 DRHT 50k Race Report

Report:
Phew. So much to report and I'm sure I'll forget something. To start with, I didn't have that usual week full of pre-race panic. It wasn't until the night before that I got a bit nervous. On race day, I felt good and got to the start line with just the right amount of time. Ditched my drop bag, waited a few minutes, went to the bathroom, and just chilled until the start.

As we started the race, I saw a familiar face. My stalker. As we chatted a bit, he said he was here for redemption and wanted to finish (he dropped at Mile 20 last year after a fall). I wished him well and eventually leapfrogged with him several times over the next few miles. I also saw Wayne, the bearded running master from ICY-8 earlier this year. He seemed surprised that somebody knew him. As did another lady I knew from last year.

Anyway, we headed down the road to the trail. I went through the first aid station after grabbing just an Oreo. I met up with Butch and Diane. The three of us and my stalker ran together for a bit, trading places, chatting, etc. I eventually passed my stalker and wished him well. I assumed he'd be right behind but it turns out he dropped early. Like at Mile 10. While last year I had very little remorse for him dropping, this year I actually felt bad for him. I was hoping he'd finish and put the demons of last year behind him.

The first ten miles for me were great. My second aid station was another fast one, just ice and water. I was moving faster than expected and felt smooth. The second ten miles sucked ass. I got way overheated and couldn't cool down. I pushed it a bit and ended up overheating even more. I eventually learned that I needed to slow down so I didn't overheat.

The next aid station was much slower than I wanted but I had rocks in my shoes and stopped to take them out. I was going slow but was still moving. I got more ice and water and moved on. The next aid station had our drop bags and yet again, I was slower than I wanted to be. But my bottles were still semi-frozen so the water felt great. Until it ran out. The ice just wasn't melting as fast as I wanted it to. I made it to Mile 20 feeling a little better.

From Mile 20 to the end, I felt much better. I was staying hydrated, I was fueled, I was managing my heat much better, I just couldn't move as fast as I wanted to. Turns out, if I ran too much, I'd get overheated. Go figure. I somehow stumbled upon the process of running for 20 paces and walking for 40. I'd periodically run for 25 or even 30 paces and would mix in a walking break of 60 paces every mile. Not only did this keep me moving, it kept me moving at a pace that my body could handle with the heat. An added bonus was that it constantly took my mind off the pain in my feet. Worked like a charm!

Through several aid stations I got to see several people I volunteer with for the trail. I was also lucky enough to have my wife and Tabitha help (my kids were there too but they were mostly cheering me on). Not sure I could have moved through so quickly without them.

Let's see, what else happened. I knew I was moving slow but I managed to pass quite a few people in the final ten miles. One guy was hurting pretty bad and Tabitha even helped him out as he came into the aid station. He eventually finished with Wayne but Wayne told my wife he may not have made it without everyone there to help him. He was hurting bad. Wayne was walking and finished last but man, he can hike scary fast. He also took a picture of my shorts.

And speaking of my shorts, one of the ladies volunteering knew me and cheered me on at one of the road crossings. Her friend was there taking pictures and as I came through the second time, she said her friend was going to take pictures of my ass. Ha! Then there was a guy who I passed who said "Your shorts look hawt." I said "Thanks." He said "No, I mean, they look hot to run in. Not that I'm staring at your ass." I laughed and said "Well, it's pretty clear I have nothing to hide in these!"

Okay. Here's the blood and gore part of the report. So if puss, genitals, and feces scare you, just skip to the Weather section below. So, the race was a bit odd. I didn't poop in the morning and had a constant fear that I'd need to at any moment. I never felt an urge at all. Despite eating a breakfast burrito and an iced latte before the race. Which usually flushes things out. So I carried baby wipes with me nearly the entire race before eventually saying screw it, I can live with some ass chafe for a few miles. Speaking of chafe, my shorts are awesome. But because of how things sit in the banana hammock, I had some chafe on the, um, trunk of my tree. Very odd spot. Thankfully it didn't impact any important performances. My blisters were also a bit odd. I haven't had blisters on my heels in ages. The one actually bled a bit when I lanced it while the other felt like it was much deeper than normal. The blister on my toe is, unfortunately, pretty normal.

Weather:
Temps were about 75F at the start and got to about 90F by the finish. Humidity was high. Sun was out in full but the course is mostly shaded. There was a breeze here and there.

Fluids and Fuels:
Iced latte and most of a breakfast burrito on the way to the race. Went through a ton of fluids. Took four Hammer Fizz tablets, four servings of Hammer Perpeteum, two Hammer Gels, a few Oreos, a few Ritz crackers, and tons of ice and water. Recovery was a hamburger, cold water, Hammer Recoverite, and I'm sure a few other things.

Aches and Pains:
One blister on the toe next to my left big toe. One blister on my left heel. One larger blister on my right heel. Tender feet. Right hip hurts. Overall, just stiff and sore.

Gear:
I kept things simple. Started out with my iPod shuffle but ditched it at Mile 16. Had Deerfly Paper on my hat and ditched that at Mile 20 along with my pedometer. Outside of that, it was a small mini flask of liquid fluids, a small BodyGlide, a few baby wipes, and my two handheld bottles. I did eventually shed some gear over time, like tossing my last mini flask at Mile 28. I also had spare shoes, spare socks, and a few other items in my drop bag (which we could access at Mile 16 and 24 in the race). I also had frozen two mini flasks and two handheld bottles and put them in my drop bag. This worked well but the handhelds didn't melt fast enough. Oh, and I wore my T-Star shorts (red) and had numerous compliments on them (from both men and women). I had only one spot of chafe but beyond that, they performed awesomely.

Splits:
Start to MM 11 - 8:55 (less than a mile)
MM 12 - 12:20
MM 13 - 12:03 (includes an aid station)
MM 14 - 11:57
MM 14 - 19:10 (longer than a mile - far eastern turnaround)
MM 13 - (missed this split so it's part of the next one)
MM 12 -25:51
MM 11 - 12:34
MM 10 - 13:11
MM 9 - 13:01
MM 8 - 15:24 (includes aid station)
MM 7 - 15:18
MM 6 - 15:51 (includes gun range bypass)
MM 5 - 14:13
MM 4 - 18:00 (includes aid station)
MM 3 - 13:47
MM 2 - 14:35
MM 1 - 14:21
MM 0 - 13:57
MM 1 - 17:53
MM 2 - 15:17
MM 3 - 15:55
MM 4 - 16:45
MM 5 - 18:10 (includes aid station)
MM 6 - 16:09
MM 7 - 19:03 (includes gun range bypass)
MM 8 - 15:35
MM 9 - 15:57 (includes aid station)
MM 10 - 14:57
MM 10 to Finish - 27:15 (about a mile and a half or so)
Finish - 7:37:38

Does a bear poop in the woods?

Report:
So this morning I got up at 4:30 am and managed to get out on the trail by 5:30 am. My original intent was to go out and do a solid 50k. Between a few months ago when I came up with this back-to-back 50k weekend and this morning, that plan changed many times. It gradually went from 30 miles to 20 to 10 to just whatever I could do. Turns out, my feet could only do 6 miles. I was actually clear-headed and motivated to go out and do more but between some suck-ass blisters and a hip that wasn't feeling so great, I just decided to call it a success at 6 miles. After all, I do my best to put the suck in success.

As for the walk, and it was most certainly a walk, it was pretty sedate. I saw one black snake, one rabbit, and two deer. And a large, but dead, caterpillar. I also picked up a few pieces of trash from yesterday's race, but there wasn't very much.

Most of the walk was dealing with the stiff muscles and the painful blisters. Mostly my body wasn't happy and that was the big hurdle. My brain was ready for more, my body wasn't. Oh well. At least I got a few more miles in!

See? I told you it was dark out.

And this is my face after a 50k yesterday and 6 miles today. Blergh.

Weather:
Temps were 75F at the start and warmed up a hair by the finish. There wasn't much wind. The moon was a waning gibbous and fairly bright. The sun eventually rose and the skies were clear. Humidity was high.

Fluids and Fuel:
Since I knew I was walking, I stopped for a huge breakfast burrito and an iced latte. And then decided to splurge with two hash browns. The rest of the time I was just drinking water. Recovery was an apple fritter and iced tea (the diet of champions!).

Aches and Pains:
One blister on my left toe, one blister on each heel, and some chafe in an unmentionable spot. The balls of my feet are sore and tender but don't have blisters. Right hip hurts whenever I pick my leg up. Outside of that, most everything feels fine, just a little sore.

Gear:
Wore my hydration pack. And that was about the only special thing I had going on.

Codename - Does a bear poop in the woods?
Yes. But only when he's in the woods.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 25:08 (includes eating breakfast while walking)
Mile 2 - 21:55
Mile 3 - 21:57
Mile 4 - 25:39 (includes a bathroom break)
Mile 5 - 24:22
Mile 6 - 18:57 (tried to walk as fast as I could)
Finish - 2:17:58

It's hot hot hot

Report:
Just an easy shake-out run before my race on Saturday. Although I shouldn't really call it a race since I'll be running AND walking. And I certainly won't be racing to place on the podium. I'll be happy to finish under the 8 hour cut-off.

Anyway, just an easy run to keep things moving. Nothing too exciting although I did see the third row seat of an SUV in the front yard of somebody's house. And a few houses down, there was a truck bed liner in somebody's ditch. Yeah. These are the types of roads I run on. At least I didn't see any sex toys.

Weather:
Temps were about 80F. Humidity was high. Sun was out in full. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, yogurt, and iced coffee. During the run I experimented with a frozen mini-flask of Hammer Perpeteum. It seemed to work fine but thawed much faster than expected. I also had a bottle of plain water. Recovery was an iced latte.

Aches and Pains:
None to speak of.

Gear:
Nothing special.

Codename - It's hot hot hot
Pretty much the same story every summer. It's hot.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:27 (way too fast)
Mile 2 - 13:13 (a little too slow)
Mile 3 - 12:18 (right on pace)
Finish - 37:01

Podcast - Mile 36 - The 11th Plague

Time for yet another podcast episode. This one starts with a bit of a quote from The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch. So far, it's been a depressing story to listen to but at the same time, I can't quite quit listening to it. From there, I get even more depressing by asking you, the listener, for money. So if you want to send me some, send me an email. Just listen to the podcast and you'll hear it.

From there, I get a bit more upbeat and quote the infamous poem about beans making you fart and talk a bit about the Commonwealth Games where my daughter medaled in an event and my son got a rousing cheer from the crowd for wearing his Superman cape.

I also mention a pro-tip for runners out there dealing with sweat in their eyes. Chapstick or BodyGlide on the eyebrows works great. Trust me.


Download or view on Podbean.

Batteries Not Included

Report:
Just an easy run to shake the legs out and keep the rust off. Nothing too fast or hard, just an easy going, light, sort of fun run. I wanted to go out and have fun but it wasn't really in the cards for me so I just did my best.

Weather:
Temps were about 80F with a high humidity. It didn't feel hot, just sticky. The clouds were out so it wasn't too sunny.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, oatmeal, yogurt, and iced coffee. During the run I had a bottle of water. Recovery as the rest of my iced coffee. My gut wasn't too hot this morning due to last night's dinner but I managed to survive.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.

Gear:
Wore a different hat that I usually wear just to work outside in. Also had my recorder but the batteries died so I couldn't record the full episode I wanted to.

Codename - Batteries Not Included
I went to record my next episode and was about 15 minutes into talking when I checked to see how much time I had left and noticed it had turned off. After about 5 minutes of recording. Bummer.


Oh, and I found yet another dildo. A huge one. That had two ends. But one was chopped off.

Splits:
Outbound - 23:40
Inbound - 22:11 (my first negative split in ages)
Finish - 45:52