The Ultimate Long Run Contemplation

As a self-employed individual who spends more time talking to his dog during the day than he does to others, I enjoy the opportunity to run with other people. In fact, I'd rather do an agonizingly slow run with a good friend and catch up than I would like to go to to the track for a speed workout by myself. Of course, the latter is purely hypothetical thinking that I would even think of doing a speed workout, let alone by myself.

Thus, when a friend invited me to join her for a 33 mile run on her birthday, I didn't hesitate to respond in the affirmative. She's training for a 50K in March. I'm training for a marathon in May. But the question is whether I go for the gold, throw out all my conventional wisdom and just see if I can actually run 33 miles. It's as daunting as the thought of running a marathon was 4 years ago as I contemplated my first.

I begin to wonder whether or not I have hit a new level in my running. Is a marathon no longer good enough? Am I no longer feeling that a marathon is a challenge? Am I looking for the brag factor that comes from running 30+ miles at one time. After all, you should see the "likes" and comments I got on Facebook after the lake run. Could I be looking for that type of self-gratification? If that is my reasoning, then I think I have issues...ok, additional issues.

If my reasoning is because i've never done a run over 27 miles than maybe it's worth looking at.

There is also a rational part of me that says "You haven't run anything greater than 26 miles since September..." But, I remind that part of myself that came up with that quip that I did rock 12 miles today on a really hilly course and I did do 10 miles on the track last Friday which should be the equivalent of a 30 mile run in terms of "wanting to die" before I finished the run. All of these are very valid points.

It also solidly reflects that I spend way too much time talking with the dog...

The Most Memorable Run

I've spent the past week working on how I could write about a run that I will remember for years to come. Have you ever had a run or race that is so memorable that you wish you could capture it and relive it again? That is what happened to me on Feb. 2. Here is how it all started.

Here's How it All Started

Just a bit cold in the middle of a frozen lake.

In my area is a large fresh water lake. As a kid growing up, the word "fresh water" was used rather loosely because a large steel mill in the area used to dumb their waste into the lake. The mill is no longer and the lake is slowly getting better. I was reading the local news when I came across as story about running across the frozen lake. I had never heard about this and was instantly intrigued. I knew that some of the lakes in the mountains in the area froze and had ice fishing, but I never thought this lake which is in the valley would freeze over. Apparently it does.

After reading the article, I was intrigued enough to start asking around among my running buddies if anyone had done it and if anyone was interested. The comments ranged from "You are crazy" to "Bring it on." A little more research led me to a few other blogs here and here that talked about their experience.

Notice how smooth our course is.

A local expert who has run on the lake many times offered some advice. After I convinced him of our desire to run and that I'd done my research on being safe he offered to come with as an unofficial tour guide.


The Plan
After a little research, I mapped a 6 mile route. Another option was 11, but I didn't think I could go that far after being out because of my toe injury. I arranged to have my son meet us on the other side of the lake and take anyone back to our starting place for those who weren't doing a round trip.


The Morning of the Run

Where two layers of ice meet.

The first of January in this area, we had temperatures that were below zero. The days leading up to our run the temperatures were close to 40 degrees. Normally, I would be jumping up and down to have temps in the 40s, but when we're talking about the difference between thick ice and thin ice, I'd rather have it cold.

We decided to meet at the lake before the came up in case it warmed up. We could be on the lake as little as possible if the temperatures got above freezing. I packed a change of clothes wrapped in plastic sacks and a length of rope.

The temperatures the morning of the run were cold. Originally the forecast called for lows in the 20s and highs in the low 30s. Instead the temperature was 9 degrees. As we were driving, the weather became more and more foggy. We arrived at the starting point with the visibility down to 100 yards. Many of us had programmed the route into our Garmins and also carried GPS on our phones. But with the visibility so poor it was going to be hard to stay on course.

This would make an awesome Runner's World photo.

Running on Ice
Running on ice was a surreal experience. It was more of a mental experience than it was a difference in feel. There was 3-4" of dry powder on top of the ice which made running hard. I had Snow Trax on my shoes, but they did little good with the snow. We ran spread out so that no one would be putting too much pressure on the ice. Within a short distance from the shore, all sounds disappeared. With the fog, it was utterly silent. It wasn't spooky silent, but rather peaceful. We stopped often to check our route, make corrections and of course–to take pictures.

At one point in the run, I felt like I was running on small rolling hills. I realized that the slight waves from the lake had frozen. It made for an interesting feeling. During the course of the run, we came across a few long cracks in the ice. They weren't wide, but they were very long.


Finishing

Taken from a friend's Garmin. The length that looks like
a drunken runner is our initial course. The smooth route
back was after the fog had lifted....or we sobered up.

We were able to run a 6 mile course in a little over 7 miles. :) It was an amazing experience. Since that time, the weather has warmed up with several days above freezing. The lake is not extremely deep. The lake website says that after about mid-February extreme caution is advised when doing activities on or around the lake. It would be fun to run the lake again this season, but I think the window of opportunity has passed. What an absolute amazing experience.

This is a few of the group at the other side
of the lake. 

Worse than the Treadmill

What is it about stationary exercise equipment that drives me nuts? Why do I enjoy being outside in 10 degree weather with frost on my face, sucking in the inversion filled air of January more than a run in climate controlled space with a tv in front of me? After all, I like sitting in front of the tv. It shouldn't bother me, right? It does.

I have a stationary bike. My wife got it for me for Christmas. She wanted to get a treadmill, but the ones she wanted to get were out of her budget. But she got the bike for a great deal. It's a great machine and works really well, but I hate it too. I'm no biker. I have a mountain bike that is currently involved in a study to see how long it would take the environment to reclaim an unused bike. I would get it out and ride it, but far be it from me to interfere with science.

Unfortunately, the stationary bike is just an evil cousin to the treadmill. I get on it and the only thing that consumes my thoughts are 1. how slow it is taking and 2. how long until I am finished. I get a good workout on the bike and can see how it will be effective in my training. It also takes pressure off my toe which is still healing (although I am now able to run as long as I have it taped). The thought of getting on the bike fills me with dread as much as running on the treadmill.

I know people who love the treadmill and the bike. They loath to be outside. They enjoy the climate controlled environment. They don't enjoy to be outside. In fact, today I was talking with a friend about it and he was amazed that I would even attempt to run in this cold weather. We compared notes and I couldn't understand why he would enjoy going to the gym every day when he could run outside. I guess we're just two different people. Although, I feel like when the Apocolypse happens and the zombies come after me, I'll be in a better position to escape because I will be used to running outside. My friend sadly will be lunch as he can only run in one spot.... it was nice to know him. :)

An Injury to Start the Year and an Amazing Kid

You know it's time to get back on the blog when the amount of Spam posts from "Anonymous" outweigh the few followers that are left and people who do know me tell me that I either get a post up or they will delete me from their blogroll. If I were famous, it wouldn't be so hard. All it'd take is a few risqué self shot photos "accidentally" tweeted out to my 1 million followers to keep me in the light. If there isn't some shock value then it's just vanilla. Same old flavor every day. So let's get this on....here it is...what you've waiting for....

The results of my New Year's stumble.

The plan for January1 was to get up, spend some time with the family and then gear up and go for a mid afternoon run when the temperatures were warmer. 

Mid morning I was coming back up my house stairs after letting the dog out when I slipped on the stair. I landed funny and twisted my toe. Hobbling up the stairs, I thought I had just stubbed my toe. Within the hour though, the pain increased and the swelling started. Although, it wasn't broken it had a good strain on it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to run on it since that day. The pain and swelling has gone down so that the discoloring is only on the toe now and I can walk normally, but I cannot yet run. I'm hoping within the next week I can get back out on the road. In the meantime, I will be spending time on the stationary bike.

One Amazing Kid

This is him about 5 minutes after finishing
race. He said he couldn't smile because
his face was frozen.

I have a son who runs cross country and track for High School. Around Thanksgiving, I invited him to join me for the New Year's Half Marathon I have done the past two years. I thought he'd turn me down like he had done the previous times I invited him to run a long race with me. He accepted the challenge though and joined me on many of my Saturday long runs in an effort to be ready.

We have been hit hard by a strong inversion since Christmas here. The temperatures have rarely been above 20 degrees and the low has been below zero on many days. We were hoping that the inversion would break in time for the race on the 5th. A storm was supposed to come in, but the high pressure in the area eliminated that possibility. The low on the morning of the race was -4 degrees. With the weather being so cold and a strong inversion in place, the race director allowed anyone to shorten their race if they wanted so as to avoid any injuries. My son opted to run the whole thing. He finished in 2:10:29 for his first half marathon which also was in sub zero weather for most of it. 

2013 Plans

I have plenty of races on the schedule for 2013 and hope to come ever closer to that magical 3:15:00 mark which will qualify me for Boston. Ideally, I can get my son to jump on board another half marathon with me. One that will be warmer, of course. 

And of course....to post more on this blog. 

Lehi Roundup Celebration 5k/10k

What have I been doing since the Utah Valley Marathon. Here are some stats:

Days running: 1
Distance run: 4 miles

Pretty impressive, huh?

After the Utah Valley Marathon, I have been consumed in getting ready for the Lehi City celebration. I race direct the 10k/5k races for the celebration event. Here is just a glimpse into what the past few days looked like. If I do bullets, it will make the list look even more impressive.

• Wednesday June 26: shirts finally arrive at 5:00 pm. I take all the packets and shirts to Fleet Feet in anticipation to the packet pickup June 27-28. We've exceeded our numbers from last year and I'm a little nervous that I didn't order enough of everything. 
• Thursday June 27: I have bribed my son to be in charge of packet pickup all day at Fleet Feet. I'm at a client's all day. We've decided that we'll do a second order of t-shirts if we run out. This in turn is a blessing in disguise because a lot of people who registered late asked.
• Thursday June 27: I picked up 650 cartons of chocolate milk, brought them home and put them all in my freezer. Next year, I'll plan the chocolate milk storage better.
• Friday June 28: I got enough volunteers from the high school kids to cover packet pickup for the day. The HS Cross Country team is volunteering at the race in exchange for a contribution from the city to their team. My son and I spend the rest of the day doing all the small things in an effort to not be as swamped on Saturday morning. We packed up the leftover packets/t-shirts and dropped off all the other supplies at the starting location and were finished about 8:30 pm.
• Saturday 3:00 am. I drag myself out of bed and get in the shower. I debate it, but decide I may not get a shower until late and the temp is supposed to be in the mid-80s before 11:00 am. The countdown clock starts. 
• Saturday 4:30-5:30 am. We need to be completely set up by 5:30 am. I'm stuck on the course getting last minute directional signs up and I'm not back until 5:30 am. The city is supposed to be dropping off my tables and stuff by 5:30 and they don't come until 6. 
• Saturday 6:00 am. Registration and packet pickup is finally up, but its rather chaotic.
• Saturday 6:30 am. We get the music started and things start to chill.
• Saturday 7:00 am. 10K starts. 15 minute countdown to the 5k start.
• Saturday 7:15 am. 5K starts. I have a few minutes to chat with some of my vendors who came before it's time to get the post race food out, tables set up for awards, etc.
• Saturday 8:30 am. We're giving out awards, prize giveaways, awards, etc.
• Saturday 9:30-10:30 am. We clean up fast, pack the jeep
• Saturday 10:30 am - 11:30 am. We watch the parade as it goes by. We'd rather leave, but we're boxed in at our location.
• Saturday 12:00 - 3:30 pm. Finish tearing down the course, dropping off supplies, picking up our table, etc.. It's been almost 13 hours.

Here is a list of what we had for 600 runners.

• 600 runners
• 25 gallons of water along the course
• 900 cups of water
• 1200+ Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Smoothie King samples
• 50 pounds of bananas
• 25 pounds of oranges
• 900 bottles of water
• 650 pints of chocolate milk

All in all the race was awesome. The participants had a great time. It's been an exhausting time and I feel as though I just finished a marathon. I'll do it again though...in an instant. 

Utah Valley Marathon...Pain You Enjoy!

Here's my recap of the Utah Valley Marathon. I had set up a A, B, C goal.
A: 3:15:00 or better finish thus qualifying me for Boston
B: Under 3:30:00 for a rocking new PR
C: Finish the race in one piece because if I am pushing for C, something seriously wrong happened.

In a nutshell, I missed A, but hit B. My finish time was 3:28:14.

Now, you can either click on to something else or read my marathon of a race report. I figure after 6 mos. of training for this thing, I have the right to be a bit long winded.

******

To an outsider, running must be one of the ultimate forms of self-torture. I must be doing some serious penance for the amount of time I put on the road and the pain involved in that process. And yet somehow, I keep returning again and again to this process. My wife has commented that she thinks I lose more and more brain cells the longer I am involved in running because I keep returning to it.

She may be on to something......wait, what were we talking about?

It's been long in coming, but the Utah Valley Marathon is now behind me.

A little background on my training.

• Miles ran in preparation for this day: 1000+ I don't have an exact figure because my Garmin died at the first of the training and I had to ship it off to get the battery replaced*.
• Pairs of shoes that succumbed to my many miles on the road: 2
• Number of discussions I had with the wife about where my priorities are: 2 
• Number of other races I have done in preparation for this one: 3
• Likelihood that I'll return to run this course again: High. Although next time I'll just pace it.
• Number of days after a long run that I waddled around pretending that I was purposely walking slow to enjoy the scenery: Too many to count.

Yes, I stole this off their website, but this gives
you an idea of how packed it is.

3 weeks prior to the race, a group of us ran 21 miles of the course just so we could get a sense of how to best prepare for the race. We were not a lone in our idea. We passed (or were passed) by many different runners along the course of the run. It was a good mental prep for what was in front of us.

The days leading up to the race involved the following:

• Stressing about and checking the long range forecast for the weather at least 5 times a day
• Chatting with various elite runners that I know about race strategy
• Talking to running store owners about hydration, nutrition, strategies, etc.
• Waking up in the middle of the night thinking that I had missed my wake-up time for the race that was days away

Here's what it was like:

• Temperature at the start of the race: 48-50 degrees. This normally would a pre-cursor to a hot day, but a cold front was moving in so it kept things from getting above 70 at the finish line.
• Number of runners crammed into a small side street in a small town up a canyon: About 3,000
• Time I needed to qualify for Boston: 3:15:00
• Number of hills: A helluvah a lot more than I remembered. There was the "roller coaster" at mile 8-10, another at 12, another and another and another at 16 and then another after that...
• A headwind of anywhere from 10-25 mph for about 10 miles of the course

The weather was gorgeous and the run through the canyon is very scenic and nice. Unfortunately my mind was focused on keeping pace and wondering where these new hills came from. I had a strategy to take a GU every 5 miles and suck on some Stinger chews periodically.

I originally started with the 3:15 pacer, but realized after about 2 miles that I just wasn't up to the pace knowing that many runners start way too fast and then crash at the first set of hills from 8-10. I backed it off and kept my pace at about a 7:30 pace. The pacer was running about 20-30 seconds faster knowing that the hills would slow things down. It's a common strategy. My strategy was to just maintain the 7:30 pace as often as I could and keep my cadence steady up the hills. 

I kept the pace as long as I could knowing that 3:15 wasn't an option, but maybe 3:20 or 3:23? At mile 22-23, the 3:25 pacer passed me. Looking back, I probably could have kept up with him, but I felt rather deflated when he went by. Coming into the finish chute knowing that I was under 3:30 was an incredible feeling.

So, what's next? I have a couple ideas. For now, it's try to rest and recover.

Note: If your Garmin battery every dies, don't ship it to Garmin. I found a place that does it for 1/3 as much and the turnaround is a couple days. Just search on ebay.

Mission Accomplished

Everyone has a bucket list. Even the people who claim they don't have a bucket list secretly do. I didn't realize until this last Saturday that I had checked one off my list.

With the completion of the Provo City Marathon, I had just completed two marathons and a half marathon in a 3 week period of time. My bucket list item wasn't necessarily to complete this multiple, but there was always a longing to see if I could do multiple races in a row. The answer is a definite YES. I learned a lot from these past three weeks which I'll share in another post, but first here is a recap of the race.

The Provo City Marathon was a good finale. My pace time was a 3:55 finish time which was much closer to where my current level of fitness is compared to the 4:30 finish for the Salt Lake City Marathon two weeks before. I was a little apprehensive about the race, but it all turned out good.

We boarded the bus to go to the start line around 4:00 am. They were giving out some free swag to people who took the bus early. I ended up with some free coupons for Yogurt and a 2XL shirt from another race the group sponsors. The best thing about getting to a race start early is that there is no waiting for the honey buckets.

The weather was cool, but the wind was calm unlike the 30 mph wind at my house when I left. The race started 7 miles up the canyon with the marathon start time at 7:00 am and the half marathon at 7:15 am. The course started on the road, but after a mile it turned onto a bike path that wound down to the bottom of the canyon. My group was about 5 miles into the race when the top half marathon finishers past us.

From the bottom of the canyon until mile 13 the course was a gradual downward run. At the 13 mile mark, the race changed. The marathon and half marathon started at the same spot and ran together until the half marathon finished and the full marathon continued. The rest of the course was relatively flat. From 13 until 18 the course was uninteresting–just roads. At 18, the course turned onto a trail that followed the river which was a nice change from the boring road. At 23, the course looped back onto the road until the finish.

Overall the race was good. It was nice to put this race behind me so I can focus on the Utah Valley Marathon.