JFK 50 Mile

As my two year old grandson, Hunter, would say when he accomplishes something, "I did it!" I finished the JFK 50 Mile yesterday.  It was a pretty cool experience, but a tough one for me.

I went there with three other people, Mark and Meghan, who were running it also, and Meghan's Mom, who would be support.  Mark and I left from Joliet about 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning.  About three hours later, we arrived at Meghan's place.  From there, Mom drove the rest of the way to Hagerstown, Maryland (seven hours), getting there at about 4:30 p.m.  After checking in at the motel, we checked the route to the start, picked up our packets, and had dinner.  Back at the motel, Mark and I fretted about what  we would need for the race the next day.  Once we figured it all out, it was time for bed.

Mark was doing the 5:00 a.m. early start, so was up by 3:00.  Once he left, I laid back down for about an hour, slightly dozing a bit.  Then it was my turn to get ready.  Meghan and I would be starting at the 7:00 a.m. regular start.  Mom drove us to the start arriving about 6:10 for the pre-race meeting.  At 6:35, it was time to head to the start, which was about three quarters of a mile away on the main drag of Boonsboro.  Right at seven, the gun went off and away we went.  

We are on roads for the first couple miles with a real steep hill leading up to the Appalachian Trail.  This was probably about a 400 foot climb over about a mile.  We peeled off onto the trail at the top.  The trail was everything I was worried about.  Extremely rocky and technical, at least for me.  I actually thought I was moving pretty well, but It seemed I was being passed left and right.  After about a mile and a half we popped out onto pavement once again.  Two miles of this ended with another steep climb of about 600 feet and back on the trail up along the ridge line.  I continued being passed a lot until we hit the 9.3 mile aid station coming back down a bit to a nice clearing.  Then right back up to the ridge line for another six miles.  I don't know if I actually was doing better or the faster runners had all passed me by now, but I was no longer getting passed much.  I even passed some people in this stretch.  But I could tell all of this was starting to take a toll on the legs.  And I was staying on my feet all this time.  At least until the last three miles.  Then it all caught up to me.  I ended up falling five times in that last three miles, banging my right thigh and head real good.  It turned out the head bump actually drew blood, but I didn't realize this until the race was over and I reached  to my head and found crusted blood on my eyebrow.  Getting off the trail, we had to descend a set of steep switchbacks which was rather scary.  And, yes, one of my falls was here.  Once down, we had a great reception from lots of spectators at what I thought was the aid station.  But it was a false assumption.  It turned out we had another half mile on trail to go and again, I went down in this section.  Finally, I reached the aid station at 15.5 miles where we head onto the C & O Towpath.  I could relax and worry about footing.

This section is 26.5 miles long, mostly flat, crushed limestone and dirt.  Most of it is along the Potomac River and is quite beautiful.  This section was fairly uneventful, except  that my legs were very dead from the get go here.  I did manage to do my 10/2 strategy up until the 27.1 aid station, then made the decision to switch to a 5/2.  It turned out to be one of my smarter decisions.  It kept me moving forward at ten to eleven minute miles without really taking it all out of me.  So, although I was struggling a bit, I was still making decent time.  At the 41.8 aid station, the towpath section ended.  This aid station is significant in that if you don't reach it by 3:00 p.m., you are required to don a safety vest, which is nicknamed, "The Vest of Shame".  I missed it by thirteen minutes and I had to take one.  I had hoped to be faster and not need one, but it wasn't meant to be.

The last 8.5 miles is on rolling roads.  This is where my earlier decision to go to the 5/2 paid off.  Once I got up the initial steep hill, I was able to run a lot of this section.  I even put in some sub-10 minute miles.  I passed a lot of people from here to the end.  From hoping for a sub-10 and a half hour finish, I was now heading for a sub-10.  And I continued to drop my finishing time over those last miles, finally crossing the finish line at 9:44:43.  This placed me 269th overall and 4th in my age group (60-69).  Meghan ended up running 8:38 finishing 113th overall and 13th female.  And Mark broke twelve hours with an 11:53.

It was a successful race for me even with the beating my legs took on the Appalachian Trail.  And I now can say, I've run the most iconic race in the Eastern United States.

Feeling Better About The JFK 50

Well, I am starting to feel a bit more confidant about the JFK 50 Mile this Saturday.  After talking with Mark Clarke (who has finished it twice), he feels I could finish it in as little as nine hours.  I really don't know about that, but after seeing a couple of videos on past years, I think that with a good day and being smart in the first third of the race, I could possibly get down to nine and a half hours.  It will really depend upon how my body handles the Appalachian Trail section.  I plan to be very cautious on this section and then hope to be able to hammer the towpath to achieve a good finish.

From what Mark says, he expects Meghan (3:08 marathon PR) will be shooting for a seven hour finish.  So I doubt we will be running together for long.  I was hoping we might be able to help each other, but I don't think that will be in the cards.

Red Eye 8K

Finished up the Run3 Series of races today at the Red Eye 8K.  The series consists of the Ramblin' Run 10K, the Sundowner 5K, and the above Red a Eye.  Ran very well running sub-7 minute miles for 34:30.  It turns out it is my best time for this distance in over 20 years.  Pretty incredible.  And it capped my Run3 Series where I finished 1st AG in all three races.  I never would have expected this last January.  I am really trying to appreciate this year because it has been a phenomenal year for me.  I am so grateful being able to run this well at my age.

More on JFK

Deep down I ended up signing up for the JFK 50 Mile because I wanted a challenge.  I wanted to try something that scares me and is very different than what I am used to.  The last time I attempted something like this I failed.  I only made it halfway though the Black Hills 100.  It was the technical aspect of the trails that did me in.  In particular, traversing those trails in the dark.  It was hard enough in the light.  At the JFK I won't have to deal with the dark, but from what I've read, the Appalachian Trail part is even more technical and more difficult.  Add in the cutoffs and I think I will be pressed for the first third of the race to make up some time because the middle third is going to be just plain hard. If I haven't made up some time on the cutoffs in the first third, I will need to run like 11:40/mile from 15.5 to 27.1 to stay ahead of the cutoffs.  And even harder, from 27.1 to 34.4 it needs to be 10:16/mile.  That is almost crazy.  Fortunately, these two sections are flat, but still.  If I do make it to here the time constraints ease up the on the final third.  Maintaining about 14:45 to 15:00/mile will get me to the finish in time.  It should be obvious by now that I am feeling rather nervous about this one.  I keep thinking "will I be able to do this?"  I was much more confidant for Hennepin even though it was twice the distance.  

I guess "I'll just have to see."

Another Ultra?

This entry is a total surprise.  My running year has been slowly winding down.  The Hennepin Hundred was my main priority for so much of the year, but I have had some incredible success in the shorter races as well.  Whether it is the Hundred training or just staying very healthy, I am grateful for the way things have turned out with numerous firsts in my age group and some of the fastest times in several years. After my birthday run last weekend, I figured I would just have two, maybe three short races left for the year.  But low and behold, things can change suddenly.

The night of my birthday run I get a text from Mark Clarke about possibly crewing for him and another at the JFK 50 Mile in just two weeks.  As it turned out, there was nothing going on that weekend and the wife gave the okay.  The JFK 50 is one of the oldest and largest ultra in the USA.  I was very excited about heading out 

East and seeing the Appalachian Trail for the first time which encompasses about 10 miles of the race.  After sending a text back saying "Hell, yes!" to Mark, a while later he sends back that I should maybe register myself even if I end up on the waiting list.  By race time, a spot might open up.  At first, I thought this was kind of crazy.  I had just run 38 miles earlier that day only two weeks before the JFK.  Would there be a chance that I could even be ready and it would be pretty expensive this close to race day.  I sent back that It would be a crazy idea, but I would think about it.  I went to bed with the whole thing jumping around in my mind.

The next morning, it was probably the first thing that popped into my mind.  What might be my only chance at this thing kept pounding away at my resolve.  I decided to check the website later that morning just to see what all there was.  To make a long story short, I signed up and got in right off the bat.  So, in just a week and a half I will be running one more ultra this year.

It has a strict 12 hour cutoff, with some fairly tough mid race cut offs as well.  I'm a little scared of it.  The Appalachian Trail can be very technical which is not one of my strengths and it has some heavy duty climbing as well.  A big part later in the race is on a towpath like Hennepin's, so if I can reach that point and not be destroyed by then, I should be okay.  But the first 15 miles is going to be tough.  With my first half at Hennepin being under nine hours, you would think I should have no problem.  But the combination of the technical, the climbing, and not actually being in the same shape I was for the hundred is going to make it interesting.  But I suppose life is meant to be challenging and this race will be a good challenge for me to see just what I am made of.

61st Birthday Run

Had my 61st Birthday Run on Saturday.  61K this year.  I did it on a one mile loop at Mather Woods in Plainfield.  Had a number of people join me for parts of it which was great.  Chris, Steve and Julian from Central's XC Team, Dave Cyplick, Kricket Baltz and her son, T-Bone, Matt Clark, Gary Andruch and his son, Mikey, John Warren, and Kibet Rono.  Also, my whole family came for the last couple of hours.  And Mark Kazich stopped by to wish me a Happy Birthday, but didn't run.  All of these people is what made it special.  Thanks, everyone!

Hennepin Hundred Race Report Link

It's been a couple weeks since the Hennepin Hundred.  I finally have put together a race report.  It can be found on my website.

www.mlbrun.com

Check it out.

11 Days to Hennepin

Only eleven days to the Hennepin 100.  Ended up with 93 miles last week with the 32 mile last Sunday.  A nice fifteen miles this Sunday to start a much easier week.  Figuring to do only about 50 to 55 miles this week to start the taper.  

Last Major Long Run Before Hennepin

It's 20 days till the Hennepin Hundred and I got my last major run in this morning.  My goal was to run between five and six hours at a reasonable pace.  This was my last chance to test my run/walk strategy of 10/2 for an ultra distance.  It went very well, covering 32.4 miles in five hours and twenty-nine minutes for a 10:06 per mile average.  I stayed pretty steady throughout the run with miles ranging from 9:18 to 10:36 depending on when the walk occurred.  The last four miles were 9:18, 9:59, 10:02 and 10:13 (last one with Pepper, our dog).  I felt pretty decent for the whole run.  I had two stops to buy drinks and snacks for about another 10 minutes.  With this latest run, I have decided to go with the 10/2 strategy for as long as I can at the race and see where I end up before I have to adjust.  I am hoping to reach the halfway point without any major changes in the strategy.

Howl at the Moon 2015

Well it's been a few days since Howl at the Moon.  It was a very good day for me.  I ran very steady all day with the first half averaging about 9:50 miles and the 2nd have about 10:15 miles.  In fact, I was still running sub-10:00 minute miles after six hours.  I ended up covering 47.56 miles in the 8 hours.  My best run in 6 years.  This was my first year in the Superior division and I was hoping to win it, but in a big surprise, I actually ended up 3rd overall which eliminated me from the division awards.  Which I was extremely pleased with. It is the highest I have ever placed overall.  1st place was like 55 miles and 2nd was about 50.  So I was very happy.  Also, covering that much mileage, not doing a large taper and feeling pretty good the last few days has really helped my confidence in my training and fitness for the 100 mile in just one month from today.  In the four days after the Howl I have put in 30 miles with only a little soreness.  The plan is to put two more good weeks of training in with at least one 30 to 35 miler and then it will be time to actually have a good taper and let the body really get rested for the big one.  Oh, and Jennifer, my oldest daughter, managed to reach her first ultra with 31.11 miles.  I was so proud of her.

Good Long Run

Nice long run today.  I got my butt up nice and early and got started about 5:15 am.  It wasn't too warm and the humidity was decent. (70 to 79 by the finish).  My daughter and her husband were gone for the weekend on a camping/camping trip, so we were scheduled to let the dogs out this morning for them.  So instead of driving over to their place, my wife asked if I could run in that direction and let them out.  I thought it was a good idea and so that's where I headed.  It turned out to be a touch under nine miles one way.  But I wanted to do more than eighteen miles, so I took a round about way back home and ended up with a bit over 25 miles.  I then added another three miles with our dog, Pepper, for a total of 28+ mikes for the day and almost 5 hours on my feet.  Went with a run 10 minutes, walk 2 minutes strategy and it worked well.  Depending on how the walking breaks fell I stayed between about 9:30 and 10:40 miles.  Felt pretty good the whole run.  I will be going with this strategy again in a couple more long runs to be sure, but I'm pretty sure this is what I am going go with for the Hennepin Hundred.  It gives me a real nice pace, but still have rest periods.  I will try to keep it up for as long as possible and adjust when I need to.  This will probably be my last real long run until Howl in less than two weeks.  Oh, and I had no digestive problems. Yeah!!

Sundowner 5K

Good race tonight!  Sundowner 5K was tonight at 7:15.  About 80 degrees, partly cloudy.  After 28.5 miles at Christmas in July on Saturday and 24 miles on Tuesday wasn't sure what tonight would bring.  But things went very well.  Felt good and ran 21:33.  About as good a time as I have run the last couple of years for a 5K.  73rd overall and 1st in my age group.  Very happy with the results.  I guess I still have a little speed left.  And the Mafetone method definitely seems to be working for me.

A tough Christmas in July

It was a long night/morning at Christmas in July.  It started out pretty good, but by lap 3 my digestive system started to act up.  I had to take (putting this a bit crudely) a crap on lap 4.  Didn't really help with the issues.  They continued and progressed as the race went on.  Also, it rained for a most of the second and third hours.  By the third hour, I had to take a crap three more times.  For the last three hours, I was reduced to power walking.  Every time I tried to run, I ended up almost doubled over with pain.  And, of course, I had to take a crap three more times.  Unfortunately, I really don't know what caused this.  Maybe it was just the midnight starting time and having to eat during the day.  Or it just might have been one of those fluky things.  We'll see what happens at Howl in three weeks.

I have managed to pull some positives out of the experience.  First, I didn't quit.  I pushed through to the end of the six hours, even if it was only power walking.  Second, I did manage an ultra distance, which was a good workout being on my feet for 6 hours.  Third, it was night run, which I did need to fit in.  Fourth, I got in a lot of power walking practice.  And, finally, I think it strengthened me mentally working through everything.  All in all, I did get in 28.217 miles and finished 12th out of 50.  And I was the oldest runner in the race.

Good Training and the Upcoming Christmas In July 6 Hour

Haven't entered anything for awhile, but I have been having some very good training.  Two big weeks in a row including a 24/28 mile back-to-back weekend.  Had my 4th ever 100 mile week and a follow up 90 mile week.  I also started some hill training once a week.  I'm doing this with my weight vest of 10 pounds.  First week was a 40 minute hill session and a 50 minute session in week 2.  Both times I have felt pretty good the next day.  I want to continue these hill sessions up until the Hennepin Hundred.  

This coming weekend is my first big test to see just where I am at.  It is the Christmas In July 6 Hour.  It is also a night run starting at midnight.  Registration is closed until race day and they published the entrants list.  The weird thing is that it turns out I am the oldest runner in the race.  I am really surprised about that.  The 12 Hour has one person my age and the 24 Hour has two people my age plus a 74 year old and an 80 year old.  I really feel that if I run like I think I can, I could actually contend for the podium if the race goes anything like last year.  Third place ran 35 miles.  My top goal is 36 miles (6 miles per hour), so that put me right in the mix.  My middle goal would be 33 miles and my satisfaction goal would be to just get on 50K (31 miles).  So we will see.

An Interesting Week

A number of things this time around.  First, I got my new phone.  And I was pleasantly surprised that most of my data had been saved on iCloud.  In particular, my Docs-To-Go files.  Yeah!

I started this last weekend with the Lake Mingo Trail a Run on Saturday.  It's a 7.1 mile loop around Lake Mingo in Kennekuk Cove County Park near Danville.  Unlike Howl at the Moon, most of the trails are single track with lots of ups and downs.  And for the last three weeks, we have gotten rain almost everyday and some very heavy storms.  So the course was very wet and extremely muddy.  But I went into the race knowing this and was pretty well mentally prepared for it.  The morning started out humid and by race time it was 85 degrees and sunny.  No rain this morning, but quite oppressive.  Things went very well, except for forgetting to double knot my shoes.  Ended up stopping three times to tie them.  The first time was probably a good thing, because I probably went out to fast and it put me with a better group of runners entering the single track.  Stayed strong through the mud and hills and started passing people by the halfway point.  Ended up running 67:48 for 40th place and second in my age group (60-69).  I never really thought that I would be able to run sub-10 minutes in the conditions, so I was ecstatic to accomplish it.

I don't know if I did something during the race, but by bedtime that night my lower back on the right side was killing me.  It made it very hard to sleep.  In fact, it was worse by morning.  Although it loosened up a bit once I was up and moving around, I wasn't too sure what it would be like on my run.  It did get better by the midpoint of the run, but never went away completely.  And a few hours after the run it was back.  Took some ibuprofen and by the time I headed to bed, it felt much better.  Morning arrived and it was back.  Pretty much the same routine as the day before.  It just was hard to lay down.  Tuesday had some improvement, but it wasn't till today (Wednesday), that it seems to finally be lessening.  Still there, but much better while I am jotting this down.  What it boils down to, is that I haven't run as much as I had planned this week.  Hopefully, it will continue to get better.  Next race is Saturday.  The Dew It! Trail Half-Marathon in Griffith, IN.

Vacationing in Tampa

Well, here I am in Tampa this week.  We arrived yesterday.  Left Chicago with temps in the 40s. and arrived in Tampa at almost 90.  Had a nice late afternoon run, but I could feel the heat.  Also a bit more humidity than we've had yet up north.  But I still prefer the heat over the cold.  This morning I had a great run along the coastal causeway.  Still a little humid but temps in mid-70s.  Very nice.  The views are fantastic looking out over the bay.  And there is nice bike path along the water.  What is even nicer is getting back and being able to take a dip in a pool to cool off as well as getting in a little cross-training.  I don't have that opportunity at home.  Just sitting out on the back porch of this place we are staying at and looking out over the bay is really relaxing.

Witnessing the Dawn

Early morning run.  Got to see the dawn.  It's been awhile.  Beautiful!

Some Ultra Strategy

I forgot to talk about one thing the other day about my Sunday long run.  I've been thinking hard on my strategy for the Hennepin race.  A run/walk strategy will probably be best.  In the past, I've run as much as I could for as long as I could, walking any hills and walking for awhile out of each aid station.  But this course really doesn't have any real hills to speak of and I am considerably older now.  So I figure I will need to be a bit more conservative in my approach.  But although my main goal is to just finish the 100, I really feel I can break 24 hours.  To do that, I need to average under 14 minutes and 24 seconds per mile.  I know, it sounds like it shouldn't be that difficult.  A lot of people walk almost as fast as that.  But to do it for almost a whole day makes a very large difference.  I have been doing some run/walk mixing here and there on my rest/easy days and I have been able to cover up to 8 miles at a 12 to 13 minute per mile pace with only three or four minutes of running out of every ten.  But truthfully, I am more comfortable with more running.  So, on my 20+ mile run on Sunday, I decided to try an eight minute run/two minute walk strategy.  I was able to average about ten and a half minute miles and felt pretty good by the end.  Obviously, that's much faster than I need and who knows how I will be feeling in the second half of the 100, but it wasn't bad.  I will continue to experiment with this over the next couple months varying the two amounts.  Between this and my marathon the week before, I continue to be encouraged with my training.

Increasing Fitness

Definitely feeling recovered from last weekend’s marathon.  The last couple of days of the week my heart rate has been in a a really good range during my runs.  In fact, the heart rate has been better than good.  It is down a good 8 to 10 beats per minute than it was a couple of months ago running at the same pace.  It is a great indicator of my fitness.  Especially with only a week”s recovery after Starved Rock.

Had a real good run today.  No heart rate monitor, but just ran easy by feel.  Ran down on the I & M Canal Towpath from the McLinden/Cemetary Roads Trailhead.  Headed west to Morris and back, exchanged bottles then went east to almost McKinley Woods and back for 20+ mile run.  Felt good for pretty much the whole run with a just a little quad aching in the late stages.  It is really nice running along the I & M Towpath.  Plus it is exactly the kind of running i will be doing for the Hennepin Hundred.  I expect to be hitting the towpath a number of times throughout the summer.  This should be a heavy week of mileage.

Starved Rock Marathon

The Starved Rock Marathon turned out to be an interesting event.  A thunderstorm hit in the middle of the race and they officially closed it down for awhile.  I was at mile 19 when the rain started and heard the announcement of cancellation at mile 20.  It said that when the bus reached you, you needed to get on it.  Well, I wasn't going to just stand in the storm waiting for it, so I, like many runners, just kept going.  By mile 22, still no bus and the storm had mostly passed by.  Again, just kept going.  It turned out many people kept going as well.  Although many were picked up, too.  I never saw the bus.  

I'm glad I kept going.  It turned out to be a very good run for me.  Although it didn't start out that way.  For the first seven to eight miles, I just didn't feel very well.  My running form felt disjointed and not very smooth.  My legs were on the stiff side.  I'm guessing this had something to do with the cold I caught on Thursday and was still sniffling on marathon morning.  Whatever it was I figured it just wouldn't be one of my best days.  But as long as I finished, it would be a good long run as training.

The hills come about mile ten.  There is a series of four with some downhill between them.  For whatever reasons, things started to come together.  I was able to power up the hills pretty well and letting out the stride on the downhills really changed things for me.  After the hills we go through Starved Rock State Park which has another good downhill.  One last up and down going over the bridge crossing the Illinois River at Utica and then flat the rest of the way for about the last 10 miles.  Felt good the rest of the way, ran through the storm and finished strong.  Ended up with 3:49:00, well under my 'A' goal and a BQ time.  31st overall and 1st in my age group.  Very pleased all around

The big test would be the next day.  Did I push too hard and now I will need a week or more to recover?  To make a long story short, I was able to put in a good six miles at almost my normal training pace.  And today (2 days after), although the legs were a little stiffer, I still up in an eight miler.  So -- "Mission Accomplished" this weekend and Hennepin training is on track.

Uh Oh!

Great!  I'm getting that feeling in my throat that usually precedes a sore throat and/or cold.  Just what I need with the marathon on Saturday. Yeesh!

5 Days To Starved Rock

Five days to the Starved Rock Marathon.  Did my last semi-long run today (12.5 miles).  The marathon is still intended as a good training run, so I won't be doing a major taper.  I will be cutting down on the mileage a bit in the next four days, but generally, I am training through the marathon.  My main goal is to run a solid race and come out of it healthy.  I want to be able to go out the next day and still have a decent run, maybe a little bit stiff and/or sore, but comfortable with a good four to six miles.  So what time goal can I expect and not have knocked myself out?  I feel I should be able to get in around four hours and basically have had a fairly easy time.  Although, deep down, I would like to be sub 3:55, which would be a Boston Qualifying time for my age.  This would be in case I might want to try to take the trip there next April.  No matter what I actually run, I am looking forward to Saturday and want to have fun.

Good Long Run Today

It was a good day.  Spring has definitely arrived with the temperatures at the beginning of today's run at 66 and at the end, 79.  It is two weeks before Starved Rock.  With the terrible last weekend at the Frankfort half keeping me from adding an extra 7 to 8 miles for a long run, I needed to get in the long run this weekend.  So I set out to get in a 20 miler.  I decided to do a very large loop with one bottle, but stay around civilization so I could stop someplace for a refill.  It worked out very well.  Hit a 7-11 at about the 13 mile mark and bought a Gatorade and bag of chips.  I felt good pretty much the whole run with mile splits between 9:10 and 9:45 depending on the terrain and direction of the wind.  Ended up going 22.1 miles in three and a half hours.  Very satisfactory.  I am now feeling much more ready for the marathon at Starved Rock.  My confidence is high and I'm feeling fit.

Frankfort Half-Marathon Results

Kind of forgot to enter anything after the Frankfort Half-Marathon on Saturday, so I will write about it now.  It ended up being a rainy, windy and cold day, which aren't my best running conditions.  But I made up my mind that I would try to embrace the conditions rather than regret them.  And it worked out pretty well.  I ran very well with a 1:43:22 which was good for 31st place out of 439 and 1st out of 6 in my 60-64 age group.  So I made my 'A' goal and was very pleased.  A tough little course, particularly, the middle six miles on the Hickory Creek Bike Path.  Several formidable hills and very rolling and the last three miles on the Plank Trail into the rainy headwind.

Since the race I have felt good with 35 miles in the last three days.  So that is an even better sign that I am getting stronger.

Upcoming Frankfort Half-Marathon

Well it's two days before the Frankfort Half-Marathon and I'm feeling pretty good.  I've been looking forward to this one.  I've had some good workouts the last couple of weeks.  Picked up my packet today and I'm in Coral 'B' which I think is the second best.  So we will see how I do.  My 'A' goal is sub 1:45; 'B' goal sub 1:55 and 'C' goal sub 2:10.  As of today it is supposed to storm Saturday morning, so that could really make things interesting.

Rockdale Ramblin' Run and a Back-to-Back Weekend

This weekend definitely proved that I must be doing something right in my training.  Yesterday, I ran the Rockdale Ramblin' Run 10K.  It bills itself as the toughest 10K in the Midwest with a number of large hills.  I am not really sure if it is the toughest, but it is a hard course.  I ran my fastest time since 2010 (45:44), placing 54th out of 539 and 1st in my age group.  I felt strong throughout the race finishing with a 6:48 mile.  I also added another 10 miles for a nice 16 mile day with the intention of doing the second part of a back-to-back today.  

So I woke up feeling okay.  No real aches after yesterday.  I ran with my good friend and fellow coach, Gary on the Plank And Hickory Creek Trails.  We did 14 miles together and I added another 4 for a total of 18 miles.  Keeping each other company, we cruised along at nine minute miles and I never felt too tired.  We ran along the Frankfort Half-Marathon course which we will both be running in two weeks.  It is the first year for it and the course will definitely be challenging.  

So altogether, it was a 34 mile weekend.  And the only thing bothering me a bit tonight is my left foot plantar fasciitis.  So I am feeling pretty happy about where I am in my training right now.  I do need to make sure I have a very easy day tomorrow, however.

Getting Fit

I'm think I'm starting to get fit.  Did a 20 miler yesterday, instead of on Sunday since Sunday was Easter.  I've been wearing a heart monitor for most of my runs over the last 5 months.  Trying to use the "Mafetone"method.  This involves doing almost all of your running in the moderate heart rate zone, which for me is 120 to 135.  When I first started this, it was tough running slow enough to keep the heart rate there (over 10 minutes per mile).  But in the 20 miler I was able to keep it there for virtually all the run except for a few hills I threw in.  This was with a 9:30 to 9:45 per mile pace.  And I still had plenty of energy left to start emptying out our storage space and bringing things back to the new house.  Also, no soreness today.

One other thing that I think is helping as well is that I have started using a foam roller when I first get up in the morning.  It has been about four weeks now and it seems to be keeping me much more loose than I have been in awhile.  I only bought the thing over a year ago, but never got around to using it till now.  I see a chiropractor for my lower back and she checks out the legs as well.  And the last couple of times I've been in she has commented on the calves and hamstrings being nice and loose.

Spring Snow

After a week of pretty reasonable weather, we get a nice snowstorm this morning.  Four to six inches worth of snow around the area.  Driving was miserable.  But since it is a Chicago spring, we are supposed to have rain tomorrow night and 60 degrees on Wednesday.  Goofy!

At The Mountain Goat

The Mountain Goat Run is done.  Surprisingly, I did quite well.  Much better than expected.  Ended up 26th out of 142 with a time of 1:12:01.  The hills were tough, but I handled them pretty well.  The weather was great.  Started out in the mid 40s and reached 60 by the afternoon.  A lot better than the weather at the Siberian.  Overall, I had a great time with a number of PSRR members who also made the trip down.  And as a waypoint in my training, it bodes pretty well so far.  Although, the quads are a bit sore today, they came through the way I had hoped.  Now for a little recovery over the next couple of days and then it is back to my plan.

Race Time Tomorrow

The Mountain Goat Run is tomorrow in Kickapoo State Park near Danville, IL.  It is a race that I have done a couple of times.  The last time was 2012.  I finished 52nd in 1:16:47.  It is a tough race, but can be fun.  It has 12 very steep uphills and downhills and is 8.8 miles long.  It will be interesting to see how I do.  I have been running pretty well, but I have done very little hill work, especially since we moved to the new home.  It is extremely flat around here.  So I expect it will be a struggle.  I will just give it my best and see what happens.

Good Long Run Today

With the weather continuing to cooperate, my training has been a little easier to get in.  I have had two consecutive Sunday long runs.  Last week it was a 15 miler and today was a nice 19 miler on the I & M Canal Towpath.  I parked at McKinley Woods and ran east to almost I55, then back.  After a quick stop at the car to refill my bottle, I then headed west for another couple of miles and back.  The towpath was a bit sloppy in places, but overall it was in pretty good shape after the winter's thaw.  I really felt good for most of it keeping my heart rate between 120 and 130 and clicking off 9 and a half minute miles.  The last couple of miles, however, I had a little knot in my left quad.  I really don't know why except that I maybe just did a couple of miles too much.  I have rolled it a couple of times so far and will probably do it once more before bedtime.  We'll have to see how it feels tomorrow.

The Weather Turns

Well, I think the weather has finally made the turn towards Spring.  The last few days the highs have been in the 50s.  It has felt so good running with only shorts and shirt or maybe a windbreaker.  And the sun actually feels warm.  It is amazing how one's mental outlook and attitude can really be revived with the change in weather.  I am not sure there is anything that compares with it.  Although I am sure it is nice to have warm weather all year round, I feel sorry for those who live in that climate.  They never get the chance to experience what it feels like to ride out a hard winter and then get this exhilarating feeling when the weather changes.  Yesterday, I ran easily a minute per mile faster without really seeming to put in any extra effort.  I flowed so much better than just a week or so ago when it was single digits.  And almost all the snow is gone as well.  Now I know we will probably still get some cold days, but it should be in short bursts and not nearly as cold.  So it will be much easier to get through them knowing it will warm up again soon.

Moving Day and Beyond

Been a long couple of days.  Did the big move on Saturday, then unpack and put things together on Sunday.  And more of the same today.  But finally we have Internet again and I can make this post.  Also, after no time to run the last two days, I finally got out there for a good one.  The legs were a bit dead after all this, but I was still thrilled to be out there.

I also want to give a big shout out to my two son-in-laws, who put up three overhead fan/lights for us yesterday saving me some massive struggles.  Thanks so much to both of you.  My daughters all helped their mother a good deal through the move as well.  I still have a lot to do (my study and organizing the basement as the two biggest tasks), but it will just take a lot of time.

Just a Couple of Things

Well it still is super cold.  Windchills have been in the negatives.  And although it is supposed to warm up a bit in the next couple days, the extended forecast shows dropping temps for next week again.  I really can't wait for spring.  

Sunday starts my actual training plan for my marathon and longer races.  The last couple of months have been just trying to stay fit, which I feel have been pretty successful despite the cold.  So we'll see how it goes.

Donated plasma today, so easy day tomorrow.  I've been donating for a lot of years, but up until a couple of months ago, it has always been whole blood which limited me to about 5 times a year.  But with plasma, I can do it 10 to 12 times a year.  You never know specifically if your donations are actually saving anyone, but I would like to think that they are doing some good somewhere.  And if I or anyone in my family ever is in need for blood, I would hope my karma would result in it being there when needed.  I intend to continue donating for as long as I can because I find it easy to do.

More Cold Weather

Back to the very cold weather.  Windchills in the sub-zero range.  But we should be very grateful that we aren't living in the northeast.  They are being hit with their 4th major snowstorm in the last month.  Many places there have gotten close to 80 inches of snow.  They are even starting to dump snow into the ocean; a bit of a controversial issue.  

So as long as I dress properly, I am still able to get in some decent running.  But at this time of the year, I am really starting to get tired of the cold.  But it is kind of funny, that even though I really don't like the cold, I have always liked the change of seasons.  I like the variety the changes bring.  But I wish winter could be considerably shorter here in Illinois.  To be totally truthful, summer is my favorite time of year to run.  I run very well in the heat and really enjoy working up a good sweat.  My best marathon took place with temperatures in the 80s.  Needless to say, I am looking forward to warmer temps.  And hopefully, it won't be too much longer.

Frosty 5 Mile

First PSRR Circuit race of the year (since I didn't make down to Kankakee for the Winterfest 5K on account of the 5th biggest snowstorm in Chicago's history last week).  The Frosty 5 Mile in Channahon.  Very happy with the results, with virtually all of my training in the 9:30 to 10:00 minute per mile range.  I ran 37:21 which works out to a 7:28/mile pace.  Especially since I felt that my form was not anywhere in the smooth range.  For most of the race it felt choppy and a bit awkward.  I seemed to gain a little bit of fluidity on the one big downhill which definitely helped.  Overall, I finished 36th out of about 230 and 4th in my age group out of 14.  There are some really good runners in my age group, so I am really pleased with how I did there.  And finishing 36th overall means I beat a good share of what I call the youngsters.  I have to admit, even though I have slowed down quite a bit over the last 10 years, I am blessed that I am still capable to do what I do at my age.  There so many people who cannot even get to the starting line of a race like this.  And here I am planning on running races up to 100 miles.  So, I can't really complain at all.

Planned Races for 2015

So here is the list of my planned races for this year.  It is a pretty extensive list, but a majority of it will be preparation for the Hennepin Hundred.  And, of course, it is not set in stone.  I will feel free to adjust, add, drop or change anything in the list.  It is just a guide and an idea of what I would like to accomplish this year.

Date        Race Name

 

3-Jan      Siberian Express (7.45 iles) – Done  

1-Feb     Winterfest (Kankakee) – Didn’t go because of blizzard 

8-Feb      Frosty 5 Mile (Channahon)  

7- Mar     Manhattan Irish Fest 5K (Work it) 

21- Mar   Mountain Goat 8.8 Mile

11-Apr     Rockdale Ramblin' Run 10K

19-Apr     Race to the Plate 5K (Joliet)  

25-April   Frankfort Half-Marathon

16- May   Starved Rock Marathon 

20-Jun     Dew It 13.1 Mile 

27-Jun     PSRR Cross-Country Open (Plainfield) 

3-Jul        Liberty 5K (Morris)  

17-Jul      Christmas in July 6-Hour Run 

23-Jul      Sundowner 5K (Joliet) 

16-Aug    DNA/PSRR Free 5K (Crest Hill) (And work it) 

5-Sep       Shorewood Scoot 5K       Date not yet confirmed 

12 & 13-Sept    Hennepin 100 Mile 

17-Oct     Forte 5K (Channahon)  

25-Oct     Joliet Junior College 5K   Date moved from May 

15-Nov     Red Eye 8K (Joliet)  

26-Nov     Poultry & Pie Predictor 4 Mile (Joliet) (Work it) 

2015 PSRR Circuit Races

Okay, here's the list of the 2015 Circuit Races.

Race Date Race Name

1       1-Feb      Winterfest  (Kankakee) ***

2       8-Feb Frosty 5 Mile (Channahon) ***

3   7-Mar Manhattan Irish Fest 5k 

4       11-Apr Rockdale Ramblin' 10k ***

5   19-Apr Race to the Plate (Joliet) ***

6   16-May St. Mary Immaculate 5k (Plainfield) ***

7   20-Jun    Minooka Summerfest 5k   (Date not yet confirmed)

8    27-Jun PSRR Cross-Country Open (Plainfield) ***

9    3-Jul Liberty 5k (Morris) ***

10    23-Jul Sundowner 5k (Joliet) 

11    6-Aug Firefly 5k (Channahon) (Date not yet confirmed)

12    16-Aug DNA/PSRR Free 5k (Crest Hill) ***

13    5-Sep Shorewood Scoot 5k  (Date not yet confirmed)

14    6-Sep Ashley Can Half Marathon (Bourbonnais)  (Date not yet confirmed)

15    27-Sep Plainfield Harvest 5k 

16    17-Oct Forte 5k (Channahon) ***

17    25-Oct Joliet Junior College 5k *** (Date moved from May)

18    1-Nov Canal Connection 10k (Utica) 

19    15-Nov  Red Eye 8k (Joliet) ***

20    26-Nov Poultry & Pie Predictor 4 Mile (Joliet) 

The ones I am planning to run are the ones with three asterisks (***).  In general, I will be using these races as my speedwork throughout the year.  I've always felt that this was a fun way to get in some speed.  And since my main focus for this year is the ultras, I really don't need a lot of speedwork.  And to round out my training plan, I will be incorporating some hills and tempo runs.

Next time I will be laying out my whole race schedule for the year.

The PSRR Circuit

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, the PSRR Annual Banquet was on Saturday.  Among other things we establish and voted on this years circuit.  One of the things I have really liked doing, especially the last few years, is running many of the circuit races.  The primary aim of the circuit is to get people to participate.  An award is given if you participate in seven events.  This can include a marathon or half-marathon outside of the circuit and it can include volunteering at the various races.  So it is a combination of different wats to participate.  

But if you actually run at least seven events you can get a score.  The score is determined by where you place in relationship to other PSRR members who also run the race using an age-graded table.  If you finish as the first member you score 1; finishing second gives you a 2; finishing third gives you a 3; and so on.  Your best seven races are added up and lowest score wins.  I have to admit that I do like to see where I rank within the club.  Although I really doubt if I will ever finish in the top three even with the age-graded bonus, For 2014 I finished sixth.  For the coming year, the club is also going to have straight up competition in age groups to add a little more of a chance for people to achieve.  Age groups have been determined by the club demographics.  Here are the age groups for each gender.  They are based on age as of January 1, 2015.

Under 15

15-29

30-39

40-49

50-54

55-59

60-69

70 and over

They can change from year to year based on club demographics.  I will be in the 60-69 age group for this year which should make for some interesting competition.

Next post I will list this years circuit races and talk about which ones I am planning to run.

Banquet Time

Last night was the PSRR annual banquet.  Had great time.  Close to 100 people came.  Since I was being inducted in the Hall of Fame my family was there.  It was so nice celebrating with them.  Considering I've only been a little better than average runner most of my life, it was definitely a thrill and an honor.  Being part of the club for 35 years and staying semi-competitive in my respective age groups over the years seemed to do the job.  Longevity is the key.  All my contemporaries from my younger days are no longer around, but I've gained a new set of running companions which is pretty cool.  I'm sure being a lot more active in the club the last few years helped as well.  In fact, after last night, I am now VP of membership for this year.  That will keep me busier.

Overall, it was just a great time with good people.

Recovery Time

The weather lately has been pretty reasonable for a Chicago winter.  Highs in the lower 30s and lows in the 20s.  It has made it a lot easier getting in the running.  Not much snow either, although I wouldn't mind some accumulation.  All in all, the last couple of weeks I have been able to maintain my fitness and I still have several weeks of taking it fairly easy letting my body recover from pushing it the last two months of 2014.  As a result, I probably won't be making a lot of entries here until it is time to start my Starved Rock Marathon training.  I'll try to write at least a couple times a week just to stay in practice

Streaks!

Why do so many of us care about streaks?  How many days can we work without missing a day?  How many wins or losses in a row?  How many days in a row can we exercise?  How many days in a row can we run?  Some people put a lot of stock in streaks.  I think it is absolutely incredible how some people can put together years of running streaks.  I have run a lot of miles over the years, but have always had trouble putting together a consecutive day streak.  My best was during 2009 and part of 2010.  I managed 408 days.  Over my running career, however, my usual consecutive day streaks have been in the 100 to 150 range.  I do have one streak that I am a bit proud of though.  I have run over 2000 miles a year for 24 years in a row.  With my knee surgery last June I thought this one would have ended, but somehow with a strong November and December, I reached that magic number.  Can I make it 25?  We will see.

Nothing to do with running, but it looks like we sold the townhome today.  Yeah!!!  Had to come down on our price, but that was to be expected in this economy.  Now we just have to see if they will adjust the closing date so we don't have to pay an extra month's mortgage payment.

More on Training Races

Over the last week of posts I have talked about my long training races leading up to my 100 miler in September.  How they would be ways to get in my long runs with built in support.  But another purpose will be to measure where I am in my training and to check my level of fitness at each juncture.  I also plan on enjoying the company of running with others.  I have found that ultra runners are such great people, that you can't help but have a good time when you are around them.  This should be a nice change of pace since most of my training will most likely be solo.

August's Howl at the Moon

Yeah.  The weather's back to a more wintry normal.  Temps in the 20s.  Although some of the paths still had lots of snow, it was still nice getting out there for a nice 14 miler.

August's training race has been by far my favorite race over the years.  It is the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour Run which takes place at Kennekuk Cove County Park near Danville, IL.  It is so well run and is almost more party and get together than race.  The people are great and the atmosphere is just wonderful with camping both the night before and after.  It is a 3.29 mile loop that is mostly trail.  This will be my 17th running of the race.  Although I want to use this as my last long training run, it will be hard for me not to be competitive.  I have always done pretty well here finishing as high as 4th place overall and winning my age group several times.  Given that I have just entered a new age group by turning 60, I know that subconsciously I will be wanting to try for the age group win again.  But consciously, I have to not push too hard with the Hennepin Hundred only four weeks later.  What has made this race even more special the last few years is that some or all of my family has come down, camped out and spent the day with me.  And last year, my middle daughter, Lexie, entered and ran it with me.  She covered her first ultra distance of over 27 miles.  This year my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and Lexie both want to run it.  So it should be a terrific time.

Well that about wraps up my basic training race strategy for the Hennepin Hundred.  I will be running a number of shorter races (5Ks, 5 milers, 10Ks, etc.) throughout all this training (this will be my speed work).  More details will be forthcoming later on these when I have the PSRR circuit race schedule.

Cold, Again & July's Training Race

Dang!  It's been cold out there.  Have gotten out for a bit on these last two days.  But I swear it seemed my eyeballs were freezing when running into the wind (negative 20 to 30 windchills).  Tomorrow it is finally supposed to get back to the low teens and hopefully windchills in the positive single digits.

Back to racing/training plans.

July:  The big training race this month is Christmas in July at Lisle, IL.  It has a 5k, 10K, 6-Hour, 12-Hour & 24-Hour.  I will be doing the 6-Hour.  It is a about a one mile loop course that will make the logistics easy.  Planning on running it easy and hopefully reach about 30 miles.  What is really nice about the 6-Hour is that it starts at midnight, so it will give me a nice run in the dark.  I will definitely be doing nighttime running during the hundred.  

Next, August...

PSRR & Recognition

Short one tonight.  Yesterday I found out that I have been elected into the Prairie State Road Runners' Hall Of Fame.  Considering I am not anywhere near being an elite runner I feel very fortunate to be honored in this way.  It is not something I ever thought would happen.  But a combination of being in the club a long time, generally being competitive in my age groups, and doing my share of volunteering over all the years must have done the trick.  I join a great group of people who have already been inducted.  I am truly appreciative of the recognition.

Chicago Winters

We're in the midst of another typical Chicago winter here.  We are having a stretch of below zero temps the last few days culminating with three inches of snow last night.  The snow was kind of nice this morning, but 3 degrees is just too cold.  Tomorrow's high temp is only supposed to be -2 and over night down to -15 with windchills as low as -35.  This is the type of weather that makes training at this time of year so tough.  I really do not like the cold weather.  In fact, I hate being cold.  So, getting myself out the door on days like these truly takes a major effort.  And it seems to get harder as the years pass by.  But, hopefully, this will just make me stronger.

Give me heat any day.  My best marathon had temps in the 80s.  And I have always done well in the heat.  This is the reason I would have such a hard time with a major spring race.  I wouldn't be able to get the training I feel I need during the cold months.  Training through a whole summer is what gives me the confidence that I can have a very successful fall season.  But it is important that I get out often enough in January and February to maintain a solid base going into my formal training.

So here's to our good ole' Chicago's winters!

Training Races in June

June is the month that I haven't really found a long race to do for training.  But I will keep looking.  But I do have two shorter trail races lined up.  One is another Kennekuk race, the Lake Mingo Trail Run (7.1 miles around Lake Mingo in the Kennekuk Cove County Park) and the second is the Dew It! 13.1 Mile Trail Run in Griffith, IN.  If I can't find a long one to fit in, I will just run extra miles each of these days after the races.  These two races should give me some work on a bit more technical trails that what I have around home.  Plus most of my home training will inevitably be on the roads.

Next - July

Races as Training

With the Hennepin Hundred on the schedule, I wanted to find some races that would fit into a training plan leading up to the 100.  After some searching, I found what I was looking for.  Three races that should fit the bill, each one progressively giving me more time on my feet.  

The first one will be in May.  I signed up for the Starved Rock Marathon in Ottawa, IL.  I ran the inaugural one last year.  It was a well-organized race with a really nice course that I struggled to finish in a bit over 4 hours.  This was during my left knee problems before my meniscus surgery, so the result was not really unexpected.  It wasn't that the time was slow, it just was a hard last few miles.  I am figuring that four to four and a half hours will actually be a good training run for this year.  With my training starting in February, I should be ready for this.

Tomorrow - Race #2

My First Siberian Express Trail Race

My first Siberian Express was today.  It is 7.45 mile trail race at the Kickapoo State Recreation Area in Illinois put on by the Kennekuk Road and Trail Runners club (KRR).  It is always at the beginning of January, so the weather is a big question mark.  And it is about a two and a half hour drive from home.  So it has always been tough for me to decide to do it.  But this year they had a special reduced price and I decided to go for it.

We had icy rain/snow during the night which turned to rain in the morning and throughout most of the day with temps in the mid-30s which made for a very muddy and slippery course.  But it was a lot of fun running through the slop through the woods.  But being my first time, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.  The first half was pretty easy as long as you didn't mind the mud and puddles.  Once your feet got wet it didn't matter how many more puddles you had to run through.  But, oh, the second half!  A couple of monster slippery hills and slanted trails made staying upright a large task.  Needless to say I went down a couple of times and by the finish I was carrying a lot of Kickapoo mud with and on me.  But it was great time nonetheless and a great challenge.  And as always, KRR puts on a fantastic race!

Plans for the New Year

So what are my plans for the new year.  Over the last month I have been putting together my calendar of races for the year.  My 'A' race is a new 100 mile, the Hennepin Hundred.  Reasons I picked this one are several.

1.  Easier to get into because of the newness (although because of a website glitch, I couldn't sign up for the first hour)

2.  The course is along the Hennepin Canal Towpath (non-technical & flat limestone path)

3.  Point-to-point (have not run one before)

4.  Almost impossible to get lost

5.  Second weekend of September (still should be warm and have all summer to prepare)

More tomorrow...

A New Year Begins

Start of a new year. After a bit of a down year with my knee surgery las June 30th, I wasn't able to achieve my running goals. Had to walk most of Howl, only finished 50K of my Run Woodstock 100K (which originally was supposed to be a 100 Miler), and ran most of the shorter end of year races slower than I wanted to. I did manage to get over 2000 miles for the year, however, with a consistent mix of running and walking. This was significant because it extended my streak of 24 years in a row achieving this yearly total. Still feeling the knee at times, but overall feeling pretty fit to start the year. I will write about my goals for this year over the next couple of days' entries.