Today, after one Medoc loop I just have a ton of important, new information that you runners and hikers may be interested in.
Medoc horse flies continue to change tactics every trip I'm there. Today, they were all down by the creek where no air was moving and the heat and humidity is at it's highest. And rather than the 'mass attack' they launched on my last visit, this time there were a long series of individual assaults. I'm guessing this battle tactic will be scrapped as I ended the day with 6 confirmed kills and 3 more likely kills! And my kill count would have been MUCH higher had I not started using my invention . . . but more on that later.
In Part 1 of my blogs on horse flies, I talked about the secret research grant jointly shared by Umstead State Park and Medoc Mountain State Park. I am now more convinced then ever that there is indeed some sort of secret horse fly breeding program underway. Four of the kills today were kills of a totally new, HUGE varient of a horse fly that I've never seen before. This sucker had to be 1" wide at least. And when one swooped in for the attack, you could hear it plainly and well as feeling the 'prop wash' from his/her wings! But the good news is that this new variety is slow, probably due to it's huge size. I'm guessing that this model will not end up as the terrorist weapon, as it is fairly easy to kill due to it's lack of speed and manoverabilty. But when they do bite you they really take a chunk! My fear is that with further genetic engineering, they will be able to breed speed and agility into this monster.
If Park officials are able to successfully accomplish this, summer running as we know it will likely end. We will be forced to adopt clothing similar to beekeepers. Even with hi-tech fabrics, these new summer running outfits will be hot and greatly limit air circulation.
The other issue today was the spiders. Webs as just a nuisance . . . they drive you crazy but they really aren't a problem. But there is one variety of spider that make these webs across trails that are just plan mean. They bite! Hard! And their bite is every bit as painful as any horse fly.
I'm going to do some research on exactly what the name of this variety of spiders is called, but you've all probably seen them. They sit right in the middle of their web and they really don't look like a spider at all. They look more like a little piece of black leaf . . . irregularly shaped. These little assholes were just pain eating me up today.
But necessity is truly the mother of invention.
I picked up a little stick about 15-20" long and started waving it in front of me to tear down the webs as I ran. This actually worked pretty well! But when the trail took a turn and went back down to the creek, the horse flies attacked again! So it was a dual assault . . . spiders and horse flies teaming up for the sole purpose of making my life miserable.
Since I had the stick in my hand, I started waving it around my legs and arms as well as in front of me. This proved to be enough movement to keep the horse flies from landing!
BRILLIANT!
The key is to have a stick long enough to almost reach your shoes, and light enough to wave in front of you easily. True . . . you may look a little silly waving this stick around you. But the alternative is to get eaten alive!
I have mailed in a patent application already . . . so this invention is patent pending! I've got to come up with a name for this invention! Something with marketing sizzle so that every runner will want one . . . or more. I'm thinking I'll paint these in a wide variety of colors to match your running outfit! At the Medoc Meltdown on August 18th we'll be debuting these miracle inventions . . . selling for only $10 each and that price includes a individual custom fitting (color version will be just a little more). So be sure and bring your wallet or purse!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
A time for honesty . . .
My hip doesn't appear to really be getting any better.
There . . . I've said it.
Some days are pretty good. Other days . . . well . . . it's almost like before my surgery. Not quite as bad but very similar. And I'm not feeling improvement. Things are not getting worse but they certainly are not improving. The 'tightness' I had been feeling has gotten somewhat better, but the tightness is now being replaced with pain.
I will go back and see my doctor real soon. He gave me a 2 week supply of Celebrex to try . . . and that did make a significant positive difference. So I got a prescription and had it filled at my local pharmacy. When they told me my cost was $237 for a 30 day supply. I just about had a heart attack right there on the spot! Holy crap!
I didn't get pills.
That cost is just plain obscene and I couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money! So I started taking Aleve and that helped too . . . just not as much. BUT I DON'T LIKE TAKING NSAIDS LONG-TERM! My personal opinion is they are simply masking the pain . . . the very pain that is telling you there is a problem! Plus, these pain pills carry a risk to your kidneys. I'm okay taking NSAIDS for a short duration but not over an extended period of time.
At my last visit to my doctor he suggested that if the Celebrex worked he was thinking maybe we would inject my hip with something!! Okay . . . HE would do the injection and I'm not exactly sure what medicine he was considering. He did x-ray my hip and didn't see any issue so he suggested this just may be "scar tissue" causing the problem.
The other thing I keep thinking about is something the doctor told me just after surgery. He said he saw arthritis in my hip. That was not good news because there really nothing to do if the arthritis gets worse . . . except a hip replacement. So I'm wondering if this pain is really simply the arthritis spreading (or whatever it does!). But I believe arthritis does show up in a normal x-ray and I'm thinking my doctor would have said if he thought the ultimate issue was a progression of the arthritis.
I'm not sure just how far I should go in "chasing this rabbit." Would the injection stop the pain permanently? Or is this just another step to isolate the underlying problem? If it is scar tissue what do we do? Keep injecting or more surgery? Is this really arthritis getting worse instead of scar tissue? Is there REALLY an ultimate solution? Or do we just say enough is enough.
While I'm "whining" about this hip pain, realistically it's not terrible. I CAN deal with it. It's just that this hip pain is causing a continuance to the downward spiral I'm finding my physical condition in. Less running yields less calories burned, which yields increased body weight, which yields both increased joint stress AND a steeper uphill battle to gain back conditioning. Both of these yield less running . . .
In recent weeks I have been seeing my conditioning improve some. Kind of hard to tell with all this hot weather, but I do believe I'm seeing some gains in strength and endurance. I feel like if I could do some interval / speed workouts they would make a positive difference but every time I've tried to add speed, I pay the price with significantly increased hip pain later.
I've bought a bike and have roughly been alternating days running and riding. I'm guessing this is the major reason I'm feeling like my fitness has improved some. The biking seems to be a good compliment to running even though the muscles used are quite different! The bike is kicking my ass! But in a good way.
There . . . I've said it.
Some days are pretty good. Other days . . . well . . . it's almost like before my surgery. Not quite as bad but very similar. And I'm not feeling improvement. Things are not getting worse but they certainly are not improving. The 'tightness' I had been feeling has gotten somewhat better, but the tightness is now being replaced with pain.
I will go back and see my doctor real soon. He gave me a 2 week supply of Celebrex to try . . . and that did make a significant positive difference. So I got a prescription and had it filled at my local pharmacy. When they told me my cost was $237 for a 30 day supply. I just about had a heart attack right there on the spot! Holy crap!
I didn't get pills.
That cost is just plain obscene and I couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money! So I started taking Aleve and that helped too . . . just not as much. BUT I DON'T LIKE TAKING NSAIDS LONG-TERM! My personal opinion is they are simply masking the pain . . . the very pain that is telling you there is a problem! Plus, these pain pills carry a risk to your kidneys. I'm okay taking NSAIDS for a short duration but not over an extended period of time.
At my last visit to my doctor he suggested that if the Celebrex worked he was thinking maybe we would inject my hip with something!! Okay . . . HE would do the injection and I'm not exactly sure what medicine he was considering. He did x-ray my hip and didn't see any issue so he suggested this just may be "scar tissue" causing the problem.
The other thing I keep thinking about is something the doctor told me just after surgery. He said he saw arthritis in my hip. That was not good news because there really nothing to do if the arthritis gets worse . . . except a hip replacement. So I'm wondering if this pain is really simply the arthritis spreading (or whatever it does!). But I believe arthritis does show up in a normal x-ray and I'm thinking my doctor would have said if he thought the ultimate issue was a progression of the arthritis.
I'm not sure just how far I should go in "chasing this rabbit." Would the injection stop the pain permanently? Or is this just another step to isolate the underlying problem? If it is scar tissue what do we do? Keep injecting or more surgery? Is this really arthritis getting worse instead of scar tissue? Is there REALLY an ultimate solution? Or do we just say enough is enough.
While I'm "whining" about this hip pain, realistically it's not terrible. I CAN deal with it. It's just that this hip pain is causing a continuance to the downward spiral I'm finding my physical condition in. Less running yields less calories burned, which yields increased body weight, which yields both increased joint stress AND a steeper uphill battle to gain back conditioning. Both of these yield less running . . .
In recent weeks I have been seeing my conditioning improve some. Kind of hard to tell with all this hot weather, but I do believe I'm seeing some gains in strength and endurance. I feel like if I could do some interval / speed workouts they would make a positive difference but every time I've tried to add speed, I pay the price with significantly increased hip pain later.
I've bought a bike and have roughly been alternating days running and riding. I'm guessing this is the major reason I'm feeling like my fitness has improved some. The biking seems to be a good compliment to running even though the muscles used are quite different! The bike is kicking my ass! But in a good way.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Horse Flies
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| This picture doesn't show their fangs. |
Well . . . that's not entirely fair! If there are any horse flies at all there simply have to be female horseflies too. And they also must be mean (probably meaner than the male horse fly but in a passive-aggressive way!)
I wonder why God put them on this earth? What the hell good do they do? There must be something . . . some value to our ecosystem. But I just don't see it. Apparently, based on my observations they are only present on earth for one reason - to harass humans each summer. Sure they do harass animals too, but most animals seem more capable of taking their attacks in stride. People . . . not so much.
Horse flies have their favorite haunts . . . places where they know it will be easy to find people to attack! Pools and lakes are one of their favorite hunting grounds. They first just 'glide' in quitely and light somewhere on you . . . usually your head or your back. Not sure why they go for your hair / scalp but I'm certain they KNOW an attack on your back makes it hard for you to swat them. They are sneaky, plotting little bastards! You never know they are there until the chomp down on you, injecting something like alcohol immediately just to make it painful. Then, the real fun begins for these little asses!
You start swatting at them, you really don't know where the hell they are, you just hear them buzzing around and every once in a while you see a blur as they circle in for another round of attack! I'm thinking they MAY attack in packs! All you ever see is one at a time, but the others are behind you, coming in for the kill as one buzzes in front to distract you.
Eventually, there is only one solution you think . . . jump in the water and go under! Ahh that should outsmart the little bastards! I'll just hold my breath for awhile and they will think I disappeared and move on to torment someone else! Brilliant! So once you come back up for air, you are SURE you've outsmarted them. Immediately you're attacked again! The little SOB was just circling . . . waiting for you!
The only way to deal with these little wolves is to go sit in a chair and put a hat on. That forces them to attack a portion of your body that is visible. Brilliant! So eventually one lands and quickly prepare for their meal and you swat . . . hard! They simply take to the air for a few seconds! And we humans are too slow to see that they are gone and we can't stop the slap! So we slap ourselves! If you don't shout out a cuss word, but instead listen closely . . . you can hear the little bastards laughing!
And don't think insect repellants are of any use. Actually, it's a little known fact that DEET is an attractor to horse flies! They LOVE the stuff! When they smell DEET, it's like us smelling a barbecue . . . we're heading to it! Even if we aren't invited to eat, maybe we can at least score a free beer or two!
While lakes and pools are easy pickings, sometimes they opt for forest trails where they know a runner will soon come by. They choose these places because they are bored. Basically a bunch of horse flies get in a group and just "hang out" together. Resting and taking it easy. I'm guessing they probably are drinking some horsefly version of beer or liquor, singing and just having a good ol' lazy time. Then, when a runner approaches they decide to have some fun!
On the trails, the attacks usually are just a single horse fly! So I'm thinking they're attacking just to show off to the others! Good sport!
I love it when I'm in the rear and start to see someone in front of me start yelling and waving their arms like they are a crazy person! (The reason I love it is two fold . . . first it's just plain funny as hell and second I'm almost laughing cause it's not me the attack has been launched against!)
Sometimes you get "lucky" and one of your wild swats actually connects! I put the word "lucky" in quotes because unless the swat was lethal, all you've done is now pissed off a drunk horse fly! The dam little SOB will circle and attack, then circle again and attack, circle and attack, again and again. You would think he would either get tired flying that far, or he would get dizzy and crash into a tree or something. But hell no! The pissed-off, drunk six-legged little wolf bastard will chase you literally for miles!
Usually this ends badly . . . either for you or the horse fly! Sometime you get really luck and manage to connect with a swat and kill the little bastard. But sometimes all your attention being paid to the attack diverts your attention from where it should be . . . the trail. The result is a human face plant. I find that usually this seems to satisfy the horse fly and he'll fly off back to the party, laughing all the way.
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| One NC horse fly coming back to base ofter a mission. |
And these two parks then use their trails as testing grounds for these nasty little bastards. So if you do run trails at either of these parks you will be up against some of the biggest, baddest horse flies known to man! I've heard rumors of horse flies so big they can actually sink the little claws into your head and fly you away to their hidden lairs to be eaten later! So be extra careful out there!
That is all.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Boogie Beat Down - 2012 version
Beginning 2008 I started going to the Bethel Hill Moonlight Boogie. The first year I went with no real expectations or goals other than to see what this race was all about. So many friends just loved this race, so I decided to go and see it for myself.
I didn't have my blog then, and I didn't write any sort of race report . . . but the afternoon/evening is etched in my mind. Three things: HEAT, HILL and HUMIDITY. It was hell on earth. I did what most Boogie veterans call the 'Baby Boogie' . . . only the marathon (the full Boogie is a 50 miler!) That afternoon it was so hot and humid it was just unbelievable. 97° at the start if I remember correctly. Janet Smith and I had decided to run this thing together . . . both of us had heard all the stories and were quite terrified of the race. And Boogie didn't disappoint! Just at dark the first thunderstorm hit . . . then another about midnight. The rain cooled the temps but the humidity went to 100%. Lightning everywhere. Bad blisters from all the rain. Finally finished . . . slowest marathon of my life (and even at that point I had some slow ones!). I had NEVER been so happy to see a finish line in my life!
And ever year since, I have returned to Boogie. And ever year Boogie beats me down. In 2011 I finally decided to try the 'Full Boogie' and that turned into one of the hardest finishes I've ever had and one of the few races I SERIOUSLY considered DNF-ing (DFN = Did Not Finish for you non-runner readers . . . all the other DNFs I've had were either 100 milers or one race where I missed the time cut-off.). I was DFL . . . (That stands for 'Dead Fuckin' Last'!).
So this year I showed some sense and backed back up to the 'Baby Boogie' . . . more my speed! And I thought it was going to be a cake-walk this year! At the start of the race the temperature was only 81° and the humidity was LOW! So instead of HEAT, HILLS and HUMIDITY . . . all we had was HILLS . . . How hard could that it be?
Plus . . . I had decided that this year was the year to intentionally walk the distance. Okay . . . I'm a wimp! But I decided virtually no running! So this year I didn't experience the physical Boogie beat down . . . but I did suffer the mental beat down.
Other runners don't care. And EVERYONE is supportive of anybody out there trying. Runners are amazing like that. And Boogie runners and Mangum Track Club (MTC) runners are unusually supportive.
But I'm a RUNNER. I've always been a runner. Since 1975 I've run. 10k . . . then 5k. Started trail running in 1976. First marathon in 1982. I AM a runner.
Sure I've walked. Many times. Sometimes when I'm tired. Sometimes when I'm hurt. And many time a walking interval is planned. I usually walk hills in longer races. But usually I run too!
This year's Boogie was the second race where I walked it all. The first was the VA 24 Hour race a few months ago. Walking at that event was necessary to maximize the distance the team needed me to do. So I was okay with that. But this was only a marathon.
Intellectually, I know it doesn't matter. Being out there is way better than staying at home doing nothing. Plus, it's simply GREAT to see all my MTC/running friends and acquaintances! These folks are so inspirational! And so supportive. Being with them is like getting free drugs or something!
But when I only walk I just don't personally feel fulfilled.
So I want to go to races . . . and not just to volunteer but as a participant. But I don't want to 'just walk' these races. Hopefully I'll heal up and everything will be fine.
No matter . . . Boogie is an awesome race that everyone needs to try. I mean, we all get a little 'full of ourselves' from time to time. Everyone needs a race that will bring them back to reality! Everyone needs a 'beat down' at least once a year. And Boogie is mine!
I didn't have my blog then, and I didn't write any sort of race report . . . but the afternoon/evening is etched in my mind. Three things: HEAT, HILL and HUMIDITY. It was hell on earth. I did what most Boogie veterans call the 'Baby Boogie' . . . only the marathon (the full Boogie is a 50 miler!) That afternoon it was so hot and humid it was just unbelievable. 97° at the start if I remember correctly. Janet Smith and I had decided to run this thing together . . . both of us had heard all the stories and were quite terrified of the race. And Boogie didn't disappoint! Just at dark the first thunderstorm hit . . . then another about midnight. The rain cooled the temps but the humidity went to 100%. Lightning everywhere. Bad blisters from all the rain. Finally finished . . . slowest marathon of my life (and even at that point I had some slow ones!). I had NEVER been so happy to see a finish line in my life!
And ever year since, I have returned to Boogie. And ever year Boogie beats me down. In 2011 I finally decided to try the 'Full Boogie' and that turned into one of the hardest finishes I've ever had and one of the few races I SERIOUSLY considered DNF-ing (DFN = Did Not Finish for you non-runner readers . . . all the other DNFs I've had were either 100 milers or one race where I missed the time cut-off.). I was DFL . . . (That stands for 'Dead Fuckin' Last'!).
So this year I showed some sense and backed back up to the 'Baby Boogie' . . . more my speed! And I thought it was going to be a cake-walk this year! At the start of the race the temperature was only 81° and the humidity was LOW! So instead of HEAT, HILLS and HUMIDITY . . . all we had was HILLS . . . How hard could that it be?
Plus . . . I had decided that this year was the year to intentionally walk the distance. Okay . . . I'm a wimp! But I decided virtually no running! So this year I didn't experience the physical Boogie beat down . . . but I did suffer the mental beat down.
Other runners don't care. And EVERYONE is supportive of anybody out there trying. Runners are amazing like that. And Boogie runners and Mangum Track Club (MTC) runners are unusually supportive.
But I'm a RUNNER. I've always been a runner. Since 1975 I've run. 10k . . . then 5k. Started trail running in 1976. First marathon in 1982. I AM a runner.
Sure I've walked. Many times. Sometimes when I'm tired. Sometimes when I'm hurt. And many time a walking interval is planned. I usually walk hills in longer races. But usually I run too!
This year's Boogie was the second race where I walked it all. The first was the VA 24 Hour race a few months ago. Walking at that event was necessary to maximize the distance the team needed me to do. So I was okay with that. But this was only a marathon.
Intellectually, I know it doesn't matter. Being out there is way better than staying at home doing nothing. Plus, it's simply GREAT to see all my MTC/running friends and acquaintances! These folks are so inspirational! And so supportive. Being with them is like getting free drugs or something!
How can you not just love these people?? Most are certifiably crazy. Each is a totally unique character. And they are all fierce competitors and supportive friends. Each and every one has a kind work for every person they see. And there are many many more . . . just like these!
But when I only walk I just don't personally feel fulfilled.
So I want to go to races . . . and not just to volunteer but as a participant. But I don't want to 'just walk' these races. Hopefully I'll heal up and everything will be fine.
No matter . . . Boogie is an awesome race that everyone needs to try. I mean, we all get a little 'full of ourselves' from time to time. Everyone needs a race that will bring them back to reality! Everyone needs a 'beat down' at least once a year. And Boogie is mine!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Boogie Week
Well . . . this week leads to my very favorite race of the year . . . the Bethel Hill Moonlight Boogie (aka 'The Boogie').
Every year this has been one hard race. Last year I attempted the "Full Boogie" (50 miles). I finished DFL (and some might say I really didn't finish at all since I was past the cut-off!). But still loved it. It was HOT! It was HUMID! And it was HILLY . . . as always! Other years I've done the "Baby Boogie" - 26 miles of the same HEAT, HUMIDITY and HILLS!! In all the years I've done this race the coolest it has ever been at the start (6 PM) was last year's 94°! Usually its warmer then that!
That is just what The Boogie is . . . But this year it looks like things will be WAY different!
The weather forecast this year says Saturday's high temperature will be 81°. WHAT?? 81°!! You've got to be kidding me!
No HEAT! No HUMIDITY! Only the hills remain . . .
Yesterday, I sent this e-mail to Doug "Boogieman" Dawkins (Race Director) -
"Are you going to cancel Boogie this year due to the predicted terrible weather? . . . Cloudy with some sun . . . 81° high.
This is going to TOTALLY spoil the Boogie reputation if we have it!!!"
Doug's response . . .
"No, but long sleeves, gloves and knit headgear may be an option."
So . . . if Doug insists on having the race as scheduled I guess I'll still go. It's always fun to see everyone. Boogie is almost like an annual clan meeting that every family member must attend! But is just won't be the same this year.
Maybe there will be more snakes than usual . . .
Every year this has been one hard race. Last year I attempted the "Full Boogie" (50 miles). I finished DFL (and some might say I really didn't finish at all since I was past the cut-off!). But still loved it. It was HOT! It was HUMID! And it was HILLY . . . as always! Other years I've done the "Baby Boogie" - 26 miles of the same HEAT, HUMIDITY and HILLS!! In all the years I've done this race the coolest it has ever been at the start (6 PM) was last year's 94°! Usually its warmer then that!
That is just what The Boogie is . . . But this year it looks like things will be WAY different!
The weather forecast this year says Saturday's high temperature will be 81°. WHAT?? 81°!! You've got to be kidding me!
No HEAT! No HUMIDITY! Only the hills remain . . .
 |
| Starting down Bethel Hill |
Yesterday, I sent this e-mail to Doug "Boogieman" Dawkins (Race Director) -
"Are you going to cancel Boogie this year due to the predicted terrible weather? . . . Cloudy with some sun . . . 81° high.
This is going to TOTALLY spoil the Boogie reputation if we have it!!!"
Doug's response . . .
"No, but long sleeves, gloves and knit headgear may be an option."
So . . . if Doug insists on having the race as scheduled I guess I'll still go. It's always fun to see everyone. Boogie is almost like an annual clan meeting that every family member must attend! But is just won't be the same this year.
Maybe there will be more snakes than usual . . .
Sunday, May 27, 2012
. . . and so it was done.
Yesterday was the Ellerbe Springs Marathon Re-Run . . . quite an historic event.
As expected . . . it was hot and tough. The Ellerbe Springs Marathon is always tough.
But this years re-run was especially cool in two ways: 1) we ran what will probably be the new, Ellerbe Springs marathon course (the Ellerbe Springs Inn has now closed and race headquarters will move). 2) But the BEST thing was that the 20-30 folks running yesterday in Ellerbe, NC were joined by MTC military members serving our country in other locations: 5 Afghanistan sites plus Qatarand Kuwait!! At each location they staged their own version of the Ellerbe Springs marathon . . . complete with Ellerbe Marathon medals! I can't tell you how many times I thought about this during my day. I really felt like I was a part of something very special.
Here are more pictures from our military runners in Kuwait.
I drove to Ellerbe Friday afternoon, set up my hammock and then went to meet Charles West and Mike Day for pre-race dinner. Mike was running Doug "Boogieman" Dawkin's first every May Madness 50k while I was doing the marathon. Both MTC events and both withing a couple of miles of each other!
Camped the night before at the Community Center. Tim Preble and Will LeMieux were both there and we swapped lies for an hour or so before I headed to my hammock. I always sleep so good in that hammock!
This may surprise some of you but I a slow runner! And quite honestly I've recently turned more into a moderate paced walker! So, with that in mind I started my marathon just as it started getting light (about 5:45am). Brazenly, I lined up on the front line at the start!!
My plan for the day was to run some of the downs but walk the vast majority of the marathon. Turns out I probably ran about 3 miles and walked everything else.
Surprisingly, I got passed by 4 runners at about mile 4-5 I believe! Stephanie Carter, Don Dees and two folks I didn't know. Thank God they had started early too! (Race was supposed to start at 8 am!). No real chance to talk much. They stopped for water so I passed them back . . . but that didn't last long!
The new course pretty much follows the old course except missing the part to and from the Inn. To compensate they (that is Jerry Lindstrand) added a few more and bigger hills on a new road called Green Road). The things about this course is there are no flat areas - you are either going up or down. And some of the hills rival Bethel Hill in my mind . . . long and steep! Tamera Hardee suggested the race should be called HELLerbe or HILLerbe! PERFECT!! And after 9 am there was virtually no more shade! Brutal on a 90° sunny day! At Boogie it might be 95-100+° at the start but the sun goes down soon. Here the temperatures just keep climbing all day long! Both are hard.
As I recall, it was at about mile 5 when my hip started complaining. By mile 9 it was toast. The cant of the road on the turns and the heavily crowned parts just reeked havoc on my hip. So from mile 9 to 26 I just suffered . . . it never let up. I didn't run a step after mile 9. The good news is that I didn't do any damage to it! Today there are no lingering ill effects. But this was a painful experience.
The real saviors of the day were Lee Watson, Will LeMieux and his friend. These folks were our roving aid stations! Fluids, snacks and encouragement all day long. There is really something amazing about great people like these who give up a day in their life to make a day in YOUR life better! Race volunteers are just awesome! And these were some of the best! Handling 40 runners for 26 miles in hot temperatures is HARD! Thanks folks!
Brian Kistner was the first runner to pass me . . . believe I was at about mile 13.5 or so. He was absolutely FLYING. It was actually quite awhile until runners 2 and 3 passed me at about mile 18. #3 was Tom Gabell who slowed down and walked with me for 200 yards or so. And then at about mile 19-20 lots of people started passed by. Everyone was very social and seemed pleased to have an excuse to walk a short while with me!! It was great to have a whole bunch of quick catch-ups!
By mile 10 the sun was high and no clouds! Burning hot! No shade to speak of. Temps got into the low 90s by when I finished. Everyone suffered! It was brutal. We just haven't had much hot weather to help us adjust. This wouldn't have been so bad if it were July or August when we have had time to acclimated some.
Mark had put out fluids for folks but I was using my Nathan with a 2 liters capacity so I didn't need to re-fill until mile 20. I was almost out so I filled up to a little more than 1 liter, trying to leave plenty for runners coming up. The water was super hot by being in a clear plastic container in the direct sun! But water is water! Heck . . . once I swallowed it, my body would cool it off!! Seriously!! I thought this would be plenty to get me to the end . . . wrong!
Besides the water, I needed three more bottles of Gatoraide from Will and Lee. Without those I don't know what I would have done . . . just walked up to a house and beg water I guess! I started taking Salt Sticks at 7 am and took one every hour. Only once did I start cramping up so I took one extra when that happened. Post race I had another Gatoraide and then 2 Buds! Two huge fountain drinks driving home and then 97 oz of water before I returned to a normal colored piss!
At about mile 21-22 Jerry Lindstrand pulled up beside me and started walking. I have heard so much about Jerry, but I had never had the opportunity to actually meet him! Jerry announced the he was DONE running and ask if he could walk in with me! Hell yea! Just an awesome time getting to know Jerry. I found out that he was the one that made the course changes for the new start / finish. I cussed him awhile for that! What a great guy! The folks around Rockingham / Ellerbe all have nicknames. Jerry is "Godfather" plus a new one I gave him at about mile 24 when we were talking about what a nice course this was!! After 200 stories by each of us, we finally finished!
I found Mark Long inside the Community Center (air conditioned!) and got my medal. It's frickin' huge! Look at the picture of the Kuwait finishers to see the medal . . . they got exactly what we got! So many fun folks to spend some time with were hanging around: Charles and Blanca Akers, Rosemary Baxley, Jerry Lindstrand, Will LeMieux, Lee Watson, Mark Long, Mike Walsh and others!
Plus there was a "friend" of Charles' who ran this as his very first marathon! Can't believe he listened to Charles . . . bet he won't make that mistake ever again!! And there was a cute puppy that just sort of adopted everyone! So cute! He was Donnie Richardson's dog (Donnie lives right on the corner and must be the president of the community center we were using as headquarters.) If that pup hadn't been Donnie's dog I'm SURE he would have gone home with someone! Maybe even me!
I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had a 3 1/2 hour drive and dogs waiting on me.
I'm thinking that maybe my hip needs more time. Then, I need to re-start running. Build up slowly. And lose some of this excess weight. We'll just have to see how it all goes. But I'm glad this one is DONE! Now to decide about Boogie in two weeks.
As expected . . . it was hot and tough. The Ellerbe Springs Marathon is always tough.
But this years re-run was especially cool in two ways: 1) we ran what will probably be the new, Ellerbe Springs marathon course (the Ellerbe Springs Inn has now closed and race headquarters will move). 2) But the BEST thing was that the 20-30 folks running yesterday in Ellerbe, NC were joined by MTC military members serving our country in other locations: 5 Afghanistan sites plus Qatarand Kuwait!! At each location they staged their own version of the Ellerbe Springs marathon . . . complete with Ellerbe Marathon medals! I can't tell you how many times I thought about this during my day. I really felt like I was a part of something very special.
 |
| From Camp Arifjan, Kuwait |
I drove to Ellerbe Friday afternoon, set up my hammock and then went to meet Charles West and Mike Day for pre-race dinner. Mike was running Doug "Boogieman" Dawkin's first every May Madness 50k while I was doing the marathon. Both MTC events and both withing a couple of miles of each other!
Camped the night before at the Community Center. Tim Preble and Will LeMieux were both there and we swapped lies for an hour or so before I headed to my hammock. I always sleep so good in that hammock!
This may surprise some of you but I a slow runner! And quite honestly I've recently turned more into a moderate paced walker! So, with that in mind I started my marathon just as it started getting light (about 5:45am). Brazenly, I lined up on the front line at the start!!
My plan for the day was to run some of the downs but walk the vast majority of the marathon. Turns out I probably ran about 3 miles and walked everything else.
Surprisingly, I got passed by 4 runners at about mile 4-5 I believe! Stephanie Carter, Don Dees and two folks I didn't know. Thank God they had started early too! (Race was supposed to start at 8 am!). No real chance to talk much. They stopped for water so I passed them back . . . but that didn't last long!
The new course pretty much follows the old course except missing the part to and from the Inn. To compensate they (that is Jerry Lindstrand) added a few more and bigger hills on a new road called Green Road). The things about this course is there are no flat areas - you are either going up or down. And some of the hills rival Bethel Hill in my mind . . . long and steep! Tamera Hardee suggested the race should be called HELLerbe or HILLerbe! PERFECT!! And after 9 am there was virtually no more shade! Brutal on a 90° sunny day! At Boogie it might be 95-100+° at the start but the sun goes down soon. Here the temperatures just keep climbing all day long! Both are hard.
As I recall, it was at about mile 5 when my hip started complaining. By mile 9 it was toast. The cant of the road on the turns and the heavily crowned parts just reeked havoc on my hip. So from mile 9 to 26 I just suffered . . . it never let up. I didn't run a step after mile 9. The good news is that I didn't do any damage to it! Today there are no lingering ill effects. But this was a painful experience.
The real saviors of the day were Lee Watson, Will LeMieux and his friend. These folks were our roving aid stations! Fluids, snacks and encouragement all day long. There is really something amazing about great people like these who give up a day in their life to make a day in YOUR life better! Race volunteers are just awesome! And these were some of the best! Handling 40 runners for 26 miles in hot temperatures is HARD! Thanks folks!
 |
| Will and his friend! |
 |
| Lee Watson |
By mile 10 the sun was high and no clouds! Burning hot! No shade to speak of. Temps got into the low 90s by when I finished. Everyone suffered! It was brutal. We just haven't had much hot weather to help us adjust. This wouldn't have been so bad if it were July or August when we have had time to acclimated some.
Mark had put out fluids for folks but I was using my Nathan with a 2 liters capacity so I didn't need to re-fill until mile 20. I was almost out so I filled up to a little more than 1 liter, trying to leave plenty for runners coming up. The water was super hot by being in a clear plastic container in the direct sun! But water is water! Heck . . . once I swallowed it, my body would cool it off!! Seriously!! I thought this would be plenty to get me to the end . . . wrong!
Besides the water, I needed three more bottles of Gatoraide from Will and Lee. Without those I don't know what I would have done . . . just walked up to a house and beg water I guess! I started taking Salt Sticks at 7 am and took one every hour. Only once did I start cramping up so I took one extra when that happened. Post race I had another Gatoraide and then 2 Buds! Two huge fountain drinks driving home and then 97 oz of water before I returned to a normal colored piss!
At about mile 21-22 Jerry Lindstrand pulled up beside me and started walking. I have heard so much about Jerry, but I had never had the opportunity to actually meet him! Jerry announced the he was DONE running and ask if he could walk in with me! Hell yea! Just an awesome time getting to know Jerry. I found out that he was the one that made the course changes for the new start / finish. I cussed him awhile for that! What a great guy! The folks around Rockingham / Ellerbe all have nicknames. Jerry is "Godfather" plus a new one I gave him at about mile 24 when we were talking about what a nice course this was!! After 200 stories by each of us, we finally finished!
I found Mark Long inside the Community Center (air conditioned!) and got my medal. It's frickin' huge! Look at the picture of the Kuwait finishers to see the medal . . . they got exactly what we got! So many fun folks to spend some time with were hanging around: Charles and Blanca Akers, Rosemary Baxley, Jerry Lindstrand, Will LeMieux, Lee Watson, Mark Long, Mike Walsh and others!
Plus there was a "friend" of Charles' who ran this as his very first marathon! Can't believe he listened to Charles . . . bet he won't make that mistake ever again!! And there was a cute puppy that just sort of adopted everyone! So cute! He was Donnie Richardson's dog (Donnie lives right on the corner and must be the president of the community center we were using as headquarters.) If that pup hadn't been Donnie's dog I'm SURE he would have gone home with someone! Maybe even me!
I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had a 3 1/2 hour drive and dogs waiting on me.
I'm thinking that maybe my hip needs more time. Then, I need to re-start running. Build up slowly. And lose some of this excess weight. We'll just have to see how it all goes. But I'm glad this one is DONE! Now to decide about Boogie in two weeks.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Bright Night 5k
Not sure exactly why I signed up for this race. A 2 hour drive each way and the race started at 7pm. Ugh! But several friends were going so I knew it would be fun. Still . . . that's a long way to drive for a 5k! But, on the positive side, Greenville, NC is pretty flat . . . maybe a relative good time was possible.
Hip acted up during the week but everything felt fine Saturday, so I was in.
Got to Greenville early so I could go by Overton's for a little shopping! Connie wanted a big island float and I wanted to see what they had. Plus, I planned to eat early and be ready to run at 7!
Lots of RMEC folks were there and we all had a chance to catch up before the start. Weather was awesome! Not too hot . . . no wind . . . really couldn't have been better.
I decided to hang right behind Amber Shingleton and Margaret Bentley for the start. Initially they went out a little too strong for me, but oddly I caught them pretty soon! (Not that they were slowing but I ran the tangents while they were being more social!) Maybe at the 1/2 mile point I passed them but was thinking this was a huge mistake.
Lot's of turns on this course, but not bothersome really. I intentionally wasn't looking at my watch, so I had no idea what my first mile split was. But soon after the first aid station, my hip started tightening up some. I just eased off some and soon the tightness eased off and things returned to normal.
At about the 1 1/2 mile point I saw Caroline Forrester just up ahead. I slowly gained on her and soon passed. But that didn't last long. Soon she eased back in front of me and I never was able to pass her back. By the end of the race she had pulled maybe 30 seconds ahead! She was running really smart . . . cutting the tangents and all. Very relaxed. Great job Caroline!
Then, Margaret Bentley passed me just before the 3 mile mark and just kept pulling ahead! Margaret is running well! Look out Hinson Lake! Margaret is going to be ready for you this year!
Soon after Caroline passed me I walked maybe 15 yards and then started back running. Had to walk once more before the end and I was dead on my feet! I listened to the crowd at the last turn and knew that there was nobody lurking and ready to pass me at the end. Thank God! Cause I had noting left to hold them off!
My time was a blazing 31:36 . . . that's a 10:13 pace. That's hard with I think about what I used to run a 5k in . . . but still . . . I had nothing left at the end, so I did my best that night. One of the best things about this race is where they have the awards ceremony! There is a huge patio at Moe's where they have live music and beer for sale! I was right at home!
Oh . . . and my run was good enough to get 1st place in my age group . . . and no . . . there were three other guys out there. I actually BEAT some people! :-)
Hip acted up during the week but everything felt fine Saturday, so I was in.
Got to Greenville early so I could go by Overton's for a little shopping! Connie wanted a big island float and I wanted to see what they had. Plus, I planned to eat early and be ready to run at 7!
Lots of RMEC folks were there and we all had a chance to catch up before the start. Weather was awesome! Not too hot . . . no wind . . . really couldn't have been better.
I decided to hang right behind Amber Shingleton and Margaret Bentley for the start. Initially they went out a little too strong for me, but oddly I caught them pretty soon! (Not that they were slowing but I ran the tangents while they were being more social!) Maybe at the 1/2 mile point I passed them but was thinking this was a huge mistake.
Lot's of turns on this course, but not bothersome really. I intentionally wasn't looking at my watch, so I had no idea what my first mile split was. But soon after the first aid station, my hip started tightening up some. I just eased off some and soon the tightness eased off and things returned to normal.
At about the 1 1/2 mile point I saw Caroline Forrester just up ahead. I slowly gained on her and soon passed. But that didn't last long. Soon she eased back in front of me and I never was able to pass her back. By the end of the race she had pulled maybe 30 seconds ahead! She was running really smart . . . cutting the tangents and all. Very relaxed. Great job Caroline!
Then, Margaret Bentley passed me just before the 3 mile mark and just kept pulling ahead! Margaret is running well! Look out Hinson Lake! Margaret is going to be ready for you this year!
Soon after Caroline passed me I walked maybe 15 yards and then started back running. Had to walk once more before the end and I was dead on my feet! I listened to the crowd at the last turn and knew that there was nobody lurking and ready to pass me at the end. Thank God! Cause I had noting left to hold them off!
My time was a blazing 31:36 . . . that's a 10:13 pace. That's hard with I think about what I used to run a 5k in . . . but still . . . I had nothing left at the end, so I did my best that night. One of the best things about this race is where they have the awards ceremony! There is a huge patio at Moe's where they have live music and beer for sale! I was right at home!
Oh . . . and my run was good enough to get 1st place in my age group . . . and no . . . there were three other guys out there. I actually BEAT some people! :-)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
I'm not giving up . . .
I still believe that I'm going to be able to run pain-free eventually. I'm not giving up on that goal. But while I struggle with my hip issues, my fitness just continues to decline. As an example I ran a 5k last Saturday . . . pain free . . . and slow!. Took Sunday off. Then I ran Monday - only finished 2 miles and had to limp home. And I haven't run since as the hip wasn't happy. Running 5 miles in seven days just doesn't get it!
So I need to cross-train. So . . .what do I do?
Swimming
Now that the weather is getting warmer, I can start to swim regularly. But I'm guessing my hip would like me to swim. During an earlier injury a bunch of years ago, I did swim. I got to where I was swimming about a mile a day but I never really enjoyed it. I never looked forward to a swim. And there were never folks to just chat with as you swam. Plus, I just never got the "post-exercise euphoria feeling . . . that wonderful feeling of exhaustion that we all love!
So I'm really starting to think about other alternatives . . . and the first one that comes to mind is biking.
Biking
So many friends simply LOVE biking! So I know it must be a great alternative. But I've got reservations. Some are really just fears . . . perhaps overblown . . . perhaps not. Some are concerns that I have. So let's lay these out:
Safety - Road biking just seems dangerous. If there weren't any cars it wouldn't be so bad. Cars cause problems . . . and they always win in any "bike - car encounter." So many biking friends have had serious crashes. Luckily none have died. Maybe I'm too fearful of this. But it just seems risky. I know how I feel as a driver coming up behind a biker or a line of bikers. I'm not sure if they know I'm there or not . . . and when I'm passing them I worry that another car will come . . . so I slow down to a relative crawl while I wait for a straight stretch. I worry many drivers just don't always do this! When you're running, you're facing the traffic and you have a much better chance of getting out of the way.
Mountain biking seems much more safe. You may crash and break a bone or get cut up, but the chances of dying seem small unless you do that really crazy riding . . . which I would never do since I'm afraid of heights! But I've tried mountain biking. My big problem is that to my knowledge there just aren't many good trail riding spots near me.
Cost - Road biking is EXPENSIVE! Bikes just cost a small fortune to me . . . and a really nice bike costs 2 fortunes!! And then all the gear you need. Several thousand dollars! And then what if it turns out you don't like it! And I don't have a job right now! Well, I guess you could either buy a "cheap" bike or perhaps a used one to try biking out. But I hear 1) it is important to get a bike that is 'fitted' to you, and 2) you'll miss the real enjoyment of you have a poor quality bike and thus won't keep riding.
Pain - That's right. Bike seats just aren't comfortable . . . AT ALL. Bikers tell me you get use to it but when I tried mountain biking 15 years ago I NEVER got to where it didn't hurt. NEVER!
Clothing - Okay . . . this is embarrassing and may offend some folks . . . but the biking clothes just look silly to me. All the jerseys with bike company logos, etc. as if the rider was a sponsored rider! Now, I do understand the need for tight-fitting clothes and I'm okay with that! But for me, I'm afraid I'll look like a "whale on a bike!" I might get harpooned out there!
How would my hip do biking? How do I know this won't hurt my hip as much as running? Maybe even more.
Am I wrong in how I'm thinking about biking? Weighing all this: Biking just doesn't seems to be right for me.
I need some kind of cross-training . . . something! Any ideas? Remember: I live in rural NC!
So I need to cross-train. So . . .what do I do?
Swimming
Now that the weather is getting warmer, I can start to swim regularly. But I'm guessing my hip would like me to swim. During an earlier injury a bunch of years ago, I did swim. I got to where I was swimming about a mile a day but I never really enjoyed it. I never looked forward to a swim. And there were never folks to just chat with as you swam. Plus, I just never got the "post-exercise euphoria feeling . . . that wonderful feeling of exhaustion that we all love!
So I'm really starting to think about other alternatives . . . and the first one that comes to mind is biking.
Biking
So many friends simply LOVE biking! So I know it must be a great alternative. But I've got reservations. Some are really just fears . . . perhaps overblown . . . perhaps not. Some are concerns that I have. So let's lay these out:
Safety - Road biking just seems dangerous. If there weren't any cars it wouldn't be so bad. Cars cause problems . . . and they always win in any "bike - car encounter." So many biking friends have had serious crashes. Luckily none have died. Maybe I'm too fearful of this. But it just seems risky. I know how I feel as a driver coming up behind a biker or a line of bikers. I'm not sure if they know I'm there or not . . . and when I'm passing them I worry that another car will come . . . so I slow down to a relative crawl while I wait for a straight stretch. I worry many drivers just don't always do this! When you're running, you're facing the traffic and you have a much better chance of getting out of the way.
Mountain biking seems much more safe. You may crash and break a bone or get cut up, but the chances of dying seem small unless you do that really crazy riding . . . which I would never do since I'm afraid of heights! But I've tried mountain biking. My big problem is that to my knowledge there just aren't many good trail riding spots near me.
Cost - Road biking is EXPENSIVE! Bikes just cost a small fortune to me . . . and a really nice bike costs 2 fortunes!! And then all the gear you need. Several thousand dollars! And then what if it turns out you don't like it! And I don't have a job right now! Well, I guess you could either buy a "cheap" bike or perhaps a used one to try biking out. But I hear 1) it is important to get a bike that is 'fitted' to you, and 2) you'll miss the real enjoyment of you have a poor quality bike and thus won't keep riding.
- Here are some cost estimates. These may not even be close . . . . I really don't know much at all about bike costs.
| Biking | |||
| Cheap | Quality? | ||
| Bike | 1,000 | 2,500 | |
| Helmet | 40 | 40 | |
| Shoes | 120 | 120 | |
| Other clothing | 200 | 200 | |
| Annual maintenance | 200 | 200 | |
| GPS | 150 | 250 | |
| 1,710 | 3,310 | ||
| Running | |||
| Cheap | Quality | ||
| Bike | - | - | |
| Helmet | - | - | |
| Shoes | 200 | 200 | |
| Other clothing | 100 | 150 | |
| Annual maintenance | - | - | |
| GPS | - | - | |
| 300 | 350 |
- All in all this looks like a REALLY expensive gamble to me!
Pain - That's right. Bike seats just aren't comfortable . . . AT ALL. Bikers tell me you get use to it but when I tried mountain biking 15 years ago I NEVER got to where it didn't hurt. NEVER!
Clothing - Okay . . . this is embarrassing and may offend some folks . . . but the biking clothes just look silly to me. All the jerseys with bike company logos, etc. as if the rider was a sponsored rider! Now, I do understand the need for tight-fitting clothes and I'm okay with that! But for me, I'm afraid I'll look like a "whale on a bike!" I might get harpooned out there!
How would my hip do biking? How do I know this won't hurt my hip as much as running? Maybe even more.
Am I wrong in how I'm thinking about biking? Weighing all this: Biking just doesn't seems to be right for me.
I need some kind of cross-training . . . something! Any ideas? Remember: I live in rural NC!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Knock, knock, knock . . .
Knock, knock, knock . . .
Just a minute . . . I’ll be right there!
Knock, Knock, Knock . . .
Hold on . . . I said I'll be there is a minute! Who is it?
It’s me.
Who is “me?” Just a
minute . . . let me get this door open.
Okay . . . let’s start this again! Who are you?
It’s me . . . you know . . . your body and my buddy your
brain!
Oh yea . . . I remember you two. What on earth do you two guys want?
We’ve come by to talk with you. Quite frankly we’re not too please with you
recently. You’ve been ignoring us.
What do you mean “I’ve been ignoring you.” That’s just not true. I’ve listened to every single thing you've ever
told me.
Yea . . . right!
It is right. I
listen. It’s just that I learned a long
time ago that you two don’t always tell me the truth.
What the heck do you mean?
Are you calling us liars?
Well . . . I guess I am . . . YOU TWO ARE A LIAR!
We tell you the truth!
Yea . . . when have you told me the truth?
Remember when your knees started locking up and hurting a
ton? That wasn’t a lie. Your knees needed work. And how about your hip? Wasn’t it us that started nagging at you
telling you that you had real issues that needed addressing?
Okay . . . I’ll give you all that. Those weren’t lies! But you still lie to me all the time. You both start screaming at me that you just
can’t continue on in a race. But when I
do continue on . . . well . . . surprise, surprise . . . you two are fine with
it! In fact, most times you both just
shut up and let me finish. And when it’s
all over . . . there are no problems.
You all just lied to me.
Okay . . . we admit that there are times we are afraid of
what you might do, so we speak up too early.
So . . . you’re admitting you all are liars!
Well . . . to a degree . . . maybe so. But the brain and I always have your best
interest at heart!
I don’t buy that. I
think you two have your own best interest at heart . . . just running your own
agendas. But it doesn’t matter! Either way I just don’t know when I can trust
you and when I can’t! So . . .
obviously you’ve come to tell me something.
What is it?
Well . . . we think you need to stop running. Or at least stop running long distances. Your hip is definitely not totally right,
both of your knees have issues . . . and let’s face it . . . you’re not getting
any younger!!
Okay guys . . . now I KNOW you all are lying to me right
now! No doubt!
No we’re not. We’re
telling you the truth!
Guys . . . there are PLENTY of folks much older then me
still running . . . and running well!
It’s not an age thing at all!
Okay . . . I admit I have slowed down significantly. You two gomers should be happy with that!
Happy “hell!” No way
we’re happy with you! You’re a frickin’
idiot! You just keep trying to do things
that we just can’t deliver on. And you
make “us” out to be the bad guys! That’s
not fair.
Well . . . I’m not listening to you guys any more! I just don’t know when you all are telling me
the truch or when it’s another of your lies!
You better listen!
Oh yea . . . so what are you going to do about it if I
don’t!
You REALLY don’t want to know! You act like this is some sort of game. “Us” against “you!” We’re not against you! Honestly . . . you’ve kept us going longer
than most people do! How many folks your
age finish 50 miles? And only 6 months
after hip surgery!! All we’re saying is
we just can’t continue to cash all the checks you’re writing!!
Okay . . . I promise you two that’s I’ll think about what
your saying. I’ll consider it. But don’t expect me to just quit! Heck . . . I’m not ready to even slow down
yet!
Well . . . you better . . .or you won’t like the outcome.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Virginia 24 Hour
Guess I need to do a race report on the Virginia 24 Hour run in Hampton, VA last weekend.
For the second year in a row, I was part of a 12-person ultra team, Team Awesome. Team competition in a 24 hour race is amazing. It adds a terrific new dimension an already fun format. Essentially each team member goes as far as they can and you simply add all the distances together for a team distance.
I already knew about half of my teammates from last year's team but the other half I was just getting to know through this run. Leading up to the race our team captain, Shannon McGinn, set up a Facebook group as a way to start to get to know everyone and a great way to make team plans.
I was a substitute this year. Originally I had told Shannon I wouldn't compete due to my hip surgery. I knew I would not be able to really excel. But about a month before the race, Ray Krolewicz had a change of plans and said he shouldn't run, so Shannon asked me again. I told her if she couldn't get anyone else I would come. No promises about distances though. But how cool is it to be Ray K's replacement!! (I'm sure when someone thinks of Ray, I'm usually the next person that comes to mind!! :-) )
My hip seems to have good days and bad days. My longest 'run' had only been 11 miles and I limped back the last 2 miles on that outing. Don't get me wrong . . . averaging my runs out I definitely am getting better . . . but I still have a few really bad days.
So my plan was to not run . . . but only walk. I felt like this was my best chance for getting a fairly long distance. But I've got to admit that walking every step makes one feel like a second class citizen. Something about walking in a running race. I almost always do a combination of running and walking, but this time . . . no running at all.
I rode over to Hampton, VA with Chad Wollenburg, a friend who had also decided to do the 24 hour run. We had a ball! Great pre-race dinner and maybe a drink or two!
Got to Sandy Bottoms Park at 6 am and setup our team 'camp' right on the race course. Perfect spot just before the start/finish line and right near the bathroom! Finally got to meet all the new team members, and just after 7 am we were off.
I ran . . . okay . . . only about 20 yards . . . but I ran! But then I start my walk. For the first lap I did it in reverse so I could get pictures of everyone running. Then I returned to the 'normal' course for all other laps. One of my teammates, Matt Smythe, was concerned that maybe my reverse lap would count as a negative lap against us!! :-)
The Sandy Bottoms course is both really nice and really bad. Nice, in that you have about a mile where it's an out-and-back and you can see everyone plus you run both through the woods and by some beautiful salt marshes. Bad, in that parts of the road/trail have large gravel (especially nasty at night when you can't see very well) and about 1.5 miles of the course is within 100 yards or less from I-64 (very heavily traveled!).
At all ultra events, the participants are just awesome folks. But adding the team concept even makes the day more fun. Everyone is so supportive! I wish every 24-hour race added a team competition component.
Saturday started out mild but the temperatures quickly rose. Not sure how warm it got but it was pretty warm . . . maybe into the 80°. Not terrible at all . . . but few were used to dealing with the heat and by late afternoon folks were suffering. Lots of stomach issues out there!
But for me I actually LIKED that it got hot! It made more runners walk more . . . thus I had more company! Really nice to walk some with some of my teammates that normally I wouldn't get to talk much with since I'm so slow and they are so fast! Tom Gabell, Shannon McGinn, Matt Smythe, Alana Garrison-Kast, and Ladonna Kapustensky are some that come to mind that would join me for a little walk each lap. Made my day a lot more fun!
For some crazy reason Jim Plant, Kati Craig, Mike Senko, John Price, Tony Mollica and Cheryl Lager either never walked or just never ended up walking near me! I hated that but that's just how the laps turned out. We still got to cheer each other on when we passed.
I maintained a pretty steady the whole time. I took a pretty long break after only 3 laps to tape up my feet . . . I felt some 'hot spots' developing and wanted to stay ahead of a problem. But by 20 miles I had blisters anyway. So the question was: 1) do I stop and try to address the blisters (remove the tincture of benzion, tape, drain the ones I could see and then re-tape) or 2) just suck it up and continue one. I chose #2 so I pretty much suffered all through the rest of the race. Pain wasn't terrible. I took ibuprofen which I usually don't do and I believe it helped "take the edge off" the pain.
I got really tired out there. Physically, I felt like I had gone 75 miles. Just dead on my feet by the end with nothing left.
But the good news is my hip did fine!!!! It would start hurting / tightening up some but after 1/4 to 1/2 mile it would ease off! That sequence kept up the whole time. Really good news. I'm sure that walking is what allowed me to do this! Had I tried my walk / run I'm convinced my hip would have stopped me.
My dream goal was to finish 50 miles and get a plaque. That goal kept me going. About 2:30 am Sunday morning I finished! About 19 hours and 10 minutes or an average of 23 minutes per mile. Honestly, I was as proud to finish 50 miles at this race as any other race I can think of. Maybe I did just walk, but it still took 100% of my available energy and I had nothing left at the end.
Oh . . . and for the second year in a row, Team Awesome won the team competition and for the second year in a row, we set a new course distance record (803.5 miles or just under 67 miles per person!) Sweet!
For the second year in a row, I was part of a 12-person ultra team, Team Awesome. Team competition in a 24 hour race is amazing. It adds a terrific new dimension an already fun format. Essentially each team member goes as far as they can and you simply add all the distances together for a team distance.
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| Team Awesome 2012 LtoR John Price, Kati Craig, Frank Lilley, Ladonna Kapustensky, Tony Mollica, Shannon McGinn, Jim Plant, Alana Garrison-Kast, Matt Smythe, Tom Gabell, Cheryl Lager (missing Mike Senko) |
I already knew about half of my teammates from last year's team but the other half I was just getting to know through this run. Leading up to the race our team captain, Shannon McGinn, set up a Facebook group as a way to start to get to know everyone and a great way to make team plans.
I was a substitute this year. Originally I had told Shannon I wouldn't compete due to my hip surgery. I knew I would not be able to really excel. But about a month before the race, Ray Krolewicz had a change of plans and said he shouldn't run, so Shannon asked me again. I told her if she couldn't get anyone else I would come. No promises about distances though. But how cool is it to be Ray K's replacement!! (I'm sure when someone thinks of Ray, I'm usually the next person that comes to mind!! :-) )
My hip seems to have good days and bad days. My longest 'run' had only been 11 miles and I limped back the last 2 miles on that outing. Don't get me wrong . . . averaging my runs out I definitely am getting better . . . but I still have a few really bad days.
So my plan was to not run . . . but only walk. I felt like this was my best chance for getting a fairly long distance. But I've got to admit that walking every step makes one feel like a second class citizen. Something about walking in a running race. I almost always do a combination of running and walking, but this time . . . no running at all.
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| That's Chad in the middle (Steve Durr on Rt and Elizabeth Montgomery on Lt) |
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| Cheryl seems happy to be getting started! |
I ran . . . okay . . . only about 20 yards . . . but I ran! But then I start my walk. For the first lap I did it in reverse so I could get pictures of everyone running. Then I returned to the 'normal' course for all other laps. One of my teammates, Matt Smythe, was concerned that maybe my reverse lap would count as a negative lap against us!! :-)
The Sandy Bottoms course is both really nice and really bad. Nice, in that you have about a mile where it's an out-and-back and you can see everyone plus you run both through the woods and by some beautiful salt marshes. Bad, in that parts of the road/trail have large gravel (especially nasty at night when you can't see very well) and about 1.5 miles of the course is within 100 yards or less from I-64 (very heavily traveled!).
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| Kati Craig & Matt Smythe |
Saturday started out mild but the temperatures quickly rose. Not sure how warm it got but it was pretty warm . . . maybe into the 80°. Not terrible at all . . . but few were used to dealing with the heat and by late afternoon folks were suffering. Lots of stomach issues out there!
But for me I actually LIKED that it got hot! It made more runners walk more . . . thus I had more company! Really nice to walk some with some of my teammates that normally I wouldn't get to talk much with since I'm so slow and they are so fast! Tom Gabell, Shannon McGinn, Matt Smythe, Alana Garrison-Kast, and Ladonna Kapustensky are some that come to mind that would join me for a little walk each lap. Made my day a lot more fun!
For some crazy reason Jim Plant, Kati Craig, Mike Senko, John Price, Tony Mollica and Cheryl Lager either never walked or just never ended up walking near me! I hated that but that's just how the laps turned out. We still got to cheer each other on when we passed.
I maintained a pretty steady the whole time. I took a pretty long break after only 3 laps to tape up my feet . . . I felt some 'hot spots' developing and wanted to stay ahead of a problem. But by 20 miles I had blisters anyway. So the question was: 1) do I stop and try to address the blisters (remove the tincture of benzion, tape, drain the ones I could see and then re-tape) or 2) just suck it up and continue one. I chose #2 so I pretty much suffered all through the rest of the race. Pain wasn't terrible. I took ibuprofen which I usually don't do and I believe it helped "take the edge off" the pain.
I got really tired out there. Physically, I felt like I had gone 75 miles. Just dead on my feet by the end with nothing left.
But the good news is my hip did fine!!!! It would start hurting / tightening up some but after 1/4 to 1/2 mile it would ease off! That sequence kept up the whole time. Really good news. I'm sure that walking is what allowed me to do this! Had I tried my walk / run I'm convinced my hip would have stopped me.
My dream goal was to finish 50 miles and get a plaque. That goal kept me going. About 2:30 am Sunday morning I finished! About 19 hours and 10 minutes or an average of 23 minutes per mile. Honestly, I was as proud to finish 50 miles at this race as any other race I can think of. Maybe I did just walk, but it still took 100% of my available energy and I had nothing left at the end.
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| Team Awesome Captain Shannon McGinn with our trophy! |
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Maybe I spoke too soon . . .
But this weekend at the Virginia 24 hour Run . . . something very strange happened. I did good! Seriously. Good.
Leading up to this event my longest run had been 11 miles . . . and the last two of those miles were a hobble back to the car after my hip shut down.
But this weekend . . . I completed 50 miles at this race and only had limited hip issues. So not only did this product work to improve my endurance so that I could cover 50 miles . . . but I'm also thinking that MAYBE there is a medical healing property that "Old Spice" isn't capitalizing on!
As a matter of fact, I plan to bring this product up with my surgeon, Dr. David T. Jones. Maybe he needs to start including the use of this in his post-surgery instructions.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Gallberry Stampede
Choices, choices, choices! Should I run the 5k? The 10k? Or the 10 miler? That was my big concern driving the hour to Scotland Neck Saturday morning.
Nothing is simple right now.
I know I should do the 10 miler but that would be equal to my longest run since surgery . . . and I have the Virginia 24 next weekend. So it wouldn't be smart to to 10 miles I knew. But heck . . . 10 miles isn't very far at all. So I opted for the 5k race and once I finished I decided to go do another lap . . . so getting some time on my feet without risking hip complications too much.
I am getting better, both hip wise and endurance wise. I ran the full 5k without walking! Okay . . . that's not very great at all! But it IS improvement and that's all I am looking for. Just getting better.
I ended up finishing in 31:46 . . . that's 31 minutes and 46 seconds, not 31 hours and 46 minutes all you smart asses! I was pretty happy with that . . . I definitely didn't run too hard and could have gone faster.
When I finished, I picked up a bottle of water and talked Amber Poole into going another easy lap . . . walking and running. Tons of fun for me since Amber and I haven't had a chance to catch up since PNC bought RBC Bank. Amber got a job with PNC just before the conversion, plus she had had her 1st Umstead 100 attempt . . . so we had a lot to talk about!
The Gallberry Stampede is a really small race . . . probably about 100 folks between all three distances. With that advantage it turns out I was the only male in my age group (Older then Dirt) so . . . first place! 14th overall out of 41 . . . but a number of the entrants were walkers. Hey . . . nothing wrong with that. And I DID beat them!!! :-)
So this coming weekend is the Virginia 24 Hour and I'm on a "relay" team called Team Awesome for another year. I put the word "relay" in quotes because to me it's not really a "relay" since everyone runs the full 24 hours and you add up each team members distance. But the RD calls it a 'relay' . . . so "relay" it is!!
My plan is simple. No running at all. I plan to walk as fast and as far as my hip will let me. But I'm NOT going to do anything stupid. When my hip says "STOP" . . . I'll stop.
But walking or running I haven't gone further than 11 miles since surgery so this will definitely be untried, untested waters. My goal for the 24 hours . . . 50 miles. That will be a 28:48 pace. Seems easy enough. Plenty of extra time in there for rest stops, bathroom breaks, etc. Heck . . . if I take 2 hours worth of breaks I still only have to walk at a 26:24 pace!! If I can hold a 21:00 pace for 22 hours that would mean I could cover over 62 miles!!!
So we'll see how this all goes . . .
Nothing is simple right now.
I know I should do the 10 miler but that would be equal to my longest run since surgery . . . and I have the Virginia 24 next weekend. So it wouldn't be smart to to 10 miles I knew. But heck . . . 10 miles isn't very far at all. So I opted for the 5k race and once I finished I decided to go do another lap . . . so getting some time on my feet without risking hip complications too much.
I am getting better, both hip wise and endurance wise. I ran the full 5k without walking! Okay . . . that's not very great at all! But it IS improvement and that's all I am looking for. Just getting better.
I ended up finishing in 31:46 . . . that's 31 minutes and 46 seconds, not 31 hours and 46 minutes all you smart asses! I was pretty happy with that . . . I definitely didn't run too hard and could have gone faster.
When I finished, I picked up a bottle of water and talked Amber Poole into going another easy lap . . . walking and running. Tons of fun for me since Amber and I haven't had a chance to catch up since PNC bought RBC Bank. Amber got a job with PNC just before the conversion, plus she had had her 1st Umstead 100 attempt . . . so we had a lot to talk about!
The Gallberry Stampede is a really small race . . . probably about 100 folks between all three distances. With that advantage it turns out I was the only male in my age group (Older then Dirt) so . . . first place! 14th overall out of 41 . . . but a number of the entrants were walkers. Hey . . . nothing wrong with that. And I DID beat them!!! :-)So this coming weekend is the Virginia 24 Hour and I'm on a "relay" team called Team Awesome for another year. I put the word "relay" in quotes because to me it's not really a "relay" since everyone runs the full 24 hours and you add up each team members distance. But the RD calls it a 'relay' . . . so "relay" it is!!
My plan is simple. No running at all. I plan to walk as fast and as far as my hip will let me. But I'm NOT going to do anything stupid. When my hip says "STOP" . . . I'll stop.
But walking or running I haven't gone further than 11 miles since surgery so this will definitely be untried, untested waters. My goal for the 24 hours . . . 50 miles. That will be a 28:48 pace. Seems easy enough. Plenty of extra time in there for rest stops, bathroom breaks, etc. Heck . . . if I take 2 hours worth of breaks I still only have to walk at a 26:24 pace!! If I can hold a 21:00 pace for 22 hours that would mean I could cover over 62 miles!!!
So we'll see how this all goes . . .
Sunday, April 8, 2012
VA 24 Hour Race . . . my 2012 comeback run.
THE SITUATION
One thing that is consistent with my recovery from my October hip surgery is that nothing is consistent! Good days followed by bad days. A string of good followed by a few bad. But even with the variance it is clear to me that things are improving.
So far my longest "long run" has only been 11 miles and that hasn't gotten longer in weeks and, believe me, my overall fitness has DRAMATICALLY declined since surgery. I can just barely run 3 miles without walking! But that too is improving some. I have tried running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute and only lasted 7 miles . . . 5 miles "on interval" and then 2 miles walking back to my frickin' car when my hip "shut down." This was one week ago.
THE COMEBACK RACE
So . . . with all this what on earth makes enter a 24 hour race? And what on earth makes me think I can go over 11 miles?
Two words . . . Shannon McGinn.
Last year I was part of a 12-person ultra team "relay" at the VA 24. I had just gotten my butt kicked at the Umstead 100 (stopping at 62.5 miles) three weeks before. When I heard "relay" team I assumed it would be like any other relay . . . one person runs, then turns the baton over to the next team member who then runs. That's a "relay" . . . right!
Wrong! I found out that THIS relay involved every team member running and then ADDING all team members distances to get a team distance! But I had committed to Shannon and the other team members that I would participate. Team members like Jonathan Savage, Ray Krolewicz, Sabrina Moran, Jessi Kennedy, Tom Gabell, Cheryl Lager . . . folks who had all WON 100 mile races! And WON 24 hour races! Plus . . . super experienced running friends like Amy Schimmel, Jim Plant and Charles West (Jim and Charles had finished 100 milers). Plus, a new ultra runner Alanna Garrison-Kast. That was our team . . . Team Awesome!
Shannon took all the pressure off me and just wanted me to try. So I did. I didn't have a good run but I did "stay after it" and ended up with just over 50 miles completed. And Team Awesome won the relay by a rather wide margin.
That was 2011. Now . . . its time fore the 2012 VA 24.
With my hip surgery in October, I told Shannon I couldn't be on the team but I would try to crew for everyone. Fine . . . until Ray K decided to run another race within a week of this one so he told Shannon he could only crew. Huh? Ray K, the 100 mile ultra running legend, as a 'crew' . . . how cool is that!
So Shannon asked me to come out and "give it the ol' college try" and just see what I could do. After some back and forth I caved and told Shannon I would come . . . but she should try and get someone else. She didn't. Shannon is quite convincing and she doesn't take "No" for an answer very well! But I do LOVE that she thought of me as a "replacement" for Ray K!!!!! :-) (I'm guessing Ray is going to be pissed at Shannon!!)
So I'm a Team Awesome team member again this year . . . the second year of being the "Team Excuse." That's right . . . if another team beats Team Awesome, the whole team can save face by says something like "Yea . . . we lost but we really didn't have a complete team . . . since Frank Lilley was with us we really only had 11 team members!"
MY 2012 PLAN
So . . . WTF am I going to do? I can only run 3 miles without walking. And the longest my hip has let me run is 11 miles. Truth is I should NOT be doing this. I know it and Shannon knows it. She must have it out for me for some reason . . . maybe I offended her somehow. Prior to this I actually thought Shannon was a friend. But now I know the truth . . . she is trying to destroy me.
Anyway . . . I doing this race. So I need a plan. I'm toying with two possible approaches . . .
Plan B isn't really a runner's plan either . . . but I would be running . . . SOME! Plan A is the plan for a good team member and Plan B is a selfish plan to "save face."
A 24 hour race is not a race about speed . . . its about covering the maximum number of miles in the 24 hour time. I need to remember this!
THE GOAL
My goal IS a minimum of 50 miles over the 24 hour time. I just hope my hip has the same goal! I'm wondering if perhaps I should take my crutches with me - just in case!
One final off-topic word of warning . . .
All us runners search for those little things that make a difference to our speed or endurance. Here is a product that CLAIMS to be a "High Endurance" product. But after using this product for several months I can detect NO improvement in my endurance. Be warned of this false advertising . . .
One thing that is consistent with my recovery from my October hip surgery is that nothing is consistent! Good days followed by bad days. A string of good followed by a few bad. But even with the variance it is clear to me that things are improving.
So far my longest "long run" has only been 11 miles and that hasn't gotten longer in weeks and, believe me, my overall fitness has DRAMATICALLY declined since surgery. I can just barely run 3 miles without walking! But that too is improving some. I have tried running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute and only lasted 7 miles . . . 5 miles "on interval" and then 2 miles walking back to my frickin' car when my hip "shut down." This was one week ago.
THE COMEBACK RACE
So . . . with all this what on earth makes enter a 24 hour race? And what on earth makes me think I can go over 11 miles?
Two words . . . Shannon McGinn.
Last year I was part of a 12-person ultra team "relay" at the VA 24. I had just gotten my butt kicked at the Umstead 100 (stopping at 62.5 miles) three weeks before. When I heard "relay" team I assumed it would be like any other relay . . . one person runs, then turns the baton over to the next team member who then runs. That's a "relay" . . . right!
Wrong! I found out that THIS relay involved every team member running and then ADDING all team members distances to get a team distance! But I had committed to Shannon and the other team members that I would participate. Team members like Jonathan Savage, Ray Krolewicz, Sabrina Moran, Jessi Kennedy, Tom Gabell, Cheryl Lager . . . folks who had all WON 100 mile races! And WON 24 hour races! Plus . . . super experienced running friends like Amy Schimmel, Jim Plant and Charles West (Jim and Charles had finished 100 milers). Plus, a new ultra runner Alanna Garrison-Kast. That was our team . . . Team Awesome!Shannon took all the pressure off me and just wanted me to try. So I did. I didn't have a good run but I did "stay after it" and ended up with just over 50 miles completed. And Team Awesome won the relay by a rather wide margin.
That was 2011. Now . . . its time fore the 2012 VA 24.
With my hip surgery in October, I told Shannon I couldn't be on the team but I would try to crew for everyone. Fine . . . until Ray K decided to run another race within a week of this one so he told Shannon he could only crew. Huh? Ray K, the 100 mile ultra running legend, as a 'crew' . . . how cool is that!
So Shannon asked me to come out and "give it the ol' college try" and just see what I could do. After some back and forth I caved and told Shannon I would come . . . but she should try and get someone else. She didn't. Shannon is quite convincing and she doesn't take "No" for an answer very well! But I do LOVE that she thought of me as a "replacement" for Ray K!!!!! :-) (I'm guessing Ray is going to be pissed at Shannon!!)
So I'm a Team Awesome team member again this year . . . the second year of being the "Team Excuse." That's right . . . if another team beats Team Awesome, the whole team can save face by says something like "Yea . . . we lost but we really didn't have a complete team . . . since Frank Lilley was with us we really only had 11 team members!"
MY 2012 PLAN
So . . . WTF am I going to do? I can only run 3 miles without walking. And the longest my hip has let me run is 11 miles. Truth is I should NOT be doing this. I know it and Shannon knows it. She must have it out for me for some reason . . . maybe I offended her somehow. Prior to this I actually thought Shannon was a friend. But now I know the truth . . . she is trying to destroy me.
Anyway . . . I doing this race. So I need a plan. I'm toying with two possible approaches . . .
- Plan A - Start off walking . . . and just walk . . . for as long as I possibly can.
- Plan B - Run 1 minute and walk 2 minutes . . . and repeat until I just have to only walk.
Plan B isn't really a runner's plan either . . . but I would be running . . . SOME! Plan A is the plan for a good team member and Plan B is a selfish plan to "save face."
A 24 hour race is not a race about speed . . . its about covering the maximum number of miles in the 24 hour time. I need to remember this!
THE GOAL
My goal IS a minimum of 50 miles over the 24 hour time. I just hope my hip has the same goal! I'm wondering if perhaps I should take my crutches with me - just in case!
One final off-topic word of warning . . .
All us runners search for those little things that make a difference to our speed or endurance. Here is a product that CLAIMS to be a "High Endurance" product. But after using this product for several months I can detect NO improvement in my endurance. Be warned of this false advertising . . .
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About Me
- Frank Lilley
- Littleton, North Carolina
- World's Slowest Runner . . . well, at least in contention for the honor. Just your average "below average" runner.
