One bad apple . . .

Forgive me for this post.  I shouldn't write anything when I'm mad.

As many of you may know, this last weekend Cam Kelly and I hosted the Medoc Meltdown 50k . . . a Fat Ass run around Medoc Mountain State Park.  We had 61 sign up and 51 showed up to run . . . our biggest group yet.

Cam and I intentionally try to encourage everyone to come out and run.  You don't have to try the full 50k.  The shortest loop is about 3.3 miles and if that's all someone want to run . . . hey . . . we're happy and glad they chose to come out and spend some time with us!  We get several folks every year that are trying trail running for the very first time!  I love it!

For simplification sake we posted the Medoc Meltdown results on the Rocky Mount Endurance Club (RMEC) web site.  We did this for two reasons . . . 1) next year the Meltdown will be hosted by RMEC and 2) it may bring a few new people to the RMEC club site.

Now, don't get me wrong . . . the Meltdown is a 50k ultra event and I hope more and more folks choose to try the longer distance.  I love ultrarunning and I love ultra runners!  But we're happy to have any runner or walker show up.  And we'll stay until the last person finishes . . . no time cut-off.

As a group, ultra runners are the most supportive, encouraging folks I've ever been around.  And there is inspiration surrounding each and every person.  Each runner has their own stories of their own challenges and frustrations.  These stories are shared as inspirations to everyone else.  NEVER have I been made to feel like a second-class runner because I'm so slow.  Ultra runners do nothing but encourage and celebrate my little accomplishments with me. Never "look down their noses" at my slow times.

Guys like Rick Grey.  Rick has finished more 100 mile runs then I have ultras!  And he is always up near the front of the pack!  But Rick is there at the finish of every event, cheering finishers . . . until the last one comes in.  And at Boogie this year he even hung with me to try and help!  That's right, Rick . . . walking with me at the end of the line!  Encouraging every step of the way!

Or Laura MacLean.  Laura wins races but then stays to cheer too!  And unless you ask Laura you'll never know she won the frickin' race!  That's just the way she is!  Awesome person!

So maybe you can understand my frustration with a single 'bad apple' that has to make condescending remarks on the RMEC site about the club and runners that haven't tried an ultra.  Why on earth would someone want to make comments like that?  I just don't understand.

Most ultra runners would be telling folks "You can run an ultra if you try!  It's not really as hard as it sounds!I''ll help you!"

NOT belittling folks who run less then ultra distances.

There . . . I feel a little better . . . .

Another 'whinning' blog . . . I suggest NOT reading this. Even I'm bored.

I'm a frickin' moron!  Actually . .  a 'hypochondriac moron' to be exact!

Every day it's something else!  A few common threads over time but basically I'm a mental train-wreck!

Monday - felt good and had a fun day running; 96°
Tuesday - another good day running; 98°
Wednesday - Took the day as a rest day; 100°
Thursday - suffered from heat and a hip that started hurting again; 95°; hip hurt all day and night.
Friday - okay run; hip was fine . . . zero pain; 90°  But post run, my hip is starting to hurt again.  But not bad.

So I decided to do two Medoc laps (about 17 miles) Saturday morning.  As I left the house it started to rain!  PERFECT day!  Nice and cool!  I totally love running in the rain!

I planned to meet 9 runners from Richmond, VA who were coming to the Medoc Trail Marathon this fall and wanted to check out Medoc trails.  We met at the picnic shelter and at about 8:15 we headed out.  And my hip felt great!

These guys and gals were much faster then me and after about 1 1/2 miles they went on, leaving me to poke along, splashing in the puddles!  I did take a saw with me and did a little trail work along the way.  But after passing the graveyard near Firetower, the hip started complaining.  And by the time I got to the creek, it was just plain hurting!

Every time I walked, the horseflies attacked!  And they were vicious!  Never seen them this bad.  Meltdown folks are going to love them!!

Coming back towards the shelter on Discover Loop, I saw a huge limb hanging in the trees.  When I pulled it down it totally blocked the trail so I had to saw it into parts to clear the trail.  All the while the horseflies were having a feast on me!  Took 10-15 minutes to clear everything.

Then, about 1/4 mile later there was another tree down, totally blocking the trail! Just my luck!  Another 20 minutes for the horseflies to have their way with me!

Finally I got back to the picnic shelter and I knew I was done!  Damn hip was killing me,

Back at the house and it's getting worse and worse.  And I really can't pinpoint where it hurts.  It just hurts!  Almost makes me nauseous.
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Okay . . . it's a few hours and a second dose of ibuprofen later . . . the pain has eased.  And I'm walking with just a little limp!

We'll see how she feels in the morning.  If I have any hope of some marathons / ultras this fall I need at least 15 miles this weekend.  Maybe the road will be easier then the trail.  Don't worry . . . I'll do loops around the neighborhood assuming that I feel like trying it at all.
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Now it's Sunday morning.  And it's weird - almost no hip pain this morning!!!  Yesterday I was suffering . . . couldn't move without pain.  Now, one day later, I'm virtually pain free.

For the most part this is GREAT!  Pain gone!  But from another perspective it's not.  No way I can go to see a doctor when my hip isn't hurting.  I would feel like a fool (well . . . maybe even more like a fool then I normally feel!)

But even with the pain relief I don't think I'll run today.

Quick update . . .

 

 I promise I'm not dead!

Running has just not been happening much for me in the last several weeks.  I had planned to sort of take a break . . . but not this much of a break!




Basically two issues: 1) lack of motivation due to heat / humidity and 2) hip issues. 

The hip problem comes and goes . . . some days it hurts pretty bad.  But other days, not so much.  Very strange!  But not bad enough to see a doctor yet.  I thinking that probably some time off will help.


The heat / humidity issues are just killing everyone!  But with my motivation lacking, I'm just not getting it done!




Hopefully "the broiler" has run it's course and things can get back to a more normal, miserably hot summer!  No planned runs until Hinson Lake 24 and I'm not planning to do any preparation or training for it.  I'll just run what feels good and see how far that takes me.

After Hinson, I'll get back into some sort of a training mode . . .  who know . . . I might even actually follow some sort of plan!  Have done that in several years!

In the mean time there is the Medoc Meltdown 50k and the Medoc Marathon to keep me occupied.

This is about runners!

This morning as I was leaving for work I couldn't find my wallet.  Now that's strange because every time I come home I'm very careful to put it on the counter right next to the door.

I looked all over the house, in the pants I was wearing yesterday, on my dresser.  Even in the dresser drawers (thinking I might have knocked it off the top and it fell into a drawer).  Checked in my car.  Looked everywhere I could think of.  No luck.  So I headed out to work, trying to remember when I last had it.  The best I could remember, the last time I had it was when I filled up for gas at Sheetz on my way home yesterday evening.  I remembered my daughter calling me as I was filling up with gas and I was fumbling around with the phone, the gas pump handle and . . . yes . . . my wallet.  I remember putting it on the roof of my car! 

Oh  Crap!!

When I got to Sheetz I ask if anyone had turned in a wallet and the lady checked and said they hadn't.  So I decided to walk up the median of the highway to see if I could see my wallet . . . it had to have fallen off the rooftop fairly soon as I got up to speed.

I walked for maybe 1/3 mile.  Nothing.

I tried to remember everything I had in my wallet.  I was carring a little more cash then normal, my debit card and my credit card, driver's license, bank access card, and a bunch of other things that didn't really matter all that much.  All gone!

To relieve the pain of the loss some, I did find a $20 bill!!  Certainly not compensation for my loss, but it did ease the pain a little!

A little further down I spotted a $1 bill.  Then . . .another $20.  Guess I had my bad luck yesterday, but someone else had had some bad luck too!  I knew I would be okay with my loss and I hoped whoever lost this would also be okay.  These are tough time for so many people.

Further down the road I saw the sleeve that a NC Hunting / Fishing license comes with.  Looked inside but nothing.  Odd.  Very Odd!  Saw nothing else and went maybe 1 mile.  So I crossed the lanes and headed back towards my car.  Went maybe 1/4 mile and I saw another $1 bill.  Then, I saw an REI membership card . . . with my name on it!

So probably all the money had been mine anyway!  Little further I saw my Sam's Club card.  Then my VISA!!  Thank goodness!  And soon there was my debit card!  But that was it.  Nothing else . . . and no wallet!  So I decided to walk back again . . . I had to have missed the wallet itself!

Going back on the median I did find my fishing license, Food Lion MVP card and a few other things.  But no wallet.

So I headed back towards my car.  On my way back a car pulled over near me.  The driver asked me if I was looking for something and I told him I was looking for my wallet.  He asked where I was from and I told him Littleton, NC.  He smiled a big smile and told me he had been jogging yesterday evening and had found my wallet!  What are the chances!  I am so lucky!

So this was about running after all!  I followed him back to his house (about 4-5 miles away!) and got my wallet back!  YESSSSS!  There are a lot of honest people in the world . .. but this was a runner and I'm sure he would have spent a lot of time trying to find me.  Runners would do that.  Not everyone else would!

What a nice guy!  He and I talked some and it seems his daughter goes the the daycare center near there and he and his buddy run there often.  I told him about the Rocky Mount Endurance Club . . . I hope he will join the group! 

Thank you Ronell  Edmondson!

What a wuss!

Okay . . . I've been backing off for a few weeks.  Just a little rest brought on by some minor 'Boogie' issues . . . But I'm fine!  Just resting some.  But I'm blown away . . . I'm getting more folks coming to my blog each day then I get when I post something new!  What is up with this?

I'm beginning to think the more I don't do, the more folks will like it!

I just wish the same principle would work in my running.  Quite honestly I've found myself not looking forward to my runs.  Actually dreading them is a better description. Just lacking motivation.  Wanting to sleep on Sunday morning rather then go on my long run . . . even in the heat!.  So a break seemed like a good course of action.

So since Boogie, my longest run has been about 10 miles . . . and another about 8 miles.  Plus a few 3-6 milers during the week.  Basically lots of rest!

So I should be feeling all recovered and ready to go!  But that's not happening!  Actually every day is a new physical issue!  Crazy! 

• All last week my wrist hurt (wrist I injured at the Medoc Re-Run in November that still isn't 100%).
• Sunday I was going to do a 16-17 miler at Medoc . . . but I got dizzy after a mile, walked for four miles hoping it would go away.  And finally just quit.
• Monday, my hip hurt.  Really hurt.  I was limping!  No injury, I did nothing!  It just started hurting!
• Tuesday, still a little dizzy and the hip still hurts some . . . but way better.

So bottomline - I'm thinking I'm becoming a hypochondriac of major proportions!

There silly little 'nothings' just have to be in my head!

And we all know that runners are generally prone to hypochondriac-type mentality.  Heck, listening to everyone at the start of a race you would think most of them had to be driven to the starting line by an ambulance!  Everyone has been having 'issues' and their training has just hardly prepared them for the race.  Most question if they will even be able to finish!  But, of course, virtually everyone does finish . . . with great times too!

But this 'layoff' is arming me with a ton of new excuses for my poor performances!  Another week or two and I'll be all set!  Hinson Lake . . . why .. . I'll probably only get in 15 miles or so!

How to Train Fleas!

When I was a young banker in Tennessee, I had the opportunity to hear a luncheon talk by the then head coach of the University of Tennessee football team, Bill Battle.  At that time, Coach Battle was the youngest head football coach in the nation and lead the Volunteers to a 59-22-2 record while the head coach.  Coach Battle was known as a really inspiring leader and field coach . . . but his recruiting skills were a little suspect.

Coach Battle started off telling everyone present he was going to teach us all something that probably no one in the room knew how to do but him.  He was going to teach everyone how to train fleas!










He ask for a show of hands for everyone that already had learned this skill and not a person raised their hand.  Coach Battle promised us this new skill would be a much more valuable skill then anyone would ever believe.  And he was right!

To start the flea training process is really quite simple and you really only need two things: 1) a glass jar with a lid (like a Mason jar or a clean, mayonnaise jar), and 2) a bunch of fleas.  New in East Tennessee we knew how to come up with an empty Mason jar but the coach never told us the best way to gather up a bunch of fleas.  Anyway . . .







Training begins when you put the fleas in the jar, put the top on the jar, shake the jar up  and the set it down on a table.

Believe me the fleas will be upset.  And they'll want to get out of that jar and go find some nearby dog to jump on!  These fleas will be jumping hard, trying to escape.  A flea can jump over 7 inches in vertical height and 13 inches in horizontal length!  These jars are only about 6 inches high.  So when the flea jumps to escape he (or she as the case may be!) will bang his head on the jar top!  I would imagine this would hurt!  And every time the flea jumps . . . BANG against the jar top . . . more pain!

But eventually each flea, for one reason or another, won't jump their full 7 inches one time.  They jump but just not as high and this time they don't hit the jar lid and thus no pain! 

Now fleas probably aren't all that smart!  But even a stupid flea can pretty quickly learn that if you jump as high as you can, it hurts.  But it you jump just a tad less high, there is no pain!  Simple!

So eventually, every flea is still inside the jar jumping hard, trying to escape . . . just not their full 7 inches!  At this point you can take the top off the jar and the fleas, while continuing to jump, won't jump out of the jar!

Vol la!  You have just trained the fleas!

Each flea is totally convinced he (or she!) is trying to escape just as hard as he can.  But he's wrong!  There WAS a barrier, but it's no longer there!

Obviously, Coach Battle was trying to tell us that the banking establishment would put barriers in front of each of us . . . maybe unintentional or maybe even intentional.  But either way, we needed to keep trying just as hard as we can all the time.

Coach Battle warned each of us young banker to not become trained fleas.  And I've tried to remember this lesson all my life.  But I can't tell you how many times I've found that I had been trained and didn't even realize it!!.  And I bet we all have.  And maybe we've even trained a few fleas of our own!

Last night I just realized that I have been taking the easy way out in my training.  Focusing on really long distances but avoiding the pain of interval and hill training.  And I haven't been progressing.  I've fallen into a complacency with my running and I have no one to blame but myself.  I need to do better.  Mediocre results are not a problem, but I should NOT be accepting my mediocre efforts.

But don't get me wrong.  There are parts of my running where I am definitely NOT a trained flea.  I have taken off the blinders about how far someone can run.  I don't just run races where I'm pretty sure I can finish and do well in.  I'm willing to try something that seems virtually impossible and where in all likelihood I will fail.  And I've failed plenty!  While a DNF is not a good thing, my friend Jim Plant tells me "any DNF is way better then a DNS."  And he is right!

But I'm not happy with the fact that I'm a trained flea.  And I'm going to work a little harder and be a little more varied in my running.

My challenge to each of you (and me too!) is to find out what areas in your life that you have become a trained flea.  And then do something about it! 

It's never too late for us to jump!

Boogie . . . Damn you Boogie!

Boogie beat me again . . . damn it!

My training was good.  The temperature forecasts were good.  I knew the course well.  And I was relaxed.  This was going to be my breakthrough year at Boogie.  I was ready!

Up to this year I had always done the Boogie Fun Run aka "the Baby Boogie" aka the "Boogie Marathon."  And every year Boogie handed me my hat and said "Better luck next time, Sucker!"  Nothing about Boogie fits with my running.  Maybe that's why I love this race so much.

Anyway, after one poor finish after another I had the brilliant idea that if I couldn't do well in the marathon maybe I should step up to the "Full Boogie."  Okay, I know it seems stupid to think if I can't do well running 26.2 miles maybe I'll do better running 50.  But it seemed like a good idea at the time.

And I had a plan!  I was going to walk virtually all of the first lap!  In the past, one of the key reasons for my stumbles was the mid June temperatures and humidity combined with the Boogie hills.  And it was 94° that afternoon.  So with a 6 pm start there would be at least 2 hours of bad Boogie heat.  So my plan was to conserve my energy in the heat and then spend it when it's cooler.

So . . . the race started.

    

But just before the start thunderstorms rolled in.  Clouds covered the sun, thunder rolled and the temperatures started to cool.  So cool compared to the afternoon heat I decided that I could go ahead and run lap 1.  So I did.  And soon we had some rain from the storm.  Not a lot . . . just enough to wet everything down.  And then the humidity went to 99.99%.  Nothing could evaporate in this humidity.  So every drop of water hung around.  And every drop of sweat did too!  Soon I felt like I was running in a hot shower.  But I kept on running.

From the top of Bethel Hill, the start where everyone parks!

The Boogie race course starts at
 the top of Bethel Hill and looks like a balloon on a string.  The start is where the string is tied to the balloon.  We run around the balloon (6 miles) then down the string (2 miles) and back up to the start/finish/main aid station for a 10 mile lap.  Everyone parks on the road so your car can serve as your gear drop station.  Awesome setup.

Looking down the other side towards the infamous Bethel Hill.

As we neared the main aid station at mile 6, I saw a bunch of kids with squirt guns soaking runners (as if they weren't already wet enough from their sweat!).  But I had heard the kids plan, so I developed a plan of my own.  At my car I had my own 'super-soaker' all loaded up and ready to go.  Hiding it behind my back, I walked up the last of the hill to the kids.  And then I sprang my surprise!  No way they expected to get soaked by a runner . . . especially an old runner!  Not sure who enjoyed this surprise the most, me or them!

But by the end of lap 1 was beginning to see the writing on the wall.  I was roasting in my own juices!  40 miles to go and I was already medium rare!  I knew I had to slow way down or I was going to be 'done' in 2 laps!  And I had forgotten to take my Cool-off bandanna with me the first lap.  So, with that now in place I completed lap 2 . . . slowing down some, but not near enough.  Plus, I told my friend, Charles West I was starting to feel a hot-spot developing on my left forefoot.  Walking up Bethel Hill I promised myself I would walk way more.  30 miles to go and I was medium-well already!  Oh crap!

Luckily I had a secret weapon . . . or rather 2 secret weapons!  Rick and Tammy Gray had promised to keep my company part of the way.  Tammy joined me first and right off her bad luck multiplied!  First I told her we would be mostly walking.  Then . . . it was almost like World War 3 started!  Thunder and lightning everywhere and the downpour came!  Honestly it was more then a little scary.  This sure didn't help the humidity any but I finally got my body temperature down to something comfortable.  But it was too late . . . the damage had been done.

But Boogie wasn't going to let me get off that easy!

I noticed that 'hot-spot' I had felt lap 1 had gone away!  And in it's place . . . thanks to all the rain, had now morphed into full-fledged blisters!  Nice one, Boogie!  Nice!

But there was one group of folks that was lovin' this weather . . . the frog population.  Never in my life have a heard a more strange assortment of frog calls.  It must have been a 'frog orgy' going on!  I swear there even frogs that sounded like goats!  At least these guys and gals were happy about things!

As Tammy and I passed the main aid station I considered changing shoes and socks . . . but since the weather was still threatening (though the rain had slowed) I opted to just keep going and wait to be sure the rain was over.

Next, Tammy handed me off to her husband Rick (who had been manning the main aid station all evening) for lap 4. 

Now I hate to brag, but in these morning hours I really gave Rick a lesson in the 'Lilley-style' of ultrarunning . . . er ultrawalking!  Rick runs 100 mile runs like they're nothing.  He has run 5ks in the 14 minute range, sub 30 10k and 2:30 marathons!  Imagine the fun he had on a slow walk with me in the rain!  But to give Rick credit, he adapted well!  Thanks Rick!  You and your wife kept me going.  I likely would have dropped without your support!

Before Rick and I started I had a rare treat!  I got to be there when my friend Laura MacLean finished her 50 . . . first place female!  I was so happy to get to be there and see her victory!  That made my night!

So with 30 miles completed and 20 to go, Rick and I headed out for another loop.  The blister pain was really pretty intense.  Several times I just sat down in the road to take off my shoe to try and re-adjust things to relieve the pain . . . but nothing worked.

Oh . . . and I had my first hallucination!  Rick and I both had our light off and then suddenly there were snakes crossing the road everywhere!  Maybe 50 of them!  I really couldn't tell what kind they were but they were everywhere!

As we got back to the main aid station and my car, I stopped to change shoes and socks . . . hoping that might help.  But as I went from my car to the aid station, it was hurting worse then ever.  And I told Rick I was quitting.  The pain was just too much.  Boogie had kicked my ass . . . again.  And this one was worse!  At least with my other Boogie races I had managed to finish.

Rick was supportive and told me that I knew best.  After a few minutes of standing around talking about it and being unsure about quitting, I decided I should just walk down Bethel Hill some while I was re-thinking my decision before I told the lap counters I was DNFing.  So we headed out down the hill.  In a few minutes I told Rick I was going to finish 40 miles before I called it quits.

Going down Bethel Hill it started to get a little lighter and soon we could recognize folks we passed.  And everyone was so encouraging . . . telling me 'great job' and 'awesome finish' super job . . . you did it!'  Somehow I found it really hard to tell them I was so slow I still had another lap to go and I wasn't going to do that last lap . . .

Yea . . . maybe Boogie did kick my ass . . . but I decided to kick back!  Okay . .  it wasn't much of a kick!  But I decided to finish this . . .

Luckily, our race director, Doug Dawkins, told me he would let me finish despite the fact that I was way over the cut-off.  Thanks Doug!

So I got my hat and headed down the hill for lap 5.

But within a mile my macho decision to finish seemed pretty stupid.  Quite frankly I seriously started thinking about turning around and heading back.  Then, I heard a car approaching.

It was Amy Schimmel and Lauren Wilkins coming by to check on me before they headed back to Raleigh.  Amy had every possible thing an ultra runner could need with her!  Her SUV looked like the Clampett's truck headed to California!  They knew I was having blister issues and asked if there was anything they could do!  So they stopped in the road and opened their mobile hospital!

Here is what they looked like Monday PM.

Amy got a folding chair, Lauren got Ibuprofin and the medical kit as I took off my shoes and socks (by this time I had blisters on both feet).  About this time, Jim Plant drove up and and the three of them looked things over and decided the best course of action.  Drain the blister and then use some of Amy's special 'blister tape' to tape over the problem areas.  These three were my saviors.  I would have quit without their help.




So on I went.  And things started feeling much, much better for awhile.  I was back running!  Hell yea!  Passed the aid station and hardly slowed down!  Ran about half way down Bethel Hill when the blister pain returned.  So I just walked.  Only one other person was out there, Paul Heckert and I passed Paul headed up the hill as I was about about half way down!  Yea . . . I was DFL . . . again!

Frank Sherrill was actually sitting in the middle of the road ON the turnaround point!  And he and I walked a way together until Tom Herbst came by and gave Frank a RIDE back to his truck!

Bethel Hill one last time . . . and I was was done!  Paul stayed to see me finish as did Doug Dawkins.  And Amy Surette and her kids were there too!!  ) Amy had finished her first 50 earlier in the morning and just hung out until the bitter end!  A very special thank you to all these folks.

So I did finish.  Based on my performance, I didn't deserve to be an official finisher. Quite honestly this was much more of a walk then a run.  But it was all I could do.  And I'm proud I finished.  Yea . . . Boogie kicked my ass again . . . but I did go down fighting!

Thanks for taking this Amy!