Festivus 50k 2009

Last week was a difficult week for my wife and I and my running definitely took a back seat. We had to say goodbye to our beloved dog Riley and I was pretty broken up over it. I was on the fence whether I would still run Saturday's Festivus 50k or not because my other runs hadn’t gone so well all week. Usually being alone with your thoughts is one of the great things about a run, not so much this week. My Wednesday workout was the only run I was able to complete because I had a friend to chat with to get my mind off everything.
I decided to give it a go on Saturday and I think I made the right decision. I had a hard time focusing and digging deep after a tough week and because of that I made the decision early on to just run relaxed and see how the day unfolded. Even without going in with a racing mindset I ended up with a 50k PR of 3:58 on the day, which ain’t too shabby. This is about as fast a course you could ask for and I think I could achieve a 3:40-3:50 finish in future years. The only challenge for this run is that it’s a self-supported FA event, meaning you carry your own aid.

A couple brief notes about the run itself:

I made a few big errors with the race prep. #1, I forgot my wristwatch. I ran the entire race based on how I felt, not based on my pace. I think it worked out ok in the end. I had no clue whether I would come in with a time of 3:50 or 4:50. I checked my time on my car clock after the run and conferred with Amanda who finished just ahead of me to determine my time. #2, I wore a CamelBak on a day where the temperatures were below freezing. The line froze up and I was without water for the first half of the run. I ended up putting the line under my shirt to let my body heat defrost it. This also ended up not being too big of a problem in the end, I was able to rehydrate on the 2nd half.
There was a bit of confusion, on my end at least, because I made it to the turn-around without seeing anyone on their way back. I knew Amanda was ahead of me but assumed she had either gotten lost or decided to call it a day at some point. I ran the majority of the second half of the race under the impression that I was in the lead. That wasn’t the case, she did make the turn-around and we somehow missed each other downtown. With all the construction downtown and the option to stay high at street level or low along the river we must have run right by each other but not even known it. After chatting with her after the run I have no doubt that she made the turnaround and covered the distance, and is therefore the winner of the Festivus run.
I joked with a friend afterwards that if I knew she was still ahead of me at the turn-around that I probably would have pushed myself too hard on the return trip and crashed and burned (my competitiveness sometimes gets the best of me :). I think it was best that I just ran my own pace and let the chips fall where they may.

After the run I stuck around and chatted with Amanda and her family, Ted, Greg, and David. I always enjoy catching up with fellow runners after a race; picking their brains about training and races they’ve done. Greg, David and myself even went over to Rusty Bucket for an adult beverage – a hell of a way to cap off a great run.

Thanks to Dan D. for organizing another great event. I’ll be back next year.

Road Rules

Runner’s World brought some attention to an article that recently ran in a Boston paper, I believe it was the Globe. To sum it up, a guy got banned from running in a New Hampshire town because he refused to stop running on the roads and behaved badly when the cops pestered him. What really caught my attention, and Runner’s World’s attention, was all the readers comments on the article. The comments, from mostly non-runners, shouldn’t shock me.
As a runner, who occasionally ventures out onto the roads, most drivers feel like they shouldn’t have to share the roads with anyone, let alone runners and they find ways to get that point across on a regular basis. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to stop and collect myself because an a$$hole driver made a point to hug the curb and almost clipped me with a mirror. Luckily I don’t typically run with an iPod and am hyperaware of traffic while running on the roads.
Just a couple months ago on a bike ride a guy came flying by me and a couple friends on a country road, again making a point to hug the burm. His mirror nearly caught my handlebar and would have put me in the hospital for sure if it did. I barely kept the bike on the road and almost ended up in a ditch. If he would have hit me I might have ended up under his vehicle or at best on the pavement, which wouldn’t have been pretty traveling at 20+ miles per hour clipped into a bike. I guess the guy made his point, I just wish he wouldn’t have put my health at risk to do so. I was so mad that if he had pulled into a driveway or had stopped his car it would have taken every ounce of composure I had to not kick his a$$ or at least get beat to hell trying…

So obviously I have my opinions on the topic. I’ll try and stay out of your way if you try and respect my right to be on the road too.

Feel free to read the article at, http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2009/12/02/for_jogger_no_more_crossing_the_line/

Here are just a few of the 200+ comments (and my comments to each below). There are so many that I don’t have time to read them all but you’ll get the idea.

stinkinmuck wrote:
Maybe the police should worry about the people in their cars rather than someone running. I've been hit by rear view mirrors three times, had things thrown at me, been sworn at and almost run over many, many times despite being conscientious and staying as close to the side of the road as possible when I run. Some drivers just don't want to share the road with anyone and it sounds like the police in Portsmith don't either.

MP: big fear of mine as well. If we’re all courteous of one another I think we can all “share the road.”

alleydweller wrote:
(commenting on stinkinmuck’s post) Best argument for keeping joggers off the streets and roads which were designed and built for VEHICULAR traffic. Go to your local high school and do laps around the track. No. I don't want to "share" the road with you; you sound like an accident waiting to happen.

MP: I’m lucky to be able to do most of my longer runs on a path, but imagine doing a 20+ mile run on a track…

dougzinboston wrote:
Unless he's jogging in the middle of the road, I thought the heirarchy (sic) of the road began with people, bikes THEN cars. Am I wrong? I understand about issues with blocking traffic, but if people are aggrevated (sic) with him because they constantly have to go around him, that is too bad. They aren't having to pass around an 18 wheeler and a crew, it's a person. I bet the people complaining are big fatties who can't jog like him nevermind (sic) run around town shirtless.

MP: maybe I’m wrong but doesn’t the pedestrian have the right away? Or is that only in a crosswalk. I honestly don’t know.

CityCity wrote:
If he's a "jogger" that means he's a pedestrian and, legally and from a common sense perspective, should not be ANYWHERE on the road. Pedestrians are supposed to be on the sidewalk.
This looks to me like another holier than thou runner blocking traffic and giving a hard time to people trying to actually drive on the street. No shortage of them in Boston.

MP: alright, chime in people. Are we legally aloud to run in the road? Who has the right of way?

voicemania wrote:
this guy is like most of the hollow-eyed obsessive exercise narcisists (sic) running the roads of America; runnning (sic) out some deep, dark trauma and pain, traffic be damned.

MP: I think he got his point across, he’s not a fan of running, or probably exercise in general. Deep dark trauma, ha! Running is therapeutic for sure, but that doesn’t mean I’m running away from anything…

Robo84 wrote:
Stay out of the road or pay the penalty. Simple as that. This same guy will be suing the town if he got hit by a car while jogging.
Act like an idiot and get treated like one. This isn't a story...this is a man craving attention.

MP: I won’t debate that I’m an idiot, but should there BE a penalty for running on the roads?

canaqua wrote:
…The entitlement attitude that many people acquire as soon as they get behind the wheel should be discouraged, not encouraged. Yes, people and bicycles can be in the road, except on state highways like 95, 2, etc...and there are signs posted there specifically saying so.

MP: Amen. Driving is a privilege not a right, that’s why you have to get a license.

OldDude3 wrote:
Oh.....look at me run....look at me run. I'm better than you....look at me run. There are hundreds of places to run in solitude and safety but alot (sic) of runners crave the same attention that the d-bags who write on their laptops in coffeeshops (sic) do.

MP: alright, I got to admit this one’s pretty funny. Yes, we run ALONE on the roads because we’re starved for attention. If I was starved for attention I’d go a bar in a pink polo shirt with the collar popped, or something…

spartan112 wrote:
Teddy Bikes absolutely belong on the road. They are a vehicle and thus do not belong on the sidewalk. I bike 100+ miles a week during the spring and summer months and have not had a problem other than being heckled by motorists. If you're concerned about the safety of cyclists how about getting off your cell phone and focusing on the road? As for runners, while the sidewalk can be safer it is generally not as evenly paved as a road and many times it's made of concrete which is much less forgiving on feet, knees, ankles, etc. Also, if I remember correctly downtown Portsmouth has very narrow sidewalks that provide barely enough room for two people to pass so he'd likely be more of an annoyance or safety issue there than on the street as long as he is running against traffic as he should.

MP: Amen. The first comment about DRIVERS having a little responsibility to look out for the safety of others.

silverbulletman wrote:
stinkinmuck.....runners and bicyclists alike do not belong on the roads. The roads are for automobiles and most roads that you idiots run and bike on aren't wide enough for autos and you fools at the same time. So I say, run at your own risk. If my SUV mirror clips you, then quit running on the road. There are indoor and outdoor tracks and trails for this activity.

MP: first you call me an idiot, then a fool, and then you admit no guilt for hitting runners with your SUV mirror? This guy’s a piece of work!

1234GBB wrote:
As a habit, I run for good health. But also being a driver, I know when and where to run. Not only for my own safety, but for the well being of all the drivers on the road as well. After all, as many have said, the roads were designed and built for vehicular traffic and not a jogging path. (Why there are no regulations about keeping pedestrians out of the roads when it is dark in this over regulated society is beyond me)...anyway,
I drive my commute to and from work in the dark (not figuratively, literally) and travel the unlit suburban backroads with a keen eye looking for the invisible human that think they have every god given right to jog down the middle of this dark road at five in the morning without so much as a reflector on their jogging shoes. Throw in a little rain or drizzle and the occasional oncoming cars headlights and that my friend IS an accident just waiting to happen......and it will be the driver of the car at fault. Go figure.
If you run, use your head and run when and where it is safe to do so. The life you save may be your own.

MP: this guy’s anti-road running but at least he’s eloquent, so I respect his opinion.

AcrossDaPond wrote:
ROADS ARE FOR CARS, not yahoo's running half naked through towns. God, you live in one of the least populated states in the nation, is there not enough park/forest/fields to run in? This guy is just trying to be another "look at me" idoit darting into and out of traffic, prob just waiting for someone on their way to work to hit him so he can sue...

MP: damn, he got me! The only reason I run is so I can sue someone in the event they hit me with their vehicle.

jreagan wrote:
Can we please get back to talking about Tiger Woods or Jon&Kate?

MP: yes. Yes we can. Thanks for your time and if you’re brave enough, your comments.

Still Chugging Along...

I’ve been a little lazy with my posting recently. My training has actually been going pretty well, but I’m just developing an ultra base right now and there’s nothing real exciting about that. I’ve stepped up my training to three days a week of running, fast on Wednesdays and long on Saturdays and Sundays, and I’ve been lifting and cycling for 1 hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The bike trainer I purchased turned out to be well worth the money. It allows me to cross train in the comfort of my own home and get some use out of my little used road bike.


As far as my last week of running is concerned, I had a nice workout on Wednesday with MIT. A group was doing mile repeats on the track, they were doing 4x 1 mile, and so I decided to join them since I haven’t really written up a training plan of my own. The track we work out at has lane barriers up during the winter, so it’s a little challenging measuring distance when you can’t run in lanes 1-3 so I just decided to run 4 laps, even though the distance was probably a little long. I hit my first “mile” at 5:52, the second at 5:45, and my third at 5:40. At that point Mary had arrived and I decided to scrap the last repeats and hit the trail for an easy 6 mile run. My legs just didn’t have the turnover after a hard weekend of training and I decided a 4th mile wouldn’t really do me any good. Mary and I churned out the 6 mile run at about 7:30 pace, which felt much better than those mile repeats! Total mileage, including warm-up and cool-down, ended up being just over 12 miles.

On Saturday I headed over to TWHS, hoping to catch some MIT’ers going out for a long run. No matter what time I show up it seems like Tim D. and his crew always start their run a half hour earlier. I figured it’s still dark at 7am now, so they’re probably going to be meeting at 7:30. I should have none running in the dark would not stop this group - they are one dedicated group of runners. So I ran into Tim’s crew at Hills, they were 6+ miles into their run and I was just hitting 3 miles. We ran together for another 12 miles, so I got in 15 for the day and they ran 18. Best part about the run was that it was Julie M’s birthday and in true team 8:30 style we celebrated after the run. There were Jello shots and mimosas, and Julie’s birthday candle’s were stuck in a bagel. I’ll tell you what, that group has a lot of fun and I’m glad they allow me to join in their fun from time to time.

Since I only ran 15 miles on Saturday I had to do at least 15 on Sunday. Mary was looking for someone to run with and I suggested Highbanks for a long run. We mapped out a nice little 5+ mile loop filled with hills and we ran that 3 times. The first loop sucked and was slow, second loop was easier but I had a little chaffing problem. We made a quick stop back at my car to remedy the problem and I think Mary was impressed with my running kit I keep in my car. Let’s just say I’m prepared for any situation that might present itself on a run, as long as I’m able to make it back to my car! We set our for a third loop, which flew by and tacked on a little distance on at the end to get an even 16 miles for the day. We averaged 8:01 pace overall, which explains why Mary was running away from me at the end – I’m guessing she wanted to hit 8:00 on the dot but I was holding her back. It ended up being a really great run and got me to a 50k distance covered for the weekend.

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy gorging yourself this weekend, you’re a runner, you deserve to let loose every once in a while!

Not a Bad Ass, but a Pretty Good Weekend

Well I came up a little short on my bid to become a bad ass, only completeing 5 loops plus the Oak Hill climb to get my dum dum.  It ended up being just over 26.2, so at least I got in a marathon.

Things went quite well early on actually.  I ran the first loop very relaxed and by the time I hit the riding run trail I hit my stride.  I had let Patrick go ahead early on this loop but by the time I got back to the bridal staging area near the coverd bridge he was just leaving for his second loop.  I finished the first loop in just over 41 minutes, so I was running about 8 minute pace on that first loop.  Patrick and I ran together for the next three loops and it was great having some company on the trail.  I felt as though we were running at a very comfortable pace and continuted to clock loops in about 42 minutes.

Patrick is running a race next weekend so he called it a day after 4 loops and I continued on along.  Near the end of that 4th loop my shoulders and back started to tighten up a bit and I decided to take the 5th loop slower and hoped things would loosen up with a slower pace.  It was a difficult loop.  Legs were fine, heart rate was ok, but my entire back was killing me.  I don't know what was going on but after a slow 5th loop I decided to just do the Oak Hill climb and call it a day.  I completed the marathon in 4:08, so it was still a pretty good effort for the day but I was obviously dissapointed that I wouldn't be getting a t-shirt for a bad ass finish.

After laying on my back for a while and spending some time in my in-laws hot tub, my back loosened up and I felt pretty good actualy.  This having been the first time I've experienced back pain I didn't know how to remedy this stiffness on the run.  I hope to figure this out before my next big race, because I don't want something like this to result in a DNF again.  One thing I will continue to do is work to improve my core strength, which should only help.  I hadn't lifted weights all summer or fall and just two weeks ago started up my lifting regiment again.  If I stick with it through the winter and get stronger I hope the back and shoulder pain I had on Saturday isn't a problem going forward.

Of course the Bad Ass 50k was just one of my two races on the calendar this weekend.  On Sunday I was scheduled to pace the 8:00 per mile group at the Buckeye Classic 10 at Highbanks Metropark in Columbus.  I was seriously doubting my abilities to pace after the marathon I had run on Saturday so I called my friend Roger up and asked if he would be willing to help me pace.  If I couldn't make it I knew Roger would be able to handle it without a problem.  Of course Roger agreed to help out, so I had some insurance for Sunday.

I was definitely stiff after the 26.2 miles I ran on Saturday but after stretching out a bit I was feeling OK.  The first mile of the 10k is on a flat trail along the river, and it took me a while to loosen up.  After the first mile we hit the Dripping Rock Trail and the next 4 miles are seriously hilly.  I was surprised that I was doing quite well going up and down the hills.  The 8:00 pace wasn't much of a challenge so far.  At about 3 miles we looped around the Overlook Trail, which is another hilly section of trail before reconnecting with the Dripping Rock Trail.  When we came down off the hill at about the 5 mile marker we were still easily on pace and I was running very relaxed.  The last mile was a repeat of the first mile - a flat trail along the river.  Roger and I finished right on pace, very relaxed.

I was pretty surprised I felt so good on my run today, but it was an encouraging sign.  Although I struggled late in the Bad Ass 50k it wasn't an indication of my fitness and I don't think it was a result of going out too fast.  It just is what it is.  I ran into a difficulty I hadn't encountered before and didn't know how to work through it on the run.

My next "race" happens to be another fat ass, the Festivus 50k on December 12th here in Columbus.  I ran a 4:20 on the course last year after having run a 3:27 at Columbus in 2008.  I did a lot of walking late in that run as well.  If things go well I think a time of 3:50-4:00 is well within reach.

That's all for now, hope to see you all out on the trail!

Am I a Bad Ass?

Tomorrow morning I’ll be participating in the first annual Bill’s Bad Ass 50k in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Although this is a fat ass race, meaning it’s an unofficial event, there is a huge list of registered participants and we all receive a free t-shirt for participating. What really makes this event bad ass is that it is run exclusively on the Perkins/Riding Run trail in the CVNP, which is a notoriously gnarly trail. The loop has some pretty steep hills, a couple creek crossing but more than anything else you can always count on this loop to be muddy. I ran this trail a few weeks ago and it was completely covered in leaves making it difficult to see tree roots, making it even more difficult a trail to traverse. This loop is run 80 miles into the Burning River 100 course and is notorious for making people quit. We will be running it 6 times…bad ass.


To top off an already bad ass weekend, I have a previous commitment to pace a pretty bad ass trail race in it’s own right on Sunday – The Buckeye 10k in Columbus. Run at the Highbanks Metropark it traverses some of the steepest trails here in Columbus and should be a pretty difficult challenge. My biggest challenge won’t be completing the 10k, it will be maintaining the pace I’m responsible for. It looks like I’ll be pacing the 8:00 per mile pace group, which is super tough to maintain on a hilly trail, let alone the day after a tough 50k. I would really prefer to pace a 9:00 or 10:00 pace group but it looks like there’s no one to pace the 8:00 group and I’m always up for a challenge.

I will try and conserve some energy on Saturday so I have enough left in the tank for Sunday, but we’ll have to wait and see how things play out.

Things Didn't Go As Planned

I had big plans for this weekend.  The plan was to run 9 miles with MIT on Saturday, which went according to plan, and then run the Mohican 50k course on Sunday for a total of 40 miles.  I planned on mapping the entire route with my new Garmin so Rob could post the course on his race website.  A group was planning to meet at the Covered Bridge at 8am, so I planned to start earlier at the START/FINISH and run the course to the covered bridge.
I got to the MTB parking lot at 6am ready to hit the trail, the weather was perfect for a trail run.  I did encounter an early problem though, about a mile onto the trail my headlamp went out - I think the battery simply died and I hadn't brought spare batteries.  I decided the best thing to do would be to head back to my car and wait for the sun to come up.  I managed to make it back just fine and about 10 minutes later there was sufficient light to head back out.  In retrospect I should have stayed out on the trail and waited for the sun to come up instead of backtracking.
I was now behind schedule and not wanting people to have to wait too long for me at the Covered Bridge I was covering ground quickly.  About two miles into the run I hit a root or rock and went down on the trail.  I wasn't able to get my hands under me to break my fall and my right knee hit a rock, taking the full impact of the fall.  I stayed on the ground for a couple of minutes in some pain, trying to stretch the knee out before hitting the trail again.  I got up and proceeded along the trail.  Although my knee was very sore and stiff I tried to push through it, sure that the pain would subside after a couple of miles.  That wasn't the case and a mile later I was having difficulty running at all.  I knew that I would neither be able to run the entire 50k course or make it to the Covered Bridge in time to meet the 8am group.  I called Rob and asked if he could come pick me up at Hickory Ridge.  A few short minutes later Rob and Michelle came to the rescue.
Although my knee was really hurting me it wasn't bruising or swelling so I assumed it wasn't too big a deal and decided to try and jog easy with the group and give the lodge loop a try.  It didn't go very well.  After really struggling to keep up through Little Lyon Falls I decided I would walk the rest of the purple loop, while the rest of the group continued onto the lodge.  It was slow going and it was especially tough making my way down Big Lyon Falls but I was able to make it back to the Covered Bridge right at the faster runners were finishing their 9 mile loop.  Instead of doing 31 miles I barely managed to log 10 miles for the day...not what I had in mind.
I was pleased that my dad, who had some down from Medina to run, had decided to call it a day at 9 miles because I needed a ride back to my car.  We decided to grab a bite to eat at Mellors before we headed home, the home of the $1.99 all you can eat pancake breakfast.  It was a long uncomfortable ride back to Columbus.  I'm pleased that after icing my knee and taking a nap I'm feeling pretty good.  The knees still sore but I have a feeling I'll be ok to go in a couple of days - if I had to guess I would say that I have some bursitis and nothing more.
Whether or not I'm able to run Bills Bad Ass 50k next weekend is very much up in the air.  We'll have to wait and see...

Words that Ring True

A I read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer I can't help to think how ultra running and mountaineering are a lot alike.  The challenges and dangers are quite different, but the driving force behind our desires to take on such enormous challenges seem to be quite similar.

Excerpts from Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer:


"Some of the same people that warned me against writing hastily had also cautioned me against going to Everest in the first place. There were many, many fine reasons not to go, but attempting to climb Everest is an intrinsically irrational act - a triumph of desire of sensibility. Any person who would seriously consider it is almost by definition beyond the sway of reasoned argument."
-John Krakauer Into Thin Air

"But these are men for whom the unattainable has a special attraction.  Usually they are not experts: their ambitions and fantasies are strong enough to brush aside the doubts which more cautious men might have.  Determination and faith are their strongest weapons.  At best such men are regarded as eccentric, at worst, mad...
Everest has attracted its share of men like these.  Their mountaineering experience varied from none at all to very slight - certainly none of them had the kind of experience which would make an ascent of Everest a reasonable goal.  Three things they all had in common: faith in themselves, great determination, and endurance."
-Walt Unsworth Everest

I'll continue to post good excerpts as I make my way through the book.