I took quite a bit of time off of training to make sure my calf is completely healed. Over the last two weeks I have had several runs of 5 to 8 miles and everything is feeling great. Starting this week I will get more consistent and stick to a schedule building up to the Spring, Summer and Fall races with the end objective to complete a 100 mile race in September.
I did get into the Squaw Peak 50 mile race scheduled on June 2nd. That should be a good run and one I need to complete if I end up entering the Bear 100. The Bear 100 requires that you complete a 50 mile race in under 16 hours, which is not at all difficult but you do have to "check the box" in order to gain entry. Next week I will put into the lottery for the Wasatch 100 mile race but with the lottery for that race being about a 50/50 chance with only one draw (my 1st year putting in) I need to have a back up race. Depending on how things go I also intend to run the Speedgoat 50K again. I think with the course knowledge I now have and training a little differently this summer, I will be able to make a significant improvement on my time from last year. Depending on how my training goes over he next few months I will probably also run one of the Antelope Island Buffalo run events. Either the 50K or the 50 Miler depending on where I am at with training at the end of March.
Work has been very rough over the last few months and I don't know if it will get better in the next 3 to 4 months. I think once we get past the 1st quarter things should start to slowly improve. I bring this up as it has been a serious mental drain on me. I try to not let it affect my training but sometimes it completely takes over my brain and unfortunately my life. Running generally has let me escape some of that stress, but at times I find that during my entire run all I did was think about work. Not a good thing!
I also have my first grandchild due the 3rd week of January. That will be awesome but with my daughter and her husband living with us while he is in school, it will be somewhat of a distraction, albeit a joyful one and I wouldn't trade it for anything. My wife is extremely excited to have our new granddaughter staying with us for a while.
We are now just one week away from Christmas and with my training and diet not being what I would have liked, I have put on a few pounds. Now that I will be training more seriously and watching my diet I hope to get my weight back in line once the holidays have passed. I just cannot pass up good food that is so abundant this time of year.
I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
It's Back
Here we are just a couple of days before the Pony Express 50 Mile race and my calf injury is back. I felt it on my long run almost 2 weeks ago and then when I was doing a short run on Saturday it came back with a full head of steam. There is no way I can do a race right now. The only bright side is that although it is in the same calf as my previous injury it is in a different part of my calf, hopefully it will heal fast and not cause me too many problems long term.
Maybe it is for the best as today I can tell I am getting sick to boot. My wife has been sick for a few days now so I figured I would probably get it, sure enough yesterday I had a scratchy throat and today I also feel feverish.
With the injury comes a change in plans. There will be no 50 mile race this year. I will not make my goal in that regard. I hate missing goals, it is so discouraging. I will now be shooting for the Antelope Island/Buffalo Run 50 Miler in the spring of next year. That gives me a lot of time to heal, to train, and to lose weight, all of which are very important going into next year and running a 100 mile mountain race next fall.
Hopefully the two months find my calf healed, my spirits soaring, and my training on schedule.
Maybe it is for the best as today I can tell I am getting sick to boot. My wife has been sick for a few days now so I figured I would probably get it, sure enough yesterday I had a scratchy throat and today I also feel feverish.
With the injury comes a change in plans. There will be no 50 mile race this year. I will not make my goal in that regard. I hate missing goals, it is so discouraging. I will now be shooting for the Antelope Island/Buffalo Run 50 Miler in the spring of next year. That gives me a lot of time to heal, to train, and to lose weight, all of which are very important going into next year and running a 100 mile mountain race next fall.
Hopefully the two months find my calf healed, my spirits soaring, and my training on schedule.
Monday, September 12, 2011
What's next?
It's now been more than a month since I completed the Speedgoat 50K. I didn't run for a few days as I was just too sore, then I got a sinus infection and am now on my 2nd round of antibiotics attempting to get on top of it. Work has been rough the last month as well. I am cautiously optimistic that work will get better beginning in November, probably not before that. In spite of all that I have had a couple of mountain runs over the last few weeks and have been hitting the mileage fairly consistently on asphalt now that my thighs, hips, and knees have recovered from Speedgoat.
I should do about 45 miles this week if everything goes as planned. So what race to day next? My goal is to do at least a 50 miler by the end of this year so that I have the qualification taken care of in case I end up in the Bear 100 next year. With that in mind there are 3 nearby races that will fit the bill. The Slick Rock 50 is in Moab on October 8th, that may be a bit soon but I will probably see how I feel at the end of this week and go from there, it would also require a hotel stay the night before, not a big deal but not as convenient as sleeping in your own bed. The next option is the Pony Express Trail 50 that is on October 21st. This race definitely has some appeal as your support crew can be with you the entire race, not just at specific aid station locations. The down side is that this race is flat as flat can be. almost no elevation gain, in fact the entire race is on a dirt road in the west desert on the Pony Express Trail. The 3rd option is the Antelope Island 100K on November 5th. Definitely has some appeal to me as it has elevation changes on about half of the course, the other half being quite flat. It is also 62 Miles which adds another dimension to that decision.
I think I will have a better idea on which one of these to go with over the next couple of weeks of training. Time will tell.
I should do about 45 miles this week if everything goes as planned. So what race to day next? My goal is to do at least a 50 miler by the end of this year so that I have the qualification taken care of in case I end up in the Bear 100 next year. With that in mind there are 3 nearby races that will fit the bill. The Slick Rock 50 is in Moab on October 8th, that may be a bit soon but I will probably see how I feel at the end of this week and go from there, it would also require a hotel stay the night before, not a big deal but not as convenient as sleeping in your own bed. The next option is the Pony Express Trail 50 that is on October 21st. This race definitely has some appeal as your support crew can be with you the entire race, not just at specific aid station locations. The down side is that this race is flat as flat can be. almost no elevation gain, in fact the entire race is on a dirt road in the west desert on the Pony Express Trail. The 3rd option is the Antelope Island 100K on November 5th. Definitely has some appeal to me as it has elevation changes on about half of the course, the other half being quite flat. It is also 62 Miles which adds another dimension to that decision.
I think I will have a better idea on which one of these to go with over the next couple of weeks of training. Time will tell.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Speedgoat 50K
Here it is the day after the Speedgoat 50K. My first "Ultra Marathon" is now complete. It was a good experience but today question my sanity that I entered to run this event. Seriously though, with "11,420' of vertical pain" this is the most physically challenging thing I have ever done and although extremely difficult, both physically and mentally, it was also very fulfilling and satisfying when I completed it.
Josh picked me up at 5:10 am, he was a volunteer at one of the aid stations and had to be to the event at the same time as the runners. We arrived at Snowbird at 5:45. I picked up my number and some handouts and was ready at the start line by 6:15 which is when we received the final verbal instructions for the event. Once the instructions were given we moved to the starting line awaiting the 6:30 start.
I lined up at the back of the pack knowing I would be one of the slower runners. I definitely lined up to far back in the pack. As we got going it became obvious that I was going to be behind some very slow climbers when we hit the single track area going uphill. I ended up having to wait for a wider area before I could pass any of them, this definitely cost me some time. Within a few miles the crowd was spread out and I was falling in with people going generally my same pace.
The race progressed well through the climb up to Hidden Peak (where the tram let's people off) I felt very good but when I went to fill up my water bladder I realized that I had not drank enough water for the first 6+ miles of the race. I knew this would probably cost me later, which it did. I generally start out all of my runs chewing gum for the first mile or so, it seems to keep my mouth fresh, but for this race I kept it in my mouth for about 5 miles and as a result I didn't feel at all thirsty and didn't drink very much. From that point on I drank a lot of water but I don't think I ever caught up on my hydration for the rest of the day. From Hidden Peak it is a short down and then another climb to Mt. Baldy then just a couple of miles down to "Larry's Hole" which is the aid station that Josh was working at. I felt great at that point and it was great to see Josh and talk to him maybe 30 or 45 seconds before moving forward.
After Larry's Hole is a crazy descent. It is not that it is extremely steep but there is about 3 miles where you are running on a jeep road that is 100% rocks, no dirt at all. The rocks range from the size of marbles to cantaloupes. It is steep enough that you have to put the brakes on the entire way and with the rocks you cannot take your attention off of the road for even a split second. In this section I went for more than an hour without seeing another runner. I was not passing anyone, and no one was passing me. It was definitely strange not seeing anyone for that long of a period of time. About 2/3 of the way down this stretch my knees started to hurt. They would get worse as the day wore on but luckily I only felt it on the steep downhills. Although there are a lot of steep downhills in this race I was able to keep going and deal with the pain.
At about the half way point you hit an aid station at the bottom of the course in American Fork Canyon. After the aid station is a very long fairly steep uphill. This is when my lack of hydration hit me like a brick. Both of my thighs got knots in them. At first I dealt with it but they were continually getting worse. For the first time I had thoughts that I may not be able to complete the race, they were that bad. I also passed 2 guys in this section that had come to a full stop and were vomiting. Seeing this definitely does not help the mental psyche. I took 8 baby aspirin and continued to push on. I think that between the aspirin, my focusing on water intake for the last couple of hours, and the course not being quite as steep as earlier in the several mile long uphill, my thighs started to feel a little better.
At this point I felt confident that I would be able to finish but was very concerned about making the cutoff. You have to be to "The Tunnels" aid station by 3:00 or you are not allowed to continue. I knew I had the steepest part of the course just before that aid station, and just after the station Josh was working at.With my thighs as they were, hitting that aid station by 3:00 became my immediate goal. At this point I was following another runner and we missed a turn. This cost us about 6 or 7 minutes before we realized it and got back to the cutoff. The trail was well marked I was just so focused on the task that I just followed him and didn't notice the ribbons indicating the turnoff. When I got back to where Josh was working I let him know that I was definitely hurting and asked if he had cell service there, he did. I asked him to call Brenda, my wife, and let her know I was about an hour behind. Brenda and some of my kids were planning on meeting me at the finish line and I didn't want them to have to spend hours there waiting for me.
During long races you have highs and lows, and after the low I had been having over the last couple of hours I was now finally getting into a bit of a high, whether this was due to my pain being a bit less, seeing Josh again for a minute, or just the way things work I don't know. When we hit the steepest part of the course I was feeling pretty good. I didn't push it crazy hard but just kept consistently at it knowing I had to hit the cut off aid station by 3:00. About half way up the steep climb I knew I was going to make the cutoff with plenty of time to spare. I got to the top of the climb and then ran over to "The Tunnels" aid station right at 2:30. 30 minutes before cutoff.
After you go through the tunnel you then have a long descent, again my knees were just killing me on this downhill but I made fairly good time. I knew at the bottom of this descent was a very, very long uphill to Hidden Peak for the final aid station. At the bottom I took my last 8 baby aspirin. I knew that between my thighs on the crazy long uphill and my knees on the 5+ mile downhill to the finish I would definitely need them.
I felt quite good on the final uphill to Hidden Peak and was able to deal with the knots in my thighs, I passed several people in this section but was sure they would probably pass me on the long downhill with my knees being in the condition they were in, which they did.
Hitting the aid station at Hidden Peak and knowing that I was now at 26+ miles and the rest was downhill, I now knew I would finish, it was now just a question of how long it would take.me. I started the trek down, shortly after Hidden Peak was a long section that had a very large amount of snow still there. They had ropes attached if you wanted them at this point but the idea was to butt slide for about 300 yards. When I got there people were hanging onto the ropes and going down very slow. I went over to the side of the ropes and did my butt slide without the rope assist, I passed several more people here.
From here on it was about 4 miles all down hill, my knees were killing me. I had a couple of people pass me over that 4 mile period but did pass one other runner about 100 yards before the finish line.
I finished at 11 hours, a full hour longer than I had hoped for. Waiting at the finish line were my 2 daughters and their husbands, my son Josh who talked me into this crazy thing, and my wife Brenda. I want to thank all of them for supporting me with this endeavor, especially Brenda as there has been a very large time commitment to this on my part and has taken away a lot of time that I would normally spend at home or with her.
Important things I learned during this race:
Don't start to far back in the pack.
Don't chew gum.
Drink more water than you think you need.
Watch the markers so you don't take a wrong turn.
Wear gaiters ( I had to stop 3 times to get rocks out of my shoes).
Take my Ipod, I think it would have helped during a couple of my low points.
Lose more weight before my next run.
Truly appreciate my health that allows me to do these types of things.
Be thankful for my terrific family.
Josh picked me up at 5:10 am, he was a volunteer at one of the aid stations and had to be to the event at the same time as the runners. We arrived at Snowbird at 5:45. I picked up my number and some handouts and was ready at the start line by 6:15 which is when we received the final verbal instructions for the event. Once the instructions were given we moved to the starting line awaiting the 6:30 start.
I lined up at the back of the pack knowing I would be one of the slower runners. I definitely lined up to far back in the pack. As we got going it became obvious that I was going to be behind some very slow climbers when we hit the single track area going uphill. I ended up having to wait for a wider area before I could pass any of them, this definitely cost me some time. Within a few miles the crowd was spread out and I was falling in with people going generally my same pace.
The race progressed well through the climb up to Hidden Peak (where the tram let's people off) I felt very good but when I went to fill up my water bladder I realized that I had not drank enough water for the first 6+ miles of the race. I knew this would probably cost me later, which it did. I generally start out all of my runs chewing gum for the first mile or so, it seems to keep my mouth fresh, but for this race I kept it in my mouth for about 5 miles and as a result I didn't feel at all thirsty and didn't drink very much. From that point on I drank a lot of water but I don't think I ever caught up on my hydration for the rest of the day. From Hidden Peak it is a short down and then another climb to Mt. Baldy then just a couple of miles down to "Larry's Hole" which is the aid station that Josh was working at. I felt great at that point and it was great to see Josh and talk to him maybe 30 or 45 seconds before moving forward.
After Larry's Hole is a crazy descent. It is not that it is extremely steep but there is about 3 miles where you are running on a jeep road that is 100% rocks, no dirt at all. The rocks range from the size of marbles to cantaloupes. It is steep enough that you have to put the brakes on the entire way and with the rocks you cannot take your attention off of the road for even a split second. In this section I went for more than an hour without seeing another runner. I was not passing anyone, and no one was passing me. It was definitely strange not seeing anyone for that long of a period of time. About 2/3 of the way down this stretch my knees started to hurt. They would get worse as the day wore on but luckily I only felt it on the steep downhills. Although there are a lot of steep downhills in this race I was able to keep going and deal with the pain.
At about the half way point you hit an aid station at the bottom of the course in American Fork Canyon. After the aid station is a very long fairly steep uphill. This is when my lack of hydration hit me like a brick. Both of my thighs got knots in them. At first I dealt with it but they were continually getting worse. For the first time I had thoughts that I may not be able to complete the race, they were that bad. I also passed 2 guys in this section that had come to a full stop and were vomiting. Seeing this definitely does not help the mental psyche. I took 8 baby aspirin and continued to push on. I think that between the aspirin, my focusing on water intake for the last couple of hours, and the course not being quite as steep as earlier in the several mile long uphill, my thighs started to feel a little better.
At this point I felt confident that I would be able to finish but was very concerned about making the cutoff. You have to be to "The Tunnels" aid station by 3:00 or you are not allowed to continue. I knew I had the steepest part of the course just before that aid station, and just after the station Josh was working at.With my thighs as they were, hitting that aid station by 3:00 became my immediate goal. At this point I was following another runner and we missed a turn. This cost us about 6 or 7 minutes before we realized it and got back to the cutoff. The trail was well marked I was just so focused on the task that I just followed him and didn't notice the ribbons indicating the turnoff. When I got back to where Josh was working I let him know that I was definitely hurting and asked if he had cell service there, he did. I asked him to call Brenda, my wife, and let her know I was about an hour behind. Brenda and some of my kids were planning on meeting me at the finish line and I didn't want them to have to spend hours there waiting for me.
During long races you have highs and lows, and after the low I had been having over the last couple of hours I was now finally getting into a bit of a high, whether this was due to my pain being a bit less, seeing Josh again for a minute, or just the way things work I don't know. When we hit the steepest part of the course I was feeling pretty good. I didn't push it crazy hard but just kept consistently at it knowing I had to hit the cut off aid station by 3:00. About half way up the steep climb I knew I was going to make the cutoff with plenty of time to spare. I got to the top of the climb and then ran over to "The Tunnels" aid station right at 2:30. 30 minutes before cutoff.
After you go through the tunnel you then have a long descent, again my knees were just killing me on this downhill but I made fairly good time. I knew at the bottom of this descent was a very, very long uphill to Hidden Peak for the final aid station. At the bottom I took my last 8 baby aspirin. I knew that between my thighs on the crazy long uphill and my knees on the 5+ mile downhill to the finish I would definitely need them.
I felt quite good on the final uphill to Hidden Peak and was able to deal with the knots in my thighs, I passed several people in this section but was sure they would probably pass me on the long downhill with my knees being in the condition they were in, which they did.
Hitting the aid station at Hidden Peak and knowing that I was now at 26+ miles and the rest was downhill, I now knew I would finish, it was now just a question of how long it would take.me. I started the trek down, shortly after Hidden Peak was a long section that had a very large amount of snow still there. They had ropes attached if you wanted them at this point but the idea was to butt slide for about 300 yards. When I got there people were hanging onto the ropes and going down very slow. I went over to the side of the ropes and did my butt slide without the rope assist, I passed several more people here.
From here on it was about 4 miles all down hill, my knees were killing me. I had a couple of people pass me over that 4 mile period but did pass one other runner about 100 yards before the finish line.
I finished at 11 hours, a full hour longer than I had hoped for. Waiting at the finish line were my 2 daughters and their husbands, my son Josh who talked me into this crazy thing, and my wife Brenda. I want to thank all of them for supporting me with this endeavor, especially Brenda as there has been a very large time commitment to this on my part and has taken away a lot of time that I would normally spend at home or with her.
Important things I learned during this race:
Don't start to far back in the pack.
Don't chew gum.
Drink more water than you think you need.
Watch the markers so you don't take a wrong turn.
Wear gaiters ( I had to stop 3 times to get rocks out of my shoes).
Take my Ipod, I think it would have helped during a couple of my low points.
Lose more weight before my next run.
Truly appreciate my health that allows me to do these types of things.
Be thankful for my terrific family.
Monday, July 11, 2011
3 weeks until Speedgoat
Here I am just under 3 weeks until the Speedgoat 50K. My training has been going well over the last month with at least 2 mountains runs a week along with 2 or 3 long runs on asphalt each week. On Saturday I ran for 5 hours and 35 minutes and covered what I would guess was about 19 miles. I did run to the top of Gobblers knob which I have done a couple of times over the last few weeks. This gets me quite a bit of training at elevation, which I will definitely need for the race, as well as running several steep grades. I do feel confident that I will be able to finish this race, although I will not be very fast, I will complete it.
My calf muscle has given me no problems at all over the last several weeks and the only problem I have is a little Plantar Fasciitis, nothing too serious though. The only other challenge is that my weight is still higher than what I would like it to be. I am still hovering just over the 200 pound mark and would like to be significantly under that. My biggest challenge is that I love to eat! My self discipline has just not been where it needs to be over the last 6 to 8 weeks. I am going to be more diligent about it over the next 3 weeks until the race to see if I can drop a few pounds while balancing not hurting my nutrition prior to the race. Time will tell how this exercise goes.
On a different topic I found out that I am going to be a Grandpa. My youngest daughter and her husband let my wife and I know on Father's Day that they are expecting. This is very exciting for all of us and we look forward to the new arrival due on January 20th.
My calf muscle has given me no problems at all over the last several weeks and the only problem I have is a little Plantar Fasciitis, nothing too serious though. The only other challenge is that my weight is still higher than what I would like it to be. I am still hovering just over the 200 pound mark and would like to be significantly under that. My biggest challenge is that I love to eat! My self discipline has just not been where it needs to be over the last 6 to 8 weeks. I am going to be more diligent about it over the next 3 weeks until the race to see if I can drop a few pounds while balancing not hurting my nutrition prior to the race. Time will tell how this exercise goes.
On a different topic I found out that I am going to be a Grandpa. My youngest daughter and her husband let my wife and I know on Father's Day that they are expecting. This is very exciting for all of us and we look forward to the new arrival due on January 20th.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
One More Time
After taking several weeks off from running to let my calf muscle recuperate, I am once again out running. Over the last 12 days I have ran 5 different times, and unfortunately gained about 5 pounds. I started out with a 3 mile run, then 4, then 5, then 6 miles, and yesterday I ran about 10.5 miles on the Shoreline Trail with my son Josh. Today I feel quite good, I was a little stiff first thing this morning but after just a few minutes I felt great. So far all of my runs have gone well. I did get a bit of a knot in my right calf on the long run yesterday, but I'm not to concerned as this is not the calf that had the tear.
I am confident enough with where I am right now that I entered the "Speedgoat 50K" that will be held July 30th at Snowbird Ski Resort. This race is billed as "The Toughest 50K in the United States". although 31 miles doesn't sound much further than a marathon, this 50K has 11,693' of elevation gain and the same amount in descent. It is also at high altitude with all of the race above 7600' and most of the race about 9200'. This will be a very tough race but will involve a great deal of hiking in addition to running. Hiking has always been one of my strong suits and I'm optimistic that I will be okay with this type of a race at this stage. I obviously will not be breaking any records but am optimistic that I won't come in last place.
Over the next several weeks I will get at least 2 or 3 mountain runs in a week and beginning this coming week I will be running a minimum of 4 times a week and will quickly be at 5 times a week until later in July when I will taper down prior to the race. I am holding my breath that my calf will continue to get better and stronger each day and that I will be in prime condition heading into the Speedgoat 50K. Time will tell.
I am confident enough with where I am right now that I entered the "Speedgoat 50K" that will be held July 30th at Snowbird Ski Resort. This race is billed as "The Toughest 50K in the United States". although 31 miles doesn't sound much further than a marathon, this 50K has 11,693' of elevation gain and the same amount in descent. It is also at high altitude with all of the race above 7600' and most of the race about 9200'. This will be a very tough race but will involve a great deal of hiking in addition to running. Hiking has always been one of my strong suits and I'm optimistic that I will be okay with this type of a race at this stage. I obviously will not be breaking any records but am optimistic that I won't come in last place.
Over the next several weeks I will get at least 2 or 3 mountain runs in a week and beginning this coming week I will be running a minimum of 4 times a week and will quickly be at 5 times a week until later in July when I will taper down prior to the race. I am holding my breath that my calf will continue to get better and stronger each day and that I will be in prime condition heading into the Speedgoat 50K. Time will tell.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Road Block and Detour
After weeks of babying my calf muscles, running minimally, massaging a lot, resting, low impact exercising, it has become obvious that I need to take a month or more of off running and let the tears in my calves heal. This week, much to my disappointment, I officially withdrew from Squaw Peak 50 mile mountain run on June 4th.
I am still walking a lot and using the elliptical to keep my cardio up. The last thing I want to do is to start over from scratch. If I can keep my weight in check and my cardio up I am optimistic that I will be able to quickly get back to the 50 mile a week routine once my calves have healed.
With more than a month of rest and a slow reinsertion into the running routine, I will be ready to once again run an Ultra Marathon later this year. There are several in northern Utah later in the year. I will have to see how the training goes and determine which race to enter when the appropriate time comes.
I am still walking a lot and using the elliptical to keep my cardio up. The last thing I want to do is to start over from scratch. If I can keep my weight in check and my cardio up I am optimistic that I will be able to quickly get back to the 50 mile a week routine once my calves have healed.
With more than a month of rest and a slow reinsertion into the running routine, I will be ready to once again run an Ultra Marathon later this year. There are several in northern Utah later in the year. I will have to see how the training goes and determine which race to enter when the appropriate time comes.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Crunch Time - The Pain - The Plan
Here we are 6 weeks from the Squaw Peak 50 mile race and my calves are still killing me whenever I run. I have now been to TOSH (Orthopedic Specialists), been taking fish oil and glutamine, and have been resting my calves adequately. The doctor at TOSH thinks I have either a small tear in both calves or extreme muscle strains. I ran 12 miles on Saturday and was able to deal with the constant pain (no meds whatsoever) until I got a knot in my right calf. Severe knots are excruciating when you run on them, there were spasms going up and down my entire leg. I forced it as long as I could but did have to stop, massage, and stretch multiple times to even run at all. This has been very discouraging as over the last 4 weeks I have not been able to put in anywhere near the kind of mileage I need to in order to compete the way I wanted to.
Over the last 3 weeks I have been using the elliptical machine as I do not have any pain when I do this. By doing this I have been able to keep my cardio training up but using an elliptical for 2 to 3 hours is extremely boring! I hate it! My running has all been on asphalt - I'm sure that doesn't help. My weight is up a couple of pounds as I have not been as diligent with my diet as I need to be. It is obvious that I will not be able to get to my goal weight of 180 lbs by race day.
My plan for the next 3 weeks is to get calf massages daily, my daughter is a licensed massage therapist and has coached my wife on the proper technique as well. Between the two of them I hope I can get a minimum of one massage a day, even twice a day this week to see what kind of impact that has. This week I will not do any running, only elliptical, until Saturday. Saturday I will run on dirt with some elevation thrown in to see how my calves hold up to hiking, not running, uphill. I hope to do at least 13 or 14 miles on Saturday. I need to get my diet back in line. I should still be able to get under 190 lbs by race day if I stay focused.
Bottom line is that I have 3 weeks to make my "Go / No Go" decision. With that being said at this point I still believe I can get through the race. I will not be as fast as I had once thought I would be but will be able to complete it in under 16 hours. 16 hours is the time I need to finish under in order to qualify for the Bear 100 next year. The Bear 100 will be the race I run in if I do not draw out in the Wasatch 100 lottery. If I decide I have to withdraw from the Squaw Peak 50 Miler I will find another 50 mile race this fall to compete in after going through a recovery for my calves.
Over the last 3 weeks I have been using the elliptical machine as I do not have any pain when I do this. By doing this I have been able to keep my cardio training up but using an elliptical for 2 to 3 hours is extremely boring! I hate it! My running has all been on asphalt - I'm sure that doesn't help. My weight is up a couple of pounds as I have not been as diligent with my diet as I need to be. It is obvious that I will not be able to get to my goal weight of 180 lbs by race day.
My plan for the next 3 weeks is to get calf massages daily, my daughter is a licensed massage therapist and has coached my wife on the proper technique as well. Between the two of them I hope I can get a minimum of one massage a day, even twice a day this week to see what kind of impact that has. This week I will not do any running, only elliptical, until Saturday. Saturday I will run on dirt with some elevation thrown in to see how my calves hold up to hiking, not running, uphill. I hope to do at least 13 or 14 miles on Saturday. I need to get my diet back in line. I should still be able to get under 190 lbs by race day if I stay focused.
Bottom line is that I have 3 weeks to make my "Go / No Go" decision. With that being said at this point I still believe I can get through the race. I will not be as fast as I had once thought I would be but will be able to complete it in under 16 hours. 16 hours is the time I need to finish under in order to qualify for the Bear 100 next year. The Bear 100 will be the race I run in if I do not draw out in the Wasatch 100 lottery. If I decide I have to withdraw from the Squaw Peak 50 Miler I will find another 50 mile race this fall to compete in after going through a recovery for my calves.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
My Father Remebered - My Son Impresses
On March 31st my father passed away at the age of 85. Emmett Greenwell was a fantastic man and a wonderful father. He will be remembered as a father who was always willing to do whatever he could for his wife and children, from coming to all of my ball games as a boy to attending my kids activities, to offering advice and help whenever I asked for it, but never forcing his opinion or influence on me. He will be remembered by others as a man who was always willing to serve others in any way he could. Service was always at the front of his mind and he went out of his way to ensure that others needs were taken care of, even before his own. He was dedicated to his family, his religion, and to service. A finer representation of an honorable man with integrity, you will never find. Thank you Dad for everything you have taught me and everything you have done for me, I love you and will miss you very much. I know you are in a better place now serving others on the other side.
On a different note, my son Josh ran in the Buffalo 50 mile race on March 26th out at Antelope Island. My wife, my daughter, and Josh's wife Lydia were manning the support vehicle and enjoyed helping him along the trek. He did awesome - finishing in 8th place overall and bettering his time from last year by 2 hours and 12 minutes. He ran a flawless race and it was amazing to watch how comfortable and effortless he was running a 50 mile race. With only running ultra marathons for a year it is unbelievable how well he is doing. I know he will continue to improve and be a consistent long distance runner. congratulations Josh on a race well run and thank you for letting us all be a part of your endeavors.
I have had a difficult couple of weeks. With my dad's health going down hill before his death I was not getting enough sleep and my nutrition was not where it should have been. Also, my calves have been incredibly sore and I have had to take some days of off training due to the pain. My calves are starting to feel a little better now but still very sore and I am unable to put in the mileage I would like to at this point. I believe that I just overworked them and am now paying the price. I am optimistic that I will be able to pick up my training over the next week or so in order to be able to complete my 50 mile run on June 4th. Summary, my weight is still stagnant, my mileage is down and my sleep is not adequate. The only bright side is that my work is getting better. I know this next week will go a lot better and I will continue to be on my way to reaching my goal.
On a different note, my son Josh ran in the Buffalo 50 mile race on March 26th out at Antelope Island. My wife, my daughter, and Josh's wife Lydia were manning the support vehicle and enjoyed helping him along the trek. He did awesome - finishing in 8th place overall and bettering his time from last year by 2 hours and 12 minutes. He ran a flawless race and it was amazing to watch how comfortable and effortless he was running a 50 mile race. With only running ultra marathons for a year it is unbelievable how well he is doing. I know he will continue to improve and be a consistent long distance runner. congratulations Josh on a race well run and thank you for letting us all be a part of your endeavors.
I have had a difficult couple of weeks. With my dad's health going down hill before his death I was not getting enough sleep and my nutrition was not where it should have been. Also, my calves have been incredibly sore and I have had to take some days of off training due to the pain. My calves are starting to feel a little better now but still very sore and I am unable to put in the mileage I would like to at this point. I believe that I just overworked them and am now paying the price. I am optimistic that I will be able to pick up my training over the next week or so in order to be able to complete my 50 mile run on June 4th. Summary, my weight is still stagnant, my mileage is down and my sleep is not adequate. The only bright side is that my work is getting better. I know this next week will go a lot better and I will continue to be on my way to reaching my goal.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Mid March Update
The first half of March has been very challenging. The first week of March my wife and I were in the Bahamas for a work meeting / event. It was great to be in the warmth but the full day of travel to and from, along with the activities we needed to attend, coupled with nothing but concrete to run on, plus a lot of really good food, bottom line I didn't get the mileage in I should have and ate way too much food and gained some weight.
The second week went much better. I was able to get back into my routine and put in the mileage. I was able to go run Saturday with my son Josh. We went out to Antelope Island and ran the first 19 miles of the 50 Mile race that Josh is in there on March 26th. He is so much faster than I am that he has to drag me along the entire route. It really makes me press my time but I know it forces him to really slow down from what he is accustomed to. It was great to spend the time with him and the time went by much faster by having a running partner. I am very excited to see how he does in his race on the 26th, I think he will do extremely well.
Summary for the first half of March. Still a lot of work related stress, it is simmering down but is still huge. I ate better the second week than the first. I put in 50 miles the second week, my first 50 mile week ever. I am hammered physically due to the time change and not enough sleep for the mileage I have put in. All that being said the mileage is good and my weight is right where it was 2 weeks ago due to the weight gain from the week in the Bahamas and then a good week after getting home. This current week I should have another 50 mile week and hopefully can get down to about 195 pounds by the end of this week. I am optimistic that the work stress will continue to ease up, that should help me as well. Unfortunately my Dad's health is not good, I am hopeful that his health stabilizes and I don't worry quite so much about he and my Mom.
The second week went much better. I was able to get back into my routine and put in the mileage. I was able to go run Saturday with my son Josh. We went out to Antelope Island and ran the first 19 miles of the 50 Mile race that Josh is in there on March 26th. He is so much faster than I am that he has to drag me along the entire route. It really makes me press my time but I know it forces him to really slow down from what he is accustomed to. It was great to spend the time with him and the time went by much faster by having a running partner. I am very excited to see how he does in his race on the 26th, I think he will do extremely well.
Summary for the first half of March. Still a lot of work related stress, it is simmering down but is still huge. I ate better the second week than the first. I put in 50 miles the second week, my first 50 mile week ever. I am hammered physically due to the time change and not enough sleep for the mileage I have put in. All that being said the mileage is good and my weight is right where it was 2 weeks ago due to the weight gain from the week in the Bahamas and then a good week after getting home. This current week I should have another 50 mile week and hopefully can get down to about 195 pounds by the end of this week. I am optimistic that the work stress will continue to ease up, that should help me as well. Unfortunately my Dad's health is not good, I am hopeful that his health stabilizes and I don't worry quite so much about he and my Mom.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
End of February Update
I am so happy to see February behind me. The days are getting longer and warmer and on the 13th we switch to daylight savings time. Daylight savings is great for the extra daylight in the evening but it still keeps me running in the dark every morning, but I'll take it, I love having it light longer in the evening. I can get a lot more done around the house. Also my work stress has gone down just a tiny bit and I look forward to March being a little less stressful in that regard.
The last two weeks has seen my running mileage come in at 40+ each week with last week coming in at 42. My weight is at 196.0, and still slowly going down. This week will be a real challenge for both my mileage and my weight as I will be on the road for a few days. While on the road I have a difficult time eating properly and also getting my mileage in. Time will tell how it works out.
This last Saturday I ran with my son Josh on the parkway. We ran 18 miles, I slowed him way down the entire way and he made me stay honest and punch out consistent mileage times. I can't believe how much faster he is than me! I am hopeful that by this fall I will be able to be a better running companion for him and at least only slow him down by a minute a mile, instead of 2! I appreciate him running with me and I enjoy his companionship and conversation on our runs. We talked about a lot of different topics, including salt intake while running. This is something I have no experience with and need to get educated and do some trial and error with it before my 50 miler on June 4th. He gave me a lot of insight, now I just need to try it on some of my long runs and get adjusted to what it does to my body and how it makes me feel. The middle of a 50 mile run is no place to try to figure something like that out.
The last two weeks has seen my running mileage come in at 40+ each week with last week coming in at 42. My weight is at 196.0, and still slowly going down. This week will be a real challenge for both my mileage and my weight as I will be on the road for a few days. While on the road I have a difficult time eating properly and also getting my mileage in. Time will tell how it works out.
This last Saturday I ran with my son Josh on the parkway. We ran 18 miles, I slowed him way down the entire way and he made me stay honest and punch out consistent mileage times. I can't believe how much faster he is than me! I am hopeful that by this fall I will be able to be a better running companion for him and at least only slow him down by a minute a mile, instead of 2! I appreciate him running with me and I enjoy his companionship and conversation on our runs. We talked about a lot of different topics, including salt intake while running. This is something I have no experience with and need to get educated and do some trial and error with it before my 50 miler on June 4th. He gave me a lot of insight, now I just need to try it on some of my long runs and get adjusted to what it does to my body and how it makes me feel. The middle of a 50 mile run is no place to try to figure something like that out.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Mid February update
Time for an update for the last 2 weeks. It has been a good couple of weeks. I have been able to run every day that I have had scheduled and have been able to put in the mileage I wanted overall. I put in 40 miles last week which is more weekly mileage than I have ran in many, many years. My weight dipped under 200 pounds this week for the first time in 16 years. I came in at 199.6. I reviewed some of my old records and I believe this is the first time I have been under 200 pounds since 1995. I am optimistic that I will continue to drop about 2 pounds a week until I get closer to my ideal weight goal. I am sure that the closer I get to that goal the slower the weight will come off.
Yesterday I needed to run 21 miles in order to get to my 40 mile goal for the week. My schedule was for 20 miles, however I ran short a mile on Thursday due to having an appointment I needed to be at and just ran out of time. It definitely felt good psychologically to put in that much mileage in a single run, but today I am very sore. I'm sure this will pass very quickly and I will be back at it tomorrow morning.
I am still very slow but am getting a little faster as I drop more weight. I feel that I should be able to start doing some speed work in a month or so to help get my time down. Right now building mileage is the most important element of my training. Once my mileage is to where I need it to be I will start doing some speed work. My work situation is still out of control. I hope it settles down very soon, right now it occupies my thoughts 24/7. During yesterdays long run all I did was think about work the entire time. I do believe that if I can get my work situation under control it will definitely help me with my training and my ability to hit my running goals.
Yesterday I needed to run 21 miles in order to get to my 40 mile goal for the week. My schedule was for 20 miles, however I ran short a mile on Thursday due to having an appointment I needed to be at and just ran out of time. It definitely felt good psychologically to put in that much mileage in a single run, but today I am very sore. I'm sure this will pass very quickly and I will be back at it tomorrow morning.
I am still very slow but am getting a little faster as I drop more weight. I feel that I should be able to start doing some speed work in a month or so to help get my time down. Right now building mileage is the most important element of my training. Once my mileage is to where I need it to be I will start doing some speed work. My work situation is still out of control. I hope it settles down very soon, right now it occupies my thoughts 24/7. During yesterdays long run all I did was think about work the entire time. I do believe that if I can get my work situation under control it will definitely help me with my training and my ability to hit my running goals.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
February begins and so does the freeze!
This morning as I rolled out of bed to do my Tuesday morning run the temperature on the web for South Jordan read 18 degrees. With that in mind I wore my warmest gear and headed out the door. I did 4 miles this morning and just about froze! When I got home and explored further, with wind chill in South Jordan the temperature was 1 degree. Tonight is supposed to get down to about 0 so unfortunately I will be running on a treadmill tomorrow morning.
The last 2 weeks have gone well with my training, last week I put in 36 miles, and have also done well with sticking to my diet. Unfortunately I have not lost as much weight as I had hoped. I was shooting for being at 200 lbs today, but am at 203.5. I guess I should be happy with dropping about 2 pounds a week but with my healthy diet and mileage I expected more. Maybe as my body realizes that I really am changing how I eat my weight will start to come off a little faster. I should still easily be able to be down to 180 by June 1st but was really hoping to be there by the middle of April. We'll just have to see how it goes. Work continues to be extremely stressful and that may play a role. I am optimistic that work will improve over the next 6 weeks but right now it is all consuming.
I am shooting for 36 to 38 miles for this week and then 40 miles for next week. Hopefully that will knock off some of those extra lbs.
The last 2 weeks have gone well with my training, last week I put in 36 miles, and have also done well with sticking to my diet. Unfortunately I have not lost as much weight as I had hoped. I was shooting for being at 200 lbs today, but am at 203.5. I guess I should be happy with dropping about 2 pounds a week but with my healthy diet and mileage I expected more. Maybe as my body realizes that I really am changing how I eat my weight will start to come off a little faster. I should still easily be able to be down to 180 by June 1st but was really hoping to be there by the middle of April. We'll just have to see how it goes. Work continues to be extremely stressful and that may play a role. I am optimistic that work will improve over the next 6 weeks but right now it is all consuming.
I am shooting for 36 to 38 miles for this week and then 40 miles for next week. Hopefully that will knock off some of those extra lbs.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Getting in the routine
Since the first of the year I have been very diligent in following my training and eating schedule, with the exception of 3 days I spent in Las Vegas for work. It was very difficult to eat at regular intervals when I was going from location to location and having meeting on top of meeting in Vegas. I did not drink near enough water but did not drink any soda pop of any kind while I was there. I did okay exercising but certainly not what it should have been. My exercising consisted of running on a treadmill as I was not familiar with the area and it was predominately concrete. I hate running on a treadmill, I hate to run on concrete even more because of the harsh impact. Bottom line is that I had lost 6 pounds before I went to Vegas, but put 3 of it back on while there. I am now back in sync with my program and currently weigh in at 208.
I felt really good about my training this week. I ran all of the days I wanted to and got in the mileage I was hoping for, plus a little. I put in a couple of extra miles in the first part of the week and was about two miles short on my long run. My goal for my long run on Saturday was to stay on my feet for 3 hours. I started out with very heavy legs and was forced to both walk a half mile out of my neighborhood and a half mile back in as it was extremely slick where no salt has been applied since the snow storms of last week. After about 45 minutes into the outing I started to feel really good. I was in a good rhythm and felt great. Then at 2 hours and 10 minutes in I started to get a knot in my right calf. I have had a knot in each calf in the last 6 weeks. If they knot up all the way it takes almost a week to get them worked out, even with intense massage and using the "stick". I slowed down and stretched my calf every time I felt it tightening at all. As a result I covered about 16 miles total. I really should have been able to cover about 18 miles in 3 hours but the calf and fatigue got the best of me. If you do the math you can tell that I am very slow, I stopped twice for water and walked for a few minutes each time I ate some "Chomps". I figure that as I lose more weight and do more speed work my time will get better.
Bottom line for the week. I ran 29 miles. I was shooting for 28. My weight is at 208, down from 215. I feel good about where I am currently at especially as stressful as my work is right now. I think I have about 1 more month of extreme stress at work and then it should lighten up enough that it does not consume me 24/7. I look forward to that day!
I felt really good about my training this week. I ran all of the days I wanted to and got in the mileage I was hoping for, plus a little. I put in a couple of extra miles in the first part of the week and was about two miles short on my long run. My goal for my long run on Saturday was to stay on my feet for 3 hours. I started out with very heavy legs and was forced to both walk a half mile out of my neighborhood and a half mile back in as it was extremely slick where no salt has been applied since the snow storms of last week. After about 45 minutes into the outing I started to feel really good. I was in a good rhythm and felt great. Then at 2 hours and 10 minutes in I started to get a knot in my right calf. I have had a knot in each calf in the last 6 weeks. If they knot up all the way it takes almost a week to get them worked out, even with intense massage and using the "stick". I slowed down and stretched my calf every time I felt it tightening at all. As a result I covered about 16 miles total. I really should have been able to cover about 18 miles in 3 hours but the calf and fatigue got the best of me. If you do the math you can tell that I am very slow, I stopped twice for water and walked for a few minutes each time I ate some "Chomps". I figure that as I lose more weight and do more speed work my time will get better.
Bottom line for the week. I ran 29 miles. I was shooting for 28. My weight is at 208, down from 215. I feel good about where I am currently at especially as stressful as my work is right now. I think I have about 1 more month of extreme stress at work and then it should lighten up enough that it does not consume me 24/7. I look forward to that day!
Monday, January 3, 2011
The New Year
Here it is 2011. It is amazing how fast the last year went by. As I look back I definitely realize the need to change some things in my life for 2011 if I am ever going to run a 50 mile race this year and a 100 mile race in 2012. So here are some of the "New Years Resolutions" that I have made going into 2011.
As I stated in my previous post, I am looking to drop some serious weight over the next few months. I believe that getting my weight in line, more than anything else, will help me to achieve my running goals over the next two years. As part of that goal I have gone into 2011 with the decision to quit drinking Diet Coke. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but most people haven't drank Diet Coke for more than 20 years and haven't been drinking about a gallon of the stuff a day. That's right, I have been drinking about a gallon of Diet Coke a day. My wife thinks that's why my hair is falling out and some people can't believe I'm still alive! So its off with the new year and now having water as my drink of choice. I have not had any DC since December 31st and so far I have not had any serious headaches (a couple of small ones). Hopefully my lack of headaches will continue and I can move forward with my new program.
I am also going to eat more healthy. Those of you who know me well know that I eat way to much junk food. I love sugar and sweets. I managed to get through the holidays this year without gaining any weight which is huge for me. Now its on to eating smaller, healthier servings 6 times a day. This along with my exercise program and no Diet Coke or carbonated drinks, will hopefully catapult me along in my weight loss quest.
My last goal is not necessarily running related. 2010 was the most chaotic, hectic, out of control year I have ever had. Things that are important to me took a back seat to work. In 2011 this will not happen again. I will definitely take the time this year to do some archery hunting and have more personal time to spend with my wife and family.
So there it is, my goals for 2011. I definitely have my work cut out for me this year.
As I stated in my previous post, I am looking to drop some serious weight over the next few months. I believe that getting my weight in line, more than anything else, will help me to achieve my running goals over the next two years. As part of that goal I have gone into 2011 with the decision to quit drinking Diet Coke. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but most people haven't drank Diet Coke for more than 20 years and haven't been drinking about a gallon of the stuff a day. That's right, I have been drinking about a gallon of Diet Coke a day. My wife thinks that's why my hair is falling out and some people can't believe I'm still alive! So its off with the new year and now having water as my drink of choice. I have not had any DC since December 31st and so far I have not had any serious headaches (a couple of small ones). Hopefully my lack of headaches will continue and I can move forward with my new program.
I am also going to eat more healthy. Those of you who know me well know that I eat way to much junk food. I love sugar and sweets. I managed to get through the holidays this year without gaining any weight which is huge for me. Now its on to eating smaller, healthier servings 6 times a day. This along with my exercise program and no Diet Coke or carbonated drinks, will hopefully catapult me along in my weight loss quest.
My last goal is not necessarily running related. 2010 was the most chaotic, hectic, out of control year I have ever had. Things that are important to me took a back seat to work. In 2011 this will not happen again. I will definitely take the time this year to do some archery hunting and have more personal time to spend with my wife and family.
So there it is, my goals for 2011. I definitely have my work cut out for me this year.
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