Eat, Run, Sleep

Louisville Lovin' The Hills 50K- Grossman's Payback

2012-02-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Louisville Lovin’ The Hills 50K.

Troy Shellhamer -February 12, 2012

The 2012 Louisville Lovin’ The Hills 50K was slated to be the 20th Ultramarathon I’ve completed. It was also my first back in 2007. Ever since cutting my ultra teeth back then, I have been a student of race strategy. I knew that racing wasn’t just pushing at 100% until the last man is left standing. It is a game of patience and willpower and determination, to develop a game plan, study physiology, and learn how the body operates at each distance, each course, and each event. In light of that constant desire to study the sport and to succeed and grow faster, I started writing race reports and reading race reports to recap what I could learn from each race.

Eric Grossman founded the Louisville Lovin’ The Hills 50K shortly after the start of the new millennium. Once a resident of Louisville, he moved on to Virginia shortly after starting the race and left Cynthia and Todd Heady of Headfirst Performance to run the race from there on. Since starting Lovin’ The Hills, Eric has won more races across the country than I can recollect; 50 milers, 100 milers, etc. Eric is a phenomenal runner, and lucky for us in Louisville, he continues to come back and run Lovin’ The Hills. His 2010 race report from Lovin’ The Hills is one that always stuck with me. He opened with discussing how it’s routine for him. He’d raced over 50 ultras, and probably awoken to over 500 race mornings. He had it all broken down to a science, and so it was all just standard issue, following the same chronological order that had worked in the past. He knew how many calories to eat, how to train the weeks prior, and what pace to start at, etc. his “playbook had been written”. He found himself somewhat surprised during that Lovin’ The Hills though, to find himself far away from 1st place, chasing down some up and coming talent in the form of a very young and ferocious Scott Breeden and Keegan Rathkamp. Slowly but surely though, Eric and “primal instincts” “chased down his prey”, and found himself winning yet another tough Ultra. Keegan held on for second place and Scott Breeden was third. I placed fourth that year, (thanks in part to Russ Goodman and Tim Barnes not running!). I was far enough back that I’m sure I wasn’t on their radars up front.

In the same vein as Grossmans race report I knew what had to happen this year in 2012 for the LLTH50. I had to go out with Eric. Scott Breeden was back also, but now with many races under his belt, and experience that would hopefully prevent him from going out too fast. I wanted to see what Scott could do with a better pacing strategy that didn’t force him to blow up at the end. About 6 months ago, Eric beat me at another course of his, the Iron Mountain 50 miler. It was my first race in several months after hiking the PCT, and he won it in commanding fashion. 3 weeks later, for the first ever Ultra Race of Champions 100K, I passed Eric on the final climb. It was a great feeling for me to pass someone I had been following, studying, watching for years, and finally enter a circle of athletes I had an intense drive to be a part of for all that time. Eric however, wanted payback for my strong finish at UROC, passing him with only hundreds of yards to go on a course of over 63 miles. You don’t destroy yourself to the core for 10 hours only to get passed on the final climb, without taking note and wanting payback! So the stage was set for the 2012 LLTH50.

I was rather certain that the top 3 would include me, Grossman, and Breeden, but I honestly didn’t know what order we would fall. I was certain though, that I would definitely be willing to go through more pain than anyone out on the course, to hopefully defend my win of the 2011 Lovin’ The Hills. As far as I was concerned, this was MY race, MY course, My day. I knew Grossman and Breeden might even be stronger runners than me, but I was willing to endure more pain, and hopefully wage a smarter race strategy war to earn a repeat victory. This year held the most stacked field in the races history. Racers like Russ Goodman, (repeat winner), Matt Hoyes, Mike Hermanson, (a friend and extraordinary talent in the Tri scene racing his first ultra), could all push the pace out there.

The night before the race I was more anxious than most other races I’ve run lately. I had a burning hunger to win, and I knew the competition was stellar. I knew that the pain would be immense and I was ready to push the limits. My friend Ricky George has a saying, “the hay is in the barn”. I had done all of my training. The work was done. I needed to go reap what I had been sewing in my training.

Soon enough, I found myself toeing the line, and everyone who was said to be racing showed up in force. A quick speech by Cynthia Heady to start the race and we were off in the chilly Kentucky snow splattered hills of Jefferson Memorial Forest.

Mike Hermanson , (in his pink valentines candy costume), took off like a rabbit, running with the racers who were signed up for the 15 mile option. Breeden had obviously learned his lesson and was becoming a serious contender as I had anticipated. He ran with Grossman, Matt Hoyes, and I. I knew with Breeden pacing himself well, this was going to be a race for the books. I was surprised at first to see Grossman behind me, not in front of me. I was running my own pace, and usually Grossman is in front of me. I didn’t like it. I wanted Grossman to start strong with me on his heels, never giving him a yard, and I wanted to run him down in the end. Ironically, In the opening miles, Grossman pondered aloud, “Has this race ever come to the final climb? Has it ever been a truly close battle?” Knowing the answer as I had already contemplated the same scenario I immediately replied with a smile, “If there was ever a year that this race comes down to the final climb, THIS is the year!” I soon looked back and saw another veteran I’ve looked up to, who I was expecting great things from, Russ Goodman. We had quite a talented lot pushing the pace up front.

Coming out of the first section, (the Horine), we caught my boy, Mike Hermanson who had been in the lead for the opening 5 miles, running strong even on the steep climbs in the Horine Section. The trail however, would only get hillier and more challenging as the race progressed and we had 33 miles to run.

I ripped off my jacket coming into aid station 1 and fumbled with my GPS watch. Typical mayhem ensued as no one wants to lose time while performing the necessary task of refueling for a few quick seconds as they grab water. I entered the trails quickly again, right behind Grossman, and chatted about the surprisingly good course conditions. Snow had been in the forecast, but we only got a light dusting, and the freezing temps kept the mud frozen which was a true blessing.

Mike Hermanson was back in the lead running with power and Scott Breeden, Eric, Matt Hoyes and I all ran most of the second stretch together. I had a chance to catch up on Matt’s past year and talked with Breeden a bit about Leadville. The pace settled slightly, and I was glad we had found a rhythm. That rhythm was obviously a recovery effort for Eric, because around mile 13ish, coming out of Yost climbing to the Yost Ridge connector trail and then running back down to the visitor center at mile 16, Eric had had enough of it, he lit out on a mission, passing Hoyes and Breeden and I. I quickly followed in pursuit and vowed to not give him an inch. True, my effort was higher than I would have liked, but I vowed to live like Eric and possibly die like Eric this race I just had to outlast him. I was going to be glued to him. I had faith in his ability to beat all others, and I knew we were very close in capacity to endure pain, etc. I had to stay with Eric, even if it meant starting a hard effort before I wanted to.

After quick pursuit and running side by side with Grossman I enlightened him to the fact we had come out of the first 6 miles 3 minutes faster than I did last year, and we had now just ran the second 9 miles 7 minutes faster than I had last year. I’m sure this didn’t mean squat to Eric, but to me it meant everything. I wanted badly to break 5 hours this year. It was the longest course in the race’s history, by miles, not just yards, and also the most challenging. Last year I won in 5 hours and 9 minutes and this year I wanted 5 hours flat even with some additions that added a few tenths of a mile over last year. Upon hearing the news that we were beating last year’s splits, Grossman informed me, “You’re in the big leagues now Shellhamer!” It was this kind of repartee that fueled us, or at least me. I really enjoy his dry wit and it is fun to be able to trash talk a little! Usually us trail runners are so mellow and chilled out I’m scared a little friendly bullying might come off the wrong way. Fortunately with Eric, you know he’s game to dish and receive a little friendly verbal assailing in good taste.

In the opening miles of the Siltstone, it was Grossman and Breeden and I, chasing down Hermanson. The three of us traded spots several times until Grossman decided to lead the attack. We caught Hermanson in his first Ultra attempt about a mile and a half into the Siltstone as Eric led a charge down a long decent on tight technical singletrack trail and I quickly followed suit. We passed Mike and exchanged greetings, and quickly began the long climb up after Bearcamp road. Breeden reclaimed his second place from me, as Eric and I had been in first and second spots, and those two led up to the Siltstone ridge. I let them lead the climb and set the pace as I was confident in my speed once reaching the long ridgeline. I didn’t want to expend so much energy on the long climb and lose speed on the ridge. Eric must have had the same plan, because even though he led us up the climb, he started to fly on the ridgeline of several miles. I passed Breeden once I noticed Eric gaining ground and I had confidence I could follow, especially on a trail I knew so well. I noticed this would be a theme throughout. Eric was doing EXACTLY what I would do in his situation. Eric wins because he is a trained machine, but also because he races smart.

About mile 21 or 22, Eric and I were shoulder to shoulder, running to the Aid station at Scott’s Gap. I was floored to see that we had just run a 55 minute Siltstone, a split good enough to maybe win the Siltstone half-marathon and we were holding that in a 33 mile slugfest. Breeden caught us going into Scott’s gap. My crew, Stephanie, looked thrilled to see us at the Aid Station ahead of schedule, and I yelled something to the effect of, “I’ve got to run it hard, when this old man is breathing down my neck!”…like I said, I enjoy the banter.

In coy disguise, Eric handed me some bait which I disregarded immediately, suggesting that upon Scott’s Gap, “The race starts here boys! Get in front Shellhamer, let’s see what you can do!” As mentioned previously, Eric was doing exactly what I would have done. Anyone who pushes a hard Scott’s Gap will be toast and easy game later on. MY game however, was to run a slow and conservative recovery effort through the challenging Scott’s Gap loop, and then start my race upon getting back on the Siltstone and run it home for the last 10 miles. I would have handed Eric the same bait. I knew that he was planning the same strategy because he didn’t pass me in Scott’s Gap, and I wasn’t setting any speed records there. We did, however, lose Breeden and his pacer, Beau, once and for all.

It’s always great getting back on the Siltstone for the run to the finish line, as you get to see the others heading out to Scott’s Gap. This year was particularly special for me in that I was leading the race with Grossman behind me ever since Scott’s Gap. I felt like I was crawling, but we nailed a one hour Siltstone back to the visitor center for a 1:55 Siltstone, (of course there was a 34 minute Scott’s Gap loop in the middle of the Siltstone). Regardless, 1:55 on the Siltstone is flying, and like Eric said, it was the big leagues.

If I was Eric and I thought I was stronger, I would have planted myself right behind me, Troy, until the final 2 mile climb. That’s exactly what he did. I think he respected me enough that he didn’t want to get in front and set a harder pace that would leave him tired for the final climb where I could attack and pass. Instead, he let me lead the race for the final 10 miles, and we decided upon a showdown on the last climb. That being said, I was maintaining the exact pace I wanted to. One thing I pride myself on is running the exact pace and race I want to, and although I know it sounds contradictory since earlier in the race I followed Eric in some early hard efforts, I knew it wouldn’t hurt my end objective, and in the end, it was me and Eric, just like I wanted it. I was hoping that the one hour return on Siltstone would have left Eric a little battered and shot, and I had confidence in my ability to finish strong. I always disregard pain and emotion and bury myself in the end.

We passed the Aid Station and I threw Stephanie my bottle to be unfettered by anything unnecessary. I think the workers knew this would quite the battle. Two miles, all uphill remained.

It had come true. The race had come down to the final climb. Eric came shoulder to shoulder with me at the start of it, and we shared a common statement about how bad this was going to hurt, knowing how much pain the other was willing to endure for victory.

Eric leapt out and commanded a lead, and I dug deep. I pushed with everything, but couldn’t close the gap. My friend, Jeremy Brown followed and watched it unfold. I was glad to have him out there. I gave it everything I had but couldn’t close that gap he opened in the first hundred yards of the climb. I was willing to do anything! I was willing to suffer immensely, but I couldn’t close the gap! I couldn’t make it hurt enough! I would have done anything! Why couldn’t I catch him?! I knew there a lapse in the climb near the middle. I hoped Eric would crack. I didn’t give up. Upon reaching the lake in the middle of the climb, I fought hard to gain ground, Eric was still where he was, I couldn’t push hard enough, I tried and tried, I would have done anything, endured any amount of pain, PUSH! PUSH! Why am not closing this GAP!? Why can’t I hurt more?!?!

I heard the cheers. Eric was crossing my finish in first. I finished ONE minute later. ONE MINUTE on a course of 33 miles. That’s ridiculous. I beat my goal my 13 minutes, and beat last year’s time by 22 minutes. The end result of the race is nearly astounding; I never imagined I was capable of running that course in 4 hours and 47 minutes. I didn’t crack. I ran strong throughout. I ran EXACTLY as I wanted to, and faulted not one iota. Eric was stronger, and waged a wise battle for the win. I finished strong, very strong, but Eric was amazing. To run an entire race within feet of another is rare, exceptionally rare. To be so close to such an accomplished, renowned runner in and of itself is good, but what is great, is when you know you ran literally the best race of your life, your best performance to date, which is what I did. I am proud.

Breeden came in third, with Matt Hoyes in fourth after passing Hermanson.

After the race, we all chatted about our day and our upcoming plans in the renovated house which is perched atop the lookout in the Horine Section, enjoying the best part of the day, which is eating all of Cynthia Heady’s marvelous soups and stews.

Coming up is the LBL 50 miler for me in three weeks, followed by the Umstead 100 miler three weeks later. A busy spring schedule full of fun times and great camaraderie.

Yesterday's Run-Jefferson Memorial Forest and the First Snow of Winter

2012-01-13T13:23:00.001-08:00

With each step the rain fell heavier, the sky shaded grayer, and the wind cut deeper, stronger. My fingers didn’t hurt anymore; they were numb, as were my bare legs. The skin covering my quadriceps was rose colored from the sting of the icy droplets that pelted my exposed flesh each time I raised my leg to stride up the steep trail. The wind cut through my jacket. It wasn’t like I was naked though... It was as if I had no skin at all. The more-than-brisk blast would cut to my core, and push me along the trail. It coursed through me, in my lungs, pumped by my beating heart to my muscles. The wind went through me, in me, and around me. I was permeable; the rain and the environment in its entirty moved through me. It occupied the free atmosphere inbetween the atoms and molecules that together in unison make my being. My fluid corpse was like water tumbling down a swift mountain river or stream, controlled by greater forces, except gravity wasn't a factor. I moved up, and down, as the trail and fierce winter day moved me on my path through the forest.

In the begining of the run, when I could still feel the sting of the cold, It started like a war. I could find shelter from the incoming artillery, (which was the wind), when the trail would turn south, and the ridgeline protected me from the onslaught. Then I once again succumbed to my fate, succumbed to the worsening conditions and just ran. I let the fury of the weather around me fuel me. I felt nothing, I expended no energy. When I was on a slope protected from the wind, I noticed the leaves in their stillness, unaffected by the wind, silent and still. Yet somehow I was still propelled forward. The wind abated yet I continued as the front had culminated in still cooler temps which yielded snow from the rain which was my original running companion. The snow fell around me, and I became a flake, blowing down the trail horizontally.

Running in the heat of summer, one word comes to mind; oppresed. The freezing temps however cut to the innermost core of my being, and I felt free,, one with the world in which I was living in immediately. I was lighter and surpassed my organic being. Even my feet felt light. The thick and wide spaced lugs on my shoes bit the ground with precision. Each step gripping, but not clunky.

I needed no fuel, I needed no fluid. As I moved through the forest, I mentally recollected the surroundings in which I began my run that morning. It was in the 40's. It was raining. I was wet. The forest floor was brown and covered in leaves of maple. Hours later, it was in the 20's and the forest floor had changed before my eyes. From originally looking as if it had taken a slight dousing of powdered sugar, to being covered in the afternoon by over an inch of freshly fallen snow, it had transformed before my eyes. My jacket had dried out too. The heat from my body was never noticed by my conscious senses, yet it must have existed, because my jacket was dry.

Time was ephemoral and non-existant in the same time. I lived in the moment as the world around me changed drastically. It could have been 1 second or 100 years. Eventually I reached my car and my senses returned. I peeled off my wet and muddy shoes and socks, and turned on the heat as I drove home, mind renewed, spirit cleansed, and refreshed.

Troy Shellhamer 1/12/12

Hangover Classic 10 Miler, and a new summer race.

2012-01-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

I had been excited to race in the Hangover Classic for quite a few weeks prior to the race. Over the fall, I had done more road work than usual in recovering from my broken toe.

The morning came in with a cold slap in the face, with a wind coming in from the west that felt like an icy shotgun blast. It seemed as though 70% of the race was in the headwind, although I am sure it was closer to only half of the race.

My goal was to run faster than 1 hour 02 minutes. At the halfway point, I noticed I was at 31 mintues exactly. I wondered if I could hold pace even with the advanced energy expenditure required during the opening half. I kept digging harder and harder, and pushed the pace faster with each mile, thereby enduring more pain with each mile. The runners around me were strong. I managed to drop a few and gain some placement, but other runners who had paced themselves well also showed up, for new company.

My face contored, and my lungs screamed the last two miles. When I felt I couldn't push more, I did.

I managed to cross the line in exactly one hour and I was thrilled. The exact distance was 10.1 miles.

It's always a fun event, filled with friends and great comaraderie.

SUMMER RACING

551 miles of racing. 14 Days.

It's official; On June 30, I will be partaking in the first Tour De Virginia.
It is a 14 day stage race, covering the entire Virginia section of Appalachian Trail.

There is an 8 mile prologue stage as well, which brings the total to 559 miles overall.

I am excited for this challenge, as the distance is something I have never encountered/attempted before. It would definitely be advantageous to a runner with advanced age, maybe 40 years old, as the likelihood for injury would be lessened. However I have been wise in training, and the base work required to attempt this feat is just what I should be doing in summer.

For many reasons I couldn't pin down my summer race, and when the opportunity presented itself to do this race, I knew I had to make it happen.

It is going to be incredible to run with runners I look up to, who are at the pinnacle of our sport, for 2 weeks on a trail I thru-hiked 6 years ago.

Lookout Mountain 50 Miler Race Report

2011-12-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry, haven't proofread yet, but wanted to get my race report out ASAP!

Lookout Mountain 50 Miler Race Report

Troy Shellhamer

December 19, 2011

In the past, I’ve described the start of the Lookout Mountain 50 Miler as follows; “The Lookout Mountain 50 Miler has a brutally fast start. People always fly out of the gate like it’s a 5K, not a 50 miler, and you’re left sucking frozen wind, as your eyes tear up from the sting of the cold December air up on Lookout Mountain. You do everything you can to not get dropped before everyone else crashes from their ambitious early efforts, and then the real race begins.” This year was different though, everything was different. One difference for instance, was that I had many friends from Louisville come down to run in the race this year; Jeremy Brown, Rhonda Curry, Jeff Miller, Daniel Delph, and Marcus McElwain. I’ve also gotten to know a lot of the other racers over the last few years, so it continuously gets more and more enjoyable every year to go down to the beautiful mountains surrounding the town of Chattanooga, TN, and catch up on everyone’s past year and make new friends as well while running one of the most pretty 50 miler courses anywhere.

So…back to the differences. This year, after lining up at the start line with hundreds of others, I expected I would once again be chasing others down trying to not let a large gap form as they start the race at speeds which are not maintainable for the duration of the race. During those circumstances, it’s like a tightrope walk, in which you must balance how much energy you’re willing to blow early on in the race, versus how big of a lead you’re willing to let your competition gain, even though you know from research what speeds will most likely win the race, and you can guess they’ll probably crack from their eager efforts. It’s a game of discipline. So I was surprised at the command to “GO!” that I found myself out in front, leading the stampeding heard of runners down Lookout Mountain Highway, before we entered the singletrack trail. (There are a few minutes at the start of the race which are on road to thin the heard before we enter the trail where we’re forced to form a single line…this is also what causes the warp speeds, as we’re all jockeying for position to not get stuck behind slower runners who would maybe be challenging to get around once you’re on the trails…) So, needless to say, I started fast since I was leading the pack to the trailhead, but I was going at MY speed, my pace, as I am a firm believer that in an ultra the only tactic to facilitate success is running your own race from start to finish, although you do have to make accommodations based on your competition…It’s a juggling act.

After the road stretch had thinned us out a bit over the first several minutes of racing, it was time to enter the trail. Johnny Clemons jumped in front of me, so I entered the trail in second place. He took off like a shot, and was soon gone, but I stuck to my guns and let him go, as I knew I was maintaining my fastest maintainable speed. Brian Pickett was immediately behind me, and we had the chance to chat over several miles as we raced to the first aid station at Cravens House, the oldest structure on Lookout Mountain and a piece of civil war history.

The Cravens House aid station is at mile 8, and the top 5 or so of us, all came barreling in exactly one hour, basically shoulder to shoulder, with the exception of Johnny Clemons, who we about to reel in momentarily. A quick bottle change at the aid station and I was back on the trail, without slowing to even a walk really for even a moment.

I was running now with Brian Pickett still, whom I met at the Iron Mountain race back in September, and also with Nick Lewis from Memphis, and I was enjoying good chatter with Nick about the west coast as he lived for a stint in Ashland Oregon and he was knowledgeable on the Tahoe Rim Trail, which was good brain candy to talk about while racing.

Around mile 9 or 10; Nick, Brian, and I caught up to Johnny Clemons who had been running in 1^st since entering the trail around mile 1. We exchanged placement for a few miles, and I took the lead for a few seconds, before falling back again upon reaching the 2^nd aid station at Reflection Riding Aboretum.

Just before reaching the 2^nd aid station at mile 15, the trail runs next to a river, which had flooded over the trail plane, and therefore the trail was completely under water, we had to wade through the mud and muck and nastiness for some adventure. I slipped and fell in the mud, and managed to completely submerge my arm with water bottle attached into a sucking mud hole. Kris Whorton, one of the race directors was at the aid station, and she had some water which I used to clean off my muddy water bottle, and in turn, I fell back to 4^th place, as Nick, Brian, and Johnny were now the top three, and I was in 4^th.

My plan was take it easy after reaching the Reflection Riding aid station, as immediately following that aid station is the biggest climb on the course. I decided my tactic would be to let them duke it out on the climb, as it was too early in the race in my opinion to start “burning matches”, or use vital energy reserves. I took it slow and easy, yet by the top of the climb, we were all shoulder to shoulder once again. When all 4 of us reached the top of the climb, we all bumbled around a bit trying to find where the course went. I had run the course before, and knew that the course went one way, but upon seeing the others turn left I was confused for a sec before gaining my bearings and going the right. We all corrected our mistake soon enough, and Nick Lewis and I came running into the Covenant College aid station at mile 22.5 in first and second place. I grabbed a quick bottle from Stephanie, as took off, but Johnny Clemons quickly jumped in front of me. Nick was soon with us, and the three of us ran for several miles together discussing pacing strategies as I believe we all wanted to set a new course record. We all shared the lead for a bit, and ran well together. It was shaping up to be one of the most social races I’ve ever run. Usually by the halfway point in a race, 1^st through 3^rd aren’t all still running together, sharing the lead. It was a blast and I honestly thought the race was still open to any one of us at that point.

We reached the Lula Lake aid station at mile 28 in high spirits, and began the other big climb on the course. At the start of the climb, I jumped off the trail to “take care of some business”, and although my little pit stop only took one minute, Johnny and Nick were gone, and I began to question the timing of my choice. I reached the top of the climb and started to hit my “mental low point” for the race. I let nick and Johnny escape on the super technical climb, and I knew they were both very strong. Nick had taken the lead for a bit before we hit Lula Lake previously so I was wondering if he had just been biding his time waiting for an attack around mile 30 which would have been a smart move.

After a long and lonely stretch, where my attitude was growing a bit negative, I finally reached the Long Branch aid station at mile 34. The trail in between miles 28 and 34 was pretty terrible, due to a tornado that had ripped through earlier this year. For several miles I found myself bobbing and weaving through the trees which had been chainsawed for us. Don’t get me wrong, they had done a ton of work to the trail, and made it as runable as possible, but after running through a very muddy first half of the race, I wanted to find smooth trails to get the pace back up on par with a course record, but with infinite river crossings, muddy trails abound, and bobbing and weaving around the trees on the new stretch of trail in between Lula Lake at mi 28 and Long Branch at mile 34.

When I reached the road which headed up to Long Branch, I saw Nick’s orange shirt, and was glad that he hadn’t escaped too far.

Just like last year, I planned on taking it easy around the 4 mile loop which runners must face before trudging, running, walking, racing or whatever back to the finish line at Covenant College. The 4 mile loop at Long Branch is demoralizing and if you try to attack there, you won’t have much gas left for a strong finish, and those last 12 miles are paramount. Upon completing that 4 mile loop last year, I caught Josh Wheeler and ran those last 12 miles in for my first ultra overall win. This year, upon completing the loop, I started finally feeling good again, and I caught Nick Lewis with 12 miles to go. I knew I felt strong and would be able to run a good final 12 after a strong start and a mid race crash, I was back for a fast finish, but I knew that Johnny was now about 10 minutes ahead.

It was great running back to the start/finish line at Covenant College because the other runners are heading out to Long Branch, so you get to cheer on one another. Everyone kept giving me splits up to Johnny, and it seemed like although I was destroying myself and running a very strong pace, I wasn’t gaining an inch on Johnny.

I could only keep telling myself to keep chasing on the offensive instead of running on the defensive trying to hold my second place. I hoped that by trying to continuously attack in those last 12, I would maybe open up a larger gap back to third, and at least secure my second place finish…It’s a little head game I play…Sometimes if someone is just running to hold their placement, they might start walking climbs, and I wanted to make sure I was attacking the whole time to hopefully catch Johnny.

My efforts were futile. We kept even splits, and he finished 9 minutes ahead of me, but I managed to secure my 2^nd place overall finish, with a time of 7 hours 32 minutes, which was 10 minutes faster than last year, on a course which was much harder. Nick came in third about 10 minutes behind me, so my strategy did work at least, I was able to put a larger gap back to third in the last 12 miles which I wanted. David Worth came in 4th and Brian Pickett rounded out 5th. It was talking and catching up with those guys!

Overall the race was a good one, and very different from previous years. I had a good week leading up the race, and even the day before the race was stress free and chill.

The highlight of my race was however, hanging out for several hours and cheering on my friends who all finished. I can’t describe how awesome it was to see Jeremy finish after dealing with some annoying back issues that have almost literally been a monkey on his back not allowing starting a previous ultra. He came in at 9:46 which was great. Marcus, Daniel, Rhonda, and Jeff all did great too and finshed with smiles. I was so glad that after personally witnessing the amount of work the Rhonda and Jeremy put in that the finished with smiles even on a tough course. What a great Christmas present! I think we have a new Christmas Tradition. We all went to a micro brew for dinner and celebrated our big accomplishments!

The Art of Recovery

2011-10-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

Good training, as much as I want it to be PURE science, an objective science, is just as much ART and SUBJECTIVE. We athletes must learn to feel the difference between overtraining and overreaching.

The first few weeks after an ultra distance race are always a bit of training "crap shoot", whether it's an ultramarathon or triathlon. You never quite know what is going to happen, and you really need to listen to your body as opposed to following a training plan, unless that plan is for forced rest. Rest is always the best option! Here's a break down of my training during the first few weeks after the UROC 100K, and a good example of how one gets faster, by listening to one's body, and not digging themselves into a hole! Good training is about over-reaching a TINY bit and recovering, not constantly pounding out exhausted miles, and never recovering. We only get faster and stronger during recovery, and it takes a lot of experience to FEEL the difference between overreaching compared to over training. (Overreaching can be recovered from in only a few days, and is an amazing training tool, overTRAINING however, is the atheletes arch nemisis, and takes longer to recover from, and strength/speed gain is almost a null point, due to the amount of recovery it takes to recover from overtraining.)

I started the week after UROC with some time off from running. After a race such as UROC, which was an "A" race for the year, my legs were a bit trashed. My quads were definitely the most sore muscle group in my body, and I could feel soreness in them for at least 6 days post race. I ran a few miles on Wednesday, and hiked 14 hilly miles on Thursday, followed by 5 easy road miles. Friday was my first "real" run at a normal pace and it was definitely not fast, but it wasn't supposed to be and I didn't feel much resdiual soreness, and there were no odd aches, twinges, or joint issues.

My next big race is the Pinhoti 100 on November 5th. It is a point to point race along mostly all singletrack trail with over 16,000 elevation gain. My plan to knock off several hours from last years time was to not only focus on hill work, but to add speed workouts and mile repeats on a track once per week.

Saturday was my first track workout and it went well. I ran after work and the duration of the workout was less than an hour, to keep it simple and easy since I was still only a week after UROC. Sunday I was shocked how good I felt while running out at Jefferson Memorial Forest, which is pure climbing and technical singeltrack. My speeds and energy levels were as high as ever. I focused on good nutrition during this run, and felt like I could have gone 6 hours! Things were looking good. My weekly mileage was at 80. That amount of miles for me is absolutely absurd for a post race week, and I assume it is responsible for my good decision to take unplanned time off for recovery since I felt totally lame last week, following my big post race week.

So week 2 post race I was supposed to do my speed workout on Wednesday and I did, but probably in retrospect over did it. My speed work on Saturday was only 3 miles in the form of 800 meter sprints x 6, (3 miles at slightly faster than 5K pace), and then on Wednesday, my speed work was on hilly terrain, and was 800 meters x 3, followed by a one mile run at a 5:25 miles, and then another 800x3 and 1600 meter run at a 5:20 minute per mile pace.

I woke up Thursday, after my 5 mile speed workout from the previous night, feeling knots in my calves and tightness. My body is definitely not used to doing 5 miles at a sub 6 minute pace. Nonetheless, I knew that since my planned run for the day was not based on speed, but long slow distance I would be OK, so I headed out for 14 miles on trails followed by 6 on the road. My run was on a course I run frequently, and my times were much slower than normal at the given rate of preceived exertion, I was working hard, and getting little in return to sum it up. I knew I had to cancel my planned workout for Friday.

Friday's workout was a serious hill climbing workout, about 2 hours of brutal hill climbing at an "all out" intensity at Jefferson Memorial Forest. It is easy to hear the little devil on your shoulder saying that skipping your biggest workout of the week is the last thing to do, but seriously, unless your running that hard workout in top form, YOU ARE ONLY DIGGIN YOURSELF INTO A HOLE YOU WON'T RECOVER FROM! I knew if I went out to Jef and tried to hammer out a serious workout which was supposed to match my PR over the 13.5 mile hill climbing extravaganza I would get slaughtered, and have a workout much below sun-par. It was time to recover. I took an easy swim on Friday morning instead and went for a run with Kara, and honestly, didn't even run faster than an 11 minute mile! I made the RIGHT decision.

Still, learning to have faith in your training and skip a workout that is supposed to be your biggest workout of the week is hard to do, but doing that workout only digs you into overtraining as opposed to overreaching which you recover and get stronger from. I skipped Sunday's 30 mile run at Jefferson as well, and began my recovery week an entire week early...

UROC 100K Report

2011-09-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

My right leg screamed in angst and pain. I put my hands on the cold, wet, grey stones I had just slipped on to throw myself back in an upright position to begin running again, trying to not lose even a second from my sloppy footwork. It wasn't even mile 3 in the Ultra Race of Champions 100K and I had just suffered a blow to my right Quadriceps that felt as though it had not only injured the muscle but went through to the femur itself. The terrain in the opening was brutal, a mix of wet rocks covering the trail, and steep grades which relentlessly destroyed the body with awesome climbs and grueling descents. It was a an accurate glimpse of what was in store for us the duration of our day, running 62.5 miles though the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I was in the right place mentally from the word GO! This race was about a strong finish and perfect pacing. Approximately 12,500’ of climbing awaited all of us on the course, and I couldn’t get caught up in trying to run someone else’s race. With the most competitive field in any race I have ever run, and with one of the most stacked fields in any Ultra ever, I knew I couldn’t destroy myself in the opening by trying to hang with runners who were battling in the opening miles, only to find themselves empty at the finish where it really matters. My strategy was confirmed as a wise one when I found myself running next to the highly respectable Brit, Ian Sharman, a phenomenal runner who ran the fastest 100 miler ever on American soil this year, 12 hours and 44 minutes at the Rocky Raccoon 100. I was thrilled to be chatting with the friendly Sharman as we approached the Summit of Wintergreen Mountain near mile 5.5.

After mile 5.5 I soon myself alone already which pleased me. In hopes of truly running my own pace, I was pleased to have the trail to myself, as I pounded the downhill miles to only meet more climbing before the next aid station. I was surprised at the amount of pain my quadriceps were in this early in the race, but honestly, I still felt better than any race in this year maybe, and I knew I had mental strength this race, and I was well rested and in peak form. I knew this because my heart rate was high relative to my perceived energy expenditure.

As the day progressed I maintained speed though the aid stations, which were all well stocked by Clif, manufacturer of high-end performance nutrition products. Fortunately, due to my great crew, consisting of Stephanie and Kara, I never actually had to stop running as they had my bottles ready to go for quick hand-offs at the aid stations, so I wouldn’t lose any time at aid. We were so fast at aid, I couldn’t even tell them about exciting things on the course, like my muscle stabbing fall early on, or about running with Ian Sharman up to Wintergreen Summit.

At mile 18, near Sherando Lake, I managed to reel in and catch Dave James, winner of the 100 mile trail USATF championships this year. Chatting with the affable James, while navigating the singletrack around Sherando Lake was a highlight of the day for sure. I came out ahead of James and began the climb up Bald Mountain. I later heard that many runners dropped after the long technical climb up the rocky Bald Mountain trail, but I didn’t think it was that bad. I’m not sure if it was because they went out too quickly, or what, but I felt pretty good and had a good climb up Bald Mountain. Halfway up the climb, I caught Jeremy Pade and let him lead me up the climb a bit.I was glad to have the chance to chat for a moment with Jeremy as he is signed up for Pinothi this year, which is a 100 miler in Alabama in November. I was surprised to say the least when Jeremy and I both passed Michael Owen, one of the younger runners at UROC, who placed 3^rd at the USATF 100 Mile National Trail Championships this year at Burning River. Michael is one of the guys I think are going to make the future of our sport. He’s crazy fast, and insanely good for how young he is. A guy like Michael who is so gifted physiologically to run fast road stuff who does ultras is going to be setting course records and raising the bar for the next 20 years. After Jeremy and I passed Michael, I then passed Jeremy and also another runner, Chris Reed.

After Bald Mountain was a long lonely stretch of pavement, and I didn’t see another runner for over thirty minutes, maybe even an hour, I don’t know. I began to grow worried I was off course and missed a turn, but I knew I was still seeing course markings and I knew I studied the map and I had to be on course, but I kept waiting for the aid station and it never arrived. What I didn’t realize was that the “aid” station at Spy Gap, mile 29.3 wasn’t a full aid station so I ran right by it expecting to reach the real aid later. The longer I ran, and looked at the mileage on my Garmin, I thought I had missed a turn and had screwed myself. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Spy Run Gap road went blanketed in fog and a strong breeze and the scene was ominous, but suddenly out of the fog, came a vision of figures and I heard clapping. I realized I was still on course and my world became right again.

I entered the out and back section and was glad to back on singletrack for a break from the pavement. I saw Dave Mackey walking and wondered if he was about to drop. Dave just set a new course record at the Waldo 100K last month, and has too many wins and national championships to even list. The benefit of an out and back stretch on the course is that I could definitively see my competition, and see their order and their spirits, etc. Soon after Dave Mackey, I saw Michael Wardian flying, and Geoff Roes looking downright spritely and fresh.

Upon reaching the Whetstone Aid Station again after the out and back, I changed my shoes as planned, which took less than 30 seconds, but I figured would pay large benefits on the road. It was mile 42 approximately at the Whetstone Aid, and the remainder of course was mostly pavement minus a very technical stretch of 5 miles of treacherous downhill singetrack on wet rock and muddy trail. I knew it was the right decision to switch shoes as soon as I stepped on pavement after 42 miles of running and was able to put in a strong pace even on the climbs. My cadence felt quick and light, but upon entering the Bald Mountain area again for the nasty trails, I had to pay my price.

I managed to gain placement as the race progressed all day. After Whetstone#2 following the out and back, I held 8^th for a long time, and Chris Reed was in ninth. I was fast on the pavement and gained time on Grossman in 7^th, but because I wanted faster road shoes, I sacrificed a lot of time during miles 48.5 to 53.5 as I pussyfooted down the Bald Mountain stretch with its steep grades and mud and rocks. I hit the aid station at mile 53.5 and Chris Reed had closed 10 minutes on me! As soon as I ran towards the station to grab my bottle which Kara and Stephanie tossed, I heard the cheers as Reed caught me!

Luckily, the rest was pavement, and I had already paid the piper and I could speed up now that I was back on roads for good. I didn’t even look back. Reed stayed behind, and I knew I had a slight advantage on the climbs. There was only 10 miles left, and I was empowered to hear that even as I crawled though the technical terrain in my road shoes, I still closed the gap on Grossman down to 4 minutes or so, and there was only 10 miles left.

The next 5 miles went by slowly as I was focused on not letting Reed catch me. I try to not race “behind me”, but I did NOT want to lose placement. I tried to focus on running my own race, and I did NOT look behind me even once to see where Reed was.

I entered the Aid at Reed’s Gap with only just over 4 miles left, and knew I had juice for a strong finish. I glanced back to see Reed entering the Aid Station, but I bolted without slowing. It was one mile downhill and then the finish was a climb over 3 miles to the finish. I held 10 miles per hour on the downhill to escape Reed and couldn’t see him at all, and then focused on attacking Grossman. I couldn’t see him, but I knew he was there.

Halfway up the climb, with nothing left in my body I dug deep as I had been the whole last climb and destroyed myself. I saw Grossman, running and looking strong, and attacked and rested and attacked and rested. I would go his speed and then attack faster to close the gap, and then recover by going his speed. It was foggy and misty and epic to the core. I knew Grossman couldn’t see me, or didn’t see me, but then a car containing some of the elites who had dropped and were on the climb to check out the finish alerted Grossman, and then cheered me on too! I dug deep for my final attack and passed Grossman with a huge smile. I have known Grossman for many years, as he created my hometown ultra during the years he lived in Louisville. I raced against him at the Iron Mountain 50, my tuner race for UROC. He won that race setting a new course record, which he was also the founder of, and I got 2^nd. I wanted to send a signal I was feeling better than I was, so I yelled encouragement at him, and he yelled something at my to the effect of, “You are CRAZY!” and I took off. I was on fire; I just passed Grossman with less than a mile, taking 7^th. He said something, which I didn’t hear, and then maybe something else. I wish I knew what it was, but I soon learned that there was another runner right in front of me! I couldn’t believe how close this race was! I attacked and rested, but after destroying myself to catch this next runner, I couldn’t make the pass. He held sixth at the summit of the climb and I gave up the chase as I choked, literally from exasperation. There was about a hundred or 2 hundred yards of downhill to the finish and I came in a minute or so behind JB, and I took 7^th overall. I was ecstatic with the finish, as epic as ever, with so much fog and mist, it was just theatrical. My crew wasn’t even expecting me so early!

During my interview the night before the race with Andy, ( an interview I almost didn’t do because I so overwhelmed by being in such great company upon arriving, seeing my name on a plaque with the other true “elites” etcetera), I told him I wanted a top 10, but I didn’t think it was possible. I got 7^th and was jovial. I stuck to my game plan, and ran my own race, trying to not get swept away in a fast start which ending up forcing out many of the elites. My nutrition was good and my crew incredible.

I was proud of my pacing, and it left me with yet again a drive to grow faster and smarter and push the limits even further. Everyone was so friendly and what a great chance to finally meet all the runners I’ve been admiring from afar for so long. I couldn’t sleep much after the race, as I thought about my next race and what I can improve upon to gain speed and efficiency and finish in the fastest I am possible of.

Some after notes…

Here’s a link to some vids…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiibxlvivmk&feature=player_embedded

I’m at minute 4 on this one….

I’m at minute 9 here, for the interview…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ir-WOuWX1Ec#!

PICS TO COME…

Iron Mountain 50 Race Report

2011-09-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Damascus, Virginia will always hold a special place in my heart and mind. As a quintessential trail town on the Appalachian, it embodies the spirit of the trail I hiked in 2005. I spent time Damascus during my AT thru-hike, a period of my life when I walked from Georgia to Maine on a life-changing personal odysey of growth and cartharsis.

The mountains surrounding Damascus are beautiful as well, I have always wanted to come back and do a trail race. Ironically enough, this summer while attempting to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail which I had planned ever since doing the AT in '05, I decided to come home early for many reasons, one of which was to get my race season underway. While searching for possible races to break my legs back in to racing, (I had a pretty stacked race schedule through April and was using the PCT thru-hike as several months of "Base Training"), I rememebered that the Iron Mountain 50 was the first weekend in September and I knew I wanted to do it.

I got home from Oregon in early-mid August, and began the training which would hopefully get my legs used to moving faster than the 3 mph I had been walking the previous 4 months. I had less than 4 weeks to adequately train for the Iron Mountain 50, but I had a great aerobic base from hiking 18-36 miles per day on the PCT at elevations from 6000' to 14,000'! After being home for two or three weeks, I managed to set a personal record on my stomping ground at Jefferson Memorial Forest on the Siltstone Trail. The Siltstone's a 13.5 mile out and back with steep climbing and technical terrain. I knew I was as ready as I could be for the race given the circumstances.

During the weeks preceding the Iron Mountain 50, I was also given a great opportunity to run in the Ultra Race of Champions 100K. (Thats 62 miles for you non-runners!) By being entered into the UROC 100K it automatically became my "A" race, and it is only 3 weeks exactly after the Iron Mountain 50. This meant I would be training through the week prior to Iron Mountain and I wouldn't be at 100% theoretically for Iron Mountain, but as close to it as possible. As excited as I was about Iron Mountain, to run with the greatest ultra runners in the world at UROC obviously trumped my race card as the priority. I took off and rested Monday and Tuesday and ran 20 miles on Wednesday and Thursday before the race and then an easy 3 on Friday before Iron Mt to allow for recovery. -Definitely not ideal before a race but it was required for the end-objective which is placing as highly as possible in UROC.

All that rambling aside, I came to Iron Mountain to win. I was not going to be holding back anything, and I was hungry. After last season my confidence was up and I was going to fight for it. Up until about a week before the race, I had studied my competition and thought the likelihood of winning was seriously possible. This was before Shaun Pope and Eric Grossman signed up! I looked at the entrant list about a week before the race, and noticed these two late entries and got very excited to have the chance to race against them. True, it meant my chances of winning were greatly reduced, but who cares, placement is only relative to who shows up, and I wanted to race against someone of Grossmans and Popes caliber prior to UROC later this month. Grossman has long been sponsored by Montrail, a trail running shoe brand, and Shaun Pope set the course record at Iron Mt last year. Grossman has won over 30 Ultramarathons from 50K's to 100 milers, and has podiumed in many more. These guys are amazing athletes. Runners like Pope are the future of the sport, young and fast with the potential to throw down seriously fast road marathons, they are raising the bar in Ultras.

I showed up race morning and coincidentally, Eric Grossman was parked right next to me. I knew him immediately as the founder of my hometown ultra here in Louisville, the Lovin' the Hills 50K. He, of course, had no idea who I was, just like everyone else there.

As I prepared to race I joked with Stephanie that my secret weapon was foiled! Grossman showed up bearded as I was, and that it would be a true battle! (I hoped at least, against someone of Grossman's caliber!)

My plan for the race was to let Shaun Pope fly out of the gait. I assumed he would start a bit faster than Grossman and I. I knew I would have to push the limit the first few miles, maybe the first 10 or so, just to stay up front in the opening miles, and gain positioning for later in the race, and stake a claim as a contender. I used to start slow, but to truely be competitive I find I have to go a bit faster than I would like in the opening miles, and use the middle of the race to settle into a groove, and then hopefully pick up speed at the end when the "real race begins" during the last 30% of a race. I wanted to stay with Grossman as he is someone who paces himself very well, and doesn't lose any speed. I was hoping to stay behind him the first 25 miles to conserve energy and if I had it in me, I would try to make a move in the second half of the race.

My legs felt like concrete. It was mile 4 and we hadn't begun climbing much yet. Pope was out front as planned and I was a few feet behind Grossman letting him set the pace. I wondered if I had it in me today. I have learned though, to be confident and not let the self-doubt rule your thoughts in the opener of a race of such great distance. It doesn't matter where you are in the begining, just the end. I found the balance between running another's race and my own. I ran "their" pace for the first 8 or nine 9 miles, and then backed off, letting them attack the first climb. It came time to run in my own world, in my own race. Surely enough, my faith in running my own race panned out to put me in second place behind Grossman. Somewhere near mile 10, I saw Shaun Pope slowing greatly on a climb. He had gone out hard, and was struggling now.

As I passed him, I asked him about his experience at the Western States 100, the pinultimate Ultra in the country. I hope to run it next year, but it is unlikely to get in as it is solely a lottery system to gain entry. Shaun was very nice, and it is great to race with such amazing talent. At only 22 years of age, guys like Shaun are going to be setting course records for decades to come. I didn't see Shaun again after that climb, and I don't know what mile he dropped at.

Around mile 16, at the Aid Station, Stephanie told me my placement was currently second, and I was concerned because I knew there should have been another runner in between Eric and I, apparently I later passed this anonymous runner as he was relieving himself in the woods!

At mile 22, I prepared for a long descent, nearly 7 miles all downhill, preceeding a large 3 mile climb to regain all of the elevation gain. I was running shirtless now, to aid in cooling, as my shirt was soaked with sweat and I was extremely hot. The air was so humid, that wearing a shirt wasn't allowing my body to cool through the process of evaporative heat loss, so my choice to run shirtless was a wise one. It felt much better and I was cooler by doing so. My hat was soaked and I can't recall ever sweating so much in any race, including Ironman Louisville last year when the temps were in the upper 90's. The humididty on the Iron Mt trail for race day was gnarly!

Near mile 25 I checked my watch. I read that I was 3 hours and 40 minutes into the race. One of my goals for this race was to run in under 7:42. That was the time I ran Lookout Mountain last December, which has 1500' less climbing and the singletrack is smoother and less rocky. Being able to run a faster than at Lookout would be a great accomplishment and I wanted to succeed in that goal. It was looking possible, but I knew the day would only grow hotter, and my race nutrition was running low.

I only brought 5 energy gels and 2 powerbars with me to the race, which is much less than I usually eat during a race. I managed to balance this out though, and although it may have affected my energy levels a little, I wanted to do a little experimenting for UROC later this months. I had enough sports drink, (EFS), to get through almost all of the race, only running out at the end, when I supplemented with the sports drink that the race provided at the aid stations.

I started to crash pretty hard inbetween miles 30 and 42. My heart rate would stay up, and my energy and enthusiasm were falling as well. I had been holding second place for many hours, and hadn't seen another runner in the same amount of time. I had to force myself to still attack all the climbs and not walk anything. I had no idea where third place was, and I was still hoping to catch Grossman although I knew it was pretty much impossible. I at least wanted to lose to Grossman by the smallest possible margin. I have enough respect for him to know how smart of a racer he is, and I knew catching him was pretty unrealistic, however, I never want to race "Behind me", trying to hold position. I always want to be on the prowl, trying to gain placement as opposed to hanging on for dear life just trying to not lose placement. I want to race, "in front of me", trying to close gaps, even if it isnt' realistic. Make sense?

As the temps rose, I would manage the body wanting to overheat on the hard climbs. I did this by slowing and listening to my body. I didn't want to crack and I wanted a strong finish. I could NOT allow myself to overheat. I drank a ton of electrolyte replacement drinks at the aid stops and my sports drink of choice also has a phenom level of electrolytes. I was really proud of my ability to manage the heat by altering my pace during the hottest stretches to allow for a strong finish. Once you have cracked in the heat and become dehydryhated, returning to a normal state is NOT easy and usually can't occur without stopping completely.

I came alive again from my death march about mile 42. I had run out of nutrition, but some cool water to the head, and a small handfull of gummi bears and a shot of 5 hour energy gave me a jolt. I began to fly again. I became fired up as I realized that if I had an incredible last few miles, I could hit my goal of a sub- 7:42 finish which was my Lookout Mt 50 time, but this time on a much hillier and rockier course. I ran 6:29 at the LBL 50 this year, but that is on smooth trail and has exactly of the elevation gain at only 4000', a great course and a great race nonetheless.

In my favor, the majority of the last few miles are all downhill. I often looked to my garmin and saw speeds of 9 or 10 mph. I knew it would be close to break my 7:42, but I was running "in front of me", and I was totally secure in my ability to hold second place. I passed some folks finishing the 30 mile course and enchanged encouragement, hoping they wouldn't think me psycho for blowing by on the rocky downhill trail, but I was on a mission. It began to rain for the first time of the day, but I was now in town and knew the course would foster speeds of 9-10mph, and I had about one mile and I was currently at a time of 7:30.

I crossed the line in 7:38, running 4 or 5 mins faster than my goal. I couldn't have been happier with the results of the day. I ran the best race I could have ran given the day, and I reached my goals. Stephanie and I had the fastest aid handoffs I've ever had, not stopping or sitting once, I would literally run by her, grabbing a prefilled bottle, shaving off time. I managed the unbearable heat well for me, and I paced myself well. I wasn't as sore as usual and I was in good positioning training wise for UROC in only 3 weeks. It was a succesful day, and I ran MY OWN race! It was a blast.

I hung around the gazebo at the finish for about an hour chatting with the other finishers and congratulating them. Everyone at these races is always so nice and I see them all as family. We're all out here doing what we love with the help of the awesome race directors and volunteers. We had some good food at the finish and then I topped it off with a double scooped waffle cone on the ride back to hotel. I ate a great dinner at Harvest Table, a restaurant outside of Abingdon Va which uses locally sourced foods, on a gourmet scale, and for the first time ever, I felt so great after the race, I even enjoyed a beer with dinner.

A great weekend to get away and just relax, enjoying great company and beautiful trails...

Race Wear and Nutrition

Shorts- Pearl Izumi Infinity Compression

Shoes- Montrail Mountain Masochist

Shirt- Quest Outdoors Patagonia Cap 1 s/s

Socks- Injinji micro-mini orig weight

Bottle- Nathan Quick Draw Elite

Visor- Headsweats

Watch- Garmin 305

Gels etc-Clif Gels, and Clif Blocks, (1 pkg blocks, and 5 gels_

Bars- 2 powerbars

Hydration- Camelback elixer tabs and EFS

A special thanks to Stephanie for crewing~! We really have a great system down and it's awesome to see the progress in the speed of bottle handoffs, etc! thanks for all your hard work! She's really an awesome talent, printing out aid station maps and dealing with all the logistics!

After Nearly 4 Months on the Pacific Crest Trail, It is time to RUN!

2011-08-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

After a great race season, ending with the Umstead 100 in April, I left Kentucky for San Diego and headed south to the Mexican border to hike the Pacific Crest Trail- a long distance hiking trail stretching nearly 2700 miles from Mexico to Canada. It was an incredible experience, and one full of growth and redirection. You can read my blog about the adventure @ trailjournals.com/rocketPCT

The journey was an amazing one, in which I met my goals, and can be summed up with the following quote my cousin Jeff sent to me regarding my last blog entry in my trailjournals.com/rocketPCT site;

"The only Zen you can find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there."

Robert M. Pirsig
I've signed up for the Iron Mountain 50 miler on September 3rd and now I've just received incredible news that I will be blessed with the opportunity to run in the Ultra Race of Champions in Virginia. This is a 100K race and it holds the toughest competition of any ultra in the country. I'll be racing against runners like Geoff Roes, Ultra Runner of the Year in '09 and '10, Dave Mackey, Karl Meltzer, (winner of more 100's than anyone in the world!), Ian Sharman, (winner of Rocky Raccoon in 12:44!), Eric Grossman, Andy Jones-Wilkins, etc. This is the most stacked field ever!

The race organizers of UROC have been amazing in their professionalism and organization. My original plan was to focus on improving my 3rd place finish @ Pinhoti 100 miler in November, but to be a part of this race, the UROC 100K I am now driven to focus mainly on UROC. Although I still strive to improve on my finish at Pinhoti, UROC will be my training focus definitely! Honestly, I really think that after hiking 1600 miles on the PCT and building a good base in my off season over the summer, running Iron Mountain and UROC will still do nothing but improve my form at Pinhoti even though UROC is the focus.

I'm doing road work now this week to get my legs back into form, and allow my joint to be off trails for a bit after the PCT. On road runs this week I'm doing some short intense threshold work, at or near 5K pace. Next week I'll begin my hill repeats out on the monster grades at Jefferson Memorial Forest, my main playground of trail running. I had planned on doing big mileage weeks the next few months in prep for Pinhoti, but now with UROC as my "A" race, my raison d'etre so to speak. I am focusing on quality over quanity and will probably not run over 150 miles during a week. UROC has 13,000' feet of elevation gain, therefore climbing prowess will be all-important. Fortunately I am at my lowest weight and body fat %, which will be of utmost importance.

The Iron Mountain Trail Race will actually be a great tuner race for UROC as it is also in Virginia on the Appalachian Trail and involves a great deal of climbing.

My bio should be up on the UROC site shortly. I can't believe this is happening! I'm pretty excited, and to hold this opportunity after my wonderful period of growth and reflection on the PCT is a whirlwind of positive energy.

First Day Back from the PCT- Nephew Jude's B-Day

2011-08-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

2011-08-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

http://ultraroc.com/

Interview Answers- Re LBL 50

2011-04-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

So I was just email by TrailRunner! It made my day...They were asking about the LBL race and alerting me about my Trophy Series overall standing....

Here are my interview answers....

What was the course and scenery like?

The course at Land Between the Lakes is relatively mild for a trail race. It's all high quality singletrack, groomed for mountain bikes so the terrain is pretty smooth. There are many mileage options at the LBL trail runs, so the fact that the races are all run on the same 11 mile loop is cool. The course only has 4000' elevation gain over the 50 miler, so it is conducive to a fast race. With lakes Kentucky and Barkley on either side of the course, we had a great view and a gentle breeze. The scene is peaceful and quiet almost! The first half of the loop is flat, and I was tend to lost Zach Gingerich on that section as he was faster on the flats. the second half of the 11 mile loop is hilly, and that's when i would catch Zach, only to be passed on the flats again. It was cat and mouse! The weather this year was perfect too, No foot of snow to run through, no mud, etc! It was about 70 and sunny with minimal mud.

What was your training like for this race?

This was my 4th ultra in 5 months, and I felt like I was peaking well for this race. I was shooting hard for two goals; 1. win the race 2. set a new course record. LBL is about 3 hours away and I drove down on weekends to do training laps on the course, trying to beat the old record. My training laps had me running under a 6:40 50 mile time, (the old course record by Zach Gingerich), so I was hopeful to set a new course record. I also tried to balance this with the fact that LBL was not my "A" race for the season. I was running the Umstead 100 only 3 weeks after LBL, so I didn't want to cook myself at LBL. I was coming off of a win at a very hilly race in Louisville called Lovin' the Hills 50K, which has 14K' of elevation change and my mileage in the 4 weeks inbetween Lovin' the Hills in February and LBL in March held the biggest mileage of any month I have ran.

Were there any high or low points during the race that are particularly memorable for you?

High points definitely include catching Zach Gingerich and passing him. I obviously revered Zach from his past performances and was elated to be running with someone of his caliber, (and maybe even pushing him a tiny bit)! I was extatic to follow my splits each lap on my Garmin and see that i was 7 minutes faster than goal pace each lap for the first half. I really put myself through the ringer and slowed down the last lap, but only by a few minutes. At the end of the race there is an out and back and i saw Zach was only minutes ahead, (a close margin in a 50), and although I knew he would beat me, I killed myself to just "get as close as I could". -Doing that enabled me to break 6:30, which I didn't think I was capable of, even on a perfect day. I was unsure of how I felt about the race for a long time. I now know that I truly ran a good race and maybe the best race I've run to date. (I paid for it at Umstead though!) I pushed it pretty hard @ LBL and maybe was a little strung out from it. I felt good while racing, just not full of emotion...I usually like to be the one encouraging cheering on my fellow racers, and this race I did that, but not as much...I was a little more down to business...The emotions weren't overflowing like usual. I set out to just zone out and run as fast as possible? Sounds weird...I know....It just took a while to recover and gather my thoughts appropriately. You can't compare your race to that of another. The thing I love about Ultras is we're all out there doing the same thing, running an amazing distance. The camaraderie at LBL is always special. TO SUM IT UP; The race was much more special in hindsight than immediately after at the finish.

Oh, and Lapping my wife was pretty awesome! hahaha...Because I got to see her, not because I was lapping her! lol

Umstead Race Report

2011-04-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 15, 2011Umstead Race Report

Umstead 100 Race Report

April 2011

Troy Shellhamer

I stood in the aisle of the sporting goods looking at knee braces. In only 3 days I was supposed to run 100 miles on one of the fastest courses in the country, Umstead. Looking at knee braces is not what a runner wants to be doing a few days out from an Ultramarathon.

The usual excitement of race week was toned down due to my knee "situation". I was rather anxious and stressed about the likelihood of potentially having to drop out of my first race ever. A few years ago I damaged my right knee in a snowboarding accident, and it took almost a year to heal, and it is still weak when pressure is applied laterally, (side to side). This injury doesn't usually affect my running, cycling, swimming, etc. The week after the 50 miler at Land Between the Lakes, (which was three weeks prior to the Umstead), I was doing massive amounts of hard labor in my new home and I injured my knee. It had continued to pop and swell and feel very distorted and misaligned every day thereafter.

It was recovering slowly but surely, but running 100 miles is no small feat. I knew that if I wasn't 100% for this race, the chance of finishing would be minimal. I could run through an injury in a 50 miler, and have good results- a 50 is usually around 7 hours- 100 though, is a long time, and the body starts to shut down and refuse eventually.

My first 100 miler was the Mohican 100 in which I finished in more pain than I ever imagined possible. I have run enough races now to not do that again. If I encountered any injury causing situation in the race, I decided I would DNF, rather than finish and do damage to my body in the process. I had nothing to prove. Running Ultras is mostly mental, and if you have the wrong attitude about the race, you have lost before you've even started.

About a day or two before the race I was talking to my friend Stephanie about my concerns regarding my knee. She reminded me of all the concerns I have had in prior races on race week, whether it was an injured shin I was nursing back to health, a head cold I thought would impede race performance, etc. This abated my fears and I felt a calm about the race. I would simply not stress anymore and I would just go down and have a blast and run my own race. What would worrying get me? Sure the odds were stacked against me, but they been in the past too!

Maybe not this strongly, but regardless, worrying does nothing.

I know that I peaked a little early for this race. Since I am leaving for a Thru-Hike of the Pacific Crest Trail on April 27, I will not be racing for a period of 5 or 6 months. This works out nicely as the PCT can be considered base training. I did want to squeeze in as many races as possible though, and Umstead would be my 5th Ultra in 6 months, (Pinhoti in November, Lookout Mountain in December, Lovin' the Hills in February, LBL in March, and Umstead in April). My knee issue prevented me from running much for three weeks prior to Umstead, and honestly, I was a little cooked from running a 6:29 at LBL and I was on a downward decline anyways. I guess I didn't quite play my cards flawlessly, as LBL was supposed to be a training race only for Umstead, and it ended up doing me in!

I met my crew at 5pm on Thursday night at Rhonda's house. Our crew consisted of Rhonda and Jeremy, two good friends from the exploding tri scene here in Louisville. We loaded up the Prius and were on our way to Umstead! We stopped in Pigeon Forge Thursday night and got a nice room for only $35, a great price!

I'm usually pretty consistent about my diet on the day before a race. I like to forego most complex carbs/ whole grains/ fruits veggies and anything else with large amounts of fiber. I've squatted in the woods enough during race day to learn that emptying my colon before race day is the best option! Cracker Barrel was a yummy option in the AM for breakfast, and some pancakes fit the bill for carbs and not much fiber! Double bonus, eating Cracker Barrel in Pigeon Forge, hahaha...

The rest of the drive down to Raleigh, (Umstead Park is right outside of Raleigh), was gorgeous. Our route took us outside of Asheville. We were in the mountains, the sun was out, and it was one of the first warm days of the year. Perfect!

We arrived at the race earlier than expected and our Team Medical Director, Rhonda, (an OT), had a great idea to try taping my knee with Kiniseo Tape. We stopped into a sporting goods shop and the picked up some tape and headed to the hotel.

I was taken aback once I stepped foot into the Hampton. I didn't realize it was a Hilton Hotel. They informed me about a special runner’s breakfast since the full breakfast bar wouldn't be open at 4:30 in the morn when we'd be heading to the race. There was a race table set up with loads of info and maps pertaining to the race. We had a blast talking and enjoying the ride down but it was now nap time and then off to Umstead, (only 10 minutes away), for the packet pick up and Pre-Race meeting!

Driving into Umstead I felt immediate excitement and knew that race day would be great. Tall pines covered the forest floor and the small rolling hills would provide entertainment while running all day. We took a gravel road in about 10 minutes and were greeted by volunteers who gave us our assigned parking number.

The set up at Umstead is awesome. It is at Camp Lapihio, which consists of a main lodge and many smaller cabins. These were all built by the Civilian Conservation Corps around 1940 I think. The buildings were in need of maintenance earlier this year and the hard working rangers were awarded a grant to refinish and repair the structures. They were in great need of manpower and the Umstead race organizers stepped in and saved the day putting in many long hard hours to finish the project in record time.

Blake is the race director and boy is he punctual. The Pre-Race meeting was set to start at 6pm, and the Atomic clock on the big stone mantle in the lodge saw the meeting start at exactly 5:00.00 pm, and finish at 6:00.00 pm. Blake gave an informative pre-race chat, but also an inspiring one. He awarded the # 100 bib number to a person from last years race whom he felt deserved the award for perseverance and who hopefully would finish this race and motivate other first timers. I couldn't believe how many first timers were at this race! It looked like hundreds had stood up when Blake asked the first timers to identify themselves! Awesome!

The pre-race dinner started at exactly 6pm, and I thought there was no way that we'd get fed by 8pm judging by the sheer numbers. We were all fed by 7:30 and headed back to the hotel by 8 pm after walking some of the race course after dinner! The Umstead 100 race is one finely tuned machine. Umstead is an impressive operation to say the least. The course for the Umstead 100 is one of the most stellar running surfaces I have ever encountered. It is crushed granite, all filtered through 1/16" screening. 1/16 is the smaller line of measurement on a standard ruler. There are no stones, pebbles, roots, etc. This crushed granite doesn't create a lot of dust either, even though it is powder consistency almost, and the footing is sure and sound. I can't imagine a more perfect surface conducive to a fast Ultra.

We ran by Target to get some snacks for Rhonda and Jeremy for race day and then were back at the Hotel before 8:45. As I got my race bag ready and got organized we talked about how the race would probably unfold and I gave Jeremy the bib numbers for racers I wanted him to keep splits on as the day unfolded. As much as I preach about running your own race, it is nice to know where the competition is! That being said, I have never really even asked or cared where my competition is in a 100 mielr before. I'll go out and race a 50, wanting splits, etc., but not in a 100. At this point, I run 100, and that's how I race 100, by going out and doing my own thing.

It was nice to see some familiar faces at the starting line at 6am. Jay Smithberger, a great runner from Ohio met me at the starting line and it was awesome to chat and pass the time for the first few laps of 12.5 miles each. He enlightened me at the end of the first lap, once it was light out, that I even forgot to take off my headlamp! Man, that was a few extra ounces, haha, oh well...

The course is a modified loop, which enables runners to run in opposing directions for several miles at the very end and begining of each loop. It is really refreshing to see so many smiling and encouraging faces as you end and begin each lap! The reason I chose Umstead for my last race was mainly due to the community of ultra runners in this race. I loved the concept of a loop course, that was flat and not singletrack. I LOVE singletrack, and I don't love loop courses and so I don't usually do them, but they have a lot to offer and it was time for me to branch out and do something new. I wanted to see other runners the whole race, and Umstead offered that possibility regardless if I was first or last.

The community at Umstead did not disappoint! I think I exchanged pleasantries with almost every runner on the course. It holds a great vibe and is a very positive environment. The weather further fostered the great spirits of the runners. It was nearly perfect, in the 60's and breezy!

The lead pack I was running with was on record pace. We turned in our first laps in less than 1 hour 45 minutes. The second and third laps were the same. I ran 1 hour 43 minutes the first few laps. It was amazing to see such a close race. The first seven or so of us were all only minutes apart, and we were keeping perfect pace with one another. At the start finish line where the out and back is, I could see we were at the same spots each lap, meaning we were all holding similar paces.

Serge Arbona is an amazing runner who finished the 100 miles of Umstead last year in just over 14 hours. I was shocked to see that I was keeping pace with him, and knew that it was time for me to slow down!

At the 37.5 mile mark as I completed my third lap I was literally astonished at how fast the race was unfolding! Not really any knee pain yet, but it was still a long way to go. It was going by so quickly that I decided to skip listening to my iPod until I needed it later. Only one more lap and I would be at the 50 mile mark, halfway! My kiniseo tape began to fall off, and so Rhonda jumped to fixing my knee before I departed, but that tape came off also amongst the salt and sweat, and so I tore it all off and run with no pain and no injury. This would be the second race where I have run an injury out of me! It's nuts to start with an ailment and then it "goes away" mid-race. As a medical professional this makes no sense at all, but hey, I'll take it, right?

Our race system of refueling was working flawlessly. There was a fully stocked aid station at the start finish and at the halfway point on the loop, basically giving runners nutrition and hydration every 6.75 miles. It was challenging for crew members to access the halfway aid station, and so Rhonda and Jeremy stayed at the start finish Aid Station and helped me refuel etc only at the start finish. Since the laps were so fast, it made things go by very quickly, since I would only see them every 12.5 miles. This was their first crewing experience and they did amazing, total naturals, they knew exactly what to do! It's hard to explain to someone when you ask them to crew, how important they are. Having friends help you run 100 miles is an awesome experience. Knowing that I have that kind of support helps me complete a race.

Jay Smithberger and I came into the Start Finish line completing mile 50 together in almost exactly 7 hours. For me, that was probably a bit too fast as my fourth lap out of the eight needed to complete the 100 was a bit slower than the first 3 laps. I generally try to pride myself on stong finishes. I usually pace myself well, but apparently I got a little caught up in the speed of Umstead and ran the first 50 about 20 minutes or maybe even 30 minutes faster than I should have. I was honestly trying to race Umstead, and felt well enough to do so, and hindsight is always 20/20!

You are allowed to pick up a pacer beginning on your fifth lap at Umstead, but Jeremy and I decided to wait until lap 6. I was still very fresh after running the first 50 in 7 hours, and I was entertained by my iPod too, so I tried to stretch out picking up my pacer for a little while.

I was ready for Jeremy by lap 6. I had run 62.5 miles in about 9 hours, and was starting to feel it a bit. The good news was that it was typical muscle fatigue and general tiredness, and no weird musculoskeletal issues slowing me down, the knee was great and the aches and pains were all just par for the course!

Jeremy's enthusiasm to get out on the course was refreshing. He looked so fresh and ready to fly, and I needed time to chill and relax! It was probably painful to run so slow with me after watching people run by him all day, but he stayed just a few ahead of me the first lap, as we chatted about the race. We discussed the events unfolding and Jeremy learned the course well after his first lap.

It is relatively flat the first half of the loop, with most of each lap’s 1000' of elevation gain coming in the second half of each lap. The hills to me were welcome however, as they break the monotony of the beautiful course, and allow different muscle groups to propel you forward for a few miles each lap. The hills were short, but steep enough that walking occasionally for a few seconds was a wise option.

During my last 100 miler, I crashed around mile 55 until mile 75 but then recovered for the last 25 miles to finish very strong and with energy. I could feel my energy seriously waning around mile 70 and I noticed I was slurring my speech. Jeremy and I developed a nutrition plan, and it helped out with the energy and as soon as I would start slurring again I knew it was time for a gel. I tried to stay on top of the energy input with gels every 20 minutes. Jeremy would keep track on his watch and remind me. Usually at that point in a race my stomach can’t handle much of anything without seriously revolting, but it can usually handle gels well.

Forward motion was slow coming and my pace was dropping by the minute. I concentrated on the next aid station and didn’t contemplate the mileage still ahead. It would seem easy to say, I’ve done 80 miles, only 20 left, but I’m a runner. I do a lot of 20 mile runs. I know 20 is a long way to go, it doesn’t matter if you’ve already done 80! I concentrated on living in the moment and focused on the next aid station whatever it was. Time went by quicker that way. The parts are always easier to handle than the whole. We got to the start finish line and I knew that I had to grab my headlamp as it was mile 87.5, I had one lap left, and it would probably be dark midway through this lap. I drank a little cup of Coca-Cola for the quick carbs and the caffeine. My stomach didn’t detest much to the coke. I had also been having success as usually at the aid stations with boiled salted potatoes, a staple in most ultramarathons.

I had a little business to tend to before leaving the aid station at the start finish line and beginning my last lap.

I call it “Bubble-Toe”. I tend to get these blisters, filled with blood, on the end of my toes sometimes. Usually it is the entire tip of my toe, including the toenail. It usually protrudes a great deal from my normal toe shape, giving it the appearance of a giant red lollipop- point being, it’s a huge blood blister. I grabbed my knife out of my race bag and made haste. Within milliseconds I had stabbed the bubble-toe, relieving all pressure. The fun-filled blood/pus sack erupted like Mt Saint Helens all over my faithful running shoes that had carried me. The shot was impressive, probably several inches shooting out of my big toe. The big toe nail had NO chance.

I threw on my socks and felt immediate relief. My toe was back to its normal size, from nearly double.

Jeremy was incredible. His longest run was a marathon prior to Umstead and upon leaving mile 87.5 to begin our last lap; he was also embarking into uncharted territory. That lap would bring a total of 37.5 miles for Jeremy and 100 miles for me. Rhonda was able to run a few laps with Deb Shelton, a friend from Louisville. It was awesome that our crew were all able to get in a few laps on the course.

During the laps that we ran together from mile 62.5 to 100, everyone kept shouting at how fresh we look. Jeremy always felt obligated to concede that he was “only” a pacer, but he was shouldering not only the load of running 37.5 miles, but as a pacer, he had to care for my wibbly-wobbly, speech slurring, pathetic tail trying to run the last chunk of a hundred miler. He quickly learned his job as a pacer and perfected it, providing entertaining speech and motivation. A pacer must push their runner, but also feel their runner out, allowing them to slow when necessary. It is a challenging task, with little reward, but without pacers, a lot of runners would not complete their feat.

We made our way around one last lap, and it became increasingly harder and harder to place each foot in front of the other. My pace was growing weaker, but I knew I would finish in good time. We had hoped to break 16 hours but realized that the effort was futile, and I couldn’t gain any placement in the process. Regardless, it was too much to handle. I went my own pace, giving it literally everything I had. I took a sit down break for the first time at aid station 2, (the halfway-on-the-loop aid station), at mile 95. I ate a small piece of pizza hoping the fat content would settle the amount of carbs in my stomach, thereby reducing the possibility of “osmotic-diarrhea”, another unpleasant side effect of ultras a lot of runners encounter. The pizza did the trick and I ran it on home, congratulating the other runners out on the course still who had been so encouraging all throughout the day. It was only 10pm, and many would still be running through the night to complete their awesome task.

I did it. I crossed the finish line in just over 16 hours. Considering the circumstances, I was very happy with my run. You must take each day as they come and maximize what you have. I wasn’t at 100%, and I wanted to be, but I didn’t let it get me down. I went down, and honestly had one of most enjoyable race weekends ever. Rhonda and Jeremy were great. The car ride home even went by quickly. It was mind boggling to get up on a Saturday, and be back in bed on Saturday night after running 100 miles. My first 100 miler lasted nearly 27 or 28 hours. This one was over in 16, Incredible. Since the park was officially closed after 8pm, I didn’t have much time after the race to linger around in the lodge post race. I hung out for a bit and thoroughly enjoyed the roaring fire and warmed up. The gates to the park open on the hour each hour to let runners and crew in and out, and so if we didn’t leave at 11pm on the nose, we would have to hang out for another hour. At the time Rhonda and Jeremy went to get the car, the masseuse came over and told me get on the table to enjoy a post race massage! It would have been pure heaven! Alas, I had to go. Fortunately our team medical director is an OT, and I was lucky enough to still get a massage in the hotel, triggering my knots and my dead muscles from the race! It was a perfect day.

I didn’t quite know what to expect out of Umstead. It surpassed every expectation. I thought a loop course, not on singletrack would be boring. It was the exact opposite. I am amazed how fast the race went by. It went by faster than some 50’s I have done. It was never monotonous and the camaraderie was inspiring and overwhelming. It makes me long to do another flat and fast 100. I loved it. It will definitely be one for the repertoire. I left feeling refreshed and renewed, wanting to sign up again asap. I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish next year. How I can improve my splits, pace better, be more patient, and improve my time.

It was my 5th Ultra in 6 month. The competition was the fiercest I have raced against ever. Out of 15 ultras I’ve run in, I was blessed to run with the strongest field I have ever run with at Umstead this year. It was awesome, and I can’t wait to return.

Now it’s time to focus on the next goal. I did it, I raced my full schedule with good results, and had a blast in the process, but now it’s time to head out west for my next Odyssey, hiking all 2658 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. In 12 days now, I fly out to California, to start a journey requiring about 20-30 miles per day hiking through some of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

Sounds like the PCT will be good base training for fall when I return to racing. In 6 months my ultra season will be back again in full force! Living the dream…I am blessed.

LBL50 Race Report

2011-03-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

Land Between the Lakes 50 Miler Race Report

Troy Shellhamer March 12, 2011

Trying to sit here the week after the race I have so many thoughts on the race I am not quite how I want to spin my report of the Land Between the Lakes 50 miler. Should I start with an action packed opener? …At the halfway point I couldn’t believe it; I caught and passed Zach Gingerich, one of the fastest ultra runners in the country, winner of the infamous Badwater Ultramarathon. My goal pace was 1h30m per lap and I was currently ahead of schedule running 1h25m per lap. We were setting a blistering pace, both on par to crush the course record. Who would blow up first?

Should I discuss training leading up to the race? …The weeks leading up to the Land Between the Lakes 50 Miler were some of the best weeks spent training in the past several months. Finally completely free of concerns of injury, I could tackle the climbs out at Jefferson Memorial Forest once again and get in big miles. That was my goal, getting in big miles to lead up to the Umstead 100 which was only 7 weeks after Lovin’ the Hills. Squeezing in Land Between the Lakes would be considered a training race for Umstead, but one in which I was trying to break the old course record in hopes of leading up to a great performance at Umstead.

Should I start with a deep introspection? Telling the story of how it feels to achieve a goal of beating the old course record, but still coming in 2nd place to the old course record holder.

Or, should I just recall it all- tell my story and recall what really down during the LBL 50 this year.

The week leading up to the LBL50 was rather smooth. Much smoother than a usual race week I might add. There was no threat of a head cold, which usually appears the week before a big race. There was promising weather on the horizon. I wasn't stressed about race day, even though I had high hopes of setting a course record. All in all, it was just calm and smooth. I believed it was just another training run. The course at LBL is set up in a loop format, which is run 4 times. This is a stress free set up, in that you can have a drop bag at the beginning of the loop, and there are several aid stations throughout the course for extra fluids or nutrition. I didn't need to worry about the course markings or fluids or nutrition, I have run hundreds of miles at previous LBL races. So all I had to do on race day was go and run 50 miles as quick as my body would allow. I made the decision on race week to stick with my tried and true La Sportiva Crosslites. They might be a little heavy and overkill for the high quality singletrack at LBL, but the new shoes I had ordered and toyed with were a little tight in the toe-box and maybe a little too minimal. If I went with the minimal shoes, my legs would probably get a little more trashed from the lack of stability offered and unfortunately, this race wasn't the end-all be-all. I had to think about my "A" race which loomed in the future, The Umstead 100, only 3 weeks after LBL.

Two weeks ago I went down to LBL and ran some practice laps on the course to assess the possibility of breaking the previous record . The course record was set by Zach Gingerich the previous year. Last year was the first year anyone has ever gone sub-seven hours on the course. Zach ran the 50 miles in six hours and forty minutes. That equates to running 4 laps at one hour thirty minutes per lap, and then allotting forty minutes of time for the road run section. (The start and finish is in Grand Rivers, which is a little resort town several miles outside of the loop which the race runs the majority of its miles on. You start in town and then run to the loop, then run back from the loop to the town on the road once again when you have finished your laps on the trail.) When I went down for the training run, I ran laps of 1 hour 24 minutes which would have broken the record. My training run was only 32 miles though and I needed to hold that pace for the entire 50.

As no one before Zach Gingerich had run a sub-seven hour pace at LBL, and I was shooting for his six hour forty minute course record. I felt I was in good company. I didn't think many others in the race would be shooting for that time. I was curious as to the likelihood of Zach Gingerich showing up again this year, which could put a big damper on my hopes to win this race. To clarify; Winning was goal number 1. Setting the course record was goal number 2. I heard it through the grapevine that Zach had not signed up to race the LBL 50 this year, but that Steve Durbin, the race director, (a great guy too!), had held a spot open for Zach "just in case." I was fairly certain Zach wouldn't be there and that the race would be open to the lowest bidder in the field. I don't quite know why I didn't think Zach would be there. Maybe it is the win of Badwater, or the 100 mile PR he ran at Umstead last year in just over 13 hours. (Yes, 13 hours and 23 minutes to run 100 miles) For some reason, I just didn't know what his goals were this year, and I didn't think he'd be there since he hadn't signed up.

Race morning was the most beautiful start I have been present for at LBL. It was in the mid-fifties already at six in the morning and there was not a cloud in the sky. I saw Russ Goodman at the starting line, (who thankfully was running in the 60K! ), and other friends of mine, Ricky George, Lee Lingo, Cynthia Heady, Melanie Bloemer, and a whole crew of Louisville people who are all awesome fun. We were all chatting away taking pre-race pics and then I felt immediate anxiety like when you're five years old and your parents just busted you doing something naughty. My stomach dropped out slightly and I felt tightness in my chest. Seeing Zach at the starting line was like seeing the hangman walking with a noose. I know he has been beaten before, but not on this course. This is flat and fast, his style running. He was coming off of a DNF at the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler in which Ian Sharman just ran a sub-thirteen hour 100 miler. Zach probably had something to prove.

In ultras if you begin to slip for one second and get caught up in running someone else’s race, you lose. The trick to running the perfect race is to run for yourself and yourself only. You can't gauge your performance and more importantly your race on another’s position relative to yours. Finishing strong is everything, and to do that, you must forego the wild antics in the beginning when everyone else is starting like bats out of hell. Long and slow and methodical is the key to success. It is a magical balancing and juggling act. Therefore, seeing Zach at the starting line should not have altered my race in any shape or form.

At the command to start I jumped on Zach's heels and began pursuit. I was in front of 99% of the race field, including hundreds of racers who were doing much shorter distances. I didn't mind this scenario, as honestly, a strong runner can recover from a quick start after their bid has been made in the beginning and their claim has been staked. My strength is strong finishes and so by the time that we had run our 1.75 miles on the road to enter the trail network, Zach was already out of sight. I knew that since I jumped in front of the rest of the field early, I wouldn't have to contend with maneuvering my way around the other racers as I ran on the narrow singletrack trail. The course record was 6:40, and I knew that if I stayed true to my effort, strategy, game plan, whatever, that I would run the best race possible.

The first few miles on the trail I ran with a guy named, Tim, from St. Louis. As always, the best aspect of Ultra is the multitude of 'Ultra-cool' people you run into. After the first aid station I was by myself already, and making haste. I didn't have a sense of ease and calm. I wanted to assassinate this race and destroy it. I wanted to do with flowery emotions or a good time out in the woods today. I do love the trails and the mountains, etcetera but today was about running fast. I wanted a continual effort from start to finish. During the Lovin' the Hills race, my competition stayed with me, not in front of me. I could rest and then take off again. This race though, the finish line was pulling me recklessly towards it like a city slicker being drug behind a rabid devil horse in the wild ole west. I don't think I was honestly running for me. My first lap was one hour and twenty four minutes, which was six minutes ahead of schedule. I didn't slow and recover for lap two; even though I was putting forth what I felt was less effort. I once again ran a one hour twenty four minute lap. Towards the end of the second lap I was doing great. I had settled into the pace I wanted and I was running with the mentality that no one else was out there, (which is when I do my best). Then the unthinkable happened. I caught Zach Gingerich. Near the end of the second lap, I saw his red baggy shorts bobbing through the forest and I was gaining on him. My plan was NOT to pass him, but follow behind him at his pace while I recovered and then I could wage my attack once I had recovered by running the pace he was setting that enabled me to catch him.

I led the 50 milers into the beginning of the third lap, with Zach Gingerich in tow. How could this be? It lasted about two minutes. At the aid station, I had no crew to pass me a bottle and so I had to run to my race bag to grab my bottle. This cost me a minute in which Zach took off. The first half of the loop was flat, and Zach was faster. The second half of the loop is hilly, my specialty. I would catch Zach at the end of the lap, see his red baggy shorts in the woods, and then I would have to WASTE another minute at the beginning of each of my laps, and he would be gone. It would take me another 11.3 miles to catch him, when the routine would start all over again.

My third lap hurt. I ran a fraction faster than my goal pace, at one hour twenty nine minutes. I was still ahead of schedule to beat the course record. Zach and I spoke briefly while running together at the halfway point about how the LBL course record would probably fall today. It was refreshing to finally talk with one of the fastest runners in the world. Seriously, this dude ran the Umstead 100 in thirteen hours twenty three minutes. He won the Badwater Ultramarathon which is 135 miles of pounding pavement in the heat to through Death Valley to Mount Whitney.

He was right in front of me, dragging me through the Land Between the Lakes Recreation area. Was this my greatest race ever or my worst? What could I do besides delay the burning in my entire body? I wanted to stop but there was no chance I could, or would ever do that. By running my first two laps six minutes faster than goal pace and running a minute faster for the third lap, there was no room for a stellar finish. I was hanging on for dear life, pushing through the pain and trying to not think about anything. As I stated earlier, I find the best ultra finishes come when you can surge ahead the last 25% of the race. To "surge" ahead, all you really need to do is hold pace. This strategy has worked beautifully in the past, but it just wasn't going to happen today. I had dug too deep. I was in maintenance mode. Fighting hard to hold pace but it was proving to be a difficult task as I clocked in my final lap at one hour thirty-six minutes, only six minutes slower than goal pace. I was still far ahead of the curve and knew that the record was going to fall that day, but I still wanted to seek out Zach and bridge the gap.

I knew that as soon as I completed my fourth lap, I would be able to hammer on home. I could handle any amount of pain for the last three miles of the race, especially since these miles were on the road. I knew I could jump up to at least 8.5 miles per hour from the 7.5 miles per hour I was running on trails. Once you exit the trail, there is a small out and back section of the course that is uphill. You have to do this small out and back before heading back to the finish line in Grand Rivers to actually make the race 50 miles.

I saw Zach on the out and back. We gave each other a high-five and congratulated one another. I knew that although he was only a few minutes ahead which is a tiny gap in a 50 miler, I could not catch him on the road. I did however, want to kill myself to try to get as close as possible. I wasn't giving up. I was attacking. I wanted the smallest fraction of time possible between our times. I managed to run just over 6 minute miles, (just under 10 miles per hour), for the last two miles. I lit a fire under my tail as soon as I realized that I might be able to break the six hour thirty minute mark. I crossed the line in 6:29. Six hours and twenty-nine minutes for 50 miles. I broke the old course record by eleven minutes.

Zach broke the old course record by around 18 minutes; Unbelievable. He finished in 6:22.

Apparently, Zach absolutely demolished the last two miles as well. I did not gain any time on him in those last several miles at all, and I was absolutely flying. I would like to think that maybe seeing me that close at the out and back, lit a little fire under his tail, but who knows...

It has taken me over a week to really take a step back and analyze this race. I was so shot after it was done; I was just rather emotionless and stoic. I said I was happy, but I didn't really know how I felt. Could I have done better? Could I have paced myself better for a stronger finish?

I honestly don't think I could have raced any faster. True, maybe I could have taken the first lap a bit slower, but my last lap was only six minutes over goal pace. That basically negates going slower the first lap. This violates everything I usually practice. But this was a true race, and I believe it is because I truly pushed myself to the complete edge, and barely held on, that I was so shot. I did hold on. I didn't blow up. I wasn't able to hold pace for the last lap, but going slower in the beginning wouldn't have saved my fourth lap. My fourth lap was actually pretty good, I was just fried, and I like finishing strong.

The emotion wasn't overflowing the day of or after the race. I was pleased, but I didn't really know how I felt. It was a mixed bag. It was a huge and complex race. I am, however, growing happier with this race as each day passes. It was just a lot to take in at first. I was really close to winning. My goal wasn't to get second. It was to win, and set the course record. In the past I tried to not gauge success on placement, but on finishing time and goals more pertinent to self and not others. By setting my goal on winning and not just breaking the breaking the course record, I managed to go above and beyond the realm of what I thought was reality. I thought on the best day possible I could run a course record 6:40. By spending my day chasing down Zach in hopes he would drop or blow, I ended up surpassing my own expectations of self. I stayed ahead of the 60K, (38 miler), race the whole day. I am very happy with that. There are a lot of factors I am now seeing that show me this race was more intense than I felt originally.

As always, the best part of the day was hanging around at the finish, talking to friends and racers about their races. Land Between the Lakes was my first 50 miler five years ago, and I have run it every year since. It will always be held deep in my heart as a very special event, with amazing people and community to support it.

Now, in only two weeks I tackle the course at Umstead, one hundred miles on a crushed granite running path. A super fast running surface, with the same elevation gains as Land Between the Lakes, just doubled. The course holds approximately 8000' of climbing on its 8 laps of 12.5 miles each.

Every race holds lessons. Sometimes the best performances aren't the most fun, and sometimes the most proud moments aren't relative to placement. Pinhoti holds such fond memories, and Umstead shall too. Running 100 miles in less than a day is always the definition of an epic experience. I can't wait.

Avia Stoltz Shoe Review

2011-03-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

If the Avia Stoltz trail running shoe was a car, it would probably be a sporty little Subaru 4x4 wagon. True, it’s not the most beastly 4 wheeling machine under the sun, but it handles cruddy off road conditions well enough while it also drives well on the road.

I always use my golf club analogy for running shoes. There isn’t really one shoe that is going to fill every need. There are drivers, putters, sand wedges, etc. With trail running shoes it’s the same- there are racing flats for single track perfection, cross country racing shoes, long mileage beefy trainers, mud shoes, and there are shoes that fill the middle ground in-between.

I came across the Avia Stoltz while researching shoes that I could wear during my upcoming 100 mile ultramarathon, the Umstead 100. I wanted a shoe which was what I call a hybrid, one that performs equally well on road and trails, because the running surface at Umstead is a fine crushed granite powder loop, which one could wear a road shoe or a trail shoe on. I wanted a firm sole in a light shoe, and the Avia looked like it might fit the bill.

The Avia Stoltz is a do-it-all trainer which can fulfill all your needs. It was designed for off-road triathletes. The shoes weighs in at 10 ounces, and still offers more cushioning and support than most other shoes in that weight range. The light weight is achieved by a micromesh upper which feels very comfortable against the foot, as it hugs your foots natural curves and anatomy. The shoe has a long pull tab in the back, making it easy to get on and off, since it is designed for fast transitions. The cut on the ankle is honestly higher than a lot of other shoes out there now, as minimalism is a movement which is taking over the running world. Personally, I don’t really like how high the ankle/collar/tongue rises on the shoe, but that being said, I feel that the sole on the shoe is so good, (and comfortable), I am willing to overlook the somewhat high ankle cut on the shoe which impedes the natural motion of the foot, and I will keep enjoying the shoe for its intended purpose. I have a disturbing amount of shoes in my arsenal, so that is saying something for this shoe by the way! I like it…

The shoe is very cushioned by dual density foam, and the heel provides plastic stability supports which aid in guidance. This shoe is still classified mostly as a cushioned trail runner by Avia, and they say it has minimal guidance even though it has plastic heel inserts. The forefoot cusioning is awesome, you definitely won't get jarred by rocks, roots, etc. You will not feel them through the forefoot of this shoe. After putting it through the ringer at Jefferson Memorial Forests highly technical singletrack, I find it feeling better after putting a few miles on it. It excels on terrain which is not technical, because the fit in the toebox in heel is rather high volume, which means my foot slips around a tiny bit. This is highly PERSONAL, because my foot is rather medium to low volume. The heel is definitely high volume in this shoe though, and so if your foot is high volume, you might really love this shoe. I find that I will be wearing mostly on non-technical trails where road work may come into play as well. Running at Cherokee park would be perfect terrain for this shoe, where you often find yourself on road traversing to the next trail.

The sole provided firm cushioning, which feels great on the crushed running path at Tom Sawyer. Once again, terrain in which this shoe truly excels, since it is not technical, and the wearer needn’t have top-notch trail-feel and the ability to handle tight switchbacks.

This shoe could readily and willingly handle high mileage due to its incredible sole which is my favorite aspect of the shoe. The tread pattern is tightly spaced so it is best suited for mostly dry trails, in which they won’t get caked with mud. I prefer more lugged tread for winter snow or heavy mud, but in dry conditions, this tight tread pattern truly shines and feels best, especially while traversing terrain like roads or gravel it feels great.

The upper, fits better than most any other do-it-all type trail runner I have tested. True, it is designed for a medium to high volume foot, but the microfiber air mesh upper is designed to hug the foot regardless, which aids it fit to all feet.

As far as sizing goes…I usually wear a 9.5 or a 10. Right now I am trying a size 9.5 out. I could probably jump to a 10. You really need to try them out. If anything, I would say order your normal size, or if anything, size up a ½ size if you usually float between 2 half-sizes.

This is one that I definitely recommend trying out for anyone looking to get into trail running, or for any other trail runners who are always looking for a new shoe to try out. It is only available locally at VO2 Multisport, so stop in and try it out. The guys at the shop are all awesome, and Jeff, the owner, even runs ultras too, so he is a great resource to help you find the right shoe.

As far as do-it-all shoes go, it’s going to be hard to beat the Avia Stoltz. Most shoes in this category usually feel a little sloppy to me as I tend to wear more minimal footwear, but the sole on this shoe is awesome, and the upper hugs the foot well enough that you don’t lose all dexterity and trail feel. This shoe excels on non-technical terrain, so for most mountain bike trails and singletrack trail it is a very good shoe that most runners will love. It offers all the support and cushioning one could want in a lightweight package, which is hard to do! It’s a sporty little Subaru, ready to tear it up off road and then get you home in style and comfort too! Oh and speaking of style, I think the shoe is pretty damn good looking too! But hey, I like a little flash…

Training Runs at LBL / Pacific Crest Trail start date nearing!

2011-03-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

Hi!

-Just dropping in for a quick update.

Friday, Kara and I took off to Land Between the Lakes for some training runs of the Course for the upcoming 50 miler in March. I was anxious to receive my new Montrail Rogue Racers, but I had yet to receive them as of Friday morning. Fortunately, just before departure in the Prius, Kara got work that the shoes were awaiting me at the Quest Outdoors warehouse!

We didn't end up camping on Friday night since we got down late. We got a room at the Grand Rivers Inn, and drank some wine and watched some TV, and ate our camp food that we had prepared at home the previous night...It was pretty awesome to stay in the hotel and "veg" out instead of setting up camp on Friday in the dark!

We ate at our favorite local joint in Grand Rivers, "The Light Side" and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast over several hours and drank a ton of coffee hoping to energize our spirits. Around 11 pm the sun came out and we were ready to hit the trails.

The run started with a runny nose and the onset of a cold, but I quickly began to feel better, I managed to run the 11.3 mile loop much faster than anticipated and I have very high hopes for the 50 miler in March. Last year Zach Gingerich ran a 6 hour 40 minute course record on the 50 miler so I know where I need to be. Hint Hint... My goal is to go under 7 hours.

The Montrail Rogue Racers were pretty awesome. I have been searching high and low for a minimal shoe, which still offers enough support for a 50 or a 100 miler. I probably wouldn't wear the Rogue Racer on a singletrack course that was 100 miles, but for me, it is probably perfect for the LBL 50 here in 2 weeks, since it is on high quality singletrack.

The Rogue Racers offer a race slipper fit, which could be described as narrow in the toebox. In La Sportiva I wear a 10 in Crosslites, and in Montrail for the Mountain Masochist, (my 100 mile singletrack shoe), I wear a 9.5. My New Balance 101's are also a 9.5. With the Rogue Racer's I have a perfect fit if I wear literally the thinnest sock I own. If I even wear a thin Injinji the toebox is too tight and I would have to jump up to a size 10. If you are usually borderline on shoes, like how I wear a 9.5 or 10, I would recommend sizing up...That being said, my 9.5 are great, (perfect fit), as long as I wear a tiny teeny weeny sock.

The Rogues offer surprising support in such a light package. I would say that anyone who likes the La Sportiva Crosslite would also like the Rogue Racer for different applications which require less support and traction. The cut of the Rogue Racer is very low which allows for natural movement of the foot. The weight of the shoe is all in the sole, which provides good traction when needed, but the upper is so light that is sacrifices protection from rocks and roots and stumps. This means you best not stub your toe!

Overall, I am very pleased with the shoe. It is the lightest shoe I can imagine actually wearing for the entire 50 miles. I have tried the NB 101 in 50's before, but I usually don't stick with it for the whole race. The Rogue Racer offers the beauty of not having to change shoes.

I ran the 31+ miles for my training run on Saturday, in a little over 4 hours, which pleased me, as my last 2 laps were at race pace and I actually went faster than anticipated.

We camped that night at a beautiful secluded spot by Lake Barkley and slept well in our new Nemo Asashi tent. It’s very nice to finally have a car camping tent that we can actually sit upright in!

Upon returning to Louisville on Sunday and going to my mom and dad’s house to pick up Kody, (our dog), I was super excited to see that my PCT guidebooks had arrived.

It was a tough choice to decide upon a set of guidebooks and maps for the PCT because there are several options and honestly, many have their drawbacks. The set I had wanted from the beginning is also the most expensive, and once they arrived and inspecting them, I am very glad we got the ones we purchased. They contain maps within the books so you needn’t carry separate maps. (The set is made by a former thru-hiker named Erik the Black.)

I had the chance this week to read some journals written by former thru-hikers. My love for the lifestyle has me feeling lucky and wide-eyed in anticipation for the hike and for a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail in the future.

March 1 has arrived also…This means less than 2 months before I step foot on the PCT for a 2658 mile journey on foot from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Louisville Lovin' the Hills 50K Race Report -February 2011

2011-02-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

Louisville Lovin’ The Hills Race Report –February 12, 2011.
Troy Shellhamer

Race Literacy

I spent Wednesday prior to the Louisville Lovin’ The Hills 50K sitting on the couch, watching Without Limits. The movie chronicles the life of Steve Prefontaine, one of the greatest American track runners of all time. Steve made himself known not only by being the first to cross the finish line, but by the style with which he did so. Steve lit out of the starting blocks, and had to be in first place from the start of each race to the finish. He defined bold and risky, and he had the luxury to attack from the gun. Steve ran races which were over in less than 13 minutes.

Saturday’s race however, Louisville Lovin’ The Hills, was nearly 33 miles, all on trails, with an elevation change of 14,000’-15,000’. True, to win this race, a runner may need a fraction of boldness. Most importantly however, that runner would need to know how to read a race to attack at the right moments, practice discipline to stick to a game plan, and have the ability to change that plan if needed.

Here is my journal of the 2011 Louisville Lovin’ The Hills 50K Ultramarathon.

Race day had finally arrived and it was beautiful, blue bird skies and temps forecast in the low 40’s. I had spent most of the week prior to race day hoping I wouldn’t catch the cold my wife had been suffering from, and although I had a little congestion, I managed to escape the worst of it. My nerves wanted to be on overdrive anyways, which lends itself to illness. I wanted to freak out about catching her cold, but I tried to remain calm and chill, knowing that was the most beneficial attitude. I trusted in my training, and relaxed on race week, only running 5 miles on Wednesday to break in my new LaSportiva Crosslites which I would be racing in. I didn’t stress about the head cold, or anything else. My work was done, and my job was solely to let the race come, and run my own race, doing the best I could do.

There were about 160 runners at the chilly start, for the two mileage options available, the 50K and the 15 miler. I made sure that this year, I wasn’t getting my shoes on in the car at the command for runners to “Go!” I searched through the crowd of runners for Russ Goodman and Tim Barnes, as I wanted to be right behind them for the opening mile. The opening of the race through the Horine section was set at a blistering pace. My heart rate monitor was in the 170’s and as my friend Jeremy and I chatted away, we talked about the intense pace being set up front.

Running a strong race is a fine balancing act, you must run your own race, yet remain in contact with your closest competition in the beginning, what a contradiction! Russ Goodman and Tim Barnes were looking incredibly strong as usual up front. I placed myself right behind Tim, as he usual starts strong and I didn’t want to let him, (or Russ), get too far ahead, as they are both truly amazing athletes with many past results to prove it. I was hoping we would settle into a more manageable pace once we exited the 5.5 mile Horine section, and entered the 6 mile Yost loop stretch. Regardless of what their pace was, after Horine I knew I would be settling into a pace which I could handle for the duration, as my goal is always to finish stronger than I started. The beauty of an ultra is if you can pace yourself well enough in the beginning to finish faster than you start, you’ll achieve amazing things. The challenge with that same philosophy is it takes a lot of discipline, and you can’t start too easy either. It takes a lot of training and knowing your potential.

During the week prior to the race I talked frequently with Ricky George about the race sharing our excitement for our hometown Ultra. Ricky estimated to hit my target goal; I would need to exit the Horine section in 48 minutes. Sure enough, as I exited that stretch, my watch read exactly 48 minutes. Ricky and Tim however, were edging a gap on me, and the pace had quickened. I didn’t fall into the trap though. I ran my race, and listened to my body.

Upon exiting the Horine section, you enter an Aid Station before you head out to Yost, and Stephanie was there to cheer me on with my big bucket full of EFS bottles and Powerbars. Stephanie crewed me the entire race even though she was sick, and without her EFS refueling, who knows what would have happened?!

Russ and Tim flew out of the Aid Station and I let them go. I had to stick my guns, and I had faith that in doing so, I would be able to finish strong and hopefully catch them again if they tired. Fortunately, we were all together again in only several minutes after the excitement of the Aid Station. In hindsight, maybe they just sped up to get through the Aid Station. Regardless, I was proud of myself for being in the right mind frame to run my own race from that point on, and it felt even better when we still regrouped only minutes after I let them go since I was running on my pace at that point.

Russ, Tim and I were only inches apart for the first several miles of the Yost stretch and it was probably the most enjoyable stretch of the race for me. I’ve been watching Russ and Tim for several years as I got into running ultras, and so it was great to be up there with them chatting and enjoying the beautiful weather we were running in. These are the guys I’ve looked up to for years as they made podium year after year in this race in others.

The Yost section for me has always been the hardest stretch. The climbs are relentless, and it always seems monotonous. I was starting to feel comfortable running with Tim and Russ, and I knew it was time to go back to running my own race. I didn’t want to go out too fast, and I didn’t want to be in front of them really, but I knew I could run faster than we were currently running through Yost, and still pick up speed in the second half, so I moved in front after summiting a climb midway through Yost and moved on. I found myself relatively alone for several minutes, but Russ had quickly followed suit, and I found myself running with Russ close on my heels to finish the Yost stretch.

It was a great feeling seeing the welcome center knowing that ahead of me lay the Siltstone Trail section of the race, since I’ve run that trail multiple times weekly for the last six months. There is an Aid Station at the beginning of the Siltstone stretch and it was warming up, so I stripped off the shorts I was wearing on top of my compression shorts, as well as my arm warmers. It was time for battle! Russ took the lead as I was shedding layers and getting more Powerbars and EFS, and so I made sure to make haste in my pursuit to get back within eye sight of Russ on the first climb of Siltstone. We ran together for about two miles, with Russ in front, and me on his heels, catching my breath from catching him again. I was feeling good on the climbs, and I reached a dilemma. I didn’t want to light up the race at this point. We were only 14 miles into the race, and if I took off, I would surely die in the end, and Russ would pass me. He is known for his ability to pace perfectly and run the same speed throughout. What should I do? Jump in front, and let him control the race from behind, or let him take the lead throughout Siltstone while I conserved energy and hopefully could light it up for the end? It was a tough choice, but I knew the answer. I pretended like I was alone, and ran my own race. I took first place back from Russ even though we were only at mile 15, it was tough to do knowing how early it was in the race and that I would have to defend first from then on. I knew I could control the race better from the front and inadvertently, I could just zone out and run my own run, on trails I knew well! I didn’t run “looking behind”, I ran by attacking what was in front. I was on the offensive, not the defensive, looking ahead not behind.

I ran the Siltstone out in 59 minutes which basically matched most of my fastest training runs. I was pleased to say the least, but it was about to get confusing. Siltstone is an “out an back” section, and you run a 3.2 mile loop around the Scotts Gap Trail before you head back on the Siltstone towards the finish. I was refueling my EFS and Powerbars, when I saw a runner leaving Scotts Gap. What the hell? I also looked back and saw Russ heading my way. Russ was right behind on the monster climb up Scotts Gap and I asked him in shock if he knew who the runner was who was leaving Scotts Gap. I had been sure I was in first. We both laughed and said we hoped it was someone who had taken a wrong turn on the course. It ends up, that is exactly what happened. Several runners had accidentally missed the entire Yost section. I took off again into the demoralizing Scotts Gaps section attacking what lay in front of me, not worrying about anything else. I was pretty calm and felt good. I made it out of Scotts Gap in record time, (35 minutes), and couldn’t see Russ anywhere behind me upon leaving Scotts Gap. (There is a great vantage point upon leaving Scotts Gap which provides views of the course behind).

I decided to take the first climb back onto the Siltstone ridge pretty easy and finally gave 110% from there to the finish. I completed my Siltstone back in less than 65 minutes, and I could definitely feel that the temps I was running in were the warmest I had experienced in the last few months. It was in the 40’s. I was mildly dizzy at a few points during big climbs, but I still pushed on, and focused on catching the runners who missed the Yost stretch, which entertained me! The out and back Siltstone stretch is also a favorite of mine because you get to see of all the other runners heading out to Scotts Gap and encourage one another. Upon finishing Siltstone I wasn’t actually sure if I was in first or not due to the confusion of runners skipping the 6 mile Yost stretch, but I had chased down most of them.

The final 2 miles of trail are all uphill to the finish, and there are several great vantage points. I didn’t see Russ behind me, and I knew I could dig deep and maintain pace.

Coming in to the finish was an amazing experience because I realized I could break 5 hour 10 minutes on the longest course that Lovin’ The Hills has ever been run on. With the addition of the new Yost Ridge Trail and the Connector trail, the entire race was on trails this year without the one mile road run, but it also meant the race was closer to 33 miles, so I was ecstatic to hit so close to 5 hours. Hearing the cheers of friends Ryan King and Kevin Sullivan from race sponsor Quest Outdoors was an awesome feeling. Ryan handed me my first place awards and I screamed as loud as I could and fell to the ground in elation. I had just won my hometown ultra, which happens to be one of the hardest 50K’s in the country.

One of favorite moments of every year is sitting around the finish of Lovin’ The Hills, with my friends talking about our races and sharing stories from our day and catching up on each other’s lives- The ability to do that after a win was pretty awesome, but not as awesome as seeing that all of my friends had great races too and were still smiling. Russ came in second only 10 minutes behind me, and Tim came in third.

My wife Kara was able to run with Kelly Morris and Melanie Bloemer and they all had a blast out there running together. Ricky George was able to run an impressive race even after an ankle injury that prevented him from training much on trails. I love seeing the look on racers faces such as Beau Hollis who just completed his first Lovin’ The Hills, such an amazing accomplishment, this race is no joke! All these runners overcoming the odds and running one tough race, that’s what it’s all about!

A great day and I’ll never forget this one.

New Spring Shoes to Get Excited About.

2011-02-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

I wrote two entries today, so check out the entry below as well...

Finally! There is a whole batch of shoes to get excited about!

Maybe it is the FiveFingers movement, or just a total lack of low'slung racing flats for trails supportive enough for a 50 miler, but there a lot of great things coming to stores in spring 2011,

Keen A86
Haven't gotten a chance to road test these, but I'm getting some in a few weeks to test out! Could be a competitive shoe for Keen finally!? It would be a first! 9.4 oz, drop unknown

Montrail Rogue Racer- Getting to test these in one week, Feb is here! 8.8 Oz 10mm drop

Saucony Peregrine- Still trying to source these without paying retail! The peregrines counterpart for the road however, has been getting nothing short of RAVE reviews, and a friend of mine, even wore the Kinvara, (road version), during part of the Pinhoti 100! I am excited to try this as it has the lowest drop in most any trail racer I have seen which still has enough support and cushion for most to run a 50 miler in as long as the trails are good singletrack 9.2 oz. 4mm DROP!

Late Winter and Early Spring Racing

2011-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

So after the Lookout Mountain 50 miler in December, it was time to make sure a little residual shin/tendon soreness was resolved permanently before attempting to tackle the big mileage weeks needed for the 3 upcoming ultra's in Feb, March, and April- a 50K, a 50 miler, and a 100 miler respectively.

January included a lot of treadmill miles, and I ventured from my typical training style. Doing long runs on the monster grades at Jefferson is my favorite terrain for 30 mile training runs and had been the staple run for Pinhoti training in November. However, due to soreness in some tendons in my ankle and shin I decided to take it easy on the grades at Jefferson and limit my run mileage to mostly 20ish mile runs on the Jefferson trails. I bumped up the number of days I run weekly to compensate, and ran flat and treadmill miles to still get in the mileage.

January was actually my biggest mileage month ever, and I averaged over 15 mi per day on my training days, which is good for me. I usually prefer one or two 30 mile runs weekly, with 5 to 14 mile runs in between. But the long runs seemed to leave me dragging, so I just took it easy with 20 mile or less runs and was able to actually get in more miles overall in the process. It has been a balancing act, but I feel like a did good balancing it all out on the tightrope.

Lovin' The Hills is a 50K here locally, which brings in some pretty great competition, and it is an "A" priority race for me. It's followed by the Land Between the Lakes 50 miler in March only four weeks after Lovin the Hills.

On April 2, is the Umstead 100 miler. (Only 3 weeks post the LBL 50 miler.) The race entry filled in 9 minutes, and I was able to get in via one of the competitive slots that the event organizer leaves open. I had to fight hard to get in, and I definitely DO NOT want to let the organizer down, so I am planning a 100 mile PR for Umstead, NO PRESSURE RIGHT!?!?!?!? LOL. Umstead is a course unlike many other 100 milers. It is a 12.5 mile loop which is run 8 times. I am shooting for inbetween 15 and 16 hours, so we'll see what happens.

After UMSTEAD, I have 3 weeks until we fly out to San Diego to start the Pacific Crest Trail on the 2700 mile Journey from Mexico to Canada. I suppose I call it my "off season"- No running, only hiking 30 miles per day on trails at 10,000' with 35 pounds on my back!

The plan after Louisville Lovin' The Hills, is to get back into Pinhoti mind-set- this zen like training state where I run for fun only, not worrying about mileage or training, but for the shear love of running. The past month involved hitting it hard, and trying to avoid injury in the process, babying my shin and ankle and making sure I recovered from a big race season throughout the fall, involving Ironman, the Pinhoti 100, and the Lookout Mountain 50. (by doing more flat miles and treadmill runs as mentioned earlier). I took care of myself, and chilled out on the 30 mi runs. I took it easy in relation to intensity, and in the process, managed to get in the monster base mileage needed to formulate a strong foundation, now it's time to zen out, and revive the childlike excitement that comes with running in the moment and being present in the now, which also means ramping up intensity when I feel like it, and taking days off when I feel like it, FREEDOM! God I love running.

QUEST RUNNING TOPS THE PODIUM!

2010-12-30T08:06:00.000-08:00

Lookout Mountain 50 Miler Race Report-

QUEST RUNNING TOPS THE PODIUM!

Troy Shellhamer- 12/2010

I tripped and took a nasty fall in the first mile just trying to keep up with the blistering pace that Josh Wheeler was setting up front. The first ten miles or so, my eyes were watering from the sting of the cold and my vision was blurred. My heart was in unchartered territory for a fifty miler at 170 beats per minute. There were maybe 6 of us trying to keep up, and over one hundred others behind from all stretches of the country. We were failing at keeping up with Josh. As we gasped for air, we managed to chat and BS with one another as we struggled to chase down the leader, who was increasing his 5, 10, 15, 20 minute lead at every aid station. Prior to the race, I watched an interview with him, and he said he usually tries to guage his competition by starting with an unmanageable pace in the begining. He eases into his true race pace after several miles once he's broken some of the field.

The course was beautiful. It was supposed to rain for several days before the race and on race day, but the forecasters were mistaken. The course stayed dry, and although covered with leaves and strewn with rocks, roots, and boulders, the singletrack trail was still in top shape. The course for the Rock Creek Lookout Mountain 50 Miler is the most entertaining and beautiful course I have run. The first ten miles are on the northern side of Lookout Mountain, and you run along and on cliffsides and bluffs overlooking the Tennessee River Valley for miles upon miles. Around mile 16 you start the biggest climb of the race, back up to the start/finish line at Covenant College atop Lookout Mountain. You reach Covenant College around mile 22 and then head to the Lula Lake Land Trust, where you are blessed with the chance to run by Lula Lake Falls.

After running by Lula, you climb the steepest stretch of trail, which actually has a rope on the climb up to help gain your footing. It's about as steep as any stretch of trail I have ever seen that didn't require actual hand over foot rock climbing. You then twist and turn and climb your way through some tightly wound singletrack near a mountain stream to Long Branch Aid Station. From Long Branch you run a four and a half mile loop, and then return twelve miles to Covenant College for the Finish.

... So, back to the race!

It's mile 22, and we've just finished the biggest ascent of the race. I managed to pass quite a few runners and take third place on the climb despite gastric issues, which forced me off the trail several times to expel various fluids and foods from every hole in my body, I held second place for a moment, but lost it during another explosive excretive episode. My stomach was in great shape though coming into Covenant at mile 22. Stephanie, my crew, had my fluid bottle ready for handoff at Covenant College so I could blow though the Aid Station. This bottle swap was much smoother than the first in which I managed to run off with a full bottle of EFS, but no Powerbar! Otherwise, this race held the fastest and smoothest aid I have ever expereinced in a race thanks to a great crew. While switching bottles and grabbing Powerbars at Covenant I nabbed second place from David Worth whom was at the Aid Station. I had a great chat with David while climbing up to Covenant. We talked about the Appalachian Trail which we had both thru-hiked in previously and it made the time fly. This was shaping up to be one of the most social races I had run in the last few years, and it made it that much more enjoyable. I was also glad to have the chance to run for a few moments with Kevin Boucher from Chattanooga whom I raced with last year as we talked about various Ironman courses to pass the time. This is what trail races are all about! It's always so much fun to go back to races and catch back up with the other runners!

The climb up to Covenant College had finally thinned us out, but it was still the closest race I can recall. I came into the Long Branch Aid Station at mile thirty-four holding second place still. I had closed the gap to Josh Wheeler whom holds the course record. He was now only three or four minutes ahead, and he had lost his 20 minute lead. I didn't care though. Miles thirty-four through thirty-eight were some of the most pivotal miles in the race. Taking it easy for this little four and a half mile loop was the most important aspect of my race strategy. My plan was to take it painstakingly slow and easy throughout thirty-four to thirty-eight and then use my renewed energy levels to pound out the last twelve miles of the race faster than everyone else while they were hopefully slowing down, worn out from their efforts to get to mile 38. I did exactly what I had planned. Coming back into Long Branch Aid Station at mile thirty-eight point five, I felt better and more energized than I had felt since the start, even more surprisingly, no one passed me on that four point five mile stretch. This was very shocking, because only several minutes seperated the top seven guys coming into Long Branch at mile thirty-four.

Near mile thirty-eight I had recovered from the psychotic pace Josh had opened us up with, and it was time to light it up for the last twelve. I blew through the thirty-eight mile Aid Station once again as Stephanie had my bottle and my Powerbar ready for a fast handoff. I realized this would be the first fifty I've run without taking a single minute for a break. I was heading out of the aid station and saw Josh Wheeler. What?!~

Josh had his arms around someone, who was helping him back to the aid station. My face was contorted in shock! How could this be?! What was happening?! Josh was dropping because of gastric issues. He didn't look so hot. Josh had run an unbelievable race last year covering the near 7000' elevation gain in a course record setting time. He is a machine of a runner. He had opened with a demoralizing pace to guage his opponents, but now he was blown and I was taking the lead. I felt good too. Could this be mine?

I forced every climb up to threshold and sprinted the flats, I wanted this race. I imagined my competition closing the gap to me, and envisioned that every climb I could widen the gap if I just endured the pain. Embrace the pain and widen the gap became my mantra. This was supposed to be a training race after recovering from the effort required at The Pinhoti 100, but I was in first and I wasn't going to lose it. I ran back by Lula Lake Falls and experienced its beauty. I knew the way back home, and was familiar with the course. My energy levels sustained and I felt no abnormal aches or hints of injury. I was originally worried about some shin pain I had experienced since Pinhoti six weeks ago and I didn't want to injure myself during this race, but I guess I was recovered and back to 100% post a light training month. Only twelve miles though and I was in first. I was hammering and it would be hard for someone to catch me, and I made sure I didn't ease up. I stayed in the pain threshold.

The beauty and diversity of the course kept me entertained and I found myself at the finish line. I couldn't believe it, my first ultra victory after placing third in almost every run this year! I was wondering if I would be full of emotion, dead tired, or what?! I was just happy and excited. I wanted to call friends and family, but more than anything, I wanted to thank my crew for an awesome job done and cheer on my friends who were about to finish! The finish area at the Lookout Mountain 50 is in grand scale. With the generous sponsorship titles, it is party central, with a large blow-up finishing arch, and many of the sposors have tents set up to show off their product. I waited at the finish line for second place, Chris Petit, to come in and cheered him on. He must have run a wise race because he finished really strong. David Worth came in third, and I was glad to see him finish such a great run, since we had encouraged each other up the Covenant College climb talking about the outdoor industry and the Appalachian Trail. We stood on the podium, and I finally took the top step. A perfect way to cap the race!

For a month before the race I wasn't sure how it would end up. It was supposed to be a training race. I didn't even know if I would finish. I was fully ready for this race to be my first DNF. Training ever since Pinhoti in November had been haphazard at best because my main focus was getting back to 100%. So I ran when I felt good, and took it easy and backed off when I felt sore. My biggest weeks were all less than 75 miles. It all worked out though. I didn't get to train much on the monster climbs at Jefferson Memorial Forest because I was nursing my shin back to health and in place I ran on the easier trails at Cherokee. I didn't get to run my standard 32 mile training runs as my body couldn't handle it after Pinhoti. I focused on Recovery. I changed my footwear too. I went to Quest Outdoors three days before raceday and grabbed my old favorites, the La Sportiva Crosslites, which I hadn't been training in much recently as they are primarily a winter shoe.They performed magically and I'll be sticking with them for the Louisville Lovin' The Hills 50K, sponsored by Quest, which is next on the race calendar. For now though, I'll sit back, relax and recover. There's no sense putting in junk miles and not recovering. I'll relish this first victory for a moment and try to remember how it happened... Hmmnn...and then duplicate it!

The PINHOTI 100

2010-11-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Pinhoti 100

We stood there in the darkness, the woods lit only by our headlamps. It was nearly 6:00am. Stars were overhead, our breath and bodies steaming mightily in the 20 degree temperatures. Over one hundred of us checked our watches, stripped off our warm outer layers, and prepared to run 100 miles through the mountains of eastern Alabama. As we walked to the start I made sure that I was literally toeing the line for the command to "GO!". The course starts off as single-track trail only a foot wide, which is a pleasure to run on, but regulating your OWN pace can be nearly impossible if you aren't in the front for the start. Passing would become nearly impossible in the train of runners snaking their way to Aid Station #1, 6.5 miles down the trail if placement wasn't perfect upon entering the course.

I played my cards right jockying for position at the start and found myself inches from Tim Barnes in third place after several minutes of racing. Ricky George was on my heels in 4th which meant Louisvillians, (and good friends), held 2nd through 4th place, but the race was young. Regardless, the rubberband effect of running on single-track was in full effect as within only minutes the runners were spaced out in groups with sizeable gaps between them. I kept my pacing conservative in these first few miles but balanced that conservative pacing with a continued effort to keep an eye on the runners I felt were my biggest competition. If they wanted to fly by, so be it, this was my race and my pace. However, we all stayed together coming into Aid Station #1 for the mayhem.

The crews for all the runners were crowding the exit of the trail into Aid Station #1 as they awaited their runners. The mayhem ensued like it was a 15 mile race as opposed to a one hundred mile endurance event. Stephanie and Kara were crew extraordinaire for me, asking what I needed and trying to make haste getting me what I wanted. I think they were a little surprised at the craziness unfolding and the hurried nature of the ordeal. The first aid station in most hundred milers is not like the rest, adrenaline is still flying, and runners want to get on their way. It doesn't set the tone for the rest of the race, but you don't want to lose your mark or time that early in the race. You need to get some miles under your belt first.

The second aid station came sooner than the first after more rolling single-track trail in the beautiful Alambama mountainscape. On the ridgeline, we heard a train and it was the talk amoungst the racers that the tracks cross the course. Apparenty, Wayne, the guy who shot off in first like a rocketship barely made it around the train by a yard or two. He did NOT feel like stopping and waiting for a train while his gap to second place shortened! Once again, I was planning on settling into my hundred miler pace later and I was still trying to make haste at the aid stations. I was in a very good mental place, but due to the hurried nature of the aid station stops Kara and Stephanie were growing concerned about my energy expenditure this first quarter of the race. They knew my goal was to take this at my own speed, and I WOULD, and I WAS, I just didn't want to lose time in the aid stations at the begining of the race. I knew I had plenty of time to relax starting around mile 15 once other runners began to settle into a managebale pace. Kara was also concerned that our water jugs would not be enough to supply my bottles later in the race and so she was filling my race bottles at the water coolers instead of already having them ready. Kara and Stephanie were phenomenal during this race and I could not have done it without them! -But for now, we needed to quicken and streamline our resupplys at the aid stops or else my competition would be hedging a lead not only on the trails but in the aid stations as well. Tim, (as the runner I deemed my closest overall competition), was making his aid stops a little faster than I was but I would catch back up to him once on the trails. His stops were faster, and I wasn't trying to catch him, but once back on the trails, I would close the gap and run with him for several miles. Then it all changed.

We were running in a valley, I was probably in about 8th place due to losing some placement in the aid station rush. I closed the gap inadvertantly and found myself gaining a few spots back after runners who hurried through the aid stations needed to stop and relieve themselves on the side of the trail. It was now, Tim, myself, and another runner. The trail veered left and sharply uphill and where the trail turned it appears a lot of runners run straight for several feet before they realize it. This often happens on the trails, you stop for a second, look behind, and regain your course, but all it takes is a second to pass someone. I popped in front of Tim to show him where the course went and then began the small climb up to the gap at the ridgeline. I expected Tim to get back in front at some point but he didn't. This concerned me. Tim always starts really strong, and I DID NOT want to be in front of him this early in the race. I did what my game plan told me to do though. I ran my own pace. I ran like I was the only one out there, and I continued to run alone. No one passed me. I made it all the way to the next aid station. I planned on taking a break for one minute or so. I knew, from here on out, that the race was nothing more than my crew and I going one hundred miles. I didn't care about placement any more, as this was the point in the race where good attitude has to take over. I put in my hard work the first 18 by jockying for position, and now it was time to do my thing, and run. I reached the aid station however, and found my crew absent. Then, upon my departure I saw them walking down the street towards the aid station. They did not find the same hurried runner as before. They needed to see the runner they came to crew, the one who smiles, and this is who they found. This was the plan all along, and they were very relieved to see the person they came to crew, not stressed, just out having a blast on a one hundred mile run. This is the attitude that would rule the next 82 miles, allowing me to finish in the fastest time possible. It is synergistic.

Leaving Aid Station #4 I was entering another strech which had no crew access for quite some time, and I knew it would be awhile before I saw them again. The other runners and I had spaced ourselves out, and I passed the rocketship, Wayne, climbing a hill to the next Aid Station. I had people in the aid stations telling me I was in fourth or fifth, but I didn't care about placement at this point. Rather than saying I didn't care about placement, I suppose it would be much more adequate to say that I did care drastically about placement, and the route to placing myself closest to the top at the end, was by not altering my speed relative to placement this soon in the race! This race was still young and that meant everything. The strongest runners only had to maintain pace throughout the last 25 miles and they would easily blow by anyone who was feeling the effects of the first 70. Running one hundred miles is all about finding a pace, and sticking to it for one hundred miles. Plain and simple. Go out easy, finish strong.

The trail was incredibly beautiful. I was not expecting such grandeur. Pine and hardwoods ruled the environment. The size of these mountains is deceiving. Running along the ridgelines the views were remarkable, vast expanses 30-60 miles out, with rocky outcroppings, amazing water features, and mountain streams with white washed rocks and cascades.

The first monster climb was about one third into the race at mile 32. The course ascends to the highest point in Alabama, Cheaha Mountain. The climb probably took about thirty minutes, and I plowed my way up, managing to pass several more runners on the way to the summit. All the while, listening to my Ipod, and trying to zone out as there was a lot more racing to be had. The climb involved relentless switchbacks, however the breeze on the ridgeline, the rocky yet scenic terrain, and the challenging elevation gain kept me entertained to the top. Upon reaching the peak, there was people everywhere, and it really felt like some progress was underway. The legs felt good still, considering that I had just completed the biggest climb of the run, and was nearly 40 miles in, however, the decent off of Cheaha was really the bruiser. You have to downclimb boulders and car sized rocks which eventually lead to a fire road where the course picks back up. Upon the short road run section here, I became gravely concerned for the first time in the race that I was lost because of the lack of markings, alas, every time I would really worry, I would see a course marker confirming that I was in deed, on the course, heading to the next aid. The sun was out and warming my chilled bones from the morning, the scenery was great and I was expereincing my first real high of the day. I felt great and things were underway. Upon entering the deserted Aid Station greeted only by the volunteers and my wonderful crew of Stephanie and Kara, I finally encountered another runner, Mike Cosentino, who caught me from behind. We ran together for several moments talking about the outdoor industry. My wife, Kara is a buyer for an outfitter in Louisville, and Mike owns several running shops in Atlanta. We seperated and I found myself out in front again, running through some of the most scenic terrain of the day- Mostly in a valley, a mountain stream rushed over white washed rocks. The trail was well worn and many backpackers were in the area, some pleased to see the race, some not, as it hindered their wilderness experience. At the previous aid station, I was encountering my first high. I was singing along with my Ipod, (which, as a sidenote, I have NEVER raced with an Ipod before), and things were grand, but this was an Ultra-Marathon. Ultras are known not only for there highs, but for there drastic lows as well.

Miles 45-55 were bad. I don't remember much of them, but I do remember that it was late evening. I was getting tired. My head was pounding. I don't know if I needed sleep, or caffeine, or both. I was also finally starting to expereince some abdominal cramping. Thankfully, my crew would be awaiting me at mile 55. I knew that this would be the first time I would actually sit down during the race. I needed a break and I had to figure out how to alter my nutrition strategy.

I reached Adam's Gap Aid Station and was delighted to learn that I was at mile 55 and not mile 52. While running into the aid station, I thought I was on mile 52, so those extra 3 miles were a boost to my morale. I was so certain that I was actually at mile 52 upon entering Adam's Gap that I didn't even believe the aid station volunteer until they all convinced me otherwise.

My nutrition strategy was mainly centered around Powerbars every hour and a bottle of EFS every hour. I also took a shot of energy gel as needed at every other aid station or so. On many of my 6 hour training runs this worked perfectly, but who knows what would happen after 10 hours, as the only expereince that truly replicates racing 100 miles is actually going out and running 100 miles. The amount of carbs in the Powerbars and EFS were finally giving me some gastric issues once I went over the 10 hour mark. I got to Adam's Gap, and after our discussion of what mileage I was actually at, I decided that peanut butter filled pretzels were a wise option. Getting in calories without much sugar seemed optimal and I forced the pretzls down. I think I ate some chips too which digested easily. All in all, I probably sat for a couple of minutes and then noticed a chill as the sun was begining to set. (Thankfully the chill was from the weather, not the same chills brought on by a sore-throat that scared me the previous day!) I grabbed some warmer clothes and then changed my race plan to follow the master rule of staying in the moment, and running point to point, NOT, 100 miles in one go. I decided that although the original plan was for Kara to pace me in the last 15 miles, I needed a boost, and a boost is what I got. I decided to have Kara run with me for a stretch, and I didn't worry about what that meant for the future of the race. Lucky for me, Stephanie was able to meet us just 5 miles up the trail. We could then adjust race strategy as needed, before mile 68, where the toughest stretch of trail starts. After mile 68 would be the longest stretch of the race without crew access, about 18 miles. It also contains a climb up The Pinnacle, the other "big climb" of the race. As we left Adam's Gap at mile 55, I told Kara about all the single-track beauty of the first 55 miles. The first fire road run of the race is the section she was running with me from miles 55-60. As I talked about the previous course miles, it must have seemed a stark contrast to the well maintained fire roads we were then running on!

Apparently Tim was running strong behind me while I felt like I was fading in and out. True, my spirits were higher since Kara was running with me, but my stomach had settling to do, and I was not fast, considering the brunt of the race lay ahead after mile 68. I couldn't have been happier to have company during that strech. It was fun to chat about the race and get myself back into it. Originally, the plan was for Kara to run with me from miles 65-68, as a little boost into the darkness, and then I would be on my own for the next 18 miles over the other big climb of the race, The Pinnacle. Instead, she ran with me earlier than planned, for 13 miles from 55-68.

Coming into Aid Station at mile 68, I knew that the race was about to heat up, but I wasn't sure how. This was the most important stretch of the race and anything could happen. Once I hit the Aid Station with Kara as my pacer, I knew Tim must be closing a gap on me, because for the first time in a while, Tim's crew was already there waiting for him. I still stuck to my plan, and was proactive. I took a break for a minute at the Aid Station to take off my shoes and place a small bandage on my small toe of the right foot. I could feel a warm spot and I didn't want to deal with any blisters this race. My shoes and compression shorts had been perfectly flawless during the race, and I wanted to continue the streak of no chaffe and no blisters! I ate some boiled potatos with salt and took my time getting out of the Aid Station. I alerted Tim's crew that I wasn't running in top gear and the race was "open". My long break proved a wise decision, because I ran very well out of the aid station. I didn't realize it, but the next Aid was at The Pinnacle, meaning the big climb up it was directly after my long break at mile 68. Even with this break, I was still slow climbing The Pinnacle. I never imagined walking any section of the course, but I had to succomb several times while ascending The Pinnacle. I kept looking back expecting to see Tim's headlamp, along with his pacers. I knew some of my competition had pacers at this point, and upon reaching the upcoming aid stations, some volunteers were surprised to see me without one. I was shocked to see the lights of The Pinnacle Aid Station while slogging up the relentless switchbacks. The station came sooner than expected. The Pinnacle has this reputation of horror, because it can be seen while climbing, and you can hear the cheers, and supposedly, it seems to take forever, so when I saw the station for the first time, I settled into the climb, not expecting to reach Aid so soon. I was glad the reputation was well spoken of and I had prepared for the worst! Nonetheless, I still had to take a shot of energy gel to help me get up the mountain. On the climb I think my energy was still down from the several miles I had to run without eating much to ease my stomach. Lucky for me, it was a little better now and so I gladly accepted a fried egg sandwich at The Pinnacle Aid Station, as well as some chicken soup, and a lot more energy gel to fuel me through the next stretch.

I was eating my egg sandwich at The Pinnacle when I heard the cheers. I knew 4th place was closing in, and that I had better get moving. The following stretch of trail was a treat for me, smooth fire road for a mile or two, and after my good food at the aid station I was starting to feel a lot better. I lit up the gravel and dirt fire road like it was a marathon, not 4 marathons. The single-track was tough once the course left the road again, but I was taking in an energy gel every 20 minutes and my energy levels was growing finally. I knew the time was upon me to dig deep.

There were a few steep and horridly rocky miles to reach Aid Station at mile 78, but I made it sooner than expected. I was surprised to see that I had opened up a gap again, and so I grabbed some gels at the Aid Station, stuffed some boiled potatos and salt into my mouth, and made my way. I was feeling good again, but not on a high- I felt like I had energy that could last to mile 100. I had found my saving grace, and it was energy gels every 20 minutes, and bioled potatos with salt. The more frequent stretches on fire road helped my speed tremendously also. The single-track would beat me to a pulp, and the increasing rocks in the trail made it slow going and painful, but once on the dirt and gravel fire roads, I had enough energy to let loose and crank it up a notch. (cranking it up=a blistering 6 or 7 MPH, which is very slow in reality, but hey- it's 100 miles...)

The sky was black with stars everywhere, and it was cold- maybe about 30 degrees. As I ran down to the Aid Station at mile 85, I knew that Kara and Stephanie would be there, and Kara could start running with me again, but I had different plans. I wanted to secure my placement in this race, and I was feeling phenomenal considering the distance I had just run. I was ecstatic to reach the Aid Station, and I told Kara and Stephanie to both go to mile 90. I felt certain I could hold 7 or 8 MPH and light it up to seal my placement over the next stretch of trail which was all downhill. I saw Ricky's wife

Nicole, and can't describe how happy I was to hear he was having an incredible race after some foot problems a few weeks prior to the race.

I was smiling, content to the core, bounding to mile 90, where I knew I could push through anything. Over the last 20 miles I had hit a few patches in which I was weak, with headaches, and nausea. I rested when I needed to, and pushed on through. Now, after force feeding gels, boiled potatos, and switching from EFS to Heed I was feeling the race come to me, and I actually had the energy to push Kara and Stephanie, my awesome crew to mile 90!

About the time I rolled into mile 90, I was feeling disturbingly normal, listening my Ipod, and just running along. It was getting very cold though, so I grabbed some gloves for the upcoming 10 miles and set out with Kara who would pace me the last 10 miles. We talked about Tim, Ricky, and Cynthia Heady; all friends who were all doing great in the race. Kara finally got to experience a touch of the beauty as the stars were in full force guiding us to Sylacauga, Al.

The trail for the remainder of the race was downhill mostly. I couldn't believe it. I kept waiting for a climb! Our biggest problem was cold batteries in our headlamps. They were even lithium which aren't supposed to be as affected by cold, but we were losing visibility fast! The feeling of overwhelming joy and elation consumed me. The last few months of training culminating to this finish gave me strength and energy renewed so the last few miles were manageable. The trail coming into town was off kilter and rooty and rocky, a beast for sore knees but still, we motored on down. With the dwindling light supply in our headlamps, we lucked out once we realized they had just placed glow-sticks on the course to help us find our way through the woods.

At the final Aid Station Stephanie gave us one last cheer, and said she would meet us at the FINISH. I sat down for several minutes at the Aid Station, mile 95, and I remember the strong smell of some kind of warm wine that sounded tasty, alas I had none. I ate one last boiled potato and a ton of chips and hazily stood up with help from the volunteer to crush out the last 5 miles!

Upon entering town, my stomach finally gave out on the side of the road, (twice!), and I lost my cookies in more ways than one, but mentally I was great and I was running uber-fast, because upon looking at my watch I realized that I might be able to beat 20 hours and 45 minutes if I high-tailed it into town. We made our way to the stadium, and funny enough, the only place I got lost on the entire course was right at the finish. Kara and I ran right past our turn, and a police officer enlightened us of our mistake. Fortunately we hadn't gone much out of our way, and now I can say I ran 101 miles instead of the posted 100.59 miles.

We ran into the Sylacauga High School Football Stadium and we were greeted by Stephanie and a few others, but most of the other runners were still on the course so as usual, the most defining description of the finish to an innocent bystander could be "anti-climactic". I waited around to see Tim and Ricky finish, but realized I needed to go get some sleep, so we parted ways with the course with plans to see everyone and party it up the next morning at the awards ceremony. Imagine that, going to sleep before the awards! I was in heaven.

Run like you’re 5 again, and experience injury free running! (Those Funny Toe Shoes)

2010-10-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

For this entry, I'm taking a path away from discussing Pinhoti 100 miler training to discuss the benefits of barefoot / Vibram Five Finger running drills. This is actually a piece I wrote for the Quest Outdoors blog page, but is completely relevant nonetheless...

What's the deal with all those people you see walking around in those goofy toe shoes? Are they wearing shoes, are they wearing socks? What gives?

Want to finally run injury free? Read on, this is for you...

Those shoes are called, “fivefingers", and they're manufactured by the Vibram Company. Lately they have taken the running community by storm, partly due to the runaway success of the book Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall.

Fivefingers were designed to simulate being barefoot.

I want you to try the following exercise; Pretend you are about to run. Stick out your right leg as if you're about to make your first stride. What part of your foot hits the ground first? Chances are, your leg is out-stretched straight, and your heel is touching the ground before any other region of the foot. This is typical running form in our country, and it is also what causes most injuries associated with running. This is known as a Heel Strike.

Heel Striking

Running with the longest stride possible is what makes the fastest runners the fastest runners though, Right? NOPE. It's all about economy. Before we get into running economy, let’s do another exercise.

Go ahead and stick out your right leg again, and point your toe upward with your heel touching the ground. Your leg is straight; your knee is not bent. In this Heel Strike position, the straight knee cannot perform the function in which it evolved millions of years to do, which is absorb shock. The shock that the body experiences while running is therefore transferred to the shins, and to the knee.

Let’s look at modern running shoe design.

Shoes are made to absorb shock and provide cushion. About 50 years ago, sport scientists theorized that longer running strides could possibly equal faster runners, and they thought that by providing runners with shoes which had cushioned heels, they could facilitate this longer running stride. Unfortunately they didn't have the foresight to see the resulting injuries that would occur. During this time, we were taught to run with long loping strides, and we abandoned the Mid-Foot Strike.

An easy way to examine the Mid-Foot Strike is by studying a child’s gait while running. Chances are if you are watching a kid run, they are probably running with a mid-foot strike. Coincidentally, kids learn to run barefoot, in the most comfortable, non-jarring method possible. (Keep in mind this is only an anecdotal example however!) Mid-foot striking is characterized by the ball of the foot and the heel landing at the same time. Landing with a mid-foot strike will usually feel like most of your body weight is actually landing closer to ball as opposed to the heel. In landing with a mid-foot strike, the aim is to land with knees slightly bent, with the upper body still, and leaning slightly forward. This allows the quads and the hamstrings to absorb the shock of landing with each stride, and gravity to pull you forward slightly.

A mid-foot strike, slightly leaning forward. Knee Slightly Bent

There is one other major style of running called the forefoot strike. This strike involves landing solely on the ball of the foot and the heel does not touch at all. Sounds great right, non-jarring? No. When you land solely on the ball of your foot, unless you are running for shorter distances like the 100 meter sprint, this puts too great a stress load on Gastrocnemius, (the calves), as well as the Achilles tendon.

So where does all this get us? It means that to run injury free, we need to re-adopt a mid-foot strike. The best way to do this is by doing running drills, such as running barefoot! Running, although on the surface seems to be the most simple of all sports and exercise, could actually be one of the most complicated!

Running in fivefingers allows the wearer to run “barefoot” without the concern of skin integrity compromise. You can begin to examine what proper form should feel like because without the added cushion of shoes. You will naturally run with “soft” feet, and begin to strengthen the 26 bones, 33 joints, and 20 muscles in the human foot. Shoes are NOT evil, and I am still a wearer of “standard” footwear on longer runs, but fivefingers are a necessary tool which enables runners to focus on form, and run injury free.

Quest Outdoors has an organized fivefingers run on every Thursday at 6pm at Tom Sawyer Park. The run is for ALL levels of runners, and usually we go about 30-40 minutes. This is the perfect amount of time for a fivefingers run, as they are great for these barefoot style drills. Swing by the shop, or stop by a run at Tom Sawyer to ask us more about fivefingers and running form.

Fivefingers come in a variety of styles, from the slip on simple no-frills “classic”, to the backcountry hiker, the “KSO Trek” which even has a kangaroo leather upper. There are many others suited for everything from yoga to kayaking too!

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/indexNA.cfm

Pinhoti 100 Trail Run- 10 days out.

2010-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

So I had planned on trying to get in one last 30 mile run last weekend, but after a great threshold run on Thursday, followed by a leg mutilating day of running around in the ER for 13 hours @ work Friday, I wasn't feeling 100%. I ran an easy 25 miles, which was not easy, due to my fatigue. I ran decent time, but was not impressed.

Saturday night was my surprise birthday party. That's right...30 years old. I had a blast, and drank a couple beers, resulting in not feeling so great on Sunday. I cancelled my Sunday run to recover from the weeks high quality 75 miles and needed it! I ended up running 12 on monday at a blistering slow pace of 2 hours!

RECOVERY PAID OFF!

Today I just ran a Siltstone half marathon training PR. I equaled my race pace for the return from last year, at about 70% effort instead of 100%! ( I was still 15 min slower because my out was slower with headlamp) I couldn't believe when I was finishing up and looked at my watch...62 minutes for a Siltstone back...6.7 miles and a couple thousand feet elevation change...I was ecstatic. The training is reaping major growth due to the allowed recovery.

I wasn't even sure if I was going to run this AM and I am happy I did obviously. I woke up at 5, and thought about sleeping, Did I need more recovery? I wondered. I lay there and did a mental inventory of the legs and felt pretty good. I decided to go for it. I was out the door for another headlamp session. Little did I know I would be setting a training PR on the Siltstone.

Tomorrow holds more headlamp time out at Jefferson, and maybe a few miles speedwork on pea-gravel depending on the legs.

Last week I didn't hit my 100 miles. But the recovery day Sunday did much more for me than running another stupid 25 miles. I am enjoying training more than ever, and plan on riding this vibe a long as I can. Overtraining sucks! This week I'll probably hit 55-65 miles depending how I feel. I should try to force shorter days on the weekend. Definitely nothing longer than 20 miles on Saturday or Sunday's run.

Sun, breeze, and a perfect threshold run.

2010-10-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Wow. I just finished one of the most enjoyable runs in months! (...and I have had A LOT of great runs the past few months)

I ran 25 on Monday @ Jefferson Forest, and then headlamped 13mi @Jef again yesterday AM. Today I sort of planned a PM threshold run, but I was leaving it open to fate.

I woke up feeling like crap this AM. Sinus headache... Took care of some job stuff in the AM, and was feeling sort of stressed. About noon I helped my grandmother with some stuff and then I decided since I had the afternoon clear, I would go tackle the rocks and hills on the 14 mile Millennium trail. I was feeling not so jazzed up about the whole plan though. Instead, I stuffed my belly and did just what I needed. I took a huge nap, and was passed for 2 hours!

I arose from the nap at 3:30, with all of my food digested, and headed to my normal, "close to home", boring running spot. The sun was out, it was about 60 degrees, and there was a breeze. The leaves were dry and crunchy. I felt perfect.

My warm up was good, so I stretched it out a few extra miles. Then I felt great on my threshold run, and did 9mph for an hour.

I went back to the car to grab my 5 fingers and do a little cool down run with the IPOD. The music and the sun and the breeze were all too refreshing. I decided to hit the trails, and ran another 6 miles in my 5 fingers, and it felt like I could run forever...

When in doubt, Eat, Take a nap, and reassess!

Today was one of those days when I am almost overwhelmed how much I can love the act of trail running... Setting out and putting one foot in front of the other and living completely in the moment.

Training Recap and Mt Rogers Hike

2010-10-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

After one week of rest post Ironman, I began training for Pinhoti. It all started pretty simply, training was lower than 136 beats per minute the first week, then 149 beats per minute the second week. By the third week I was back do doing 35 mile training runs and greater than 75 mile weeks. I felt incredible after a few low intensity weeks. Even during my long runs I was redlining on climbs over 160 beats per minute, and doing threshold runs just shy of an hour at 8.5 or 9 miles per hour. This all began on September 6, which as stated, was one week after Ironman. The mileage was manageable, and I felt stronger every week.

Last Friday was October 8, which neared the closing of my 5th week of training for Pinhoti. I had 4 days off from work, and I wasn't sure what to do...Usually if I have 4 days off, I want to mutilate the mileage and crush every day to truly reap the rewards of long days, however I knew it was time to step back and recover from the hard weeks prior. I decided some cross training at a lower intensity would behoove me more than strong training. In lieu of trail running, I decided to go backpacking in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, which would provide 9 hour days, but at only approximately 110 beats per minute.

My mileage for the last few weeks were as follows;

Week Begining- Miles Run/ Hours Run Total Hours (including Mountain Biking/RockClimbing)

9/6- 51mi/9h 12h

9/13- 53mi/9h15m 12h30m

9/20- 45mi/9h 12h

9/27- 77mi/14h35m 15h50m

10/4- 65mi/21h 21h

10/11- 25mi/6h 8h RECOVERY WEEK

As of today, The Pinhoti 100 is exactly 3 weeks away.

Physiological Indicators

My weight for Ironman,(end of August), was 153.5. After the long, low intensity runs of early September, my weight is now lower than ever @147-148 pounds, as is my body fat percentage- 5.0%. Percentage of body water has been near all time highs which indicates the weight loss is true fat loss. Generally over the past two years I have been at 65% H20, and this month I have hovered between 67%-68% which is an all time high. Muscle weight has however, remained constant, which is not surprising considering I have quit weight lifting and swimming, and focused on dedicated ultrarunning training for the next six months.

I am not treating Backpacking 10/08-10/11 as recovery. The days were 20 miles over rocky terrain with 3000 foot climbs abounding. Sure it was at low intensity, but the hours were abnormally high so I treated the following week as my body dictated. In the past I probably would have missed this crux opportunity for recovery and overtrained. However, I felt like resting this week and I did. The only goal at this point is to recover and I am. Pinhoti is 21 days away. It is Saturday and I have only run/hiked 6 hours this week, a miniscule 25 miles. On Thursday I did a 5 fingers run, and it felt good. During the 5 fingers run I felt as though I could have done a decent threshold run had I been wearing adequate footwear. It was a good feeling because over the last two weeks I haven't felt fully recovered. I am near certain that with adequate nutrition and even MORE rest today and tomorrow that on Monday I will be near 100% again. Somehow over the summer I would have stressed that I didn't get in a 40 mile run over the weekend, and I would have pushed through the week, pounding out more fruitless miles in place of recovery and getting stronger. Looking back at my weeks though, the past two weeks warrant this recovery and were placed well. The 77 mile week was high intensity, and the 65 mile week was high duration. Just because I wasn't doing the typical training runs, duration must still be revered. On Wednesday this week I opted to not run more than the 10 miles I headlamped in the early AM, yet another smart decision. I went home, slept, and ate well.

Trip Report

So anyways, the point is, last week I decided to do some backpacking instead of trail running. Here is a quick report of that trip.

I have wanted to do the Iron Mountain Trail out of Damascus, VA for quite some time now. It is the original route of the Appalachian Trail, which now runs through the much more scenic Mt Rogers highlands. A loop can be made out of the two trails for a beautiful 65 mile circuit hike.

I left Louisville Friday morning at 9am and was in Damascus, Virginia by 3pm. Damascus is a very special town to all who have thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail as it is the first town in Virginia and it is a huge milestone. After asking around at the outfitters about parking locations for the trailhead, I managed to hit the trail by 4:00, which was fine by me, since I thought it would be hard to get out of town considering the huge to sight see and hang out. The Iron Mountain Trail was rocky, sandy and chewed up from horses and motorcycles for the first few miles. I was managing 3 miles per hour which was good for the terrain and the huge climb out of Damascus. Once the trail hit the ridgeline, the gnarly double-track turned to classic Virginia single-track, a little rocky but well maintained, and conducive to 3 mph backpacking pace. Another interesting thing happened once I reached the ridgeline. I saw signage which indicated I had miscalculated the mileage of my three day circuit hike by ten miles. So I huffed it in to my shelter site for the night, and made it just after dark.

The trail for next day was mostly singletrack, along the Iron Mountain ridgeline. Occasionally it would pass into a logging road for several moments, or onto a logging road. Saturday I was supposed to do 26 miles. Half way through my day, I had already reached my third shelter. Shelters are supposed to be a day’s hike apart, but I hadn’t done 12.5 miles. I realized I should find a shortcut trail to get to my Appalachian Trail connector. Fortunately, there was a connector trail which knocked off a few miles. I dropped quickly off the Iron Mountain ridge and was at the base of Mount Rogers, Virginia’s highest peak. The dicey scenario was that it to do this, it meant I would forced to camp atop Mt Rogers on a Saturday night, near Thomas Knob shelter. Thomas Knob could be one of the busiest and most widely used shelters on the AT, and it was a holiday weekend. I might be in for it regarding peace and quiet. The summit near Mt Rogers is mostly this wonderful grassy bald, which is described as the highlands. I figured if the shelter was full I could just cowboy on the summit since the weather was flawless.

Sunday was another perfect day, more grassy balds at nearly 6000’. I expected to have the shelter to myself on Sunday night, but when I arrived after another 20+ mile day, I was greeted by two old hikers. One of which had just come from a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike attempt. Needless to say, we chatted about the PCT for hours.

My hike out Monday was only 10 miles, and I had perfect terrain and trail too. I grabbed a quick breakfast in town and headed back to Louisville. Monday was the perfect entry into my recovery week.

Building Your Tool Chest- There's no magic shoe.

2010-10-03T04:38:00.000-07:00

Magic Shoe? -No Way. Pick from an arsenal.

It's time to think of shoes like golf clubs. There is no magic shoe, but there is a right shoe for every situation. Pick from a variety in your closet to have the best possible run, and take your running to the next level.

I got pretty banged up last week when I ran the Millineum Trail. It's a 14 mile loop which is one of the most scenic runs in the area. It IS rocky though. It seems to be rocky enough that when you finish 14 miles, you feel as if you have run twice the distance if you're wearing the wrong footwear. I'm used to rocks, but this trail is FULL of those little ankle biters that you spend the day dancing over, on, and around. Spending a lot of time on this style of trail can take its toll on your joints, but there IS a way to combat these effects. Picking the best shoe for the terrain can help you have a faster run and allow you to recover faster. Some times, even the most efficient of runners need a shoe that offers some lateral and medial torsional support as well as plenty cushioning for the day spent on hard rocks. It's all about economy. By economy, I refer to the energy spent running. Expending the least amount of energy while running equates to faster times, faster recovery, and less energy. Most people only consider gait, (stride), and shoe weight when considering economy, but movement overall and joint fatigue affect economy greatly. Sometimes a shoe which provides cushioning, although heavier can aid running economy by allowing less extraneous body movements on rough and rocky trails.

Running on rocky surfaces is just one example terrain which demands a specialized shoe. The perfect shoe for rocks won't serve you well on perfectly groomed singletrack. You need a tool for every job.

Basically, there are many options out there to pick from for trails;

I'll start by describing the light and fast racing shoes, otherwise known as minimalist shoes. An example would be the New Balance 100's. A trail runner that weighs in at less the 7 ounces. Yeah, Minimal. I've used minimalist shoes in 50 mile ultras before, and on the flip side, there are 14 mile runs that I wouldn't consider using a minimalist shoes. It's all about terrain. Flawless singletrack, often mountain bike trails, and pea-gravel surfaces tend to cater to minimal shoes.

There are crossover shoes, such as the Pearl Izumi Peak XC, that are basically road shoes with nubbier tread. These shoes work well as road and trail shoes. I like to use these when doing a mixed run involving road and trails in our local parks with well groomed trails. They tend to perform poorly on gnarly trail, and especially in muddy conditions. These models often have poor support in regards to lateral and medial flex. They provide cushioning, which isn't really needed as much on nice trails but is needed on roads.

There is also "all around" shoes, which aren't too light and hopefully aren't too heavy either. Some shoes in this category can do it all adequately. These are what most people own as their one pair of trail shoes. Examples of do-it-all shoes are the best selling Brooks Cascadia, The Montrail Mountain Masochist, and the La Sportiva Fireblades, Crosslites, Etc. These shoes not only benefit runners who are tackling rough trail, but also runners who weigh more than the typical runner.

Start off by picking up an extra pair of trail runners that is the opposite of what you have now, although I still recommend going as light as possible in all situations. My all around performer is a Montrail Mountain Masochist which still weighs in less than 12 ounces.

Adapt to the trail, build an arsenal of shoes, and see where your running takes you!

Training Strategy, Weight Loss, and Long Run of the Week

2010-09-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

The week started off with a success on Tuesday when I decided to cancel my 50K training run and just do whatever I felt like. It ended up working out beautifully as I knew it would...

I woke up on Tuesday feeling hungover from a rough 13 hours at work the day prior. This was coupled with a strenuous 20 mile-4 hour training run on Saturday, and another 2 hour 15 minute run on Sunday. Tuesday was NOT the ideal day to put myself in the ground on a 30+ mile training run on the steep trails of Jefferson Memorial Forest. I decided to take the morning easy and get some chores done and then I took a nap at 2. I ate a bit more than usual to abate the hunger which was consuming me, and upon waking from my nap, I decided to hit the trails and run. I ended up doing 14 miles, the first 6 of which were just below threshold, for a great run, and I left the day feeling charged for my 30 miler later in the week. Good work...I still managed to get in everything without stressing about anything. The ground work was laid for a 30+ mile day on Friday.

So for the last few weeks I have altered my diet in hopes in dropping a few pounds to hit a good race weight for the Pinhoti 100 on November 6 and 7th. All through September I have been doing mostly long slow miles, and nothing has been above threshold. I have managed to lose about 6 pounds now, and my body fat percentage is at rock bottom from 6.0% last month down to 5.0%-5.2% this month. I have gone from 154 pounds to 148. It has actually been easy to lose weight, even eating 2600 calories per day.

During long slow distance runs, the body burns mostly fat for fuel, so I have not been outrageously hungry like usual. I am still putting in 12 hour training weeks, but the low intensity doesn't cause the same starving sensation that high intensity workouts do, even during 3 hour runs. I have given up cereal at breakfast, and now just eat my bagel, egg and soy sausage sandwich. I have increased the amount of beans and vegetables I eat daily as well, which has been pretty easy by just throwing a bag of italian veggies, (lima beans, carrots, zucchini, peppers, cauliflower, green beans), in the microwave at lunch everyday. I have stopped eating late night snacks before bed and also bumped at fat percentage to 25% daily calories from 20%, which keeps me full for longer.

During these long slow runs, I have been using EFS First Endurance Sports Drink for carbohydrates to help power the run. I guess you could say this models the "Just In Time" inventory method, of acquiring supply on demand, and only when needed.

So I set off yesterday, (Friday), on my longest training run of the last few months, a 30 mile epic at Jefferson Memorial Forest. The night before the training run, I realized my weight was below 149, even after dinner, so I was responsible and decided that fueling more was the wisest option. I scarfed down some brown rice and broccoli, as well as a serving of oatmeal, regardless of the clock reading midnight. I definitely needed that fuel and burned it off quickly during the start of the run.

My new Montrail Mountain Massochists arrived in the mail on Thursday just in time for Friday's epic. Definitely the most substantial shoe I have attempted to run in during the last few years, I usually opt for more minimalist design, but I have heard many positive remarks about the Massochist and I wanted to try them out. The first few miles I was wondering what the * was I thinking, but by the mid-way point at mile 17, I had realized the reviews weren't wrong. I liked them and decided to finish the run in them instead of swapping out at my car during my one resupply point.

I had a great nutrition strategy for the run, and will set the same parameters next time. I used one bottle of sports drink, (1st Endurance), per hour, and also ate a powerbar each hour. I have chosen Powerbar over Clif Bar due to its lower count of fiber making it easily digestable as well as its lower fat content. This equated to 340 calories per hour, which is right on the science in regards to most studies findings that endurance athletes should ingest approx 300-400 calories per hour. I also drank one 16 ounce bottle of water per hour, and would have drank more had I had the opportunity for more than one resupply.

The day started HOT and DRY, sunny and dusty. I began to feel the effects of the heat about mile 17 when I reached my car to resupply. I took a 15 minute break and chugged a liter of cold water and at that point, I felt better. The dizziness subsided. The sun was overtaken by cloud cover at this point in time too, which added to my comfort and recharged me to finish strong for the last 13 miles.

I ate mostly gels the last section during hours 5 to 6, because I ran of out Powerbars. I felt the effects of my lack of adequate caloric consumption too. In the future, I am going to do several more 6+ hour runs with the Sports Drink, Powerbar, and occasional gel each hour and see how that works due to big successes yesterday. My energy levels stayed strong, and would have been through the roof up to last mile had I not ran out of powerbars the last hour.

This week upcoming is a rest week, so nothing over 1.5 hours is planned, and we'll play it by ear to see what happens.

Training Philosophy- Attitude is EVERYTHING. Enjoy it!

2010-09-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

(Prologue- In going back and rereading this, I see it rambles a bit and is choppy. I have still decided to post it however, because it defines how I have truly changed the way in which I am training. It describes how someone may need to alter their training and regard it in a new perspective. Tunnel Vision, OH NO!)

Fool me once- Shame on you. Fool me twice- Shame on me. Here is the story of my learning experiences from yet another summer of pushing myself a little too hard. An incredible awakening not to be forgotten this time around.

I was overcome with emotion. I had just finished one of the hardest races of my life. Finishers were streaming in with smiles on their faces after 13 and 14 hours of extreme endurance racing in 100 degree heat. I couldn't believe it. These men and women earned my respect regardless of their times. Finishing time is irrelevant, finishing was everything. The obstacles one overcomes to reach that line are everything. I had finished in 11:30, which was 45 minutes short of my goal. I took it way too seriously. I was disappointed. It was eye opening standing there watching these incredible athletes finish. The most overpowering emotion I felt was relief however that Ironman #2 was complete and I could take some time off.

Last summer, I opted to not run another 100 miler to focus on Ironman. I managed to dig myself into overtraining syndrome in the process. This year I thought it would be different. I decided to keep an amazingly strict training log, and use every bit of detailed training science to fight overtraining. I would treat April through August as Ironman training season primarily, and would detail every HR zone and build up threshold work to prevent overtraining. I still dug myself into a hole after my strongest spring racing season ever. By June I was cooked after my run in the Mohican 50 miler. My training suffered. I tried to cut back hours. I tried everything, but nothing worked. My heart rate was super low on most of my workouts. I treated it all as a job. I wanted to push myself to the edge and balance there. I pushed right over that edge. Performance started to decline. I cut back hours again and tried to alter my weekly training plan to just maintain. My overall Ironman finish was still in the percentile that my goal was set for, but I could have been stronger had I realized my training was not allowing enough recovery.

Last year after Ironman I felt better than I had felt in six months. This year routine is king, because September is proving to to be the best month of the last six. I can't believe in retrospect how hard I was pushing myself. I wasn't enjoying training. I wasn't enjoying sitting on the couch, or sleeping. Everything was a job to be completed and there no room for enjoyment. I was pushing myself to the frayed ends of endurance. I was strung out and maybe a little depressed from an honest lack of perspective. I wasn't a professional athlete, and I failed to realize this! The conundrum is however, that upon taking it easier, I would actually become strongest and reach my potential. It is almost paradoxical. Be willing to give up complete tunnel vision training and then, and only then, can you reach your potential!

So anyways, there I stood at 10PM watching everyone finish Ironman Louisville 2010. I resolved to never find my my self-worth in racing and training again. These athletes inspired me as I watched them finish. I fully expect that I will actually reach my highest potential as an athlete by doing so. As well, I also can't wait to train now- only for fun and not anything else! This isn't how I make my living, this is how I have my fun, and therefore I can't wait to get back to it! This is a strange realization. I looked back at my training logs, and my best races have sometimes been the ones in which I didn't necessarily care as much about. Maybe that is because I didn't push myself quite as hard in training and I was able to recover and allow training to make me stronger. The one exception to this rule is my 50 miler at LBL this year. The LBL 50 performance was flawless, because I didn't push it too hard in training. I knew the dangers of overtraining and stayed away. It was an A race, but for the most part, I was only putting in 12 hours weekly of trail running. Quality was A+, as opposed to quantity!

I have a huge race in November. The Pinhoti 100 mile trail race. Only 2 months after Ironman this could have been trouble. I know with certainty however that I will be in top form because of attitude and training philosophy. I decided not to push it too hard in September. I learned from my training log, that I adapt quickly, and I needn't even train at all through September to be ready for Pinhoti. This lack of stress has oddly enough, allowed me to feel great and carefree, and I have actually been having the best running month in over half a year. One aspect that can NOT be overlooked is that I countered my overtraining with cutting my hours in August and July, and so the last two months were actually like base training, but I am still treating September easily. It has been amazing. On days which I don't feel great, I am not running and I am allowing recovery, and then the following day, I am able to do perfect threshold runs. Allowing recovery is mandatory, and I can see the results instantly. For the first week of September I did nothing but take the dog on walks since it was the week after Ironman. The second week of Sept, I decided to tackle some trails. My one stipulation was that for the entire month of Sept, I wasn't allowed to go over threshold on any of my runs. Here is an example of what I am doing differently. Last week, I had 5 days off of work, therefore I planned on running 5 days. I had an incredible run just under threshold @ 9 miles in one hour which I haven't done since Marathon training in April. Wednesday I was going mountain bike riding with my wife which we had been planning for a while. I planned on doing a run after mountain biking since I had the day off. I decided to cancel my run however, because I felt content with the ride. This would not have been the case this summer. I would have pushed through the run, and Thursday's run would DEFINITELY have suffered because of it. Instead, I cancelled the run, and rested after MTB riding. Thursday's run in turn, was another one of my best runs in months. (14 miles on trails in record time). The same held true last week when I planned on running after a day of rock climbing. I cancelled my scheduled run. I took a rest day, and then the following week I had some of the strongest runs of the year!

Doing what you want, Imagine that as being the perfect training! It is surprising to feel the difference. I am getting stronger and I feel incredible. Mileage is increasing and endurance is growing. Body fat percentage is down, and I am sleeping more soundly than I could have dreamed of. (pun intended!)

This is the philosophy that will carry me through October to Pinhoti as I run 100 miles again. I am shooting for a strong race, but I am going to take each day as day it comes. Resting HR be damned, training plans be damned! I am experiencing the best training ever, and couldn't be happier. DAY BY DAY. Most importantly, training is fun, and life is better overall. I am sure my loved ones appreciate my improved mood as well! I am sure this attitude is actually getting me more trail time in the long run, it truly is a win-win situation and I am grateful for the two seasons of Ironman training which taught me these lessons. I don't plan on racing another Ironman for a while. I am sticking to what I love, TRAILS. I am sure that whenever and if ever I do another Ironman it will be better than ever, thanks to a new training philosophy and attitude.

PARASYMPATHETIC OVERTRAINING- Why doesn't it get the same attention?

2010-08-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

I just deleted a three page blog entry detailing overtraining and the endurance athlete, because it rambled and didn't cut to the chase. Hopefully the following blog entry doesn't skirt around the issue.

Most of the current information regarding overtraining is referring to a form called Sympathetic Overtraining. There is however, another form of overtraining, Parasympathetic. These two forms of overtraining present differently. Endurance athletes most likely have Parasympathetic, and so if they are trying to determine whether or not they are in a state of overtraining most of the information that they are receiving isn't even relevant to their condition, and hence may lead them astray.

Athletes involved in ANAEROBIC activities should watch for signs of Sympathetic stimulation. The Sympathetic Nervous System controls the "Fight or Flight" response and other stress responses. This means that their morning heart rates may be elevated.

Athletes involved in AEROBIC sport, should be cautious of Parasympathetic stimulation. The Parasympathetic Nervous System controls "Rest and Digest" functions. This means that the athletes morning heart rate may NOT be elevated at all, and they may be still in danger of being overtrained. I mention HR specifically, because this one aspect of overtraining is the indicator mentioned in nearly all easily accessible information regarding overtraining, but for endurance athletes, their morning heart rate would most likely present in the opposite, not elevated!

The meat and potatos here is that if you are feeling stale, overworked, etc. TAKE TIME OFF. The body cannot differentiate between training stressors and work stressors.

Taking a daily mood and motivation inventory is the best tool research has found to determine overtraining. You may even begin to add to your stress level by stressing about NOT training! TAKE TIME OFF.

The following link is the best article i have read on overtraining to date. It is research backed, and fully encompasses all details of overtraining syndrome. For the most part, it is NOT anecdotal, and when it is hypothesizing, the author states so. Check it out!

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/training/what_you_dont_know_overtraining.htm

Train Hard, Recover Well!

New Trails

2010-08-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Health.

As defined by the World Health Organization; Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

How many of us whom focus on eating whole grains, reducing refined carbs, cutting out animal fats, etcetera are truly aspiring to be healthy individuals? In the holistic definition, (holistic meaning dealing the whole sum and not just parts of the whole, mind and body), we generally tend to be unhealthy in our disregard for mental health and peace. Be it goals, self-imposed expectations, financial stresses, kids, or time management, we feel that health can be attained solely from nutrition and exercise. I believe firmly that nutrition and exercise is the first step in attaining health, but the ladder ascends still once those first two steps have been taken. We must climb further towards mental health and happiness.

The mind and body are one. They cannot be separated in regards to health. Our lives are partially governed by our hormonal responses to situations that arise in our day to day functioning. When we are stressed, our brain sends messages to our endocrine system and adrenal glands to pump out hormones to better prepare ourselves for the danger we perceive, these hormones cause us to function at our highest levels during the "fight or flight" response. The "flight" could be escaping a charging bear, in which we need exceptional muscle power and strength. The "Fight" could be functioning at our highest level while explaining the need for a budget cut to board members around a conference table. This stress affects our immune system, our blood sugar levels, and our general feeling towards the world around us. That stress may feel great at times, such as during running a 5K when your muscles are well fed and you excel at your sport, or it might feel horrible, like when you begin to "stress out" over financial obligations, time management, and other aspects causing distress in your day to day.

The brain controls many hormonal responses through its hypothalamus and pituitary glands. There two glands are the major "grand central station" for hormonal messages in the body. They send messages throughout the body, to your adrenal glands, to your testes and ovaries, and throughout your endocrine system. They produce release of growth hormone to repair muscle damage, they control release of thyroid hormones, and even affect metabolism, This grand central station even affects how addicted we become to certain objects in our lives by affecting dopamine response through management of prolactin levels, (prolactin actually determines milk production but affects dopamine receptor sites).

The point I am trying to make here, is that the mind and body are connected. The science sounds very complicated, but we know when we are stressed. We know when we are happy and when we are sad. We need to take a step back to adjust reality and look at the stress in our lives. Stress negatively affects our immune system and our enjoyment of the world we live in. Burning the candle a bit too much at both ends can cause depression and physical pain through a decrease in growth hormone response even causing muscle soreness and tiredness. A lack of stress allows for effective blood sugar levels, proper growth and repair of muscle, peace, and happiness. This is achieved by the body producing, "Rest and Digest" hormones through the Parasympathetic Nervous System.

The beauty of trail running and long distance backpacking is that one learns what really matters in life. You get the beautiful opportunity to cut the extraneous crud out from your existence and examine it from afar. On hikes and long trail runs I usually find that the things that mattered most and were stressing me out in the preceeding weeks and months are the things that honestly matter the least. It is very hard to do this while immersed in the thick of it, especially as we endurance athletes are typically goal oriented individuals. I guess one may say that technically, goals in general cause stress! Ha hahaha. I am not saying to stop making goals, but realize when it is time to take a step back from training, work, etcetera and put it all in perspective.

Sometimes abandoning a goal is necessary, and sometimes that point of abandonment one meets and pushes through is the final crux which makes achieving that goal a remarkable accomplishment. What a challenge to know the difference...What a challenge to stay healthy.

Best Run In Months.

2010-08-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I spent nine days in Utah for the Outdoor retailers show. I saw a lot of spiffy gear, but spent less time than usual at the show, to spend as much time as possible in the mountains. This was definitely reflected by my accumulation of less swag than ever, as I didn't score any shoes, watches, etc. I basically came home this trip with a water bottle, and that water bottle is one which I paid for via a race entry fee that I was charged double for! The Wasatch Wobble is a 5k race which my Garmin Forerunner clocked in at almost 4 miles...So as I was signing up for the $10 race, I handed in my $20, and was expecting $10 back, and they just smiled and said thanks! Fortunately it went for charity at least, but then they informed me that the race tee's were all gone and if I wanted they could give me a pair of "Darn Tough" socks, (a brand that is pushing hard to be carried in my wifes retail store, whom have sent us many many free pairs!). Ugh. No thanks, I am trying to accumulate as little as possible in my life, and I don't need your socks! The race tee was a rare find however! I had my eyes on it for a few days, as I saw others who had pre-registered wearing them around town. Unfortunately, due to a communications error between my wife and I, my registration didn't occur 'til they were out, and I missed out on a one and million find of a cool race shirt. Anyways, it was a goofy training race anyways consisting of burnt lungs and dry air.

I got in 20+ hours of training while in Utah, and I slept at 7500'-10,000' each night which should prove beneficial for Ironman in 14 days as red blood cell life is from 90-120 days. I didn't get in any mountain biking as the trail running was too great, literally some of the best trails I've ever seen, especially by Lake Desolation.

An interesting conversation this week with Ricky George about muscle physiology as he noticed an inability to reach the highest heart rates while doing 3-4 minute climbing repeats versus 1000 meter repeats... Wondering if the watts required to run uphill, are overshadowed on flat land by the recruitment of the larger hamstrings and glutes, and that the highest HR would be possible on flat ground even though less watts would be produced? Or would more watts actually be produced on flat ground and the high higher heart rate as well because once again of the recruitment of the hamstrings and glutes on flat ground versus the quads and calves on climbs??? Interesting research opportunities. Taking this to heart, one may be able to train more effectively with heart rate on flats and climbs, for example-the same way in which I know that my threshold on the bike is lower than the run, and I train according while setting heart rate parameters for each workout, i could dive deeper and set parameters differentiating between hills and flat workouts? It'll be interesting to look further into this.

Three days ago was my best run in months. After spending the time at altitude in Utah, and spending the last month tip-toeing the tight-rope of balancing not falling into overtraining, I am finally feeling good again. I did a 3.5 hour ride in 100 degree temps, in which I felt OK, but on the run, I was able to still run a 3 hour marathon pace regardless of the 100 degree temps...Very promising for Ironman in 14 days. It was exciting as my favorite workouts of the year are my 1-1.5 hour runs at threshold and I couldn't do any of them the last 2 months because I my flirting with overtraining! Fortunately, the balancing act worked and for the first time in a while, I think I am going to be at a good fitness level for Ironman after potentially peaking a month early. I think I played my cards right and I can jump back on the peak week without a second to spare. It was just rewarding to see my heart rate finally at 160 for an entire run, and also in the 140's and 150's during my ride. Last year for Ironman my average HR was 142, and for comparisons sake, during the Mohican 50 miler this year in June, my average HR was at 155. I am hoping this year for Ironman I can maintain a HR on the bike closer to 150 and can hold that through the run, I am after all, a runner. Usually less than 1% of ironmen, including the pros can run a sub-3:30 marathon so we'll hope for the best this week! bring on the second peak week workout tomorrow!

An Intro To Stripping

2010-07-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Huh? Stripping?

Yep.

Stripping our lives of the unnecessary. I don't do stress. I like simplicity. I like sustainability. In 2005 I hiked the Appalachian Trail, backpacking through the mountains of the Eastern United States for seven months. In the process I met my wife. Extreme? Maybe a little...But no one can live in the woods and mountains forever. I have tried transferring that beauty and simplicity into my every day life.

The core of all simplicity is the human body, and studying the way in which it functions is what I have dedicated my life to. I see the body as our only true possession. Everything can be lost in this life, except the body. Eating healthfully, generally transfers naturally to eating sustainably.

I used to think that eating right, didn't necessarily mean eating organic, living "green", etc. Through clinical research however, my thoughts have changed. In line with sustainable, low impact living, I firmly believe through the proof of clinical research, healthy eating involves eating minimally processed foods.

I am a goal setter. I like to challenge myself. I like to see how far the human body can go. I am not a natually gifted athlete, but through research, hard work, and dedication to goal setting and mission objectives, I have pushed myself farther than I would have thought possible in the endurance athletics arena. I am an Ironman finisher. I have run over 15 ultramarathons- ranging in distances from 50 to 100 miles. Anyone can do these feats. It is not superhuman! One must eat well, and train right.

I hope to share with you my insights into the human body, and help educate myself in the process. This blog is for you and me, that together, we can reach healthier and more sustainable lives, stripped to the core of simplicity and health.