Ketchup!

Well, well, well, time to "ketchup" (insert groan here) everyone on what's been going on in my little world since my epic adventure at Superior Sawtooth 100.

After taking a couple weeks off to recover from Sawtooth, I started training again and ran in the underground run hosted by Peter Grimes. This year it was called the Black Dog 50, in remembrance of Pete's late dog, Tua. Returning from last year were Mitch, Eric, Joel, and myself. Despite soggy conditions, all had a great time navigating through the "rainforest" and getting chased by cows. Pete treated us all to a wonderful post-run meal of pulled venison (barbeque and peppered varieties). This year's official Garmin-recorded distance was 46.5 miles. In addition, like last year, we made an new ultrarunner out of one of the participants. This year it was a guy named Shawn, who educated us all on the finer points of environmental restoration. To see photos, please check out Joel Button's blog (Button Running - located on the right sidebar).

Since the Black Dog 50, I've been focusing on training and increasing my mileage. This year was kind of a bust as far as consistency goes. With my wife recovering from gall bladder surgery, then getting laid off, things had been a bit stressful and chaotic for a while. That being behind us (for now, although she is still looking for work and is facing a likely partial hysterectomy), I've been able to get back on track. I also recently purchased a Garmin 205 to help with my training. It's been a fabulous tool, as it allows me to try new trails while keeping track of my total mileage. In addition, it has been invaluable in giving me a better idea of what pace I'm running. I must say, I've really enjoyed getting back into the "training rut". I really missed it after having so much time off from due to pre-race tapers and post-race recoveries. Last year I missed out on the Fall training because that was when my wife had become gravely ill due to a failing gall bladder. So, this year I've been relishing the cool autumn air and the crunch of leaves underfoot. Ahhh...........life is good!

Beauty and the Beast - Sawtooth 100 Report

Wow, what can one say after such an epic course as that? The Superior Sawtooth course truly exemplifies "Beauty and the Beast" with its glorious panoramic mountaintop views and relentless climbs. It truly redefined what I consider a challenging course and every trail from now on will seem like a cakewalk. And I must say, I absolutely loved this race. To me, it defines what trail racing is all about - challenge.

So, here's how the race went down for me.

Gooseberry Falls to Split Rock River
Surprisingly, I felt great right off the bat. Usually it takes me a good hour or so until I get into a rhythm and settled in. In hindsight, perhaps it wasn't the best thing though, as I'm thinking perhaps I should have held back a lot more early on in the race than I did. I'll definitely be curious to see the splits and who was behind me up to Tettegouche that finished the race. Anyway, I digress. The first leg went along without a hitch. I was really enjoying the trails and taking time to stop and catch some views.

Split Rock River to Beaver Bay
Now the climbing started in earnest and the humidity was getting noticeable. Fortunately, I have my hydration down pat, and didn't have any problems with it, other than feeling a bit hot and noticing my heart rate climb a bit. Again, things went rather smoothly and again, I took time to "stop and smell the roses". What surprised me the most at this point was how technical almost the entire trail had been to this point. If you weren't climbing up over or running on rocks, you were tiptoeing through tricky root-filled trails. By the time I reached Beaver Bay, I was definitely feeling the climbs a bit, but still feeling strong.

Beaver Bay to Silver Bay
I teamed up with 3 other runners at this point and we started to work our way through a series of climbs. Every time we crested a climb we were getting baked by the rocky plateaus. At this time, I noticed by brother's running buddy, Brad Birkholz noticeably suffering and cramping up big time. He'd eventually DNF at Tettegouche later. Still feeling pretty strong and well-hydrated, I was optimistic about finishing the race.

Silver Bay to Tettegouche
Mmmm...what can I say, but more and more climbing, along with cooking in the sun on the rock faces. At this point I was starting to realize that you really have to make the most of the runnable sections due to the extremely technical nature of the course. I lost contact with my other 3 runners, and did some soloing. Still feeling pretty strong through this section, but the relentless climbs are starting to take their toll.

Tettegouche to County Road 6
Now this section was tough. I recall a few climbs that really stopped me in my tracks at the top. Still running solo, I plugged on as darkness started to set in. Still under 30-hour pace, I knew I had plenty of time to play with, so no need to kill myself......yet. On the final big descent before winding through the woods to County Road 6, I took a few minutes to sit down on a soft, pin-needle covered ledge and change out my sweat-soaked shirt and put on my headlamps. As tricky as some of those descents were, I wanted to be able to see every rock and root.

County Road 6 to Finland
Darkness sets in, literally and figuratively speaking. After about an hour of picking my way through this extremely techinical section (hell, what section wasn't extremely technical?) I hit the first wall. My ankles, knees, and back were just trashed and I was having difficulty maintaining my balance getting over the rocks and roots. In addition, my legs were gassed and I was reduced to a slow grind. In an effort to recover, I cranked up the calorie intake.....no dice. Next I took an extra S-cap.....still not better. On came the negative thoughts. I thought my race was over at 50 miles. Only half way? Jesus, this is lame. How can my run be over already? Blah, blah, blah.... Anyway, I snapped out of it, told myself to get myself together and get to Finland. You're too far ahead of the cutoffs to be thinking of DNFing now. Just get there and sit down for a while. At this point, I really hadn't given myself a break the whole race. Who knows, maybe I just need a little rest?

Finland to Sonju Lake Road
Whew, I made it! Almost staggering into the Finland aid station, a volunteer asked what I needed. "A chair and a blanket!" I immediately replied. They sat me down in front of the campfire with a nice wool blanket where I warmed up and ate some chicken noodle soup. I looked at my timetable - right at 30-hour pace. I've got tons of time. All I have to do is just keep walking and trying to recover. I can do that! I dried off my shirts and doubled them up before heading out. It was cool and very damp that evening and I wasn't generating a lot of heat just walking. I took about 15 minutes or so to gather myself and fuel up. Once I stood up, I noticed my knees, ankles, and back felt like they were all good again. Woot! Off I slowly started, and then got back into a gentle pace again. Race on!

Sonju Lake Road to Crosby Manitou
This section was a bit root-filled in sections, but otherwise pretty runnable and fast. I made good time and was still feeling pretty strong. Mentally, I was getting myself prepared for Crosby Manitou, as I had heard it was pretty tough and also very long at 9.4 miles. I arrived in good shape, took in some food and quickly headed out to face the brutal climbs of the next section.


Crosby Manitou to Sugarloaf

Off I took, motivated to tackle this section and see what all the hoo-hah was about it. Early on, it was pretty easy and the trail wound down to a bridge crossing the Manitou River. Once you cross that, it's nothing but climbing switchback after switchback after switchback up the face of a small mountain. Up to this point, I could hear Pierre Ostor and another runner a little ways back. I began my ascent with determination. Up I scampered each switchback, thinking it would be the last one. After what seemed about an hour of constant climbing, I finally crested the peak. Ouch! That one hurt. I was tired, but still had some legs. I took some time to walk briskly and recover, while taking in some views as the sun had now risen. I descended down to the river again and crossed a small bridge, only to be welcomed by....another huge climb! Duh-oh! This is gonna hurt. And hurt it did. After finally getting up the other side, my legs finally blew up for good. Pierre and the other guy had now caught up. We stuck together for a while and caught a gal who was working with her pacer. Pierre had commented that he had nothing left for the climbs, but was doing okay on the flats. All three of them pushed on, as I quickly faded. The last half of the leg was actually flat and fast, which helped minimize my losses. However, I was kicking myself for being so foolish and wasting so much energy on the climbs. I'll know better next year.

Sugarloaf to Cramer Road
Otherwise known to me as "deathmarch". Dragging my sorry ass into Sugarloaf, I sat down in a chair and ate some food. I was still in under the cutoff, but making the next one was going to be close, considering my legs were completely gone. The 50-mile leaders came through as I was resting. Duke Rembleski was in third and his wife, Eve was waiting for him. "Bring my iPod to the next aid station", Duke instructed Eve. "I plan on being alone. The race is on!" Duke made good on that, too, eventually winning the 50-miler. Me, I stood up with hopes my 15-minute break would work just like it did at Finland. Not this time. Ugh. Off I marched and marched towards Cramer Road. A lot of 50-milers ran by and offered encouragement as I plodded along. A brief rain shower came along a couple of miles from the aid station, making a rocky descent rather dicey with my destroyed legs. After getting rather damp and cold, I pulled out my 99-cent yellow parka and put it on. It warmed me up and I actually felt a little better and managed a little bit of a shuffle for a few hundred yards, but that was about it. After the rain had ceased, I wadded it up and carried it into the Cramer Road aid station, 15 minutes behind the cutoff time. Damn, game over. 77.2 miles and 29 hours after starting at Gooseberry Falls, my first Superior Sawtooth had come to an end.

Despite DNFing at 77 miles........again, I was really pleased with my effort. I had gone 4 aid stations and 27 miles further than I thought I could. Given the humid conditions, I had done an excellent job with my hydration and never struggled with nausea or cramping. In addition, my left foot and leg that had crippled me and ended my Kettle race at 77 miles didn't bother me at all. In fact, I was injury-free! When it came down to it, I feel my demise was three-fold.

First and foremost, I was not properly trained for this race. Sure I had 7 weeks of decent training, but the mileage and intensity just wasn't what it should have been. Second, I didn't know the course and how technical it was. When I had heard about the amount of climbing on this course, I had assumed it was up trails that were runnable/walkable, not literally climbing over rocks and up steps, etc. Oops, big mistake. Same goes for how extensive the technical sections were. It's not a course you can easily make up for lost time on. Third, I feel I went out too fast. My clue was wondering for hours and hours "Where is Zach?" Zach Pierce is one of the smartest runners I know and has a great head for pacing himself. Not seeing him until I was dead in the woods en route to Finland, I knew I had made a mistake.

I learned a lot about myself on the SHT and how far I can really push beyond what I think I can do. The Superior Sawtooth has definitely redefined for me what is truly "tough". Running any other trail now will seem like "a walk in the park". Having experienced this race had made me a better runner and has motivated me to return next year and claim that coveted red finisher's jacket. Oh yes, I WILL have that jacket next year. I WILL.

Last Minute Post - Thanks and Dedication

Just a quick post before I head out later this morning for Duluth to tackle the formidable Superior Sawtooth 100 tomorrow. First off, a note of thanks to those who've been so supportive of my ultrarunning and getting me to this point.

Thanks to my father, who has been there for me since I started running way back in junior high. His role has changed from coach to cheerleader, but his support is still extremely valuable. Thanks Dad.

Thanks to my wife of 16 years (as of tomorrow!) who puts up with my crazy training and running schedules, as well as my constant desire for more gear. Happy anniversary and I love ya, babe!

Thanks to my buddy, Mitch, who inspires me to push myself and always has something motivating to say to me before each race. Mitch, you da man!

Lastly, thanks to my bro, Kevin, who has been one of my best friends throughout my life and someone whom I greatly admire, both on and off the racecourse. Kev, you're the best!

Before I sign off, I want to make a race dedication. Yeah, I know it sounds cheesey, but there's someone out there who also has been and inspiration and of whom I've been thinking about in particular when it comes to this race. His name is Phil Robertson, an ultrarunner from Otley, West Yorkshire (England) whose blog I regularly follow (Check out "Head for the Hills" in my Good Reading on the Blogosphere). Phil has always wanted to run the Tour du Mont Blanc in France, which is a hugely popular ultra in Europe and hard to get into. Well, this year Phil got his chance. He trained hard for it, only to be derailed by a knee injury. Needless to say, he was crushed, and I felt his pain. For me, running Superior Sawtooth has been one of my "dream" races since I started running ultras. Last year it didn't happen due to lack of funds, and almost didn't happen again for the same reason. Right now, I feel so fortunate to be healthy and getting to run a race I've always wanted to. So, this race is for you, Phil. I hope your recovery is going well and you get back on the trails soon so that you can experience one of your "Races and Runs I'd Like to Do Someday".

With that, it's time to sign out, shower, have a nice breakfast with my family, and head north to Duluth. See ya on the trails!

Ooh La La Sportiva!

Well, a couple of months ago, my Rucky Chuckys really bit the dust. The soles were in okay shape, but the uppers were a mess. The sides on both shoes, right where the foot flexes, were blown out. Can't say I'm too impressed with The North Face's material quality selection. Nonetheless, the shoes served their purpose and had great toe box room.

On my quest to replace them, I was looking for something more minimal and basic. I've been eyeing the La Sportiva Crosslites for quite some time. In fact, I had intended on buying them when I bought the Rucky Chuckys, but couldn't find them. Well, when I ventured to my local REI in July, I spotted them and had to give them a try. Man, they were pure heaven! It almost felt like I didn't have any shoes on at all. They are extremely light, weighing only 12.35 oz. for an average size pair. The Crosslites are also super flexible, allowing your feet to really do their job in climbing, descending, and navigating tricky single track trails. They fit like a glove, without being constricting at all. It's a fit that words truly fail to accurately describe. They certainly do not fit like shoes, but perhaps like slippers. You'll have to try them to understand what I'm talking about.

Anyway, I absolutely love these shoes and they've made a huge difference in my trail running experience. I now have a more "intimate" feel for the trail, my climbing and descending has dramatically improved, and the soreness I used to get in my feet from long runs has disappeared (probably because I'm not fighting the typical "rigid" soles one finds on most running shoes). I wore them during the 29 mile run with Zach, Carl and Matt at Afton and had no issues with them whatsoever. I'll be sporting these bad boys at the Superior Sawtooth 100 in a week and can't wait to see how well they perform on a technical and hilly, dare I say mountainous course like the SHT! They sell for $90 a pair and come in European half sizes, so you're guaranteed to have a perfect fit. Even guys like me with big feet(size 12) can get them in half sizes past 12! How cool is that?

See y'all on the trails!

Focused

Yep, I'm super focused right now, getting ready for the biggest challenge in my ultrarunning career - Superior Sawtooth 100. That's why I haven't posted anything here the past month or so. I've been training hard and making sure I stay healthy.

It wasn't until a couple of weeks before the end of July that my Dad surprised me during a phone conversation by telling me he was going to pay my entry fee for Sawtooth as a birthday present and to give me something to look forward to after all of the struggling I've been through the past year. You see, the past year my wife has been out for months at a time with a back injury, gall bladder removal, and another surgery for abdominal pain due to scar tissue from an ectopic pregnancy. As a result, things have been extremely tight financially, and we're both exhausted and frustrated with her chronic illnesses. In addition, she lost her job. Fortunately, we've survived and adapted. Now it's time to overcome. She's got a good job lead right now and hopefully that will pan out and we can get back to "normal".

Back to training - That's been going extremely well, especially since my thyroid is now back to normal. I have hypothyroidism and this past winter it really got bad. I used to be on 25 mcg/day. After my checkup in February, they bumped it up to 50. In June it got another bump to 75 and a month ago it went up to 88 mcg!! That's a huge increase, but I can definitely feel the difference. My muscle stiffness and chronic cramping has disappeared. I'm sleeping better and having consistently good runs. My foot and leg problems from Kettle seem to be a thing of the past, although I did notice some tightness and soreness during and after the overnight training run with Matt Patten, Zach Pierce, and Carl Gammon. Nonetheless, the discomfort went away within 48 hours and hasn't returned. Overall, I'm very pleased with the way things are going. My climbing and descending has drastically improved and I've turned up the training speed a big notch. So, I'm ready and rarin' to go for that 100+ miles on the SHT next month! I'm really looking forward to finally experiencing the SHT and getting to spend some time with my brother and other ultra running friends. Should be one heck of a hootenanny!! See ya on the trails!!!

Training This Week: July 6 - 12

Monday: 15 min. warm-up, 16 ski hill repeats (southern-most hill at Hyland)in 90 min., 15 min. cool-down. Worked on climbing technique and felt very strong.

Tuesday: 10 min. warm-up, 40 min. at medium pace, working the small hills at Terrace Oaks, 10 min. cool-down. Recovery day.

Wednesday: 10 min. warm-up, 90 min. tempo run at Lebanon Hills, 10 min. cool-down. Really hammered the last couple of miles.

Saturday: 10 min. warm-up, Afton 25k loop tempo run in 2:31 (a PR!), and 3-mile cool-down (including a nice soak in the stream under the bridge - refreshing!). Lots of post-run stretching. I really did well on the hills with my new climbing technique and also worked on my downhill descending. I felt very strong, smooth, and focused. I came through the 25k mark with plenty of gas in the tank. Fantastic day!

Sunday: 3 miles easy with the dog. 90 minute bike ride on roads and trails. Now my quads are nice and sore.

42 miles total

Recent Training - Turning Lemons into Lemonade

As you readers know, my wife got laid off a few weeks ago. We've been dealing with it in a positive way thus far. As a result, we also made some lifestyle changes and cut our son's daycare back to part-time. Consequently, I only have to take and pick him up 2 times a week now, which gives me a lot more time to train - something I've been taking advantage of.

So far, my training since Kettle has been phenomenal. I feel renewed and highly motivated to redeem myself from DNF'ing. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been this focused and determined. I've changed my approach from longer slow runs and more frequent "off" days to regular medium-distance and faster-paced ones. In addition, I'm making a much more concerted effort to warm up, cool down, and stretch, since I've had chronic problems with tightness and aches, particularly in my calves and feet. Another part of my training focus is on hill climbing and technique. Gotta say, since I changed my approach, I've been feeling strong, fast, and confident, and have thoroughly been enjoying running once again.

I'm still not sure whether or not I'll get to race again this season, due to financial reasons. Nonetheless, I'm going to keep training as though I will. Who knows, maybe I'll have to just sign up for Superior Sawtooth and charge the damn thing. I really, really, really, want to run that race.

On a final note, congrats to all of the Afton finishers. I missed out this year due to out-of-town family obligations for the holiday weekend. I'll be there next year for sure. I"m sure John put on another whiz-banger of a race with some kick-ass shirts. Also, well wishes go out to those participating in this upcoming weekend beta run at the SHT. Have an awesome time, y'all!!