New Website!

The time has finally come where I decided to make a new website.  This one will remain up for older posts that people want to view, but nothing new will be posted here.  Please visit me at my new site

www.UltraStateOfMind.com

I will be posting more frequently and in the near future, adding product reviews as well as videos to my content.  Make sure to click the Follow button on the new site so that you can stay up to date with new posts.

Thank you for all of your past and continued support.

2017, the Year of Redemption

So it's been a while since I posted an update.  It was a rough 2016 for me due to several injuries and unfortunately two DNF's.  In May I attempted the Ice Age Trail 50 miler.  It was my first attempt at the distance and I went into it very unprepared.  Myself and two friends, Matt and Chris, attempted it together.  They both finished in a little over 11 hours.  It was, in my opinion, a tough course.  Lots of hills and elevation that unfortunately, I was massively unprepared for.

After that DNF, I recommitted to my training.  I started working with Chris on weekends when we were both available to do hill work.  The training paid off and my trail running was getting better.  I decided to sign up for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miler as a redemption race for myself.  That race went much better, but the result was the same.  DNF.  I was pulled from the course after 42 miles.  I dug deep and gave it everything I had but it wasn't enough.

This was my third DNF, all on Wisconsin trails, and it hasn't gotten any easier to accept.  If anything, it bothers me more.  I am determined to finish the 50 mile distance.  I am now signed up for the 2017 Ice Age Trail 50 miler.  Wisconsin trails have not been kind to me and I refuse to take this race lightly.  After being down with a calf injury for 2 months at the end of 2016, I am just now getting back into real training and will be starting a 16 week training program on January 23rd.  In the mean time, I'm working on re-building my base.

The training program I'll be using can be found here:
http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/50-miler-training-plancom

It is an aggressive program that will have me running over 50 miles per week for a total of 915 miles of training over 16 weeks.  That is more mileage than I ran in all of 2016 so I will likely be tweaking the program a bit.  Adding in extra rest days here and there, cutting mileage on weekdays a bit.  But the long runs on the weekends must happen.

I have been toying around with the idea of starting a YouTube channel to share my adventures in running with the world.  If and when this happens I will announce it here as well as social media.  In the meantime, keep training and never stop moving.

Review: DonJoy Performance Knee Brace

So I don't usually do product reviews but I thought I would give it a shot this time.  I was recently gifted a DonJoy Performance Knee Brace by my aunt who is one of my biggest supporters of my running.  A friend had suggested the brand to me and I was curious to see if I had finally found a knee brace that offered the kind of support that I needed while still allowing for good range of motion.

So to start with, you can only purchase this brand of braces at www.betterbraces.com.  My aunt placed the initial order after getting some measurements of my leg from me and the brace was delivered within 3 days.  Pretty good turn around for the shipping.  The brace retails at $100 but we got it with a promo code for $80.  Based on my measurements, she ordered me a large.  My initial instinct was to go with the XL but according to the chart the large should fit.

The brace comes in 3 parts.  The front Webbing, the back and the sleeve.

The large ended up being too small.  The sleeve fit a bit snug on my thigh and the back barely had enough material for me to fasten the brace.  The front webbing has small hinges on the sides that feel as though they should sit on the side of the knee and flex with the knee but on me the hinges did not flex properly.

So after a short trial on the treadmill and talking with my aunt, we decided to exchange it for the XL.

Unfortunately, despite what it says on their website, there are no exchanges.  You have to return the original order and create a new order.  You can expect a refund from the first order within 2-3 weeks and you have to pay to ship it back.


So my aunt orders the new one and it all so arrives within 3 days.  I had kept the Large so that I could compare it to the XL.  After trying on the XL I noticed no difference in the way that it fir on my leg.  I compared the two sizes and found that the only noticeable difference was in the size of the sleeve.  The webbing was the exact same size and the backing was only a few centimeters larger.  According to the Size chart on the package the large is supposed to accommodate a leg with a knee circumference of 15-17 inches.  The XL is supposed to accommodate a knee circumference of 17-19 inches.  My knee is 17 inches and so the Large should fit snug but the XL should have fit a bit loose if nothing else.  But I found that both of them fit very tight, especially in the thigh and did not allow for good range of motion.  I could not bend my knee all the way and that would preclude me from wearing this on anything other than easy runs on a treadmill or pavement.  Trails would be out of the question.  After trying both, I have decided to return them and possibly try a different model but will have to wait until the refund processes.

Grades:

Support: B+
Sizing: C
Quality: A
Cost: B

In Conclusion, I would say that if you have a slender leg and require sturdy support because of a knee injury, this brace would work well for you.  For someone like my that has thicker, more muscular thighs, it's likely not going to fit.  I would love to hear from others that have purchased from this brand in the past.

Been a While Part 2: Ragnar Relay Chicago

2015 Chicago Ragnar Relay

After running the Ragnar Relay on an Ultra team in 2014 I knew I wanted to do it again in 2015.  This time around though, I would be the captain.  Well, co-captain as it turns out.  After discussing it with some friends and making sure I had 5 other crazy people that were willing to travel to Madison, WI and then run 200 miles back to Chicago, my good friend Jose and I decided to co-captain an Ultra Ragnar Relay team for the 2015 Chicago race.  It took a lot of planning but we were able to field a pretty good team of runners with varied background and skill level.

We hit a few bumps in the road along the planning process with having to replace the same runner not once or twice, but three times.  One runner had to pull out of the race because she became pregnant and she would be due around the time of the race.  Her replacement had to drop out because of a detached retina that wouldn't be healed in time.  The next replacement had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict that could not be helped.  Finally we landed a runner a mere 3 weeks before the race due in most part to an awesome run group called the Fox Valley Run Junkees.  A good friend of Jose's, Harish, was able to hook us up with our much needed runner as well as all three of our volunteers.  Without his help, we would have had a hard time filling our team and would have had to pay for volunteers so a special thanks goes out to him.

So now we had our team.  Here was the line up...

Runner 1 - Chris Bork

Runner 2 - Jose del Risco

Runner 3 - Shannon Willer Gore

Runner 4 - Matt Sutton

Runner 5 - Lisa F, Lisa D. Mike K,  Jesus Alvarado

Runner 6 - Ron Ermis

Van Driver - Anson Goode a.k.a. Morgan Freeman from Driving Miss Daisy 

With six runners in the van and our driver, Anson Goode, we hit the road and headed to Madison Wisconsin.  Jose was smart enough to set up a reservation at a nice restaurant the night before the race and so we all sat down for a good meal and to get to know each other.  Several of us had never met and it helps to know the people you are about to spend 36 hours in a van with.  By the end of the night poor Shannon got a glimpse into what is was going to be like being in a van with 6 guys for 36 hours.

Race Morning

The morning of the race came and we piled into the van in a light rain and headed for the start area.  By the time we got there it was a full on downpour and we knew it was going to be an interesting start.  Jose and I had to go gather our packets and attend the safety briefing while the rest of the team huddled under a picnic enclosure to try and stay dry.  By the time we were done and Chris was getting ready to start Jose and I were soaked and the only sweatshirt I brought with me was as well.  Keep in mind it was June but it was raining and temps were only in the upper 60's.

So Chris lines up at the start and after a few minutes the MC starts to get the crowd pumped.  He called out all of the different team names.  I swear, I am horrible at naming teams and wish we had come up with something better than Midwest Vikings Ultra Team 1 but what can you do.  After all the teams that were starting at 7:30 were announced, the horn blew and they were off.

We all quickly piled back into the van and headed off to the next exchange.

Jose was up next and when Chris came cruising into the exchange he slapped the "baton" onto Jose's wrist and he was off.  Jose was our fastest runner and so we had to hurry up and get to the next exchange so as not to leave him waiting.

Jose being the fast and competitive runner that he is, finished faster than his predicted time but we were already there waiting for him to get there and so  he didn't have to wait.  Now as I understand it, that first leg of his had a considerable section that was all uphill but he powered through it and so next up came Shannon's turn.

Shannon would be the one in the Pink Tutu.  Her first leg all so had some pretty good hills in there and she had to work hard to finish in her expected time.  Shannon was a trooper the whole trip.  Never complained even though I'm sure we gave her plenty to complain about and she was always cheerful.  She powered through each run and kept her pace steady.








Next up was Matt.  Unfortunately I have no photo evidence of his first leg, I swear Matt completed his first leg and even came in ahead of schedule so here is a pic of Matt starting one of his other legs(I have no idea which one).

Matt then handed off to Jesus, who having joined the team only 2 weeks prior, came out and put in a consistent performance.  While not the fastest runner, he was methodical and ended up being the runner on our team with the most consistent pace.  And let me tell you, holding a consistent pace over 30 or so miles in 36 hours is no small feat.  Unfortunately, once again I have no pic of Matt handing off to Jesus the first time so here is a pic of a later exchange.


It was my turn next to take the baton and literally run with it.  Jesus handed off to me and I was off.  Now, I will preface this by saying that my first leg, was the longest leg of the entire race at 10 miles.  I volunteered to be the 6th runner knowing that I was going to be running more than anyone else.  I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.  Not to mention I started in the early afternoon with the heat of the day.  Ok, enough whoa-is-me.  I put in my 10 miles on mostly trail and some road.  It was beautiful and hot.  I came in a bit behind schedule knowing that I still had another 7.5 mile leg coming next.  Once I finished my leg we started the whole rotation over again and just like that we were 1/6 of the way done.  It was going to be a long race.

Now I'm not going to bore you with an exact accounting of everything that happened at each exchange, nor do I even recall all of it.  I do know there was a lot of trash talking, van tagging, eating, hydrating, bodily functions and all around good times.

Jose being the math lover that he is, put together a spreadsheet with all of our projected paces and an estimate of when we should be at each exchange and how long it was going to take us to finish.  And we all stayed pretty true to that estimated timeline for the first day.  We didn't have grand expectations of winning the race, but we were confident that we would finish in the early afternoon on Saturday.

That all changed once dark came.  By that time we had all run 3 legs and were starting to tire.  Except for me that is, cause I'm awesome.  Actually, I was just lucky.  I caught a second wind and ran one of my shorter legs in a 8:30 pace.  I will say that an unintended perk of running the 6th leg was that I got to be the first person on our team to see the lakefront.  Running through Milwaukee in the very early morning around 4 a.m. it got really foggy so i took out my earbuds so I could listen for any traffic or other runners.  I started hearing the waves and when I came to the top of a hill, there was Lake Michigan.  It was still very dark so I could only make out the shoreline but I could hear the waves and smell the water and it just gave me an extra boost.  Not to mention it was literally all downhill from there the last 3/4 of a mile to the next exchange where there were SMORES waiting for me.  I handed off the baton to Chris and I think it was Jesus and I made a beeline for the campfires and smores.

We brought some back to the van for the others but at this point we were all just trying to get whatever sleep we could.  Anson was passed out in the drivers seat and Jose was sleeping in the back.  I finished my smore, changed and once we got to the next exchange I passed out for an hour.  When I woke up, it was light outside and Jose was out doing one of his final runs.  Of course it had started raining again.  Might as well start the new day the way the previous one started.  Fortunately, it didn't last long and was over by the time Jose handed off to Shannon.

We grabbed some breakfast form McDonald's(very healthy) and used the facilities.  You have no idea how nice it is to use a real bathroom after a day and a half of nothing but port-o-potties.  We made decent time the second day but we were behind our initial projections.  All of us were tired and sore.  By the time we got down to our last set of legs, we were all excited and ready to be done.

By the time I got the hand off from Jesus it was mid afternoon and it was hot.  7.5 miles to go to the finish at Montrose Beach in Chicago.  By this time I was very tired and sore and the only reason I was able to keep going at even a moderate pace was knowing that it was almost over.  I did the best i could to keep going but I am not ashamed to say that I did a fair bit of walking.  Once I hit the City and started making my way down Sheridan Rd. I got a little extra energy.  There were quite a few runners around and we were all encouraging each other as we passed.  At some point a bystander that I passed made a comment about how I was running weird and another runner close behind me said something along the lines of "you'd be running funny too if you just ran 200 miles".  I had to chuckle at that as she passed me by.

When i finally hit the lakefront path I knew I was almost done.  I run that path quite a bit during the summer so i knew just about how far it was to the finish.  Passing by all the people that were out and about, grilling food and enjoying their Saturday, made me want to finish that much faster.  I kicked into gear so i could finish strong and shortly after I saw my teammates waiting for me.  We got together and crossed the finish line as a team.  I would love to say that we partied the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed our celebratory beers, but we didn't.  We were all done.  Just tired and hungry and ready to be clean.  We took our pictures, hit the merchandise tent and then went home.  Anti-climactic I know.  But as cliche as it sounds, it wasn't the destination that mattered.  It was most definitely the journey.

Special Thanks....

Harish Pai for helping to bring Jesus onto the team as well as finding our volunteers.

Midwest Vikings for providing Gu, Gatorade, Blocks and other items for the team.


A few things that I was asked to add by the team after the writing of this article...

• The exchange that was a mile long and Jose handed the baton off early to Shannon just to find out there was a nasty hill just ahead.  Shannon was cursing Jose out for that one.
• The several instances where Jose Farted at the door of the van and then walked away and left the rest of us to suffer.
• And the time Jose Ran the wrong way out of the Exchange and had to be chased down.
• Anson Snoring in the drivers seat.  At one point he stopped and I though he died but then he started back up even worse.

This summed up our team pretty accurately

Been a While Part 1

So it's been a while since I posted on here.  To be honest I really hadn't felt the need or desire to post about my running in the past few months after the DNF at Frozen Otter.  That's not to say that nothing interesting has happened.  So here we go, a list of all of my racing news since February.

Shamrock Shuffle 8K

I set a PR at the Shamrock Shuffle 8K in March with a time of 42:29.  I was super excited about PRing at this race.  It was exactly what I needed after my DNF in January.  I finished 4,559 out of 22,870 runners and it was the first time in a race that I finished with a sub 9 min/mile.

Lakefront 10 Miler

This was a down race for me and I was unprepared.  I managed a respectable finish of 1:37:32 at a 9:46 min/mile pace.  I was disappointed but not surprised since I really didn't train for it.

Chicago Spring Half Marathon

Unfortunately, another down race.  This was a last minute add to my schedule and I had not planned on running it until a friend had to drop out a week prior to the race.  I filled in for her and suffered through a very humid run along the lakefront.  This was my slowest half marathon in a long time at 2:12:25 but I wasn't expecting much with only a weeks notice.

Chase Corporate Challenge

This is the first year that I ran this race and I was not disappointed.  It was a lot of fun to party with my co-workers at Sargent & Lundy.  Since this was my first time completing a 3.5 mile race it was a guaranteed PR but I set a goal for my self of a sub 8:30 pace.  Even with a cramping calf I managed to sprint across the finish with a 29:41 finish and an 8:29 pace.  You can tell by my finish line photo that I was just a little excited.

Soldier Field 10 Mile

So this was my second 10 miler on the year and I had higher expectations so I set a goal for myself of a sub 1:30:00 time.  I dealt with some knee and calf issues throughout the race and finished with a 1:30:44 time.  Missed my goal by 45 seconds.  However, I did set a PR so I was happy with my performance.

to be continued in part 2 with Ragnar Relay and HIL00PY 100 mile relay.

DNF

DNF.

Three letters that no runner ever wants to see.  You would never wish it on another runner, not even your worst rival.  I am of course talking about Did Not Finish.  Every runner dreads this, but if you run enough races, it is inevitable.

On January 17th, 2015, I experienced my first DNF ever.  It was at the Frozen Otter 64 on the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin.  A 64 mile race over hills and through the Kettle Moraine State Forrest.  Oh did I mention its in the middle of January.  Now most years, the ground may be packed with ice and possibly, several feet of snow.  Not this year.  This year the snow was a mere few inches and the temperature hung around in the mid to upper 30's during the day.  The whole week leading up to the race I was constantly having to swap out gear to adjust for the increasing temperature.  I was confident in my ability and in my training.  How wrong I was.

The morning of the race I had my pack ready and all my gear on.  I was warm, but not too warm.  I decided to wear a lightweight pair of boots with micro spikes instead of my Salomon Speed Cross 3's.  First Mistake.

My pack, while having all the required gear, food and water, was heavier than I anticipated at around 20 lbs.  Second Mistake.

So before the race, everyone gathered in the shelter next to Lake Mauthe and the race director, Todd, went over some safety issues and rules.  Afterwards, everyone meandered to the starting line.  At this point I put my micro spikes on and I was ready to go.  Standing with my friends at the start we joked and talked about strategy and how we were going to run the flats and downhills and then walk the uphills.  Great strategy.

The countdown began.  The air horn sounded, and we were off.  We had positioned ourselves at the front of the pack and ran down the road about a quarter of a mile and turned off onto the trail.  BTW, micro spikes are very uncomfortable running on concrete.  As soon as we started, Mike, took off at a brisk pace.  It was at that exact moment I realized something.  My gear was heavy.  It's never a good thing when at the very start of a race you are already finding mistakes that you made.  The pack felt heavy on my back as it bounced around and I had on more clothes than were needed given the temperature and the level of exertion.  We all stayed within about 100 yards of each other for the first mile.  It was right about then, on a downhill, that I firmly planted my left foot right into a hole under the snow and rolled my ankle.  I pulled up cursing loudly and stumbled to a tree for balance.  One though kept going through my mind.  One mile in.  I was only one mile in and had already hurt myself.

After a minute or two of working my ankle it seemed to get better and I was able to walk on it.  I started back off and eased into a trot.  there were a lot of hills for the first 8 miles.  I had lost track of the group I was with but cared little.  I knew we would be separated at some point and had no desire to slow anyone else down.  I held a pretty good pace alternating between a run and fast hike the first 8 miles.  I came into the first check point and saw Tata Maam and Chad Weberg there waiting for me.  They were leapfrogging the check points to be there for us in case we needed anything and for support.  When I asked I found out I was about 20 - 30 minutes behind the group I started with.  Not bad I thought.  I was still making good time coming in at 2:30 for the first 8 miles.

I left the aid station refreshed from the Scratch Endurance fuel that was provided by the race and moved some of my snacks from my pack to my pockets for easy reach.  Chowed down on some trail mix to keep my energy up and took off from the check point after about 5 minutes.  I was onto the next 8 mile leg and was making good time when going down a few hills, all of a sudden, my micro spikes started to slip off my boots.  As soon as the slipped off I lost all traction.  I retrieved them and put them back on. This process repeated at least 6 times over the next 2 miles.  The final time I was pissed because it was costing me time, and was dangerous considering I was falling all over the place when I suddenly had no traction going down a hill.  After the final time, pissed off at my equipment, I took the spikes off and threw them in my bag.  This is where everything started to unravel.

Since I took my spikes off, each hill was that much harder to go up because I had little traction.  It cost me more energy and because of the lack of traction, every step I took had my foot sliding out, putting strain on my already tender knee.  This went on for about 2 or 2 1/2 miles.  At that point my knee was aching and the extra strength Tylenal I took wasn't cutting it. It was from about the mile 12 point that I started hiking and was unable to muster a run again.  By the time I got to around the 14 mile mark and checked my time, I knew I was not going to be able to finish.  I continued hiking and eventually made it to the mile 16 check point.  Upon entering I gave my bib number to check in and was asked if there was anything they could get me.  My response was "a ride back to the starting area."  And thus ended my attempt at the Frozen Otter 64.

This year saw the course record absolutely smashed by almost 3 hours if memory serves.  The temperature was warm enough that everyone was joking that it would be know as the Thawed Otter.  But this was not my year.  Mistakes were made with equipment.  I chose to wear boots that while they said they were waterproof, they most certainly were not.  What started off as 15 oz boots, became 2 lbs of wet leather and soggy socks.  The micro spikes I purchased were cheap.  And you know what they say.  You get what you pay for.  My pack was heavier than was needed.  I carried more food than I would eat.

Lessons learned.

I would say that I learned a lot of what not to do for this race.  And I will be back next year.  With proper equipment and a lighter load.  I will finish the Frozen Otter 64 but for at least a year, I will have that DNF hanging over me.  No matter what excuses might be made or how much effort was put in, it is stall a DNF.  I'll be back.  I won't let a course beat me twice.

Ron

2014 Huff 50k

So December 20th marked my second attempt at the Huff 50k.  This race is easily one of my favorites and I was really looking forward to running it in 2014.  My training had gone well and I was pretty well prepared for it.  Unfortunately, the weeks leading up to the race were not cooperative.

I was sick with a sinus infection the entire week leading up to the race and was unable to train.  On top of that, the day before the race I had to work a 12 hour shift and only got 3 hours of sleep before having to jump in the car and drive 3 hours to Albion, IN for the race.

Even after all that, I still felt pretty good at the start of the race.  It wasn't until about 8 mile sin that the lack of sleep and proper training started to take it's toll.  I started to drop back from the group that I was running with and told them to go on without me, not wanting to hold them back.  After that, it was a run/walk combo for the rest of the race.

I managed to hit the halfway point, mile 15.5, in about 3 1/2 hours.  Not too bad, but my clothes were soaked and I need to change.  After changing and being inside a warm ten, it was very difficult to convince myself to go back out into the cold.  Fortunately, I was running with a friend, Jack, who was motivating me to keep going.

We headed out of the check point and back out into the cold to complete our second lap.  The second lap was much slower than the first.  My energy stores were all but depleted and I was cold.  At some point in the first 2 miles Jack ran on ahead and I kept up my brisk walking pace.  After a while I managed to convince myself that running was a good idea if I wanted to finish within the cutoff.  I kept up a brisk walking/light running pace for the next 2 or so miles, until I caught back up to Jack at the 20 mile check point.  We stopped for a minute or two in order to get some much needed food and flat Coke.  After that we headed back out and stuck together the rest of the way.

At the  24 mile checkpoint, they had all sorts of warm food and drinks available.  At this point my hope of a PR was well and truly sunk so we took our time at the aid station.  I made the mistake of grabbing my food and going by the fire they had setup.  The fire was warm and inviting and everything that is good in life.  The only problem is, if you leave the circle of the fires warmth, the cold hits you like a brick wall.  It was a while before we finally were able to pull ourselves away from the fire and head back out on the trail for the final 8 mile stretch.  The plus side to being so cold, was it forced us to run in order to get some body heat going.  Our running was short in length but we were trying to at least get some decent distance each time.

It was getting late in the race when I decided to check the time and realized we were really puching our time and were going to risk being pulled from the course.  I saw that the light was starting to fade and they wont allow runners out on the course after dark.  Jack and I doubled down on our efforts and we started to run at a decent pace for the first time in a while.  We managed to keep it up until we came to within a mile of the finish line.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, we came to the last check point which is about half a mile from the finish line.  We skipped right past it, not even slowing.  I decided that I was going to run the last half mile and Jack kept up as best he could.  I crossed the finish line with a time of 8:46:09.  That was 31 minutes slower than I did the same race in 2013.  However, at that point I was just happy to be done.  I am not disappointed with my results at all considering all I went through the week before the race But i do vow to finish with a sub-7 our time next year.

Before the start with the Midwest Vikings 

At the Finish with Jack Reid

South Carolina Spartan Beast

So this past weekend I ran the South Carolina Spartan Beast with my good friend Chris and completed my Spartan Trifecta for the third year in a row.  This was my second time running the South Carolina Beast.  I ran it two years ago and found it to be a challenging course due to all the hills.  This year did not disappoint.  The race organizers were very good at utilizing the uneven terrain and natural water features of the course.  Within 2 miles you were wet and muddy and, if you are like me, had many tiny rocks in your shoes (I think I will be buying a pair of gaiters next year).

My friend Chris and I were well prepared for the race and were able to knock out the first half with relative ease, completing all obstacles with no burpee penalties.  I didn't have to do my first burpees until I hit the traverse wall.  I slipped off after only about 3 steps in and was forced to do burpees.  Chris however, had to do burpees on the next obstacle, the Spear Throw.  Now I am about 50/50 on this one but this time I nailed it.  Once Chris finished his burpees we were on our way and we cruised all the way until we hit the rope climb.  Now I am can climb a rope on dry land, but they don't put it on dry land.  They put it in waist deep muddy water.  So by the time we got there the ropes were slick with mud and it was dam near impossible to get a grip on it.  I usually employ the S technique and let my legs do the work, but with the rope so slick, my feet could not grip the rope.  Splash, down into the water I went and off to my second set of burpees.  Chris fared better than I did on the rope but still was unable to complete it.  He was dealing with a calf cramping issue and he completed his second set of burpees.

After that we were able to complete the rest of the course without penalty and we cruised to the finish.  The last time I ran this race I finished in roughly six and a half hours.  This time we completed it in 4:21:54.  Not too shabby.  I'm looking forward to possibly completing another trifecta next year however, I am trying to expand my trail running Ultra marathons so I am not sure if I will be able to fit too many Spartan Races in my schedule.  We shall see.  I have 2 more races this year.  The Chicago Turkey Trot and then the Huff 50k.  Once my season is officially over I will start to plan for next years budget.  Recommendations are welcome for Trail Ultras that are worth running.

Chicago Marathon Recap

Two more races in the books for October.  I completed the Chicago Marathon on October 12th and the Spartan Race South Carolina Beast on October 25th.

The Chicago Marathon was amazing.  This is one of my favorite races because of all the support that the City of Chicago shows the runners.  Not only are there thousands of volunteers that come out to help and support the runners, but there are hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the course cheering you on and providing support in some areas.  Last year was my first attempt at a marathon and I was disappointed in my finish at 5:04:35.  This year I managed to shave 20 minutes off my time and finish in 4:44:05.

I was able to finish faster this year by training harder and learning to pace myself better.  While I am not where I want to be yet in terms of speed, I found that being able to pace myself better helped tremendously.  I found, late in my training, that I was able to maintain a steady pace better if I ran without any music.  I found that when running with music I tended to subconsciously start running to the beat of the music which would change.  Without the music in my ears, I was better able to time my breathing and running so as to maintain a more steady pace.  Since I only figured this out a few weeks prior to the Marathon, I wasn't able to reap the full benefits of the training but now I know for future training.  Next year, I am looking for a sub-4:20 marathon.

Training

I hope everyone's training is going well.  It's less than 2 weeks until the Chicago Half Marathon and I have been training out of my mind.  Ok, well, the training I've been doing is for the Chicago Marathon, but still.  In just over 8 weeks of training I have put in over 224 miles of running.  I've gone from an average of about a 9:30 min/mile down to about a 9:00 min/mile.  My goal is to finish the Chicago Half Marathon in less than 2 hours and the Chicago Marathon in under 4:30.  Time will tell if these goals are attainable but I am confident that if I give it my best then I will conquer.

New Training Aids

This years racing got off to a slow and painful start with my knee acting up quite a lot and no matter what brace or sleeve I tried, it would always swell up during my runs which started a cascade of issues including my calf cramping and eventually my foot would go numb.  Unfortunately, I had these issues during my first few races this year including a poor showing at the Chicago Spring Half Marathon and the Soldier Field 10 miler.

On the advice from a friend, I purchased a new sleeve for my knee with the hopes that it would help alleviate the in-run swelling.  I purchased my Copper Wear Knee Sleeve but did not receive it in time for my spring races.  After I got the sleeves in the mail I immediately started using them and noticed an immediate improvement.  Since getting them, I no longer have any issues with in-run swelling in my knee nor any of the other issues related to it.  I have all so improved my stride and cadence to better suit my running style which may have contributed to the improvement but the sleeves were very helpful nonetheless.

Just recently, I have added Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel to my training regimen and have noticed substantial improvement in my energy levels during my run.  I am still just starting out with it but felt it was worth mentioning for anyone looking for an energy boost during long training runs or races.  I plan on incorporating it into my half and full marathon races  as well as the Huff 50k that I plan on running in December.  I have been using the Caffeinated Raspberry Buzz, which contains caffeine for an extra boost but will be purchasing the non-caffeinated version as well.  I will post more about it later on once I've really had the opportunity to evaluate it's effectiveness during long endurance races.

 Good luck to everyone in their upcoming events!

Chicago Spring Half

I ran the Chicago Spring Half Marathon on Sunday, May 18th.  This was the first time I ran this race and I was pleasantly surprised with the setup given the small number of participants(6,000).  I had issues with the registration for the race and didn't find out until 2 weeks before that I had somehow accidentally registered twice for the Chicago Half Marathon in September instead of the Chicago Spring Half.  Life Time Fitness' customer service was very helpful in getting the matter straightened out and signing me up, even after official registration had closed.

I had high expectations of myself going into the race.  I had been training hard for several months but a lot of it had been on the treadmill.  I was hoping for a sub-2 hour finish which meant I had to keep at least a 9:00 min/mile pace.  The morning started off well with some light stretching and breakfast.  I parked in the building I work in, since it was about a mile from the Start line and I like the cheaper parking.  A friend and I that rode together walked the mile to the Start area at a brisk pace and it offered a good opportunity to warm up the muscles.  

Once at the Start/Finish area we found the gear check and stashed our belongings.  In order to keep from getting hungry during the race, I snacked on a Cliff bar while we stretched near the Start line near the Yacht Club.  

I felt really good and loose before the start and was feeling confident in my ability to finish in my goal time.  That went down the drain quickly.  The horn blew and the race started.  I was in Corral C so there was a 10 minute wait until I started.  Once I got going, the first mile went by well.  I passed the first mile marker in 8:30.  I was ahead of my goal pace and was feeling rather well.  Around Mile marker 2, which I passed with the same pace, my left knee started acting up again.  This has been an ongoing issue now since last September.  I was still able to hold my pace for another 2 miles and then I had to stop and readjust my knee sleeve.  One of the Race Medics stopped to inquire about my situation.  After a brief explanation, he gave me a packet of Biofreeze which helped alleviate some of the pain for a while but at that point my pace was shot.  The stopping and going tired me out and I was no longer able to maintain my pace.  I spent the rest of the race slowly bleeding time all while tring to push through the swelling in my knee and calf.  

I ended up finishing the race in 2:13:21.  That is a minute off of my previous PR and well off my goal time.  All in all, it was a wonderful race with a great after party with a lot of freebies and a nice post race meal.  Another cool perk was that you got to take home a flower of your choice to plan in a garden to commemorate the event.  I do think I will be running this race again next year since I want redemption.  It is a pretty flat course with only a few inclines and a beautiful view of the lakefront.

This upcoming weekend I have the Soldier Field 10 mile on Saturday.  This is one of my favorite races and it will be my 3rd time running it.  It runs on almost exactly the same course as the Chicago Spring Half, except it's 3 miles shorter.  2 weeks after that I will be doing my first Ragnar Relay with team Midwest Vikings.  200 miles from Madison, WI to Montrose Beach in Chicago.  6 runners a few volunteers riding in a van over the course of 24 hours.  Should make for one fun, smelly adventure!

After the Ragnar Relay, I have a 2 1/2 month hideous since my wife and I will be getting a puppy.  In that time I will be resting my knee, rehabbing and strengthening it.  With any luck, I will be able to PR at the Chicago Half Marathon in September.

2014 Indiana Spartan Sprint

So this past weekend I ran the Indiana Spartan Sprint in Laurel, IN.  As usual, Spartan Race delivered a great event.  The weather was a perfect 80 degrees and sunny.  This is the first time in 4 years that this event wasn't freezing.  This year I ran with a group from the Midwest Vikings.  I have recently become more active in this group and have gotten to know the founders, 'Tata Mam and Michael Fenwick.  I will be joining Michael in running the Chicago Ragnar Relay this June with 4 other people on an Ultra team.  We all had a great time and collectively, we finished all of the obstacles.  The only one that I failed at was the Rope Climb.  It was the next to last obstacle and right after the Hercules Hoist (high pulley with over 100 lbs).  My hands had no grip left in them and it was in 3 feet of water.  The water rope climb has always been my weakest obstacle.

All in all, it was an awesome race.  I am now looking forward to the Chicago Super and South Carolina Beast to complete the Trifecta.

Gear

Shoes: Salomon Speed Cross  3's
Socks: Injinji Toe Socks
Top: Under Armour Compression Short Sleeve and Reebok sleeveless Dri-Fit shirt
Bottoms: Under Armour Running Shorts with liner

Before: That's me in the Blue

After:

Ultra-Marathons

So I am still looking for 1 or 2 ultra-marathons to run this year.  I had several on my list that I wanted to do but unfortunately, they all fell on dates that I am already busy.  I still have a few that I am pondering but have yet to pull the trigger on.

24 Hour Run at Sunset Hill Park - Valparaiso, IN - June 21st -22nd
This Run looks interesting because there is no minimum required distance.  It's a 5k loop that you run as many times as you can in 24 hours.  This is a no pressure run that is great for training and race prep.

Potowatomi Trail Run 50 Miler - Pekin, IL - April 5-6

This is supposed to be a somewhat easy course and great for beginner Ultra-Marathoners(which I am).  I need to make a decision soon though because the race is in a few weeks.

Chicago Ultra - Chicago, IL - April 5th

A very Flat course along the Lakefront in Chicago.  With a 7 hour time limit, I would have to push myself for this 50k, but should be able to finish without a problem.  Again, need to make a decision soon as its the same weekend as the Potowatomi.

So I need to figure out if I am going to run any of these three for the Spring.  I am hoping to get in a 100 miler in the fall but I have to find one that doesn't conflict with other races I have already signed up for and within a reasonable distance of Chicago.  Any suggestions would be welcome.

Fall 2013 recap

So I have been slacking on my blog posts since October.  After a disappointing finish to the Chicago Marathon, I wasn't in much of an inspirational mood.  I have been dealing with a Knee/Leg injury since last September.  I somehow injured my leg while moving into my new home a month before the Marathon.  Because of this injury I was worried that I wouldn't be able to compete in the race.  I ran anyway, against my doctors advise, and finished in 5:04:34.  Very disappointing for me.  Before the injury I was hoping for a sub-4 hour time.



After the Marathon, I took some time off to rehab my knee and allow it to heal, which it never really did.  I ran the Spartan Race Texas Beast with 2 friends and had no pain.  It took us over 6 hours to complete the race due to one of my friends having cramping issues almost the whole way.  Wer had a great time and I have a full Trifecta planned for 2014 again.

Two weeks after the Texas Beast, I ran the Huff 50k in Indiana.  This was my first Ultra-Marathon and I loved it.  I dealt with calf cramping early on but soon fell into pace with a few friends that I found along the way.  We stuck together for the entire race and finished in a little over 8 hours.  I could have finished faster but decided to enjoy the experience with friends instead of pushing the limit.  Unfortunately, because we took so long to finish, they ran out of Medals and promised to mail them out.  Well, the race was on Dec 28th and it's now March 19th and I have yet to get mine, nor have the other roughly 25 runners that didn't get any.  Lesson learned.

As far as 2014 goes, I ran my first race in early February.  My friend Chris and I took a trip down to St. Louis and ran the Sand Mine Challenge.  It was definitely an experience.  The entire race was underground in an abandoned Sand Mine.  We thoroughly enjoyed the race and will be returning next year to complete the Quad, running the race 4 times.  I will be posting my race schedule for 2014 as it stands now.  There may be some more added but it is pretty set as of right now.

Chicago Marathon: 18 Days To Go

So there are 18 days left until the Chicago Marathon.  Anyone who follows me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram know that I have been training for the 2013 Chicago Marathon for the past 5 months.  I signed up in February like everyone else and was lucky enough to not experience any issues with the registration process.  I have done several races of varying distance this year in preparation of the Marathon.  Just prior to the Chicago Half Marathon on September 8th my wife and I moved into our new home.  Apparently during the move, I tweaked my knee and a few days later had swelling.  I ran the half marathon that weekend and was unable to push hard because of pain in my left knee and later in the race, my right foot.

I went to my doctor last week to have it looked and and found out I have a torn Medial Meniscus.  Needless to say, this was a huge blow.  My right foot is strained but is minor and will get better.  The knee however, is going to need significant rehab in order to heal if not surgery.  I have already told my doctor that I intend to finish out my racing season.  I still have the Chicago Marathon, Monster Dash 10k and Spartan Race Milwaukee Sprint.  The only race that concerns me is the Chicago Marathon.  I am continuing my training, albeit not as much as it should be.  I have purchased a knee brace that helps a bit but honestly it feels like it is causing more problems than its solving.

This past weekend was supposed to be a 20 mile run but I opted for a 8 1/2 instead.  The run felt ok.  No significant pain or discomfort.  I have no illusions that my time will likely not be what I hoped for throughout training.  Now I am just hoping to finish.  I will be posting an update once I finish the race, hopefully, injury free.

Ron

My Forrest Gump Moment

So I'm sure most people have seen the movie Forrest Gump.  It was voted one of the top Running movies of all time.  In the movie, when Forrest was a small boy, he had braces on his legs to correct his spine.  The braces limited his leg movement and he was unable to walk properly let alone run.  Until one day, while being chased by bullies, he started to run and broke the braces right off his legs.  At that moment, he realized how fast he was and how good at running he was.  From that moment on, if he was going somewhere "he was run ing."  That was the moment he realized he had potential and decided to follow it.

So here is my Forrest Gump moment.  When I was a teenager, probably 16, a friend and I were at my house and we decided to go to his.  Now we normally rode our bikes because it was about 3 miles between my house and his.  That day, he had his bike but I had left mine at his house.  So I said "fuck it" and said I would jog along side to his house.  So we started off at a slow pace but progressively got faster.  When we got to his house I was drenched in sweat, it was the middle of the summer and quite hot.  We then proceeded to play several hours of basketball and then I rode my bike home.  After that day, I started running a lot.  I found that I loved to do it and that I was good.

I went on to run track for Junior and Senior year of High School and loved it.  I was recruited by the football coach because of it as well.  I went on to play 3 years of Semi-Pro Football after that.  So looking back on it in my early years, running actually opened a lot of doors for me.  Now I do it because I love it and even though I am not as fast as I was back then, I still like to compete as best I can.

So tell me, what is your Forrest Gump moment?  Where and when was it that you realized that you had a love for running, or any other sport?

Ron

2013 Soldier Field 10 Miler

I completed the 2013 Soldier Field 10 Miler on Saturday May 25th and it was by far one of the best races I have ever run!  This is no exaggeration either.  The event was planned and executed very well.  From Packet Pickup to post race party, everything was smooth.

The packet pickup at Fleet Feet Sports in Old Town went very smoothly.  As opposed to the usual 2 day window for pick up, they had it available for 5 days!  That was awesome!  Made it very easy to get in and get out with your packet if that was your goal.  I stopped and had a gait analysis and shoe fitting done( Thank you Colin).  The men's t-shirts ran big this year, which they were very helpful with in providing a t-shirt exchange at both the packet pickup and the race.

The race day itself went off without a hitch.  I chose to park at my building about a mile away from the start at Soldier Field, however, they did offer free parking at the stadium.  I did not do the gear check, although one was offered.  Plenty of port-o-potties were available, which if you have ever been to a race that only had a few you can appreciate having enough to accommodate all racers.  I was assigned to Corral #5 in the Blue wave.  They had an ample number of announcements for corral closings.  The Purple wave, which was first, had a hard close time.  Meaning they closed the Corrals at 6:45 and if you were not in them, you had to move back to the Blue wave.  The Blue wave Corrals had a soft close time, which meant they closed at 6:45 but were still allowing people in.  My favorite part of the corral setup was that they had volunteers at each corral entrance to make sure that only people that were assigned to that corral got in.  Too often you see people trying to sneak into earlier corrals.

There was a very nice starting ceremony where there was a moment of silence to remember all of the fallen veterans and for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and tornado in Moor, OK the previous week. They called out the names of many members of the Military, both retired and active duty, that were running the race.

Before you knew it the horn blew and the purple wave took off.  These were the elite runners that were trying to win it.  While they took off and we waited for the next start, they played Sweet Caroline which got a lot of crowd reaction.  Then they blew the horn and the Blue wave started and I took off.

I won't bore you with extensive details of the route itself, but it was a wonderful route.  It was the same as the previous year.  I was quite happy with my pace and time.  I managed to run almost the entire race, only stopping at a few of the aid stations for a drink.  Towards the end of the race with only about 3/4 of a mile left, my legs were burning and lungs were on fire, I began to pull off to the side to stop for a moment when a man came from behind and put his arm around me and gave me a friendly shove and told me to keep going and that we were almost to the finish line.  I managed to grit my teeth and keep going.  After a few moments all pain died away and I went numb.  I managed to push harder and cross the finish line in 1:33:07!  That time was almost 7 minutes faster than last year.  I managed to find the man that helped me and thank him for his support.

The post race party was very nice.  They had Soul Asylum as the band playing and many vendors offering freebies. I helped myself to a few of the freebies, passing on the beer.  I hung out with a few friends for a little while and then headed back to my car, which was about a mile away, but felt like 20 miles at that point.

If you ever get a chance to run the Soldier Field 10 mile, I would very much recommend it.  It is one of my favorite races to do.

Boston Marathon

My thoughts and prayers go out to the runners, family and friends at the Boston Marathon and to the entire running community.  This was not just an attack on the US, but on the entire world.  The Boston Marathon is a multi-national event that has a longstanding tradition of sportsmanship and of bringing people together in a common interest.  This tragedy will not be forgotten and neither will the people affected by it.

Ron

2013 Shamrock Shuffle

Well I finished the Shamrock Shuffle with a time of 44:03 on Sunday.  This was the first time I ran the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle and I'd have to say the race route was very nice.  Supposedly this was a mini preview of the route the Chicago Marathon so this was good practice for me.  It was a beautiful day for the race, sunny with only a few clouds.  The post race party at the end was well setup with beer tents, venders and merchandise.  I am disappointed that there was no medal for the race, even though I knew this going in.  In my opinion, a race that is put on by as large a company as Bank of America should have some sort of finishers medal.  Either way, the race was definitely worth it.  The tech shirt I got was nice and made by Nike.  After seeing this course I look forward to the Marathon in October, but I'm glad it's still 6 months away, because I need to train.

2013 Race Season Begins

My wife and I kicked off our 2013 race year with the Team Ortho Foundation Get Lucky 7k in Chicago.  It was a cold morning, barely above freezing, and windy along the Chicago lakefront.  The starting line for the race was just outside Soldier's Field, where several thousand people waited to start the 7k race.  About 30 minutes earlier the Half Marathon had taken off.  Considering the cold, there was a pretty good turnout for the race.  My wife runs about an 11 minute mile average usually but we were unable to get to the correct starting position because of the number of people.  Unfortunately, a lot of walkers lined up towards the front and were therefore taking the spots other runners should have had and severely gridlocked the start of the race.

There was very little ceremony for the start.  In fact, I didn't even know the race had started until I saw the crowd moving.  The crowd inched toward the start line slowly at first but eventually picked up the pace.  It took around 3:30 for us to actually get to the start line and we were off.

Coming off the start line was slow at first.  Like I said before,many walkers had lined up at the front of the crowd, instead of at the end like they were supposed to.  This caused a bad delay for the first half mile or so, especially since many of the walkers did not move over to the right, but instead chose to walk side by side down the middle of the path, which wasn't wide to begin with.

About a mile in the path opened up considerably and we were able to move more smoothly through the crowd.  Raquel at this point was stripping off her gloves and unzipping her sweatshirt, she always wears too much and then gets hot.  I spent the rest of the race carrying her gloves for her.  We kept a good pace for the first half of the race heading South along the lakefront.  Once we made the turn to come back North the wind picked up a lot and it started to sleet/snow a little.  This made the second half of the race much slower and more miserable.

The view along the lakefront, which I usually enjoy, was mitigated by the wind and stinging sleet coming down.  Raquel pushed on through it and refused to give up.  Once we got back to McCormick Place, I was able to reassure her that the finish line was near.  We pushed on for the last mile and ended up finishing with a time of 53:34.  Not bad for her first 7k and the longest road race she has run to date.

My next race will be the Shamrock Shuffle on April 7th and our next race together is the Indiana Spartan Sprint on April 27th.  All in all, this race was a nice start to the year and will make us thankful for nicer race weather and prepare us for worse in the coming months.

Ron