July 25th, 2009

Adventure with nature has been going on with me for a long time. I think my first adventures with nature started when i was a young man doing hikes all over southern California. Mount Baldy was my favorite because i could do it winter or summer. Then the hiking turned into rock climbing and the rock climbing turned in to high altitude alpine climbs and then the climbs turned into ice climbing multi pitch mixed rock and ice.

Of course it did not end there. Once i moved onto a sail boat and learned how to sail I found the pacific ocean full of challenges. So now that my bones are too old to rock climb and my soul has no desire to climb high mountains I find myself doing ultra marathons.

The crazy part about my ultra running and the intense training that goes with it is my mountain bike. If the mountain bike several years ago had not been stolen and i had not been broke I am betting i would never have taken up ultra running which should really be called ultra training.

Today was just another day in which Nature is Nature and does its best all by it's self to kill me which suits me just fine because I would rather deal with Nature on my day off then the insanity of the world.

Over the last two weeks I have started to run 3 long runs during the week and one ultra long run on the weekend. The ultra run on the weekend is a 45 mile run right now which i hope to turn into a 60 mile run. Yes I said 60. The runs take me a good part of the day and when i finish i spend the night doing all i can to repair my poor beat up body.

The current weekend ultra run is two loops of a 22.5 mile course that i measured with a GPS. The only change to the course is me moving around on the fire road which adds small amounts of distance to the entire run.

The run starts out on a single track that helps wake up the old body. The body is not really interested in this ultra adventure stuff it would rather be resting next to a nice cool swimming pool. I then move over to a fire road for a good many miles and find myself going up a super steep single track to another super cool fine thin single track.

The single track is so thin in some sections that i can not see my feet. This is bad because I might step on a snake or I might trip over a rock.

Today was very hot. My first time around was in good time. The split was 3 hrs and 40min. I rested for about 20 minutes before starting the second loop. The second loop was much worse given God and Nature tried to help me and in the process of trying to help me almost killed me.

Given it was Hot and given I have a strange and crazy relationship with God (not the normal christian relationship ... the kind that comes from meeting God at 8,000 meters type relationship) I ask God if there was anyway in this nice hot bright sunny day he could send shafts and shafts of pouring rain.

Well guess what. Right about half way through the single track I started to hear thunder. The thunder got closer and closer and then soon small drops of rain. Given i was super hot and very tired I acted like i am suppose to and got all excited and danced in the rain.. teeny rain mind you but rain.

However, the teeny rain turned into super amazing down pour .. the kind of down pour you see on the national geographic africa specials. I started to run because with the down pour was lightning. Tons of lightning. One of the bolts hit a tree and went all the way to the ground. You ask how close? Ok maybe 10 feet. Too close.

By the time I get to the fire road again the fire road has turned into a big wide river about 3 inches deep. My shoes are about 10 pounds *start at 11oz* and i am running for my life. I still have at least 3 miles to go before I arrive to the car but with good luck the rain starts to let up and I make it back.

The second split of 22.5 took 4 hrs and 20 minutes or there abouts.

Over all a great run. The heat was a bitch and did create some Lactic Acid issues in the legs which I can feel at this very moment. I have plenty of energy and a few hours after the run my heart rate is near normal.

to the adventures of doing!

Rank	Runner	Team	Distance	Miles/Km	State
1	homey claus	CPTC	331.4	Miles	New York
2	frankbott	AVL	305.2	Miles	North Carolina
3	coop74	CPTC	287.55	Miles	New York
4	sonny67		269.15	Miles	Michigan
5	sonic		261.78	Miles	Ohio
6	felice	CPTC	255.51	Miles	New York
7	glenn flynn		246	Miles	New York
8	susanmls	CPTC	235.9	Miles	New York
9	trackstar	BTUNCPEM	232.5	Miles	Maryland
10	pmonster	BTUNCPEM	232.1	Miles	North Carolina

July 18th, 2009

Ok: Why would anyone run 45 miles in one day let alone 100 miles? Cause I like ice cream. Does that work for you?

Since my last post I managed to go from a tiny wound in the bottom inside left leg to running 45 miles in about 8 hrs and 15 minutes with amazing split times, or at least amazing if you are old like me.

I managed to get some sort of left leg injury that seemed to only hurt if i walked but did nothing while i was running. Not sure what caused it but my guess is bad shoes. The injury went away after i rested for a few days; torture no less but important if i want to get better.

This week started with 3 19 mile days. The weather is getting less wet and more sun but cool sun so the times are rather good; around 3 hrs and 20 minutes give or take. I am never in a big hurry and given most run past me super fast no need to worry too much about speed.

On Saturday I took a course that is 22.5 miles and includes a very tough single track for about 1/3 of the run and doubled it. I did the course twice with a nice rest of 20 minutes between or there abouts. The first 22.5 was done in 3 hrs and 30 minutes a pb no doubt. Amazing. I had so much extra time that i rested and ate well, drank well and thought well.

The second half went ok with some resting on super tough hills. I was scared that my legs would cramp up or my head would bonk but my legs never cramped and my head never bonked. I finished the second 22.5 miles in 3 hours and 50 minutes. Both split times are much less then the average during training of 4 hours.

The weather on saturday was cool with a breeze which i am sure helped. I had some Oxygen issues for the first 5 or 6 miles.. not sure why the body managed to work out the problems. For the first time in any run i was drinking a mixture i made of maltodextrin. The stuff seems to be in love with my body and visa versa because i had no bonk and tons of energy. Most of the energy was from the good oxygen vo2max rate.. and some from my head feeling fine.

I was not too sure i had 45 miles in so given i might be off by a mile or two i ran another 2 miles which i have not included in my times just in case. I wanted my numbers to error on the side of more work not less.

So now that i have done the WTF (as i learned from Tony) training run.. what is next? Good question. I am going to do one of these double course runs at least once a week. Sure they take all day (8 hrs and 15 minutes for this last one) but they help train the legs for a super long run or so i hope.

I love to run the single tracks however, the snakes are out in full force an Bears are taking a dump on the trail.. not a good sign.. kinda like.. hey.. maybe you should take up tennis.

July Numbers so far

Rank	Runner	Team	Distance	Miles/Km	State
1	homey claus	CPTC	257.9	Miles	New York
2	frankbott	AVL	213.5	Miles	North Carolina
3	coop74	CPTC	196.5	Miles	New York
4	sarahA	CPTC	194.8	Miles	New York
5	sonny67		184.9	Miles	Michigan
6	felice	CPTC	181.06	Miles	New York
7	sonic		179.78	Miles	Ohio
8	bigdog531		171	Miles	New York
9	susanmls	CPTC	169	Miles	New York
10	trackstar	BTUNCPEM	164.5	Miles	Maryland

June Numbers

Runner	Distance	Rank
coop74	372.85	1
frankbott	356.7	2
glenn flynn	316	3
susanmls	304.7	4
bigdog531	279	5
sarahA	274.5	6

Enjoy.. to many more runs..

July 4th, 2009

First and most important stuff:

Aaron made me a "Friends and Family member of Foot RX".. kinda best stated as a team member.. as they build their team. I figure if you are old.. and someone wants to take care of you.. cause you run hard.. well that is a good thing.. no .. a great thing.. so i am very honored.

The week was a tough one at work or a super slow one. Some days i worked my butt off and others I just sat around. The tough days caught me on the running and the easy ones made running heaven. On Thursday after our work meeting i went out for a short single track run. (13.5 shuntin). The body was very upset with me and many things broke. The end result was I had to sit out Friday which caused me to be very sad.. but in the end given I worked 13 hours on Friday.. a good thing.

The run on Saturday was special. Ok.. what does special mean? Legs get pushed. Body pounds hard and a few times i feel like the world is ending. However tons of good hills.. tons of single track on good hills and some real strong times. Amazing part i am running my butt off and still having tons of energy left over. That is important. No food and just a bit of water from dirty streams with 22.5 miles in 4.02 hours. Not a bad time and a great run.

My goal for July is to run at least 90 miles per week with a 50 mile run at Haw Ridge on Friday, July 16th. The run on Friday is about pushing the body and learning what I am weak at. My friend will keep an eye on me.. but the logic is to do 12 mile loops... stop get something then keep going. Haw Ridge is so soft that the body does not feel as much impact so I am expecting some good times. However, the air is wet, wet and more wet along with some heat and you have shut down in the works.. so we will see.

I worked out at the new gym in town; "Rush". I felt like i was in Southern California.. very San Diego ... very flashy.. i am not sure where in the hell they got their money. I rode on a virtual mountain bike. Ok. I am getting old.. which means.. i was excited when we got a black and white tv.. so can you imagine what the virutal mountain bike did for me.. shit.. i am screwed.. love that thing.. and am hoping someone gets me one for xmas.. well maybe..

The body is in great shape. I am holding at around 170 to 174.. the range is cause no one's scale says the same thing.. i figure i am full of water.. or have no water at all. My low has been 165 after a run and 177 after a run.. the 177 was due to no potasium (sp).. or electrolytes..(sp)..

more as i run more..