Buffalo Run...a 50 mile adventure!

Well, Saturday has come and gone and I am still alive.  So, as I mentioned in my previous post, in preparation for this race, my long run was half the distance I was supposed to cover on this day.  Originally, I had no intent of even running the 50 mile race, and was actually intending to just run the 25k as an early season warm-up.  You can read more about the shift on my wife's blog, http://familyandstamps.blogspot.com.  Anyway, needless to say, I showed up Saturday morning with the intent of running almost twice as far as I ever had before.  Now, there are many angles I could probably take to write about this experience, but I feel the most useful avenue would be for me to describe the experience in a way that will allow other amateur runners to learn from my experience, and gather a feel for what to expect if he/she were interested in running the http://www.buffalorun.org.  

As I mentioned in the previous post, to train for the ultra marathon I ran four days a week, cross-trained with P90X two days a week, and rested on Fridays.  My longest run was 25 miles, and the most mileage logged in one week was 45.  As you can tell, this sounds almost like the typical marathon training plan, so it is easy to see why I was apprehensive about running twice as far as my longest run.

The race began at 6:00 am at White Rock Bay.  The temperature at the start of the race was already fifty degrees, which is quite high for March in Utah, and the high for the day was expected to reach seventy.  As one would expect, I started at the back of the pack, since my only real goal was to finish the race within the twelve and a half hour cut off. 

The race begins with a gradual two mile ascent that is easily runnable if you are not trying to conserve energy.  However, on this day, I used a run-walk pace, which was really all that could be done considering the number of runners that were ahead of me.  After you crest the hill, the next three miles are fairly flat with a subtle down hill grade as you move toward the first aid station.  When you are approximately 1/4 mile from the aid station you reach the steepest hill, which prompts a steady hike.  Finally, you have made it to the Elephant Head aid station.  At this point you can either take the out-and-back trail to Elephant Head, which provides a beautiful western view of the Great Salt Lake, or you can enjoy the five mile loop around Split Rock Bay...either way, you will need to complete both at some point.  I chose the out-and-back route at this time, so I could be at Elephant Head as the sun was rising to enhance the already spectacular view.  It appeared many others chose to do the same, so the jaunt took quite awhile because it was on single track. Once I reached the turnaround point, I took a moment to enjoy the fabulous view. 

On the return trip from Elephant Head, I stopped to grab a bottle of GU Brew from my first drop bag to carry on the Split Rock loop.  I took off toward Split Rock still feeling quite fresh and ran the two mile downhill section with the pace of gravity.  Then, you come upon a gradually ascending section of switch-backs that seem to go on forever, although it is really only about a mile and a half.  Once you reach the top of the switch-backs you begin the jaunt back toward the Elephant Head aid station to complete the upper half of the figure eight.  I stopped at the aid station for another moment to grab some Perpeteum, then headed off toward the starting line, which is really mile 19 of 50.   By this point my partner that I had been running with is beginning to cramp a lot, and changes shoes.  I think nothing of it at the time, as he has run many 50+ mile races.  However, between mile 20-21 he is now incapable of running, and tells me to go ahead because he is not sure he is going to make it.  I was not pleased with this option considering I thought he was going to be there to drag me through those final twenty miles; when the real race would begin.  Considering I didn't have an option if I still wanted to finish, I continued on by myself, and began picking up the pace a bit to try to make up for the time lost from trying to work the cramps out.

Now the journey began alone, and on the east side of the island, where everything is flat and seems to go on forever.  There is another quick aid station at mile 22, and from there begins four long stretches.  At mile 22 it was probably 11:45, which puts me quite a bit behind my goal of 11 hours.  However, since this was a new experience, my real goal was just to finish, so I did not worry about it because the worst thing I could have done was try to make up too much time and bonk a few miles later.
 
This next stretch was a little over five miles long, and probably one of the more difficult sections mentally.  The sun was starting to blaze, and there wasn't a stitch of shade to be found, and to top it off, I was now on my own, so I had to use this section to practice altering my mental state.  The one thing I had going for me is that I had been running without my iPod, so when I turned some tunes on it picked me up a little.  As I was slogging along it felt like eternity because I was continually rounding the mountain, and could not pick out an end in sight; everything looked the same.  Somewhere around mile twenty five I hit the proverbial wall for the first time, and felt discouraged because it seemed this section of the course should have been over.  Since I was literally in the middle of nowhere, I did not have much of an option but to keep running.  When I finally made it to the Frary aid station I was greeted by my partners wife, Erin, and many helpful volunteers.  This aid station was fully stocked by http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com and by far had the most to offer.  One of the volunteers offer to make me a grilled cheese, which sounded wonderful at this point, as Erin assisted with the changing of my shoes.  I had ran the first 27 miles in http://www.brooksrunning.com/Cascadia, but I was sure looking forward to the added cushioning of the Hoka Stinsons I was about to bless my feet with.  I think I spent about ten minutes at Frary just enjoying the shade under a canopy and my oh-so tasty sandwich.  By the time I left the station I still had not seen Jim, so I assumed today was not his day, and headed out toward the Ranch.

The stretch toward the Ranch was comparable to the last one, and also seemed to go on forever.  The only thing I had going for me at this point was the expectation of seeing my wife at mile 33.  She had ran the 25k route, and planned on meeting me at the remaining aid stations to provide assistance, and most importantly, mental support.  During this next section it felt that I was experiencing a constant wall.  I had lost all motivation, and was now slowing getting baked by the sun; as it was early afternoon.  Needless to say, like the last section, there is really nowhere to drop, so I just kept trudging along at a snail's pace.  After about an hour and fifteen minutes I finally saw a canopy, which snapped me out of the hour long funk I had been in.  When I arrived at the Ranch aid station I was pleased to see Stacy had made it.  However, Jim was there too, which confirmed that he unfortunately had dropped from the race.  As mentioned prior, this aid station marks mile 33.  Also, it marks the turn around point.  So, this is mentally the most difficult point of the race.  I had just spent the last three hours running in the middle of nowhere, and I have to now do it all over again.  I was also extremely tired at this point, and mentally ready to drop out.  My mind was starting to rationalize dropping by telling me it is ok, since I had now run seven miles further than I ever had before.  I took another ten minutes in the shade, and munched on some life-altering oranges.  I am not sure where they came from, but these oranges were almost orgasmic. 

Some how I managed to get up at this point and continue running again.  I am not sure what motivated me, but I just kept telling myself that I had been running too long today to give up, and since I had 12:30 hours to finish the race that is how long I intended to run for if it was needed regardless of finishing.  As I took off I asked Stacy to meet me somewhere in the middle, not so much for aid (because it is against the rules), but just so I could see a happy face, and bring me back out of a funk.  When I was a couple miles in I did run in to Stacy, and Jim and Erin were also there.  At this point Jim stated that he was going to try to pace me from the Frary aid station to the finish.  I did not know what to say at this point, but it did raise my spirits quite a bit.  As I kept trudging it seemed that I was getting oh-so slow.  I was now about 37 miles into the race, and was pretty sure that I could have laid down on the trail and been content staying there the rest of the day.  At this point I noticed a familiar figure coming toward me...it was Jim.  He just started walking with me for company.  We really did not talk, but it was very nice to feel as if you're not the only person on the planet.  We finally reached a point when Frary was approaching, and a man from the station came running to us to let me know that I had to be in and out of the aid station by 3:30, which was 6 minutes away, or I would be disqualified.  When he stated this, my first inclination was...so what.  My attitude was quite negaitve by this point, as I had been experience the ubiquitous wall for what seemed like the last half hour.  However, when we arrived at the aid station, my crew got my fuel/drinks prepared, and a volunteer was kind enough to dump ice water on me.  The ice water was so cold it almost put me into shock, however, the bath coupled with my crew pushing me along was what I needed to carry on.

We made it out of the aid station within four minutes, and I did not even have a moment to contemplate dropping.  Now that I am reflecting on this point of the race, I am so thankful to have had such wonderful people supporting me, because without them I am quite certain that my race would have ended at mile 39.  At this point I knew that I was going to be able to complete the distance; the only issue was whether I would make it within the alloted time. 

As I left Frary on last time, I saw three other runners not too far ahead, who also would be fighting the cut off time.  These people provided me with a little motivation, since I was now in a position to pass someone for the first time in hours.  The first gentleman I came upon appeared to be in really bad shape.  I had crossed paths with him earlier, near the turn around point, and he looked trashed then.  When I approached him this time I felt bad for him because I could tell he was not going to make it at this pace, but he was just too stubborn to drop.  As my partner and I passed him, we shouted words of encouragement, but knew he was not going to make it much further.  The other two runners were slightly further ahead of him, and appeared to be a father-daughter team.  They were moving at a little faster pace then the guy I had just passed, but they too were slowing considerably, and seemed defeated.  Finally, around mile 43 I passed the tandem, and got into a nice groove.  Jim and I were on auto-pilot now, and he was prodding me along at a solid walk/run pace, which was actually helping me gain time on the cutoff.  This section was really quite a blur, as it all had become mechanical at this point.  The next aid station was near mile 45.  We were in and out, and I now had 1:45 left to complete the final five miles.  On any normal day I could cover twice the distance in the alotted time, but today, I was going to use most of it. 

As you leave the Mountain View aid station you begin an immediate, steep ascent for a 1/4 mile.  This section was by far the most difficult for me.  While it was not very long, I was so fatigued, and my steps so small, that I could barely mantain forward progress.  I continually cursed in my head until we reached the top, which was a satisfaction in itself because it marked the end of any real hills to contend with. 

There was still one more aid station (Lakeside)between mile 45 and the finish, which was great because it provided me with another focal point instead of trying to cover five miles.  It is strange how five miles seems so far after covering 45, whereas any other day of the week this is a recovery run.  When I made it to the final aid station I was quite dizzy, so I sat for a few minutes are enjoyed more delicious oranges.  At this point I knew I would finish the race within the time limit, so I took my time to make sure the dizziness subsided before continuing. 

As I left the aid station I began to get teary for the first time because the magnitude of the race began to set in...or, maybe it was the thought of enjoying my traditional post race pizza and beer.  Regardless, I just had to make it around Buffalo Point, then the finish line would be within site.  However, Buffalo Point ended up being a little more technical than the rest of the race, so this part ended up being a little slower because I was not too sure-footed by this time, so I ended up walking a lot of it.  Once we were out of the technical area we began another slow run, which actually hurt less than walking, but my heart rate was so elevated I could not breathe either, so there really wasn't any way of pleasing me.  Apparently, once the finish comes within view there is still approximately two miles left, so I still had more running left than I cared for.  Although, with about a half mile to go I actually became even more emotional, and for a very brief moment I actually did not want the race to end.  In my mind I felt I should just keep going, since I had spent the entire day, why stop now?  Thankfully, that thought left my mind promptly, as I rounded the corner to see my family.  My mother was kind enough to watch our kids for the night, and she brought them out to the finish line.  It was such jubilation to see my happy kids just running around and their big smiles when they realized the crusty sweat drenched guy was their father.  I finally crossed the line with just over 12 minutes to spare, which placed me third to last of the finishers.  While I would have liked to finish the race under 11 hours, so I could qualify for Western States, at the end of the day I could have cared less because the journey was priceless, and would recommend to anyone who has finished a marathon...an ultra feels so much better, so give it a shot.

 

As an aside, I have been compiling this entry for months, so I apologize if it does not flow as well as it should, since I have been through various mental states during its composition. 

50 miles of bliss

I have returned from my six month blogging hiatus.  The blog has been transformed, yet again, and will focus on ultra running.  As an aside, I did finish the marathon, as mentioned in my prior post. 

Today, I would like to discuss the feelings and thoughts that I am experiencing as I am preparing for my first 50 mile race, which takes place tomorrow.  While it is natural to be nervous and a little anxious for any race, this one has me a bit on edge.  You see, my endurance is finally good enough where I know I can finish any race at marathon distance or less, even if I do not do too well with nutrition and hydration.  However, 50 miles on the other hand, this is an all day adventure for someone of my experience and speed.  So, if I do not hydrate or eat properly I will likely not finish the race.   This is what I have spent the last week dreaming about.  I suppose it is healthy to obsess so much about something this important because it causes you to prepare more. 

In preparation for tomorrow I have read countless blogs and articles on training and preparing for races 50 miles and beyond.  As you can imagine, the training plans and strategies vary quite a bit, with some plans peaking with a 35 mile long run.  I however, chose to go with what I felt my body could take and what I felt would make my body the most prepared to handle the hours of pounding.  My plan ultimately consisted of running four days a week with back-to-back long runs on the weekend, two days a week I would do P90X for strengthing core muscles, and rest on Friday to be fresh for the Saturday long run.  My longest actual training run was 25 miles, which was followed up with 12 1/2 the following morning, so I covered almost 40 miles in a 24 hour period.  While this seems like a lot of mileage, as of this morning I am still questioning whether this was enough to adequately prepare.  Should I have run further?  I guess we will find out tomorrow.  I presume this is sufficient to complete the race, which is really my only goal for my first 50.  However,  I may have to make some alterations to the plan in order to qualify for Western States in the future.  I guess I better end this post, so I can review the items for my drop bags for 10th time.   

5 Days and Counting

Today is Labor Day, and thankfully, also a day off from work, so I have a bit of time to create this post I have been procrastinating to do.  Two weeks ago I went on my longest run to prepare for the up coming marathon.  To stray from my ubiquitous route I decided to make this run special, so I ran a loop that climaxed at the Utah State Capital. 

As usual, I began my venture about 6:00 am because I knew it would take awhile, and I did not want to spend too much time in the heat/sun.  Heading toward the capital I perused Highland Drive down to South Temple, and then over to State Street.  I reached the capital near 8:00 am and to my surprise there were probably fifty Japanese tourists already roaming the grounds.  After pausing for the picture above, I continued my jaunt through the Avenues and on to the University of Utah....my alma mater. 

While I had been by/to the stadium many times in the past, today I decided to take a pictures; as this is the first year that the "U" will be part of the PAC 12.  Next, I continued south onto 1300 E for approximately five miles, and in the process I passed East High, which, as many of you know, is the site much of the movie "A High School Musical" was filmed.  I have also passed this area many times in the past, but, there is something about running that causes one to think about one's surroundings more than one does while driving.  I figured this would be something interesting to read about sometime later in life, even though I have never watched any portion of the series. 

The remainder of the run was quite mundane, and the sun was beaming on me, so I was more focused on just ending the run.  When I finally reached home I had ran 21.38 miles, and now had the confidence that I would be ready to tackle 26.2.  So, now, the only thing that I can really hope for on race day is for the weather to be nice and cool, so I will expend less energy and hopefully finish under 4:15.  Wish me luck!!

Lube please...

So, I began my first pseudo long run (14 miles) to initiate my training for Western States, coupled with preparing for The Little Grand Canyon Marathon in September. For hydration I was sporting my brand new Nathan pack that holds 70 ounces of liquid, which should be more than sufficient for a run this duration. Anyway, during the run I thought I was consuming sufficient fluid, since I required a stop by my favorite port-o-potty located on Wasatch Blvd. However, when I finished running, and urinated again, I had a sharp burning sensation, which was not a normal post-run experience. Well, the next day it still burned somewhat, so I went to see a doctor. My regular doctor was on vacation, so I saw one of his collegues for the first time. This doctor went over the usual questions, such as asking if I had been sleeping around, and could have contracted an STD. I of course said "NO," since I had been with my wife for almost ten years, and then began explaining the predicament.   Being a doctor, I am sure he is somewhat skeptical to what he hears, so he thought he would conduct his own battery of tests; with one said tests being the abuse of my prostate. I use the term abuse because this was just the second time I have received the dreaded finger, and while IT was up there he pressed quite hard and asked "is that the discomfort you have been feeling?" I emphatically said, "No!!, but it sure is uncomfortable now." By this point our relationship had blossomed, and I think I may have gotten a smile out of him. Then, when he finally removed the probing device he dropped a large gob of lube into my underwear.  There's a precurser to the lube story as well.

When he initially began the insertion process he had to start over and stated "you can never have too much lube." I of course agreed with that statement, since this orifice is not accustomed to receiving. Anyway, back to the removal of the finger. When that large glob of gue hit my briefs he modified his original position and commented, "well, maybe you can have too much lube." I chuckled, and informed him that I will live with the slime in my trousers sooner than I will allow a frictional pointer to investigate, and thus preferred the extra sauce. He slyly retorted, "that's what I thought"...and then hands me a box of tissues.  Next, what seemed like forty five minutes later I was finally done cleaning the gallon of residue still covering my cheeks, mind you, he is in the room within close proximity, and my pants are still around my ankles.

Finally, once all the tests check out ok, he sends me for an urinalysis. The results come back favorable, however, there was a little blood in my urine, which could be a sign of an infection, so he provided me with an Rx of antibiotics. He then states that while he does not think I would have any STD that only presents in extreme situations, he cannot rule it out 100% without poking a swab into the tip of my penis. By this point I am thinking to myself, all I did was go for a run, why does this guy want to use my naughty parts for a science experiment. I decided to pass on the wonderful opportunity of getting violated for a second time, and we began conversing about what his theory actually is. 

Ultimately, his final theory was...during the run my penis was rubbing back and forth on my underwear, thus rubbing the tip raw.  This, coupled with not drinking enough fluid made my non-diluted urine saltier than normal, thus leading to the lovely burning sensation.  While I was not sure this theory was correct, I was willing to give it a try in order to avoid any further testing.  Thankfully, it is now three weeks later, and I am pleased to say that all is/has been normal in that region since. So, you may asking yourself, what is the purpose of this story? It was not to embarrass myself by sharing this intimate tale, but instead, to remind the running community to remember to stay hydrated, and apply lubricant to those parts that may bounce, sway, or rub against something else - otherwise you may go through a series of unnecessary and unpleasant tests. 

Running 100 Miles

For the last couple of years I have mentioned to Stacy that I have as odd desire to run a 100 miles race, and not just any race; the most famous of them all....The Western States Endurance Run. The race is a trail run in California that goes from Squaw Valley to Auburn. The race began in 1955 as a horse race to prove that a horse could cover the 100 miles within a 24 hour period. Not as if it was not already difficult to cover the 100 miles, but the course also has an elevation gain of over 15,000 feet and a decent near 22,000. Well, as one could expect, the event lost its luster, until in 1974 a man named Gordy Ainsleigh was inspired to see if man could cover the same distance in the allotted time. He was in fact successful and completed the run in 23 hours and 42 minutes. Needless to say, this caught on, and 1977 was the 1st official year of the WSER. Anyway, over the years there have been slight modifications to the event, and today there are qualification requirements to meet just so one can apply. The requirements are running an approved race of at least 50 miles, and doing so in less than 11 hours. Additionally, in order to get credit for completing the WSER, one must complete the course in under 30 hours. I am sure many of you are asking, what is the prize for running such an insane distance, the answer is....a belt buckle. Below is a photo of the silver belt buckle, which is awarded to those that finish the race within the original allotted time of 24 hours.

Nevertheless, enough of the history. As of tomorrow, I will begin my quest of not only qualifying, but running the WSER in the 30 hour time limit, so I can receive that coveted belt buckle. Of course this is not a short term goal due to the amount of time and sacrifice that is required, so my intent is to run a 50 mile qualifier next year, and hopefully win a spot in the raffle to be able to run in 2013. So, if I look a little skinnier and bedraggled the next time you see me, you will know why.

Burning Car

So, this morning I got up early, so I coul knock off 8 miles before Stacy went to work. As I was climbing 4500 S. toward Wasatch Blvd. I noticed smoke that appeared to be coming from the freeway. When I crested the hill I in fact saw a burning vehicle, which subsequently expoded somewhat about 2 minutes after this photo. This photo got me thinking....maybe I should start blogging about some of the odd things I encounter while running; to give me more subject matter. I have had encounters with entire herds of does, many snakes, and other various live or dead animals. As for this photo, I would suspect you may see this on the news tonight as part of an investigation because there was no one near the vehicle, and it does not appear it was in an accident. So, do I sense intentional act? I guess we may see.

Seinfeld and pants

So, today I had a thought that could have shown up on a Seinfeld episode. While I was in the process of "ringing out my wet sock," as my grandfather would say, I had a thought. Why do we refer to pants in the plural form? We wear socks and shoes, which, there are two of each, and we wear a shirt. So, why do we not wear pant? True, you could say because there are two legs, but, would not the same be true for shirt? Hence, my question to you all is, why are pants so special to get the extra "s?" I am interested in your thoughts, but please try to resist researching the idea and shoot for something original first. Then look it up to see if you are correct. I have not looked it up, so I am not sure there is a right answer.