The 2012 Bear Chase 50 Mile Race Report...

DNF.  I'm still trying, and struggling, to wrap my brain around those three letters.  DNF.

Normally, I go into mind-numbing detail in my race reports, about pretty much everything and anything.  I have verbal diarrhea when it comes to re-living my ultra running experiences and think of them as kind of blueprint for the newbie ultra runners out there (like me) - and what they can maybe expect in these kind of events.  This time though, I'm going to do things a little differently and focus primarily on the physical and mental aspects of my race, as opposed to every minute detail from start to finish.  Why focus on that?  Because right now I'm angry...  But don't worry, there will still be plenty of verbal diarrhea.

I could talk about what a beautiful morning it was - how the huge harvest moon setting behind the foothills of the Front Range, with dawn breaking at our backs, was simply a spectacular sight to behold as we headed out westward from the start line.

I could talk about my typical race experience of overhearing conversations of the fairer sex's relationship trials & tribulations - this time the story being an "Erik" with a "K" vs. an "Eric" with a "C" mistake almost ending in relationship tragedy.

I could talk about crossing paths with four large doe's - two of them bounding across the trail 15 feet in front of me.

I could talk about the ominous sight of afternoon thunderstorms rolling in over the foothills, or some early morning rain over the skyline of Denver, far in the distance to the East.  And how those sights will be locked in my minds' eye forever.

I could talk about how much I enjoy interacting with the other trail runners; Helping out #31 with an equipment malfunction about a mile into the race, by simply handing over one of my race bib safety pins, since she was down to just one.  Or, helping out a runner who was apparently suffering badly from leg cramps coming into the 33 mile Fox Hollow Aid Station, by sharing a couple of Salt Stick Caps with him.  Or just simply asking others who appeared to be struggling on the trails if they were OK, and trying to give them a little a little bit of motivation and encouragement - "Great job!  You're looking good!  Keep up the great work!"  On second thought, I am going to talk about that, and the mental aspect of it to me, but a little later on.

There are lots of things I could talk about and share and go into mind-numbing, drool inducing, detail about... but I'm not in that frame of mind right now.  Right now I am extremely disappointed, angry, and simply in a state of WTF.  And I've let those things spill over onto the World.

I went into this year's Bear Chase 50 Miler setup fantastically for a great day and a great race.  I'd done my second ever 50 mile race, The North Fork 50 Mile - a relatively tougher race (in my opinion), with with a lot more climbing and at higher altitude - at the end of June, and while I had some difficulties, I finished and ended up with a result I was happy with.  In the middle of August, I paced my buddy Chris for the final 40 miles of the Leadville Trail 100 - a task that took over 12 hours, through the entire night, from sunset to sunrise.  My regular training, while on the light side, had been good.  I'd been feeling stronger than I had ever felt.  My comfortable pace was faster than normal, my HR was down, and my climbing was constantly improving.  I'd busted my ass to get out of bed at 2:45am on Sunday mornings to do my long runs, so that I'd be home for when my girls were waking up and I wouldn't miss out on family time with them.

By mile 23 of The Bear Chase though, still only my third 50 Mile race ever, none of that made a lick of difference.  Mentally, I had reached the lowest of low that I had ever reached before.  The only things going through my mind were; "Why the f*ck am I out here?  I have no business being out here.  I'm not a runner.  WTF was the point of all my training?  It was all for nothing - a waste of time.  I could have been in my nice warm bed sleeping and having morning snuggle time with all of my girls."  I was having a total mental collapse.  I'd gone through low points in each one of my previous races, but never anything like this.  It wasn't supposed to be this way.  Today was MY day.

I personally don't care about where I place in these ultra races that I've come to really enjoy and love in a short time.  I'm out to beat me and my own goals, and no-one and nothing else.  Maybe if this was a lifelong thing that I'd been doing, and if I was actually fast, it would be different.  But I'm not fast, and the 2012 Bear Chase was the one year anniversary of my first ultra - the same race in 2011.  That race almost killed me (or so it felt at the time) but I finished it.  At this point I've been running for less than two years total.  It started out as a way to get fit, that came about because of my Doctor telling me I was a heart attack waiting to happen.  I find it to be a challenge - physically and mentally - and I enjoy that.  I love the solitude, and the immersion into nature and the outdoors, that is trail running. I enjoy the logistics involved in long runs and races.  I enjoy learning about the physiology involved, and what my body can, and cannot, do.  I enjoy the people, the camaraderie, and the brotherhood and sisterhood that permeates the sport.

I have a problem though.  I've let the ultra running community reach an elevated status in my mind and have come to believe that ultra distance trail runners are a perfect example of all that is good in people.  I've allowed the idea to become greater than it actually is.  What I really NEED to do though, is see ultra running for exactly what it is - a microcosm of society in general. What I tend forget, and Chris just reminded me of just moments ago, is that everyone is different, and everyone has different goals. I tell that to myself all the time - but needed a big reminder of that after this event.

I'd set some goals for myself before the race.  1. Finishing in more than 11:00 hours would be a disappointment for me.  2. I'd be very happy with a 10:30 finish.  3. I'd be over the moon with a sub 10:00 finish - and so I did my pace charts with a target of a 9:59 finish.  Last year took me 11:40.  I was looking for a a significant improvement in that time, which I based on my fitness and newly-gained experience at these events.

"When you give it your all, it’s hard to feel comfortable the whole time. Being out of your comfort zone and being OK with that is an important part of running ultras. It’s fairly easy to feel comfortable and want to keep that state all the time. To do great things, you need to step out of your comfort zone and be vulnerable." - Timothy Olson.

I'd read that quote just a couple of weeks ago and it struck a chord with me. Chris and I came up with a new acronym and had been discussing 'JBC' frequently on our lunch runs.  JBC = Just Beyond Comfortable.  This is personally when I feel my best, and typically perform my best, when running - when I'm JBC.  I wanted to put that to the test today, and so I did. I got dialed into JBC fairly early and was feeling pretty good about it all.

The first lap (12.5 miles) of four, I came in 12 minutes under my pace goal (which was 2:10) at 1:58 and was pretty much running a PR for the 1/2 marathon.  Faster than I planned, but I felt good and was running JBC, and not over-extending.  My HR was about 10 beats higher than it had been in training recently, but fueling was on track as was hydration, so not to worry.  My only real concerns on that first lap were a little bit of a sloshy stomach, and the three river crossings.  After the three river crossings, my feet, most specifically the index toe on my left foot and the index and middle toes on my right foot, were feeling some discomfort on the toenails.  It wasn't a big deal and the discomfort subsided before long.  I never really gave it a second thought.

End of First Lap - Feeling good

I was still going strong on my second lap, but dialed it in just a bit.  There was no way I could maintain the pace of my first lap (high 8:00 and low 9:00 mile splits), and my plan was to dial it in by about 1:00 per mile pace each lap.  By mile 15 my legs were getting a bit tired which I expected.  And I hit the standard 20 mile wall a bit early at about mile 19. Again, to be expected, but this felt more like a third lap effort, and not a second lap effort, which it was.  Had JBC been too much?  This is the physical and mental barrier that I've always had to, and was always able to, push through.  But the water crossings on this lap, right around mile 20, absolutely killed me.

My three problematic toes now felt like the toenails were going to rip right off.  The first lap was just some discomfort for a while after the water.  This time though, was much, much, worse.  I'd taped my toes before even starting the race.  My left index toe I'd lost my nail on a month or two prior, and it was still a little bit sensitive.  So, I taped it.  I taped it in training and I had taped it at Leadville - nothing different this time.  My right foot index and middle toes, I'd noticed a few weeks prior, would become irritated just a bit by a small ridge that had developed on the insole of my MT1010's.  So, I taped them.  If they bothered me just a little bit on a short run, they'd probably be toast on a 50 miler.  I'm a big proponent of being proactive when it comes to my feet.  I've read too many horror stories about blisters and toenails ending someones race.  I've always been proactive, and this time should be no different.  I had taped them with 3M Nexcare Absolute Waterproof Cushion Tape.  I've used this stuff tons, and love it.

So, I was hobbled a bit and feeling a good amount of pain in these three toenails.  It only slowed me down a bit but mentally, it destroyed me.  Just three miles later I was deep in the mental pit of anguish I described earlier.  I was at my 20 mile wall, which I've always had to push through, but now I had the extra toenail issue too, which I would not expect to have in a million years.  At the same time, I had the inkling of some pain in the tops of my feet - really minor, but there none-the-less.  Thanks to my deteriorating mental state, everything just seemed magnified and seemed to hurt that much more.  And I'm amazed at how fast it hit me.  Within 35 minutes, the time it took me to get from from mile 20 to mile 23, things had taken a huge nose-dive on me - and the worst was yet to come.

I came in 18 minutes faster than my plan at the 25 mile point at 4:15 elapsed.  I'd shaved even more time off and had those minutes in the bank. I planned on closing out that bank account and use all 18 minutes to regroup at the half-way point - if not physically, at least mentally.  My girls were all waiting for me at the start/finish line cheering me on.  Of course, as is always the case, the tears started as soon as I saw them.  Just like last year, they had made me some awesome signs with the very vibrantly colored words "Go Daddy!" and "Yay Daddy!" written on them, and they had ice packs ready for me so I could cool myself down (they were disappointed that there we no sponge buckets).  It looked like they were having a lot of fun hanging out and playing at the start/finish line.  I told Diana that I was in a deep, dark, pit mentally and that I was majorly struggling.  She made the point of telling me "You said that last year too at this point.  You can do it."  But today, I somehow knew, was different.

I had the fleeting thought of changing into my MT110's that I had in my drop bag.  I opted for fresh tape on the toes, and a dry pair of socks instead.  No shoe change.  I was convinced that the shoes were not the issue, since I'd done 40 miles at Leadville in them, new, right out-of-the-box with zero issues, and that fresh socks and fresh tape would sort things out.  My tired legs I could struggle through on - I did it last year here.  And my feet, well, they couldn't get any worse.  Never once did I think that the combination of cushiony/spongy/stretchy tape, wet feet, wet socks, and wet shoes could be the issue.  I ran this race last year in Merrell Trail Gloves with no socks.  No issues.  But, I'd never tested this exact, wet, combination before.

After my 18 minutes of re-grouping was up, which seemed to fly by in about 2 minutes, off I went - at a trot -  with my girls yelling "Good luck, Daddy! We love you!"  I probably wasn't even out of sight of the start/finish line before I was walking again.  Yes, my legs were sore, and tired, and my hip flexors were screaming, but it was my feet that were the real problem.  Specifically, the tops of my feet.  They were sore as hell.  And not dull, achy, sore, but, red hot poker stabbing sore, right on top of my foot immediately above my arch. WTF is that?!?  Whatever it was, resting at the AS for so long did nothing to help it get anything other than worse.

I was barely doing 20 minute miles, and my feet felt like someone was driving spikes right through the tops of them.  Every step was complete agony.  There was no way I'd finish the race under the cutoff at this rate and I'm really not interested in just finishing.  Been there, done that.  I want to at least be sub 11:00 hours. My left foot was hurting, but the right one was by far the worst.  I'd try to run by compensating for the right with the left but that wasn't working so well.  It was just too painful.  Even walking hurt like crazy.  Never have I ever thought about quitting during a race before.  Today was my first.  I wanted to quit.  I was not having fun, and I wanted to quit.  Before I even got to the Pelican Point AS, only 3.2 miles from the start/finish, I was planning my drop.  I'm not sure why, maybe because I was still clinging to a sliver of hope, but I continued right on through the AS and kept on going.  It was 4.6 miles to the next AS and I would drop there - if I could even make it that far, which I was far from certain that I could.  There were the three river crossings that I was dreading but there was a chance my girls would be there waiting to cheer me on, and I could just ride out with them, tail tucked between my legs.  I was so pissed and frustrated, that every once in a while I let out a loud "F*CK!!!" from between clenched teeth, or pickup a decent sized rock and hurtle it as hard as I could at a nearby tree.  Why don't I have the testicular fortitude to get my sorry ass moving and  to finish this godd@mn race?!?!?!

There was a constant stream of 50 mile and 50k runners passing me on this third lap.  Hardly a one even noticing me literally hobbling and limping along.  And here is where my "problem" from above, about an elevated status of humanity in the ultra community, comes into play.  And I needed Chris, and his seemingly infinite wisdom about trail running and ultra races, to give me a good kick up the arse about, and remind me of.  I'm actually embarrassed now to share my feelings - but I'm going to be brutally honest about how I felt at the time, in the moment, and even for a few days afterwards, and try to show how low I had sunk, and how far south my mind went on me.  So here goes (and if you are going to get bent out of shape, or have easily hurt feelings - just stop reading now);  Maybe everyone else was just buried in their own misery, and that's fine, I've been there in that misery, but never have I not tried to motivate or cheer on another runner, or make sure a runner was OK.  I continued to do that, even now still.  Even cheering on the runners going past me; "Hey, looking strong!  Keep it up!"  That to me is the essence and fabric of the ultra running community - everyone looks out for everyone and everyone wants everyone to succeed.  But my outlook at this point suddenly took a big turn towards the "F*ck you" spectrum.  My mental state had sunk that low.  I'd become the person I never thought I could be out on the trails.  Ultra running is my haven; my fortress of solitude; my escape from the real world of sh!t on the news telling me about people having their wheelchairs stolen, or people beating their grandmothers to death, or bomb threats at a daycare.  Ultra running is where my faith in humanity is intact and strong.  I switched off and talked to no-one, unless spoken to (which would momentarily help restore my faith in humanity, but only momentarily - one time being when I shared the Salt Stick Caps I talked about earlier).  Like I said, I was in the shit, and descending into the bowels of hell (how's that for dramatic?).  My feelings before writing this report, and even in the early stages of writing it, were that I wanted to immensely thank the handful of people that did take the time to slow down and make sure I was OK.  That I wished I had noted your bib numbers so that I could thank you individually by name.  That these good folk, in my opinion, have the spirit of true ultra trail runners.  I tried to chalk it up to this being an 'urban' trail ultra, and that hoity-toity road runners were out here trying to show up the trail runners on a "fast course."  That "city" runners had no class and were too self-absorbed to care about anything other than themselves.  "Mountain" runners and mountain ultras were different, were better.

What a load of nonsense.  It's complete and utter bollocks how I was feeling at that moment of the race, and  even continued to feel for days afterwards.  I feel like such a fool now.  But, that's how I felt at the time.  Amazing how the mind works.  Amazing how I projected my anger and disappointment in myself onto others for my own shortcomings.  I'm sure I wasn't the only person limping along out there.  And, did I really expect every single person out there to ask if I was OK?  It's not like I was collapsed in a ditch.  I was upright and moving.  I was just feeling sorry for myself.

How do I feel now?  Chris put it best - "I just know that putting too much hope/thought/stock/whatever into how people behave during an extreme hours-long physical/mental battle against others/course/internal demons/whatever is a losing proposition that is best saved for the finish after everyone has a couple of beers in them and can laugh about being pushed off a cliff by that one fast guy."

My real problem was that my feet were shagged, and that I was suffering a total mental collapse, and not the fact that someone didn't ask me if everything was OK.  It's a godd@mn race, not a love in.  Just because I'm not out to win it, or place top 10, or top 50, or whatever, doesn't mean others aren't in that situation.  Like I've said a ton in the past - everyone is different - I'd just forgotten that.

The cold water at the river crossings felt not too bad for a moment, being cold enough to numb things a bit, but that was fleeting and things were pretty much just getting worse.  When I arrived at the Fox Hollow AS, and was asked by the volunteer what they could get me I said; "My family.  I want to drop."  Problem was, my family wasn't here.  Casey (sp?), from Fargo, ND, was an angel of a volunteer, texting and calling my wife (leaving voice mails) to let her know I was at the AS and having problems.  I sat on the medical cot there, and waited, wallowing in my misery.  Finally Diana called back on Casey's phone.  I told her what was up and she told me that she'd get a hold of Chris, who was out looking for me along the course, and let him know what was up.  About 10 minutes later, Chris came screaming in on his mountain bike carrying all of his camera gear (he was out and about taking pictures of the race that you can see here).  If there was any hope of continuing, Chris, an ultra-marathon and trail running machine, would help me figure it out.

Not feeling so great at the river crossings.

I explained to him what was going on - basically that my feet were toast.  He was wearing his MT110's and offered those up.  I was reluctant, but I took off my MT1010's, my socks, tore off the useless tape, and  tried 'em.  A few little jogs back and forth... No difference.  He asked me how my arches felt, and it took me more than a few minutes to clue in to what he was talking about.  Just in the past few weeks I'd developed occasional, but pretty intense, arch pain mostly in my right foot.  It was when I was running in my MT1010's.  Today my arches were fine, but maybe it was some kind of clue into the Top of Foot Pain.  We threw ideas back and forth, and brainstormed, and then he came up with the Tylenol idea.  He asked the AS volunteers for some Tylenol, if they had any - and they did.  The thought of taking pain meds hadn't even crossed my mind, probably since I'm not a believer in taking them - at least for events like this.  At least Tylenol isn't an NSAID, which are downright dangerous in endurance sports (hyponatremia, kidney failure).  It was 4.7 miles back to the start/finish and maybe some pain killers would get me through to the "end" at least.  I downed two capsules and wolfed down a ton of PB&J sandwiches, potato chips, coke, etc..  Chris also had the idea of taking a doggy bag with me and so I packed up a Ziploc with chips and M&M's.  So, after spending about 45 minutes at the Fox Hollow AS, off I went (after first making sure they didn't officially drop me), trying to make it to the 37.5 mile start/finish - where my intentions were to drop.

It was rough going and I kept checking my watch and waiting and wondering if/when the Tylenol would kick in.  Eventually it started to help out a little bit, but it took a long time, and wasn't 100% effective.  I'd say it brought down the pain by about 50% though.  Chris would pop-up from time-to-time along the trail, snapping pictures of me as I struggled past.

Credit:  Chris Boyack ©

By the time I got to the Cattail Creek AS (mile 10.1 on the lap) I was told that I had about 20 minutes to make the cutoff for the final lap - 2.4 miles away.  With my pain somewhat under control, and my legs feeling fresh now from all the walking and sitting I'd done, I decided to push it to the start/finish.  I was still planning on dropping at 37.5 miles, but I kind of wanted to leave myself the option to continue if a miracle were to occur.  My last two mile splits were a 9:53 and a 9:08.  At one point coming down the final hill, I checked my watch to see that I was doing a 5:32 pace.  I was fueled by my rage at that point, grinning and bearing the still substantial, but no longer worsening, pain, but knew already that I had just missed the cutoff.  My day was done, and didn't even have the option of continuing on having missed the cutoff by 4 minutes and 42 seconds.  I was an emotional disaster and not to be consoled.  37.5 miles in 8:34:42.  DNF.

Defeated

Looking back on it now, and going over theories with Diana and Chris, this is what we came up with as the root cause of my feet issues;  I'd probably been favoring my toes, because of my toenails, subconsciously.  In the typical style of a new barefoot/minimalist runner, where you seem to most commonly hear of TOFP (Top Of Foot Pain), people seem to arch their toes up in an exaggerated fashion to protect them more with their new forefoot strike (at least that's my/our theory).  Though I'm not new to barefoot/minimalist running I was probably doing the same kind of thing - moving my toes into some kind of more comfortable, but exaggerated and unnatural position, subconsciously, and causing strain on those top of foot muscles, tendons, etc..  If I feel my way up the tops of my feet, using my fingers, starting at the toes and working towards the ankle, the pain lines up exactly with the problem toes, and none of the other OK toes.  Stopping at 25 miles for so long (18 minutes) didn't help and only caused the muscles, etc., to cool-down and seize up.  And I think my toenails were an issue because of the combination of the tape, and the wet socks/feet.  The repeated soaking would soften my toenails and nail-beds, and the cushiony/spongy/stretchy tape would have a pulling effect on everything, since the tape and socks were now wet and having a clinging effect on each other.  In hindsight, I may have had no problems at all, if I had not pro-actively taped my toes.  I wish too now, that I had tested my MT1010's in water crossings (or at least got 'em good and wet) sometime in training.  That might have been enough to at least clue me into a potential problem.  I wish too that I had given going sock-less in the MT1010's a test, because the 4.6 miles I did do sock-less felt OK, except for a little achilles rubbing on my left foot.  But, as the saying goes, you wish in one hand...

As far as my mental state sinking so low, and not being able to pull out of it...  I really have no idea why that happened.  I was just fixated in the most negative fashion on everything - and I let me beat myself.

I know now that in the grand scheme of things, a DNF is not that big of a deal.  Most people have been through it, and why should I be any different?  I'll learn from it, I'll grow, and hopefully it will provide motivation in the future.  I've got my health, I've got my legs, and I've got the pleasure I get out of running.  It sure could be a lot worse.  I just need to get over it, which the process of writing this report, and the support of friends and my family, is helping me do, and move on.  And, as I always say; what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.

I think I'm going to take a break from running and training for a few weeks.  I'm looking forward to coming back with a fresh attitude and outlook and decide what the future holds.  I'd been mulling over some grand plans for 2013, which I told myself hinged on the outcome of this race, but for now, I'm just gonna rest and let my body and mind heal.  I'll blog in the not-to-distant future with a "Reflections & Plans" posting.

Here is the link to my Garmin data.

Final words:

To Casey, the Fox Hollow AS volunteer from Fargo, ND - if you read this...  Thank you for everything!  I'm sorry I bailed before personally thanking you face-to-face.

Thanks to my friend Chris, for all the support, advice, and wisdom that you continue to provide.

But, thanks most of all to my three girls - I love you - and I couldn't do any of this without your love, your understanding, your patience, and your support.

Training - 09/24/12 - 09/30/12

12.19 miles on this final taper week.  Are my miles TOO low coming into the Bear Chase 50 on Sunday?  Feeling good and feeling pretty strong though.  Confidence is high.

Monday, September 24 - 5.56 Miles, 10:33 pace, 150 HR. 164.8 lbs.  Super easy effort (though it didn't feel super easy) at the Boneyard today.  Spent the whole run chatting with Chris about all things running, and mostly about the fueling/hydration mystery.  Fueling and hydration while training vs. racing, and, to fuel/hydrate a lot, a little, or somewhere in between?  That old chestnut...  Also noticed something with my MT1010's today, post-run.  After 140 miles in them, and being only a little over 5 weeks old, the uppers are showing signs of wear. It's not severe, but we'll see how they look after this weekend's race at which point I'll have almost 200 miles and 6 weeks in them.

MT1010's - 3 wear points - same on the other shoe.

The two upper highlighted spots seem to be 'pucker points' on the shoe.  You know, a place where the fabric bends and flexes a lot.  The seemingly stronger, honeycomb-like, material seems to be intact still though, and might be helping to reinforce and hold things together.  Another thing I've noticed is that now that my feet and toes have made their impression in the liner/in-sole, the ridge that has formed along my toes, has started to irritate the very ends of my toes.  The ridge is in both shoes, but irritates the right foot only.  Any long runs and I'll have to be taping the ends of my toes or their could be problems.  The Bear Chase 50 has 12 water crossings in total and so we'll see how things go with that.  The water will definitely throw a new variable in there.  I almost wish now that I had tested the MT1010's without socks for a period of time, but, based on my sockless MT110 experience (not good), I decided against it.  Testing them out wet would have been ideal too.

Tuesday, September 25 - .  0 Miles - Rest day. 161.2 lbs.

Wednesday, September 26 - 4.05 Miles, 9:03 pace, 158 HR. 160.8 lbs.  An out and back on the High Line Canal.  Faster pace for the first 3 miles and then and easy last mile.  Feeling good.  I ate a Clif bar before the run just to test the stomach a bit.  No issues.

Thursday, September 27 – 0 Miles - Rest day. 158.8 lbs.

Friday, September 28 - 2.58 Miles, 11:04 pace, 159 HR. 158.8 lbs.  Very easy, slow, taper run.  Running this pace seems like harder work and I'm feeling lazy today.  HR is high for such an easy run.

Saturday, September 29 - 0 miles - Rest day. 159.0 lbs.  

Sunday, September 30 - 159.0 lbs. Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail Race Today!  Here is the race report...

Nutrition - Stayed true to being gluten and dairy free.  Ate mostly carbs and easily digestible foods starting Friday to try and minimize GI issues on Sunday.  That's something I'm going to experiment with more in the future - eating more protein and healthy fats instead of just mostly carbs.

Pacing Chart for Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail Race...

The Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail Race (Sunday, September 30, 2012) consists of 4 x 12.5 mile laps.  Last year, the Bear Chase being my first 50 miler, or race of any distance actually, I managed:

Lap 1 - 2:18 (11:02 pace)
Lap 2 - 2:40 (12:48 pace)
Lap 3 - 3:10 (15:12 pace)
Lap 4 - 3:30 (16:48 pace)

Total time: 11:40.

This year, with better fitness and more ultra experience under my belt (not much experience - only a 40 mile pacing effort at the LT100 and the North Fork 50 mile), I'm going to shoot for;

Lap 1 - 2:10 (10:24 pace)
Lap 2 - 2:23 (11:26 pace)
Lap 3 - 2:36 (12:29 pace)
Lap 4 - 2:50 (13:36 pace)

Total time: 9:59.

Now, there is no way it will ever pan out exactly as planned.  No run, race or not, ever seems to.  There will be something to deal with; weather conditions, hydration issues, fueling issues, spent legs, etc., etc..  And, there is the possibility (definitely highly likely) that I am just over-estimating my abilities over 50 miles.

I'll be somewhat disappointed with a +11:00 hour finish.  I'll be very happy with a 10:30 finish, but would be over-the-moon (a harvest moon at that on September 30!) with a sub 10:00 hour finish.

Training - 09/17/12 - 09/23/12

25.19 miles this week.  Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail Race is now less than a week away. With so much smoke in the air from all the wildfires from Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington, my breathing has definitely been affected.  I’m an asthmatic, allergy induced, but very rarely have to ever use a rescue inhaler.  The smoke in the air has left me short of breath recently though.  The other night I found myself having to take ‘talking breaks’ during normal conversation, just so that I could catch my breath.  On runs, I’ve been consciously telling myself to ‘look up’ and ‘raise your head’.  As a trail runner, I typically keep my gaze fairly low, to watch for obstacles, etc., on the ground.  Lifting my chin up higher seems to help open my airways some and lets me get more air in – albeit crappy quality air.  

Overall I'm feeling good about my training, despite the low miles.  I've been consistent with a 10:00'ish pace on similar terrain, and climbing, as to what the Bear Chase 50 will be.  And my HR is responding better and better all the time.

Monday, September 17 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 163.4 lbs.

Tuesday, September 18 - 7.08 Miles, 10:06 pace, 155 HR. 161.0 lbs.  It was a rough outing again – this time at the Boneyard.  Legs are sore and heavy.  I tried to do some harder efforts occasionally to try and shake things out.  That seemed to work a bit, and was feeling a bit better by the end of the run.  Gotta wonder how much the air quality is affecting me, and my legs.  And, am I still fighting some kind of cold, or flu shot side-effects?

Wednesday, September 19 - 0 miles - Rest day. 162.0  lbs. Took the day off of work and spent the day hangin’ with Diana.  Worst nutrition day in a LONG time.  It all started with Lamar’s Donuts for a coffee and an apple fritter in the morning.  It was all downhill from there.  Lost count of how many Mexican Cokes (natural sugar – no HFCS at least) I drank.  And then there was pizza and calzones.  It was my first gluten or dairy in two and a half weeks – and, as always, I felt like total garbage with some major stomach and GI issues as a reward.

Thursday, September 20 – 8.05 Miles, 9:59 pace, 156 HR. 164.8 lbs.  Stats show a good day at the Boneyard for me.  Besides the lingering stomach and GI issues, my legs and feet were telling me otherwise the whole time though.  Legs were heavy, tired, and burning – though I wonder how much the gluten, dairy, and gluttony on Wednesday is to blame for that, on top of air quality.  But my feet were the worst.  I’ve suddenly developed extremely painful arches, with my right foot being the worst.  Am I possibly over-trained, or maybe under-trained?  I like the fact that my average HR was only 156 at that pace at the Boneyard.  That reinforces that my fitness should be good for the Bear Chase, but right now, the legs and especially the feet are bit of a concern.  Wondering if I should dial back my taper even more – if that is even possible.

Friday, September 21 - 0 miles - Rest day. 161.8 lbs.

Saturday, September 22 - 0 miles - Forced rest day. 162.6 lbs.  Logistics to run today just didn't work out and I was NOT motivated to get up at 3am to get in a 10 miler.

Sunday, September 23 - 10.06 Miles, 10:02 pace, 149 HR. 163.6  lbs. It's my long taper run day and decided to do the Bluffs, in both directions.  Motivation was very hard to come by and it was rough getting out of bed.  The run felt like a mixed bag to me today.  At times it was very rough, other times I felt pretty good.  That's what next Sunday's BC50 will be like so it was probably a good thing for my mental preparation.  The foot pain in my arches was less of a factor today, and am confident that with a very low mileage taper week, that I'll be fine for the race.  I'm excited, and a bit puzzled, that my HR was so low on this run. Typically I'd be around 155 - 160 on an effort like this with almost 960' of climbing.  I typically down 18oz of H2O when I wake up - today, I only took in 8oz.  And while running, I took in only 24oz of H2O.  The more I read about people's experiences, the more I think about less H2O and less calories in.  I'm going to test that out more this fall.

Nutrition - Nutrition was not good overall, and my weight reflects that.  I’m not going to change anything now, but we’ll see what post Bear Chase will bring as far as my diet/eating plan.

My biggest problems as a food addict are;
*Cheating.  If I cheat at all, it's game over.  I binge and can't stop myself.  I have to be 100% strict to be successful.
*Quantity.  I may be eating healthy food, but my portions/serving could feed three or four people.

Reflecting on Pacing at the LT100...

More than a few weeks have passed since the Leadville Trail 100, and I've been thinking a lot about how things went, what I could have done differently, and where to go and what to do from here.

Push the pace?

At the LT100, and over my almost 40 miles of pacing, could I have pushed Chris more?  Helped more to get an even better result than his 28:45 finish?  BTW, you can read his race report here, and my pacing report here.

Well, I'm not 100% convinced I could have helped more.  Chris is a veteran ultra-runner, and knows the course, and his abilities, very well.  Based on his fueling, hydrating, and pacing plan, I expected him to come into Twin Lakes in good shape, but he came in with dodgy lungs.  The same thing has happened to him in the past at Leadville, along with severe swelling issues, but fortunately this year wasn't quite as bad.  There were times though when his breathing was so bad that he would start a sentence, but couldn't get more than a couple of words out.  If it were that it was just his legs that were tired and sore - well, that's a different story - but his lungs, that's serious, and I was being cautious.  At least he had no swelling issues this year.  Sometimes, unprompted, he would try to jog/run, and would have to shut it down, so it wasn't like he really needed the motivation to at least try to run.  Maybe I could have suggested more than the 4 -5 times that I did to maybe try a little run, but most likely it would have resulted in a well deserved 'Get bent!'

Hydration - too much, not enough, just right?

There is so much conflicting information out there to find about hydration.  Some people say that in general, you're drinking too much, that you should just drink to thirst.  Personally, I think that's not enough - at least for me.  A co-worker of my wife's also participated in the LT100 this year.  He got a DNF after dropping at Winfield.  When I asked him what he thought was the root cause, he said; "I listened to the Doctor."  I guess at the pre-race meeting (I wasn't there), everyone was told by the resident Doc that most people will over-hydrate and risk hyponatremia and/or hypervolemia - that you should only drink to thirst.  So, he did that. Boom.  Done.

Based on Chris's past troubles at Leadville, he and I did some research pre-race and could find nothing that didn't lead down the road of just more confusion and more questions.  Add salt and electrolytes into the equation and it's a total nightmare.  Here are a couple of sources we came across in our research;

http://www.irunfar.com/2012/07/waterlogged-a-dogma-shattering-book.html

http://www.irunfar.com/2012/08/waterlogged-part-ii-trials-questions-and-suggestions-regarding-hydration-and-ultramarathons.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasopressin

http://www.succeedscaps.com/articles/water_electrolyte_balance_table/ - I carried this chart with me at Leadville.

http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/8/8_1/fluid-electrolytes-101-re.shtml

http://www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/PUM.pdf - Hammer Nutrition's Little Red Book. A fantastic resource and one of the best nutrition and fueling reference guides I've found - though, I do think they cater mostly to marathoners and to triathletes.

And, in my opinion, one of the best and complete general ultra-running reference guides out there - the Western States 100 Participant's Guide (though it preaches drink to thirst!);

http://ws100.com/pguide.htm

With constantly changing conditions over such a long distance, well, that just adds even more variables in there.  Hot during the day, cold at night, ascending, descending, pace, altitude, humidity, breathing rate, vomiting, urinating, defecating, etc., etc..  All these variables are going to affect you; your sweat rate, excretion rate, the rate at which you lose water just breathing...  Now, I'm not saying pour as much H2O, or whatever your drink of choice is, down your throat as fast as possible (that would be extremely dangerous!) - but I think that once you are thirsty, it's already too late - you're dehydrated - and you and your performance are going to suffer.  Can you bounce back from that with-in the confines of the race time limits?  Maybe.

For both Chris and I, during our time together, we stopped A LOT for pee breaks.  Like every 20 minutes or so I would guesstimate.  We weren't drinking excessively as far as I was concerned (Chris had only 2 water bottles on him), and I chalk it up to the brain/body regulating fluid levels to maintain a proper hydration level.  I think that your brain does a pretty good job of regulating your body - within limits - as long as you can keep things within moderation.  On endurance events like this though, that can truly be a thin line.  Hopefully you are in tune with your body enough, and have experimented enough in training, to recognize warning signs and know how to respond to them.  I think with each passing month/week/run I get better at being able to do that - but I'm not there yet.  Only way to get there is through time and experience.

Fueling - too much, not enough, just right?

Mostly on my mind is, how much is too much?  I've read in different places that the body can only process about 250 - 300 calories per hour.  Any more than that and, under these extreme endurance conditions, you're probably gonna puke or have some tummy troubles.  Other people I read about, they're taking in as many calories that they can, as often as they can (mostly at aid stations where the supply is endless).  What way is the right way to go?  If you don't fuel enough you'll bonk. But, if you're burning anywhere from 500 - 1000 calories (maybe more, maybe less - and I've read that you burn more calories, faster, at altitude) an hour, and you can only process 300 an hour - the inevitable will happen. Toast. Is it possible to throw 500 - 1000'ish calories down your throat in an hour and not spew?  Can your body actually process that much?  Maybe elite folks can. Schlubs like me? Probably not.

I've given some thought to just taking in as much gel, carbs, etc., as I possibly can on my long runs just to see what happens. Then I go and read something like this;

http://www.meandmydiabetes.com/2012/08/11/western-states-100-low-carber-wins-ultramarathon-steve-phinney-and-jeff-volek-study/

Earlier in the year I was doing the glycogen debt training thing, and I was eating paleo as strictly as I could (which wasn't very strict most times on weekends).  During that time, I was running fairly strong too - on a low-carb diet and no-carb training.  In addition to testing taking in as many calories/carbs as possible, I think I need to get back to trying this again too.  Running without carrying a ton of gels, chomps, bloks, etc., has huge appeal to me.  I've got enough fuel on my body (fat) to carry me a LONG ways.  I just need to train my body to utilize it efficiently, and efficiently enough to carry me long distances at a decent pace (not walking).  The potential risk there, according to some, is muscle cannibalism.

With all that being said, at Leadville, I think that my mixture of gels, potato chips, Roctane/GU drinks, and ramen noodles worked very well for me.  I never had any stomach issues, no tummy/GI issues, no bonk...  nothing.  Pace and HR probably had a lot to do with me not bonking, staying out of glycogen debt.

Electrolytes - too much, not enough, just right?

I've never been one to suffer from leg cramps.  I can count on one hand how many leg cramps I've had in my entire life and not one of those fingers would be for when I was running.  Chris told me that at one point on Hope Pass, he had to sit.  While sitting, his calves were twitching uncontrollably, so he popped some salt caps and that fixed him up.  Other than that, he avoided salt caps.  That was his plan going in, and I think that it was a good one.  We had talked a lot about salt, and that it was critical to not over-do it.  It was going to be a reactive process, instead of proactive, and that worked.  One test I've read about, and actually had an aid station volunteer tell me to try during a race, is to lick your arm.  Does the salt taste good?  If it does, then you may need salt.  Does the salt taste bad?  If it does, you may be over-doing it on the salt.  Personally, I didn't take any salt-caps while performing my pacing duties.  Like Chris, I got enough from all the nutrition/fuel that I took in over my 12+ hours on the trail.

So, what was my biggest challenge on the trail?  Probably just the length of time on my feet.  My legs were tired and they were sore - but that's 12 hours at Leadville (or anywhere really) for you.  More fitness and more training would have helped, sure, but there aren't too many people that can say that that wouldn't help.  Having more opportunity to train at Leadville altitudes would have been huge, but you do what you can with what you have.  I get to train at 6,000' every day so can't complain much.  But training at 9,000' - 12,600' is a whole different ballgame.  And the climbing, well ya - there's the climbing that you can't duplicate anywhere.  Would hydrating more, or taking in more calories have helped?  Not convinced of that. Was I over-hydrated or over-fueled?  Not convinced of that either.  I'm pretty sure that my nutrition, fueling and hydration were dialed in just right.  Equipment, gear, etc.?  I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Since Leadville, it's the oddest thing, but I've been longing to run in the mountains and for climbing - most specifically - Powerline.  I'd really like to try out Hope Pass too, but I've done powerline two times now, and each time kicked my arse.  I'd like to get to a point where powerline isn't such an arse kicker for me - but that may never happen.  I'm not a great climber, and I can probably only improve at it, so that is a positive!

My main takeaway from all of this, and I've said it before, is that 'Everyone is Different'.  You have to experiment, be prepared to fail, and to struggle, but at the same time learn and gain knowledge.  I still have a TON of that to do...

As far as my first-time pacing experience...  Would I do it again?  Yup.  In a heartbeat.  It was an amazing experience, and can't thank Chris enough, for asking me to be a part of it with him, and for my family for supporting me!

What's next?  I have the Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail Race on September 30th.  It will be my third ultra and my second time doing it.  I'm going to use that as a gauge.  A gauge for what?  If, with my family's support, I should attempt the LT100 next year myself...

Training - 08/27/12 - 09/02/12

35.93 Miles.  Not high mileage, but overall I'm happy with the week - especially my week-ending long run.  I did have high HR issues early in the week, but seems to have sorted itself out by Sunday. Only 4 weeks until the Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail Race.

Monday, August 27 - 7.85 Miles, 9:56 pace, 164 HR - 166.6 lbs.  Ran the High Line Canal.  First 3 miles felt really good - then I died a thousand deaths.  Probably chalk it up to dehydration, how bloody hot it is, the terrible air quality because of all the wildfires in the North West, and the fact I'm probably not recovered fully from Leadville.

Tuesday,  August 28 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 162.6 lbs.

Wednesday,  August  29 - 5.54 miles, 10:44 pace, 157 HR - 162.6 lbs.  Ran the Bone Yard today, and it was a very rough outing. I had absolutely no energy.  It was strange - my legs felt good, and strong, but I just had zero energy to keep 'em turning over.  Very hot out, and again with the high HR (though not quite as bad as Monday).

Thursday,  August 30 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 161.0 lbs.

Friday,  August 31 -  8.06 Miles, 9:48 pace, 161 HR - Rest day. 160.0 lbs.  High Line Canal again.  Decent day overall.  I can feel a new level of fitness in my legs, though I still have that deep down fatigue from Leadville. I'm feeling stronger on the hills, and my average pace is better.  Wasn't quite as hot today, and my HR was a bit better again. Slowly coming around.

Saturday,  September 1 -  0 Miles - Rest day. 160.6  lbs.

Sunday,  September 2 -   14.48 Miles, 10:06 pace, 160 HR - 160.6  lbs.  Long run on the East West Trail and Highlands Ranch Back Country. This was probably one of my most consistent and strongest runs - ever.     I usually walk a fair bit on this course, but today I hardly walked at all - only very short periods on the steepest sections. Definitely have reached a new level of fitness. My legs are feeling so much stronger, and the normal lactic acid burn that typically slows me down and brings me to walking (often) was a non-factor today. It would be GREAT if it stayed that way! I started to get a bit tired at mile 8, but at mile 13, I was ready to be done. Still don't have that endurance. Only three more long runs until BC50.

Nutrition - I did pretty good this week. I was very disciplined. Only really bad stuff was Sunday night date night. Popcorn (buttered - which is actually some kind of 'healthy' coconut/canola oil concoction they serve at The Landmark Theater), Coke Zero, and a glass of red wine.  And Ted's Montana Grill before the movie - glass of red wine, and a bison burger (sans bun and cheese) with sweet potato fries.  Other than that, I did really well, and never gorged or binged even once.  Despite that, I'm still in the 160's - but my body is feeling pretty strong.

Training - 08/20/12 - 08/26/12

After pacing Chris at the Leadville Trail 100, I took the week off and binged.  Next week I'll get back at it - I hope.  I signed up for the Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail this week so I need to get cracking.

Monday, August 20 - 0 Miles - Rest day.  163.2 lbs.

Tuesday,  August 21 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 164.4 lbs

Wednesday,  August  22 - 0 miles - Rest day. 164.6 lbs.

Thursday,  August 23 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 165.2  lbs.

Friday,  August 24 -  0 Miles - Rest day. 165.0 lbs.

Saturday,  August 25 -  0 Miles - Rest day. 164.2  lbs.

Sunday,  August 26 -   0 Miles - Rest day. 166.4  lbs.

Nutrition - Terrible, terrible, terrible.  I told myself that after Leadville, I'd be a good boy and eat healthy - so much for that.  Name something not good for you - I ate it.  Monday to Sunday, up 3.2 lbs.

Training - 08/13/12 - 08/19/12

8.33 miles this week, leading up to pacing Chris in the LT100.  Kept it light and ate well, though I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked.

Monday, August 13 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 165.2 lbs.

Tuesday,  August 14 - 6.18 Miles, 9:58 pace, 155 HR. 166.0 lbs. One of my better outings at The Bluffs and I felt really strong. Didn't walk/hike even once, which I'm not sure I've ever done there. Did have some GI distress after mile 3 for reasons unknown.

Wednesday,  August  15 - 0 miles - Rest day. 161.8 lbs.

Thursday,  August 16 - 2.15 Miles, 11:04 pace, 143 HR. 161.4  lbs. Very easy taper run. Didn't feel great, but not too worried about that on such a short and slow outing.

Friday,  August 17 - 0 miles - Rest day. 162.0 lbs.

Saturday,  August 18 - 159.8 lbs & Sunday,  August 19 - 161.8 lbs - Leadville Trail 100 pacing duty for Chris! Report to come!

Nutrition - Did really well this week, knowing I had to shave off a few pounds and be set with good nutrition leading up to Saturday's pacing.  No gluten, no dairy, and no crap - but still no red-meat either (using chicken, fish, and plant protein sources).  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were really light fiber days (hoping to avoid GI issues), with emphasis being on carbs. Lots of smoothies! I think I have my coffee based smoothie tweaked just right now, so I'll post that soon.

Training - 08/06/12 - 08/12/12

13.44 miles this week. Would have liked to have double this number but a slow recovery from the Leadville run on Saturday night made that impossible. Less than a week now until the LT100 where I'll be pacing the Agile Fox from Twin Lakes to the finish - about 40 miles.

Monday, August 6 - 0 Miles - Rest day.  167.0 lbs.  Sore like crazy from the Leadville run. Smart eating, though I've been hitting the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus a lot (not paleo).  Haven't been eating any red meat lately either.  I'm curious to see how that's going to affect me.

Tuesday,  August 7 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 162.6 lbs  Still sore like crazy and starting to wonder if the lack of red meat is affecting my recovery. I seem to recover really fast when eating red meat. Down 4.4 lbs after a day of urinating like crazy on Monday. Makes we wonder about an article I read not long ago (I'll have to try to find it again) about the body retaining water in the muscles to help with recovery - or maybe it was just my salt levels returning to normal.

Wednesday,  August  8 - 0 miles - Forced rest day. 161.6  lbs. Close friends from Michigan and Scotland arrive!

Thursday,  August 9 - 0 Miles - Forced rest day. 162.8  lbs. Planned early morning run got postponed until Friday. Coors Brewery tour, Lookout Mountain and a drive through Evergreen and Red Rocks was on the plate today.

Friday,  August 10 - 6.3 Miles, 10:42 pace, 151 HR. 163.8 lbs. Early morning Highlands Ranch Back Country run with David and Chris. First, long awaited, run with David was great!  He got to meet Chris and to get a little taste of CO trail running.

Saturday,  August 11 - 0 Miles - Forced rest day. 166.8  lbs.  The Beaver Creek 10k with David never happened.  Everyone was trashed from their cross-country drive and from a full day in the car touring around Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday, and a busy Thursday too. Maybe next year.

Sunday,  August 12 -  7.14 Miles, 10:54 pace, 148 HR. 164.2  lbs. Another early morning run, after a late night out in LoDo Denver. Took David to The Bluffs and he did a great job on the over 700' of climbing!

Nutrition - Monday and Tuesday were good. After that, not so good. Lots of wine, beer, and over-eating. I really need to get things back on track with my training diet. My stomach was killing me all day on Saturday and so I managed to at least stay away from gluten and dairy on that day. I feel so much better when I stay away from gluten and dairy - but it's so hard - even with need to stay light, and need to drop 10 lbs.

Leadville Night Run - 08/04/12 - 08/05/12

Late Saturday afternoon the Agile Fox and I hit the road to Leadville, CO. We were on our way to do a group training run, at night, of the last 21 miles or so of the LT100 race course - which is only two weeks away. Chris is a veteran of the LT100 and will again be racing it this year. A few weeks back he threw out the idea of me pacing him for a portion of it. I was super excited, and honored, that he asked me, and so I kicked the tires on it with Diana. She was, and still is (I think), fully supportive of the idea! So, what better way is there than to actually run a portion of the course in order to get some experience and get an idea of what to expect?

Before I get started - Brandon Fuller was the gracious host of this Unofficial LT100 Night Run and so huge thanks to him and his family for organizing the event, opening up his house and providing food and drinks both pre and post run, showers, beds, etc., etc., etc..  It was a great time with great people!  You can read Brandon's report and see some of his pics here.

We started out at Fish Hatchery (which is an aid station for the race) at 8:00 pm and would run back to Brandon's house, which is only a little ways away from the true finish line of the race. I was super nervous since there were people like Nick Clark and Mike Aish (former New Zealand Olympian) out for this run - and even Darcy Africa showed up as I would later learn. All massive, elite-level, talents. I was also really nervous about the climbing and the altitude, since all of these things would be firsts for me. Turns out I was right to be nervous. 

The view from Fish Hatchery in Leadville, CO.

People gathering for the run.

For me, an 8:00 pace on flat, even, ground at 6,000' is really, really, good.  Well, we started out at almost that pace from Fish Hatchery which is at about 9,640'. I'm sure that was a super easy pace for pretty much everyone involved in this run, but for me that was a challenge. It took all of two minutes before my legs, mostly my calves and hamstrings, were on absolute fire. At that altitude, with much less oxygen than what I'm used to, the lactic acid buildup starts fast. The first mile and a quarter are gentle, paved, roads - then you hang a left - and hit Powerline.

Powerline - I'd only heard about it , mostly from Chris, and had read about it some. I wasn't disappointed in the hype. What a monster. Crazy thing is, while it's the biggest climb for this night run, it wasn't even close to being the biggest for the race. After experiencing Powerline this night, I'm glad that I won't be climbing Hope Pass (12,600') anytime in the near future. The climb out of Twin Lakes (where I will start pacing Chris) and doing Powerline again will be quite enough thanks very much - and will be a greater challenge than either of my two previous 50 mile races I suspect.

By the time we hit Powerline I was already near the back of the pack, though I could still see the lead pack up ahead of me climbing. This part, for me, was completely un-runable. I started hiking and it wasn't long before I was passed by everyone else and was pretty sure I was the last person. I was gasping for air, as I tried to get my breathing regulated and get as much air in as I could, hoping that I could get my burning legs under control. The strange thing was that my heart rate was completely normal. I guess I was moving so slow, because my legs were total crap, that my heart rate stayed down pretty well. We hit a nice little downhill at about mile two, which offered a little relief, but it was short-lived and then it was back to climbing.

Chris had warned me of the multitude of false summits, and so I was mentally ready for that. At no point in my mind would I tell myself - "This HAS to be the top!" In fact, I didn't even count the 'summits', but just had it in my head to keep pushing upwards. I wondered a lot too about how far ahead of me the lead pack was: 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, more?

Brandon had said the light would probably be good until we reached the top of Powerline - but I had to turn my light on pretty early so that I could see the wide, but rugged and sometimes treacherous, trail.  I'd check my Garmin occasionally for the grade and saw 20% and 21% a few times. Man - steep stuff.

At times I would try hiking backwards, trying to alleviate my burning legs, and to see if I really was last - but that wasn't much of an option due to the footing and being afraid I would eat it. If there was anything at all even close to flat, I would try to 'run' it.

I tried to always keep someone (or their lights at least) in sight, or within ear-shot, so as to not fall too far back - and I did a pretty good job of that.  Either way, I knew that Chris would be waiting for me at Top of Powerline. He told me that what he wanted to get out of this run was a good hard effort to the Top of Powerline, and from then on, he was good to coast at whatever pace I could manage.  Poor guy...

After about 5 miles, and 1.25 hours, I finally made it to the top (11,111' according to my Garmin). Chris was there, and a couple of others that were going to head down the way we came up. Everyone else had moved on, not surprisingly to me. The worst was over, and the 16 miles still left was mostly downhill or pretty flat - but still challenging stuff.

By now it was pitch black, and Chris and I just carried on pretty much like it was any other lunch time run - though with lots of doubt in my mind now about if I'd be able to do 40 miles of this is just two weeks time. We had some dirt roads, and some jeep trail kinda stuff, before turning off on to the section of the Colorado Trial. This section was spectacular just as Chris had said it would be. This was very forested and very technical (at least for me) single-track but still it was mostly downhill - though my legs did not feel any better.  Anything even slightly uphill we would pretty much walk.

We talked a lot about salt intake, fueling, hydration, aid station strategy, and that sort of thing while the miles rolled past. I told Chris my concerns about pacing him for 40 miles - but he didn't seem concerned in the least. It was a beautiful night, with perfect weather, great trails, with good company and conversation.

At about 9.6 miles we rolled into May Queen (another race day aid station) where there was actually a real aid station setup!  George Zack and some other 'volunteers' had setup a mobile aid station where we partook of some beer and some kettle chips. Man, that hit the spot! There were a bunch of people hanging out waiting for a lift back to base as they were calling it quits for various reasons. Another runner actually came in after us too! I couldn't believe that there was anyone actually behind me, but it sounded like maybe he got lost a little bit. It was getting pretty cold out now and people were shivering, so off we went (at the 2:20 mark), having stopped for about 8 minutes or so to fuel and chit-chat, with another almost 12 miles to go.

Only about a 1/2 mile down the road from May Queen someone else had setup another aid station for us! Awesome! We had some Coke and some M&M's and away we went yet again. We ran past a ton of campsites, choking on the thick camp fire smoke the whole way. I noticed how raw my lungs felt around this time, and would intermittently have coughing and the hiccups simultaneously. Must be the altitude or something. Even Chris got the hiccups a few times. Bizarre.

From May Queen and around Turquoise Lake was about 7 miles at 10,000'. You could probably make some really good time here, if you weren't completely trashed like I was. Chris keep telling me not to worry about it - on race day after having done 80 - 90 miles already, he wouldn't be moving very fast anyways.

The Agile Fox running along Turquoise Lake.

After the lake portion (4:15 elapsed), with only about 4 miles left to go, time seemed to really drag for me.  We ran some dirt roads, even a little bit of pavement, jeep trails, etc.. One short, but steep section (downhill) I could only tip toe down because the footing was so bad with tons of loose rock and small boulders, and my headlamp was starting to dim. I had spare batteries, but couldn't be bothered changing them. Between Chris's dimming headlamp, his Fenix handheld, and my headlamp, we'd just plug on.

Finally, after 5 hours and 7 minutes, shortly after 1:00am, we arrived back at Brandon's. That was the toughest 21 miles I had ever done - and maybe even tougher than my two 50 milers - which Chris says he doubts. I wonder too how much Friday and Saturday's poor nutrition hindered my performance. I didn't eat well on either of those days (tons of wheat and dairy) and suffered a bit with some GI distress pretty much the entire run.

As tough as it was though, I'm very happy to have done this run. Not only did I get to meet some great people, but it was a huge learning experience and I think it will be a big help to me, and most importantly to Chris too, knowing what to expect on race day(s).

The Frankenshoes (New Balance MT110's) didn't fare so well this run.

Good luck to all the racers and to all the pacers and crews for the LT100!

And, as always, thanks to Diana and my girls for continuing to support my craziness!  I love you!

Garmin Connect Data

Training - 07/30/12 - 08/05/12

39.19 miles this week.  Just trying to be conservative leading up to the LT100 on August 18th.  Better to be under-trained and rested than over-trained and spent.

Monday, July 30 - 0 Miles - Rest day.  162.2 lbs.

Tuesday, July 31 - 7.79 Miles, 11:30 pace, ??? HR. 161.0 lbs.  I forgot my Garmin at home today.  I'm sure the distance and pace aren't 100% accurate, but Endomondo probably got it close enough.  Did an 'easy' pace today at the Boneyard with Chris which was anything but easy.  It was a massive suffer-fest, and hot.  Nutrition - good through the day, and then authentic Mexican at our neighbors, with drinks.

Wednesday, August 1 - 10.10 Miles, 9:36 pace, 159 HR. 160.4  lbs.  A great day today, out with the Agile Fox again, on the High Line Canal. We did some intervals - 0.5 miles, 0.5 miles, 1.0 miles, 0.5 miles, and 0.5 miles. Of course my pace was anywhere between 1:30 to 3:00 slower than his. Legs felt great, and had good energy levels. Need to incorporate runs like this more often, and hopefully get a bit faster.

Thursday,  August 2 -  0 Miles - Rest day.  159.2  lbs.  Nice to see 15x again!

Friday, August 3 - 0 Miles - Rest day.  159.8 lbs.

Saturday,  August 4 -  21.3 Miles, 14:26 pace, 149 HR. 161.6  lbs.  Leadville night run with Chris in preparation for the LT100 in two weeks where I'll be pacing him for the last 40 miles. That's my highest altitude run ever. The elevation was min 9,628' - max 11,111' according to my Garmin.  My legs were on fire, mostly the calves and hamstrings, and it felt like I couldn't catch my breath - even though my HR was normal.  Poor eating on Friday and Saturday led to a bit of GI distress for the run too. I think I'll do a separate blog write-up on this effort.

Sunday,  August 5 -  0 Miles - Rest day. 163.4  lbs.  Poor, poor eating and lots of beers.

Nutrition - It's pretty easy to see by my daily weigh-in numbers when nutrition is good, and when it all goes horribly wrong.  Friday and Saturday I didn't eat well at all. Lots of wheat and lots of dairy. That did me no favors for the Leadville run.  Sunday was a continuance of that poor eating, with less wheat, but even more dairy.

Training - 07/23/12 - 07/30/12

35.37 miles this week running.  11.2 miles mountain biking.

Monday, July 23 - 0 Miles - Rest day.  165.0 lbs.

Tuesday, July 24 - 7.32 Miles, 9:50 pace, 156 HR. 163.4 lbs. Did a couple of short intervals early in the run (High Line Canal) which trashed me - by mile 4, I was pretty toast.

Wednesday, July 25 - MTB - 11.2 miles, 134HR.  161.0 lbs.  Late night mountain bike ride with Chris, Rich, and Javier on the Douglas County East West Trail and the Highlands Ranch Back Country.

Thursday, July 26 - 6.04 Miles, 11:18 pace, 145 HR.  160.8 lbs. Brutal day at the Bone Yard.  No energy, no legs, totally fatigued.

Friday, July 27 - 0 Miles - Rest day. 161.2 lbs. After a great Monday through Thursday of nutrition, I totally blew it today. Started with a business lunch and then dinner party carnage.

Saturday, July 28 - 0 Miles - Rest day.  165.2lbs.  Up 4 lbs from yesterday.  Let's see how fast I can take it off - which won't be easy after yet ANOTHER day of eating carnage.

Sunday, July 29 - 22.01 Miles, 10:45 pace, 154 HR.  167.8 lbs pre-run, 162.2 post run. The usual Douglas County East West Trail and the Highlands Ranch Back Country. I had a real hard time seeing for the first 3 miles or so - like I had been staring into the sun and had that weird 'aura' obscuring my vision.  My calves, hams and glutes were on absolute fire for about the first 9 miles too. Despite all that, I actually did a decent pace. Overall a very positive outing being sub 11:00 pace. Took 24oz, 150 calories of Amino Vital pre, and 70 oz, 300 calories, Amino Vital during plus gels every 45 minutes. I really like the Amino Vital stuff since it seems I have decent outing whenever I use it.

Nutrition - With the exception of Friday and Saturday (which were horrible) I did OK, and still had a net loss of weight (still 162.2 lbs on Monday morning) of 2.8 lbs for the week.

Diana and I created a new coffee smoothie on Sunday too.  I'm going to try that out for a little while, in addition to my normal green smoothie, and see what results I get.  If it's good, I'll post it...

Training - 07/16/12 - 07/22/12

34.14 miles this week. It's been a busy week with the wife spending a long weekend in the mountains. Plus work has been crazy, and Diana's brother and family flew in on Friday for an extended visit.

Monday, July 16 - 0 Miles - Forced rest day.

Tuesday, July 17 - 0 Miles - Forced rest day.

Wednesday, July 18 - 10.06 Miles, 9:11 pace, 161 HR.  A very hot, and little longer lunch run today on the usual High Line Canal route.  I felt really good starting out and so pushed a bit harder.

Thursday, July 19 - 0 Miles - Planned rest day.

Friday, July 20 - 8.05 Miles, 10:11 pace, 158 HR.  Felt decent today exploring the new Douglas County East West Trail section that comes off the top of The Bluffs Regional Park in Lone Tree. There is about 3.1 miles of new trail. Very hot and very exposed.

Saturday, July 21 - 0 Miles - Planned rest day.

Sunday, July 22 - 16.03 Miles, 11:30 pace, 147 HR. I wanted to get 18 in today out on the Douglas County East West Trail and the Highlands Ranch Back Country, but called it short. It was an awful outing. It was super dark, with no moon and no clouds, my legs were total crap, and I was super tired. Days like today make you really appreciate the good runs.

Nutrition - I hang my head in shame. I'm going to start posting my weight with my stats too.  Maybe that will help motivate me.  A terrible week of nutrition - again.  I'm just having massive cravings for junk food since the North Fork 50 Mile, and I have zero will power to go with it.

Training - 07/09/12 - 07/15/12

26.37 miles this week with mixed results. Felt good early in the week, and not so good towards the end.

Monday, July 9 - 7.79 miles - 9:34 pace - 157 HR - Felt really good until about 6.5 miles, though my right leg felt kinda off, weak and tired, at about 4.5 miles. Overall, a positive run. Not expecting any endurance to be back just yet.

Tuesday, July 10 - 6.27 miles - 10:11 pace - 150 HR - Tried something new with breathing today after reading an article on www.nomeatathlete.com. Another positive outing, but legs were tired after about 5 miles.

Wednesday, July 11 - Rest day.

Thursday, July 12 - 6.04 miles , 11:10 pace , 148 HR - No energy, no legs, no motivate - and starving.

Friday, July 13 - 6.27 miles, 9:37 pace, 156 HR - Run started out OK, but deteriorated rapidly after about 4 miles. Oh, and I'm starving still. Won't get a chance to run now until next Tuesday.

Saturday, July 14 - Planned rest day.

Sunday, July 15 - Forced rest day - parenting.

Nutrition this week - with the exception of the weekend I was very good. Until the weekend, I stuck to my plan the whole time, and shed a few pounds. I've been craving salt like crazy since Friday's run though. Really craving...

I was totally starving starting Thursday and wonder if that's just because of sticking to my plan and my body is going through withdrawls. Satuday night was kinda ugly with me putting down an entire bag of Terra Sweets and Beets. Oh, and topped with Pita Pal Jalapeno Hummus. Would have been OK if I had only had a handful - but the whole friggin' bag with a 1/4 of a Costco sized container of dip!

Sunday - carnage. Totally caved. Authentic Mexican and beers with my neighbors. Did get a huge nap in with the kids though, followed by pizza for dinner. Lots of pizza. And lets not forget a second bag of Terra Sweets and Beets in there (with hummus again) too. And shall we end the evening off with ice cream? Yes, I think we shall.

A great nutrition week left hanging in taters - again... Why do I totally struggle with weekends?

Training - 07/02/12 - 07/08/12

Ha! Ya, right! I ate my face off all week and did one 3 mile 'recovery' run on Thursday.

Though I did only one easy run of 3 miles this week, I felt totally great. Legs felt good, and strong - but am going to take it easy since I still remember getting back to training after my first/last 50 mile run. I was actually good to run on Wednesday, but forgot my shoes at home ( I usually run during my lunch hour at work). I really can't believe how good my legs are feeling so soon after the North Fork 50 Miler - probably because I had to walk 8.5 of the last 10.2 miles of it...

The food addict in me is SUPER happy with the carnage this week - the rest of me - very disappointed in myself. Need to get back on track...

That is all.

Training - 06/25/12 - 07/01/12

6.26 miles on this final taper week leading up to Saturday's North Fork 50 Mile Trail Race. I'm feeling good about my taper and my nutrition this week.

Monday, June 25 - 0 Miles - Rest day.

Tuesday, June 26 - 4.09 miles, 10:44 pace, 151 HR.

Wednesday, June 27 - 0 Miles - Rest day.

Thursday, June 28 - 2.17 miles, 10:16 pace, 143 HR.

Friday, June 29 - 0 miles - Rest day.

Saturday, June 30 - Race!

Sunday, July 1 - 0 miles - Recovery.

Nutrition - I was a good boy all week. Stuck to my nutrition plan. I wasn't able to get a final weigh-in before the race but suspect I was about 156 lbs. The final two days before the race I tried to maximize my my carb input and tried to keep fiber and protein to a minimum. Saturday's pre-race nutrition was quinoa and brown rice 2 hours pre-race with a banana a 1/2 hour later. That worked well.

Training - 06/18/12 - 06/24/12

28.95 miles on this taper week. Sooooo hard getting out of bed in the morning any more. Don't think the seasonal allergies help that so I'm popping Allegra every day now. The runs this week were mixed results, but ended on a positive note. Six days until the North Fork 50 Mile Trail Race. I've got my equipment planned out (I think), but still debating what to do fuel wise.

Monday, June 18 - 0 Miles - Rest day.

Nutrition: 1/2 cup almonds, white chocolate macadamia Clif Bar, 1 cup blueberries & cherries, grilled steelhead, grilled asparagus, grilled mini-peppers, carrots & broccoli, spinach salad, banana. Lots of water.

Tuesday, June 19 - 0 miles - Rest / taper day.

Nutrition: 1/2 cup of almonds, green smoothie, banana, grilled chicken breast, grilled mini-peppers, carrots, broccoli, onions & mushrooms, grilled asparagus, spinach salad. Lots of water.

Wednesday, June 20 - 7.81 miles, 9:44 pace,154 HR - A couple of days off helped a bit. Felt OK for the most part but it's a fine line between resting and rusting. Did a little bit of speed stuff and felt OK. I'm not feeling as good as I had hoped to be though with only 10 days until the NF50. My nutrition is on track this week but still feeling tired. Will only run every other day until the race on 06/30. H2O only today.

Nutrition: 1/2 cup almonds, peach, banana, green smoothie, grilled chicken breast, grilled mini-peppers, carrots, broccoli & onions, 1 cup fresh cherries, chick pea curry w/ brown rice and quinoa, sweet potato & beet chips. Not a good paleo day, but that's what the wife made for dinner, and I'm starving!

Thursday, June 21 - 0 miles - Rest / taper day.

Nutrition: Lots of fruit (Bananas, mango, orange, peach, berries), almonds, green smoothie, grilled steelhead w/ veggies, spinach salad.

Friday, June 22 - 7.82 miles, 9:57 pace, 160 HR - Really rough day today. Breathing was ragged and had terrible HR creep. With about 2 miles to go, my HR went way up and stayed there. Walked/jogged the last mile. Exact same route I did on Wednesday, at a slower pace and higher HR. Hoping I'm just dehydrated.

Nutrition: More of the same nutrition today as yesterday, but add on MOVIE POP & POPCORN, oh and some bison chili and a class of Cabernet.

Saturday, June 23 - 0 miles. Rest day.

Nutrition: Snacked all day on fruit and veggies (tons of broccoli) with hummus (not paleo I know). And chicken enchiladas for dinner (corn tortillas and not wheat at least) and then... blueberry cobbler. I'm weak.

Sunday, June 24 - 13.32 miles, 10:19 pace, 153 HR - My last long run before the North Fork 50 Mile next Saturday. First 4 miles was rough, but things got better after that. Really happy overall with pace and how I felt (after mile 4). Ate a 1/2 of a Clif Bar at the 30 minute mark which I think perked me up. Typically I don't do well with solid food and stay away from it for the most part. Figured it was a good day to experiment a bit - and it seemed to work. 2nd half of the Clif bar after 45 minutes and then raisins 45 after that. Hydration with Amino Vital with 24oz pre-run.

Nutrition: Sirloin steak, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, oranges, almonds, more MOVIE POP & POPCORN AGAIN, sirloin roast w/ organic BBQ sauce and gluten free bread, spinach salad.

Overall not too bad of a nutrition week. It wasn't perfect but could have been a lot worse. I stayed away from dairy and had almost no gluten, but went way overboard on corn. Like I've said before, weekends are tough for me.

Planning on two very short, easy, runs on Tuesday and Thursday this week and need to have a really good nutrition week with lots of sleep.