Life Goes On . . .

It has been some time - too long - since I have written. Somehow, life has gotten in the way - again - of running and writing. I have been running, but certainly not to the extent that I would have liked. But that's OK; sometimes life takes a turn and you just have to go with it. I hate to admit it, but there are things that have to take precendence over running.

All of us in the running community are mourning the loss of a good friend. Last Saturday Diane Sherrer died after a long, tough battle with cancer. The two weeks preceeding her death many of us were spending all of our free time supporting her. It is a sad time for all of us who loved Diane, but good for Diane, as she is now at peace. We will all miss her greatly. Diane had been one of the first people I would call after completing a race, giving her all of the details and answering her many questions. And she was always a staple at the finish line of the Finger Lakes Fifties (click HERE) and it just won't be the same without her there this year. This year's Finger Lakes Fifties will be dedicated to Diane, and I know that she will be there in spirit.

I have been running . . . it's just that right now it's hard to think about what I have been doing and even harder to concentrate on writing about it. But that is one of the things that Diane really liked about her friends' running . . . the stories that they could tell. So I will be back with more details soon.

Round and Round

After Bull Run Run last week I decided to take it easy for the week in order to be ready for the BPAC 6-Hour Distance Classic, which was held on Sunday, May 26 in Amherst. This race is the first race of our Western NY Ultra Series. The event is held on a paved bike path which is 3.25 miles in distance and the object is to run as far as you can in six hours. For me, the bike path is TORTURE. It is flat (OK, maybe there are some grades, but it is essentially flat) and it is hard on my knees and hips. And I feel like I am running on the track – around in circles! This is the one race that I do have to listen to my MP3 player while I run (I only wear one earphone so as to hear the bikers and rollerbladers) to maintain my sanity! But I do this race because I want to support the WNY Ultra Series and the race director and mostly because my friends are doing it and I hate to be left out. And it is nice to see everyone out there as the day progresses and how they are dealing with it.

What I do like about this race is that you can be completely self-supported. They do offer two aid stations on the course, but we parked our car at the turn-around, put-up a canopy over the back end, set-up a table with all of our needs, and WA-LA, our own personal-needs aid station was born. The other nice thing is that this type of event gives you a chance to try-out new things and if you find that they don’t work for you, you can change it on the next time around. For example, I was able to change shirts on several occasions as I drenched one shirt in sweat, became too hot in the next one, and finally felt just right in my last choice. I started out drinking just plain water and added ice as I warmed-up. I have used NUUN tabs (click here) on a few occasions during my training, but had not yet used them during an ultra. This was the perfect opportunity to try them out and I found that they work excellent. Just drop one tab in your water bottle and you get a complement of electrolytes and flavor. I fuelled myself with Pringles cheese potato chips and chocolate covered espresso beans.

After having run a 50-miler the week before, I had decided that I would be happy to just get in 10 laps (32.5 miles) at BPAC. So as I started loop 10, it all seemed to become very easy. I think it is amazing how easy things can become when you know that it will be over soon. I finished lap 10 in 5 hours, 14 minutes, 1 second. I definitely had time to do another lap. But it was getting warm and my attitude was waning, my feet hurt and I knew that I had a blister developing. Honestly, I know that I should have had a better attitude about it and kept on going and overcome my mentalness. But what I really wanted was a chair and a cold beer. So before I could talk myself into going out just one more time, I cut the chip off of my shoe and made it final. And with that I sat down and kicked back with a cold Moo Thunder and cheered on the rest of the runners . . . especially those who had the guts to go out on another loop, knowing that they would not complete the entire loop within the six-hour limit (runners did receive partial-loop credit which was calculated when they finished the loop).

So I did completed my goal 32.5 miles as did Joe. Lorrie completed 35.75 miles, and our new ultra rookie recruit, Tamara, won the women’s race overall with 38.32 miles! Joe took me to see a real live rugby game in Syracuse, which was really really cool. Munster beat the Scarlets to keep their Heineken Cup dreams alive and one of my favorite players to watch, Peter Stringer, may now see some starting time, as Munster starting Scrum Half, Tomas O’Leary, suffered a broken ankle in the last match.

So, all in all, it was a great weekend. Next up . . . Highland 1-2-3 on May 23 – race #2 in the WNY Ultra Series.

“Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired . . . You’ve always got to make the mind take over and keep going.” - George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

Diane Does Bull Run Run

(Diane's Team members pre-race - L to R - Will Danecki, Karen McWhirt, Chris Reynolds, Rob Scott, Ultra Joe Crew Reynolds, & Barbara Sorrell)


OK, I’m a freak. I like to run long distances. Running 50 miles at a time doesn’t scare me. Ask me to run a 5K and I will likely spend all of my pre-race time worrying about how much to eat and when and you will likely find me in the bathroom with anxiety diarrhea. I never have to worry about any of this stuff with an ultra trail runs. I know that I have plenty of time to eat on the run and that there is a bathroom behind every tree. I know a lot of people who wouldn’t drive 50 miles to run a race. I like being a freak. And I am lucky to have freaks for friends, too.

That brings me to the 2009 edition of the Bull Run Run 50-Miler and an opportunity for the members of the original “Diane’s Team” (circa 2007 Vermont 100) to come together and put our running shoes on in support of our running guru, Diane Sherrer. She has been our tough-love running motivator for so many years and it was again our privilege to be able to do for her something she loves. So it was with great spirits and a renewed sense of purpose that we headed to Virginia with our team of me, Barbara Sorrell, Karen McWhirt, Rob Scott, and Will Danecki, along with our non-competing-but-ever-important-support-crew-cowbell-ringing Joe.

I had heard a lot about this great race but have not ever run it, since it is usually on the same weekend as the Boston Marathon. I have mad love for the Boston Marathon and it was a long struggle for me to qualify for it, so some time ago I made the commitment to keep running Boston as long as I kept on qualifying. Well, I qualified this year but I decided that maybe it was time to try something new. I found myself bored in my last road marathon and realized that I craved the energy and attentiveness that trail running requires of me. So I put my name in the BRR lottery as soon as it opened and crossed my fingers and hoped that I would get in. Fortunately, there was no need for a lottery this year and everyone who registered gained entry.

After a dreary New York winter it was so great to get to Virginia and actually feel HOT – I was sweating from the moment I stepped out of the car. Since we would only be staying in Virginia for one night, Joe and I decided to forgo the cost of a hotel and the driving back and forth from the race site and we stayed in the bunks where we would wake up just yards from the starting line. It had everything we needed . . . hot showers, clean bathrooms, pre-race pasta dinner, and clean beds. We sat through the first pre-race briefing and as the race director described a couple of potential trouble spots on the course. I suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed as it sounded like I could easily get lost, but Charlie Leonard, who has run this race before, assured me that when I got out on the course I would realize what the RD was saying and it would make sense. My only hope was that I would remember to remember the spots and recognize them! The rest of our team showed-up for the second briefing and die-hards that we are (and not wanting to miss out on any potential fun), Joe and I sat through the briefing again. And I started to feel less nervous. Highlight of the night . . . I got to meet Gary Knipling who is one of the stars of the Massanutten Mountain 100 DVD (which I bought “for Joe” for Christmas – he has watched it once, me about 30 times). What a super nice guy.

Race morning came and it quickly started to warm-up and become even a bit humid. I quickly shed the long-sleeve shirt that I had on, donned some sunscreen and bug spray, and headed to the start. As I chatted with old friends and new, I knew that it would be a good day in the woods, no matter what happened.

Start to Centerville Rd AS (7.2 miles) I was immediately impressed – it was like a highway of trails! Clean and very runnable with some ups and downs. Everyone was still closely packed and it was very relaxing. Questionable mistake #1 – did I start out too fast? I did start out faster than I would have liked but this was a necessity to avoid congestion of slower runners once we hit the single track. Despite wheezing from the humidity, I realized that my legs felt like I was handling the pace OK.

Centerville Rd to Turnaround and Turnaround to Centerville Rd (11.6 miles) What an extremely beautiful area with bluebells in full bloom and trail that was flat and smooth. Downside . . . it was very flat and I therefore felt compelled to run fast. There was no excuse to be walking in this area. The upside? Seeing all of the other runners as we passed each other going in opposite directions, getting and giving encouragement. My teammates were all looking really good.

Centerville Rd to Hemlock AS (16.6 miles) Back to where we started from on the same trail we came out on. I started feeling a little whippy, grabbed more Gatorade and Pringles and walked and ate breakfast. Now runners started to spread out and I took a minute for a bathroom break. Whoa . . . who lit that firecracker in Will’s pants? When I came out of the trees I saw my teammate, Will, was now running ahead of me . . . and looking really strong. I watched him on some switchback sections ahead and he was quickly distancing himself from me. Note mistake #2 . . . taste the Gatorade before diluting it. Mixing Gatorade really can be an inexact science . . . a little too much water in one of those large containers makes a huge difference. I had filled my bottle with 50% Gatorade/50% water and found myself drinking either very weak Gatorade or strong, bad-tasting water. Either way, it didn’t work for me.

Hemlock AS to Marina AS (21.1 miles) I was so grateful to get back to Hemlock where I immediately downed two cups of Coke, some just plain water, ate a PB&J sandwich, salted potatoes, and chips before continuing. And I filled my bottle with full-strength Gatorade. I was struggling with a slight headache that I had since the start and attributed to the heat. But I had teammates in front and behind me and Joe waiting for me at the 28.1 mile aid station, so I had plenty of motivation to keep on moving. I ran for a bit with a guy who was running his first 50-miler. He looked good and was in good spirits and it was nice to take my mind off of myself for awhile. Despite still following the blue ribbon trail markers, I couldn’t kick the feeling that I had no idea where I was going and just hoped that I was headed in the right direction.

Marina AS to Wolf Run Shoals AS (26.1 miles) I briefly questioned myself, wondering if this course would turn out to be all that I had heard that it was and all that I hoped it would be. It seemed like I was having to do an awful lot of running on relatively flat sections. I like hills; I like to power hike them and stretch my legs and utilize different muscles. It seemed that I wasn’t getting enough of a chance to do this. And then there was this phantom stone in my left shoe. I had already taken the shoe off once and shook it out, but somehow that damn microscopic pebble was still floating around under my foot. So this time I took the shoe and sock off and shook them both out. Problem solved. I started running and the pebble seemed to be gone. For like 15 seconds. And then it was back. I just ran and tried to ignore it and focus on something different. Like the insufferable heat. And then came the gunshots . . . lots of them. OK, yes, we were running Bull Run (as in the battle of Bull Run), and now I really felt like I was in the middle of battling gunfire. Somehow it seemed almost surreal . . . at first . . . and then it started to annoy me. The heat and the phantom pebble started to take their toll on my brain and it didn’t take much to set me off at that point. Fortunately, another runner caught up to me and we talked for a bit and this took my mind off from my misery. I was getting a bit tired of the taste of warm Gatorade, but at least I finally got what I bargained for . . . some real hills.

Wolf Run Shoals AS to Fountainhead AS (28.1 miles) Just when I started to feel a little grumpy, some signs started to appear along the trail. I really hoped this meant that the aid station was nearby. And I was right and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The heat was really draining me and all I wanted was some cold Coke and water, which I downed a few cups of right away. After some salty potatoes and more Coke, I took a lime popsicle and left the aid station with my newbie-50 running buddy. We talked and savored our popsicles. Nothing ever tasted so good after running 26 miles in 80-degree heat than that lime green popsicle did right at that moment. And with that I was again renewed. No sooner did I start a pathetic little jog than I saw a runner coming at me. Here was Leigh Schmitt, now in the lead and heading for home! And he looked so smooth and effortless. We were definitely the polar opposites . . . his smooth gait and my lumbering with a popsicle in my mouth. Little did I know just how far ahead of me he was and how much I still really had to go.

Fountainhead AS to Do Loop – In (32.5 miles) I had in my mind what I was going to need from Joe when I would see him, so it was a great relief when I finally heard it . . . THE cowbell. Joe’s cowbell. There is no other like it. And then I heard Joe and I knew that I would be renewed again. Enter mistake #3 . . . in my excitement I forgot absolutely everything that I had wanted to ask Joe to help me with – the biggie being cutting the sleeves off of my shirt. I was basting! I got some ice cold Gatorade and headed out, just wanting to get this over with! I struggled with a little nausea as the hills just rolled up and down, mixing walking and running. It would be just 4.4 miles to the entrance of the Do Loop, but here is where I really noticed that trail miles are just way longer than road miles.

Do Loop – In to Do Loop – Out (35.5 miles) FINALLY, I was at the infamous Do Loop – and I hadn’t gotten lost yet. I grabbed more ice cold Gatorade and icy Coke. And then I noticed the freshly-cooked cheese quesadillas. I grabbed three of them and started out. After eating two I started to feel a bit bloated. Remembering my huge mistake of eating too many grilled cheese sandwiches at my last 50-miler, I put the third quesadilla in my pocket for later use. I found the level of difficulty compacted into these three miles to be much more difficult than the level of difficulty spread out over the last 32 miles.

Do Loop – Out to Fountainhead AS (37.9 miles) My legs were getting heavier, my body cooking, my stomach nauseous. The best thing that I did was dump that damn warm Gatorade and fill my bottle with ice water. Chafing started and I give myself props for carrying that pocket-sized tube of Sportslick, which literally saved my butt. As I headed back home, I saw Rob and Barbara heading to the Do Loop and they were looking strong. No sign of Karen, which worried me.

Fountainhead AS to Wolf Run Shoals AS (39.9 miles) Finally, I got back to Joe, where I found out that Karen had missed the 28.1-mile cut-off by five minutes. Her spirits were good and she had a good run and was so very gracious to offer her support to help the rest of the team to finish their races. And this time I remembered the sleeves. Joe asked what I wanted and I did not hesitate to say “cut these damn sleeves off”. It was immediate relief as the wind blew through my shirt. I felt yet another life come back to me and I left the station with my ice water and Endurolytes, not eating as I was certain that my stomach was full enough.

Wolf Run Shoals AS to Marina AS (44.9 miles) My stomach was still feeling quite full when I pulled into the station, so I just grabbed a Coke, refilled my water bottle, and left eating a root beer popsicle. Whoever thought of those popsicles for this hot day was a lifesaver! But remember that full stomach I had? Now it was time for BIG mistake #4. It didn’t take long after finishing the popsicle that my tank hit empty in a big way. I was wishing I still had that quesadilla in my pocket. Then the grumpiness hit hard. I saw a volunteer who had hiked in from the next station and he said it was still about two miles to the station. I really did not think I would make it; I felt totally drained. I wanted to cry but didn’t have the energy or the tears.

I kept seeing the water off in the distance and told myself that it was promising that I would soon be at the Marina. “Soon” is a relative term . . . more like not soon enough. When I finally got to the parking lot there were a bunch of people hanging around, cheering me in, like I was winning or something. What a boost that was. I looked like hell and they cheered and told me how awesome I was. I had already decided that I would sit down and eat and drink when I got to the station – I had a lot of catching-up to do. And lucky for me, Karen and her son, Eric, were there and pep-talked me as I ate. I got the update on the rest of the team, who were putting in tremendous efforts. I tried not to waste too much time and I would not have had to had I been smarter earlier. I am a great learn-from-your-mistakes-person but usually it’s at a great cost. After some melon, chips, potatoes, Coke, electrolyte caps, and Motrin, it was time to finish this thing off.

Marina AS to FINISH (50.4 miles) OK, it so way seemed like way more than 5.5 miles to the finish. I had a couple of people to go back and forth with on the trail and fortunately I got the inside scoop that I had needed earlier. A guy who had run this before told me how the last few miles to the finish would go, so when I started heading up the steps, I knew I was there. And when I saw Joe I was renewed again and was able to pick-up the pace and actually look like a runner as I came into the finish. 10 hours, 26 minutes, and 3 seconds. Not bad for someone who made some bad choices and who was certainly not accustomed to running in 80-degree weather in April!

Our Northern Army won the North-South competition – good for a really cool red bandana. I got my finisher’s shirt to prove that I survived the battle. And after three hamburgers, some chips, and soda, I was able to stumble up the hill to the showers. Showering after an ultra is a kind-of love-hate relationship. I really stunk and I was caked in salt, so I knew that the shower was necessary – a necessary evil. I did not relish the idea of that water hitting the chafed areas. But it was a small price to pay.

And how did Diane’s Team do? Well, since not every member finished we did not count in the team standings. However, it was the greatest team effort I have been a part of. Will ran strong, finishing sub-10 hours. Karen turned her efforts into keeping the rest of us sane and moving. Rob and Barbara finished strong. It is amazing what friendship and tough-love can get you through. I thought of Diane often as I was struggling, knowing exactly what she would be saying about my whining. Diane, you’re tougher than all of us.

It's Happy Trails in Virginia . . . But Heartbreak for Boston!

OK, it’s been a while since I last had any input to my blog, so it’s time to get my ass back in gear . . . in more ways than one! Since my last couple of weekends of racing, I have felt a bit whooped, so I kicked-back my training to give my body and my mind some time to rest and recover. At first I felt guilty for not keeping-up the tempo of training that I had gotten going, but then I realized that my big goal race – the Vermont 100 – is a way off and that, although I am using some other long races as training for The Big One, they are still races and I do like to put my best effort into them. So less running and putting some longer rides in on my bike on the trainer has helped my recovery, I think.

However, this past Saturday was the Fly With Eagles 10K, a nice home-town race with great people. The race director, Dick Shaw, is a great friend who is battling cancer and Joe and I could not think of a better way to celebrate his battle than to push ourselves through the pain of running a hard 10K for him. It’s a beautiful but ball-busting course. The day was extremely windy and cool, but it was a good day to run. Somehow I managed to WIN the women’s race. My time was 46:46, a bit slower than my usual 10K time, but not bad for this tough course. And afterward we had a great time visiting with friends and enjoying the wonderful homemade chili that the volunteers made. This is another great race that is a throw-back to what racing is all about – no frills, just good hard running, good food, and good friends. Unfortunately, Dick could not make it to witness how much fun everyone was having, thanks to him. We wish him all the best and he is in our prayers.

And now this weekend brings the long-awaited Bull Run Run 50-Miler in Virginia. I have never done this race before and have heard so many good things about it, so I am really psyched. And there are all sorts of competition going on with this race. There is a team competition – cue the original members of “Diane’s Team” from the 2007 VT100. We have reunited and will kick butt again! There is little that spurs me on more than knowing if I don’t do my best, I am not only letting myself down but my teammates as well. And then there is the “North-South” battle that the BRR promotes (check-out the website for full details – http://www.vhtrc.org/brr). It’s like the Civil War coming alive again. I would like to be a “counting member” of the North team, although that means I have to finish in under 10 hours. So we’ll see how that goes – I will really have to bust some hump to make it happen.

(note the infamous Citgo sign - barely visible - in the background . . . visible in the last miles of the Boston Marathon, but you feel like it never gets any closer!)

And despite my excitement for going to Bull Run this weekend, I am a little torn, as I will be missing the Boston Marathon. Boston has been a regular staple in my running diet for the past four years. And it doesn’t seem to ever get old. I have never experienced any race like Boston and I am a little heartbroken to not be going this year. But running in Virginia on Saturday and then Boston on Monday just did not seem feasible.

Heineken Cup rugby is in full swing now. My Munster men, the reigning Heineken Cup champs, just had a great weekend, killing the Ospreys 43-9. It was an awesome game. Ronan O’Gara was his usual spectacular self, nailing all of his kicks, some from some really tough angles. But the biggest show of the match was fullback Paul Warwick, who deservingly was named Man of the Match. He scored tries, kicked a couple of drop goals, and made some amazing runs. Now Munster is in the semi-finals and I fully expect them to make it into the finals.

So good luck to all of you who will be running in Boston next week – I’m jealous! But it is off to the land of Happy Trails for me and Joe and the rest of my Diane’s Team members. Have a great week.

“Doing reckless and stupid things is as much a part of our gene pool as red hair and a taste for peanut M&Ms.” Florence Williams, Outside Magazine, April 2009 issue
(read . . . it's not my fault when I do some of the things I do!!)

More Work, A Little Racing, A Little Rugby

Things are looking up . . . the racing season is going in full-force now, the weather has remained relatively decent, and the one trail I have run on is free and clear of snow and ice. I hope to soon check-out the Finger Lakes National Forest trails and see what the winter damage has been.

Not much to report on this week. The early part of the week was recovery from HAT, the middle part of the week was wicked with trying to juggle working two jobs, and the end of the week was race time (although this is a relative term . . . for the most part I don’t race the other people in the race; it is usually a race against myself and the clock).

Saturday was the Wurtsboro Mountain 30K. The race site is about 3 hours from home and Joe was good to me . . . driving me to the race so I could rest in the car (catching-up on sleep lost to work hours the night before) and letting me close my eyes & put my feet up on the way home. This race is a road race, but I did it last year as a tune-up for the Boston Marathon and I really enjoyed the hills and the fact that I would never run 18.6 miles that fast on my own. So even though I am not running Boston this year, I still wanted to go to this race because it is a good training run and a lot of my friends would be there. And I wasn’t disappointed. I met some new really nice people and almost immediately ran into several of my ultra buddies, some of who will be at the Umstead 100 Mile run this coming weekend.

It turned out to be a sunny day, although there was a cool head-wind for almost the entire race. I actually enjoyed the breeze, as it helped to keep me from overheating on the hills. Gatorade was the drink of choice at the aid stations so I had to change from my usual diet of Hammer HEED. I carried a bottle and refilled it twice during the race and supplemented with Endurolytes. The first 3 miles of the race is a long, steady climb, which I actually enjoyed – I do much better climbing than I do going downhill – and I was able to pass quite a few people. I actually felt quite good throughout the run until the slight climb up to mile 12. This is where I lost it last year and the hammer came crashing down. Not so much so this year, but it did happen again. I felt the heaviness in my quads as I tried to pick-up the pace to get up the hill. I finished the run in 2:37:04 (+/- 1/10 seconds) and it was really sweet to come into the finish with Joe ringing the cowbell for me! We caught-up with our friends to hear about their races, grabbed some chow, and headed for home. I would definitely recommend this race. The volunteers were fantastic, the scenery very nice, and the post-race pizza and subs very excellent.

After catching-up on some zzzzzzzzz’s and getting to sleep-in on Sunday morning, it was off to Chenango Forks for the 36th Annual Forks XV (15K). I love this race; it’s a throwback to how racing used to be and really makes you see how much things have changed in the racing scene over the years. For a ridiculously low entry fee you get a t-shirt, finisher’s coffee mug, and good old pizza, oranges, bananas, and bagels to feast on. Age group awards were useful stuff – socks and water bottle! Joe and I met up with a friend of ours who told us that today was her 30th anniversary of racing! Forks was her first race 30 years ago! Margaret Betz is still a class act and a very excellent runner.

After warming-up with some passes and kicks of the rugby ball, Joe and I jogged to the starting line. The day was quite overcast with some wind . . . perfect running conditions, in my opinion. The start was a little rocky for me, as my legs and back were still a little stiff from the 30K, but eventually I found my groove. I ran and chatted with friends for a bit until eventually I was alone, but not for long. The race was full of friends and many people to exchange comments with as we passed each other. Just before mile 8 there is a decent hill climb. Once I started up the hill, the hills from the previous day came back into my legs. My legs were like lead! And to add insult to this, once you think you’ve covered the climb, it levels off before another climb (although shorter it still sucks!). I finally passed this woman who I had started out with and who had eventually run away from me. Good thing . . . I finished second in my age group, only to find out after that that this woman was also in my age group. Had I not found another gear, she would have walked away with the socks and bottle! I finished in 1:12:50 and Joe wasn’t too far behind in 1:19:xx. It was a good day.

So that was my week . . . time to relax a bit and get ready for Bull Run Run 50 Miler on April 18. And time for the Guinness Premiership to get rolling in the rugby world. My London Wasps team has been suffering a bit with many of its players away playing for England in the Six Nations tournament. But now with Six Nations over, hopefully my Wasps will climb back to their winning ways and take home the championship as they did last year. Despite a disappointing loss to the Saracens yesterday, Wasps fly half Danny Cipprianni is looking back in good form and healthy and ready to help his team.

Good luck to all of you who will be running in the Skunk Cabbage 10K and Half Marathon next week. I have decided to take a racing break next week (mostly not by choice – I have to work) and will miss the race, but I look forward to hearing all about it!

WE DID GOOD!

Well, the first biggie race of the year is in the history books. It was an easy week of running in preparation for the HAT Run 50K that was held on Saturday, March 21. My plan was just to go easy and rest. Unfortunately, at work on Tuesday night, someone closed a sliding glass door that I had left open and when I went to walk back into the room – BAM! – I hit the glass hard. So hard, in fact, that the doors (emergency doors) broke away from the door frame. It shook my brain a bit, but I’ve done worse things before, so I didn’t think anything of it. On Wednesday I was out running with Joe and I had this terrible pain in my neck and into my left shoulder blade. And I finally realized that when I had hit the door, my neck really got torqued. So it was off to the chiropractor. After a very noisy adjustment I was back in alignment. I took Thursday and Friday completely off from running and tried to let the muscles relax and by Saturday morning I was feeling pretty good and ready to race!

Joe, Karen Fennie, and I headed down to Maryland on Friday, checked into our hotel, hit the grocery store for breakfast foods, had a good dinner and then went back to the hotel to relax. I had worked on Thursday night and had gotten only about 5 ½ hours of sleep before our drive, so it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep while watching the NCAA basketball. Unfortunately, one of the hazards of working evenings is that night-time sleep is a luxury that I usually don’t get. I woke-up at 2am and was wide awake, thinking it was time to get up. At somewhere around 3:40am I think I managed to fall back to sleep and then 5am came really early.

We got to Susquehanna State Park at about 7:15am to set-up our own private aid station tent and to socialize (and isn’t that what ultra running is really all about?!) with many of our old friends and we met some really great new friends.

The start of the race was in an open field and with 445 starters it really didn’t matter where you lined-up! I just blended-into the crowd and slowly worked my way around, as long as it didn’t require any extra effort, anyone whose pace was slower than mine. The day was sunny but cool with a cool wind and I knew that it would definitely get warmer once we hit the trails. And it did.

I pretty much ran alone and within myself until the first aid station. I refilled my bottle with HEED, grabbed a pretzel stick, and walked. As I was walking I head a familiar voice up ahead and eventually caught up to my friend, Frank. Frank was really great and I was enjoying his company as he told me some great stories which kept my mind off from some of the more tedious sections (read: road sections). When we came to the creek crossing I just plunged right in. I have learned my lesson about trying to keep my feet dry when it comes to creek crossings. Don’t even try. It usually ends in disaster. Unfortunately, there was some pretty deep sand in the creek which filled my sneakers. I got ahead of Frank here. When I got back to our tent I had to make a pit stop to change socks and clean out my shoes and Frank went running by me. I started to feel a bit whippy and realized that my face felt like a salt-lick. So I chucked-down some extra Endurolytes and drank more HEED and then I had a revelation . . . I really hadn’t been eating much. So when I reached the next aid station I was extremely grateful to find warm, salty French fries! I grabbed a handful and walked and ate until I could feel my brain beginning to work again. I ran off and on and when I reached that horrible road section I was really missing Frank’s company. That section had gone so much better with him distracting me. So I just whined to myself until I reached the next aid station . . . only to find HOT, salty French fries waiting for me! Oh, this was way too good to be true. I knocked-back a Coke and a ton of those fries and walked out of the station. And when I crossed the creek again, where I had left Frank on the first lap, I found him again! This really boosted my spirits to have him help pace me along. Eventually I got a second wind and had to leave Frank, but I figured he wouldn’t be far behind me. I finished the race in 5:51:44 – not a PR, but my second best 50K ever! And good for 6th out of 30 in my age-group and 113th out of 385 overall. Joe finished in 6:31:31 and Karen in 7:26:40. I recovered quite well with more of those awesome hot, salty fries and some Pork Slap Ale. A good time was had by all.

Sunday was a day of recovery. I really did intend to go out for a run. However, the weather was cold, overcast, and windy. Joe was hurting from his fall (knocked his head on a rock and #$%*ed-up his right hand). So I did a light 30 minutes on the bike and tried to do some nutritional recovery. However, my heart got a real work-out in the evening when we watched the Six Nations Rugby championship game. Holy crap was it a good one! Ireland came in undefeated and a win would make it a Grand Slam – their first in 61 years! Wales was looking strong but to win the tournament they had to beat Ireland by 13 points. My Man, Ronan O’Gara missed his first penalty kick and then Ireland gave up two really stupid penalties to Wales, which they converted. A half-time talk with the coach must have made all the difference as Ireland came out fighting in the second half. With less than 3 minutes to go in the game Ireland was down by one, but My Man came through. O’Gara put down a drop goal so nice and smooth and put Ireland up by two. But one more stupid penalty gave Wales a chance for the win with no time left on the clock. It was pure luck that the Welsh kicker couldn’t get the distance, because his kick was dead-on. Ireland won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone whose interest I might have piqued . . . check-out all the goods at http://www.rugbyrugby.com.

And what do you think was truly the totally best part of the ENTIRE weekend? I got to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile up-close and in-person as we passed it on the highway on our drive home on Saturday night!

“When an excursion into the woods is proposed, all sorts of dangers are imagined
. . . Yet it is far safer to wander in God’s woods than to travel on black
highways or to stay at home . . . No American wilderness that I know of is so
dangerous as a city home “with all the modern improvements.” One should go
into the woods for safety, if for nothing else.”
John Muir

The Mojo is Back!

I had a really great week of running, despite battling with coughing up things that look like something from a sci-fi flick. The sun has been shining and the temps more to my liking. This week brought the first official “race” of the year – the St. Patrick’s Day 4-Miler in Binghamton. This is, hands-down, my favorite race. This may seem a little odd that an ultra runner would name a mere 4-miler as a favorite, but it is simply the best! The Triple Cities running group are a really fun bunch, the food is great (bagels, donuts, yogurt, bananas, oranges, subs, pizza . . . you name it!), and the beer is free-flowing (and not the piss-water kind of beer – this is good stuff!), and the prizes are also excellent. I have missed this race only once since it started and I have one the “Athena” division (the heavy-weight ladies) every year (although if you looked in the record books there would be one year that I was over-looked due to technical error). So I go into this event every year with the goal of winning this division. I really have no race plan, since I don’t do speed-work and it can be very difficult to tell who your rivals are (the weight minimum is 145 pounds, which can be hard to tell in runners of different heights). So my plan is to just go out and run as hard as I can and if I see someone who I think may be in my division ahead of me, I just try as hard as I can to overtake them.

This year Joe and I really out-did ourselves with our festive clothing. If there was a best-dressed division, I think we could have taken it (picture to be posted once I figure out how to do it!). We both had really great big Irish hats, which we discarded just before the start of the race and donned more “aerodynamic” berets. I had my new speedy racing shoes on and my great new green rugby knee socks. I flew through the first mile in 6:47. It is a downhill mile, so I figured it would be fast, but I was momentarily worried when I heard the time. But I was feeling good and not struggling to breathe. Mile 2 is a long upgrade, which really suits me. I feel strong going uphill and I was able to pass several people here. Going into mile 3 I saw a runner ahead of me with sort-of long hair and a bandana over the head. I contemplated the runner for what seemed like an eternity to try to decide if it was a female in my weight division. I felt like I was running at my max and really wanted to be sure before I tried to find any extra oomph and pass this runner. Finally I decided that it was a male runner ahead of me and I was safe to stay at the pace I was at. Other than mile 1 where the times were being yelled-out, I had no idea what my time was during the race and was extremely happy when I crossed the finish line in 27:45 (6:57 pace!). I walked around and waited for Joe, who I knew would be finishing soon, and then it was straight into the food and the beer! Our Ithaca-area runners really cleaned-up in the awards department and, once again, I defended my Athena title! Good for $25 and a beautiful sweatshirt. The competition was really deep this year, with at least 550 people in the race. I felt good during and after the race and very thankful that I don’t have to run that fast all of the time. It’s hard! But I do have to admit that it’s fun to run fast – on occasion.

So here is how the entire week panned-out:

Mon 3/9: 6.2 miles. 34 degrees, windy, and a light snow.

Tues 3/10: 8 miles. 29 degrees, windy, overcast. Had to re-route the run midway through because of icy terrain.

Wed 3/11: 7.5 miles. 51 degrees. Ran in shorts – finally!

Thurs 3/12: 0 miles. Rest day. 23 degrees and heavy lake-effect snow!

Fri 3/13: 6.4 miles. 25 degrees and sunny. Still a little ice on the forest roads, but the snow-cover helped the footing.

Sat 3/14: 5 miles. One mile warm-up and then 4 mile race. Forget the cool-down after the race – the food and beer go fast and if you do a cool-down, you are likely to miss the goodies!

Sun 3/15: 18.2 miles. Ran with Lorrie – sections of “Joe’s Torture Trail”. Ran in tight-shorts and found that this really helped to eliminate the chub-rub as well as support my quads and hamstrings on the hills. Drank HEED only and found that this fuelled me quite well.

TOTAL WEEKLY MILEAGE: 51.3 miles. Now it’s time to go easy for the week and preserve my energy for the HAT Run 50K on Saturday.

The big story of the week: Ireland beat Scotland in a real nail-biter in the Six Nations Rugby. Despite giving up way too many penalties early on, the Irish prevailed. My man, Ronan O’Gara, was back in fine kicking form, as he overtook the Six Nations point-scoring record previously held by rugby icon Jonny Wilkinson. Next week is the final game, Ireland vs. Wales. If (when) Ireland prevails, they will have grand-slammed the Six Nations tournament!

“Man . . . is making many far-reaching changes. This most influential half animal, half angel is rapidly multiplying and spreading, covering the seas and lakes with ships, the land with huts, hotels, cathedrals, and clustered city shops and homes, so that soon, we may have to go even farther . . . to find a good solitude.” John Muir