71.6?

I am a numbers guy. I make little notes throughout the year, and sometimes, I look at them and over-analyze the numbers I put on paper. I have little spreadsheets to monitor things—way too many spreadsheets. I have one for my car miles (in case I need to deduct travel expenses for tennis). I have a spreadsheet for meals I eat out in case I need a deduction for that activity.

I often need to fill in some fields. But the number of hours working is known. For my "real" job, I take 2080 hours minus vacation time, minus holidays, and add overtime/comp time to get a number. For my tennis, I report hours, so getting a total is easy. What needs to be added is the hours I work off the clock, which I do often.

Anyway, in 2008, I was troubled by many changes, which meant my performance in races was less, my physical fitness was less, and my body felt tired so often. So, I look at 2006, 2007, and 2008 to see why things are so different. Well, I found a significant difference... 71.6 hours each week. This is the average number of hours per week I officiated tennis or worked at my "real" job each week in 2008. This is 14.3 hours higher than 2006 and 10.6 hours more than 2007. I knew my stress levels were high and I was working more, but this was a surprise. I had over 14 more hours each week in 2006 to rest, train and repair. That makes a massive difference as I look at it today.

I look at the first three months of 2009. There is no reason to believe I will not be over 70 hours a week, at least through February. Then I plan on going to Germany to visit my son in March for a week, which will help the average go down, but when I return, I have two weeks that may be above 80 hours each week... Looking ahead, I have planned at least 70 hours a week on average, even with the week's vacation. So how can I train during that time? I do not know but 71.6 will assure i will be doing few races. So, my first goal is to look at April onward and only accept some tennis assignments offered... I may use some of the vacation time I have built up... One thing at a time.

As a follow-up from my blood test showing I had a primary Vitamin D deficiency, and I was put on doses of 50,000 IU, I have been sleeping better. I am so surprised that one of the issues with vitamin D deficiency was sleep... This has improved! I am also not as stiff as I was, with the bones hurting. I may be absorbing Calcium better... If this improves, and I cut my tennis hours to a reasonable number, there may be hope? 71.6 can not happen in 2009!

Carry on. . .

2 days, 10 hours...

So I have two days and ten hours until I decide to run or quit. I have known all along that I would have to continue some sort of training as I really wanted to run my 25th Grandma's. But I have been asking myself, Why? Why should I? Who cares? Does it really matter? And I think, is 24 enough? Who cares if I do not? Only me...

Well training right for the marathon gets you increased energy, improved health, a sense of accomplishment, increased discipline, quality time outdoors, a chance to show off to the opposite sex that I can do it, and of course, great-looking legs. But if I did this for 24 years in a row and training lost its charm over a decade ago.

So, in this time of self-exploration, why? As I was writing this, I had the TV on. It was strange that I watched "Click" with Adam Sandler... A movie about fast-forwarding through life. I watched this and thought about the 24 years in a row finishing Grandma's marathon. Those 24 years are like a blur... More than half my life is a blur. I recall the first year and a few other moments in between.  But just like the movie "Click," I just cruised through the years, and I cannot put many facts about those years into my mind, no matter how hard I think. Disturbing.

That made me think about this past year even harder. I have been so busy working, but I am thankful I have an excellent job in this economy. I have been so busy tennis officiating over 30 weekends of tennis events in 2008 and trying to keep everything in check I forgot to keep myself in check. I have been so busy chasing a dream that I forgot what the dream was? The year flew, and I am still determining where it went, what I did, etc.? I would like to tell you a lot about it. Not really. To me, that sounds scary. Makes me wonder if being homeless is easier and less taxing. Then I recall when I stepped outside this morning, and OH MY GOD, IT WAS COLD. So I am happy I have a warm place to sleep. Many do not... But have I had a balance? That is the question.

Then I thought what I have in life is really a precious gift. To refuse to live it to its utmost, to the extreme -in effect, to seize the dream- is a form of "sin." It is not the kind you go to hell for, but a more insidious kind that deprives you of what can and should be the most important thing in your life.

I can not remember last year but I recall my high school studies when I learned King Edward VII of England fell passionately in love with Wallis Simpson, the only way he could fulfill his dream and marry her, was to do the undoable: abdicate from the throne. Which he did in a heartbeat. In doing so, in breaking the rules others had set for him, he reversed the general and passive order: his dreams took flight, and life threw a kiss for his courage and passion.

I have walked, ran, talked to countless people, and heard of dreams. I speak to children and hear of dreams. I talk to co-workers and hear of dreams. I love dreamers because they have the electricity of life. But so often, it remains static electricity. You know, the kind that stings without warning? "My career would be what I really want it to be, but…", "My company would break new ground in our industry and achieve truly dramatic breakthroughs, however…"... For me, my running would be ... but...

I digress.

Then, other dreams are hard to know if they are real or not... These can be sad or happy. Dreams can be great if you can keep them from distorting reality... As they say, one of the keys to success in any significant task is to visualize the success... But I have seen people have such a robust visualization that they go the wrong way and cheat or make other indiscretions... (Tom Petters?) So, can dreams also have opposite impacts for some? You know, the ones that make you believe they are real, but they are not? The ones that scare you.

I had such a dream a few weeks ago. I had a dream that my friend's co-worker who was having a baby had a fatal end to the dream. The baby did not make it. I felt so much remorse. A week after the dream, my friend said her friend would have her baby on Monday. I looked at her confused and asked if she was sure as the baby had died. I realized then it was a dream and not reality. But when I got the news days later the baby did not make it, I really felt like a schmuck.

What does all this have to do with a decision on 2009 running? I am unsure, but running is like many things in my hectic and complex life! I have been swamped, and life seems to pass without much thought...

Watching the movie Click made me cry. As he was dying on the pavement, at the end of his life, I shut the TV off and shed tears. Yes, men can cry. I was not getting the enjoyment I thought I should from everything I did. I am fast-forwarding. Running was becoming a chore, dating was a chore, and smiling could be a chore.

I need to evaluate what makes me happy... I need to stop, look, and listen... I have noticed the beauty I have before me... That could mean many things, but just like deciding to try 100 miles, I need to conclude the best opportunities to make life all it can be without being a chore and proceeding that way. And just like a 100 mile, there will be obstacles and things that will cause me to change what I am doing, then I can decide the best way to accomplish whatever that is... and that could be just sitting down and looking at the stars... but I know one thing I do want to do right now, run...

Carry on...

May not be funny to you...

Some of you may have read about my love of a blog written by two 82-year-old ladies (http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/). Part of her recent post was funny, so I thought...

"I would have written sooner, but I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to type more than a sentence or two. Oh, my goodness, but did any of you see the incident with the Iraqi journalist, Muntathar al Zaidi, throwing his shoes at Georgie Boy? Millions of us have wanted to do that very same thing. It’s too bad Zaidi didn’t hit his intended target because he just might have knocked some sense into that thick Bush skull. Not to mention the lucrative Nike contract that surely would have followed."

She is a hoot! 82 and a mind whitty as can be... I needed a laugh!

Strings...

As people typically love the holidays this time of year (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year), these are days that, over the years, have become difficult for me. In short, my son was 5 years old when, on Thanksgiving Day, a terrible accident resulted in the amputation of his right hand. I am nearing a decade since I was in court, and the judge made my divorce final, two days after Christmas Day, and years after the divorce; I had dated a wonderful person for a few years that abruptly informed me on New Year's Eve; goodbye. I would like to fall asleep on November 20 each year and wake up the following January 2!

As we all know, the mind is an interesting part of the human body. It remembers things we do not want to remember but forgets things we need to remember. I would love to have the joy and excitement others have for six weeks at the end of the year, but I just have issues with that.

I recall the past, much like every year at this time, and there is one thing in common with all those events. I felt trapped in this world where, no matter what I did, I had no control over the situation. I was helpless. Many feel this was for many other reasons. Some people have unbelievable responsibilities, and some people are free. Sometimes, I feel like I am in a never-ending swirl of work, eating, and sleeping to pay the bills and survive.

With the falling economy, the number of people in this state of mind is increasing. The elderly are on fixed incomes, and people losing jobs or taking large pay cuts barely made ends meet with what they had available to them before. Friends stricken with significant illness, accidents taking lives before we believe they should, relationships get strained, and questions about self-worth arise.

One of my friends describes being in prison. They are unable to go anywhere. Every minute, every hour, every day, he works because he has no choice. He drinks, eats, sleeps, and dresses because he has to or faces consequences.

He once said to me, “People say live for today. But the only thing that gets me through that prison is tomorrow.” He said there are times you cannot live for today but have that little string that tethers us to hope and love—something so far from reach today but still there tomorrow.

At times, I empathized with him. I have virtues and morals, which I have always held strong to, no matter what happens. Over the years, I have learned that these are my strings. These are what get me through these difficult times. They are not major things, but they are admirable. They are inside me, not external. They are what make life worth living.

I am happy I have those internal strings. Some people only have external strings without internal pride or confidence in who they are. That leads to a bad result more often than not. But that may also be my downfall. I am content with my weight and health, so I do not seek to improve. So that is why I have races and other things as my outside strings to bring balance to life, which, as we all know, is one of the most challenging, ever-changing parts of living. May you all have a happy holiday season and treasure those strings…

Carry on…

Yes, I can be stupid!

Over the past few weeks, some fellow bloggers have shared some funny moments in their running careers. I’ll start this off with my own attempt at a funny running story. Humor is relative, and this feels a bit risky, but here it goes…

The weather was hot and humid on the day of my first 10K a few years ago. I have been running for a few years and learned some lessons the hard way. But I had a blessed gift of forgetting the simple, essential things and the pleasure of learning them all over again. Making a wardrobe selection for my first race was one of those lessons. Lesson: Don’t wear cotton on races longer than 5K, especially when it will be hot or wet or both. With my lack of experience, my mind chose my favorite old cotton T-shirt that had so many training miles. 

The race was difficult due to the weather, and I sweated before we started! About a mile into the race, my light gray shirt was dark gray… About 2 miles into the race, nipple friction reared its ugly head. I could tell if I kept going, there would be a bloody price to pay. Now, what do I do? My race number was pinned to my shirt, soaking wet and clinging to me. I got this bright idea! Slip out of the armholes and wear it around my neck until I get close to the finish, and then put it back on before the finish. I was so smart! I was the king of the 10 K improve runner that day!

My brilliance was great, and my nipple was not bloody. I was so smart… Then the last mile came. Remember when I thought I had muscles everyone wanted to see. The shirts I wore were tight… Recall that this shirt, one size too small, was drenched in sweat. Imagine trying to get dressed and running a 6-minute mile when the clothes did not fit? Not only that, the shirt had four pins holding on the number! So I removed it and put one arm through the neck and the other through the hole. Running along, I could not see the simple error. I was fumbling around like a man trying to get out of a strait jacket!

Well, I had less than ½ miles to go, and this was a 10K for the North Dakota State University Homecoming. I came to a group of co-eds who saw me fumbling like an idiot when one yelled, “Yeah baby, take it off, take it all off!” This was followed by what I thought must have been my first and only Chippendales experience (the sounds, hoots, and hollers I was getting). 

So, being a shy farm boy, I had never had the experience of a woman screaming for me to take it all off…  And with my heart rate over 160, I think it went to 170 just with those perverted thoughts that went through my head. So, as I was coming down the last 300 yards, I was fumbling with the shirt, being screamed at by great-looking women that I did not see that little raised sewer cover. Just a little bit higher than the pavement. My shoe hit it perfectly. I flew through the air, my arms caught in my shirt, and no way to break the fall.

One of my friends said she saw me bounce and roll… I had scraped the side of my head and blood from my left arm and leg. I got up, embarrassed as I could be, and finished at 36:42. My first and best ever 10 K! I was so embarrassed, I ran right to the car and left… Thinking back, I got the PR, as I was not thinking about the race, the pace, or other mental mistakes I now make while running. I was so wrapped up (no pun intended) in that shirt I just ran. And made a complete ass of myself…

Carry on…

Glucose and my race?

I had some comments about the glucose level. That was an easy one to figure out. I have been working out less but still enjoying high carbo powder drinks... There should have been an issue, as I had carbs for most meals and beverages. Just a little stupid... My level was a fasting level of 106, whatever that means. He stated this could be related to the high stress I have had and the diet. So, I adjusted the diet and will be tested after the 12 weeks of Vitamin D therapy.

On the funnier side, with a name like Londell, people often think I am the son of Aunt Jamima. It is funny how when they see me the first time I hear, I thought you were black (sorry - African American)... Yesterday, I had someone tell me they thought I was just past 20 years old and black because they tried to get info on me on the Internet and found http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xtCQ1mWN9c

Then I was asked if I had any relation to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnnENy9ogWE

Blood work issue?

It's been a while. But without sounding pouty, life is not superb, and who wants to hear the battiness I have right now? I know I do not want to write it, and I am sure you do not want to read it.

Running has been non-existent, and I have no urge to run. I have been averaging over an hour per day biking and elipticizing. I add some weights in there for good measure.

Biggest Loser was on tonight... I am so mad that Vicky has a chance to go to the Final... If I was married to her, I am sure I would be in jail, and I am not violent at all. I would find a way to go to jail, as being with her would be worse...

My big issue is my overall health. I mentioned earlier that my blood test was not good and that I would write about it later. I waited to write to see how I felt after a few weeks of changes. The Physician said I have a significant Vitamin D deficiency. My Cholesterol and all other tests were great, but my glucose was high.

The Dr. has me on a once-a-week dose of 50,000 IUP Vitamin D. Yes, you read that right, 50,000… This was a prescription. Image the over-the-counter pills that would be taken? I still have a hard time saying 50,000…

Even after three weeks, I am much less fatigued and sleep better. At this rate, I may be ready to train after the first of the year? But train for what, I do not know. As I said at the start, I do not feel like running and have not run…

Carry on…

Thought (or photos) of the day...

I saw these and had to post them, but I also need to write soon. My blood test was not good, and I am now taking pills and getting ready for a follow-up in February. More later, but here are pictures I found that made me laugh.

Carry on...

Run fat boy, RUN!

Well, I knew I was fat but severely obese? I attended my annual (well, it's been a few years - thanks, Carl, for encouraging me!) physical this week. This was after I had been working out regularly since November 1 and watching my diet aggressively as of November 2. I have only run 4 times over that period for a total of 12.8 miles in 2 hours and 5 minutes, but I did a whole lot of other exercise, including:

269 bike miles over 15 rides (17 hours or just under 18 miles a time on average)

18 walking miles on 7 walks (5 hours and 20 minutes and 2.5 miles a time average); and

18.6 miles on the elliptical over 9 times (4 hours 45 minutes or just over 2 miles a time average)

So, I averaged 1.6 workouts daily, with the average workout being 1 hour and 20 minutes. So, for the past 20 days, I worked 2 hours and 8 minutes daily. I am feeling better and optimistic about my Christmas deadline as I am not pushing it. If I felt like working out, I did. If I was tired, I did not…

Well, the Physician came in and looked at the chart and, in kind terms, said I was off the chart obese. We had a discussion and discovered I had been obese for decades. I exclaimed, when I was 215 pounds (which is still obese according to him) I ran the 25 K on the Superior Hiking Trail in 2:36 or so, I ran a 4 hour marathon and the Superior 50 mile in 13.5 hours. He said I needed to lose at least 87 pounds and ideal weight; I needed to lose 105 pounds… That stung…

I know I am fat, but I never considered I would be in the category of Americans who needed to lose over 100 pounds, specifically as I am 35 pounds less than when I ran my 5:45 marathon? Some co-workers pointed out that Jarred Allen of the Vikings is also obese, as are most running backs. The chart is just that, a chart. When I was 215, most people thought I was getting too thin, and they can not imagine needing to lose another 35 pounds to be healthy?

So, I wonder if there will be more than Grandma's Marathon in the store next year for the 25th time. I am curious if I will have a 50K, a 50 mile, or a 100 mile in store. I am still committed to waiting for decisions until Christmas and working out doing whatever I want, when I want, as much or as little as I want, in the following weeks. But after being told I am so obese, I may need to rethink a lot more than that?

Carry on…

Letter from the shopping center...

I read this and thought immediately that it could be a letter about Steve Quick, with the luck he has been having and the pranks he can think of. So Steve, enjoy. I could imagine you doing quite a few of these.

Dear Mrs. Quick,

Over the past six months, your ultra-runner friend has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Quick are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.
2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.
5. August 4: He went to the service desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.
6. August 14: Moved the 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.
8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him, he cried and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'
9. September 4: He looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.
12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna Look' by using different sizes of funnels.
13. October 18: He hid in a clothing rack, and when people browsed by, he yelled, 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loudspeaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed, 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!' and last but not least.
15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.!

Regards, Manager

47 days and counting

This morning, the counter said it would be 47 days until Christmas. I had hoped that by that day, I would have revived my legs to start training for another attempt at the superior beast. Having the time off has given me much time to evaluate. My failure in the first ST 100 was due to a lack of mental training, and the second was due to overtraining and entering race day exhausted.

As stated at the UMTR gathering, if I do this again, I will use the 2-3 runs a week training method. That will be a midweek speed workout and a Saturday run of 20-45 miles, and that should do it. My best running results were when I gave my body plenty of time to rest with solid quality workouts. But then again, when you enjoy something so much, it is hard to do just twice a week.

Either way, even if I do not decide to do the 100, I do have to run and train for my 25th anniversary Grandmam's Marathon finish. Yes, 25 years this year when I finish, consecutively, that is. I had this goal, well, 24 years ago, and it is hard to believe I am that close. That is the only real focus I have, and I am not sure what I will be like emotionally when I cross that line for the last time.

Carry on...

Election day...

Today is election day. This is a complex election for me with two major races, and I do not like either choice? (Some people think selecting a running/trail race is hard!) So I woke thinking I would write in Larry Peterson for President and Don Clark for Senate (As Norm, Dean, and Al have me really turned off...) I am supporting the tax increase for clean water. I know new taxes suck, but we really need to be careful with the world we live in, and water is more of an issue than we care to think. My only fear is they find a way to do what happened in the 90's with the LCMR funds from the lottery, they found a way to use it elsewhere... Either way, yet another election has come when I need to vote for Mo or Curly when we need a Larry...

I can tell my work stress has decreased after the SuperTarget application. The stress and long hours were killing me. For the first time in months, I think I am going to shake a cold. I was shocked when my resting heart rate, which has been in the mid-70s, was 61 yesterday. It is amazing how stress impacts the body.

Carry on...

UMTR and more

UMTR held the awards fest. It was a great gathering with many people, and I was glad to see many of them, as I hoped to see. We may have needed a bigger place if the people I missed could make it. The weather was great, and the awards were the best. Don and Bonny were so deserving of the outstanding awards they were given. I have often wondered what would happen to this sport if it were not for that close group of workhorses. I was going to names those i knew but there are so many other with a passion. I can never thank them enough; I am sure many feel the same way... I am just disappointed I do not have the urge to run... Hope it passes?

I did have the urge to bike. I was short of 50 miles for the weekend with the great weather. If I had known I was so close, I would have gone around the block a few times... Hope the Indian summer holds a few more day but i think that is a dream... It is now time for colder weather. Thank god I have a great workout room at the office with bikes, elliptical, weights, and treadmills. I may just stay in and try the "Diane Farmer" training method for a while? I don't know which TV show I prefer.

Anyway, I hope your health is well, and remember to vote. And if you need any opinions on who to vote for, check out http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com. These are elderly ladies who are funny. Check out the post about Sarah Palen or the funny one, "Maverick my ass"... I think we can assume she is a Democrat, but she is feisty for her age! and she makes me laugh...

Carry on...

Scary night...new beginnings...

I live in a secure building with an average age over 50, and we never get kids for Halloween. I only know of one person who has children. I recall the days when I used to have a bunch of running friends, and we all did a midnight Halloween run. As I do not drink alcohol, I became the designated driver as many of the runners ran hammered... in their costumes... Sometimes, the birthday suits were used.

It was a different world in the 1980s. Then I got married, had children, got divorced, children left, and became so distant from those running pals. Over the past month, I tried to look some of them up. Eddie I am told died of prostate cancer, Kevin also passed away but I do not know how, John never did recover from his war wounds and I was told one night life was to much.

I never could track down Scott. Scott was the best man at my wedding. He fell off the face of the earth. Gordy was mentioned in a Google search, but I could not find where he was in this world. It makes me think of how life is full of happy and unhappy endings and new beginnings.

Lately, I have struggled with what may have been the result of overtraining. My legs feel tired even when I do not run, and my knee and hip pains are back. I feel exhausted even when I sleep many hours. It may be related to stress at work.

Tomorrow is a new day to a new month. I spent my week preparing a plan to get back on track and start losing the weight I have put back on. From 2005 to 2006, I went from 296 to 212, and now I am back to 258, or 46 pounds heavier than when I ran the Superior 25K in 2:36, if I recall correctly. So, I am not halfway back to plump and do not want to go there. But that is always easier said than done.

Tomorrow, many friends are running Surf the Murph. I am sitting out as I am not sure I can run it.  Everything is sore, and I do not know why. Tomorrow is also the celebration for the Ultra group. So tomorrow, I will celebrate and then buckle down. I plan to lose 56 (1.3 pounds per week) before the Superior 100 next year. I'm still determining if I will race in between. Still, I have my computer ready for nutritional analysis and other factors, and I will go through the same analysis and workout patterns I did in 2006 when I lost 84 pounds. Only this time I do not have Dana, I still have the knowledge...

Carry on...

Sad, quiet and slow...

The blog world has slowed. It could be the weather or just that most people are repairing after a hard summer season. Jobs, family, health, or other things are priorities. I have RSVPs for the UMTR Awards Fest. It should be fun.

I just can not keep from dwelling on one post that concerns me most. A fellow runner who is going through some tough times right now. She is still blessed with health, but death, early death, in her family has been a repeated activity. Karen always blesses me with a smile whenever I meet her for a run or at a race. I often wonder "why does God punish people like this". I always have to go back to when my 3-year-old nephew died. It was unexpected.

At the funeral, the Pastor said something I will forget at time. He said, "Aaron has left us, and this is a sad time for many. What makes it sad is our perception of how long a life is." He went on to say that God has a plan for all of us. For Aaron, God had planned a life of three years. He reminded us that Aaron did not waste time in his life. He loved each minute and made sure it was complete. He said it is the human expectation that we should all live the same length of time, which adds to the pain. He emphasized that the pain should be there but not to add to it, as Aaron did live his life (3 years) to the fullest and asked us to do the same.

I often need to remember that life is not a guarantee and that we need to preserve and cherish the time with others and ourselves. I forget that often. I pray for Karen and others who are not experiencing the joy of times. I am doing really well, with my only obstacle being me. I need to remember that more often.

Dana once gave me a bumper sticker that said, "The best things in life... are not things". It showed a man holding a cat with his wife, kids, friends, and dog around him. As I think of this, some close friends know what I mean when I feel stupid about the Orzo Salad issue... But some things we can not take back...

In this ultra-running world, I find that to be true. Thanks for all the love and support from many, and I only pray Karen gets through this OK. I am sure she will with the heart and soul God gave her. But I still add her to my prayers nightly and hope to see her smile again. She knows how to live a whole life, however long it may be, and may it be long, and continue healthy, as with all of you.

Carry on...

Quote sent to me...

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy … . It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."
~Jacqueline Gareau, Boston Marathon, (Champion in 1980)

My blood boiled

I am usually mild-mannered when it comes to politics. This is from a person who has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and works for the Government. But this year, I find myself passionate. Although, it is the wrong kind of passion, and it varies from time to time.

First, this year for President, I was looking at the Vice President with a greater emphasis than in the past. One presidential candidate is older, and the other is sure to have some idiot looking to end his tenure. Lousy to think that way, but that is what I think. So when the VPs were announced, I was disappointed, to say the least, for both. So, I released that thought and thought about the Presidential candidates. I love McCain, but Pelen killed my vote for them.  Then I get this crazy Coleman and Frankin fiasco, which is even worse...

Then I saw what happened to my good friend and republican Neil Peterson. He voted for the transportation bill to override the Veto, and the Republicans in the state acted like two-year-old brats and worked to remove him. He was defeated in the primary. Neil has done more in his tenure than anyone I know. He voted for Minnesota, not a party.

So tonight I had a call from some poor young volunteer for the republican party and I snapped. I told the poor girl I would never vote for any Republican again after the two-year-old bratty behavior from our Governor and his party. Then I felt guilty as I was no better off than those I complained about. So now I have come full circle... I am still trying to figure out what to do in a few weeks. Not just for the President but for the local elections as well. I need clarification, but I am not alone when talking to many people.

I wonder if this emotional turmoil and confusion are more due to my miles being way down and me not working out as regularly as I should. Either way, decisions need to be made, and this voter is not ready—and I'm not sure if I will be.

Carry on...

I ran... and enjoyed it...

A little... I did a 5K at a 10-minute-per-mile pace at lunch. I was surprised I seemed to labor for that pace, but fat in the mid-section does impact running. I did the elliptical machine before work for 34 minutes for the 2 miles. This elliptical at my office is difficult, but it gets miles compared to the last machine we used.

I don't know if I will run again this week, but the weather is such that I have to get out. So I am taking long walks along the river bottoms. I want to experience the changes in colors and exercise simultaneously. It's perfect weather for this, and as I am walking, I can look up. It's unlike a trail run, where the head stays down.

Hope all are recovering well and ready to enjoy the cool weather.

Carry on!

Unfair treatment!

I have been a USTA (Tennis) official for several years. I have had the privilege of officiating matches, which included many great players, including John McEnroe and Andy Roddick. I once had a 130-mile an hour serves from Roddick that he disagreed with my call. Replay showed
I was right (about a 1/8th an inch…). How did I do that? Training… Lots of it…

Through the years, I have yet to be so accurate; I have made mistakes. There are days I have felt ill but had to officiate anyway, as no sub was available. Did I do well? I will argue I did as well as Randy Moss and Tom Brady if they were playing with a 101-degree fever…

I have to live with those mistakes. Officiating is a different animal. Once, when I was on my way out to officiate a McEnroe match, the head official gave us a motivational speech. He said something I will never forget: " You are expected to be 100% perfect out there, and you are expected to improve on that!" That is how society looks at officials.

Over the years, I have become more hardened to accept that perfection expectation. We have so much press about Ed Hochuli's acknowledgment that he erred on a call late in Sunday's San Diego-Denver game a few weeks ago. He is human; god forbids this from an official.

What irritates me is that we are in a society that constantly looks for an easy person to blame for a loss, failure, or other negative aspect of life. Did the official make a mistake that genuinely cost the San Diego Chargers the game? I argue, not really.

How can I say that? I watched most of that game. If we hold officials to one apparent mistake, we should be banned. We should ban several receivers from ever playing football again for dropping a pass right in their arms. We must ban many defensive players for missing what seemed to be an easy tackle. We need to ban the offensive players who negated a significant gain because they grabbed onto a defensive player and threw them to the ground. But those are just forgiven as issues in a stressful situation by a player who makes $10 million a year. But the official who makes $80,000 a year better not make one little mistake, which means a death sentence.

In baseball, should we ban the outfield who drops an easy-fly ball? What about a hockey player who missed an open net shot? Let's not even discuss the number of botch open lane lay-ups I have seen in Basketball. Hey, we have all seen dunks missed…

But we would never say such a thing. The San Diego Chargers made many more mistakes, which cost them the game… Did the official goof up in that game? Yes, but he is the only one people want to fire, harm, or ridicule. What I find most interesting in all my years of officiating
(Baseball for 9 years before tennis) is that the people who bitch the most have never officiated a high-level game or match. If they did, they would understand that officiating is a high-level stress job, which it takes a sick person to enjoy… I also have seen a significant shortage of officials in all sports… Many great officials have left the profession due to one or two mistakes and significant backlash. If I were Ed Hochuli, I would retire, and the NFL would lose another quality official, but I would still have all those players who goofed up many times throughout the game! But he, as well as I, keep officiating through the name-calling and threats… We must be sick?

That could explain why I want to run 100 miles.

Carry on…

Carlin's Wisdom for staying young

An earlier post made it known that I loved George Carlin's comedy. He was not always funny; he just put serious stuff out there selectively. Here is a favorite piece of his, which ends with a very strong sentence about life.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them "
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about computers, crafts, gardening, or whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love: family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies,
8. whatever. Your home is your refuge.
9. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
10. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
11. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

Carry on!

I am 46 today..some jokes... Stolen words

You know you're getting on in years when the girls at the office start confiding in you.

Middle age is when it takes longer to rest than to get tired.

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

Middle age is when you have stopped growing at both ends and begun growing in the middle.

You're getting old when you're sitting in a rocker, and you can't get it started.

You find yourself in the middle of the stairway, and you can't remember if you were downstairs going up or upstairs going down.

NOW WORDS FROM MY favorite comedian...

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're under 10, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, and now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!

The greatest day of your life is when you turn 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony: YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

Now you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes. It's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50, and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You make it to 60. You didn't think you would!! So you become 21, turn 30, push 40, reach 50, and make it to 60. 

You've built up so much speed that you hit 70! After that, it's a day-by-day thing; you hit Wednesday!

You get into your 80s, and every day is a complete cycle: You hit lunch, you hit 4:30 PM, and you reach bedtime. And it doesn't end there. 

Into the 90s, you start going backward; "I Was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. 

If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

GEORGE CARLIN

Happy 46th Birthday to me!

Carry on…

Gaiters

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Christmas

Some blog readers noticed I have a Christmas countdown working on my blog... Today is 100 days to Christmas. WOW. What is that all about? Should we not count down to a race? After all, we are athletes.

I do not feel athletic. I have been training so hard that my close friends know I have had a whole lot of trouble sleeping, headaches, and other ills that are common for the human body pushed too hard. My back spasms, which took me out of the 100 this year, were most likely by-products of a lack of stretching and improper overall training. I did a lot of running and biking but less weight, and I did not keep my muscles balanced. That is my opinion. So I decided not to run anymore, or very little this year. Between now and Christmas, only if I have the urge. I am just going to eat well and repair...

I have been working hard, and my body needs repair. The weight issue was that I had pushed so hard that I was so tired that I was always seeking nutrition to replenish all I had expended. This is not just in my exercise world; the job has been at least three times as intense and difficult. So I will focus on eating right, doing yoga, simple weights and other light enjoyable activities. Feel much better already after 9 days. Weight is 3 pounds less than the week before the race. So, I will decide on Christmas to try the Superior 100 in 2009... That is my countdown. Commit then, plan and train smarter, or send my name to the volunteer list. (or offer the service of a pacer?) or both. Isn't that worth a countdown timer?

Carry on!

Clueless...

In 2007, I knew exactly where I had gone wrong and right when I quit at 77 miles. I knew what needed correction and worked hard on those issues. However, although I trained more and my times were a little faster, I was not confident in my 2008 preparation. I had no clue it would result from packing it in at 24 miles.

The whole week prior was issue after issue. I had back spasms, a tight hip, and other pain I tried to work through. These are not excuses; I thought I was tough enough to work through them, but I was wrong. From the start of the day, I was not doing well. I woke through the night with diarrhea. (Sorry for that detail) I was worried, as I did not know why. I was really congested in the chest. Even though I had plenty of support from fellow runners and crew, I left the motel later than I should have. Felt I rushed through preparation once at Gooseberry. The race start was hard. I was ready to stop but was sore and fatigued as I crossed the start line.

I trogged along (A Phillip term) through the first aid station in about 2 hours and 30 minutes. My back was tight, and I had a few spasms. I continued but slowed to Beaver Bay, still making my planned time. My breathing was tight, and I did my best to comfort my back. I was ready to quit, but my crew and the great station workers convinced me to continue.

By the time I got to Silver Bay, I could no longer climb a hill using my right leg without pain in the back, which can only be described as a knife stab and twisting motion. Now I have never been stabbed so it may not be that bad, or could be worse. I saw Molly Cochran at Silver Bay, and she had just returned from the Hospital from a bee sting. I was almost going to continue with Molly, but I did a test push with my leg, and the back was painful. I knew the right decision was before me.

This is not a spine pain but the lower right. It's like a Sciatic Nerve but lower toward the hip. Is this not all tied to the knee issue? The entire right leg is going bad. The knee, hip, and lower back are sore. It may not look like a few weeks of focus on starching and balanced weight lifting. Does anyone out there have a routine they like for balanced weight lifting for the lower body? But then the upper body also needs it.

I did stop by later aid stations during the race. It was great to see Chris at the 50-mile point. It was about 9 hours, and he looked like he had not been running. At 6-9 AM at Sugarloaf, I saw Julie Berg just after sun-up; she looked solid. Christian came into that station ready to quit. I watched that aid station crew work the magic earlier and revive the runner, and they continued. Christian was sure he wanted to quit. But after about 30 minutes, they had him up and going! I went to Cramer Road and saw Carl. He looked like I did last year. I told him I regretted the past 364 days my decision not to go on, and he had more time than I did and the best crew in the world. I was happy he continued. Many others went through and were so strong. I am anxious to read many posts as this year had some pretty interesting challenges.

Rambling aside, this was a hard race for many this year. Could it be the air? It could be many things, but one final thought, I am wondering if I will try again. I say that with sad thoughts as I want to achieve this once. The next attempt would be a third, and I view my third attempt as my last chance. A personal thing. So, next year, I am committed to one thing concerning Superior. I will work at a station or have lost at least 40 pounds, which I carried this year, and enter. That is the only option.

I feel bad for others in the same position as me. Call it a day, or continue. Phil worked so hard and was going strong when I was with him. Heard Adam had a significant injury. Les and I started with an I will not stop attitude, but something swallowed us both. Molly and the bee attack, ouch.

But life goes on…

Carry on, my friends.

It is here... or close

At the writing of this entry, I had less time before the start of the race than I anticipated finish time. It is just over 34 hours from now. I will be 200 miles from home and 102.6 miles on the Superior Hiking Trail Lutsen, where I hope to be before 38 hours of constant movement ends… I am not as nervous or excited as last year; in fact, I am not confident in my ability to finish. Many challenges will surprise me throughout the race, but I must keep going until told to stop. That is the key, as I see it.

Either way, it has been another interesting year of preparation. Challenges were more than I cared for, and life was ever-changing. Emotions run wild as I overevaluate much of what I am doing and what I desire for the future. No matter what, I can only do my best, and that is what I will do. My next entry will be my success or failure report. Take care and smile!

Carry on…

To much to late?

I am beginning to regret my last hill run. Still, today, I feel exhausted and that walking is a chore. I ran 3 miles Thursday, lifted weights (upper body only) hard Friday, did a 27-mile bike ride Saturday, and walked around the Renaissance Festival Sunday. I will not do anything. I do not have to accept rest from here on out!

I'm getting a little more excited, but nothing compared to last year. The race director should be happy to know that this year, I will have drop bags less than half the weight last year. Last year, I packed one of everything I might want, and the bags were huge. Live and learn. Although, I still will have the bottle of pickle juice! I swear that this is the best for an ultra run for my body, especially in the heat.

Either way, the daily weather format is fun to watch. I expect rain and do not worry about if it might rain. Takes too much energy. A fellow ultra runner did some significant damage to his right hand in a fall. He is unsure if he will run or have the clearance to run the 100. I will be careful, as anything can happen over the next 92 hours before the start of the race.

Carry on!

Race topo Chart. What is a taper?

I completed the ST 100 elevation chart using the information I extrapolated from "A walking guide to the Superior Hiking Trail." In this book, they took GPS elevation data for the entire trail and placed it on several charts for each segment as it was completed. As GPS is not perfect, the elevation chart is not ideal, but it is close to the other data I have seen. (It also makes Moose Mountain look like the worst climb.)

I have read or heard so much about a taper for a 100-mile race that I am not doing it right. The easiest comments I read were 75 percent of the workout level three weeks before, 50 percent two weeks before, and 25 percent or less the week before. I kept charging full boar up to 9 days before the race, and will do less than 20 percent over the next 9 days? I have been feeling strong over the past few weeks. My confidence that I can finish this year is less after the experience I gained last year. Experience should give me confidence. Although this course is challenging, there must be more than physical workouts and experience.

Most people started the taper with two weeks to go. Although my son is leaving to study in Germany and some other issues are bringing me down, I decided to go to the hills on Wednesday. Karen Gall met me at Hyland after my second repeat, and we attacked the hills very hard together. She was so strong, and after a few more, I knew I needed a taper. We were averaging around 16:55 per mile for the first 12 repeats. I downloaded the run and had an average heart rate of 147… Wow…

Then I challenged Karen to see how long it would take here to catch me. So she started, and I followed. She gained on me with each repeat, and after 5 repeats, we were averaging a 16:20 mile pace, and I was feeling like I was at Sugarloaf last year. My legs were heavy, I was soaked with sweat, and I felt like little was left. Karen still looked strong, and near the end of the 6th repeat, she came up behind me.  What a workout to take the personal issues out of my mind! That was a hard 6 repeats. The average heart rate was 158! AVERAGE. Peak was listed at 173. Now conventional wisdom says 100 percent for me would be 175…

I was so sore and fatigued that I had trouble sleeping that night. I woke to the greatest muscle fatigue. I don't know when I was ever that stiff. Well, last year after the 100. It may not have been a good idea, but I feel better mentally.

I started to think about what a taper is anyway. Thursday, I went for a 2-mile walk and a swim and did some heavy upper body and mid-section weights workout. Today, I plan nothing. Saturday may be a 20-mile easy bike ride? One thing is sure: next Tuesday is the last day I will do anything other than live life. Ice will do ice and heat treatments on the sore areas, start packing, finish the detailed planning, and drop bags for the race. Last year, I was cocky up to the night of the race, and I was so scared I almost had difficulty speaking. This year, I am just nervous about everything. Not overly nervous, not cocky, but apprehensive about my chance of success. Steve Q. gave me an 80%, and I appreciate that confidence. I am a 50/50. I may be better prepared physically than last year, but I need to prepare more mentally. But in the words of many, "That is why we play the game." Without the st "rt, we are 100% assured of failure.

Carry on…

Carry on? All you quiet dreamers carry on

Training is nearing an end. I had a hard weekend with continuously moving the body 38 out of the possible 48 hours from Friday at 5 PM to Sunday at 5 PM. This was good as this is the second effort at keeping the mind focused as I continue to move in preparation for the 102 miles I want to run. This was after Thursday night doing 30 hill repeats at Hyland. Phil and Molly joined me. Phil completed 25, and Molly would go another 45 minutes after I left. She is a feather and just finished the hills like they were flat…

By Sunday, I was a little stiff and sore. It was hard to move quickly, but I made myself go as quickly as I could the whole day. Good training. In Alan's words, "keep moving" is what I practice!

I am a little concerned, as my knee has a funny pain again. It has been here for over a week. It is not deep pain like before, but just nagging. It is not internally, either. I think it is just tendons from working so hard the past weeks. I am going to have one more hill workout, then taper.

Been checking the weather. It changes every day. One thing for sure is that it was 35 degrees up north yesterday… Additionally, I see 61 entrants in the Superior 100, which is at least 20 more than in 2007. And I did not even notice some people who said they were running it on the list. So, could we almost double last year? COOL!

I read Adam's blog, and he finished the entry by stating, "Carry on," noting that it was as "Londell would say." People often write certain sayings or beliefs that may have more significant meaning. I use the "Carry On" end for personal reasons, which I will share.

I first heard of Pamela McNeill in 2006 when a friend, Dana, played me one of her CDs and said she had a song that should be dedicated to me. I had come to a point in my life where I had just healed from a "Jones" fracture in my left foot, was facing the challenges of raising a teenage boy alone (his mom 1,000 miles away), and had recently been told to no longer call a girl I had dated on and off for a few years.  Dana (a good friend) and I were training for the first 50-mile race. The song she had dedicated was called "You Will Love Again." She explained that it was not intended to be for the love of another person, as I had just come from a relationship and needed time to heal, but for a love of life. I once had that love of running and that zest for life, and I see others enjoy it.

This was a significant turning point in my life as I started to find things I enjoyed again after being so out of tune with life. Running was a joy. Walking was a joy. Reading was a joy. Dana and I would run 3 to 4 times a week together, and I had found one of the greatest friends one could imagine. We had a common goal, to finish the Superior 50 mile.

In the summer of 2006, Dana was killed in a tragic bike accident. She wore a helmet, which was insufficient to stop the fatal outcome. I was devastated and hurt. I recalled vividly thinking God was cruel. I had started to lose faith. I went one evening to see Pamela McNeill at Bunkers. She sang a song she wrote called "One Good Angel." She cried in the into, I cried during the song... A part of the song:

Many years have gone by
Since you went away
But sometimes I still cry
like it was yesterday

But through this pain and the sorrow
I found beauty strength and true
And I know there will be one good angel coming through

One good angel coming through
One good angel to hold onto
And when I am out in the moonlight I reach up to you
And I know there will be one good angel coming through

Never have I known
A braver soul
How come it’s the good ones
That have to go

And when I am down in the sorrow
Felling all messed up in blue
I know there will be one good angel coming through

Ironically, this song hit me hard within such a short period of Dana's death. I thought of her often over the months and still do today. At the 50 mile in 2006, at the top of Britton Peak (42 miles), I stopped and cried. I was done. I could not go on... I missed Dana. A hiker stopped and asked if I was OK. I had pulled notes of inspiration from my pocket that I had given to me before the race and was reading them. Then the clouds went away, and the sun hit me harder and brighter than I had ever experienced. I felt a surge of energy… I felt like it was Dana kicking me in the bottom. One good angel.  I went on to finish the 50-mile race we would do together.  I felt like I finished with her!

It is from a song by a local musician, Pamela McNeill, the third song that had meaning.  She wrote we need to carry on. The chorus of the song "The World Beyond" follows:

So carry on...

all you quiet dreamers, carry on

misbehaving sinners, have fun (but hurry up)

'cause the burned-out disbelievers got it wrong

so all you quiet dreamers carry on

anyone who feels they don't belong

raise your hand and listen to my song

'cause the burned-out disbelievers

whoa they got it wrong 'bout the world beyond!

I carried so much hate for Dana's fate. I carried so much anger. But those three songs had such an impact over time. They sum up life. We make life what we want it to be. We can choose to believe or not to believe in God or the world beyond.

As corny as it sounds, I was given messages from these songs. Messages with significant meaning… I finish many posts with Carry on because the end result is that is all we can do. If we decide to quit a 100-mile race at 77 miles, I need to carry on; if we lose a loved one, I need to carry on; and if we find and then lose true love, I need to carry on. That ability to carry on no matter what God throws at us will make us a better person. We need to believe because, in the words of Ms. McNeill, "Cause the burned-out disbelievers got it wrong about the world beyond."

You can learn about Pamela McNeill at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=98210968 and hear One Good Angel and the World Beyond…

That is the story... A little corny, but my heart still has jitters when I hear these songs. May Dana rest in peace and be with me during the 100 mile race and I will do my best to remember, all I can do is carry on.

So carry on, my friends, carry on...

19 days to go...

I woke up this morning, and the first thing I did was get the laptop and check the status of the MN Leadville entrants. It looks like only Al Holtz remains, but from what I hear, the weather conditions were wet, very cold, and even hail. Sounds like it is a cold day in hell? (You know, that day that never comes.) OUCH. As if this race is not hard enough? At least they all dared to start. Then I noticed my countdown timer said 19 days to ST 100. I kept having the Johnny Cash song "25 Minutes to Go" once I got down to 25 days...  Only in that song is it before his execution... It's not a good comparison, but it just sticks in my mind.

Had an excellent Saturday of training. I met Phil at RTA in the morning and did a few loops. I also went grocery shopping, swimming, and ate a late lunch. Then, I played tennis, walked for 2 hours, and went to RTA at 8:00 PM. After 1.5 loops, I met Adam, Jimmie, and Steve Quick shortly after that. We were under a 14-minute for the first mile, and I stayed with them a concise while, as they were faster than I as this was essentially my 14th hour of moving for the day.

I continued for just under four loops and never saw them again. I was delighted. My average pace was 17:06 per mile for the night. The moon was so bright, and the views from some of the RTA peaks were outstanding. This gave me 19 miles of running/walking for the day and over 50 miles for my second week. The knee has a slight stiffness but no pain.

Today calls for long bike ride and a long walk. . I am already physically tired. Even though I thought I had recovered from last Friday and the hard week, this long day left me more fatigued than anticipated. Only one more week, then taper and repair, will be needed to prepare for the race.

I'm going to Hyland on Thursday night for my last intense workout before I taper… Some think a two-week taper is a little long, but I really pushed it hard for the past three weeks, and I want to be very fresh 19 days from now.

Carry on…

2007 ST 100 (well 77) Splits?

People have been asking what my splits were for 2007. Well, I found my crew's notebook tonight. Here is the data:

RACE START 8:00 AM

9.3 miles to Split Rock -- 10:30 AM

Average 16 Min Mile for Race

10.1 miles to Beaver Bay -- 1:28 PM

Average just under 17 Min Mile for Race

4.9 miles to Silver Bay -- 3:05 PM

Average just under 17 Min Mile for Race

9.9 miles to Tettegouche -- 6:30 PM

Slowed to Average just under 18 Min Mile for Race

8.6 miles to County Road 6 -- 9:55 PM

Slowed to Average just under 19 Min Mile for Race

7.7 miles to Finland -- 12:46 AM

Slowed Average just over 19 Min Mile for Race

7.5 miles to Sonju Lake Road -- NOT KNOWN

4.2 miles to Crosby Manitou -- Not Known (just before sun-up)

9.4 miles to Sugarloaf -- 9:50 AM

Average 20 Min 45 Sec Min Mile for Race

5.6 to Cramer Road -- 12:48 PM

Average just over 21 Minutes per mile

QUIT

So as you can see, it was just under three hours for 5.6 miles before I quit. I recall clearly I was near the end of my rope. I can not explain what I did wrong or right, but if I had to do it again, I know I would have trained to walk. Walking has been a big part of training this year. See if it makes a difference.

Carry on!

Elevation chart Cty Road 6 back to Silver Bay

This is an elevation chart I found for County Road 6 to Silver Bay, reverse of the course... The climbs in the Tettgouche section is a bummer.... This is why I rated this as the second most difficult part of the course... First being that climb out of Crosby...

Hyland Hill

Met Karen out at Hyland on Wednesday. We did somewhere in the range of 12-14 repeats. Forgot the rock pile trick and then when we did, we weren’t sure we moved a rock each time. All I could think was how this did not seem as hard as my buck hill experience last year. I would recall 12-14 times at buck hill last year left me feeling it and the last few were so hard. This was a workout, do not get me wrong, but it was not the killer I recalled. Another thing I noticed that last year, I would average 20-21 minutes per mile and yesterday we averaged about 19 minutes per mile.

Today I did some research and Hyland is only 60 percent of what Buck Hill and that explained the difference. So my experience yesterday was only equivalent to 8 buck hill repeats. So I will head out there Thursday next week with a goal of 20 or more repeats, which will be like 12 at buck hill…

The race is only three weeks away. I am not sure how I am taking this as training is better but I feel like I am less shape. Always second thoughts and doubts. But the advice I have been given many times, just keep moving, forward that is…

Carry on.

Surprised... and shoes...

As previously posted, I ran a long all-night run with Steve Quick on Friday, August 8. If you call it a planned workout, I did not post the Sunday workout. On Sunday, I went to Madison, Wisconsin, to help partially move a student. That means carrying a full room of items and two full flights of stairs. This would be a good leg workout.

On Sunday, I was surprised to find that my legs were not as sore as I expected. My feet were a little swollen as I had changed the tightness of the laces. But all in all, it was really not much of an issue. I had taken two Advil at 6 AM, and that was it for the day. I was pretty worn after 58 flights of stairs in about 3 hours plus packing and dismantling items.

To my surprise, I was less stiff this morning than I thought. I am sauntering, but I have not taken any Advil or anything to ease the pain. I feel like I could run, and I will try later. This is surprising, as I assumed I would need a day or two of rest just to recover. But let's see how the run goes later today.

Many discussions have been about the Superior 100 course section, which is more difficult. Steve and I talked about segments throughout the night, and I ranked them according to my memory. (I have now been on each section twice, so I am not an expert by any means!) Here is a rank list I have after giving this considerable thought. I will send this to the run list to see what others think if they care to chime in... It might be fun as I will place any replies on a spreadsheet, and I think what I will find, depending on the type of runner we are, there is a whole array of opinions, and no one will have the same list?

1 to 14 with 14 being the most difficult (# before mile means difficulty rank)

(5) 9.3 miles to Split Rock

(9) 10.1 miles to Beaver Bay

(1) 4.9 miles to Silver Bay

(13) 9.9 miles to Tettegouche

(8) 8.6 miles to County Road 6

(10) 7.7 miles to Finland

(11) 7.5 miles to Sonju Lake Road

(3) 4.2 miles to Crosby Manitou

(14) 9.4 miles to Sugarloaf

(2) 5.6 miles to Cramer Road

(6) 7.1 miles to Temperance

(12) 5.7 miles to Sawbill

(4) 5.5 miles to Oberg Mountain

(7) 7.1 miles to Finish

One last note: Have been many e-mails written about shoes and the need for trail shoes on the Superior Hiking Trail. I seem to be in the minority about wearing street shoes. After much thought, I realized two things. (1) My foot specialist told me that the Asiacs Nimbus shoe is an excellent running shoe for both as it has a low profile; and (2) my orthotic is rigid plastic and has little flex in my shoe, so I probably get the stability others need from the trial shoes? I never feel like my foot is twisted and turning although when I hike the trail with my softer orthotics, my feet are contorted in all directions.

So, just like ranking what is more demanding of a segment, the answer on shoes and food usually has more variables to get a clear answer.

Carry on!

Lost.... but found

Larry Rode could not make the planned overnight excursion, so Steve Quick and I drove with the veteran driver Shelley to the Superior Hiking Trail at 5:30 PM on Friday. We thought our driver was doing a great job making the trip short when Helen Lavin cruised by our speeding vehicle just before Two Harbors. I guess even in the car, she is FAST….

Now that the fun and lighthearted portion of the trip was nearing an end, Steve and I started to get serious about our overnight run. I took off one of my shoes to lube up the feet, and WOW, the smell was atrocious. I was as shocked as the rest of the vehicle, but it was good as there was no way we would get tired. I would compare it to having smelling salt in the car. Were they so happy when I put the shoes back on?

We drove to Crosby and Finland, where we dropped off supplies. Our expert support crew was going to sleep in the car and meet us at Sugarloaf, where we would refuel before continuing to County Road 1. This would accomplish two goals: 35 miles and attacking what I consider to be the Section from hell, Crosby Manitou to Sugarloaf.

We started our cruise around the hills at 42 miles (City Road 6) at about 10:00 PM. I had told Steve the story about the guy getting DQ due to the error made in that segment, and he missed the aid station. I told him I remembered we had a left turn to get to the Finland Recreation Center, so he trusted me, and we watched the left side of the trail with great interest to ensure we would take that turn.

Well, with about 1 mile left in the 7.5-mile run first stage, we were running on what I think was the snowmobile trail, and all of a sudden, the grass was getting taller, light rain had moistened the ground, and our feet were getting wet. We both discussed how we must have missed the turn, but I was so sure it was on the left that we continued on. Walked into the backyard of a home and flashed out lights all over the place. We were unsure, but I convinced the cautious Steve to keep going.

We found the trail was thoroughly washed out, and we had to make a four-foot leap in the night to continue onward. After we were registered 10 miles on the Garmin, I admitted I was wrong. Steve was great about it. We came to a road and decided to run on the road. Steve noticed the sign we had seen 6 miles previously: Finland Aid Station, which was 3.2 miles away. What the hell! We had just run in a 6-mile circle. We were very cautious this time and found the right path, only 13.5 miles later… Great start on my part.

Fortunately, we were able to leave that issue behind and proceeded on our journey. I have no clue when or where Steve went down, but he can share that story… This was now 2:00 AM; well over 90 minutes passed as we thought. Bummer… The rest of the run until daybreak was filled with noises, and we questioned each other about where we should be going. We somehow totally blew by the Sonju Lake Road Aid station and ended up at Crosby at sunrise.


Steve had heard from so many that this was the Section that made all others look simple. The downhill’s were challenging, but Steve was like a maniac on the uphill. We had him so scared and prepared that he made it look simple. He just cruised while I was on fours at some locations. I bitched, he attacked, I bitched some more, and he just attacked more. The rest of the run was me trying to remotely keep him in sight on the uphill, and he looked back on the downhills to see if the freight train would run him over.

We both experienced horse flies, like hornets, circling our heads. As we ran, we reached up and swatted them dead. I think I killed 20 or so. Steve killed many more. We reached Sugarloaf just over 12 hours from our start, but instead of continuing to County Road #1, we stopped. It was 35 miles due to the Londell gets lost experience.

All in all, it was a very solid run. It was an asset to prepare me for the race, and if Steve had not accepted my offer, I would not have gone. It was a hoot… Well, all the owls, wolves, and other creatures we encountered and navigation challenges made the night a challenge, but I would do it again in an instant. Familiarity with this trail will enhance the opportunities for success.

Until next time, Carry On!

Strange bruise?

I need some clarification. The bruise looks small, yet those who run behind me ask what that is! It does not hurt to run or bike. But if it is touched, WATCH OUT! Bummer. The only thing I can think of is a very hard climb on the bike on Saturday, and I had a really sharp, short-lived pain in that area. (BTW: this is the back of the right knee, and the bruise is on the inner part of the leg...

Phil had to back out of the weekend due to foot concerns. So it is Larry Rode, Steve Q, and I heading up to Superior on Friday for an all-nighter. My girlfriend is driving us, and we are leaving Friday after work. It should be fun...

Carry on!

Plans Change - Heart warm-ups

I did not get to the North Shore this weekend. I did not want to take that long drive or run alone, so I went to RTA instead. I did 5 loops plus three additional hills on the hill west of the parking lot. I was so slow, but it was hot. I was just over a 15 min mile for the run. I felt OK; my heart rate was down, and I did not feel fatigued but could not move any faster. The average heart rate was 133? Go figure.

Since I felt underachieved at RTA, at 2:00 PM, I went for a road bike ride. After 18.5 miles into the wind, I was dry (which is strange as it was hot out), and I felt strong. However, I feel like a bee bit me just above the inside back of the right knee. Well, it's not the knee, but just above it. It's very painful to the t, but doesn't it hurt to run or bike?

During the RTA run, I was listening to a health/exercise-related podcast. It was about properly warming up the heart to optimize race performance. It said most people know that you have to warm up skeletal muscles to help protect them from injury, but many do not know that warming up the heart muscle is just as important.

They emphasized that many heart-related issues are caused by improper warm-up. They say when it's heat cramps, it's too late! It makes sense that the demands of exercise, especially intense competition, require the body's muscles and joints to be warm and limber. Athletes have long used warm-ups to prepare their bodies for physical challenges.

Despite universal acceptance that warming up is good, there is little scientific proof that it improves performance or reduces injuries. This is because the need to warm up is ingrained in us, making it difficult for researchers to collect unbiased data. For example, try sprinting at full speed on a cool day without warming up, and your mind says to slow down.

They say a proper heart warm-up has been documented to enhance a race. Warming up can decrease stress on your heart. If you try a strenuous task like sprinting uphill without a warm-up, your heart muscle will probably need more blood flow and oxygen. Warming up will lower your blood pressure and increase blood flow to the heart. This could reduce the risk of a heart attack. The speaker said he tested this with a heart rate monitor at several marathons.

He said the result, keeping the heart rate at the 50-60 percent threshold for the first 20 minutes, resulted in his slowest-ever first few miles but resulted in a PR. He also said he felt better overall after the race.  He stated he tested this theory by starting a race at 80 percent for 20 minutes and backing down, and his heart never really recovered, and he had an unusually high heart rate for the remainder of the race. 

The theory is to ease the heart into it, and it works more efficiently in the long run. May experiment, but from personal experience, I agree with him. I was not in the same shape as last year, but I wondered how I did better at Afton. The previous year at Afton, I pushed the first 10 miles, crashed, and struggled. This year, I started with the intent of keeping my heart rate in the 120's. For 10 miles, I did, but it was slower than the previous year. Although, I was able to keep moving with less fatigue.  That is an interesting subject, but I swear by running with a heart rate monitor to tell me how the ticker is performing.

Friday will be an all-night run at Superior. This is needed, and I look forward to it. Hope all is well in your training world.

Carry on.