@EricCharette Blogger

Thanks Team inov-8!!

2012-01-26T14:05:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, starting informally in 2009 and then officially for the 2010 and 2011 running seasons, I was a part of the U.S. inov-8 ultrarunning team. While I still am passionate about the brand and exclusively wear inov-8 trail shoes, I decided in November to not apply for the 2012 season. The team has meant a lot to me over the past few years enough that not applying was a difficult decision.

While I have loved representing the brand and being a part of the team, I had made some major changes in my life where running was not as important as it once was. For a long time I had a very ‘me first’ sort of attitude and was very selfish and self centered. This was pretty destructive behavior and being in a sport where we are celebrated based on our individual accomplishments, it was feeding my issues. I had to make some tough choices last year but they have really helped to give me a more well balanced life where God, family and friends come before me and running now has its place. To tell the truth I enjoy running so much more now and it seems like like a job! Everyone in my personal life has benefited from the changed me and I have become more of the person I want to be, not the person I was.

Being a part of team where the majority were national, if not world class trail and ultra running men and women, I always knew the value that I provided to the team. I raced very often and did moderately well in those races, but I also blogged a lot on my race results and along with team mate DeWayne Satterfield, feel proud that we helped to put inov-8 on the map through product promotion in Huntsville. Knowing that I couldn't do it as fast as the other people on the team, I thought that I had to do it very frequently to justify my selection for the team, which was probably just senseless self-induced pressure. In turn, I ran many races that I normally would not have, or races that I was not running for me, but for the team. Again, no one ever said a word about this to me, nor was it ever suggested that I needed to race frequently for the team, but it was just something that I felt I needed to do. Looking back now I see that this was just pressure I put on myself that did nothing but cause internal struggles and stress.

In the last few months I have gotten my life figured out, including my priorities and I just can’t devote the time to train for running ultra distance races like I used to. I am still running trails and racing ultras and plan to keep promoting inov-8 as much I can. Being a part of inov-8 has been a great experience for me and I hope that I made the team and brand proud over the last two years.

Running Year in Pictures

2012-01-02T21:09:00.235-06:00

I feel incredibly blessed to have experienced so much in 2011 through the people in my life, the destinations and the faith that held it all together. La Jolla to Australia to Costa Rica to Montana to Michigan to New York and a few stops in between. Here was my running year in pictures. Enjoy.

January

Running in the snow at Mountain Mist 50k on my way to a personal best 4:28 and 3rd consecutive 6th place finish.

Along the beach near La Jolla, California after a 20 mile long run with Anne Noble preparing for her marathon.

February

Finishing up my second fastest marathon ever with a 2:48 and 10th place overall at Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, Alabama.

Winning Black Warrior 25km in the third fastest time ever on the course in a time of 1:43:58.

Running a half marathon catching every possible site in Sydney, Australia including the Opera House in the background.

March

Posing with friends at the end of the 3rd annual Bushwhacker Marathon.

The start of the Rocket Run 10-miler in Mooresville, Alabama where finishing under an hour was enough to hang onto 3rd place.

April

Whiskey Hill didn't stop us from claiming some hardware at the Jack Daniels Half Marathon.

Finisher awards from the Salt Lake City Marathon.

First trip to Butte, Montana where the snow in late April made trail running nearly impossible.

Finish line of the cookie dash where you burn 300 calories and consume 3,000.

May

Feeling awful through the walls at Strolling Jim 41.2 miler.

Coming on strong at the end of Strolling Jim.

After coming on strong at the end of Strolling Jim came the collapse at the finish.

Coming back in from a hot run in Costa Rica before hitting up the pool and pool bar!

Looking good at Scenic City Trail 1/2 marathon with my personal best time, despite taking a wrong turn (shown here!)

Brand new Fleet Feet Racing Team uniforms make their debut at Cotton Row.

June

Coming down the final descent of the ski hill at Keyes Peak 50km with a 4:06 and 3rd place overall.

July

All smiles with buddy Dan Dehlin at the start of the Run the Keweenaw Stage race, here awaiting the 6km hill climb.

About to start the last stage at Run the Keweenaw with Dan Dehlin.

Awards ceremony for RTK with Danny, where we placed 2nd and 1st for all three events (6k/12k/25k) in 26 hours.

Figuring out my life and being saved by God's Grace on the 28 mile Trap Hills Traverse.

August

Sub-36 10km final relay leg on the tough Rocketman Triathlon course.

Winning relay team at Rocketman.

September

First time winning a race two years in a row with a 16:43 at Care Center 5km.

Finding clarity on the continental divide with a great hill climb to Our Lady of the Rockies.

October

My second fastest ever time at the windy and hilly Southern Tennessee 1/2 marathon, earning 2nd place overall.

Tackling my nemesis at Fleet Feet 15km and avenging a DNF from 2010 to set a personal best of 54:59.87

Thanks to Erik Debolt for pushing us to 4:50 pace in the final 1/2 mile at Liz Hurley for a sub 17 minute finish, wearing pink!

Posing with the eventual winner and course record holder for the Pill Hill Redux 10km, Anne Noble!

Killing the last climb at Xterra Monte Sano as a runner; co-race directed the event and designed the course.

Stuck with friend George Heeschen the entire way and ran my fastest ever 5km at Spooktacular in 16:29.83.

November

Making one last charge at the New York Marathon to stay 20 minutes ahead of my BQ time and finish 668/40,000.

Finally realizing a marathon dream to have completed the US marathon majors; Chicago, Boston (twice) and New York.

Running 2 miles, eating a dozen donuts, running 2 miles. Fun? Yes. Dumb? Yes. Alas, I'm the Donut King of 2011.

December

Leading the 3:10 pace group at Rocket City Marathon with a 3:09:32 finishing time.

Monte Sano Hills(s) Climb Challenge

2012-01-01T16:40:00.002-06:00

Resurrecting this old post after running repeats on Waterline today to see how my times compared to my best personal recorded times. As the original post read, "my good friend Brian Robinson is a true believer in measuring your performance based on time trial trails and he has me sold. I love to climb!"

Waterline (Alms House to Bluffline) = 0.76 miles and 569' of climb

Time: 8:53 (updated on January 2, 2012) in the middle of a 13 mile run with Will Barnwell and Laura McCrain
Times: 9:53, 9:30, 9:21 (updated January 1, 2012) doing repeats in the middle of an 8 mile run.
Old best was 9:43 from January 10, 2009 while chasing David Riddle

Death Trail (Bottom to overlook) = 0.64 miles and 655' of climb

Time: 8:48 (updated September 11, 2011 with James Falcon and Eric Fritz)

K2 (or Flat Rock Connector from Flat Rock intersection to Goat Trail) = 0.40 miles and 262' of climb

Time: 4:33 (updated Jan 17, 2008 with E. Schotz and J. Elmore)

Sinks (Start below 3 benches at lowest point up Sinks, across Mtn Mist Trail to Stone Wall at bikers lot) = 0.50 miles and 292' of climb

Time: 4:26 (updated Jan 17, 2008 with E. Schotz and J. Elmore)

Natural Well (from Natural well trail intersection with Arrowhead trail to the actual Natural Well) = 0.33 miles and 326' of climb

Time: 4:21 (updated Jan 18, 2008)

Bankhead Challenge (1.23 miles from the top gate at the overlook at 1,570' to the bottom gate at 1,335' along the closed section of Bankhead Parkway and then back up, totalling 2.46 miles containing 235' of drop (3.6%) and 235' of climb for 470' of elevation change.)

Down in 6:30 (5:17 pace) + Up in 7:58 (6:29 pace) = 14:28 (5:39 pace) on September 8, 2011

2011 Rocket City Marathon

2011-12-21T15:36:00.003-06:00

Once again I had the priveledge of directing the Nike Fleet Feet Pace Teams for Rocket City Marathon and also running one the pace groups. Last year provided a unique challenge as I paced the 3:40 group just six days after racing California International Marathon. This year I had a few weeks to recover after the New York City Marathon, but was also tasked with pacing the 3:10 group (7:15 pace).

I find it rewarding personally to sacrifice my time and offer up my skills as a runner to help others realize their goals. The temperatures where ideal, while I knew that the wind was going to be a challenge in the second half as the course turned back toward the finish. As such, my plan was to be about a minute ahead of pace at the half way mark, which I felt would give the group the best chance to finish under the goal time. Each mile I watched the pace and tried to coach the runners on what to expect with the course, fueling, tangents, etc. Rolling through 13.1 miles we were right on at 1:34:08 as we ran south bound on Bailey Cove. I was very happy to see that we still had a group of about 25 people running together.

As expected, the futher we ran, the small the group got as slowly runners fell off of pace. I tried to let them know that based on experience that that the turn onto Bailey Cove would be directly into a headwind and that we needed to run single-file, stride for stride staying together and drafting. I began to work a lot harder driving into the wind to stay even pace, but most of the runners fell behind. By the time I made the turn through the neighborhood and approached the hill on Chicamauga Trail, none of my original group remained.

I had picked up several new runners that had gone out ahead of schedule and now slowed down. I carried a few of them for several miles at a time and one even stayed with me step for step through to the finish! (48 year old Robby Callahan of Prattville, Alabama)

I slowed slightly through the hills (from miles 21-25) but still stayed on overall pace and proudly finished at 3:09:29, staying mostly even (1:34:08 / 1:35:21) in the first and second halves.

Robby did say to me toward the end "that this must be easy for you guys". I laughed a little... running a marathon is never easy, not matter what the finishing time is when you have to run even pace, especially on a course that has some rolling hills and a headwind in the last 10 miles. Yet on this day, that was my job and I gladly accepted the challenge!

Mile	Split	Total	Average
1	7:14.47	0:07:14	0:07:14
2	7:10.38	0:14:25	0:07:12
3	7:10.00	0:21:35	0:07:12
4	7:06.30	0:28:41	0:07:10
5	7:13.82	0:35:55	0:07:11
6	7:13.17	0:43:08	0:07:11
7	7:06.76	0:50:15	0:07:11
8	7:12.97	0:57:28	0:07:11
9	7:12.35	1:04:40	0:07:11
10	7:08.43	1:11:49	0:07:11
11	7:10.60	1:18:59	0:07:11
12	7:08.73	1:26:08	0:07:11
13	7:08.37	1:33:16	0:07:10
14	7:10.30	1:40:27	0:07:10
15	7:08.98	1:47:36	0:07:10
16	7:08.92	1:54:45	0:07:10
17	7:13.06	2:01:58	0:07:10
18	7:11.74	2:09:09	0:07:11
19	7:12.95	2:16:22	0:07:11
20	7:15.85	2:23:38	0:07:11
21	7:20.41	2:30:59	0:07:11
22	7:21.69	2:38:20	0:07:12
23	7:22.00	2:45:42	0:07:12
24	7:24.58	2:53:07	0:07:13
25	7:33.45	3:00:40	0:07:14
26	7:16.45	3:07:57	0:07:14
26.2	1:33.52	3:09:30	0:07:14

As for the Nike Fleet Feet Pacers, I am glad to report that their average was being UNDER by 42 seconds with some staying under by as close as 5, 7, 9 and 15 seconds to their goal time. Jay Lloyd even went as far as running even first and second half splits of 1:47:05/1:47:05. While not many runners stayed with the pace group leaders after mile 15 (turn into the wind) the pacers stayed even through to the end. This was tough to "leave" the runners as they slowed, but other runners (ahead) were also counting on the pacers to come in right on pace. A couple pacers just missed their times but wasn't due to fitness, but to watch/GPS issues and we did not have any complaints that I heard in these areas.

I am very proud of this team as running even pace for 26.2 miles doesn't just happen on race day; it takes practice and months of training. Many of these pacers have already asked to be involved next year. I think they felt this personally rewarding to put others needs and goals above their own.

Pacer	Pace Group	Chip Time	Difference
Dewayne Satterfield	3:05	3:04:29	31 seconds under
Eric Charette	3:10	3:09:29	31 seconds under
David O'Keefe	3:15	3:14:45	15 seconds under
Brett Addington	3:25	3:24:35	25 seconds under
Eric Patterson	3:30	3:29:09	51 seconds under
Jay Lloyd	3:35	3:33:57	1 minute 3 seconds under
Adam Swann	3:40	3:39:34	26 seconds under
David Rawlings	3:45	3:44:53	7 seconds under
Katie Maehlmann	3:55	3:55:50	50 seconds over
Christy Scott	4:00	3:57:35	2 minutes 25 seconds under
Tom Gale	4:10	4:11:00	1 minute under
Bryan Campbell	4:25	4:24:01	59 seconds under
Linda Scavarda	4:25	4:24:51	9 seconds under
David Coon	4:40	4:39:55	5 seconds under
Shawn Smith	4:40	4:40:07	7 seconds over
Suzanne Erickson	4:55	4:54:03	57 seconds under
Carrie Wilson	4:55	4:54:03	57 seconds under

Major Dream

2011-11-13T16:37:00.002-06:00

On October 3rd, 2005 I ran my first marathon; it was an utter and epic failure. On that sunny day in Milwaukee, I ran the first 16 miles in two hours. It took me two hours and 55 minutes to walk the next 10 miles. My debut marathon was a 4:55 and I was in tears. Any thoughts of running a Boston Qualifying 3:10 were so far from reality that I wondered if I would ever run another marathon.

I did.

In the spring of 2006 I trained smarter, not harder, and ran the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. On a perfect weather day, I was able to run 3:18 and officially had caught that marathon bug. Despite the throbbing pain in my legs, I started to wonder if I'd ever been good enough to run at Boston. Dreaming even bigger, I knew that somewhere along the way I would like to run all three of the U.S. marathon majors; Chicago, Boston and New York.

So I wrote it down on my bucket list.

While I thought that since I was so close to qualifying for Boston that it would be easy, I failed on my next attempt. In doing so, I managed to complete step one of my goal and finish the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 3:16 in October of 2006.

Then on my second attempt to qualify for Boston in South Carolina at the Myrtle Beach Marathon I failed again. This time I was a kick away from making the mark, as I finished in 3:11:12 and missed the mark by 13 seconds. I was more heart broken in coming so close than I was in my near five hour finish in Milwaukee. The dejected look on my face tells the story of how I was feeling.

Despite the continued failures, I tried again in May of 2007 at Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. This proved to be my day and with my parents sitting in Lambeau field at mile 25 to cheer me on, I was able to run 3:07 and finally qualify for the Boston Marathon. The second leg of my marathon majors dream was not set into motion.

I would go on to run Boston in April of 2008, finishing just under the time I needed to requalify for the following year, notching a 3:09. Chicago. Check. Boston. Check. Now was it possible to break 3 hours in the marathon?

In December 2008 I laid it all out on the line and after logging numerous hundred mile weeks and training to the breaking point, I raced Rocket City Marathon to a 2:54. I felt like I had finally arrived as a marathoner and wanted to take my game back to Boston for another shot.

Boston 2009 went much better as I was able to stick with Dink Taylor for the first 16 miles before the Newton Hills and after struggling through to Boston College, was able to hold on to run 2:56. Two marathons in a row under three hours.

While getting into Chicago was a matter of registering early enough to run amongst 40,000 other people, it took qualifying to run on Patriot's Day in Massachusetts in 2008 and 2009. To get into New York, I would either have to be lucky and gain entry through the lottery, or I would have to bypass the lottery with a fast marathon time. That would mean running under 2:55 again and after struggling to a 2:58 at Rocket City in late 2009, I wondered if I could do it again.

So in June of 2010 I started training to run my fastest marathon ever. I put together a brutal training plan and booked a flight to Sacramento, where I would test my skills at the ultra fast California International Marathon. After hitting some very fast times in training, including a 1:15:32 half marathon, I felt like I was ready. Then on race day in early December, everything came together and I was fortunate enough to run a 2:43:40 which would ensure my entry into New York. The final step of my marathon dream was not one step closer to reality.

In February, I ran a miserable 2:48 at Mercedes Marathon which was part of left over fitness from Sacramento as I had not done any training since December as I was suffering from burn out. Despite the 1:20 / 1:28 splits, it still was my second fastest marathon ever and 5th marathon in a row under three hours.

So with that finish in Birmingham, I decided it was time to run New York. With my 2:43 and 2:48, I was able to bypass the lottery and was accepted. Ten months later I would be in the Big Apple.

Training for New York started late in the summer and with the heat of Alabama, was not coming along very well. I was able to pick it up in September, but felt like I was a month behind where I needed to be, given the race was in November and I was used to training for a marathon in December. The race times were where they needed to be, as I was able to run several 5km races under 17 minutes and at a fitness check half marathon in Winchester, Tennessee, I hit 1:16 on a hilly course. The only thing that I was lacking was quality long runs, having only gone over 20 miles once. So I was in great half marathon shape, but combined with an ailing right knee, shooting pains in my left inner calf and a possible torn rotator cuff, I was worried how the race might go.

The race started out warm and with a tough climb on the Narrows Bridge. I mostly held 6:10 pace for the first 10 miles, but was struggling on the rolling hills of Brooklyn. I split the first half in 1:22 but but the base of the Queensboro Bridge, I was starting to drop off quickly. The climb of that bridge over to Manhattan and the head wind seemed to break my spirit and I had slowed drastically.

The blessing of the day was at mile 16 when in the middle of the largest single day sporting event for number of spectators, with millions and millions of fans, I was able to spot Anne in the crowd. I told her that it was not my day and she told me that quitting was not an option and encouraged me to hold on. It was amazing that I was able to see her and it was the motivation that I needed to finish.

So trying to keep it under 2:55, I knew that I had to run around seven-minute miles for the final ten miles to make it. It took a lot of hard work and complete concentration to hold that pace as the effort I was putting into that pace was very difficult. By mile 23 I realized that I had slipped even further off of pace and I would have to run under seven-minute miles for the last 5km to break 2:55; a pace I had not seen since mile 14.

The final two miles in Central Park were mostly a blur and my legs were tingling. I didn't know if that meant they were ready to give out or not, but I pushed ahead, knowing that I did not have much room to spare. Making the final turn near Columbus Circle I could begin to see signs in metric noting the distance remaining. First 400 meters, then 200 meters, then 100 meters... I had nothing left at the end so there was never a final kick but I didn't need it. I was able to keep it under 2:55 and reach my B goal and run 2:54:44.

I had held on to finish my seventeenth marathon, with the final six marathons raced at under three hours. More importantly, I was able to realize a dream of completing the three major marathons in this country. A dream set into motion more than five years earlier.

I feel tremendously blessed to have been given the gift to run, the motivation to train hard and the determination to keep trying after failure. These medals have been a dream of mine for a half decade, but the glory of finally earning them all goes to God.

we are all the same

2011-10-21T18:53:00.002-05:00

I hope I can find the right words to describe what I am thinking about. If there is any question on my intent then I got the wording wrong and have failed. I am just open and honest and like to share what I am thinking and appreciate your comments. I hope I am not just rambling!

Recently someone said that I was an elite runner and that it was an honor to talk with me about running. I have thought long and hard about what this means. Just like I look up to faster runners as elite, this person probably does the same to me. While none of us are going to the Olympics any time soon, I appreciated the kind words, but I also realize that it takes nothing more than going to a big time race to be humbled as to where we fit with our abilities. I appreciate the fact that they look up to me and I will admit that selfishly it does feel good to be recognized for something, but should it be an honor to have me dispense some running advice? No.

Please don't be afraid to talk to me at a race or any other time about running or life. I put my shoes on just like you do. I paid the same race entry fee as you do. Regardless of finishing time, we both put forth the same effort during the race. If you ran as hard as you could and you are proud of that effort, then I would love to hear about it. I am always looking to talk to people before and after races; I love to hear the stories of where people are from, the adversity of their training and other stories that help bring as closer together as athletes. Its no more of a privilege to talk with a faster runner than it would be to talk with someone who has a higher rank at work; we are all people at heart and when you take running away, we are the same.

I have been taught by some of the best guys in town and I would love nothing more than to be able to pass this on to the up and coming runners. If I kept it all to myself then it was a waste for those who taught me. I want to teach you so that you can teach others and pay it forward. I'd love to have a beer with you sometime and talk about running or anything but running. I love it when people ask me for help on training or something running related where I can leverage what I have learned to help them out.

Just because I may run fast doesn't mean that I am any different than you. I respect the fact that you are out there doing it and trying your best. I am not above running with or talking to anyone. If anything; the opposite. People think that because you are fast that all you do is run fast. I love to run with friends of all paces and really I just enjoy the company of running with other people. If I am training for a goal race I will find a time for my quality running. Not many people enjoy running alone day after day and I am no different; sometimes I'd rather sacrifice a key workout just to not run alone. After all, we are just human first and runners much further down the list.

Now I will be honest to say that after I warm up before a race, and lower the sunglasses, that is how I go to that mental state that I need to be in order to race my best. Some athletes use heavy rock music on their ipod to take them there; for me lowering the sunglasses puts me into the zone. So please don't take this as being elitest; its just what I need to be at the top of my game. The second the race is over, I get more enjoyment from seeing people finish and with a joyful tone talk about how exciting it was to race. I was able to help you in your training, with coaching or to even just encourage you with my words or cheering during the race, then that is greater than any medal or reward I could receive for my own efforts.

If I have ever made you feel unimportant at a race, then I apologize. I used to be a jerk. I used to be a jerk with an ego thinking that I was hot stuff, when in the grand scheme of things, I was just a jerk. If that is who you still think that I am, then you are welcome to your opinion, but I invite you to strike up a conversation with me now and let's start over. I think you will be surprised. I pray that someday I will be known for who I am, my beliefs and maybe how I impacted your life in a positive way, not because I ran a fast race once upon a time.

So if you are a 5 minute miler or a 9 minute miler; a 40 mile a week person or an 80 mile a week person; a 10 mile runner or a 100 mile runner; we are all the same, you and I. We are runners. We are athletes. We all suffer the same during races, hurt after hard workouts, have occasional injuries and smile from ear to ear when we cross the finish line, knowing that we have given our best effort. We all look up to people who are faster than us. None of us are elite.

After all, we are the same, you and I.

2011 Liz Hurley 5km

2011-10-15T22:31:00.001-05:00

I have always loved this race and 2011 was no exception. There is something about being motivated by the overall cause of supporting breast cancer awareness, the cool temperatures, the fast course, the competitive field and being able to cheer on the women in their separate race afterward. This was the 4th year in a row that I have run this race, and maybe it is the time of year, but I have always faired well. Starting with a 17:04 in 2008 (10th), 17:01 in 2009 (5th) and a personal best 16:36 last year (7th).

I had thoughts leading into the race of trying to hold 5:20 pace and run faster than 2009, but with a recently ailing right knee, I just hoped to have a solid run without much pain. This was also three weeks out from the New York marathon, so sandwiched around the race I needed to log 20 miles. I met with Dr. Culpepper on Thursday and he said there was nothing structurally wrong with my knee but that he wasn't sure what the problem was, so he just prescribed some anti-inflammatories. I'm hoping the knee responds positively to give me confidence in the marathon. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers I have received; there are so many people that need those prayers more than me so it meant a lot to me that people would pray for my health to compete in a foot race.

The weather was great to start in the low 50's and after a few delays at the line, we were off. The pack thinned out faster than in previous years and I was able to run the tangents through the s-curves of Lowe before the turn to Madison. As we climbed up toward the square, I settled into a nice pace behind Brad Schroeder and I was running in 4th. I knew there was a ton of talented guys just seconds behind me and at anytime I could easily slip out of the top ten if I slowed. Brad opened up the gap coming off of the square and just before the first mile marker, good friend George Heeschen passed me as we clocked a 5:18. George and I joked last night over beers that neither of us felt like racing!

I felt a little bit of the bear jump on my back in the second mile, which at 5km pace I have described as 'unforgiving' with the turns and slowly gradual hills. It was nice to see Anne and her pups on the corner of Randolph and White as I was able to snap out of my zone and refocus. If I were going to make a charge at sub 17, I would have to capitalize on the fast downhill of Randolph. My second mile split was a slow 5:32, which put me at 10:50 overall. George had pulled away and would go on to have a great race.

The two-turn combination of Lincoln and Williams is always taxing and I let up just enough that Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team mates Donald Bowman and Erik Debolt nearly pulled even. We topped out on Adams and after a very fast recovery, picked up the cadence and dropped the pace. We were running along at about 5-minute pace and Erik was right with me. He was in great shape coming off of the Army 10 miler last weekend and I knew that he would out kick me if we stayed together until the final tenth of a mile. I decided to push the pace early, instead of waiting, and dropped it down to around 4:50. I put a little gap between us, but as we crossed Lowe and neared the end, he closed in. We were both running all out, pulling each other along. Somehow I managed to hold on and together we ran 16:56 and 16:57.

(All photos courtesy of Carolyn Derting)

Later Erik and I joked that neither of us probably would have broken 17 alone but together we did it! It wasn't 5:20 pace or a personal best, but on a day when I wasn't fully healthy and on that relentless rolling hill course, I am happy with the results and of my effort. Breaking 17 might be easy for some people, but I really have to be in good shape and work very hard to get there.

I was happy to see that all of my friends ran so well today! As always, I am very thankful that I was able to compete and am proud of my 5th place finish, but I hope in the process I was able to remember that the glory of this day is all His.

A Year Later

2011-10-08T15:31:00.003-05:00

I had just run past the aid station before mile 5 near Monte Sano Elementary of the Fleet Feet 15km. I was pacing along at 5:45 min/miles when suddenly I just lost the will to run. I calmly stopped and walked off the course and started to make my way back to the park. I was going through some very difficult times in my personal life leading into the race and emotionally I had no business racing. It was one of my worst days ever.

That was one year ago today.

Now a year later, what I thought was one of my worst days ever, turned out to be one of my best days ever. It was the first day of the rest of my life and the last year has been more amazing than the previous thirty-four. I am no longer the same person I was last year, having grown spiritually to where running no longer runs my life. I still enjoy it, but it has its place and time further down the list where it should be.

So when I ran past the aid station this morning averaging the same 5:45 pace, I did not stop; I did not walk off the course. I felt a little devine breeze which made me smile and I managed to stayed strong for the second half of the race.

On a challenging couse around Panorama, I was able to set a personal record of 54:59.87. I am very proud of my effort not only with the time, but that I put to rest any thoughts of last year. I didn't win the race today but I did have an amazing emotional victory.

I continue to feel blessed that I have been given this great opportunity to turn my life around. I owe much to the people around me that have been there through the good and bad times. I feel like I am on the right road, but far from complete. God is not done with me yet and I trust in his plan.

While the personal record feels great I know that the glory of this day is all His.

Clarity on the Divide

2011-09-22T20:54:00.000-05:00

For weeks leading into my westward journey, I paid little attention to the work for which I was traveling to perform. My thoughts were focused instead on the ascent from the valley floor up to the top of the ridgeline where the Continental Divide lies. This doesn’t mean that I was neglecting my work responsibilities; I had prepared diligently for the work meetings and would be ready to execute my presentation to the best of my ability. In the same breathe, I was so excited to return to Montana to climb up to the divide, as on my two previous trips to the state, both in June of 2010 at Glacier National Park and to Butte in April of this year, the snow made the trails impassable and I was unable to reach it.

While standing atop the divide in GNP would have nice, the real draw was in Butte, where at 8,500’, towering more than two-thirds of a mile above the city, was the Our Lady of the Rockies statue. The statue was built by volunteers beginning on December 29, 1979 and culminated six years later. The statue, which stands for all mothers is built in the likeness of Mary, Mother of Jesus. At 90’ tall, it is the second largest statue in the United States and she can be seen easily during the day, but her real majesty can be seen at night when the statue is illuminated and her ghostly white appearance makes it seem as if she is floating in the sky.

The gravel road that leads to the statue starts along the interstate with a sternly locked gate at 6,380’. From there, the well-groomed road ascends quickly in the first 3 miles climbing to 7,800’. With no warm up for my legs, I was quickly fatigued from running the first mile and alternated running and walking briskly for the next two after that. From there the grade is not as steep, but still winds upward to a peak of 8,163’ at the five-mile mark. I ran continuously through this section as the road featured fewer switchbacks but instead more long stretches of steady climb. I stopped once for a brief check of the map to confirm that on the second fork that I was to stay to the left. After crossing over the divide and onto the west side with the absence of sun, the temperature dropped quickly. The road came through an unlocked gate, which is also where I hit the highest point on the run. I was a little concerned that I had taken the wrong fork as the gravel road dropped a few hundred feet but with the marvels of technology, I was able to consult my GPS to confirm I was still heading south, and my iPhone with aerial photography on Google maps confirmed the Lady was just around the bed; even from Satellite imagery, she could be seen from above.

After one more gate, I came around a bend and what stood in the distance before me was one of the most amazing sights I have ever taken in. I ran down the last section of the road and toward the statue like a small child sprinting toward the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. I was surprised that there was no fence and I was able to run right up to the statue, pressing stop on my Garmin at the same time. As I walked around to the eastern face, I was in utter disbelief at the shear size of the statue. Being just after 6pm, there was not a person in sight and I had the place to myself.

After catching my breath, I dropped my gear on the ground at her feet. I had packed far too much for this short run, but I did not want to be unprepared should the weather turn quickly and be caught in the elements. I then sat down on a large rock and was deep in thought and prayer for some time. Being there, I was in total and utter awe; not of the statue, the run, the mountains, or anything man made – but of the greatness of our God. The journey began as a physical test, but had turned into a spiritual experience in which I found great clarity of mind. I was able to focus on the things that are important to me, including my faith and loved ones as well as to make sense of some things that have troubled me lately. It was very peaceful and just what I needed when I needed it. Being blessed with the ability and passion to climb brought me up there, but using the opportunity to make the most of it was His reward to me.

Having gotten a late start, I stayed for as long as I could before it was time to leave. I took a few pictures, which included the view down into the city and of the surrounding natural features. These images will help remind me one day of this trip and I am happy to share those, but the memories of the experience beyond what I have mentioned are mine alone, which is why the story ends here.

I wasn’t out to seek any speed records on this run, for it was about much more than that, yet I was pleased with my time of 59:04. This was 10:12 pace for the 5.78-mile climb, which from just after the start, was at a higher altitude than I had ever run before. The return trip to the rental car took just 48 minutes and I was rewarded with the most amazing sunset on the way down.

There are not many reasons to visit Butte Montana; this once booming town full of wealth and people, is now but a small quant former mining town in a shadow of its former self. But if you are ever passing through, I would recommend that you find your way to that locked gate and the gravel road. With my travels, I have seen quite a few natural and man-made wonders, but I’d be hard pressed to think of another right now that compares to what I felt when I was on top of the divide and maybe none other that were able to take my breathe away.

I wish that I could describe it better, but I think that it is just something that you have to experience for yourself.

Bankhead Challenge

2011-09-08T20:49:00.002-05:00

I thought that it was possible, but not for me. Maybe that is why after failing four times, I tried it a fifth time; and failed again.

The concept came to me one day while running on the roads in Monte Sano State Park and seemed quite simple. Was it possible to run gate to gate in under 15 minutes? 1.23 miles out and 1.23 miles back. 2.46 miles in under 15 minutes works out to be 6:05 pace which at face value sounds possible. Then add in the fact that the "top" gate sits at 1,570' and the "bottom" gate sits at 1,335' and they are connected by a closed section of Bankhead Parkway that used to be an entrance into the state park. So now the 2.46 miles contains 235' of drop (3.6%) and 235' of climb for 470' of elevation change.

Was this possible? The math says yes. Run down at 5:05 pace and back up at 7:05 pace, or the many combinations of speed that produce a sub 15 minute time. Was this possible for me? I really doubted it, and after failing five times, I didn't think it would ever happen. I wasn't just failing, but I was failing miserably... I varied the technique of trying to run 4:50 race down, which resulted in having to rest at the bottom before jogging slowly back up. I tried running down slower, but I was unable to come up at any faster than 6:40 pace.

With cooler temperatures tonight, and a gang of pals along who were running the 10 mile Panorama Loop, I decided that it was time for try for a sixth time. While the weather was cooperating, my legs were trashed. I was coming off of a double race on Saturday (10km/5km back to back), 8x600m downhill repeats at 4:50 pace on Tuesday and then a 17:05 fun run 5km on Wednesday night. Not even compression socks could help ease the fatigue. Yet I was bound and determined to try it again...

We warmed up fairly quickly, clocking miles of 7:03, 6:28, 6:09, 6:14 and 3:10 for 4.5 miles (6:27 pace), which wasn't exactly what you want before a speed attempt, but when we hit the top gate, I hit lap on my watch, leapt the "rock" in stride and was on my way.

I decided to run easier down and try to run harder coming back up. It was one of the many variations that I had not tinkered with on my previous failures. I was still cruising, focusing on a fast turnover and maintaining my form, but I was not all out. I have never been a good downhill runner, which was one of the many reasons why I was so intrigued by this challenge as it would test the ability to run fast downhill and immediately turn around and hammer it coming back up. I touched the bottom gate and hit lap on my watch in 6:30, which averaged out to be 5:17 pace. I was breathing hard, but I was not gassed like I had been on previous attempts.

I had 8 minutes and 30 seconds to get back to the top, which was 6:55 pace. After the first 400 meters after the turn, self doubt started to creep in as I was struggling to find a regular breathing pattern and was working very hard. I put my head down and kept my arms swinging forward, helping to propel my knees up. I take pride in my ability to climb as it required a lot of work, which I enjoy. While it was not an eternity of time to fall into deep thought, I had visions of my many previous failures but by half way, I was starting to believe. The more I believed, the faster I ran. The faster I ran, the more I believed. As I hit the 200 meter mark (to go) I found another gear and picked up the pace. I finally touched the top gate and hit stop on my watch. Looking down it read 7:58 (for the 1.23 mile lap) which worked out to 6:29 pace.

It took a second for the math to sink in, but then I realized that 6:30 + 7:58 was 14:28. After failing five times, I refused to give up, kept training, and on my sixth attempt I crushed it.

Does this mean anything to anyone else? Not whatsoever. It was an arbitrary distance and an arbitrary time. Does it mean something to me? Yes, indeed. Not just because I didn't think that it was possible, and not just because I had failed so many times before time, but because I believed that it COULD happen. Christ has given me the ability to run, like he has to so many others, but he has also given me the patience and dedication (in so many walks of life) to work hard and trust in Him that it WOULD happen. Goals are great ways to check your fitness and see the fruits of your labor.

Thanks to Brett Wilks who encouraged who probably believed that I could do it before I did and when it was over, was just as happy as I was.

2011 Rocketman Triathlon Relay

2011-08-29T15:59:00.003-05:00

August 28th, 2011

When I am not sure where to start, I always find that the beginning is the best place.

Shortly before the first athletes hit the water to kick off the 18th annual Rocketman Triathlon, Chris Welch, Tom Gale and Kenny Sexton from FCA Endurance brought a few folks together on the shores of the Tennessee River for a Sunday morning service. The way that these guys have emphasized their faith and been able to take the focus off of themselves in a predominately individual sport has been very inspiring and I wanted to hear their words before competing on this beautiful morning.

Tom had a few words prepared that really stuck with me throughout the race, over the course of the day and into the evening. He titled it, ‘More than a PR.’ Here are some points that he talked about (in italics), what they meant to me and how I was able to apply them.

God has something BIG for you today. “What is it?” The thrill of a PR--that accomplishment you’ve been shooting for-- is a wonderful feeling. But how long does that feeling last? And in the long run, what’s the real significance of that accomplishment? The greater impact you can have today—the longer lasting impact—is not that coveted PR.

Going into the race, I had been training very hard, though not for this particular event. The goal race was later this fall, but today I was competing as part of a relay team and on race day, I still wanted to give it everything I had. While driving to the race, I was focusing on 1 Corinthians 9:27 – I strike a blow to my body, make it my slave so after I have preached to others I will not be disqualified for the prize. Yes our relay team was assembled not just to win, but to defeat all competitors, both individual and team. But for me individually, I was racing to sacrifice my body up to the Lord, as to give him thanks and praise for the gifts that he has bestowed upon me. He has given me the fleet of foot and the determination to pound myself into the ground through training such that I can excel on race day. But He has given those gifts to many people; sadly so few do anything with them and even less do anything to honor Him for them. It really only has been of late that I am in that small number of people, taking to heart the words of Leo Buscaglia - Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. So really I did not know what God had in store for me on this day, but I was racing with a purpose and eager to see how we would surprise me.

Your real impact today may look more like this:
- Worship God throughout the race
- Look for opportunities to encourage others
- Rely on Christ and only Him
- Put the credit where it belongs—on God!
- Forgive someone
- Share the Gospel of Christ

When I was finally able to take the timing chip from Dave, I was off on the run, racing through the crowds with the individual leader already out of sight. I was so excited to run after having been up for 5 hours that I rushed out to a 2:30 first 800m; not a good sign in a 10km race. I was able to dial it back and relax very quickly though, remembering the race plan that I had put together. Though I was not thinking about strengthening my faith on this morning through works, Tom’s words were ringing in my ears in the early miles. Before turning onto the trail section, I found myself thinking about Corinthians again as my leg turn over rolled along smoothly. Yes I was out to run as fast as I possibly could without crashing, but first and foremost I was focusing remembering that my body was a temple with the Holy Spirit within it and my purpose was to honor God with my body (1 Cor 6:19-20). Before I realized much of anything, I had chased the leader down and before turning out of the woods and back onto the gravel road, I was leading the way.

I will openly admit that this race was very painful. The rolling hills, the gravel roads, the uneven footing and soaring temperatures must have been tough on the individual competitors as it was taking its toll on me. I pushed on as hard as I could and kept my effort very even, despite the varying pace with the changing conditions. I tried my best to thank all of the volunteers at each aid station and the course marshals guiding me to make the correct turns, but I am sure that I missed some. My body was responding to every request I made of it, but it was taking a lot of focus at that level of intensity and at times I couldn’t get out any words!

I was very thankful to finally be back on the pavement for the out and back section as I didn’t have to think about my footing as much and could just stay on my tangents. Making the turn around the cone was a tremendous emotional lift as I knew that I was in the home stretch and would finally start to see other runners. In the past my first reaction would be to see where the competition was so I could judge how much effort I needed to put forth to stay in the lead. But on this day, I was not competing against the individuals, but really against myself. This allowed me to run my race, and as I passed by the other runners I was able to give them words of encouragement. It was rewarding and uplifting to cheer on these athletes who in their own way were sacrificing their bodies and had been doing it through all facets of the event. I even felt slightly guilty running so fast, knowing that I had not swam nearly a mile, nor had I biked 40km. I tried to turn this feeling around and even though I was running hard and nearly out of breathe myself, I was able to get some words out to each runner I saw. To my surprise, I was actually able to run faster as a result! I believe that this was His way of rewarding me for trying to do his good will and I was thankful for it.

Coming over the final hill I knew that it was just a sprint to the finish. I really had to fight through the pain and fatigue if I was going to break 36 minutes. I had been dealing with the fatigue for awhile and was starting to doubt my ability to even finish, with less than a half mile to go! It is remarkable how your mind can play tricks on you in trying times. Instead of focusing on the pain, which would only increase as my pace quickened, I simply let go… for a brief moment I closed my eyes and prayed for the strength to finish strong. I used to believe that I controlled everything in my life, including running. When I finally accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, I realized that I didn’t control any of it; it was all in His hands. As He has written in Phillippians 4:13, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, I was able to run close to 5 minute pace for the final half mile with confidence that He would lead me home.

In the few races that I have won, you will probably recognize the same thing from me as I approach the finish; A single finger pointing upward and a glance in that direction to give him thanks and place the credit where it belongs; not on me but with Him. In those final moments where I am running all out, I am thinking not of the glory of winning a race, but of Matthew 5:16 - Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The race is a way of sacrificing my body to show that I am thankful for the gifts that I have been given, but my simple gesture to the sky is my way of letting my light shine before all to see, as to glorify the Father.

Photo by Ed Blalack

After catching my breath and greeting my team mates, my first thought was to change my shoes and get back out on the course to cheer on the other people still running. While at one point in my life I will admit that I did this out of selfish glorification, now it is purely selfless in wanting to encourage others to push through the pain and fatigue toward their finish line. I have said before and I reiterate, for as much joy as I get out of the race, the joy is tenfold when I get back out of the course for others. When I went back out, I thought of Tom’s words of taking the emphasis off of myself and looking for the opportunity to praise God and do his good will; on this day that was in the form the miles I ran AFTER the race was over. So while my relationship with God is in my heart and strengthened by what I believe, today was more about physical acts of work in sharing Christ with others.

So what was the ‘big thing’ that Tom referred to in the sunrise service that God had in store for me on this day? Was it the fastest run time? Was it the relay team overall win? Was it standing on the top of the podium during awards? All of those things were nice, but they can’t compare to bringing glory and honor to the Creator through my actions. Was everything I did Christian on this day? Sadly, no. But that is why we continue to work on our faults and through prayer and devotion; we can only hope become better Christians.

Tom finished the sunrise service with Romans 15: 5-6 May the God who gives ENDURANCE and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A huge thanks to my team mates Andrew Hodges and Dave Varoujean who dominated their events as well and put us in position to finish in 1:58:19. Also to the race director Mike Gerrity for putting on a great race.

Photo by Ed Blalack

Why do I wear LIVESTRONG?

2011-07-26T13:56:00.001-05:00

Why do I wear a LIVESTRONG bracelet on my right wrist? As a reminder to remember.

For the last 2500 days (6 years, 10 months) I have worn a yellow silicone gel bracelet on my right wrist. While the reason I first put it on and the reasons I continue to wear it have changed, what has not changed is the fact that it has never been taken off; not once. That is an amazing piece of endurance silicone! Let’s take a look at what it has meant to me over the years.

The earliest documented proof that I can find in photos of having it on my wrist was at the Fox Cities 5km in Menasha, WI on September 26, 2004. Just a month prior at the Cheese Head and Disco 5km in Hilbert Wisconsin it doesn’t show in the pictures, so I will declare 9/26 as day 1.

The bracelet was part of the "Wear Yellow Live Strong" educational program intended to raise money for cancer research, raise cancer awareness, and encourage people to live life to the fullest. Selling for $1 each, the initial plan was to raise $25.1 million for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The goal was reached within 6 months, and there have now been 80 million LIVESTRONG bracelets sold to date. The band became a popular fashion item in the United States by the end of the summer of 2004. Lance and his popularity were peaking as he was in the middle of his 7 victories at the Tour de France and whether you like him or not, he took that fame and turned it into some beneficial with the foundation. Everyone was wearing yellow and I will admit that the first time I put it on was just to be cool.

After the popularity of the bracelet had faded, I was tempted to take it off. They were still being worn by some athletes and people who had gone through personal loss as a result of cancer; neither of which I thought applied to me (as I had not taken my first step as a runner.) Or had it? Back in 2001 I was living in Neenah, Wisconsin and life was going along pretty well. Meanwhile, a hundred miles away in my hometown of Kingsford, Michigan, my Uncle Donald Charette was diagnosed with cancer. Though I always called him my uncle, he was actually my cousin, as he was my dad’s older brother’s son. He had kids older that were older than me and was nearly my dad’s age so I always called him Uncle Donald. While we didn’t have a day to day relationship, every fall when the leaves would change colors, the entire Charette clan would be at our hunting camps and spend most weekends together. I have many fond memories of him throughout the many cold Novembers in Upper Michigan. That summer he had been in the middle of remodeling his camp and while the weather seemed hotter than normal, he had been losing weight. He didn’t think much of it, but it turned out to be a side effect of the cancer that had taken over his body, which would quickly take his life. His funeral was more somber than others I had been to as everyone liked my Uncle Donald and was sadden how his life was taken so abruptly. It was at that time, that I dedicated my LIVESTRONG bracelet to his memory. Anytime I would look at my right wrist it would be what I needed to remember his contagious smile and think about his memory. While this probably should have been the reason why I put it on in the first place, at least it now had personal meaning to me.

Fast forward to the early summer months of 2009. Lance had retired from cycling and I had gone on to run 17 marathons and ultramarathons, all wearing LIVESTRONG. The most memorable of which was my first Boston marathon in which I was able to finish with my parents in the crowd. The memory of my uncle Donald had somewhat faded and the yellow band on my wrist wasn’t really reminding me of anything. I was so engulfed in my own quest for running greatness that I had turned off the rest of the world. Then unexpectedly I was reminded of the harshness of our world when my childhood friend Scott Giuliani lost his long battle with cancer. Growing up in Kingsford, Scott was becoming a great multi-sport athlete and I was just an uncoordinated geek who tagged along, but Scott was one of the good guys who stood by me. Though our paths diverged later in life, I always admired him and his strength right up until and through his passing.

Then just days later in an ironic twist of life, my Dad’s best friend Dave Lavarnway had a heart attack and died. Dave had a unique perspective on life but was very honest and would always say it like it was and he commanded my respect. Without a second thought, I drove the 900 miles back home so that I could see Scott’s parents and tell them what Scott had meant to me and then to attend Dave’s funeral in support for my dad. It was a very difficult few days but their deaths again brought new meaning to the LIVESTRONG bracelet. After that week, anytime that I looked down or saw it show up in pictures, I was reminded of the unfairness of life and that we should take every opportunity we have to live it to its fullest as you never know if today might be your last day. I am sure that the loved ones Scott and Dave left behind would give anything to have just one more day to spend with them.

Then just as it had before, the memory of these two faded and I was no longer reminded daily of the impact they had on my life. I was back to my selfish ways but to a much more destructive level that eventually lead to my divorce in 2010. Running and other self-centered activities had become my false idols and I was spiraling out of control. As I have written recently (Turning my Life around on the Trap Hills Traverse and Receiving God’s Grace) I was able to turn my life around this year. Through the caring support of my family, friends and loved ones, I have been born anew. It has been an eye opening experience and my faith continues to grow every day. Whereas the days when I was putting myself above all else are gone, I realize that they are not that far behind me. I am not perfect and despite having changed my life, I still struggle everyday with the addictions and behaviors that had broken me down. I must remember everyday what my purpose in this world is, for even the most devote Christians are tempted by sin. So just as it was before, then again in, I have a daily reminder that I need to work hard to be a better man and that comes in the form of a yellow silicone gel bracelet around my right wrist.

I don’t feel guilty that it sometimes it takes life’s major turning points to make us realize that we have gotten off track and we need to realign our priorities. We all get wrapped up in the details of life and while it is not always as severe as the passing of a loved one, frequent reminders of our faith are a good thing. The hope is that the closer you get to walking in God’s footsteps that you need less and less reminders, but I know that I am full of sin and cues often. I am thankful for every blessing I have received and while I don’t deserve God’s grace, I now have a reminder with me every day to remember the reasons why I keep asking for it.

Why do I wear a LIVESTRONG bracelet on my right wrist? As a reminder to remember.

Receiving God's Grace

2011-07-22T14:21:00.002-05:00

Ephesians 2:5-8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

What does it feel like to be touched by God and receive his Grace?

This is an epilogue to a recent story of how I was able to figure things out while running the 28.2 mile Trap Hills Traverse, which can be found here.

A few weeks ago I met with the priest of my local church back home. As we wrapped up our talk, he stood up, placed his hand on my head and told me that for one solid calendar year he would pray one decade of his daily rosary for me. While I understand that no man should come between you and the God (1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus) to have a friend in Christ to love me that much, the love of God is so much greater and I am at his mercy. During our talk, he used this analogy to which I have expanded upon below.

Imagine you are trying to assemble a thousand piece puzzle by yourself and you work on it every day. The puzzle is a picture of the sky, so while all of the pieces are different, they are all the same color blue. You are really good at placing the pieces on table inside the framed edges but you are trying to force pieces where they don't belong. Every once in a while you find the right one and while that is gratifying, despair ensues as you realize that the puzzle is far from complete. There is a picture on the box and even instructions inside but you are too stubborn to look at them and you never ask for any help. This goes on for 10 years and ultimately you give up.

This is where my life has been. I was searching for my purpose and thought that I could do it on my own. I gained confidence through running and through an addictive personality, I found that the more I ran, the faster I became, which made me want to do it more. It was a vicious cycle. I would run races weekly trying to find what was missing in my life. I would capture an occasional win, but that would be followed by the depression that I had to start training all over again to get back to that false high. I was spiraling out of control and I was too stubborn to ask for help.

Now image if you had looked at the box and read the instructions. The first thing you read is that you have to admit that you can not put together the puzzle alone; but you have to ask for help. Realizing this, the pieces start to almost place themselves.

Finally I was able to open my eyes and see what I was missing. I realized I was living selfishly, never putting anyone before me and trying to put together the puzzle on my own. For the first time in my life, I was able to put someone else before me and it felt amazing. Yet I was still obsessed with the puzzle. I also realized that I was chasing temporary glory for myself with winning medals and the real reason for competition was noted in 1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Now imagine that you are feverishly solving the puzzle and you see that there are only 5 empty pieces in the middle of the puzzle that remain. With great excitement, you reach into the box and realize that there are no more pieces left. The remaining instructions are missing and you don't know what to do.

I was able to learn so much about myself and how to be a better person but I was unable to solve the puzzle because I ran out of pieces. It was only by admitting that I was not in control of my life and placing my path in the hands of God was I able to find the rest of the instructions. The puzzle pieces weren’t missing after all, I just wasn’t ready to see them and there was a reason why they all were joined together in the center of the puzzle. I was being tested to see if my heart was ready to finish the puzzle. He showed me that the missing pieces where my friends, my family, my loved ones and the last two were me and God.

One of the most amazing things that I have noticed since receiving God's Grace has been the clarity in my life. I see a purpose and I understand what the priorities of my life should be. As read in Micah 6:8, He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Understanding this can help put all else into perspective. I realize that God should be loved above all else. Only then can your heart be prepared to love another. To accomplish this I need to continue to learn more about my faith through reading the bible and going to church via 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. and following more closely in his footsteps.

Among the many things that have become clear, include balance. Working on balance in my life is important and to constantly remember not to invest all of my energy into a single task.

Faith has helped me to recognize that I need to focus on being a better listener/communicator and I have been working hard on this everyday.

I am relaxing more and enjoying life, not living it by a schedule. I have been talking openly about my feelings and thoughts with loved ones even if it about uncomfortable things. This is something I would never have done before but with this clarity it is so much easier.

I also want to get back to reading and writing short stories more as I find much pleasure in this.

I am also venturing out of my shell and trying things that I never would have in the past and making them part of my life; no more will I be bound by my past and what I was comfortable with, but will expand it out to experience the joys of the rest of the world.

I have also found that while I have always been considerate and thoughtful, I feel a deeper sense of caring for all people and things. Grace has empowered me to see things in a different light and appreciate them so much more. No longer do I appreciate the simple beauty of the tree but recognize the beauty of the entire forest for which it lies.

My running will not suffer, but I suspect that it will improve greatly as I now run to honor and serve the Lord and have new purpose. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. With difficult decisions ahead on the role that this sport will have in my life, I fear not. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. It is with this strength that I know I will make the right choices guided by His direction.

I want to strive toward becoming someone you are proud to know; for who I am, not how fast I am or how far I can run. I admire my dad dearly and his is known to be a great man, a man for which you are a better person for having known. There is much work ahead but I can best honor him and our Heavenly Father by trying to be the best man that I can. I will show those close to me how much they truly mean and to continue to express my love for that special someone in a way that is more than they have ever known, as in John 15:13 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

I am learning to appreciate the gifts that I have been blessed with and and trying to figure out a way to use these gifts to help others in need, even it is just to inspire them that change is possible. While I am not as fast as Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall or is my faith as mature, I think that we share something in common. He has been able to use his gifts to inspire others to follow in the footsteps of the Lord. I am reminded of Matthew 5:16, Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. If you haven’t watched Ryan’s Passion for the run video, it is worth checking out using this link. My life has not had incredible hardships, but I have many experiences and gifts that I want to share with others and hopefully better their lives.

Ultimately, believe in yourself, as God believes in you. Jeremiah 29:11 reads - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. I know not what that path holds, but I know that it will be greater than anything I have ever known.

So what does it feel like to be touched by God and receive his Grace? Though we don't deserve it, God has shown me His grace by providing strength and guidance and the ability to change my life and it feels like nothing I have ever felt.

Figuring things out on the Trap Hills Traverse

2011-07-18T11:22:00.005-05:00

When I first talked with Don Kermeen of Superior Shores Resort, who was listed on the Peter Wolfe Chapter of the North Country Trail as proving shuttle rides for thru-hikers and informed him that I was going to run the Trap Hills Traverse and wanted to be picked up later that day, he was confused. His specific words were, "You want to do what?" Eric Hansen's Hiking Michigan's Upper Peninsula guidebook, recommended this as a two or three day hike with a rating of "difficult". Now I know why no one had completed the section (to the best of my knowledge) without stopping to camp for the night.

The Trap Hills Traverse is a 28.3 mile section of the North Country Trail in the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula from the Gogebic Ridge Trail to Victoria Dam Road. When I came across the trail in a Backpacker Magazine article from 2002 I thought that it might be a great opportunity to spend some time in solitude to think about life and what better way to do it than under the skies of God's creation.

I left home just after 4am central and with the two hour drive, an hour time zone change and getting my gear ready, I started at 7:28 am eastern at the very obscure Gogebic Ridge Trail head on old M-64, which after a short bit connected to the NCT. I had my new inov-8 Race Pac 32 to carry my food and water for the day.

Seven hours, 55 minutes and 13 seconds later, I stopped my watch on Old Victoria road, which was about an hour slower than I thought I would be. While this is probably the fastest known time for the Traverse, that is not what I was out to do. I was not seeking personal glory or recognition. My motivation was the continual pursuit of understanding my purpose and pondering God's gift's to me. Though I will admit there is a sense of accomplishment, it is different than anything I have felt before. I was not running for me, I was running for God. As Leo Buscaglia noted, "Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God." I was able to experience many highs and lows while taking in some of the most amazing vistas this area has to offer.

I grossly under estimated several things about the Traverse and the day in general. The first was the weather; it was supposed to be overcast and 50% chance of rain. While nary a drop fell all day, the temperature soared into the upper 80's and my water supplies ran low early, which I recognized, and started to fill up and purify where needed at every stream crossing, which were ample.

The terrain seemed to ascend or descend for more than half of the run. After looking at the profile, now I see why this run was so tough! While the trail was plotted along the top of the ridge, it would drop so sharply on rocky slopes, making running down impossible. On the climb back up it was much of the same, without a single switchback all day. Then when peaking again to a flat rock bald, the sun would rear it's force and slow me further. On second thought I should taken my trekking poles!

Though I had many maps in my pack, and the trail was often marked with plastic blue diamonds or blue paint, there were so many blow downs that most of the time you could not see the next marker and it was a guessing game. Several times I would come to a cleared section and have to try several different routes before figuring out the real path, doubling back to the last known trail marker each time. Between the trees blocking the route, the overgrowth of the season and the lack of foot traffic, the trail was hard to follow in certain sections but mostly the single track in the flats was good trail.

I thought that when I hit Norwhich Road in 3 hours and 34 minutes, coming off of a few miles of easy running trail and having completed 15 miles that there was a chance I could finish in under 7 hours. After a brutal climb right back up to the crest of the bluff, I realized that the trail was much more difficult on this half. I started to fatigue around noon at the five hour mark and begin to fast-hike with virtually no running from about mile 23 to the finish. The final 13+ miles took 4 hours and 21 minutes.

While I was lost many times and thought about how I might miss my pick up time and be stranded, I was never afraid. I prayed long and hard on this day that somehow I would have the strength to finish and that everything would work out. When I got to Victoria Road almost 30 minutes late, I found that I had good cell phone coverage, which is practically unheard of in this area, and was able to call Don. He was supposed to be waiting for me and I thought he may have left already. It turns out that he had forgotten, but quickly made his way down to pick me up. I think that this was the answer to my prayer! I managed to listen to all of the books in Genesis on my iPod as a change of pace over music. It was very enjoyable!

While there were many difficulties encountered on this day, I do not look at them as negative. When talking with Don on the ride back, he said, "I can tell that you are a glass half full kind of person." That really struck me as I had always been a technical and realistic thinker but have been trying to be more open minded and optimistic. I have turned the corner on many things that I am trying to accomplish in my life and while the learning process is continual, it was made evident by Don's comments that he could sense I was making good progress.

All in all it was a great day. Attached are some pictures that I took during the day, followed by the personal thoughts and revelations that I had during the day. If you just care about the details, then stop reading here. If you want to know more about me, what I am trying to do, and who I am trying to be, then read on.

This was the start of the trail. I couldn't see the trail either!

Now can you see why it was easy to lose the trail? It is right here:)

The guidebook said to look for this ridge because in 20 miles, I would be standing on it!

Thank God that the trail traverse this and did not climb it!

Atop Lookout Mountain down over Victoria Dam. Almost there!

Can a leopard change his spots? I believe so.

I have realized many things lately in my life that were in dire need of change. The way I was living was not working for me and it was affecting those around me. I have been headed down a destructive path for many years and while I started to change late last year, I was so far off of where I need to be. I can not continue with living life the way of the past where I put myself before all others. While I have been able to put someone else before me, I really needed to be putting God before all else. While I have been able to focus on Him, I have been able to focus less on myself. It is a continual process and while I am not finished yet, I am working harder than ever to be a better man, a better friend and a better person. While afoot for nearly eight hours I was able to think clearly on my life and here are those honest thoughts.

For years now I have been trying to fill a void in my life and I have done that through running. I was chasing and chasing something, never knowing what I was looking for or missing. I would get a temporary high with each race but then would feel more empty after than I did before. It was only through attending church that I realized that running had become my false idol and the void in my life was faith. This does not mean that I am going to stop running races; that would be sacrificing the gifts that I have been given. But now I realize that God does not care how fast or how far I can run. I want to run to enjoy running, to return the gift to God and to stay healthy but my outlook is totally different. I also realized that I do not truly enjoy ultra running. I have spent too much time trying to be someone else (because of the people around me enjoy it) and not enough time being me. I love to trail run and be outside and will have to think long and hard about wanting to run ultras in the future. Why would you keep doing something, even if you are good at it, if you don't truly enjoy it? Running is one of the many things that I now do, but it will no longer be who I am.

I have an extremely addictive behavior so it is easy to slip into a personal vice. I live every day with it like a disease, but I will not let it get the best of me. I have been shown that there is so much more to life than running and for a decade I have been missing out. While running across the Traverse yesterday, God was testing me in so many ways, once of which was to see if I would stop and enjoy the scenery or if I would just push through as fast as possible. At every chance, I stopped to take it all in, smell the roses so to speak, and take a few photos to remember the beauty of the Ottawa National Forest. I continue to work on this, but want to break out into an uncomfortable place and experience things that I would never have before. This will also help bring the balance into my life that I so desperately need.

I have come to realize that being able to relax and let go is a good thing, understanding that rest is good for even on the 7th day God rested. While it is ok to write things down as to not forget them, I don't have to live my life by the schedule or a checklist. Thinking like an engineer is ok when at work, but I have to say that being stripped of this burden and living more relaxed has been very enjoyable. I have been practicing just enjoying life, not feeling like I always have to be doing something.

Today, when I spoke to the Father (at the church I attended growing up) after church, I told him that there were many reasons why I wanted to change. He said that it was a reward as a priest to see when someone has been touched by God. It does not matter how I got to this point and while I thought I was seeking Him out, it turns out that He was seeking me, but I had to be ready to accept him. It was a very emotional meeting but he listed to me and provided very good insight when I told him that I wanted to live a more Christian life. I want to do this for me. He told me that I am a work in progress with room for improvement, but the important part is that I have asked for help, from him, from God and from others around me. This is one of the many ways that I know I am ready to change, is that in the past I would never have asked for help. I was either too afraid, too embarrassed or not ready to act. I have found peace in him, feeling his presence in me and while unworthy, I am ready to ask for grace and incorporate Him into my life through prayer, church, the Bible and other ways.

These are not just words, nor are they not temporary changes. I hope others close to me can accept and respect these changes. Like the way a muscle must be stressed and torn during exercise to properly recover, repair and grow stronger, I too have been broken down and am opening myself up. I've been lost for many years but now have asked for forgiveness. At the suggestion of a friend, I have started a journal so that I can write down more personal thoughts and feelings. I am thankful for those around me who have helped me realize what I was missing.

God has a purpose for me. While I was lost and feeling alone, he was always there for me even though I could not see him. God has not given up on me.

Trap Hills Traverse

2011-07-15T13:57:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, July 16th I will be thru-hiking the Trap Hills Traverse, a 28.3 mile section of the North Country Trail in the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula from the Gogebic Ridge Trail to Victoria Dam Road. This was not planned or even thought of until this morning when I came across it in a Backpacker Magazine article from 2002. I was immediately intrigued and after thinking and praying about it, I was inspired to commit. I am not seeking personal glory or gratification. My motivation is the continual pursuit of understanding my purpose and pondering God's gift's to me. I find peace under the skies of His amazing creation and hope to further explore my faith thinking about Ephesians 2:8 and a quote by Leo Buscaglia while afoot.

Ephesians 2:8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

Leo Buscaglia - Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

Though undeserving, I know that God will show His grace to me tomorrow by giving me strength and guidance, and by taking care of me on the journey. It would be a bonus if He got me there in time to meet my ride back to the start:)

Michigan' Trap Hills
(Content courtesy of http://www.northcountrytrail.org/pwf/traphills.htm)

As for the geologic history, the story begins about 1.1 billion years ago, as a great rift opened in the area now home to the Lake Superior basin. Molten lava flowed from the rift and across the landscape, and streams from surrounding highlands carried sediments into the rift basin. When the lava cooled and the sediments of sand and cobbles were cemented into rock, they formed layers of basalt, sandstone, and conglomerate, respectively. That the Trap Hills are here today is due largely to the hard, erosion-resistant nature of the basalt and conglomerate, which cap most of the ridges, and are also well-exposed where the ridges are cut by streams to form falls and gorges. Another name for a basaltic lava flow is Trap Rock, or Trap; hence the name Trap Hills.

Between many of the rock ridges of the Trap Hills are found valleys of varying width, basically oriented north-south or northwest-southeast, and home to such streams as Bush and Whisky Hollow Creeks. Rock exposures are rare in these valleys, but perhaps numerous faults and fractures are present in the rocks there, causing those rocks to be susceptible weathering and to erosion by streams. Continental glaciers moving from north to south probably helped scour and smooth out these valleys as well. Other faults are likely responsible for the valleys of the smaller streams, like Gleason Creek, which flow southward off the bluffs.

History of the Trap Hills

Earliest human use of the Trap Hills began in prehistoric time, as native peoples occasionally used the area for hunting and extracted small quantities of copper from veins in the rock. This same copper attracted Europeans, who began exploring the hills toward the end of the first half of the 19th Century They were encouraged by Michigan State Geologist Douglass Houghton's reports of the copper deposits in the western U.P., and by the moving of the famous Ontonagon Boulder, a two-ton mass of copper, from its original location in the West Branch of the Ontonagon River near Victoria to Detroit. Both events took place in 1841, and by 1850 over a dozen mines and hundreds (or more) of exploration pits could be found in the Trap Hills. Most famous and successful of the mines were the Norwich Mine, north of the bridge over the West Branch on Norwich Road, and the Forest Mine at Victoria. Towns supporting these mines prospered in accordance with the success of the mine at the time; that success varied depending on the price of copper, the cost per ton to mine the copper, transportation issues, competition, and depletion of ore bodies. By early in the 20th century, all mining had ceased, and the mines and their supporting communities began to be reclaimed by nature.

2011 Keyes Peak 50km

2011-07-01T21:44:00.002-05:00

June 25, 2011
Florence, WI

This summer I was fortunate enough to escape the heat of Alabama and spend a month with my parents in my home town of Kingsford, Michigan and work remotely. The real reason for the pilgramage was to spend some time with my Mom and Dad during a period in which they would both celebrate birthdays (57th for my Mom, 60th for my Dad), Father's Day, and their 39th Wedding Anniversary. The trip also lined up with the 2nd running of the Keyes Peak Trail Runs in Florence, Wisconsin. In the inaugural year I was fortunate enough to have lead the marathon from the start and took the overall victory. This year race director Jeff Crumbaugh of Great Lakes Endurance, added a 50km distance and immediately sparked my interest. The events also earned national recognition by Runner's World as on of the top 32 trail races in North America. This distinction was sure to help draw a good level of competition to this small community in northeastern Wisconsin. Trail racing is relatively new to this area and ultrarunning is brand new so you can imagine my surprise when I saw this marquee welcoming them to town.

Read more here...

Two days before the race I took the mountain bike out to the southern portion of the course specifically to check out the infamous river crossing at mile 23 on the 50km race. Last year the crossing, which is the confluence of the Pine River and its main tributary, the Popple, was moderately high and surprisingly swift. I was washed downstream to the more shallow rope crossing before sloshing up the bank and onto the final 8 miles. The few days since I had arrived in Michigan had been cold and damp, highlighted by 5" of rain on Tuesday. I needed to mentally prepare for crossing by seeing the river in advance. What I saw on the way to the crossing was gravel roads engulfed in standing water, nasty mud on logging roads and a fresh berm to prevent vehicular traffic at the half-marathon mark. Here are some snap shots of the course.

Climbing the berm

The swampy roads

The XC Ski trail stream

When I finally made it to the river crossing, it was clear that there was no way we would be crossing it on race day. The current was faster and the level was higher than last year making it impossible even to add a rope downstream for a safe crossing. The course markings lead up to the river crossing, but it was my guess that Jeff and gang marked from the start up to the river and didn't see how bad it was until they got there. I suspected that they would change the course and this was confirmed at packet pick up on Friday night. The course would now be an out-and-back.

There was a smaller turn out than I thought with only about 50 starters in the marathon and 50km. That didn't matter much though as I was focused on the fast looking guys who stood at the starting line. The temperatures were good to start at 55 degrees but by noon it would rise by 20 degrees and with the wide open sections, it was certain to be warm. I had it in my mind that I would not run the first mile up the back side of the ski hill at a blistering pace like Pete Witucki and I did last year, for which we both payed for late in the race. Before I knew it, I was sprinting up the hill in my roclite 285's alongside Jason Schatz from Madison, with Pete and Josh Wopata from Indiana close behind. Ironically, none of the four of us were from Wisconsin! Jason and I chatted through the first few miles but while he was running with ease, I was working too hard to be running under 7 minute pace for the first 5km of a 50km race. So I wished him well (he was wearing x-talon 212's) and I backed off to a more comfortable pace. It was not long after that Josh caught up to me and not long for him to blaze past. He too was nice and we exchanged a few words about the race and I tried to give him some pointers on the course before he was out of sight.

The race start with Pete Witucki to my left

Mentally I had split the course up into four sections.

Start to the Pine River crossing at the oxbow at mile 8

The oxbow to the turn around

The turn back to the oxbow at mile 23 where my parents would be waiting

The oxbow back to the end

The first section included the climb up the ski hill but them was steadily downhill to the river on very runnable gravel or jeep roads and very little mud so I hope to make good time. The depth of the standing water on the roads surprised me several times, but otherwise I managed the section very well and according to plan. I stayed true to my hydration and fueling plan and fought through the sandy sections, splitting the first 8 miles in 55:32 for just under 7 minute pace.

The second section involved much more climbing, grassy jeep roads with ankle deep water, muddy logging roads, climbing over the berm at 13, followed by a nasty single track section with waist high ferns covering up the uneven footing. To top it of, after turning off of a cross country ski trail and back onto the gravel road near LaSalle Falls, there was a mile and a half climb to the turn around. The effort was about the same as the first part, but the pace was slower due to the poor footing. What was important was the fact that my mind was strong and I was feeling strong. I had not seen Pete in some time, but figured that I was at least 10 minutes behind the leaders approaching the turn, but was caught off guard when I saw Jason more then a mile away from the turn; he was eating up the course! As the turn was closer and closer, there was no sight of Josh. I came to the turn and very quickly I saw that Pete was right behind me and Josh followed; he said that he had taken a wrong turn somewhere and gotten off track. Let's just say that he was now running on adrenaline and passed me before LaSalle falls on the way back. I hit the turn around in about 1:54, which with a different finishing mile than the start, was a little less than half way.

Just as I was able to see the gap to the leaders at the turn, so where the people behind me, and me them. I don't think that I saw the 5th place runner until the top of the climb at LaSalle Falls but then there was a steady stream of runners, including the first female at the mile 14 aid station. It made me a little nervous to see how close they were! There would be little margin for error in the second half of the race. The temperature was climbing mile after mile on the way back as I passed 50km runners still on their way out and marathoners on their way back. It was a nice mental boost to see other runners instead of the loneliness of the first two hours. Slower runners were very nice on the crowded single track with two-way traffic, stepping aside for me. I tried to return the favor with words of encouragement or letting them know what was just ahead on the course. Everyone seemed to be in such great spirits! It felt like I was slowing too much but my splits were still in the low 8's through the hardest part of the course. I walked for the first time at the 20 mile mark (2:32:01) to take an S! Cap and two Alleve. I had been taking S! Caps regularly but was starting to cramp slightly so took an extra. This probably wasn't the best idea as it upset my stomach a little and made me want to throw up. For some reason my left instep was bothering me impact which was the reason for the NSAIDs. Pete passed me while I walked and after that I tried to stay with him but it wasn't long before he was out of sight too. I was still running pretty well and was on track for a sub 4:10, which was my secondary goal, knowing that it would take a sub 4 to win.

I met my parents at mile 23 and took a second bottle from my mom. I grabbed a handful of MM's and some bug spray before taking off again. The fast downhill from miles 2-8 at the start would now be a steady 10km of climb to the top of the ski hill. I did walk some of the first climb and made small talk with some of the marathoners and encourage them, but for the most part I kept a smooth running motion, albeit slow. I had it in my mind that if I could keep it under 9 minute miles through the final few miles I could still slip in under 4:10, but other than the tough mile 24 where I struggled a little, I was able to stay in the low to mid 8's and plod along. I was worried about tired legs on the soft sand before coming back through the final aid station but it wasn't too bad and before I knew it, I was turning back onto the pavement at Country Road D and heading toward Emily Lake. To my surprise, I could see Pete ahead just by maybe a quarter mile. Maybe it was the thought of a top 3 finish or maybe I could smell the barn, but I picked up the pace and tried to close the gap. The closer I got the more I thought that maybe we could push each other in the final 5km and come in together at the end. So when I finally caught up, we ran a couple of miles together and talked about the day and the race as we passed a few more people. I laughed when he said that just because we were going to run it in together that it didn't mean that we had to hold hands! Together we hit the crest at mile 30 but I could tell that he wanted so slow down. We talked about it several times and I felt bad leaving him and we had decided to finish up together but finally he started to walk and told me to go and so I went. I felt good and wanted to push hard through to the finish so I knocked it down to 7:30 pace as the road wound around the top of the ski hill. I narrowly missed a turn coming down the slopes but there were some great course marshals volunteering that guided me back on track and I cruised down the hill, pushing to keep it under 4:07 and crossed at 4:06:49.

Coming down the ski slopes to the finish at the lodge

Having run the majority of this race in solitude I was really able to take in the beauty of my surroundings and reflect inward on what I was really doing out there. Not everyone can run and even fewer can perform at such at a high level. Most of the time I focus on how I performed and how I was able to overcome the tough stretches and it is just a focus on me. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I have been blessed with the ability to run and given the gifts to compete and from there it is up to each person to realize there own potential and search for their limits. Without getting too deep or too spiritual, I just want to say that I do feel fortunate and am thankful for every step that I am able to take and I am finally feeling like my running has a purpose.

Final Results

Full results from Sam and Kara Graci with SuperiorTiming.com can be found here.

Place	Name	City	Age	Time	Time Back
1	Jason Schatz	Madison WI	29	3:42.42	0:00:00
2	Joshua Wopata	Westfield IN	31	3:46.57	04:14.8
3	Eric Charette	Huntsville AL	35	4:06.49	24:07.4
4	Pete Witucki	Chicago IL	30	4:08.16	25:33.2
5	James Webber	Otsego MI	28	4:40.41	57:58.9

Handmade Finisher Awards from local hardwoods

Post swim in the icy cold Keyes Lake

Elevation Profile

Mile	Pace	Total Time	Ave Pace
1	7:24	7:24	7:24
2	6:31	13:55	6:57
3	6:39	20:34	6:51
4	6:44	27:18	6:49
5	7:12	34:30	6:54
6	7:01	41:31	6:55
7	7:12	48:43	6:58
8	6:49	55:32	6:57
9	7:43	1:03:15	7:02
10	7:44	1:10:59	7:06
11	7:42	1:18:41	7:09
12	7:33	1:26:14	7:11
13	7:48	1:34:02	7:14
14	9:18	1:43:20	7:23
15	8:10	1:51:30	7:26
16	7:34	1:59:04	7:27
17	8:10	2:07:14	7:29
18	9:05	2:16:19	7:34
19	7:28	2:23:47	7:34
20	8:14	2:32:01	7:36
21	7:56	2:39:57	7:37
22	9:04	2:49:01	7:41
23	8:42	2:57:43	7:44
24	9:51	3:07:34	7:49
25	8:21	3:15:55	7:50
26	8:14	3:24:09	7:51
27	8:51	3:33:00	7:53
28	7:58	3:40:58	7:53
29	8:24	3:49:22	7:55
30	8:55	3:58:17	7:57
31	7:41	4:05:58	7:56
31.1	0:51	4:06:49	7:56

Reflections on my first 20,000 miles

2011-05-27T15:09:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I logged my 20,000th mile of running. Here are some thoughts, notes and numbers looking back on a great run, if you pardon the pun.

First day of running logged: February 19th, 2003

Miles Run that day: 1.3

Air temperature that day: 17 degrees

Number of days since then: 3016 (100 months)

Number of days running since then: 2477 (539 days of rest)

Favorite Run Locations: San Diego, Boston, Sydney, AT, PCT, Glacier Park
Least Favorite Run Locations: Wichita, Key West

Favorite Races: Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race, Mountain Mist, Xterra Monte Sano 15km, Beer Belly Two, CIM, Dick Lytie 1/2 marathon, Strolling Jim, Boston Marathon, Stump Jump 50km
Least Favorite Races: (mostly course related, no offense to the RD's): Alabama A&M, Cookie dash, Eurocross

Days Run to reach first 10,000 Miles: 1986 or 5.03 miles per day

Days Run to reach last 10,000 Miles: 1029 or 9.72 miles per day

Most Rivers Swam Across During a race: 1

Pairs of shoes worn: 63
Average miles worn per pair of shoes: 295
Most Miles on pair of shoes: 1193.77 (2005 Nike Air Pegasus)

Number of Race DNF's: 6 (RFH50km 3 times, Eurocross 8km, Monte Sano 15km, Delano park 50M)

Most Miles in Month: 412 (October 2008)
Fewest Miles in Month: 7.1 (April 2003)
Average Miles per month total: 200.22 (6.6 miles per day)

Most Hours Run per Month: 83 (May 2010 for Pinhoti)

States Run In: 33 (AL, AZ, CA, Co, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NH, NV, NY, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI)
States Yet to Run in: 17 (AK, AR, HI, ID, IN, KY, ME, ND, NE, NJ, NM, OH, OK, RI, SD, WV, WY)
Countries Run in: 5 (US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, Autralia)

Average Pace for 20,000 miles: 8:39 minutes / mile

Oddest Place Run: 44 laps around the inside of my house (44 laps = 1 mile), inside garage at WPS in the middle of winter, inside a convention center, ATL airport

Longest Running Streak: 366 days (no rest all of 2009)
Days of rest from May 2008 - December 2009: 6
How Did I start 2010? With a day of rest

Proudest Moment: Qualifying for Boston Marathon at Green Bay marathon in 2007 with my parents there
Second Proudest Moment: Running first Boston Marathon in 2008 with my parents there
Third Proudest Moment: 1st career race win at Lake Antoine Classic 5 miler (28:01) in career race #100 with my parents there.

Number of Race Victories since first win (last 100 races): 22

Largest Race Run: 2006 Chicago Marathon (40,000)
Smallest Race Run: 2010 Doxa 5km (15 and that may be high)

Number of races by popular distance (202 total)
5km - 65
10km - 21
1/2M - 16
26.2 - 14
Ultra - 19
Other - 67

Yearly Stats

Year	Rest Days	Miles	Miles / Day	Hours	Hours / Day	Races	Miles Raced	Miles / race
2003	129	525.57	1.67	67:18	0:12:49	8	20.54	2.57
2004	80	1205.38	3.29	141:19	0:23:10	16	47.50	2.97
2005	70	1872.71	5.13	250:46	0:41:13	15	110.22	7.35
2006	111	1867.15	5.12	242:01	0:39:47	13	147.98	11.38
2007	62	2668.82	7.31	388:24	1:03:51	20	242.97	12.15
2008	17	3601.58	9.84	506:35	1:23:03	40	290.49	7.26
2009	0	3857.16	10.57	581:15	1:35:33	38	450.88	11.87
2010	43	3233.46	8.86	540:56	1:28:55	39	303.78	7.79
2011	18	1190.66	8.44	182:08	1:17:30	13	169.38	13.03

Most Miles in Number of Days

Days	Miles	Per Day Ave	Start Date	End Date
1 Day	52.400	52.400	11/7/2009	11/7/2009
2 Days	101.000	50.500	5/1/2010	5/2/2010
3 Days	136.100	45.367	5/1/2010	5/3/2010
4 Days	161.100	40.275	5/1/2010	5/4/2010
5 Days	171.200	34.240	5/1/2010	5/5/2010
6 Days	173.200	28.867	5/1/2010	5/6/2010
7 Days	198.700	28.386	5/1/2010	5/7/2010
14 Days	227.807	16.272	4/24/2010	5/7/2010
21 Days	308.357	14.684	6/14/2009	7/4/2009
30 Days	424.553	14.152	10/4/2008	11/2/2008
183 Days	2133.769	11.660	9/13/2008	3/14/2009
365 Days	4116.954	11.279	9/21/2008	9/20/2009

2011 Scenic City Trail Half Marathon

2011-05-23T13:49:00.002-05:00

In no particular order, here are how things went in Chattanooga on the day of the Rapture for Scenic City Trail Half Marathon, presented by Rock/Creek.

Photo by G. Gelmis

Things that went well...

Hydration and Fueling
I managed to get down a full bottle of water during the race and held my breathing under control enough to chew and swallow two Powerbar Gel Blasts at around 6 miles. I was thirsty frequently with the high temperatures so took plenty of small sips and had enough left over for an occaisional squirt on my neck for cooling. I did not stop at any aid stations. While I could have forced more fueling late, I never felt like I ran out of energy in the final miles.

Mental State
I was able to keep my thoughts focused and my head in the game during the entire race. After making the wrong turn (discussed below) I was able to not let this bother me and worry about how much time or seperation to the nearest runner that I lost. I just did the best that I could, given the situation. I was passed twice by the third mile, leaving me off the podium for certain, running in 6th place. This somewhat took the pressure off of me and let me concentrate on running strong and maintaing proper form. I never wanted to quit or questioned my abilty to compete at this level.

Race Preperation
I knew that unless there were major course changes, that the route would be short. I was banking on it being 12 miles but when I hit the 5-mile mark (4.5 on my GPS) and the 10-mile mark (8.5 on my GPS) I knew that it would be more like a mile and a half short. This helped to know when to start my final push and have the confidence in myself to push the pace late and move into 5th place.

Race Execution
The plan was to get out fast and not have to do too much manuevering once we hit the single track. It was clear that before we even made the loop around the parking lot that the lead pack was going to be pretty far ahead as at 5:30 pace, they will were pulling away. I settled in and after the wrong turn snafu, I settled in nicely at around 7-minute miles on the flats, pushed hard on the downs to make up for the short ups. I knew that I would have 2-3 miles at over 8-minute pace based on my research and looking back a the profile from last year, so I tried to compensate in other places. I did not go out too hard in the first half, which helped. Early on I could see Ken Youngers but he would pull away on the downhills and I would close on the uphills. Having a smart race strategy and executing it well, I was able to close on him after the half/full marathon split and pass just before the paved section to the finish and put 26 seconds on him coming home.

Equipment
I thought that I selected the perfect uniform for the conditions. My inov-8 x-talon 212's were ideal for the footing and distance. My 2XU compression calf gaurds helped to ward off any cramping or calf fatigue for the intensity of this race. The Head Sweats hat was probably too heavy as I was unable to release heat from the top of my head, but it was better to keep the sun off of me as opposed to (even yellow-lensed) sun glasses that I almost wore. Maybe next time I will go with a visor instead.

Training
With the time of the year, my trail running has been over for about a month in Huntsville. Our trails get over grown and snake infested which makes it hard to run fast in training and I refuse to take the dogs for fear of getting bitten. So most of my training had been on roads recently, especially with my recent goal race of Strolling Jim 41.2 miler just two weeks earlier. So maybe I could have logged some more trail running on the South Plateau loop of Monte Sano to simulate the footing, but I doudt that it would have helped much. I had been doing a lot of hill work which I felt really paid off on some of the roller coaster hills out there. I feel like I had the best possible result given the amount of specific training I had put into this race.

Travel
Anne and I spent the night on Friday in a nearby hotel, cutting the drive time in the morning and ensuring a good nights rest. We had dinner at the Terminal (our new favorite hot spot in Chattanooga) and I had some great hummus and a fabulous tuna filet, which did not give me any stomach fits on race day.

... things beyond my control

Delayed Start
The race started 30 minutes late, which gave the temperatures another 30 minutes to climb. I don't know the exact, but I would guess it was in the mid 70's by the start. The shade of the trees on Raccoon Mountain was a blessing as it provided some comfort and protection from the sun, which was in full force by 8:30am. I don't know to what degree, but I am sure that my my fueling was geared toward the on-time start, so with the delay there might have been some impact.

Off Course
Having run the race last year, I remembered where we left the paved road and turned into the woods. When I warmed up, I practiced that turn and was ready for the fast section to ensue. During the actual race when approaching the turn, the lead bike went into the woods, followed by the lead runners. Just a few seconds in, I looked at the signs and was immediately confused. Some others stayed left, others were standing back on the road. Luckily I could pick out Josh Wheeler who motioned to come back up. I ran on the trail for a bit, which paralleled the road, until I found a place to bushwhack back up to the road. I am not sure how much time I lost, but the chase pack that didn't make the turn was closer than I would have liked. As mentioned above, I was able to quickly shake this off and get back into the game.

A Big Thanks

Thanks to Kris and Randy Whorton on hosting a great event this year, with backing from Rock/Creek. I always know what to expect when it comes to a Chattanooga trail race when these guys are involved.

Final Results

Looking back at results to 2008, 5 of the top 7 fastest times were run this year. I would tend to believe that minor course changes have played into this, but given the wrong turn at the start, this may have counteracted that. Plus this year we made a 1/4 turn more at the start of the parking area, and a 3/4 turn more into the finish, making it longer than last year. My 1:26:36 was the 7th fastest time ever on the course.

I am very satisfied with being 6 minutes faster than last year and placing so well. I can't control how these others guys and on this day, there were 5 guys that were faster.

Daniel Mueller, 24 - 1:16:47
Theodore Towse, 39 - 1:18:13
Jacob Bradley, 20 - 1:21:12
Blake Davenport, 23 - 1:24:51
Eric Charette, 35 - 1:26:36
Ken Youngers, 54 - 1:27:02
Owen Bradley, 31 - 1:29:22
Mike Biddle, 42 - 1:30:25
Jim Farmer, 42 - 1:32:31
Calvin Cofield, 21 - 1:32:59

inov-8 Team USA Aaron Saft (Winner of the marathon) and Eric Charette (5th place in the half marathon)

Incredible Lows, Amazing Highs at Strolling Jim

2011-05-09T19:14:00.002-05:00

Incredible Lows, Amazing Highs
2011 Strolling Jim 41.2 Miler
War Trace, TN
May 7, 2011

As the title reads, this was a day filled with incredible lows, followed by amazing highs. It only took a shirt trip up the highway to a small town in Tennessee, not found on most maps, for me to regain some confidence in my never ending battle of mind over matter. I can not tell you the number of times during the middle miles of this race that I walked, considered dropping out or contemplated giving up the sport of ultra running all together. Being passed numerous times from the middle of the hill at mile 20 to the entrance of "the walls", I experienced some incredible lows. Then something snapped, to which I will share later, and I was able to reengage my mind and get back into the game, making a late staged comeback in the final 12 miles in which I experienced some amazing highs.

Photo Courtesy of Graham Gallemore

What started back in 1978 as what can only be conceived as a cruel joke between John Anderson and Gary Cantrell was born one of the south’s only ultra marathons, Strolling Jim. The first part of the joke to those who don’t know is that this race is advertised as a 40 mile run, but widely known to be 41.2 miles, unless it is a year when the flood waters divert runners away from a road that is washed out (like in 2009), then the mileage could be as high as 42 and change. The other “funny” part is that there are only 4 official hills (10, 20, 24 and 30 miles) but when in fact the course continually rolls and the hills at miles 4, 12, 13, and throughout the entire “Walls” section are nothing to laugh at. Still, for 32 years would be hopefuls keep coming back to War Trace on the first Saturday in May with aspirations of earning a Gold (sub 5 hours), Blue (sub 6 hours) or Red t-shirts (sub 7 hours) on one of the most brutal road courses anywhere.

Luckily this year, the weather seemed to be cooperating as the starting temperature was in the low 50’s but promised to reach the 70’s, a cool day for southern Tennessee this late in the spring. What the runners didn’t know was that they would get the benefit of intermittent cloud cover shortly before lunch time and that would turn into light rain for those running late into the day.

The field was full of stout runners and many former winners at the overall and masters’ level. Veterans like Dink Taylor, DeWayne Satterfield, Tom Possert and David “Hollywood” Jones, who between them have 18 gold shirts (9, 5, 3, 1 respectively). Then there was the younger group, lead by Owen Bradley, Rob Youngren, Blake Thompson, Carl Laniak, Jadyn Stevens, Eric Schotz and me, all who have run either a sub 3 hour marathon or a sub 4 hour 50km in recent years. All in all, it was a deep field and that doesn’t include Leah Thorvilson, who no one thought could give the boys a run for their money… (Heavy foreshadowing) but was a strong marathoner out of Arkansas.

Early Stages: Mile 0 though 15

From the start and climbing the first hill, Owen and Rob were out fast and lead the way. I was in the chase pack, along with a group of a few others, running a pace that I swore I would not go out in… sub 7. From my phenomenal crash in 2009 where I split the marathon in 3:15 and 50km in 4 hours (before slowing to 9:39 pace for the final 10 miles) I had said that I was going to keep the pace in check this year and try to be as true to 7:30’s as I could. But as always, it is so difficult to resist the urge to go when the temperatures are cool and to take advantage of feeling good. My plans were to try to run around 5:15 (7:40 pace) best case, around 5 and a half hours most likely and anything under six hours should the wheels totally fall off the bus. By going out at this aggressive pace and trying to close the gap on Rob before the 5km mark, it would be either a banner day or one to forget. As we continued to roll off miles splits at or under 7 minute pace, Rob, Blake and I ran together through the 5 mile split in 34:45, holding down places 3rd, 4th and 5th in no particular order. I met my crew of Luke and Brandi Hough for the first time, taking a hand bottle for hydration.

The next 5 miles were much of the same as the three of us ran together at about the same pace. We would take turns falling back on the climbs, then leading on the faster downhill sections. We talked and laughed and joked about the hills that were ahead. I was feeling mostly relaxed and strong on the hills, having spent the quality shaping period of my training with repeats and tempo runs on the hills. We made the right turn in Normandy having come through a rollercoaster section of back-to-back hills and forged ahead toward the 10-mile mark. One of the great things about the Strolling Jim course is that despite the fact that Gary no longer directs the race, his spray painted sayings that became the staple of the course live on to this day. Read as you climb up the hills from bottom to top, phrases such as “This is not a hill”, were repeated over and over again until leaving Normandy, when it finally read, “But this is.” Cruel? Yes. Funny? Totally. Together we split the 10-mile mark at an even seven minute pace now at 1:09:45.

Sometime before the half marathon mark, I met my crew again and they let me know that Anne (Noble) was doing well behind me, which helped to ease my mind. Blake and Rob had pulled ahead on one of the hill climbs and made the decision to let them go. They stayed within sight, but I as Jonathan Basham and Andrew Thompson have said, “You have to be your own man,” and I felt that I needed to do this my way and not rely on others to pace along with. Thus began the most difficult part of ultra running (for me), the endless mind games. To the best of the memory, the half marathon split was in just under 1:32, still averaging at 7 minute pace and just off of my split from 2009. Not long after the split, Jadyn Stevens and Ashly Dewberry, who had been running together, ran through along with their mobile crew on cycles. Again, I wasn’t out to run with anyone and had found a pace that was comfortable and stuck with it. By the 15 mile split, I dropped into 7th place overall in 1:45:00 but I was not putting forth too much effort to hold on and was feeling easy.

Middle Miles: 15-29

No matter if it is a 5km, 5mile or 50km, I always tend to struggle mentally during the middle miles. I’d like to think that everyone goes through it and the best keep the impact of these low times to a minimum. For me the lowest of low times set in before the 20-mile mark as my stomach was starting to cramp. I couldn’t figure out why, but I was starting to drink a lot of water, but as the sun was now full in the sky, was sweating profusely and had no urge to urinate. The more HEED I drank, the sharper the pain in my left side. For a short period, I considered throwing up, but knew that such an act would abruptly end my day and I was not ready to throw the towel in. My crew caught up with me during this section and Anne walked with me on a hill climb (she said that she was not loving the race and dropped out earlier) and forced me to eat part of a PB&J. I took two bites and tossed the rest off for the birds.

Rounding corners on the course, I began to catch glimpses of runners behind me and as I walked nearly the entire hill at mile 20 on Bottle Hollow Road, friends Dink Taylor and DeWayne Satterfield came by. They were not moving that quickly, but still maintaining a running form and when compared to my hunched over walk, they seemed to be flying when they passed, dropping me into 9th. DeWayne asked how I was feeling and I responded with some mumbling. Later he would mention that he was pretty worried about me, so I must have not looked so hot. My 20 mile split was 2:23:45, averaging 7:45 pace for the last 5 miles, but slowing my overall average down to 7:11 with more than half of the race yet to run.

What can be more painful than a killer hill climb? The ensuing “quad crushing” downhill where you reclaim all of the gain back in decent. The good news is that three of the four official hills on the course were now behind me with just “the walls” to look forward to from 29-32. I was now alternating a walk and run strategy but fighting my stomach more and more. It is amazing how on a flat course just 6 months ago I was able to run 6:15 pace for a marathon, but on this day I was being completely humbled by the hills of Bedford County, Tennessee and holding 8 minute pace was a chore.

In a race where a crew is vital to success, when you start to see the crew vehicles (of those running behind you) pulling ahead and stopping nearby, it can only mean that you are slowing, or that they are gaining; either way the gap is closing quickly. For a few hours I had seen the crew for friend Eric Schotz hop around and now it was more frequent. Eric’s mom Louise is a really nice lady who I had the privilege of meeting and getting to know while Eric, Jon Elmore and friends ran Across Alabama in 2009 in honor of Eric’s son Elliott who was dying of Tay Sachs. On this day, Eric had the name of his two children, Elliott (who unfortunately passed away in early May of 2010) and Fiona written on his upper thighs as motivation. As my walk had even slowed to a stumble, Eric came through and I could tell that he was a man on a mission. We would later say that his smart approach to the race was a negative split, to which he would nearly achieve in running 2:35/2:38. I wished him well and before I knew it, he and his mom were out of sight. Despite the warm and fuzzy feeling I had in seeing Eric run so well, I had just split the last 5 miles in over 44 minutes, and was now just over 7:30 pace on average with 16 miles yet to run.

Before the marathon split, I dropped to 11th as Sung Ho Choi from Jacksonville, Florida passed me during a prolonged session of walking. My feet were hurting, but mostly I was just queasy to best describe it. My crew was doing a great job thus far but after a minor mix up, thought that seeing me around mile 26 was too soon and I saw them pull out of a farmer’s driveway and head down the road. Seeing them sit there, I finished my bottle; seeing them pull away I felt my heart drop. I would not see them again for another 2 miles but luckily this was during one of the water stations, where the race directly had placed several clear milk jugs full of water. I picked up one and poured some in my bottle, and way too much in my mouth. I choked on the water and spit some of it back up (not in the jug!). Looking back I felt that I was in a downward spiral and I was nearing the bottom. My marathon split was 3:17:30, a full two and a half minutes off of my 2009 time, when I was running on empty from the Boston Marathon, just 12 days prior.

Somewhere along Thompson Creek Road, I had an amazing case of déjà vu, which began with seeing David “Hollywood” Jones. I have always joked with Strolling Jim runners is that the measure of a good day at the Jim is how long you can hold off Hollywood before be passes you by. For me in 2009 in was at mile 28 as I had enough and decided that it would be smart to lay on the side of the road. For me in 2011, it was at mile 28 when I WANTED to lie on the side of the road, but there was too much traffic. I could sense his spandex shorts and perfectly manicured hair approaching and as he ran by, I wished him well on the rest of this day and then at Badwater (135, his staple race but unfortunately I found out later despite his many finishes, was turned down for 2011). David is a great guy and gave me some encouraging words as he pulled away. I was now in 12th place.

My crew was waiting for me before the entrance to the walls where decided that something had to give; I was not going to drop out, but I was not about to walk it in for a slow finish. I changed up some equipment, grabbed some food and told Anne that I just wanted to keep it under 6 hours. As soon as I walked away it started to sink in for the words I had just uttered… “under 6 hours”. Not that there is anything wrong with someone who runs over 6 hours, but for my present conditioning that would be an epic fail. Then something happened that can only be straight from an ultra running fairy tale. As I turned left onto Cathey Road, “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 came on my Apple iPod. It was this very song that have me motivation at Boston in 2008 and fueled part of the final 10km at Run Across Alabama as Schotzy and I found a rejuvenated spirit and put aside our pain to finish strong. I decided that I needed to be stripped down to my lowest elemental level and dropped my shirt and put on a mindset that I was going to break out of my funk and finish strong.

Late Stages: 29-41.2

Most people won’t say that they started their finishing kick of a 41.2 mile road race with 12 miles to go, but that is what I did. I split the first 29 miles in 3:49 (7:54 pace, which had dropped by nearly a minute in the last 14 miles) and was bound and determined to turn this back into my day. I wanted to own “The Jim” not be another victim of its brutality. Heading into the walls I was in 12th place and nearly 6 minutes off of my time from 2009, neither of which I was ready to settle for, so I began to run. It was not fast at first, nor was it steady, but it was running. I was running and it was into “the walls” where the trees line the narrow single lane road and the rolling hills in front of you prevent you from seeing the rolling hills ahead, but that is where I remembered my training. All of the hill work from recent and the strength that I derive from climbing empowered me to run through the walls. My first two miles back in the game were not swift, but at 17 minutes to split the 50km at 4:06, I had averaged 8:30 pace and it felt very good. Anne had started to give me half water and half Coke with ice in my bottle and it was hitting the spot, along with some Powerbar Gel Blasts.

I had a renewed spirit.

Coming through the next four miles I ran with a purpose and that was to finish near my original goal of 5:30. I could tell that my crew had noticed the change in me as I started to surprise them at how quickly I covered the distance between seeing them. I had started to see Sung Ho Choi again and was closing the gap quickly. He would walk some of the hills, and I tried to walk only half as much as he did. By mile 33 I had caught him and as we neared my crew, I noticed that he needed water. Luke filled my bottle, then his but while he waited, I was off and running again. I had reclaimed one position and was back in 11th place. The game was fully on now.

Casey Fritz drove by just before the crossing of 41A and said that Eric (Fritz) was running strong and was not far behind. Now I had motivation to chase and be chased, which helped even more. I thanked the police who where directing traffic again on the 41A crossing and ran through. I could see my crew slightly ahead who was now checking in on me every 2-3 miles at most. I was banking on the fact that they were going to soak my Team inov-8 singlet in ice water again so I could drape it around my neck for an external cooling feeling. Just as we approached the 35-mile mark, Carl Laniak caught me. Carl is such a funny guy and we joked a little and he said that it was time to start racing! We ran together thought the 35 mile mark, which was split in about 4:40, meaning that I had held strong on my 8:30 pace since mile 29 through the hills and was onto smoother pastures of the final 10km. Doing the math in my head, I wasn’t sure if I could run a 49-minute final 10km but I sure as hell was going to try.

We turned together onto Three Forks Bridge Road and my crew handed me my shirt and gave Carl an S! Cap as he was in need of some electrolytes. I told him as he ran ahead that if there was prize money for 11th place (to which he was now in, moving me into 12th) that I wanted half for my contribution to his success, to which he laughed heartily.

The final 10km was slightly a blur in my memory, mostly because I was so focused on my foot turnover. I knew enough to keep drinking and every hitting reply on my iPod every 5 minutes and 38 seconds to keep hearing my U2 song over and over again (to which I did for the final 12 miles to help keep me focused). I remember catching up to Dink Taylor before the Crack Sells Bridge and drinking a Boost to aid my caloric intake. I remembered how well Boost had worked for me during the Pinhoti Trail Adventure Run last year and thought that I needed a little lift for one final push. I had no idea how far we had to go and he thought it was about 4 miles. That didn’t seem right, but I kept at it. I was now back in 11th with no idea who was still ahead of me or how close they were.

The more I ran, the better I seemed to feel. Good friends Rob and Kathy Youngren often talk about they don’t really feel good in an ultra until the 50km mark. Normally I disregard this as they seem to have superhuman abilities to run ultra distances, but on this day it was holding true for me. I met my crew with 5km to go and asked them to drive ahead to the finish then back track 1 mile. I didn’t trust the marks and had taken my watch off before the walls so I really did not know how much was left. When I ran in 2009 we were diverted away from this section due to flooding and the course ran longer. I asked for a time check with 3.1 miles remaining and it was 24 minutes to come in under 5:30. Slightly discouraged, I walked for just a brief moment, and I think that this was just enough to put me over, though there were so many moments to look back at in hindsight that this was just the last one I remember.

Luke thought I had about a mile and a half but before making the final right turn onto the main highway, I crossed the 2 miles (to go) mark. In doing so, I miraculously caught sight of two people running far in the distance. With as straight as this road was, I would guess that they were anywhere from ¼ to ½ mile ahead and certainly I had no potential of catching them but with that same renewed spirit that I discovered back at mile 29, I was going to put my head down and see what I had left.

As the gap closed, I could tell that it was Hollywood in his blue spandex and he was running with someone (who I would later find out was his wife). Not knowing her ability to run, I thought that this was either a friend running along in the final few miles, or there was something wrong and he was struggling through. Knowing that he had captured a gold shirt in the past and had won masters 9 years in a row (before 2010), that the later was not likely but I used it all the same as my new motivation. So with my U2 song on repeat for the 20th time, I dropped the pace even more until I was running at top speed (after 40 miles I will guess that this was around high 6 pace) but faster than I had all day. As the final mile unfolded, and the town began to emerge, I could sense that I was running out of time, literally. Just as I could see the gas station for the first time and on the final climb into town, I caught up to David and we shared some friendly words and I continued on. I looked back only once as I entered the main square of town but did not see him behind.

I charged through the finish line with everything I had, and crossed at 5:31:17. I had just missed my goal of sub 5:30, but still lowered my Strolling Jim personal best by ~7 minutes (15 minutes officially, but as noted, the 2009 course was long based on the detour). I took a few staggering steps and proceeded to lay down with my head on a traffic cone, exhausted from the effort put forth all day, but mostly in the final 12 miles. I ran the final 12 miles at 8:22 pace, the final 10km at 8:14 pace and the final 5km in under 7:45 pace. My late stage push earned me 10th place.

All along I kept thinking to myself that everyone has low periods during an ultra marathon, and I had mine on this day. But the difference on this day, the difference between this day and my DNF at Delano Park (at mile 35 of 50) was that I was able to come back mentally from the incredible lows to experience the amazing highs of the finish.

Thanks a ton to my crew… by the end of the race we were a well-oiled machine and I would not have been able to finish without your support and words of encouragement. I owe you guys more than you know. Thanks to inov-8 for putting the jersey on my back and letting me represent you in the 33rd running of Strolling Jim. Finally, thanks to Gary Cantrell and John Anderson (as well as Mike Mellon the new race director) for keeping their dream alive. It was your cruel intentions that keep runners coming back year after year to the hills of Bedford County, Tennessee.

Yeah, Leah Thorvilson would go on for the overall win; first time in the 33 year history that the OA was taken by a female and if my numbers are right, she broke the old record by more than 30 minutes. Wow.

Tornadic Lessons

2011-05-02T07:17:00.001-05:00

First of all, until last week I had no idea that there was such a word as 'Tornadic' but it was used all day Wednesday to describe the weather conditions across North Alabama.

Secondly, I know that this is a running blog but there is more to life than running and I was a writer long before I was a runner, so from time to time I will divulge.

I don't think I need to go into detail on what our area has been through since the skies grew dark on April 27th, but for those of you who don't know... EF4-EF5 tornadoes with winds in excess of 200 miles an hour ripped across the northern portion of the state. CNN and the National Weather Service report about 148 twisters left a swath of destruction across 13 states, killing more than 335 people in six states, including 250 people in Alabama alone. Thousands of people left homeless, tens of thousands of people injured, and hundreds of thousands of people impacted. TVA transmission towers torn out of the ground which created a power outage that lasted 4 days for some and longer for others. Easily the worst damage that I have ever seen and will probably be one of the worst on record. Friends who lost loved ones and memories that will not fade anytime soon.

Needless to say, it was bad.

Amidst these tumultuous times, I learned many lessons. Here are a few of them, but certainly not all.

1) You need far less than what you have. I learned this lesson last summer after packing up the truck and beagles and spending the summer in Michigan with my parents, but it was reinforced this week. When all of the basic services of life are taken away, you realize that you don't need much of anything to be happy.

2) Living by candle light with no power makes you realize how dependent most of us are on electricity. It was one of the reasons I became an electrical engineer with a fascination for electricity. Discovering that I had a gas hot water heater was a blessing in disguise as it made the situation much better.

3) Technology has changed how we get news. When cell phone coverage was available, we got the most accurate information about where to get gas, ice, etc from Twitter and Facebook feeds for local news sources than from radio. The radio was nice but it has a limited bandwidth of reports whereas we could scan Twitter and Facebook quickly to get everything that we needed to know to help make critical decisions.

4) In trying times, Southern people are good people. For the most part, people were patient in gas lines (often as long as 200 cars long), at grocery stores, at stop lights that were turned into make-shift 4-way stops and even walking about the streets. Friends helping friends, neighbors helping neighbors. Sharing hot water, looking out for their homes if they left town and many other ways. I was very impressed by how people banded together and did not get frustrated with the lack of services.

5) With those friends who lost loved ones, as it always does, it made me realize how much I appreciate my friends and family. All of my friends checked in on us as we did with them and it felt better once we all knew that we were all ok and safe. Please take the time today to tell those close to you how much they mean to you. You won't regret it.

6) Television and internet make our lives more enjoyable and in some cases enable us to live more efficiently but nothing beats good old fashion conversation. Turn off the TV some nights and just talk. Read Trivial Pursuit cards to each other, talk about childhood memories or just about how you are feeling at that moment. It is very 'Little House on the Prairie' but long before we had laptops we talked more.

7) Don't take for granted all of the things that you have, but looking back above, remember you don't need all of the those things to be happy. But when in an instance all of your worldly possessions can be swept away in one fell swoop, it makes you think about protecting your most memorable possessions. Back up your photos and documents on secure locations online. Not easily, you can rebuild your home, buy a new car, etc but some items are irreplaceable.

8) It may sound silly, but why do we have so much food in our freezers that we don't eat? Yes I once spent $3 on that pound of bacon but that was probably a year ago and I wasn't about to eat it! I would like to try to shop more frequently, buying more fresh foods. Grilling out with friends last night where the majority of the meal (ok I made a pizza!) was comprised of fresh vegetables from local sources was very cool. I won't be rushing out to replenish my supply of Totino's Party Pizzas, despite their occasional yummy taste.

9) These times have made me realize that so many of the daily worries that plague me are so trivial. When stepping back and comparing my daily problems to the bigger picture, it makes me rethink stressing out so often. I have my health, my friends, my family, my beagles and a roof over my head. Yes I may forget to make my car payment or my forget to tape American Idol, but life will go on and I will have less gray hair worrying about the small things.

10) It is important to reflect after time has passed and to never forget. These are great lessons to learn, but if you quickly forget them then they were all for not. It is nice to have reminders, but try to take some of these and incorporate them into your daily life. That way these storms will help to shape and mold your life.

Take care everyone.

2011 Spring Race Results

2011-04-23T14:50:00.000-05:00

Life has been crazy lately and I my blog had to be on the back burner for awhile, so I thought I would write an update to the spring racing season.

2011 Rocket Run 10 Miler
March 19, 2011
Mooresville, Alabama

This race was all about survival! I had not been keeping up with much speedwork this spring and honestly other than a fast 10km at UAH earlier in the month, I had mostly been putting in maintenance miles with a focus on Delano 50 miler. Going into this race, I thought that I might be able to stay with Donald Bowman and run in the high 58's best case and certainly under an hour. As Josh Whitehead took off (and on his way to a blistering time) the chase pack quickly dwindled down to Donald Bowman, Christian Cortes and myself. Donald and I kept it around 5:45-5:50 pace for the first half, while Christian fell off the pace after stopping to tie his shoe. I think the first half split was around 29:15 before I began to slow in the warmer temperatures and Donald kept on sub 6's. Making the turns on the back half and then to the north, I fought tough head winds along with the other runners and at times my pace slowed to the mid 6's; the possibility of running under an hour looked bleak. After reaching the last mile split, I had to run a low 6 just to break an hour. I worked very hard and was able to hold on for a 59:56, finishing 3rd overall and was the last finisher under an hour on a tough day for all.

2011 Oak Barrel Half Marathon
April 2, 2011
Lynchburg, TN

With the previous weekend being a wash out at the second goal race of the season, Mckay Hollow Madness 25km, I was mostly rested going into this half marathon. It was an addition to the schedule as a final tune up before my girlfriend Anne Noble in her training for Salt Lake City Marathon. Standing at the starting line, it was clear that despite the size of the field (more than 1000 runners) that the competition at the top was very thin. New Nike Fleet Feet Racing team mate George Heeschen was the favorite, as he was coming off of a fast race at Mercedes Half Marathon in February. For the first three miles, we ran as a small pack of 4 people at ~ 5:50 pace and it felt comfortable. Then came Whiskey Hill, a climb that humbled most runners and after a switchback up to mile 5 that slowed my mile split to a 7:02, I was never able to re-engage my fast twitch muscles. After continuing to climb until mile 7, I was barely able to hold onto six minute pace for the final 10km even though it was mostly downhill. I was running in 2nd the entire time but I could tell that two guys behind me were closing the gap mile after mile. I thought that I would have enough kick to hold them off, but as we made the final turn toward the finish, I was passed by one of them. I was already sprinting with what I had left, something in the mid 5's for the last 1/2 mile but it wasn't enough. After the pass, I jogged to the finish for a 3rd place overall. Other than the awards based on ship time (The guy who passed me started late and we never knew that he was there - he did run faster than me to the finish, but he beat me by 2 seconds gun time, not the 6 seconds that the results show) this was a top notch race. They gave out long sleeve tech shirts, shoe bag, hat, custom wooden finisher awards and hand crafted overall awards. I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a challenge.

2011 3M River City 10km
April 9, 2011
Decatur, Alabama

I had high expectations for this race going in but after further thoughts, I should have adjusted my goals coming off of a hard half marathon the weekend before. I thought that I could run at minimum 35:30, given that I ran that fast on a much harder course at UAH 10km a few weeks prior. The weather was unseasonably warm as temperatures were in the mid 60's by race time and after the first mile, I was feeling it! This was another case of fighting for 2nd, but this time it was Brandon Mader who took off quickly, and trailing were the usual suspects of Donald Bowman, Christian Cortes, David O'Keefe and myself. I went into shut down mode before 5km as the pace was barely under 5:45 and was passed by David before the 4 mile mark, falling into 4th place. Running down the back stretch through the park, we weaved through the 5km runners and the gap increased out to David and I was jogging just to keep my place. Nothing about this race was fun, but I understand that there are good days and bad days and this was not my best. I finished in 36:39 but walked away knowing that my next race would be better (foreshadowing!)

2011 Cookie Dash 5km
April 23, 2011
Huntsville, Alabama

Leading into this race, I had spent 7 nights on the road, including a great weekend pacing my girlfriend Anne Noble at the Salt Lake City Marathon and then 4 more nights at altitude, running above 6,500' in snowy Butte, MT while on business. Before SLC, I had started my heat/hill training for Strolling Jim and with the cold temps out west, I was worried that the heat of Huntsville would be a shock to my body in this race. I ran an easy 5 mile warm up to increase my internal body temperature but it was still warm, and the times showed it. I decided to take the race out smart, and as the other runners sprinted off, I eased into it up the first hill. Making the first right, the pack had already thinned and the chase pack of Donald Bowman, Kevin Betts and myself (do you see a pattern here?) fell behind team mate Brandon York who blazed the course out front. We fell into single file on the way out to the first cone at a slow pace of 5:50 but making the turn around, Kevin and Donald took advantage of the tailwind and the downhill to lower the pace. We ran together to mile 1 with a split of 5:36. This seemed too slow to these guys and Kevin sprinted out for a few hundred meters, while I kept an even effort. By the 2nd cone I had covered the move and was running in stride with Kevin. I decided that I needed to make my move on the climb back toward mile 2 but Kevin covered it quickly. I fell back into line for a bit but then tried again and this time it worked. I was just seconds ahead at mile 2 (5:40 pace) but managed to hold onto that leading into the tear drop cul-de-sac. Mentally I felt strong, knowing that I had but two laps of the track (figuratively) plus a kick to go. Making the final turn to the finish, I snuck a quick look to make sure that my lead was safe, splitting 5:42 for mile 3 on my way to a 17:33. This was a great motivational lift and I was happy with my time for an early season race and first 5km since I turned 35 back in November and the 2nd place finish certainly helped!

2011 Delano Park 50 Mile

2011-03-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

I am not Superman. I have no super human powers. I am just like the man you stood in line behind at Starbucks this morning when you got your skinny vanilla latte. We all have our own personal kryptonite and mine lies above my shoulders. Good friend Marty Clarke once told me that the only thing holding me back from achieving my running goals was my head; this weekend he was spot on correct.

For me, I can tolerate intense pain while running for distances of 50km and below; in fact I thrive on the pain, pushing the limits of it on each foot fall. When running for less than 4 or 5 hours I am able to remain focused, keep my head in the game and my eyes on the prize. I've done this several hundred times now in foot races where I have been able to execute a race plan successfully. When it comes to long, dull pain, I get weak in the knees, so to speak.

Racing 50 mile races and beyond, a feat which I have only attempted several times, my mind starts to doubt what my body knows it can do and I turn into a basket case. I was asked in the days leading into Delano Park ultra marathon, what I thought the secrets to ultra running were. I responded with a lengthy email, but it boiled down to this: "Going long is 1/3 physical + 1/3 fueling/hydration + 1/3 mental, and if any one of the three legs is not there. the stool will fall." I know what I need to do, but often as in life, knowing the right thing to do and being able to do it are two different things.

This weekend at Delano Park 50 mile I had but one goal in mind and that was to set a state age record in Alabama for 35 year old men. The time was completely achievable as I had run faster than this the year prior and I felt that I was in much better shape this year, coming off of a solid endurance base, several fast marathons and a strong sub 4:30 at Mountain Mist 50km. The first part of the equation, the physical, was there.

I thought that my fueling/hydration was adequate. I carried a hand bottle on every other lap of the 1 mile course, consuming enough fluids to keep me hydrated. I was taking PowerBar Gel Blasts and some other solid foods as the day wore on, to the point where the second part of the equation was present. I did realize later in the day that the sun was burning my arms and shoulders, which lead to dehydration - a painful lesson that I learned in the 2008 Boston Marathon as well.

Where I suffered from an epic failure was not believing that I could do it. My plan to run faster from the start to avoid the heat brought on early fatigue which contributed to me self-doubt. Even after splitting the marathon in 3:20 and the 50km in 4:05 and having a full three hours to complete the next 19 miles, my thoughts began to drive me crazy with the math that I was not going to make it. I began to walk more and more, to the point where I was running for 2 miles and then walking for 2-3 minutes. I had a great pacer with me in Anne Noble as she was very encouraging and kept me going forward. Without her help I probably would have walked off much sooner. But after a twelve minute mile 34 and realizing that I had to hold 9 minute pace or faster for the next 16 miles, to which seemed a daunting, effort, I mentally collapse and gave up.

I walked some of the next mile but but half way I had completely rationalized my failure to execute and decided that instead of walking for another few hours just to get to 50 miles and not set the state record, that I was better off to throw in the towel and live to fight another day. Dropping out of a race is one of the worst failures to a runner as you are basically admitting defeat for whatever reason. I have only done it a few times, and each time I agonize over the choice and nearly ever time I regret it later, once I am thinking clearly. But this time, through the help of some life-coaching by my girlfriend Anne, I was able to find peace with the decision and when I left the race, I left the self-disappointment there as well.

So instead of dwelling on the negative, I choose to focus on the positive and rest in the fact that I made the right call, given the factors. I will live to fight again another day and though I did not achieve my goal of setting a state age record, I realize that sometimes you don't realize all of your goals; that is why they are goals - they give you something to work toward and focus on. This was not an epic failure as would have thought in the past, but a learning experience. In order to compete at longer distance ultra marathons, I need to have complete focus and a strong mind. I also realize that my passions are running at distances of 50km and less because those are my strengths. I may never be a great distance runner but it will not be for lack of trying and now that I have a better understanding of my weaknesses I know what I need to focus on, should I decide to try this distance again.

Thanks to the great team of Eric Schotz, Jon Elmore and all of the volunteers for putting on a great event in Decatur. If you have never checked it out, 2012 is the time for either the 50 mile, the 12 hour or the relay. They really put on a fantastic race.

Mount Cheaha 50km by the numbers

2011-03-09T20:39:00.001-06:00

The Numbers

Here is my on going analysis of the fastest times posted at Mount Cheaha 50km. This year there were 4 more finishers under the 5-hour mark, making it a total of 22 in the 6-year history of this race. That is just 2.96% of the total 743 runners to finish the race. The average finishing time for runners across all six years is 7:02:12. With an 8-hour cutoff, that means that half of the finishers are above 7 hours and half are below.

Fastest Course Times (5 hours and under)

01 - 4:00:25 Dane Mitchell, 2010
02 - 4:32:23 Jamie Dial, 2008
03 - 4:35:09 Owen Bradley, 2011
04 - 4:36:00 DeWayne Satterfield, 2010
05 - 4:39:22 Alex Darth, 2010
06 - 4:40:31 Tim Vinson, 2010
07 - 4:42:48 Jason Hanlin, 2011
08 - 4:42:52 DeWayne Satterfield, 2008
09 - 4:44:24 Eric Gilbertson, 2010
10 - 4:50:25 Robert Pritchett, 2006
11 - 4:51:17 Dink Taylor, 2007
12 - 4:53:10 Mike Consentino, 2007
13 - 4:54:07 Eric Charette, 2010
14 - 4:54:45 DeWayne Satterfield, 2011
15 - 4:55:17 Robert Youngren, 2007
16 - 4:55:55 Dink Taylor, 2008
17 - 4:56:29 Thomas Boyd, 2008
18 - 4:57:47 Matt Sims, 2008
19 - 4:58:18 Dink Taylor, 2009
20 - 4:58:46 David Howe, 2010
21 - 4:58:47 Dink Taylor, 2006
22 - 4:59:51 Marcus Farris, 2011

2006
2 finishers under 5 hours
69 total finishers
7:05:27 average time

2007
3 finishers under 5 hours
106 total finishers
7:01:55

2008
5 finishers under 5 hours
113 total finishers
6:49:53 average time

2009
2 finishers under 5 hours
124 total finishers
7:03:11 average time

2010
7 finishers under 5 hours
149 total finishers
7:01:08 average time

2011
4 finishers under 5 hours
182 total finishers
7:09:01 average time

Totals for all 6 Years
22 finishers under 6 hours (2.96%)
743 total finishers
7:02:12 average time

2011 UAH 10km

2011-03-09T12:54:00.000-06:00

March 6th, 2011
Huntsville, Alabama

One of the races that I love to hate is the UAH Spring Road Race.

It is run on a Sunday afternoon
The weather is so unpredictable from rain/wind to the first hot day of the year
I am usually focused on endurance/ultra running and have done minimal speed work
The course is a double out and back (horse shoe) with 3 cone turn arounds

This year it was just a week before a spring goal race of mine, the Delano Park 50 miler and the day after Rob Youngren, Eric Fritz and I ran the Bushwhacker Johnston Trail marathon (26.2 miles from Monte Sano along the ridge line to the Tennessee River, often bushwhacking through virgin forest). The weather for race day was predicted to be partly cloudy with temps in the upper 50's, but were actually high 30's with blustery winds gusting at 10-20 mph from the north. When I got to the race I wondered what the hell I was doing there and that I had no business trying to be competitive by racing.

That said, I have had some success at this race with some high finishes despite slow times, mostly due to low turnout. In 2009, I finished 3rd overall and in 2010, I finished 4th overall, each year swapping places with Donald Bowman. Last year I went out too hard (5:20's first mile) and was in the middle of training for Pinhoti 500km and faded quickly, dropping from 2nd to 5th in the final two miles, before surging late to regain 4th place.

2009 Results
1 Matthew Brick - 34:10
2 Josh Whitehead - 34:17
3 Eric Charette - 36:32
4 Donald Bowman - 36:59
5 Jason Reneau - 37:10

2010 Results
1 Josh Whitehead - 33:00
2 Cristian Cortes - 35:37
3 Donald Bowman - 35:52
4 Eric Charette - 36:28
5 David Purinton - 36:31

This year I decided that I would stick close to Donald Bowman, knowing that he was already in decent road racing shape and with any luck I could hold onto 5:45 pace and come in under 36 minutes. Last year it took me until July to post a time in the 35's and with minimal speed training this season I was not hopeful. The main competition in this race was Donald, David O'Keefe, George Heeschen and Samson Too, though Samson is capable of low 30's so it was expected that he jog to victory by most on-lookers.

Out of the gate Donald shot away and set a pace that was faster than I wanted, but I kept covering the distance of his accelerations and tucked in behind him. As we rounded the corner and started to head west, then north, Samson had broke away and I was in a small pack of three with George and Donald. The first mile was way too fast for me, 5:27, but I stayed with Donald as he lead the way into the stiff headwind under Holmes Avenue and began the small climb out the other side. George had not run the course before so he was taking wide corners while Donald took the tangents and I followed. Making the first cone turn around, Samson lead, followed by George and then our now pack of two. Not far behind were David, Candace and Dink Taylor as we split the first two miles in 11:12, slowing to 5:45 pace in the second mile as we fought the wind.

Photo Courtesy of Gregg Gelmis

Making our way back to the start for the second cone turn around, I stayed stride for stride with Donald, tucked behind as he set a decent pace of 5:39 and we came through the 5km mark in the low 17's. I was feeling surprisingly good for the conditions and even did a "Youngren-Spin" around the cone (reverse turn) and repeated it mid stride as Rob and Kathy (Youngren) laughed at the finish line. The second loop of this course has eaten me alive in recent years but my head was still strong and my legs were not tiring much.

In the 4th and 5th mile I ran just off of Donald's shoulder and even pulled ahead as we went through the aid station and even through in some quick accelerations to see if I could shake Donald off, but he covered each time. I did this a few times and then got smart and decided that I should let him do the work again into the wind and the final cone turn, and he took the lead without hesitation as we split 5:49 and 5:55.

In the final mile the pace really picked up as I thought it would on the home stretch. We were passing the field, now thin and strung out more than the first two times, and the encouraging words of other runners really began to fuel my fire. I started to think about how I would possibly overtake Donald as the second ticked away. I knew that I could not wait until the final few meters and slingshot by, as he has sprinting speed and that he could react in time and would easily out stride me. Instead, I remembered how he slowed slightly with a quarter mile to go on the first loop as the road took a slight incline to the north. So the decision was to make my move at the 6 mile mark and have a sustained push to the finish. It was the hope that I had enough stored in the bank from tagging along that I could power up the hill and hold off Donald to capture 3rd place.

So after splitting the 6th mile in 5:31, I took off at mile pace for a hundred meters, quickly putting a gap on Donald. As I took off, he yelled "Go Eric." I could tell that he didn't surge with me this time, which was a great feeling but now I was 250 meters away from the finish and I was already at top speed without another gear in my bag. Luckily the surge had put enough distance between us as I slowed just slightly but was able to hold on for a 4 second lead on Donald and take 3rd place overall. I attribute this race to smart tactics when I was in less than top shape and then the fact that I had the "want" to make that final push, instead of just settling for 4th place.

So in our alternating year fashion, Donald Bowman and I again traded places, this year, as in 2009, I took 3rd overall and he took 4th. Maybe in 2012 we will break the pattern! A special thanks to Donald for carrying us along; I think that together we were able to run faster than we would have alone.

2011 Results
1 Samson Too - 33:38
2 George Heeschen - 34:37
3 Eric Charette - 35:36
4 Donald Bowman - 35:40
5 David O'Keefe - 37:01
6 Victor Brown - 37:25
7 Dink Taylor - 37:39
8 Candace Jacobs - 37:43
9 Greg Reynolds - 38:08
10 Blake Thompson - 38:11

2011 Black Warrior 25km

2011-02-26T07:52:00.002-06:00

February 19, 2011
Moulton, AL

Black Warrior 50km was set to be my final distance tune up before a full three-week taper leading into my bid to break the Alabama state age record in the 50-mile distance at Delano Park. In the process I would also vie for a fast time and look for the overall win; well that was the plan.

Photo Courtesy of Greg Gelmis

In reality, the best laid plans of men are just that; plans. They must be prepared for and executed in order to be successful. In my case, I was coming off of an illness and maybe an ill advised road marathon just six days prior and far from being in prime shape for my plan. The marathon left my feet badly blistered from shoes I had not won since CIM in early December and the narrow toe-box forced my outer smallest toes under the next and the pounding on them for 26.2 miles was very painful. I had difficulty walking through mid week and running was even more difficult as proven by a test run on Thursday where I struggled to hold goal pace for a few miles.

So in the hour long drive over to Moulton from Huntsville, despite being with friends, I was very focused on the decision at hand; race the longer distance in the unseasonably warm February temperatures, or be fleet of foot and race the shorter distance and escape the heat and live to fight another day. Standing around and enjoying the camaraderie, I battled internally over the choice at hand. Even as I picked up my race number for the 50km, I was nearly certain that I was going to make the smart move and race the 25km. It was weighing heavily on my mind as we stood on the bridge at the start and that is when I decided that I was going to take the pace out hard up the first hill and race the 25km. Of course it was too late to change races and as we took off up the hill, I knowingly accepted the fact that should the race director not allow me to change, I was risking a potential disqualification.

The race was split up into 4 unique parts.

Gravel road (FSR 262): 2.6 miles from the start to 2.6 miles
Trail section on Keith Mill (Orange) Loop: 5.4 miles from 2.6 to 8.0
Trail section on Keith Mill (Orange) Loop: 5.75 miles from 8.0 to 12.75
Gravel road (FSR 262): 2.75 miles from 12.75 to 15.5

Section 1:

The first mile climbs steady from the bridge which lies in a low and chilly hollow to the top of the ridge, gaining 350’ in the process. I always try to keep my head up and run the tangents of this windy road and held the pace under 7 minute-miles to the top. It was clear that no one was coming along for the ride as the voices got softer and softer into the distance. Like last year when I was chasing the then unknown Dane Mitchell, I lowered the pace ever further from the crest to the trail head, running just over 6 minute pace on each split. My breathing was good and my turnover seemed to quick and the fast I ran, the more distance I put between myself and the pack and the more confidence I gained. I turned onto the first trail section at about 16:35, waving to one of the Fagerman brothers who were standing with a group of people at the final aid station.

Section 2:

This section actually has two parts with them split by Forest Service Road 363. The eastern portion rolls continuously with very fast flat sections. Marty Clarke always said that if this course was dry, that it could be scorched and if it was wet that the mud and horse manure would eat you alive. Luckily we had not had that much rain so the runoff crossings were manageable and despite a vanishing shoe into the mud when running through them, the trail was in good shape. My pace stayed below 7 minute pace through the aid station without having to expend maximum effort. I did kept thinking that I needed to relay information back to inov-8 team mate DeWayne Satterfield that I was indeed running the 25km; I did not want him to think that I was getting way and that he would have to make a bold move to run me down, but that he could focus on his distance and battle Alan Outlaw from Chattanooga. So when I crossed FSR 262, I made sure that Jeff Fagerman would pass along the message for me; in a serious tone and not that I was playing any sort of mind games and trying to trick them into slowing down… I was really thinking about their well being.

Coming off of the road crossing it was a solid two miles until the split. This section is notorious for washed away trail leaving large rocks. They are mostly run with easy footing but a few of them at the stream crossings were wet and moss covered. I had one misstep with an ankle twist but it wasn’t enough to slow me down. The 7th mile was the last mile on trail were I held under 7 minute pace but was just barely over it in the next.

Section 3:

Last year I started to melt down before the split as I basically stepped aside to let Tim Vinson go and then I never saw him again. MY demise further perpetrated as by the 15km mark, close friend Rob Youngren passed me and as I recall asked me if I was ok, given that I had slowed down so much. These thoughts weighed heavy on my mind at the split but I was still feeling strong and remained focused. I saw yet another Fagerman brother at the split and in making the turn, I knew that I had made the right decision. The temperature was still climbing and it would surely impact the 50km runners. I was more than half way done and had just 4 more miles of trail before the final road section where I could pick up the pace. So step after step I focused on an even effort through the mud as the trail ran into and out of each cove. At the crux of each cove there was typically a shallow creek crossing that varied from being able to jump over and stay dry to ankle deep which was no more than mildly annoying. The forest started to thin out a little as I approached the final aid station. The contour of the land was very familiar from the many training runs that we had done on this course. Fueling was coming along fine as I continued to snack on some Cola flavored Power Bar Gel-Blasts. My hand bottle was starting to run a little dry but I had enough to finish up the race.

Section 4:

My pace had started to slip a little after the aggressive first few miles building the lead, but I was still holding mid to high 7's over rolling terrain since the split. Making the turn onto the gravel road I came across Greg Gelmis who was out to support his wife Karen. He gave me some encouraging words and said that I had built quite a lead on the pack. I had tried not to think about anyone chasing but I admit that as I picked up the pace climbing back to the summit of the gravel road section, that I started to get a little nervous. All of the usual self doubt that can set in during the late stages of a race was creeping up. I have been in the situation dozens of times before but each time it seems worse than before. Will I fade in the final mile? Is there someone making up ground? These questions usually arise when my sugar levels have dropped and I simply need energy. Sometimes it is just hard to recognize what is going on while it is going on. On this day I did and quickly took some fuel and within minutes I felt better. I know that they don’t take affect that quickly, but I had fed my mind and then the energy would soon feed my muscles.

I could not remember my time from last year but I knew that I was nowhere near the course record set by Dane Mitchell from last year. I was concerned with a strong finish and hanging onto the lead. Miles 13 and 14 were 6:51 and 6:40 with just a few minutes to run before crossing the bridge. The finish line is just further up the road beyond the bridge and is paved from there which provides some speed. I glanced at my watch and saw that there was a slim chance that I could come in under 1:44 if I dropped the pace into the 5’s. I increased my turnover and making the final turn toward the finish, I finally looked behind to see that there was no one trailing. I crossed the finish line at 1:43:58 with just 1 second to spare to stay under 1:44.

I had some mild intentions of running a few more miles but my legs were tired and thought that my time would be better used to clean up and find my way to the mile 17 aid station where my pals were working. It took a bit of time to find a ride but eventually I did and was able to help out by encouraging other runners in the 50km.

I am not sure this goes down as one of my better races but a win is a win and I will take it. I didn’t find out until I got back home that I actually had earned the 3rd fastest time on the course since the inception of the race in 2008 which put a great spin on the day! Inov-8 Team USA team mate DeWayne Satterfield ran a strong 4:10, finishing 2nd overall in the 50km and Fleet Feet Racing teammate James Falcon finished 10th overall with a pretty nasty head cold.

Top 10 Fastest Times Black Warrior 25km

1. 1:32:36 Dane Mitchell, 2010* (Winner)
2. 1:42:56 Brett Kmiec, 2010
3. 1:43:58 Eric Charette, 2011* (winner)
4. 1:44:08 Tim Vinson, 2010
5. 1:46:03 Matt Sims, 2009* (Winner)
6. 1:47:07 Rob Youngren, 2010
7. 1:47:14 John Thorpe, 2009
8. 1:47:23 Derick Hallmark, 2008 *(Winner)
9. 1:47:37 Daniel Ross, 2008
10. 1:50:39 Marty Clark, 2008

2011 Mercedes Marathon

2011-02-13T12:52:00.000-06:00

February 13, 2011
Birmingham, Alabama

Team inov-8 US Biography: Eric Charette

2011-02-07T10:03:00.004-06:00

1) Primary sport (s): Trail and ultra running

2) Team member since: 2010

3) City/state of residence: Huntsville, Alabama. Hometown: Kingsford, Michigan

4) Occupation: Professional Electrical Engineer

5) Goals for 2011:

Break 4:30 and finish in top 5 at Mountain Mist 50km

Break 7 hours and set state age record (7:14:49) Delano 50 mile

Break 5:30 and finish in the top 5 at Strolling Jim 40 (41.2 miles)

Overall win at Keyes Peak Trail 50km

Sub 2:45 at New York City Marathon

6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport:

In 2010, I set personal records at 2 mile (10:38), 5km (16:36), ½ Marathon (1:15:32), Marathon (2:43:40) , 50 mile (7:14:16) in 2010. Also I finished in the top 3 places 24 times of 36 total races, including 9 overall wins.

2008 Huntsville Track Club Male Performer of the Year

2009, 2010 Huntsville Track Club Open Male Gran Prix Series Runner Up

2010 Huntsville Track Club Male Admiration Award

2010, 2011 Ultrarunning Team inov-8 US Selection

Course Record Delano 50k 3:53:54 March 2009

Course Record Bartlett Park 50k 4:07:10 August 2009

2nd fastest known time Alabama Pinhoti Trail 171.3 miles May 2010

6th fastest time ever Dizzy Fifties 50km 3:53:15 November 2009

11th fastest time ever Mount Cheaha 50km 4:54:07 February 2010

Course Record Keyes Peak Trail Marathon 3:19:58 June 2010

7) Favorite inov-8 gear: inov-8 x-talon 190 for short distance and inov-8 Roclite 285 for ultra running.

8) List one thing others may not know about you: When telling a story, I often relate it back to a situation from a TV show or movie that I have seen. Recently I was asked what I thought was the secret to life. I thought back to the movie City Slickers, where Billy Crystal says that it is just "one thing" and later goes on to say that it is unique to each person. For me it is a trail run in the fall with my two beagles (Siri and Fiina) when the colors are changing and the temperatures are falling, enjoying the beauty, serenity and simplicity of the wilderness. There are no problems that can't be worked out in your head when in the solitude of the trails and nothing else matters out there.

9) Favorite energy drink/food: For short distance running I thrive on Honey Stinger gels, especially the Gold and Ginsting (ginseng) flavors. For ultra distance, I found a strange affinity for Vanilla Boost with high protein, along with string cheese. I ate this combination like it was going out of style during the FKT of the Pinhoti Trail in May of 2010.

10) Your favorite race and why? My favorite race is McKay Hollow Madness 25km. This race is held on the trails of Monte Sano State Park and The Huntsville Land Trust in Huntsville, Alabama. The race has four difficult climbs, including the final ascent up Death Trail to the finish. I have always been known as a strong climber so this race and the brutal finish suit my strengths.

11) Advice to other athletes: Never stop dreaming and always believe in yourself. I am an example of someone with just ordinary abilities who trains very hard and strives to achieve extraordinary results. I think that it would be an injustice to the sport and others who look up to me if I wasn't out there on every run trying to bust my tail and realize my potential. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given and it is my goal to pay it forward.

2011 Mountain Mist 50km

2011-01-23T14:14:00.000-06:00

Mountain Mist 50km

Huntsville, AL

January 22, 2011

Full of a nervous calm at the start line, I wondered if my projected splits were too fast, given my lack of specific training for this race. Since my goal marathon in early December, I had been training on the first or second half of the Mountain Mist Course, but never logged a single long run of over 17 miles and most weeks never peaked at over 60 miles; far fewer that of the runners I hoped to beat on this day. Was I over my head? Most definitely. Was I going to back down and not chase a personal best time and a top 10 finish? Not a chance.

Section 1: Monte Sano Lodge to O’Shaughnessy Point

Miles 0 to 6.47

Like a shot out of a cannon, the start of this race seems to get faster and faster each year. What used to be an easy mile on the road to the trail head, is now a sprint of heavy breathing to get into position for the first downhill. David Riddle and Josh Wheeler lead the way, followed by Hal Koerner, me and others as we ran down the icy hill toward Mountain Mist trail. It felt a little aggressive for me as I had no business pacing with these top guys and once I realized that near the 5km mark, I backed off and let them go which was a smart move as I was able to settle into an even effort pace. The trails were slightly snow covered, but more importantly the mud from mid week was frozen and the ground was rock hard, making the impact on the joints feel like a road race. As I made the turn onto the White Trail, I could barely see the next runner in front of me and the pack behind me had closed in quickly, comprised of inov-8 teammate Dewayne Satterfield, Rob Youngren and Blake Thompson.

It was around this time that I began to realize that my left foot was completely numb and I could not figure out why. The 18 degree temperatures were probably the reason why, but I couldn't help but wonder if my shoes were tied too tight, or if my calf sleeves were bothering me. Regardless, it was non-responsive and would not push off or flex and I became very nervous that I would plant on a rock and it would buckle from underneath me. I pushed forward and prayed that it was loosen up and regain feeling.

Previous Mist winner David Rindt had caught up to me on the gravel road and we talked a little, catching up from the past year. He is such a strong hill climber that as he ran in front on the Family Bike Trail, I gave him encouraging words that he could close the gap on the leaders with the hills ahead. Tim Vinson sprinted to catch me and then past, noting that he had to push the flats hard and he ran with David toward the first aid station. With that move, I had fallen into 8th overall with some very talented runners behind me. This year featured the best talent that I can remember and a top 10 finish would really be coveted by the tier 2 runners.

My goal time was to split the first section in 47 minutes and I made it in 47:20; right on track.

Section 2: O’Shaughnessy Point to Three Benches

Miles 6.47 to 11.9

Just like last year, Tim and David stopped at the aid station and having a hand bottle with me, I ran past them and down War Path Ridge. I was still worried over the numbness, so I took it easy on the rocky War Path ridge descent, and sensing that weakness, Rob Youngren came flying by! I caught up to him by the Grassy Knoll and together with Tim, Blake and Dewayne we ran out toward the power lines.

Joking about getting lost and making the wrong turn onto the barely recognizable Red Lizard Trail must have distracted Rob as when we neared the edge of the woods, Rob made the wrong turn! I immediately noticed the Red Lizards painted on the rocks and we turned around, which shuffled the order but we all still stayed together.

The new and improved power lines section with gravel for the power company to maintain the wires made for a faster section, with less mud. I fell to the back of the pack, having to go to the bathroom. I held on until we got in the woods, but it seemed like the pack was pulling away while I stopped to go. As we approached the K2 climb, I was behind Blake but within minutes, Rob and I had made our way to front. In many of our training runs, Rob and I had been focusing on the hill climbs and I think that it really paid off as we reached the summit at Goat Trail ahead of the others and then ran ahead. It was this point last year that Tim surged ahead, but Rob and I ran steadily fast toward the next aid station and kept the separation.

Preparing to meet my crew (and girlfriend) Anne Noble at 3 Benches, I stripped off my outer layer and knowing that Rob was warming, suggested he do the same. He had an issue with the disrobing and stopped for a second and I pulled ahead. I drank some more of my bottle and took the first of my nutrition. I probably had waited too long to pack in some calories but the pace had been too fast to really eat anything.

Coming into 3 benches at 11.9 miles, I spotted Anne, handed her my still half full bottle and exchanged it for a full one and also handed my shirt to her. With this hand off, I never slowed once and ran through the aid station quickly and was off toward the Keith Trail / Logan Point loop, building a slight lead on my friends. Having a crew really made a difference on this day as it saved me critical time at the aid stations.

My targeted split for this section was 41:30 and I managed to clock a 40:54 and come in faster than anticipated. Overall I had wanted to be there at 1:28:30 and was at 1:28:14 and slightly ahead.

Section 3: Three Benches to Fearn Road

Miles 11.9 to 17.1

Getting a natural high from seeing people, I surged forward. This section really doesn't get interesting until the cut back onto the climb up Stone Cuts. I could hear some chatter behind me from Dewayne and Rob, but stayed ahead of David on the climb into Stone Cuts. Knowing how strong he is on the climb, I again got a natural lift by staying ahead and used this to power my way through the caves. It was tough to tell how close behind me that they were, but there was no one ahead of me, which gave me no one to chase. I did catch an ear shot on the switch backs down toward 3 Benches again, but it didn't change my focus. Despite my best efforts, it would only be a matter of time that I could continue to hold off Dewayne and maybe others.

On the bottom of Stone Cuts, I saw some friends, including a surprise of seeing Anne, which I didn't realize until a half mile later that it was actually her! I had not planned on seeing her again until Trough Springs so it was a nice surprise. At the right turn, I did a "Youngren-Spin" turning left-left-left to make the right turn, just to get a laugh out of my friends.

I managed to hold well through the Sinks and back up the climb to Mountain Mist Trail, which looked like a heard of buffalo had come through with the packed foot prints in the snow. The feeling had come back into my left foot sometime over the previous few miles and other than at the aid stations to lap, I looked at my watch for the first time. I was just over 2 hours and 3 minutes and started to think that there was a good chance I would come through Fearn at 17.1 slightly ahead of schedule. I crossed over closed Bankhead and began the short section toward the next aid station, which included a brief climb where I passed the screams of friend Kim Susor, who was taking pictures. Rob and gang had again pulled close and were just seconds behind me by the time I hit the aid station.

My targeted split for this section was 44:30 and I managed to clock a 44:01 and come in faster than anticipated. Overall I had wanted to be there at 2:13:00 and was at 2:12:15 and slightly ahead. This point of the race is commonly referred to as the half-way point, not on distance, but on time. Negatively splitting the course from this point is very difficult.

Section 4: Fearn Road to Land Trust Parking Lot

Miles 17.1 to 21.1

I had looked forward to the next 4 miles for quite some time, knowing that it was rolling to downhill, which I needed. I felt like I was running pretty strong but after Tollgate but as soon as I made the turn onto High Trail, I could hear someone approach me very quickly. Dewayne was making his second half push and blew past me, and Rob followed right behind him. It was at that point that I realized that the lack of miles and long runs was now coming back to bite me. I was running with the same effort but it turned out to be a slower pace and these guys were just getting warmed up and left me.

Approaching Bluffline, I was mentally prepared for a fast downhill section, for in many training runs I had focused on my line down this descent. The snow and firm ground made my normal line a little hard to follow and with the fatigue in my legs, I was not able to attack it like I wanted. Just before the bottom, I turned my left ankle and hobbled a little, stepping to the side so that Tim could pass me by. Reaching the bottom, I slowed even more and now Dewayne, Rob and Tim were out of sight. I thought that I had fallen back into 9th, to the best of my knowledge.

I plodded along down toward the Land Trust aid station, not knowing if I would see anyone there or not. The freezing rain had limited access to the course and as of a few hours earlier, the race directors were unsure if they would be able to reach this point with the ice covering Bankhead. Luckily the aid station was open, and not that I took anything, but seeing friends Luke and Brandi Hough helped to lift my spirits. I had 1/3 of the race to go and I was starting to tire, though it was not as bad as it was in 2010.

My targeted split for this section was 32:30 and I managed to clock a 32:55 and come in slower than anticipated. Overall I had wanted to be there at 2:45:30 and was at 2:45:10 and slightly ahead.

Section 5: Land Trust Parking Lot to Trough Springs

Miles 21.1 to 25.1

This particular trail is what prompted me to wear the slightly more supportive inov-8 Roclite 285's over the inov-8 x-talon 212's, which I had trained in quite a bit over the last few weeks. The lug spacing on the x-talon's is slightly more than the 285's and with the brutal rocks on Railroad bed I was worried about possibly bruising the bottom of my feet.

This brief 4 mile section is the tale of 3 parts; the rocks of Railroad Bed, the narrow but technical Alms House and the climb on Waterline. I had made my way through the first part and was about half way to the climb when I was caught by David O'Keefe. It was like a bad nightmare that I have relived in my head over and over after he crushed my at McKay Hollow this previous spring. We have trained together a few times and he has become a good friend and was my dark horse to show well at the Mist this year. We ran together for a bit, including him graciously picking up my glove for me when it got caught on a tree! He stopped for a minute with a leg cramp and then caught up again. I offered him an S! Cap, but never having taken them before, he declined. Once we got to Waterline and I started a steady climb up, I would not see him again until the finish.

I was now starting to catch sight of Tim ahead of me on the hand climb section of the hill. He was taking it slowly and I was not bonking hard so tried to close the gap on him. I got it down to just a short distance but by the top across the tree farm, he picked it up again and widen the distance between us again.

Crossing over the road and coming into Trough Springs, I spotted Anne and she handed me my final bottle. She also had my emergency fuel bag, which included a Honey Bun, some Oatmeal Creme Pies and a few Honey Stingers. I was feeling ok and said that I didn't need anything, but gave her a kiss on the check in return for being my crew, before starting the final section.

My targeted split for this section was 42:30 and I managed to clock a 42:35 and come in barely slower than anticipated. Overall I had wanted to be there at 3:28:00 and was at 3:27:45 and slightly ahead.

Section 6: Trough Springs to the top of Rest Shelter Hill

Miles 25.1 to 29.3

I looked down at my watch at the imaginary marathon mark (26.2 miles) and saw that I split it at 3:36; not too shabby for a marathon split considering that it was on this course! I was starting to count down the miles and thinking about a finishing time. I knew that I had just over 62 minutes to stay under 4:30, which was my main goal.

I was very slow down Natural Well and even slower down into the depths of the hollow to the point where I felt like I was walking. I was not giving up, but just lost some of the motivation to push at this point. That was all until the bottom stream crossing when I spotted Tim again walking up Natural Well back toward Slush Mile. I knew that he would start to run again on the flats so I had a short time to close again if I was going to have any shot of pulling ahead by Rest Shelter.

Just as I left my shirt on a tree two years ago, I left my Delano hat on the same tree and with that, knew that the game was now on! I chased hard after Tim through the mostly frozen yet slightly muddy Slush Mile and he was just one switchback ahead of me at the onset of the climb.

I started by power walking the bottom half but as I closed the gap, I started to run more and walk less until I passed him by. I encouraged him to follow along, that we still had a chance at a sub 4:30 if we ran it all in. He said that he had dead legs, but I knew that he would dig deep in the end. I did see Erik Debolt on one of the switch backs, which was surprising as I had not seen him all day. I powered up Rest Shelter Hill, not walking at all until the very top when I needed to catch my breath slightly before the last aid station.

I kept thinking that if I was going to have a legitimate chance of coming in under 4:30, I needed to crest the hill at no more than 4:15. When I saw Grady and grabbed three chocolate chip cookies, I clocked in at 4:15:30. It wasn't going to be easy and I was going to have to work hard, but my goal was in sight.

Section 7: Top of Rest Shelter Hill to the Finish

Miles 29.3 to 31.1

I ran along at a decent pace, glancing at my watch frequently, and feeling pretty good about the day. That was all until I passed a young couple with a small child on the trail. For some reason I simultaneously turned around to look at them, and also heard a large splash in a puddle, which turned out to be David Rindt. He must have passed Tim on the climb and he was surging hard and fast. If he had not splashed the puddle, I might have not ever heard him until it was too late, but I did, and it gave me enough time to react.

As I began to sprint over the final half-mile, I was reminded of the conversation that David and I had on the gravel road at the beginning of the race. He had asked about my 2010 and I told him the story of training for and running 2:43 at California International Marathon in December. He said that he didn't have that kind of speed, but I responded that ultra (mountain/trail) running was a different beast and more toward his talents. Well now I thought back to that and realized that I had the foot speed to hold on, but it was going to take one helluva kick to hold him off.

I stayed focused in the last few minutes and with a brief look back as I neared the lodge, I realized that I have kept the distance on him and finished in a time of 4:28:12. That was a full 4 minutes faster than my previous best on this course from 2009.

I was handed a finisher card after staggering across the finish line and what I thought was an 8th place finish, was actually a 6th place finish! The two guys in the lead 5 at the beginning that ran with Riddle, Wheeler and Koerner must have dropped out somewhere. That made for my 3rd consecutive 6th place finish, matching my bib number in 2010 and 2011!

I owe a lot to my friends, not limited to Rob Youngren, Tim Vinson, Dewayne Satterfield, Kathy Youngren, James Falcon, Blake Thompson and others for the training runs leading up to the race.

I am thankful for the help of my crew, Anne Noble, the help of the aid station workers, volunteers and race directors Dink and Suzanne Taylor. Because of you collectively, I was able to realize a dream of breaking 4:30 in the Mist.

Top 27 Overall Finishers

Congrats to David Riddle on his course record and overall win. Also, mad props to friend Kathy Youngren on her sub 5 and overall win as well.

My Goals and Actual Splits

Goal Split	Actual Split	Goal Total	Actual Total
47:00	47:20	47:00	47:20
41:30	40:54	1:28:30	1:28:14
44:30	44:01	2:13:00	2:12:15
32:30	32:55	2:45:30	2:45:10
42:30	42:35	3:28:00	3:27:45
59:30	1:00:27	4:27:30	4:28:12

2010 Turkey Trot 5km

2011-01-05T07:44:00.000-06:00

2011 Team inov-8 USA

2010-12-29T07:24:00.000-06:00

Original post from on the team website http://team.inov-8.us/2010/12/introducing-2011-team-inov-8.html

We are pleased to announce 2011 Team Inov-8. We have some new athletes and some familiar faces as well. This year’s team is smaller in numbers but we feel this team is even stronger. A bold statement considering the 2010 Team produced some incredible performances with over 215 podium finishes. These results ranged from victories at the local level to national level events. We won several US National Championships at various running distances. In addition we had athletes representing the team and the US at World Cup Events.

Our athletes are chosen not just based upon high performance levels but also ambassadorship qualities to their respective sport. We hope to build upon both in 2011. We look forward to many more inspiring performances and stories this upcoming year. Here is this year's team, their sport(s) of choice and a notable accomplishment or two from 2010:

Viktor Alexy – Trail/Mtn/Ultra - X-Trail Mont Sutton 21k & X-Trail Mont Orford 23k Champion

Sean Andrish – Ultrarunning – Bel Monte 50k Champion, Southern Massanutten 54 Mile Champion

Jonathan Basham – Ultrarunning & Speed Hike - Finisher Barkley Marathons (9th finisher ever)

Katie Caba – Trail/Mtn/Road – USATF Trail Marathon Female National Champion

Eric Charette – Ultrarunning- Keyes Peak Trail Marathon Champion

Yassine Diboun – Ultrarunning – Peterson Ridge Rumble 60k & Silver State 50k Champion

Scott Dunlap - Ultrarunning - USATF Ultra Men Master Runner of the Year

Gary Gellin – Ultrarunning – 4th OA / 1st Master - Way to Cool 50k

Joe Gray - Mtn/Trail – USA Mtn Running Team Member (3 yrs), USATF Mtn Runner of the Year

Michele Hartwig – Ultrarunning – 2nd OA Female Fans 12 Hr and Illinois Ultra Grandslam

Camille Herron – Mtn/Road – Palos Bank Half Marathon Champion, 3rd Female Papa Johns 10 Mile

Dave James – Ultrarunning – WV RRCA State Marathon Champion, 2nd OA USATF 50 Mile National Championships

Jim Johnson – Trail/Road – GSSS Series & WMAC Series Snowshoe Champion, Soapstone 24k Champion

Amy Lane – Ultrarunning – Pittsfield Peak 54 & Stonecat 50 Mile Female Champion

Gina Lucrezi - Mtn / Trail – USATF Trail 10k National Champion, USATF Trail Series Female Winner

Mark Lundblad – Trail/Ultra– Uhwarrie & Pine Mtn 40 Mile Champion

Anne Lundblad – Trail/Ultra – Umstead Trail Marathon Champion, 2nd OA USATF 24 Hr. National Championships

Abby Mahoney – Mtn/Trail – 2010 WMAC Grand Tree Series - Women’s Champion

Peter Maksimow – Mtn/Trail/Road – Pikes Peak Winter Series Champion, Mt Baldy Run Champion

Tommy Manning – Mtn/Trail/Road- Coal Creek XC, Pony Express Trail, Berry Picker Trail Champion

Andy Martin – Ultrarunning – Gore-Tex Transrockies Elite Men’s Team Champion, Chuckanut 50k Champion

Dane Mitchell – Trail/Ultra– Mt.Cheaha 50k, Oak Mtn 50k, Rock/Creek Scenic City Marathon Champion (all CR's)

Joe Moore – Trail/Road – Roanoke Canal Trail Half & Inside Out Sports Half Marathon Champion

Sabrina Moran – Trail/Ultra/Road- 2nd Female Umstead 100 mile, Back On My Feet 24 HR Champion (CR)

Amber Moran – Trail/Road – Chichester Priory 10k, Dupont 12k Trail, The Bear 5 Mile Champion

Ben Nephew - Mtn/Trail/Ultrarunning– Stonecat 50 Mile and Escarpment 30k Champion

Alex Nichols – Mtn/Trail – 2010 American Discovery Trail Marathon Champion (CR)

Chris Reed – Ultrarunning – 2nd OA MMTR 100 Mile, Grindstone 100 Mile & Hellgate 100k

Sam Robinson – Trail/Road – Xterra Redwood Park Trail Race & PCTR Big Basin Trail Run Champion

DeWayne Satterfield – Ultrarunning – Dizzy Trail Ultra 40 miles and Black Warrior 50k Champion

Jared Scott – Mtn/Trail/Road – Soulstice Trail Race and Flagstaff Half Marathon Champion

Jamesina Simpson – Mtn/Trail/Ultra – Shiprock & Grizzly Half Marathon Champion

Dwight Shuler – Xterra/Ultrarunning – Tsali Challenge & Elk River Challenge Champion

Sophie Speidel – Ultrarunning –1st Female Master MMTR 50 Mile, Three Bridges Marathon Champion

John Storkamp – Ultrarunning - Zumbro 100 Mile & Fans 12 Hour (85.5 miles) Champion

Kevin Tilton - Mtn/Trail/Road – Cranmore Hill Climb, Merrimack Trail Race, & Mtn Epic Champion

Ryan Woods – Trail/Mtn/Road – Squaw Valley Mtn Run, Jemez Mtn Half, Mt Penn Mudfest Champion

Team Yoga Slackers – Adventure Racing – Gold Rush 24 hr, Desert Winds 24hr and Sprint Champions

2010 Year in Pictures

2010-12-12T21:07:00.001-06:00

Let me first say that none of this would be possible without the support of my friends, family, crew, sponsors and my dogs. Looking back, I have had an amazing year of running races and adventures across the country as shown by the photos and captions below. I am thankful for each step I take in running shoes and constantly counting my blessings that I am healthy enough for my feet to carry me to these destinations.

January

In January I was lucky enough to sneak away from a sales meeting at work to discover the hidden gem known as Camelback, located in the Echo Canyon Recreation Area of Phoenix. I was running against daylight but made it to the top of this 1,280' climb over less than 2 miles to take in some great sights of the valley below.

Attempting to run fast from the start was not a recipe for success at Mountain Mist 50km as despite a strong first 25 miles, I was eaten up by McKay Hollow and finished off of my goal with a time of 4:35:09. It marked my second consequtive 6th place finish at this mighty race.

Planning for a May 1st start, Rob Youngren and I state our intent to set the fastest known time on the 335 mile Pinhoti Trail. This photo becomes the banner of the website that would track our progress and January marks the start of a long and brutal training schedule to get ready.

February

Going for one final tune up before Mount Cheaha 50km the week after, I tested the waters at Black Warrior 25km. The course was as muddy and wet as ever, and my strategy to keep Dane Mitchell in sight proved to be fool hardy as I slipped from 2nd into 4th as stronger runners Tim Vinson and Rob Youngren made short work of me at the 15km mark.

Running the course for the first time, I was able to notch the 11th fastest time ever at Mount Cheaha 50km in late February. This was a very fast year as 5 others posted times in the top 10, all time. My goal was to be under five hours, so I was very happy with a 4:54:07. The day after, Eric Fritz and I ran from Adams Gap back to the lodge as training for Pinhoti Adventure Run was full on.

March

While in Seattle for business I was able to get away to Mount Si, which features a 4 mile trail to the summit, climbing nearly 3,200' along the way. After the 8 miles up and down to take in views of Mount Rainer, I put in 13 more miles at the more tame Tiger Mountain, picture here along the aptly named "Lost Beagle Trail."

In an apathetic performance, I ran out too strong at UAH 10km and would fall from 2nd (shown above) into 4th overall in the final 5km. All of the endurance training and lack of speed work had officially taken its toll.

In early March at Delano Park, I set out to run just my second 50 mile race on the flat and fast 1-mile looped course. I held strong for the first 50km, but then began to lose focus and the pace fell dramatically until mile 40. I managed to catch a second wind and actually thought I was on the lead lap for awhile, passing into first at mile 45, but I was still a lap down and took 2nd place in a time of 7:14:16.

Bearing the pressure of wearing the number 1 bib for the second year in a row and being far from in short distance trail shape, I lead the race for the first half before David O'Keefe passed me and never looked back. David had been training specifically for this race since the turn of the year and I was no match for him. Making things worse, I was passed on the final approach to Death Trail by David Purinton and mentally had given up on the final climb. I finished with a disappointing 2:02:50 and 3rd place overall. My streak of lackluster performances continued on...

The day after Mckay Hollow, our Pinhoti AR crew ran the first annual (maybe to never be repeated) Bushwhacker Marathon. After a few test runs, some recon work and plenty of map studying, the crew set out on Monte Sano and ran the ridgeline south to the Tennessee River in a time of 6:15:58 with a 4-way tie for first overall.

Continuing the preparation for Pinhoti, Eric Fritz and I drive over to the Sipsey Wilderness for a long run, taking frequent dips into the icy streams. Along the way, we manage to locate "Big Tree" which is one of the oldest and biggest trees in the state. Shown here, it is easy to tell how big it really is.

April

Trying to feel fast one more time before Pinhoti Trail AR, I went over to run Swampers 5km in Florence for the first time. This flat and fast course finishes with a lap on the track in one of the best venue's out there for a 5km. I ran smart and even for 17 minutes and 29 seconds, finishing in 3rd place overall.

May

After months of training and hundreds of miles run, we set out from Flagg Mountain Alabama as the start of the 335 mile Pinhoti Trail Adventure Run where Rob Youngren and I would attempt to set the fastest known time for the trail. Here were are in the fog at the start of day 1, where we would log 52.3 miles

Laying atop a rock on Stairway to Heaven on Day 2 of Pinhoti, this picture shows the utter fatigue in my body. Joining us on day two was John Nevels through this brutal section and later David Riddle would pace along with us as well. We logged 48.7 miles on day two in just over 14 hours. In the first 38 hours, we had run just over a hundred miles.

Issues with my footwear on the 3rd and 4th day of Pinhoti caused me to fall back from Rob and the rest of the pack. I managed 35 miles on day 3 and decided that it was in my best interest to push through to the state line and then move on to a support role. Picture here is a sample of how badly my feet were chewed up.

In what can only be described as an emotional moment, I make it to the Alabama/Georgia State line with the help of my pacers and crew in 4 days 5 hours 39 minutes and 25 seconds for the 171.2 mile trail from Flagg Mountain to the Alabama/Georgia State Line. I was joined along the way by Joey Butler, Eric Fritz, Blake Thompson, Sarah Bowden and Dink Taylor on the final 10 miles. I spend a few minutes quietly at the state line by myself considering the pain of the journey, before coming down off the mountain.

On the final day of the Pinhoti Trail Adventure Run, Rob Youngren reaches to the Benton Mackaye Trailhead in 6 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes, earning him the distinction of having the fastest known time for the 335 mile trail. I put aside my pain to run the final 25 miles with him on this day and here we are shaking hands at the "finish" line.

Yearning to have immediate success after after Pinhoti, I traveled to Chattanooga with friends to race the Scenic City Half Marathon atop Raccoon Mountain. Mentally I was healed from the the battle wounds of Pinhoti, but physically I was in shambles. Despite a 4th place finish, I was passed by quite a few people running the two-loop marathon. After this race I was forced to re-evaluate my running for the rest of the year.

With just a few weeks of speed work, I was able to run a personal best 36:16 at Cotton Row, placing me 27th overall, matching my 27th bib (seed) number. In the process, I also earned my first age group award in the 10km. Just 90 minutes and a jersey change later, I came back and ran the 5km in 18 flat, finishing in 8th overall and taking another age group medal. Five months through the year and three weeks after Pinhoti, things seem to be turning around.

June

Early June is spent at Glacier National Park in Montana exploring the US Rockies.

Leaving Montana and heading for Banff enables me to spend some time in the Canadian Rockies and climb the nearby peaks around Lake Louise with some amazing vistas.

In the race that I love to hate, yet keep running every year is the Alabama A&M 10km. Each year I run great through the out and back first 5km section and then suffer on the two loop final 5km. I walked up the hill both times and after being passed by Jon Elmore, I pass back late and finished strong for 3rd place overall. You have to love a 10km race where the coveted trophy is for runners under 40 minutes.

In one of my proudest moments as a runner, I returned home to compete in the first ever Keyes Peak Trail Marathon. It was a two man race from the start and after pulling away after the first 5 miles, I went on to run 3:19:55 and set the standard for future runnings of this race. Keyes Peak is just 30 minutes from my parents home in Kingsford, MI and the race featured a swim across the quickly moving Pine River at mile 18 which was very unique. Picture here was the proud winner with his even more proud father on the cover of the Iron Mountain Daily News sports page.

July

In an event that I had wanted to contest for many years, I managed to find the time for the Run the Keweenaw Stage Race in July. This unique, three event race features a 6km hill summit on Saturday morning up Mount Baldy (pictured here), 12km trail race on Saturday night and a 25km trail race on Sunday morning. I managed 4th, 3rd and 3rd for the three events, earning me 3rd place overall for the weekend. This was a great experience to catch up with old friend Danny Dehlin and his wife Lindsay and spend time in beautiful Copper Harbor Michigan.

Making my way back to Huntsville for a weekend of work, I ran the very competitive Twilight 5km on UAH Campus. The conditions were very warm and humid for this evening race and I was able to run one second faster than the previous year and finish in 4th, behind the best runners in town, Josh Whitehead, Lucas Sieb and Blaise Binns. I looked at this race as a mark in the sand for my training which was starting to improve steadily.

On the final day of July, I decided to drive over to Iron River, Michigan and run the Windsor Rodeo 10km. Not having any idea on the level of competition in advance, or knowing which runners were contesting the 5km versus the 10km, I went out hard in this hilly course. I took the lead at the 2 mile mark, realizing then that the two runners I had just passed were in the 5km, which made for a long and lonely final 4 miles. I stayed focused for the duration and ran a season best sub 36, taking the overall win.

August

On the final day of my summer stay in Michigan, I laced up my new inov-8 x-talon 212's for the Lake Antoine Classic 15km. I had previously finished 2nd in the 15km trail race and won the 5 mile race two years prior. I ran the first 8 miles with Anders Nienstaedt, a collegiate cross country runner who attended Kingsford High School, my alma mader. He had never raced at this distance, but he proved to be too strong for me as he pulled away late and I finished in 2nd place again. My time was just a second off of my personal best for 15km which was very encouraging as this trail course is not fast whatsoever and it was very warm on race day. I would happily take the 2nd place as I began the long drive back to Huntsville.

During a stretch where I was racing nearly every weekend, I went to Decatur to contest Brooke Hill 5km. This race uses the same course as the Frosty Freeze, which I had run in December of 2009. One of my goals is to run every race in this northern Alabama area at least one time, so this race fit into my schedule well. In the back and forth battle that I was in with Donald Bowman, he and I ran neck and neck through the first mile. Unfortunately, the split was in the wrong location, so despite us running 5:30 pace, the time was called slow and Donald picked up the pace, putting time and distance on me that I would not be able to reclaim. It turned out to be another 2nd place finish where I ran too fast at the start and died in the final mile.

While on business in Seattle, I found a local trail half marathon on Saturday morning at Squak Mountain which made the fact that I had a Friday meeting on the west coast not seem so bad. This course featured a killer climb from miles 2 to 4 where there was a 1,400' climb to the summit. My goal for the day was not only to take the win, but also to run under 2 hours, enabling me to make it to the airport in time to fly home. Any later than two hours and I would miss my flight home. I held onto the lead early but was no match for the winner on the hills and would go on to finish in 2nd place with a time of an hour and 55 minutes, barely making my flights home!

On the flat and fast Running of the Bulls 5km, I decided to employ a smarter strategy against Donald Bowman than the one I used two weeks prior at Brooke Hill. I would stay with him through the duration, drafting and pacing closely behind and make my move in the final stretch near the high way crossing. Together we ran through 2 miles at an even 5:28 pace but it proved to be too much for me on this day and I faded slightly with a half mile to go and finished in 2nd place again. This would mark four second place finishes for me in the month of August; I was ready to step up my training to another level to be competitive for the win, not a second best.

September

Traveling to the flat and fast Care Center 5km in New Hope, Alabama proved to be the winning formula that I had missed in August as I took the pace out quickly and ran away from the pack for the overall win. More importantly, I was able to run under 17 minutes for the first time in nearly two years after numerous unsuccessful attempts since. My time of 16:47 was 36 seconds better than David O'Keefe as the minimal turn course treated me well and my hard work on the track and with tempo runs finally paid dividends.

October

In possibly the biggest debacle of my running career, I ran the first 5 miles of the Monte Sano 15km in well under personal best pace, to mentally quit at Monte Sano Elementary School and walk off the course. Fighting some personal demons that were too much to handle, I walked back on the course, taking a DNF. I did some soul searching out on the trails of McKay Hollow and Death Trail for a few hours after, feeling miserable about giving up on myself and my team. This race would be the pivotal point in my training for 2010 as I decided that in order to achieve my goals, I would have to put aside the emotional struggles I was facing and harden the f&ck up.

Coming off of a disaster at the 15km, I toed the line at Liz Hurley amongst some truly phenomenal athletes on a perfect race day. The modified course featured 15 turns, making it difficult to post a fast time, the final downhill stretch would make up for that. After fighting through the pack in the first mile at 5:20 and a 5:25 mile two through the neighborhoods, I pulled almost even with Brandon Mader atop Adams and ran the final half mile at under 5 minute pace to post a blazing final mile and shatter my personal record with a time of 16:36. It marked the second consecutive sub 17 minute 5km and I bettered my old 16:42 record which I thought would be forever untouchable and finished 7th overall.

Not wanting to hinder my marathon training or risk an injury on the technical trails, I opted for the 5km distance at the Xterra Monte Sano race. Co-race directing this event with Dirty Spokes, I was fortunate enough to have laid out both courses and the knowledge helped me crank out sub six minute miles to hold on for the overall win by a narrow margin over a runner who came down from Tennessee just to win this race.

In possibly the greatest race I had ever run (to date) on a brilliant racing day, I ran stride for stride with Hirbo D. Hirbo at the Life Without Limits Half marathon for the first 10 miles, splitting it in a personal best 57:17. As we approached the bridge crossing, Hirbo dropped the pace down to a low 5 and put 30 seconds on me, which proved to be enough and I finished in second place with a time of 1:15:32. I never thought that I would break 1:16 for a half marathon and felt that I was running over my head during this entire race, but it turned out that it was completely in line with the level of training I had been logging. Basically I had just been under performing and this was where I should have been all along!

November

While attending the Huntsville Track Club annual awards banquet to support my friends, I was overwhelmed to discover that I was receiving the Admiration Award. During a tumultuous year personally where there were more downs than ups, running was my solace and it was an honor to serve the club. Special thanks to friend Eric Fritz for an outstanding speech.

On a windy day, I decided early on to push the pace and go it alone, as opposed to staying with the chase pack. I paid for this dearly after making the turn on the green way and by mile 11, George Dewitt and Donald Bowman had erased a minute lead and together we ran through the hill and together in the final mile. As we made the final 's' curve into the finish, Donald pulled ahead and I was able to respond only enough to stay ahead of George and as the picture shows, we finished within 3 seconds of each other.

After nearly missing the race as they ran out of timing chips, I relied on friend Jon Elmore for the last minute hook up, enabling me to race. I chased a younger runner for the first half mile, but then took the lead and never looked back. I split the first two miles in a near personal best time of 10:38 before slowing slightly on the final hill climb to run my third sub 17 minute 5km in an official 16:41.9. The overall win meant a little more on this day as it was also my 35th birthday.

December

On a day when months of training and preparation came together with flawless execution, I was able to realize a dream of running faster than the old sub 2:50 Boston Marathon qualifying standard at California International Marathon. In what seemed like a blistering pace, turned out to be the pace that I had trained at and I split the first half through the rolling hills in 1:20 and went on to run a personal best 2:43:40 and finish 94th overall of over 6000 starters. The competition was stifling in that the top 150 people ran under 2:50 and the top 300 were under 3 hours. After dozens of marathons, I felt that on this Sunday I finally conquered the 26.2 mile road distance.

Just 6 days after CIM in Sacramento, I ran the 2010 Rocket City Marathon as the 3:40 pacer. Helping people realize their marathon dreams and qualify for the Boston Marathon was equally, if not more rewarding than qualifying myself for the first time in 2007. It was a perfect way to end the year by giving back to the sport and to other runners.

The Time of My Life: Run CIM

2010-12-05T20:00:00.000-06:00

The Time of My Life

Crossing the finish line at the footsteps of the state Capitol after a 26.2 mile journey that began at Folsom Dam two hours, 43 minutes and 40 seconds earlier was more than just the completion of another marathon; it was the time of my life.

The months leading up to the California International Marathon were some of the most difficult I have ever known, both physically and emotionally. I was working off of an enormous base from the early season where my focus was on ultra marathoning and the calling to aid a friend on an epic 335 mile trail adventure run. This was followed by a summer of recovery running in cooler temperatures of Upper Michigan, through speed working and sharpening in the sweltering heat of the fall in Alabama to race day under ideal conditions of Sacramento in early December, I had trained at a new level of intensity for a single day in which to prove my valor as a runner. Even in my best attempts, the marathon had defeated me so many times before and had remained as my mortal enemy in which I was not even a worthy advesary. Two years after my last serious attempt at marathon greatness, I was now hitting faster times and setting personal records at nearly every race. I had some very dedicated training partners who were willing to meet at the track every Tuesday for VO2max workouts and every Thursday for tempo runs, which helped provide the motivation and accountability that I had been missing in the past. My on-again, off-again travel schedule with work that had me gone every week throughout the first half of the year was off-again so I had regularity in my life which enabled a normal training routine. An unfortunate late summer injury where I turned my ankle before a trail race left me with a partially torn paroneal tendon that was mis-diganosed several times but ultimately resulted in limited lateral movement in my right foot and a presciption for staying off of trails. Little did I know that this was a blessing in disguise as I was able to focus on road running in medium voloume and high quality.

As runners we can fall into a routine that feels comfortable but is counter productive toward reaching our goals. For me it was overtraining on high mileage without focus and lack of a plan for the season. When I have been able to settle into an actual training program it has had very positive results, but I can't say that I have ever truly kept my eyes on the prize, even while working toward a featured race; but this time was different as I had stayed on a single road were all signs pointed toward California.

Nearly a year prior I had written about my new years resolutions which included

More quality running overall
More running at marathon pace
Weekly tempo runs
Take more targeted rest time

Most of my resolutions fade with the cold weather and this year was no exception; but as the summer rolled around and I was able to spend it with family in Michigan, I began to apply these resolutions. The quality running increased and I began to look forward to (road) marathon training; something I thought I would never say again and in fact after the 2009 Rocket City Marathon, I would have been fine with not ever running another road marathon again. But the lure of possibly qualifying for a spot at Comrades 90km (road) ultra marathon in May 2011 had me excited to run fast again and Sacramento was the place to do it. Everything about CIM leads to fast times from the point to point rolling course with a slight net downhill (yet not quad crushing) to the large competitive field, to the average December temperatures in central California to the minimal turns of the course to the likely tailwind and sun at your back as runners head west toward the city. Everything was lined up for a perfect day; all I had to do was execute.

As race morning finally arrived, I was very nervous about the ominous skies and rain which began to fall overnight. As the buses pulled up to the hotel I had to hop over a few puddles to get on board. I tried to remain calm as I could not control the weather. Taking a seat on the bus and preparing for the 30 minute ride on the freeway out to Folsom, I was joined by a nice guy from Indiana, named Jeff Mescal. He was a masters runner who was aiming for 2:40 on this day and had plenty of stories that helped to pass the time. I figured that I would not see him again, but ironically we would run into each other again a few times!

On the streets near Folson Dam, the porta-poddies were lined up and numbered into the hundreds, making the wait virtually nill if you were willing to walk down far enough. I got off the bus and walked around a bit, but evenually got back on so that I could change into my race gear. I left the bus around 6:30 to log a few miles of warm up and toss my drop bag into a large moving truck that would transport the bags to the finish. It always makes me nervous that I won't get my things back but they have a pretty good system and it proved to be a non-issue.

The starting area was four lanes wide, but with the chute packed with 6,000 runners it felt very tight. I began to make my way toward the front with about 10 minutes to spare and finally made it to the starting arch with just a few minutes to go. Based on previous results, I knew that I would be in about the top 100 or so finishers if I had a very good day so I used that thinking to line up about 2 or 3 deep back from the line. I drove the course on the day before the race and having studied the course map in detail, I knew that at the first mile mark the course tunred to the right so I lined up on the right side to minimize the effort needed to get to the turn.

I couldn't find the American Flag while they sang the National Anthem, but we had a guy next to us wearing a USA singlet (from the Olympics) so we just looked at him! As we moved up to the line, low and behold, who was next to me? Jeff Mescal from Hebron, Indiana!

My general plan was to try to not be too aggressive early in the race; really I was hoping to run about 6:15 pace for as long as I could and then see what was left in the tank at 20 miles. If I was feeling good, then I would start a long push toward the end; if not I would hold on and safely run under 2:50. I was never really public with my goals for this race other than talking about sub 2:50; in reality I had my mind set on 2:45 and felt that given my training I had a very good chance if I executed properly.

The first mile (of a big and crowded marathon) was all about getting into an even effort pace while not trying to get trampled by the pent up energy of 6,000 runners who had been going crazy with taper madness for the last three weeks. Running along Folsom-Auburn Road, I stayed on the right, with the first turn looming ahead and managed to keep it around goal pace, maybe slight faster than planned; it was a 6:06 split.

One thing that I discovered from driving the course ahead of time was that despite the net-downhill of this point-to-point course, it was anything but flat. That was clearly evident in the 4-mile stretch from Folsom that headed directly west away from the rising sun. The course rolled along, which compared to flat and fast courses that force runners to use the same muscles over and over, provided a change of pace and was actually welcome. I noticed that I would slightly pull ahead of the pack on the climbs, and then they would catch up on the downs. There were not as many people lining the streets like in Chicago and Boston, but far more than recent marathons I have run in Huntsville. I never really felt like there were any significant stretches of dead-space. I continued to run even effort for the next 4 miles, splitting them in 6:10, 6:09, 6:09 and 6:0, which gave me a time of 30:40 through 5 miles. I suspected that I would not be able to hold this pace all day, but I was now locked into it. There was a checkpoint at mile 5.9 with timing mats streaming splits to the web, in which mine showed 35:50 and that I was running in 125th place.

The next section was again a long straight-away, this time 5 miles due south along Fair Oaks Blvd through Citrus Heights and down to Fair Oaks. The pack had thinned out and the once congested streets were now simply scattered with runners. I fueled for the first time in the race toward the end of this section by taking a couple PowerBar Gel Blasts that I had in my glove. I had been trying to hit the aid stations with regularity, taking mostly water as the temperatures started to warm. The early morning sprinkles had now faded and it had warmed up into the upper 40's and almost low 50's.

I thought that I was starting to feel stronger, but in reality I was hitting my stride and the miles were splitting with ease. All of the long 10-mile tempo runs that I had done with the gang on Panorama were paying off as my pace actually sped up in miles 6-10 with a 6:06, 6:03, 6:08, 6:08 and a 6:06, totaling 30:31 which was faster than the first five. It was quite possible that I WAS holding back at the start and now I was running the pace of my ability. My 10-mile split time was 1:01:11 and I was in uncharted territory, never having run so fast to start a marathon. I was also moving up in the pack and starting to a pass few people; it was certain that no one was passing me.

Coming out of a few slight turns in Fair Oaks, the course straightened out with a westerly bearing and after crossing Sunrise Blvd, featured a short but steep climb of a third-mile. I was not laboring, but focused on my form and arm swing; over-exaggerated arm-swing is something that I teach to all I coach, telling them that it feels funny, but helps to pull your knees up off the ground and power up the hills. Staying on Fair Oaks Blvd but just before a sharp left hand turn, we crossed over the half-way point at 13.1 miles. My split was 1:20:07, or 6:07 pace. I was starting to believe in myself that I could really run under 2:45.

From the half split down to 15 miles was all about trying to remain calm, yet not lose concentration in these "middle-miles." I made sure that I was running even, staying hydrated and fueled properly. It was really starting to warm up and I had long since thrown my gloves, but now pushed my sleeves down to around my wrists as well. Splits from miles 11-15 were 6:04, 6:13, 6:08, 6:10 and 6:13, leaving me at 1:31:59 total. Though I had slowed slightly, my pace was still averaging 6:08 as noted by the volunteers calling mile splits. This was a nice feature that they had people not only indicating the time, but also the pace at each mile.

My goal was now to get myself to Watt Avenue; the place where I had run from (when I was in Sacramento a few weeks prior for work) to the end. I kept telling myself that I had seen the last 10km and it was downhill, with the sun at my back and that this familiarity would enabled me to finish strong. What I did not count on was that my stomach started to become mildly upset by 17 miles. I could feel the pace continue to slip where I was hitting 6:15's, but they felt like 6's. Finally in mile 18 I decided that a stop at a porta-poddie was going to be required. Murphy's Law states that once you decide that you have to go, and that you are going to go, that you can't get there soon enough. I am sure it was just minutes until I reach it, but that blue and white disposal unit finally appeared and I peeled off the course toward it. I wondered what I would do if it was occupied, but luckily it was open. Like any true engineer, I watched the seconds go by as I sat down and went. It was somewhere around 38-40 seconds that I lost by stopping, but was time well spent; As I jumped out of there, it was no more than a minute until I was cranking out low 6's again with ease. It helped too that I immediately began running with local female, who people knew by first name and they were cheering for her. I know that they were not cheering for me, but I will take it anyway! I can only believe that had I not gone, it would have been like an 800 pound gorilla on my back and would have slowed me more and more as the race progressed. My splits from 16-20 were 6:12, 6:15, 7:01 (bathroom), 6;11 and 6:19, putting me at 2:03:57. I was starting to think about the math at this point; if I could hold onto 6:36 pace or better and split the final 10km in under 41 minutes, I would be able to realize my dream. I did not know it at the time, but I was in 114th place at the 20 mile marker.

Running past the Starbucks on Watt Ave, I was comforted by my location, but mentally struggled with the fact that the miles were not coming off as fast as they were early on. All of the self-doubt that runners deal with had set in as I started to question myself... Had I not done enough quality long runs? How was I not able to keep up with friends Marty Clarke and Candace Jacobs on a 20 miler a few weeks earlier when the pace was a minute slower than this? Would I fade badly and miss my goals? Miles 21-23 were the low points for me and I felt it all slipping away. Some people would just accept this as a predestined fate, that they falter in chasing their dreams and that it was simply meant to be. That is not me.

As I crossed over the bridge on the American River, I really concentrated on the matter at hand; I was on 58th street and I had 50 blocks to run before the final two-turn combination into the finish. I got my head on straight and thought about all of the people who had trained with me, my family and my friends; I was not about to let them or myself down. The defining moment in this race was around mile 24 when I thought back to a very special note that Anne Noble wrote for me before I departed and told me to read on the morning of the race. It brought back my confidence and reminded me that someone out there believed in my ability; someone out there was waiting to see the final results, knowing that I would not go down without a fight and that when all was said and done, I would have given this race everything I had, to the point of exhaustion. From thousands of miles away, Anne made me believe in myself again. So while my splits from 21-24 were a slow 6:27. 6:27, 6:31 and 6:29, I kicked up the intensity a few notches and started a long kick toward the end.

From I-80 (about 29th Street) I started to increase my effort and push the pace. I was living out my dream in real time; passing people like they were standing still and taking a little bit of energy from each one of them. I checked off the blocks in my head one by one from 29 to 28 to 27, all the way down to 20th as that was the 25.2 mile mark; one mile to go. At this point, short of a cramp, I knew that I was going to be under 2:45, but I had an outside chance at running under 2:43. I would need to run 6:20 or better which would not be easy but I was going for it; throwing caution to the wind, I picked up the race block after block and as I passed my hotel at 15th Street on onto Capitol Park, I was running all out. With a tight turn on 8th Street and then a wide turn back onto Capitol Mall, I was in the home stretch with the finish line in sight. Despite thinking I had nothing left to give, I somehow dug just a little bit deeper, going to the proverbial well one more time with a final kick to the finish, crossing over the finish line in 2:43:40.

With a few staggering steps, I meandered forward to where a kind volunteer covered me in a mylar blanket and placed a medal around my neck. This was not just another finishers medal, but it was a symbol of a dream realized. Back in the summer I had set a goal. Throughout the fall I dedicated myself to training for that goal and suffered some tremendous highs and lows. Now on the 5th day of December, in the year 2010, I stood at the steps of the capitol building in Sacramento, California as a sign that anyone can strive to do extraordinary things but it is only through hard work that can realize your dreams. I had met the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, using the guidelines of yesteryear.

From my 114th place at mile 20, I had managed to pass 21 people and finish 93rd overall. To prove the quality of the competition at this race, the top 291 runners finished in under 3 hours and the top 151 runners were under 2:50. The top 14 women achieved the US Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying standard by finishing under 2:46. It was a great honor to run amongst all of these fine athletes on this day.

Praise should go out to so many people for helping me reach this dream; too many to name individually, but you all know who you are and I will pay you back some day.

This memory is forever sealed as the day I ran the time of my life.

My splits

Mile	Split	Total Time	Ave Pace
1	6:06	0:06:06	6:06
2	6:10	0:12:16	6:08
3	6:09	0:18:25	6:08
4	6:08	0:24:33	6:08
5	6:07	0:30:40	6:08
6	6:06	0:36:46	6:08
7	6:03	0:42:49	6:07
8	6:08	0:48:57	6:07
9	6:08	0:55:05	6:07
10	6:06	1:01:11	6:07
11	6:04	1:07:15	6:07
12	6:13	1:13:28	6:07
13	6:08	1:19:36	6:07
14	6:10	1:25:46	6:08
15	6:13	1:31:59	6:08
16	6:12	1:38:11	6:08
17	6:15	1:44:26	6:09
18	7:01	1:51:27	6:12
19	6:11	1:57:38	6:11
20	6:19	2:03:57	6:12
21	6:27	2:10:24	6:13
22	6:27	2:16:51	6:13
23	6:31	2:23:22	6:14
24	6:29	2:29:51	6:15
25	6:21	2:36:12	6:15
26	6:10	2:42:22	6:15
26.2	1:18	2:43:40	6:15

2010 Year In Review

2010-12-04T00:28:00.062-06:00

As another December comes to a close, its time to look back and reflect on the year that was.

This year was an emotional roller coaster from a personal perspective, as Laura and I decided that it was in our best interest to end our marriage. We realized that we had been growing apart for some time and that we are both good people and deserved to be happy; just that we weren't meant to be happy together. This took its tool on me mentally through the autumn, but now as the year closes, I have moved forward with my life. I am now a much stronger person and am ready to tackle the next phase of my life as I continue to chase my dreams. I have been given a second chance on life; an opportunity to do things the right way and amend the mistakes of my past and I am ready for the challenge.

Afoot, 2010 was truly a tale of two seasons, starting with a rugged ultra/trail schedule in the first half and a full onslaught of road racing in the second half. The main goal through the spring was the FKT attempt of the 335 mile Pinhoti Trail from Flagg Mountain, Alabama to the Benton Mackaye Trailhead in Georgia with Rob Youngren. Leading into this effort we were logging some serious miles, which took its toll on my body and I was chronically hurt and lost most of my speed. I ran well at Mountain Mist and Mount Cheaha 50km, but unfortunately I fell short of my goals at Pinhoti and managed only a respectable finish of the Alabama section. Rob went on to conquer the entire trail in impressive fashion. Using this "failure" as motivation, I transitioned toward the late season goal of running under the old qualifying standard for the Boston Marathon, 2 hours and 50 minutes. Aided by a partially torn peroneal tendon which kept me off of trails, I began a 24 week training program for California International Marathon. In the process, I found a new plateau of my speed, managing personal records at distances from 5km to half marathon. During which, I ran possibly my greatest race ever, at any distance, with a 1:15:32 at Life Without Limits Half Marathon in Florence, Alabama, earning 2nd place overall.

I was fortunate enough to run some great races, among some of my favorites were the Lake Antoine Classic 15km, Xterra Monte Sano 5km, Keyes Peak Trail Marathon, Squak Mountain Trail Half Marathon and the Run the Keweenaw Stage Race (pictured below).

My last race of the year turned out to be the best one of my life (blog to come). I matched up with old my nemesis, the marathon; an event that I had failed to conquer many times before. On December 5th, I lined up in Folsom and raced the California International Marathon, and, for the first time, came out on top with a 10 minute personal best in a time of 2:43:40. It was a glorious day in which months of training paid off.

Here are some numbers from the year.

Racing

36 races
9 overall wins (Winter Winds 2M, Spring Zing 5km, Keyes Peak Trail Marathon, Windsor Rodeo 10km, DOXA 5km, Care Center 5km, Xterra Monte Sano 5km, Turkey Trot 5km)
8 times 2nd place
24 times top 3 overall
29 times top place in age group

Personal Bests

2 miles in 10:38 at Winter Winds
5km in 16:36 at Liz Hurley 5km
1/2 Marathon in 1:15:32 at Life Without Limits Half Marathon
Marathon in 2:43:40 at California International Marathon
50 miles in 7:14:16 at Delano Park 12 hour (207th fastest time in US in 2010)

Other

2010 Huntsville Track Club Open Male Gran Prix Series Runner Up
2010/2011 Ultrarunning Team inov-8 US Selection
2010 Huntsville Track Club Admiration Award winner
2nd fastest time ever 172 mile Pinhoti Trail (Alabama section) 4 days 5 hours 39 minutes
11th fastest time ever Mount Cheaha 50km 4:54:07
Honorable mention Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team athlete of the Month in July, August, September, October, November
Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team Athlete of the Month in June
2010 Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team Athlete of the Year

In 2011 I will continue to push toward reaching the upper limits of my abilities and hope that in the process I can inspire other runners to do the same.

Run CIM Prologue

2010-12-02T08:28:00.004-06:00

Sunday I will be running the California International Marathon, commonly known as CIM. This point to point course begins at the Folsom Dam and winds 26.2 miles slightly downhill to the west before ending near the steps of the Capitol Building.

The race starts at 7am Pacific Time (9am Central Time). Individual athlete updates will display split times at the 5.9 mile, halfway and 20 mile splits as well as the finish. The pages are based on the first letter of their last name and are displayed alphabetically. Live results will be posted here. http://www.flashresults.com/2011_Meets/CIM/

Excerpt from Introspection: All of my chips are on the table in every single hand I play. I identify with Steve Prefontaine for so many reasons. For Pre, "it was more than a race." That is the way it is for me. It is more than a race; it is a way I live my life. When I put on my flats and toe the line, I am going to give it everything I have. Though I may not win, I am going to put on the best show that I can. When you watch me race you will see someone dig deep and compete beyond their capabilities. That is the same way I want to live my life; All out; 100% all of time.

I've been training to compete at this race for the last 24 weeks and I'm ready to give it everything I've got and can promise you that when I am done, I will have nothing left to give.

2010 Life Without Limits Half Marathon

2010-11-28T14:43:00.000-06:00

Now a few days after this race, I solidly believe that while it was not a perfect race, it may have been the best race I have run in my lifetime.

Dial the clock back to the fall of 2008; Lady Gaga was new on the charts, a Democrat took the White House, Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and I was in the physical condition of my life. I was logging hundred mile weeks in preparation for a sub 3-hour effort at Rocket City Marathon and was ripping personal bests nearly every weekend. On November 8th of that year I ran what I thought was the best race of my lifetime with a 1:16:38 personal best at the Huntsville Half Marathon. I had cut 6 minutes off of my previous time and finished 5th overall, shocking many runners who didn't think that I could do it. I finally felt like I had arrived as a serious runner.

Fast forward to the fall of 2010; Lady Gaga is still on the charts, the Republicans took over the House of Representatives and Jimmie Johnson is about to do it again. On the running front, I am finally back into road racing shape, given the dozens of ultra-distance events I ran in the previous two years. Despite being two years old, it is like a flashback to 2008 as I have had a quite a few podium finishes lately and even some personal best times; something I thought would never happen again.

The goal race for the season is California International Marathon, which was to be used as a qualifier for Comrades in Durban, South Africa, but due some changes in my personal life, will have to wait for another year. As part of this, I targeted the Life Without Limits Half Marathon in Florence, Alabama as a test of my conditioning.

All of the key factors were in place for a fast race; the weather was in the upper 30's with no wind and light sunshine. The course was a modified Dam-Bridge 10,000 meter course with an additional out and back section before crossing the bridge on the way back to the finish. Dam Bridge was the location of my fastest 10km race, just two years earlier where I clocked a 34:45, losing that day to Lucas Sieb from Scottsboro, who was half of my age.

From the moment the gun sounded to the second that I stopped my watch at the finish line I was running with an "all or nothing" attitude. Despite being matched up against the stellar Hirbo D. Hirbo, I had confidence in my training and abilities to stay with him and if everything came together, I had a chance to win. Coming off of a personal best 16:36 at Liz Hurley 5km the week before, I had a new projected race pace and the plan was to at under 5:50 per mile from beginning to end.

From the start of this race, it quickly turned into a two man competition; Heath White and Nike Fleet Feet Racing team mate Tim Vinson were also in the field, but I hadn't lost to Heath in awhile and Tim was most likely using it as a training run for his upcoming marathon. Before we completed the full loop around the convention center, Hirbo had caught up and together we ran out of the parking lot and onto the road couse leaving most others behind.

Running south over the Wilson Dam on a slight downhill toward the first mile split, we were striding at just over 5:30 pace. This was a little fast for the first mile and I knew that I may pay for it late, but I wasn't about to let him go that early.

By the time we crossed the dam, he had a slight lead on me of a few meters as we passed a few spectators who cheered for Hirbo, the hew hometown hero. Thinking back to 2008 was the last time that I had lead a race against Hirbo, but he clipped me in the final tenth of a mile at the Da Doo Run Run, pushing me into 3rd place. Ironically that was the first and last time that I ever beat Josh Whitehead. Ever since then both Hirbo and Josh had unleashed their abilities on the running world and dominated across the entire southeast. Now just about everyone in Florence knew Hirbo and they cheered him on in groves on this day.

On the far end of the dam near the pump house, we split the second mile just a second and a half slower than the first mile, at 5:37. As we made the tight two-turn combination from the road to the parking lot to the paved path, I caught a glimpse of the younger runner who I didn't know, but I was too focused on staying with Hirbo that I never thought about anyone else behind me after that point.

I made a short push heading into the woods to close the gap and draft along with Hirbo, thinking that maybe he could drag me along for a few miles. As soon as I got close, he slowed down a little and the pace drifted toward a high five. Knowing that this was slower than I wanted to run, I made another short push and swung out besid him, running side by side, then surging forward for a dozen steps. Hirbo has the same "refuse to lose" attitude that I have and he quickly covered my surge. As the path winded through the trees, I made several attempts to push the pace forward, and each time he would cover the distance, or immediately step up the pace along with me. While he was not surging to put any seperation on me, he was doing what he had to do to stay in the lead. These back and forth tactics went on, almost humorously through miles 3 and 4, which we split at 5:43 and 5:36. I say humorously because it was clear that any early stage tactics were utterly futile and this race would be won in the last 5km.

By the time we got into the 5th mile, I decided that I would just stick with him, drafting step for step, but watch the pace and make sure that it didn't slow too much. When it did, I would swing out to the side and we would run beside, but as the course would turn or wind, I would duck back behind along the tangent and preserve energy. There was a slight climb in the middle of the 5th mile, which produced our slowest split to that point in the race, but at 5:47, it was still faster than I had intended to run.

The next two miles were run almost the same as mile 5, but at a faster pace, but over similar rolling hills. To be honest, other than looking back at the elevation profile, I wouldn't really know where the hills were as I wasn't feeling them at all on this day. I was in a head to head battle with a collegiate athlete capable of running a sub 4:30 mile and the defending champion of the race, and I was not going to back down. The first time that we really said anything to each other during the race was around the 10km mark when he asked how I was doing; I said that I felt great. I wasn't quite sure how to interpret this; was he telling me that he was struggling and trying to gauge if I felt similar or was he running so easy that he could engage in covnersation while running well under six-minute pace? Regradless, miles 6 and 7 were split at 5:41, putting us at an even 40 minutes through 7 miles for an average of 5:43 pace.

Miles 8, 9 and 10 were running the backside of the lollipop section where we began to see runners still on the way out. Despite many cheers for Hirbo, I used that as my motivation to stay with him through these rolling miles. There was no longer any jockeying for position as I had settled into chase mode, drafting close behind him. We reeled off some impressive splits of 5:48, 5:38 and 5:49, putting us at 57:17 through 10 miles (which would be my 10 mile personal best by minutes). I was starting to believe that I had a chance at a personal best and was doing the math in my head as we ran back on the bike path toward the bridge, and the final 5km.

As we crested the final hill before the bridge approach, we snaked through an aid station, making two tight turns. Coming out of the turns, Hirbo immediately dropped the pace and started to run a low 5-minute pace on the straight away to the north. I tried to stay with him, but he slowly pulled away and by the middle of the bridge and mile 11, he had put 30 seconds on me. I was still thinking that he might come back to me in the final two miles, but as I crossed the bridge to the north shore, I was running just under 6-minute miles and knew that unless a miracle happened, I was now running against the clock.

The final two miles to the finish were rolling eastward and the shivering local high school cheerleaders were shouting and screaming us on. There cheers were motivating as I tried to focus on leg turnover and keeping it under 6-minute pace, as Hirbo remained in my sights, but as I neared the convention center and final turn into the parking lot, he had already crossed the line. I kicked with what I had left and crossed the line in 1:15:32.

With all of the later-starting 5km runners hanging around the finish line, it was barely even noticeable that I was the second finisher. I took a few staggering steps before shaking Hirbo's hand on a job well done. He admitted that in the last 5km he too was hanging on and the margin of victory (30 seconds) was what he put on me in the 11th mile. I made my way over to change shoes before jogging back out onto the course so I could root for other runners and friends on the final stretch from the bridge to the convention center.

My performance on this day helped to provide the confidence that I was looking before as I head toward Sacramento. Topping my old personal best by 66 seconds still amazes me to this day. My 1:16:38 in 2008 was up until Florence, what I considered to be my best performance at any distance, on any terrain. Now I am clearly in uncharted waters with a sub 1:16 and hope that I can dig deep at the marathon and earn a time like this.

Thanks so much to the good folks at United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Alabama for putting such a great event and to the many people who were out there volunteering and cheering on the runners. Your help and support did not go unnoticed by this runner.

2010 Turkey Trot 5km

2010-11-25T21:26:00.006-06:00

Lightning Fast x-talons!

2010-10-24T14:53:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I put together a brief write up on the new inov-8 x-talon 190's but really put them to the test this weekend. Earlier today at the Xterra Monte Sano 15km/5km race in Huntsville, Alabama I wore these for the 5km race. While co-race directing the entire event, I chose to run the shorter distance, which did not have much climb, but still had technical footing and was actually about 3.25 miles long. I wore the new 190's and felt like my feet never touched the ground once! They were just the right amount of shoe to battle against the rocks and light enough that I could run at top speed without being bothered with excess weight on my feet. The aggressive tread provided superb traction and with my foot so low to the ground, I felt stable even on the short road section. I managed to hold 5:48 pace and take the overall win, made possible by these sweet shoes. If you are not running in them by next weekend, you are making a mistake.

Review: inov-8 x-talon 190

2010-10-17T19:02:00.001-05:00

I have never seen so much hype over the release of a running shoe that has lived up to its billing as the “Worlds Lightest XC/Mountain Racer” as the inov-8 x-talon 190 has. I have been reading about this shoe since January of 2010 when Jeff Browning initially wrote about them, followed by some online reviews out of Europe, so I had been looking forward to the US release of this shoe in August like it was Christmas. When they arrived in the mail I couldn’t wait to put them on and hit the trails.

The design of this shoe is best described a hybrid of the slightly heavier x-talon 212 and the F-Lite series from the inov-8 line, taking the best of each shoe and resulting in the most comfortable trail running shoe I have ever put on my feet. I love flashy colors in footwear, so the candy-apple red color of these shoes was right up my alley. From the minute I took them out of the box, I was amazed at how light they were at less than 7 ounces for my size 12.

This shoe has a 1-arrow cushion (Shoc-Zone), which ranks as the as the lowest on the 1 to 4 scale that inov-8 produces for trail shoes. I have been wearing the 2-arrow x-talon’s for most of my running at distances under a marathon, so this was an easy switch to the 190. When I put them on, I could tell how low my foot was to the ground, yet in a stable position. These shoes have a 9mm heel and a 6mm forefoot height, resulting in only a 3mm differential drop. My test run was on the ultra-rocky and technical trails of Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville Alabama, at the foot of the Appalachian Mountain Plateau. Just like it’s big brother the 212, I was able to feel the rocks and roots as my foot would flex over them. That has always been my favorite attribute of these shoes; the fact that they are so flexible, allowing my foot to roll over trail obstacles naturally, as opposed to a plastic plate in the forefoot, that makes competitor shoes rigid and stiff.

I tried different paces and different inclines on the test run to simulate all facets of the footsktrike from the heel to midfoot to forefoot on the climbs. Each time I was amazed at how light I felt on my feet, yet having enough protection on my foot where I was never concerned about what I was stepping on. The aggressive lugs on the bottom seem to perfectly positioned as to not produce any hotspots while allowing you to evenly distribute your weight over the entire shoe. I also tested the sticky rubber compound on the lugs by running over some wet rocks and each time they stuck solidly with zero slippage. I was able to step on any surface including slanted rocks coated in moss with confidence that not only would I not slide, but I was also able to push off without any slip.

I really like that the tongue and heel collar are padded, providing some support for the foot in these areas. Some racing flats eliminate this padding to reduce weight but inov-8 has found a way to maintain it, while keeping the weight low.

I was a little concerned that I would have some trouble fitting into this narrow-looking shoe with my wide forefoot, but after wearing them, I found the material on the lateral seemed to expand slightly with my foot and did not put any uncomfortable constriction on my occasionally painful 5th metatarsal. I ordered the same size as I had been wearing for the x-talon 212’s and Roclite 295’s. I found that they were a little long and I probably could have gone down a half size. I probably would not wear these for a technical ultra marathon where I would worry about my feet swelling and I certainly am not going to replace the footbed with an insert, so the 11.5's might have been a better choice. The only issue with the sizing is that I had to cinch down the laces to where the uppers almost meet in the middle but this wasn't a problem.

Over the years I have gradually worked my way down through the inov-8 line from the highest cushioned shoes now down to one of the lightest. This has been a change for me that required a few years to transition my body and get my feet used to less and less. I would recommend these shoes to anyone who has been wearing the Roclite 295’s or similar and looking to make the transition to a lighter weight trail or cross country racing shoe. While I went through the 212 first, since they are somewhat similar, you probably could make the jump right to the 190’s. I plan to use this shoe at for high intensity, short distance trail racing across all types of terrain.

Now that I have the 190’s at my disposal, I feel like I have a full arsenal of inov-8’s for any distance and any terrain. Ever since I opened the box, it has been Christmas evert day for my feet!

2010 Liz Hurley 5km

2010-10-17T15:39:00.000-05:00

With the trials and tribulations of life lately, I normally would not blog about a 5km race; that is the old me from years past. That said, yesterday was a very special race for me and it is worthy of sharing a few thoughts so here we go.

Leading into this race I had a very good week of training, coming off of a colossal disaster at the Fleet Feet Monte Sano 15km where I walked off the course just before the 5 mile mark, having averaged just under 5:45 pace to that point. I have been battling some personal issues and they got the better of me that day. This week I was able to put together a good VO2max session on Tuesday, totaling 5.8km of speed at 5:16 pace. After a trail/hill workout on Wednesday, I rolled through a great tempo run on Thursday on the Panorama loop. Instead of the normal 10 miler, I dropped further down closed Bankhead, making it a full mile climb to the top. I averaged 6:24 pace for 11 miles, after an easy 7:15 first warm up mile. All in all I was feeling confident again.

After running two loops of the course on race morning for 10km of warm up, I went through some pre-race strides, high knees and butt kicks to loosen up. The weather was perfect with temperatures in the lower 50's and despite this course having some difficult climbs and 15 turns, I was feeling that today was my day. Standing at the starting line talking to Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team mate Donald Bowman, he said that after the race last week, I was probably ready to have a very good run; that would yet to be seen. The competition was stout as always with dozens of top runners across the line.

The first mile of this race is a mix of a fast start across 5 lanes of Lowe Avenue before making right-left-right-left set of turns, climbing to the city square and dropping back down from the square. I wanted to be around 5:20 for the first mile, hoping to put some time in the bank before the hills of the final mile. After the pack thinned out, I found myself running in the top 10 aside Brandon York and Brad Schroeder; Brad typically starts slow and picks up the pace as the race goes on and that was Brandon's strategy as well. Together we split the first mile in about 5:20 and I was feeling very good. The speedwork I have been doing at just faster than this pace with minimal recovery made this pace not as strenuous as it has been in the past.

Brandon and Brad began to pull away as we turned onto Holmes, but I knew that I was not competing against them anyway, so I honestly lost track mentally of where they were and just tried to focus on my form, including my arm swing and stride rate. The second mile is climbing the entire mile along Holmes, Walker and White Streets, gaining about 30' in elevation; while this is not the hardest climb, when you are running at this pace it can be difficult. My second mile split was about 5:25 as the clock at the 2-mile mark was showing 10:45. I knew that in order to break 17 minutes, my splits needed to be 5:28, 10:56 and 16:24, so I was ahead of schedule with the difficult hills of the course ahead.

I got a slight mental lift coming down Randolph as I ran past my Boss, who today was blowing a vuvuzuela as part of his crazy race antics. I was also slightly closing in on the two runners ahead of me which was an amazing feeling. We made the turn onto Greene, which is about a 25' steep climb before it flattens out. Normally I would be gasping for air trying to run race pace up this hill, but based on my conditioning I was able to hold strong and close even more on 6th place. The final climb along Williams was another short climb of 30' and it was a mirror image of Greene Street as I was able to close even more and feeling the rush of adrenaline. I knew that if I had a chance to move up, it had to be on the hills, as the final stretch would be tough as most top notch runners would be able to hold it coming home.

Making the final turn onto Adams begins the best finishing stretch of any race in this area. The road drops about 55' over a quarter mile before a flat finish atop fresh blacktop which makes for spring-like surface. I took about a half dozen strides to catch my breath from the hill climb and now was running wide open. I glanced at my watch several times enroute to the finish and each time the instantaneous pace was under 5 minute miles each time. I didn't have time to think about it which was probably a good thing as I was just running by feel. Brandon Mader was proving his fitness level by running faster than that and slowly pulling away from me. I was trying to stay with him, but now realized that it was about the clock and trying to post a personal best time.

There was not a split at the 3-mile mark, but I could start to see the clock as we crossed Lowe Ave and it was in the low 16's. The side of the streets were lined with hundreds of people cheering and screaming and I let them carry me through the finish line. The final 1.1 miles was run in 5:50, meaning my final mile split was probably about 5:15. I normally save the fist pump for very special races or performances, like the Boston Marathon, but on this day it was totally justified as I finished in 16:36. Looking back just a few months ago I thought that I would never see the under side of 17 minutes for a 5km, let alone anything below my previous best of 16:42, set in December of 2008 but I would be proved wrong on this day. I would manage a 7th place overall finish and 1st in my age group of M30-34 of 677 runners. I love a race where the top 8 are under 17 minutes and the top 2 are under 16 minutes for the sake of pure competition.

After another of the course with friends, I then jumped into the women's race and paced along friend and team mate Lisa Rawlings. I knew that she had the potential to post a fast time, but was always afraid to push through the pain. She tried to look at a her watch a few times and I told her that she should just run how she felt; something that I had just proved to be valid. She ran a great race and cut 40 seconds off of her personal best to run 20:51 for 5th overall.

In the hours before the race, I was looking for some motivation and I turned to my favorite quote by Steve Prefontaine.

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more. Nobody is going to win a 5,000 meter race after running an easy 2 miles. Not with me. If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself." - Steve Prefontaine

It was my goal today to push the pace, and when I didn't think that I had any more, to push even harder and that is what I did. Thanks Steve, I think you would be proud today.

Catching Up

2010-09-28T10:55:00.001-05:00

So it has been a wild ride since the end of August for a number of reasons. Life has been upside down for me and while I work through some issues, I have focused some of my energy on running as a means of self therapy. Since July 31, I have been at the starting line for 8 races (over a 56 day period). In that streak I have finished either 1st or 2nd overall against some legitimate competition and the better races have come as of late. It is amazing the things you can work out in your mind during a run.

Here is a quick summary of the streak.

July 31: Windsor Rodeo 10km in Iron River, MI. 1st overall in a season best 35:56. The competition was low at this race as my 5km split would have won the 5km race as well, but this was a challenging course that didn't have a flat spot and I was able to post a respectable time.

August 7: Lake Antoine Classic 15km in Iron Mountain, MI. 2nd overall in a near personal best 55:41. This was a two man race where the eventual winner was a collegiate scholarship athlete who pulled away after mile 8. This trail around the Lake is mostly flat and I hung on as long as I could but on this day it was not enough.

August 10: Cross Country Park 1 mile in Huntsville, AL. I don't count this as one of my 8 races, but managed to close the gap on friend Andrew Hodges in the 1 mile race and finish shoulder to shoulder with him in 5:20, a time that is stout on that loop.

August 14: Brooke Hill 5km in Decatur, AL. 2nd overall in 17:27. Decided to start out hard and try to shake the competition but it was a little too aggressive and Donald Bowman cruised past me before the two mile mark to go on for the overall win. I always struggle on this course and with the heat of this day, I was very satisfied with 5:36 pace.

August 21: Squak Mountain Trail Half Marathon in Issaquah, WA: 2nd overall in 1:55:05. This brutal course featured nearly 4,000' of climb and was all up from miles 2 to 4, which is where I relinquished the lead. I had to finish in under two hours in order to make my flight home, so I accomplished that mission, leaving it all out on the course in one of my better efforts in a long time.

August 28: Running of the Bulls 5km in Hampton Cove, AL: 2nd overall in 17:20. I decided to let Donald (Bowman) set the pace and tag along for the ride this time and we did just that, splitting the first mile in 5:28 and the second in 5:30. He proved to be too strong in the final mile as he picked up the pace and I had to back off, running a slow final mile, but managing the same time I had run the previous year.

August 28: Running of the Bulls 1 mile in Hampton Cove, AL: I do not count this as one of my races but mention it because of the 5:13 I was able to run on an out and back course with a cone turn around, having to dodge all of the fun runners on the path, and after the 5km race.

September 11: DOXA 5km in Huntsville, AL: 1st overall in 18:09. This race was a disaster at best with only 19 starters and maybe a dozen finishers, utilizing a modified Big Spring Jam course that was actually 3.2 miles long. I ran the first mile easy with Jon Elmore as planned and then picked it up for the final two miles, practicing my speed late. The temperature was again in the 80's for this race.

September 18: Care Center 5km in New Hope, AL: 1st overall in a season best 16:47. This was the race that I had been working toward for almost two years since my personal best 16:42 and the last time I was under 17 minutes. The weather was warm, but this mostly flat course with minimal turns was the key for me to lead wire to wire for the win all while not wearing a watch for pacing.

September 25: Elkmont Lions Rails to Trails 10km in Elkmont, AL: 2nd overall in season best 35:48. Maybe the best race of the entire streak, I ran shoulder to shoulder with George Dewitt, splitting the first 3 miles in 16:30 before turning onto the sloppy, muddy rails to trails for the final 5km. The rain was steady as we climbed back toward town and eventually I would pull away from George before mile 5 and hold him off; something I have not done in a couple of years. We would all lose to the fast Brandon York on this day, but my 2nd place time would have been good enough to win in previous years.

2010 Squak Mountain Trail Half Marathon

2010-08-21T17:56:00.002-05:00

August 21, 2010
Squak Mountain - Issaquah, WA

Since May of 2003 I have run 176 races of distances of 200 meters to 50 miles and today I was completely humbled by a race more than I can remember in quite some time. My work travel schedule left me overnight on a Friday in Seattle so I signed up for the Squak Mountain Trail half marathon in Issaquah, Washington. They also offered a 50km, but I had just enough time to run the race, clean up and make it to the airport with minutes to spare to catch my flight back to Huntsville. As I found myself walking on some of the killer climbs atop the mountain, I wondered if I would get home at all. This turned out to be one of the more difficult races that I have completed. Luckily the weather was a cool 58 degrees at the start so we didn't have weather to deal with on this gorgeous morning in the Pacific Northwest.

This was a very low key, first time event with a small field. The selling point for me was the advertised elevation change of over 7,000'. I love to climb and this was a great chance to get in a quality effort before flying back home. The race started off with an immediate climb on a gravel fire road starting at 350'. The first third of a mile was easy going before ducking off on overgrown single track trails. They were so narrow and winding that numerous blow downs were concealed by the growth and even though I didn't go down, I am sure that someone after me did. This was a lollipop section for about a mile and a half before returning to the road. I was leading the way but was fairly certain that the pack was not far behind. I had already passed some of the 50km runners who got an early start more than an hour before.

What ensued was one of the toughest sections that I've come across in any race. From mile 1.73 to mile 4.04 we climbed from 524' to 1971' or an 11.8% climb in that section. I held strong for the first mile on the fire road, but began to walk some in the latter portion as it switched to technical trail and was passed as we neared the summit. From running so much on my forefoot, my calves were on fire and my feet actually felt numb. My splits were a humbling 9:12, 8:21, 9:36 and 12 flat.

At the top, we ran a two mile section around the eastern and northern edge of the peak. The trail was mixed technical single track with rocks and roots to boulevard width where I was able to pick up the pace. I turned my already twisted right ankle again and had to proceed gingerly after that. It took a little while to shake the garbage out of my legs from the climb, but eventually I got there and began to feel better before the 6 mile mark as I tossed in a low seven minute mile. The new inov-8 x-talon 212's that I was wearing were working well as they provided good grip on the gravel climbs and on the faster flat sections. Any more shoe that that would have been too much.

From the 10km mark we started a series of three rolling peaks with the first one being 600' of climb. I walked substantial amounts on this mile and clocked just over an 11 minute mile. Being just over half way completed, my energy stores were drained and I was feeling defeated by this course. I took some Honey Stinger Gold which seemed to bring me back to life a little.

There were two more climbs of 400-500' with valleys in between over the next few miles. The course kept looping back upon itself and was decently marked but I kept questioning the flags as I thought at some point I had made a wrong turn as I began to see runners coming from the opposite direction. I toggled my GPS over to the map mode just to make sure I was at least going in the right general direction. I didn't know that there were some sections with two way traffic so after that I started to question each turn more and more. Twice I went back to the intersections to make sure I had gone the correct way. After the single aid station at mile 9, the rest of the course was supposed to be "down" but the "down" didn't really start until after the 10 mile mark.

There were some people hiking up the southern face of the mountain so I asked and got a gauge of how far I was from the end. I was certain that the GPS would not accurately capture the distance with the density of the forest and the valleys masking the signal. They let me know I was about half way down from the summit which turned out to be about two miles from the finish. It was looking to be a fast finish as we had to drop from 1,750' down to the finish at 350'. The trail widened out and without any switch backs, was mostly a straight drop. I rolled through the last two miles at a high 6 pace as I was able to stretch out my legs with a longer and more normal stride than the short choppy steps from the early climbing.

I crossed the fire road one last time and with a quick push on the final section, I crossed the "line" in 1:55:05 and in second place. I really can't imagine having to repeat the loop for a second time and then having to throw in another 5 mile loop on top for the 50km. I loved the difficulty of the course but had enough of Squak Mountain for one day! 8:47 pace for a half marathon and I was very proud that I didn't die out there.

After grabbing a few cookies and filling my water bottle, I was in the rental car and on my way to the airport. I stopped at a park to take a "shower" in cold bottled water and just barely made it to SeaTac in time to board before they closed the doors. I had maybe 10 minutes to spare in the entire process so I am glad that I didn't walk more than I already did!

Results will be posted here.

Shoe Mileage

2010-08-17T17:31:00.002-05:00

Since the first steps I took as a "runner" in 2003 I have kept detailed records on the number of miles put on each shoe. This started off as a way to determine when the get new shoes and now it is sort of a nostalgic look back at the types of shoes I have worn. Early records are not so good for brand/model, but it is what it is.

Now this is just for entertainment purposes only!

Shoe	Miles	Status
Adidas 1		Retired
Adidas 2		Retired
Adidas 3	13.08	Retired
Adidas 4	152.05	Retired
Asics Kayano X	177.84	Retired
Nike Zoom Air Miler	410.34	Retired
Nike Air Zoom Swift Vapor	431.40	Retired
Nike Air Zoom Swift Vapor 2	458.23	Retired
Nike Air Zoom Swift Vapor 3	330.91	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Orange 1	499.00	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Orange 2	453.68	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Orange 3	297.24	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Orange 4	409.82	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Red 1	412.89	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Red 2	277.43	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Red 3	402.74	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2005 Red 4	1193.77	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2006 Blue 1	217.85	Retired
Nike Kyotee Trail Shoes 1	174.42	Retired
Nike Kyotee Trail Shoes 2	473.77	Retired
Nike Zoom Air Elite 3	359.75	Retired
INOV8 Terroc 2007 1	482.53	Retired
INOV8 Terroc 2007 2	250.89	Retired
Mizuno Wave Elixir 2007 1	497.29	Retired
Mizuno Wave Elixir 2007 2	555.18	Retired
Mizuno Wave Elixir 2008 1	242.80	Retired
Montrail Odessy 2007	53.00	Retired
Mizuno Wave Elixir 2007 3	309.39	Retired
Saucony Fastwitch 2008 1	130.06	Retired
Nike Marathoner 2006 1	83.30	Retired
INOV8 Roclite 295 2008 1	537.98	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2008 1	439.65	Retired
Saucony Fastwitch 2008 2	200.04	Retired
Mizuno Wave Elixir 2007 4	377.41	Retired
Nike Air Kyotee 2	169.03	Retired
Saucony Fastwitch 2008 3	177.92	Active
INOV8 2009 Roclite 295 1	391.85	Retired
Saucony Tangent 2008 1	341.28	Retired
Nike Air Pegasus 2008 2	162.81	Retired
INOV8 2009 Roclite 295 2	464.37	Active
INOV8 2009 Roclite 295 3	472.77	Active
Soloman XT Wings 2009	217.50	Retired
Mizuno Wave Rider 2009	370.62	Retired
Mizuno Wave Elixir 4 2009 1	315.08	Retired
INOV8 2009 Roclite 305 1	276.47	Retired
INOV8 2009 Roclite 305 2	241.70	Active
INOV8 2009 Roclite 295 4	84.15	Active
INOV8 2010 Roclite 295 1	154.49	Active
INOV8 2010 Roclite 295 2	0.00	Active
INOV8 2010 xtalon 212 1	56.24	Active
INOV8 2010 Roclite 312 1	82.99	Active
Asics DS Trainer 2009 1	302.11	Active
Asics DS Trainer 2009 2	107.78	Active
Nike Lunar Glide 2010 1	95.47	Active
Nike Lunar Swift 2010 1	51.26	Active
Nike Lunar Racer 2010 1	42.18	Active
Other	1710.00	Active

Average	319.89
Total	17593.77

2010 Lake Antoine Classic

2010-08-09T21:01:00.001-05:00

As part of my marathon training, I had planned to carve out three weeks where I could specifically focus on this race. I had the luxury of doing all of my tempo runs on the course as it is run on the trails around Fumee Lake in Iron Mountain, MI. My wife Laura and I had spent the previous six weeks in Iron Mountain and she had just flown home for work so I put much energy into this race. I had been sticking to my mantra of late where I was training with less volume but a higher percentage of quality during my runs. I had a good race plan and was ready.

The temperatures were very cool in the early morning hours but were up to the upper 60's by race time at 9am. That may seem cold to Southern standards but we have had some great morning weather for running lately in Michigan so this felt a little warm. Standing at the start line it is always tough to determine who is the tough competition and being an out-of-town race for me, I didn't recognize many people. After the gun and within the first 50 meters it was clear who I's be running with.

Leading the pack was Jake Keehan, a stellar runner from UW-Oshkosh who I have run against before. Jake is a real good guy and works for Fleet Feet Fox Valley and luckily today he was running the 5 mile race, else he would have pounded me into submission. I was closely tucked behind Jake as we left the park but as the two races split at the next intersection, I began to run the tangent toward the opposite corner. I was followed stride for stride by a younger runner wearing a singlet from St. Olaf College. We made the corner off the pavement and turned onto the two-track trail that lead back toward Fumee Lake. Our first mile was split a little faster than I had planned, hitting the mid 5's when I was thinking about taking it out at 6:00 and picking it up from there. Having competition at this race meant a total change from plan and it was no longer about running my projected time, but about winning.

Just after the first mile he mentioned that it was a nice day for a trail run. We made some small talk before turning around the gate at the end of the snowmobile trail and heading down to the lake loop. I ran through the first aid station, not taking any fluids per plan. We continued on, running side by side at times, and with him closely drafting behind me. As the course was rolling through miles 2 and 3 the pace drifted a little but was fairly steady and by the time we had a third of the race in the books, we had averaged 5:45 pace.

Running this pace wasn't easy but with all of the hard running I had been doing, it wasn't overly difficult. The only concern I had was that my tempo runs had not been overly long in distance and I wondered how long I would be able to hold onto this pace. We continued to run together, at times so closely that he would either bump my (wild) arm swing, or kick the underside of my foot, like cross country. We continued to talk a little and as we veered left on the gravel road section toward the cone turn around, we chatted some more. He turned out to be a pretty nice kid and finally I asked for his name. He was Anders Nienstaedt and although he was from Iron Mountain, he ran track and cross at Kingsford, which was my alma mater. He said something that was very cool and although I will probably botch it in memory, but he said that it was nice to be racing with me and have competition for the race. After the cone, the first person that we saw was fellow friend Drew Richmond of Iron Mountain. Drew was running strong in third, but was a few minutes behind so I knew that it was me versus Anders for the win.

Knowing that Anders was running for St. Olaf, I knew that I was overmatched but was giving it everything I had. My parents and some immediate family were waiting at the finish line and this race meant a lot to me, as it was the last race of the summer spent at home in Upper Michigan and I wanted to add my name to the list of runners to have won both distances at the "Classic." I had won the 5 miler in 2008 and was also trying to avenge a 2nd place finish in the 15km two years before that. Regardless, I was hitting it hard and there was no doubt when this race was over, I would have nothing left.

We splashed through some mud on the south side of the Lake and joked about it. It was a very friendly atmosphere and the longer we ran, the more he earned my respect. His focus was the 8km so this was longer than his normal race but he was staying tight with me. The pace slipped a little as we ran through 10km but the average was still below 6 minute miles. I was starting to think that I might be running at personal record pace if I could just hold on to anything beloe 55:40. It is tough to have a decent 15km PR when you live and race in Huntsville as the only race of the distance in the immediate area is the hilly and tough Monte Sano 15km road race. The face that I was holding on to that pace on this morning, given the rolling terrain, loose gravel and soft sand on trails made me feel great; the training was really paying off.

Most of the race had been shaded but we had two short sections in the blazing sun before coming off of the lake loop. I had been focusing on the north side of the lake, but had a recent strong run on the south side, which was where we were at during a mostly downhill mile 7. I should have been hitting on all cylinders but instead I was starting to struggle a bit. Thoughts of pushing the pace late were now fleeting and near the 7.5 mile mark, Anders began to pick it up. In reality I think that it was a combination of him sensing that the pace had slowed and instead of slowing with me, he ran steady and I fell off even more. For the first time all day, I was out of the lead and within a few seconds, out of contention. I told him good luck and then we separated, although I would continue to see him just out of reach for the rest of the race.

I had a tough time climbing the gravel road out of the lake loop and back to the snowmobile trail; the hill really took a toll on me and it was hard to get back down to target pace. A 6:23 in mile 8 was tough to swallow, but I still had a decent shot at a personal best. I ran back through the gate and saw Jake, who after this outright win, had changed and jogged back out onto the course to cheer us on. He gave me some encouraging words and I marched on. I knew that I had to be around 54 minutes flat at the 9 mile mark to have a shot. That would mean 5:12 pace or better in the final push and despite laying it all out on the line, I just didn't have anything left in the tank. I finished just off the time at 55:42 and 2nd overall. I know because of the way I ran this race that I made my parents proud and I am sure that Laura was equally proud from afar.

I can't complain as after friending Anders on Facebook, I discovered that he had run a 4:05.74 for 1500 meters just a few months prior, so he had me dead to rights the entire race. It was great to push each other and even though he said that I was leading the way, he really was just running tempo pace and then had plenty left late in his young legs start a long 2 mile kick to the end. I give him much props as I gave it my best shot and he won going away. Drew ran well after the turn and finished 3rd, sneaking in just under an hour at 59:59. My other local running buddy Steve Orchard ran strong in the 5 mile, finishing 2nd overall at age 50.

My gear for this race was perfect. I was wearing my new inov-8 x-talon 212's. I had feared that the tread would be too aggressive for this course but with the footing would have been miserable without them. They were so light that the made the fast miles feel easy and after sloshing through the mud, they dried out quickly and I never slowed because of it. I was also wearing the 2XU Compression Calf Guards and never had any calf fatigue. They always get some funny looks, especially at a small race like this, but they were so effective and I can't see racing without them.

Now back to training for California International Marathon and Comrades 2011!

How I Spent my Summer Vacation

2010-08-06T12:13:00.003-05:00

It's early September of 1985 and along with 24 other 4th graders, we sit restlessly in our chairs as Mr. Spanton goes over the first homework assignment for the new school year. We need to write a paper on how we spent our summer vacation and turn it in by the end of the week. Undoubtedly the entire class groaned in unison as it was still warm outside and the last thing that we wanted to do was to write anything down about the previous 104 days of summer in which we were still trying to extend. As I recall I wrote about our family trip to Mackinaw Island, how we rode the ferry across the straights and got to see the Mackinaw Bridge. What I didn't include where the things that you don't necessarily appreciate when you are 9 years old, like spending time with family, enjoying the great outdoors without oppressive snow and just being a kid.

Fast forward 25 years to the summer of 2010 and although the summer is not over yet, I find myself tasked with the same exercise; trying to spin a tale of how I spent my summer vacation. While having long since moved away to college and onto a professional career now in the foothills of Alabama, this summer Laura and I had the opportunity to work remotely from Kingsford, Michigan. This was the town where my parents have spent most of their lives and where I grew up. Most of my job is preparation for software demonstrations that I give to power companies, which involves travel so it doesn't really matter where I live, as long as I have my laptop and an airport nearby for travel. So after figuring out some logistics at home, Laura and I packed up the car with the dogs and set out to drive the 900 miles north to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

I had some initial thoughts of how the summer might unfold over the course of the following 51 days, but what happened was not what I expected. Somehow along the way I remember the importance of family, the pure enjoyment of running and that you need far less to be happy than you actually have.

Let's first start with the fact that the last 7 weeks have not been a vacation; with work travel and our busy season today is the first day that I have taken off, including working through the 4th of July. There have been multiple trips to Kansas, South Carolina, Houston and even back to Huntsville. While here in Kingsford, I have my "office" set up in the kitchen where my laptop and monitor are hooked up to the internet so I can access work files and participate in conference calls. My normal routine would be to wake up early and after letting the dogs outside to do their business, I was typically working by 6:30am. My dad would laugh because my work uniform was most often a pair of split shorts and technical shirt that I had put on after the run from the night before and would wear during the run on the current day. Just like at home, I would drink coffee all morning, eat lunch around noon and find some time to plan out the run for that night. To be honest, I probably worked more efficiently and turned out more productive work in the last two months than any other two month stretch in quite some time.

Yes I missed my friends in Huntsville, my weekly trips to Fleet Feet and Starbucks. The first few weeks were pretty tough, but with the advent of Facebook, Twitter and my BlackBerry, I was never more than a nanobyte away from catching up with them. Being in the minority of runners here, most days I would either run alone, with the beagles, or on occasion I would get together with an old friend to do some track work at the high school. What I found in those lonely hours afoot was my affinity for running. I remembered why I started running all of the years ago and recaptured my zeal for the sport.

I felt a little like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire at times, sharing his revelation of the mission statement. I was running fewer total miles, but I was running a higher percentage of quality miles. More tempo runs, more track work, more hill repeats, more pickups during a long run and more races, yet with a lower volume. I managed to regain some of the speed that I had from the fall of 2008 when I was setting most of my personal records and before my love for ultra marathons and long runs developed. I have hardly stepped foot on a paved road this summer as most of my runs have been on gravel roads, trails, snowmobile trails or deer paths which has done wonders for my health. I will attribute much of this to the gorgeous summer weather in Northern Michigan, where highs in the 80's where high and mostly the mercury never got about the upper 70's.

While the cool weather was a driver, so was the fact that I had rediscovered my appreciation for life. Being around family and seeing friends from your childhood made me more relaxed and with far less stress from the daily grind. I was able to focus on running quality and not trying to figure out how I was going to fit a run in when times were busy. If it was raining or if I just wasn't feeling it, I turned around early or just didn't run all together. In the same breathe, when I did feel good I would pick up the pace, focus on faster leg turnover and crank out some fast miles. Some weeks I would have 4 or 5 days in a row with quality running where I was hitting it hard every day and while my monthly mileage may have dropped from the normal 350-400 down to 250 I was running better and enjoying it so much more.

I managed to work in several races during my sojourn from Huntsville, including a trail marathon in Florence Wisconsin on the first weekend I was here. I ran very well that day, despite no marathon training whatsoever and earned the overall win on a course that included a river swim at mile 18. This victory fueled my training as I would go on to run very well in Copper Harbor at the Run the Keweenaw stage race (6km hill climb, 12km trail race, 25km trail race) finishing 3rd overall. I had a good showing at the Twilight 5km on the weekend that I had to travel back to Huntsville for work, running 17:14 which was faster than last year in tougher conditions. More recently I ran a season best 35:56 on a very hilly 10km course in Iron River, Michigan which earned me the victory. I have one last race to run, which will come tomorrow at the Lake Antoine Classic 15km trail race.

I wish that I could explain the feeling more accurately but unless you are in the situation, it is difficult to understand the metamorphosis that I have gone through. After my time here I feel like my running has improved, I am closer with my family, my dogs have gotten some quality "Dad" time on the trails and Laura even remembered why she likes me again. I think it all comes back to the simplicity of life where you don't need much to be happy. We spent the summer living on whatever we were able to fit into the car and left behind a house full of things that will be there when we get back, but that we don't need. I want to make changes to my life as soon as I get back home to Huntsville to help simplify life and show the people close to me how much I appreciate them. You won’t see me quitting my job or anything like that, but you will notice a nicer, more pleasant and friendlier Eric as I take some of these life changing revelations that I have learned during the summer, back home with me. When you are able to step back and take a look at your life as I have been able to, you start to understand what is important.

A perfect example of happiness was a trail run I went on earlier in this week. I went out the door without a watch and with an empty water bottle. I set out across the river on the train bridge and toward the Spread Eagle Barrens. From there I ran on some gravel roads that turned into grassy Jeep roads that turned into single track that turned into some bushwhacking. I used the sun as my guide for direction, blackberries and raspberries along the trail for fuel and water out of passing streams for hydration. I was gone for a few hours and have no idea how far I went, but I know that I was running pretty damn fast out there and enjoying every second of it. Toward the end of the run I had an option of crossing the train bridge or making my way toward the highway to get back to my parents. I chose the third option which was to swim across the fast moving river to the campground, trail shoes and all. I was running through the woods and making waves in the water like I was a kid again with no worries in the world.

So now as I face the reality of packing up the truck and mapping out the route to drive back home, I am taken back to 1985 all over again. There have been more than two decades of summers since then and some mighty fine adventures and trips that I will never forget along the way. I was able to spend more time this summer with my family than I have been able to since high school which was a solid 15 years ago. I was able to go for fun runs with Laura and take the dogs swimming and drink my fair share of New Glarus Spotted Cow. I was able to eat thin crust pizza as only can be made in the Midwest. I was able to look outside my office window and see the people floating on tubes down the river, or see deer run across the yard. I was able to reconnect with friends from the past and share memories of the summers gone by. I was able to watch TV with my Mom at night after work and dinner and help my Dad with chores around the house. Ok that last part is not true, but I did clean quite a bit and I cut the grass once. I was able to blog a little, and catch up on emails that have been cluttering my inbox for months. I was able to run around my old neighborhood which would jar memories of people and places from yesteryear. I was able to do all of the things that you can't do when you are back home for a weekend.

So on my last day here in Michigan I can't help but think that this has been a fine summer that will rank amongst the best I've had. I am sure that my parents don't want me to leave, but I'm ready to get back home and spend the rest of the summer with my Huntsville family and friends.

So how did I spend my summer vacation? Doing all of the things that I love and unlike being 10 years old, this time I appreciate all of them. I also am ready to make changes in my life to show those close to me how much I value them. Coming full circle, I think that Mr. Spanton would be proud of my essay.

2010 Windsor Rodeo 10km

2010-08-01T19:44:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I had formally committed to running the California International Marathon in December. The grand scheme is that I would make a serious attempt at running sub 2:50 as a secondary goal, but the underlying reason is to use this as a qualifier for Comrades 2011. To achieve my primary goal of the A standard, I need to run another sub 3 hour marathon; something I have done on my last 3 road marathons. It will take significant training as this is no easy task, but I feel confident that given decent weather I can achieve the A standard.

As part of my 18 week training plan, I am going to try to get my speed back that I had in 2008 when I set most of my road personal records. The means to the end will involve a great deal of speed work, to which I have already been working on this summer while in Michigan. It also means several test runs to evaluate my fitness. The first test was the Twilight 5km a couple of weeks ago when I ran a 17:14. This time was faster than this year in warmer conditions. The second test was the 10km at the Windsor Rodeo in Iron River, MI.

I knew that being a first time event, and offering two distances (5km and 10km) that the field would be small and the competition would not be very high. I was not out for a victory, but a test of my 10km fitness given the amount of speed work I had been doing as of late.

After making the hour long drive to Iron River from Iron Mountain, I arrived early to find no one at registration. I drove around town to see if there were any course markings and I could not find any. When I got back at the school and waited patiently amongst a slightly disorganized registration line, I checked the 10km box on the entry form (which asked for signature, but not for name or address). The guy behind me commented about me winning the race and I said my biggest worry was not getting lost after I heard there was no lead car/bike.

I had some stomach issues before the race and while I was out warming up for a couple of miles, had to make a pit stop in the woods. I hoped that this would not plague me during the race. I made it back in time to suit up and move over to the starting line.

The non-competitive bike ride started just before the race. Standing at the starting line, I noted 2-3 people who looked like runners who might be up front and push the pace. The bibs were marked with orange or yellow stickers for the different distances, 10km and 5km. The race director tried to describe the course and said it was marked on the road and that there were some significant hills. I really did not know what to expect as I didn't know the area.

From the gun, there were a few people who sprinted out at 5:15 pace but by the time we made the first turn, it was down to 3 people, which included me. The first climb was 125' in just 1/4 of a mile or about a 10% grade. A very young kid wearing basketball style shorts and racing flats was in the lead, followed by me and another young kid with a mohawk and wearing an ipod. We had already caught up with some of the bikers, who were pushing their bikes up this hill; a testament to the difficulty. We split the first mile in 5:52.

By the 1.25 mile mark, I had caught up to the leader and ran alongside him for a few seconds. I noticed that he had a yellow sticker, which meant he was running the 5km. I told him that he was running strong and then I made a move to pass him by before making the turn to the left where the two races split. I glanced back at the turn and saw that mohawk boy also turned toward the 5km, which meant that I was out front and running all alone. There was one more competitive looking runner at the start who I knew was running the 10km but I didn't see him behind.

The second mile was mostly downhill as we ran north along a very busy county road 653. I got back into the grove and split a 5:39 second mile which felt pretty good. The third mile was more climbing in the later stages of the mile and the pace showed as I ran a 5:49, putting me at 17:20 through 3 miles. Turning onto Forbes Road just before the 3 mile split I took one more glance back and did not see a single person trailing behind. This would be my race to lose, though I was not about to ease up. I wanted to post a fast time to test my fitness and also to set a high water mark for people who run this race in the future.

Into the 4th mile I was feeling very relaxed and running easy. There was an aid station in this mile that was not manned, having just a cooler with some cups. The temperature was only in the mid 60's and I didn't need any so ran by. The entire 4th mile was again climbing and I notched a 5:57 split.

I knew that sooner or later we had to reclaim all of the climb with decent, I just didn't know where and when it would happen. It turned out to be mostly downhill from the highest point on the course at the 4 mile split all the way to the end. I got passed by one of the bikers, a middle-aged man who commented that I was looking good. He said that there was no one even close behind me, as he had gotten a late start and ridden through the pack. This was a confidence booster, and along with the downhill sections, I was starting to pick up the pace and increase my leg turnover. The 5th mile split was a 5:49.

I knew now that I had just one more mile to tough out and then the sprint home for the last quarter mile. The one thing that the race director did get right was that the course was accurately marked and measured. My GPS would auto-lap every mile just at the marker on the road, which was reassuring that the time I would post at the end would be legitimate. Also I was able to put away the fears that the course would not be marked as each turn had spray paint on the ground. They also had white signs that you could see from a distance, which helped to run the tangents of the course.

There were people starting to assemble in town for the parade, so the final mile felt easier than the preceding five. They weren't necessarily cheering for the runners, but jut seeing people made it feel not so lonely as the north countryside. I have had the taste of victory before but not that often. Coming into this race I had won 15 times of 175 races, or at a rate of less than 8 times in a hundred, so not very often. So infrequently in fact that when leading I get very nervous in the late stages that something is going to go wrong and I am going to get nipped at the end. Today I stayed strong in the final mile, clocking a 5:43, showing that the slow pace early on was paying off now with fresh legs late.

I did not see the 6 mile mark (until during my cool down) but I knew where I was again with respect to the school, so I started to accelerate. We had done cut downs at the track on Tuesday (2x1200, 2x800, 2x400, 2x200) at increasing pace to teach me to run faster toward the end and that I just was I was doing here. I had to dodge of few of slower 5km runners and ask the finish line volunteer which side to choose, as I think I surprised them with my time. I stopped my watch as I crossed the finish line at 35:56. After battling so many hills, I was very happy with the time.

After the took my bib tag (which they affixed to a board and would later blow off in the wind) I jogged back on the course to cool down. Jogging very slowly, I went back a full half mile before I saw the next runner. I would guess that 2nd place was 8-10 minutes behind, though I have not seen the official results yet. I kept jogging back and found Fast Freddy Jacobs and turned around, jogging with him as he finished.

The awards took some time to figure out, but I was very patient, knowing that it was a first time event and they were figuring it out as they went along. Eventually they announced all of the age group finishers for the 10km but did not announce the overall winner. Luckily I knew Freddy, so we walked over with the microphone and asked me for my time and age, to announce that I was the winner. Quite an unusual ceremony, but I felt it important to stay around. It was not for the recognition, but to help support the event.

All in all I think it turned out to be a very good day. I ran a little faster than I thought I would, and I had a lot left late if I had been pushed. It was a successful test of fitness leading into the Lake Antoine Classic 15km this weekend and the trail half marathon two weeks after that in Seattle. I can see that the hard work of quality miles, over quantity, is showing dividends and I will continue to work hard toward my goals.

It was also good to see Cheryl Scott again, from the local area. She notched a personal best for the 10km and won her age group. Congrats Cheryl!

Here is the elevation profile for the race.

2010 Run the Keweenaw

2010-07-15T15:55:00.003-05:00

This weekend I was fortunate enough to have been able to contest Run the Keweenaw held at the Top of Michigan in Copper Harbor. This small community with population of 75 people is best known for being the launching point to Isle Royale National Park, snowmobiling in the winter and as the northern terminus of 2000 mile US Highway 41 that begins as a tree covered tunnel-like road and travels south to Miami, Florida. If you have not seen the fall colors in the Copper Country, you have missed out some breathtaking sights. More recently, they have put themselves on the map as having some of the best multi-use trails around with help of the Copper Harbor Trails Club and the Keweenaw Trails Alliance.

It was these trails that hosted the 2-day, 3-event trail race held on July 10-11, 2010. This stage race starts with a 6km hill climb to the summit of Mount Baldy from Eagle Harbor at 9am on Saturday morning. Then just a few hours later at 5pm, is the 12km trail race held on the trails in Copper Harbor. The weekend reaches the pinnacle with final event, a 25km trail race on Sunday morning. The total mileage is just over a marathon in distance, not counting the 6km that competitors have to run on Saturday morning from the Summit back down to the start, as there is no crew access to Mount Baldy.

Photo courtesy of Greg Maino http://www.juskuz.com

Stage 1: 6km Hill Summit

The temperatures on Saturday morning were much warmer than I had anticipated. I warmed up in my Team inov-8 singlet but standing at the starting line I was dripping with sweat and passed my shirt off to Laura. The main competition for the weekend was Team Vasque athlete and friend Danny Dehlin. There are not many distance runners from Upper Michigan, let alone many trail runners so it was natural that we would become friends.

The race started fast with a short road section that lead into the trail. Due to construction in Eagle Harbor, this year the race did not start on the shore of Lake Superior, but equidistant away on an adjacent road. The trail began as a two-rut jeep road with tall grass in the middle over a flat section but quickly began to climb. The footing varied from soft beach sand to smooth rocks the size of soccer balls that were embedded in the terrain. I chose the mid-ranged inov-8 roclite 295 for footwear. They provided tremendous grip on the rocks and with their flexible nature, hugged the roots of the later portion of the course. I mistakenly wore sunglasses with dark lenses and with running directly to the east, we were facing the rising sun which would occasionally peak through the tree cover and make trail visibility tough.

The scoring for the weekend was based on a weighted system of finishing placement for each event, summed at the end of the weekend and the lower the total, the better. In the event of a tie, overall time summation would be used to determine the higher placement. I managed a 6:46 first mile and settled nicely into 4th place. I had a legitimate shot at 3rd place but knew that the effort to get there would not be worth it with two more events to go. With the scoring system in mind, I knew that I just needed to do enough to stay in 4th and live for another race.

Despite being in 4th, I did still want to put forth a good effort and I pushed the envelope in miles 2 and 3, though the splits were clearly slower at 7:08 and 8:12. This was mostly due to the increasing heat and the continued steady climb at a rate of 225' per mile or 5% grade as with a half mile, there was a false summit. After a short drop of 120', we would immediately make that back up in the last 1/3 of a mile before crossing the finish line at the summit of Mount Lookout.

My 24:15 for 5.8km (construction based adjustment) earned my 4th overall, though there were 5 people who finished within a minute of my time. The overall winner and 5th place finisher were not competing in all three stages, so the remaining 7 male runners would be the main competition for the rest of the weekend.

Top 9 Men

1 Walczak, Karl 21:01
2 Dehlin, Daniel 21:48
3 Waite, Matthew 22:52
4 Charette, Eric 24:15
5 Kinnunen, Skidmore 24:41
6 Keteri, Dean 24:43
7 Lovell, Timothy 24:53
8 Carn, Simon 25:00
9 Juntti, Jeff 25:19

After our recovery run back down the summit, Laura drove Dan and I over to the harbor where we took a swim in harbor where the water was a refreshing 65 degrees. We had just 6 hours before the next race would begin.

Stage 2: 12km Copper Harbor Trails Challenge

Staring at noon, there was an old-fashioned cookout that featured live music that preceded the awards ceremony. We stuck around for awards before walking over to the Mariner North for a sandwich. I enjoyed quite a restful nap before heading back over to the Copper Harbor Community Building for the start of the next stage at 5pm.

Just before the start I had asked Dan about the course profile. He said that the first half was "all climb" and then after a fast ride down, there were a few rollers before the finish. With the temperatures soaring into the mid 80's, it was bound to be a test of who could suffer the most that would prevail.

Photo courtesy of Greg Maino http://www.juskuz.com

After a short road section to thin out the crowd, we were quickly back on the trails. The pace was fast from the onset and crossing a field toward the thick north woods, we were in the very low 6's on uneven footing. We looped around a small lake and onto the Garden Brook Trail heading west. By the time we crossed the highway, Dan was long gone but I still had flashes of Matthew Waite, who was running in second.

Within minutes we were onto Woopidy Woo, which turned out to the be the climb that Dan referred to in our pre-race chat. The pace slowed in the second mile to just under 8, but the effort remained even as I climbed about 400' to the crest. I was exhausted from the summit but ready to attack the fast downhill and could no longer see Matthew but sensed the pack closing in on me from behind.

I really pushed the pace in the ensuing two miles and tried to create some separation from the pursuants. The trail was full of tight turns, hairpin corners and banked single track as it dropped rapidly down and crossed the river. The course turned back to the north and moved onto Garden Brook Trail, running in between the upper crest and the highway. I wasn't feeling great but was able to keep the pace in the upper 6's which was decent considering the hill beat down from earlier in the day.

Crossing the road back onto the stem of this lollipop course, I knew that I did not have far to go until the end. The course was advertised as 12km but if it was back on the same trail as the out section, the distance was going to be somewhat short; I was fine with this as I was running at my threshold and probably would not be able to hold that intensity for much longer. The footing was full of roots and loose rock which slowed me slightly but I notched up the effort to close it out.

Returning back to the lake, there was a small added loop around the field on the Copper Harbor Loop Trail, which provided some visibility of the runners chasing me. I was surprised at how close they were and if the course was true to distance, I was starting to wonder if I could hold them off. The difference in a single place (from 3 to 4) would mean that I would have to make that up on the final day and I was hoping to have more of a cushion in the 25km on Sunday.

The final stretch of the course was the same as what Laura and I had warmed up on, so I had new found confidence that the end was very near. I finally felt safe when I rounded the last winding corner entered the park where I could see the finish line ahead. I crossed with a final time of 43:10.

Top 8 Men

1 Dehlin, Daniel 39:11
2 Waite, Matthew 41:06
3 Charette, Eric 43:10
4 Juntti, Jeff 43:28
5 Lovell, Timothy 44:12
6 Keteri, Dean 44:58
7 Mullins, Corey 45:30
8 Carn, Simon 45:50

Series Points after the 12km (Runners in contention only)

1 Dehlin, Daniel 2+1=3
2 Waite, Matthew 3+2=5
3 Charette, Eric 4+3=7
4 Keteri, Dean 6+6=12
5 Lovell, Timothy 7+5=12
6 Juntti, Jeff 9+4=13

Stage 3: 25km Keweenaw Trails Run

Who wouldn't love a course that was run on trails with names like Woopidy Woo, Dza Beet, Here We Go, Say Hello, Paul's Plunge, Der We Went, Ma Maki and Rock n Roll?

Photo courtesy of Greg Maino http://www.juskuz.com

After tumultuous night of thunderstorms that began at 3am, I woke early to get in a decent cup of coffee and a poptart prior to walking over to the start. The entire town of Copper Harbor is 10 blocks long and 3 blocks wide, so driving anywhere is just plain silly. The night before we ate dinner at the Tamarack Diner and I had a great carb dinner of a pasty. For those that are not from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or familiar with mining communities or are descendants from Cornwall, England, it may sound strange but they are pretty damn good!

The rain managed to subside before the start of the race and while it seemed to cool the temperatures down a little, it also made it more humid than the day before. I knew the point situation to make a podium finish (Dan with 3 and Matthew with 5 and Eric with 7) meant that I would have to beat Matthew by 3 places (eg me in 2nd and Matthew in 5th) to move up into 2nd. Having ran with he and Dan for two days now, I knew that unless they went out too hard or fell and broke a limb, that they would be steady enough not to falter.

1 Dehlin, Daniel 2+1=3
2 Waite, Matthew 3+2=5
3 Charette, Eric 4+3=7

On the opposite end, I was also looking down at places 4-6 to see if they could possibly kick me out of the top 3. The gap from 3 to 4 was 5 so Dean or Tim would have to place 6 spots higher than me to move ahead, or 5 spots higher to tie and then break the tie with faster cumulative times. This didn't seem likely either.

4 Keteri, Dean 6+6=12
5 Lovell, Timothy 7+5=12
6 Juntti, Jeff 9+4=13

The start was similar to that of the 12km; a short road section before turning onto the Copper Harbor Loop trail section across the field. We spread out into a single file line through the field, but instead of heading toward Garden Brook Trail, we turned left and began the ascent up Stairway to Heaven. Dan had mentioned that you did not want to get stuck behind any slower runners on this section as it was a 1/3 mile of elevated (24" wide wooden plank) foot-bridge that was full of twists and turns and a general ascent of around 100' to the top, but would continue to climb after that. I was maybe a little more aggressive than normal into this section considering what Dan had said and as we began the climb, I found myself in second place.

At the top we turned onto Here We Go, Da Beet and Blue trail that lead to the highway crossing. I politely let Matthew pass me before the road by stepping to the side. I knew that we were going to climb again shortly and I wanted to be in full control at my pace when that started. The pace in the early miles was in the high 7's; something I knew I could sustain for 15 miles.

The second climb of the course was running the Garden Brook / Woopidy Woo section from the 12km but in the reverse direction. As I started the climb, I just remembered how on Saturday night during the 12km that this descent seemed to go on for miles and now I was in the middle of climbing it. On every turn or switchback, I would catch a glimpse of the pack behind me. It was Jeff, Tim and maybe Dean and they seemed to be running the hills very efficiently. They closed the gap to less than a minute by the top and that is when I made the choice to make a statement. Even though I knew that it was not likely for me to miss the podium for the weekend and I could just play it safe, I decided to pick up the pace and go for a top 3 in this race too. My leg turnover got faster as I was leaning slightly forward and attacking the downhills.

I really felt like I had made significant time coming out of this loop but on the last switchback I could still see the chase pack. They too picked up the pace on the way down and were about the same distance from me as they were on top of the hill. I refused to let this bother me and just kept hammering the pace.

Coming through the finish line (completing the first loop) and heading east now toward the flat section of the course, I made another push. The Lake Fanny Hooe Trail was flat to rolling with the width of a snowmobile trail and then returned along the lake on single track adjacent to the campground. I was running in the mid 6's now and really made up quite a bit of time as to where I could no longer see anyone behind me. For once a race tactic worked for me!

The final climb was up a rugged and nasty trail called Paul's Plunge. I am not sure what Paul was thinking but I had to take a few long walking strides and grab a few trees to climb this short but steep section. From there it was Red Trail, De Deet, Say Hello and Ma Maki trails. Nothing too eventful as I just tried to keep a steady pace in the high 7's to low 8's depending on how much roll of the terrain there was. I finished off the rest of a Honey Stinger Gold that gave me a little lift to make a final push to the finish. There had been kilometer distance markers on the course today which was a nice addition as my GPS didn't seem to be measuring quite right.

The final section was back down Stairway to Heaven. The skies had gone dark and opened up with rain, making it very eerie to run in the woods. Now I was barreling away down a wooden bridge without a care in the world because my inov-8 roclites had great tacky grip and never let me slip.

There was no cruising into the finish, as the rain was coming down in buckets and I wanted to be done. I started a sprint about 1/2 mile out and kept it up right to the finish. Standing there under a pavilion were Dan and my wife Laura to cheer me on. It was very refreshing, both mentally and physically to be done with this endurance event. My final time for the 25km was 1:40:58. I was surprised that I closed in on 2nd place so much in the second half of the race with the surges on the flats.

Top 6 Men

1 Dehlin, Daniel 1:31:18
2 Waite, Matthew 1:38:25
3 Charette, Eric 1:40:58
4 Lovell, Timothy 1:42:49.6
5 Keteri, Dean 1:42:49.9
6 Juntti, Jeff 1:43:25

Final standings for the RTK Weekend

1 Dehlin, Daniel 2+1+14
2 Waite, Matthew 3+2+2=7
3 Charette, Eric 4+3+3=10
4 Lovell, Timothy 7+5+4=16
5 Keteri, Dean 6+6+5=17
6 Juntti, Jeff 9+4+6=19

Thanks to Aspirius Keweenaw, Hammer Nutrition, Down Wind Sports, Vasque and othe sponsors for making this event possible. Lori and Dan were also very key in the overall direction, awards and making this a true destination event.

As a footnote, I had tons of questions of inov-8 from people seeing my trail shoes and my inov-8 team gear. They asked about how they felt, what I thought, where they could get them, etc. Most trail races I go to people are wearing inov-8 but this event was in an area where they were not as widely known. I was very proud to spread the word about inov-8 and hope that when I come back to the Keweenaw, that more and more people are wearing them!