I’m a slacker in a number of ways, including blogging. I started this blog in 2009 to memorialize a long road trip with my wife and beloved Golden Retrievers. Beyond that, it was to be dedicated to my ultrarunning exploits.
For a while, I had lots of enthusiasm for both ultrarunning and writing about it. Over the last couple of years, this has changed, with the turning point (in hindsight) being my retirement. Until October, 2012 I was a productive member of society, a partner in a large CPA firm. But since retiring, I’ve really become a slacker. I seldom set an alarm, drink too much beer and spend an enormous amount of time with my dogs, just messing around. I still love running (and hiking and biking and cross training) but I just don’t like doing anything that’s not fun. Speedwork? Nah–that hurts. Really long training runs? Well, those are kinda hard and take a lot of time and I get really tired, so probably not. Nine-mile trail run / hike on a gorgeous day? Love it! With this type of attitude, it’s no surprise my running has sucked for a couple of years.
But for 2014, I had a plan. The primary determinant of success in ultrarunning is, not surprisingly, getting in enough long runs, and that’s been my failure for the last couple of years. So, for 2014 I adopted the plan of just doing a long race once a month. In my simple mind, this would keep me motivated, with the added advantages of having a long run on my calendar and someone else setting up and managing the course, nutrition and hydration. As you might expect, this ain’t rocket science, and lots of people use this approach. But I’ve never been “the sharpest pencil in the box,” so I was a little slow to pick this up.
The results were, well, mixed. Following is a chronicle of the resulting mediocrity.
If history were a guide, the first entry for 2014 would be the results from the Across the Years fixed time event in Phoenix, AZ. I entered the December 31, 2013 start version of the 24-hour event with the plan of running into the New Year. I’d done this the previous three years and had covered 100+ miles in each event, finishing in the early morning of January first. (True to slacker form, I stopped at 100 miles each year, time remaining notwithstanding). But in the 2013-14 version, I stopped before midnight, a modest 40+ miles covered. This poor performance partially inspired my plan to make 2014 a better year.
January. St. George half marathon. Finished in 1:57. (As a frame of reference, my best in the half is 1:27:01, back when I was a youngster of 36). Nice race on paved running / bike paths. Love this distance—I often swear this is going to be the longest distance I’ll ever run in the future.
Running from an Angel. This 50-miler was held in the Lake Mead National Recreation area outside Vegas. Finished in 10:02. Not outstanding, but I was expecting to be battling the 12 hour time limit. Won my age group, but then again in this small event I may have been the age group. The poor ATY performance at least provided a good training run for a 50-miler. Stomach started feeling bad about mile 42, slowing me a bit.
February. Jackpot Ultra Running Festival 100 miler. The inaugural event, and as the name implies, was held in Las Vegas. Finished in 22:01. Didn’t know it at the time, but this was the running peak of 2014. (As the saying goes, “no one rings a bell at the top”). Went through 50 miles in 9:50 and sorta hung on…..for 50 more miles. My nemesis, the weak stomach, attacked with a vengeance. Existed primarily on ice chips for about the last 50 miles or so. Violent dry heaves at mile 90 startled the dude in front of me. Swore off 100s (and anything longer than 13.1) during this event. Didn’t eat until four hours after finishing, and then it was an ice cream bar.
I did say it was in Vegas, right?
I like loop courses with centralized aid. The race management on this event was superb.
Kathy came down to Vegas post-race on Sunday and we went to the Eagles concert that night. Fun weekend, barfing notwithstanding.
Selfie with K at the Eagles concert (MGM Grand). By this time I’d had a nap, food and beer and was feeling pretty good.
March. Peoria, AZ half marathon. Signed up for this while in Phoenix for spring training. Noteworthy….I ran alongside an eight year old kid for a bit. I’m 58. There are runners 50 years younger than me? Messed with my head for quite a while. The kid dropped, which sadly made me feel better. Ran 1:54.
Antelope Island 50-miler. DNS’d (“did not start”) this one. Reason? Well, after entry I figured out it conflicted with the first weekend of March madness i.e., the NCAA basketball tournament. I would have missed part of the round of 64 driving up, then missed a day of the round of 32 while running. So I skipped it. What was that about my lack of motivation?
April. Brew to Brew in Kansas City. This is probably my favorite running event in the world. It’s a 43 mile run between Boulevard Brewery in KC (my home town) to the Free State Brewery in Lawrence, KS. Mostly a relay, it also attracts solo runners. Finish time was 8:01….not great, but not a personal worst either. Ran the last four miles with Danny Miller. Danny is the opposite of me: young, energetic and goal oriented. Danny is pursuing a PhD and MD in cancer research / treatment while working for the Stowers Institute. We had a good conversation about the state of cancer research and treatment….at least when he dumbed it down enough that I could understand what he was saying. Finished without barfing, a pleasing result.
Side note—Opening Day for the World Series bound KC Royals was on Friday before the Sunday race. How can you beat Opening Day and the B-to-B in one weekend?
It’s best to avoid selfies after an ultra.
May. Labor of Love 50-miler. This event is held in Lovell Canyon outside of Vegas. The course is out and back then out and back again (roughly). At an elevation of 4400 feet, I didn’t expect it to be hot. It was. South wind was blowing so hard that the stuff on the aid station table was falling off. Dropped back to marathon distance. Car thermometer said 88 degrees in the canyon, 98 degrees in Vegas. Wimp.
Also ran the Corporate Challenge half marathon for my old firm, finishing in 1:51 and winning my age group (old) in our division (small).
June. Shadow of the Giants 50k in Fish Camp, CA. My third time at this race, and it is gorgeous. The course is just outside Yosemite National Park, and the “Giants” refer to the redwoods that dot the course, especially in Nelder’s Grove. As they say, getting there is half the fun, so we loaded the Goldens in the car and took the long way, via Great Basin National Park, then came in through the Sierras and Yosemite.
No, this isn’t my vehicle. But I did admire the courage of this 60s wannabe traveler.
Finished the race in 6:17, which is not bad for me for a trail 50K…..but I think the course was a couple miles short. In my first two times running it, the course was widely considered to be 32-33 miles….but changes to the first few miles and the finishing miles altered the distance. Noteworthy events included seeing a bear midway through the event (fortunately running away from me) and shortly thereafter stepping on a rock and spraining the hell out of my foot. Was sure I was going to have to limp to an aid station and drop, but I just tied my shoe tighter and it felt OK. Ran a bit with Marcia Rasmussen of snow rescue fame. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/21/local/la-me-snow-rescue-20110621 I think this was a feature on the Weather Channel. Nice lady and a real good runner.
One of the “giants” along the course.
Family photo at Glacier Point in Yosemite. Name notwithstanding, it was hot there!
Feeling pretty good about my running, I entered the Javelina Jundred (a 100-miler) scheduled for Halloween 2014 and Across the Years for December 31, 2014.
July. The Mojave Desert is not a great place for ultras in the summer, but Elemental Running put on a 3-6-12 hour event in Vegas. I like fixed time events run on a closed course, and Elemental did a nice job of timing, aid, etc. The event started at 6 PM when it was 107 degrees. I entered the 12 hour, although I really just wanted a decent long run. What I turned in was a meager 50k, stopping at about 1 AM. I don’t blame the heat, I blame my lack of training.
The 6 PM July sun in Vegas. Kinda warm on the asphalt, or anywhere else for that matter.
Timing and aid area. Elemental does a nice job of race management, at least in my experience.
Morgan Valley Marathon. Entered a northern Utah marathon on sort of a whim. A nice, small marathon. Staggered through at 4:40, a time that would have had me quitting running a few years ago. Now it’s sorta the norm. Spent the week with wife and Goldens in Park City, UT which was nice.
August. A complete wipeout. We rented a place in the Monterey, CA area for the month, and getting to a long race or even getting in a long training run was problematic. It was either a logistics issue or I’m lazy. I think I know the answer to that one.
A wipeout from a running perspective, but there are advantages to coastal California in August–cool / cold temps being one of them.
Ron and Diane Peterson (foreground) visited us during our stay. That’s K in the background, obviously.
We took a couple of bike rides around Monterey Bay.
September. Javelina Jangover 25-50-75k night run. This event is held at McDowell Mountain Regional Park (outside Phoenix) on the same trail as the Javelina Jundred. Thought if I could get in 75k (45+ miles) that this would be good training for an October 50-miler and then the Jundred on Halloween. Being this is Phoenix and it’s hot, the event started at 7 PM. Watched football during the day, ate an old Power Bar that had been rattling around in my running bag and headed for the start. I frequently have stomach issues after about 30 miles or so, but on this night they started early….felt bad after the first 15 mile loop. Disappointingly dropped after two laps (50k), sometime after 2 AM. Back to the hotel where I got violently ill at about 4:30 AM. From the visual evidence, the Power Bar seemed to be a major issue. Who reads freshness dates anyway?
Stormy skies over the Park prior to race start. Weather was the least of my problems.
Red Rock Half Marathon. An evening race in the Red Rock Canyon National Recreation area outside Vegas. Darker and colder than anticipated. Didn’t read the race instructions and didn’t bring a light or any warm clothes. But it was really fun. Lousy time of 2:11, but it was a steep uphill much of the first half. And it was Vegas.
October. The bust at the Jangover run had a domino effect on October. I normally run the St. George Marathon the first Saturday of the month. But back in April (entry time for the marathon—it’s a sellout every year) I was feeling good and decided to skip this race in favor of the Le Grizz 50-miler in Kalispell, MT. However, the poor run in September left me unsure I could complete a 50 within any reasonable time limits. So I skipped Le Grizz and didn’t get in any decent ultra runs after Jangover. Bottom line—emailed the Jundred RD and said I would be a no-show for the Halloween event. I hate taking up a place in a sold out race and not using it. October was a mess running-wise, but hey—I was at the K to see the Royals win the ALCS and make the World Series!
November. Snow Canyon Half Marathon. A gorgeous downhill race dropping through Snow Canyon here in Ivins, UT. Didn’t record my time, but I’m sure it was unimpressive. Best run of the year was the local Thanksgiving Day 10K. Ran with Sara, my daughter, and finished in 52:48. Fun time. Otherwise, got in a few long runs (25+ now qualifies as “long”) but no other races in November.
December. Elemental put on a winter 3-6-12 hour fixed time event in Vegas. Again entered the 12 hour event, but again just wanted a decent (40+ mile) training run for Across the Years, 17 days away. Actually felt good for the first 35 miles or so, then started feeling tired with the usual nagging stomach issues. Total 40.5 miles in a little over eight hours, at the low end of goal range.
Nice low-key event held at a park in suburban Vegas. Kind of a cold north wind, but all in all a fine day for running.
So that’s 2014 from a running perspective. Looking back, it seems the overall plan of a long race per month works OK when you stick with it. But I lost momentum (and more importantly, discipline) with hot weather and travel at mid-year. The year was also like a typical long race….started out OK, peaked early and I ended up staggering to the finish. Many things in life are cumulative—fitness being one of them. Alternatively stated, it’s easier to stay in shape than to get in shape.
Heading to Phoenix for the December 31, 2014 ATY event….this time I’ll be there past midnight, one way or another!
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