I haven't written in while so here's a brief summary of the last month and a half in a paragraph. Rocky Raccoon was a tough one, with a 9:30ish split through 60 and feeling good. A badly sprained knee and some general discomfort led to a final finish at 20:14. Tough, but I still believe that my yearly goals are still in sight. My speed felt very comfortable and in good condition leading towards the San Diego 100 on June 6th. The Napa Marathon was a pretty smooth race through a steady and somewhat heavy rainfall. It was a bit slower than I was tracking at in training (3:02 vs. 2:56 based on training bases) but a solid, disciplined effort in less than ideal conditions. I am incorporating heavy doses of tempo and interval work into my training over the next 3 months, so that I continue to build my marathon capability to stay on target for my yearly goal in the marathon. Oh, and I got accepted to run Badwater again. So I'll be using the Diablo 50, Quicksilver 50 and the San Diego 100 as precursors to the race. What can I say.....I'm just praying that my training and my experience will take me over the top this year. Discipline, as always in this sport, is the key so that in the last 1/2 of these races I can let it ride. And one final thing, we're raising $18,000 to build 6 wells in Uganda to serve over 7,000 people. If you can help, go to http://seegundyrun.com/How_To_Give.html
Gundy
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
It's been awhile
Ahh.....blogging has taken a back seat for awhile, but I'll be back at the end of the week! When you run a lot, sometimes it's hard to take time to blog as much as I'd like.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Heading to Texas to tackle the Raccoon
Time to round ‘em up and head to Texas!
It’s time to head to Texas for the Rocky Raccoon 100 in 3 days, so I figured it was time to write something new on this site/blog. Life is good right now….in fact, life is always good. It’s already 1 weeks into 2009 and the season is getting underway. I’m sure, like most runners, January is dedicated to getting back into the swing of things. I do a number of what I like to call “for the love of it” runs, focusing less on pace and more on simply enjoying being out there. For most of January, I spent Saturday morning/early afternoon enjoying the trails of the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tamalpais area. On a couple of the runs, the idea was to keep approximately the same pace I wanted to run at RR. On another one of the runs, I was just out there to enjoy nature and getting a gang-load of miles. My runs went 32, 42, 30 and 30 miles respectively.
I reduced my running workload, with tempo runs thrown in, during the week so that I would go into each of these long runs with a little bit of a fresher body. It really helped and the times/mileage for those long training runs is a nice confidence boost going into the race on Saturday. My weekly mileages in January peaked at 85. While my mileage this week should top 130 (with the race on Saturday included), I plan on focusing this week as well as the following 2 weeks on intense speed/tempo training with 80 mile weeks in the cue to get primed for the Napa Marathon.
As far as the race on Saturday is concerned, I have probably the same worries as everyone else. As always, the biggest concern will be nausea induced by electrolyte imbalance and/or dehydration. One reason why I focused on making sure I got those long runs in, especially that 42 miler, was to come into this race with a measure of confidence in my hydration and fueling strategy. During most of those runs, I mixed in GU and eGel(Crank) with trail mix and bananas. One of the reasons my run at Mother Road 100 in November was going so well was probably due to using almost all solid foods. While this course doesn’t lend itself to the easy exchange of supplies possible at Mother Road (which was an open road race with a small trail section), I do plan on going to the Costco and picking up a bunch of bananas, trail mix packs, and mini-chip packages.
During the race, I plan on quicker first loop with the slowest being loops 2 &3. After that, I’m just hoping I have enough in the tank to take to get around/close to first lap time for the rest of the race. While I’m flexible on this depending on how I feel, this is definitely how I think it’ll shake out best. The goal is sub-17 with flexibility to go down further if its warranted or adjust up if necessary. As always, I’ll constantly evaluate where I’m at and go from there.
Of the other competitors, I’m probably most excited to see Jamie Donaldson again. Having raced with her twice at Badwater, it’ll be nice to see her out on the trails. She’s definitely a dynamic racer who races in the mold of a Scott Jurek, patient and deliberate in her approach to a race. Her race this past year at Badwater was eerily reminiscent of Scott’s 2005 Badwater, finally moving into 1st position with 1/3 of the race left to go. That patient approach is what is so hard to come by, particularly in a race like Rocky which almost lures you in to the “go for broke from the start” mentality.
I met her for the first time prior to the 07’ Badwater and was pretty shocked that she had seen the Google video of my team’s race in 2006. Sometimes when you post things there or on YouTube, you automatically assume that no one really looks at that stuff. Of course, she ended up become an internet ultrarunning phenomenon not only because of her talent, but also her perserverance in the 07’ race to continue up the Mt. Whitney portal climb with debilitating shin spints. It’s that commitment and perservering spirit that we all strive for in this sport and makes it pleasure to see her wherever our paths may cross.
I'm still figuring out the fundraising program and how that's going to work, but when I get it together, I'll be sure to post all about it both here and at my website. I’m pretty excited about this race to set the year off on the right foot, literally and figuratively. I’m sure that echoes the thoughts of most people when it comes to that first race of 09’. It’s time to pack up, toe the line and get moving. Time to let it ride….
God bless,
Gundy
It’s time to head to Texas for the Rocky Raccoon 100 in 3 days, so I figured it was time to write something new on this site/blog. Life is good right now….in fact, life is always good. It’s already 1 weeks into 2009 and the season is getting underway. I’m sure, like most runners, January is dedicated to getting back into the swing of things. I do a number of what I like to call “for the love of it” runs, focusing less on pace and more on simply enjoying being out there. For most of January, I spent Saturday morning/early afternoon enjoying the trails of the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tamalpais area. On a couple of the runs, the idea was to keep approximately the same pace I wanted to run at RR. On another one of the runs, I was just out there to enjoy nature and getting a gang-load of miles. My runs went 32, 42, 30 and 30 miles respectively.
I reduced my running workload, with tempo runs thrown in, during the week so that I would go into each of these long runs with a little bit of a fresher body. It really helped and the times/mileage for those long training runs is a nice confidence boost going into the race on Saturday. My weekly mileages in January peaked at 85. While my mileage this week should top 130 (with the race on Saturday included), I plan on focusing this week as well as the following 2 weeks on intense speed/tempo training with 80 mile weeks in the cue to get primed for the Napa Marathon.
As far as the race on Saturday is concerned, I have probably the same worries as everyone else. As always, the biggest concern will be nausea induced by electrolyte imbalance and/or dehydration. One reason why I focused on making sure I got those long runs in, especially that 42 miler, was to come into this race with a measure of confidence in my hydration and fueling strategy. During most of those runs, I mixed in GU and eGel(Crank) with trail mix and bananas. One of the reasons my run at Mother Road 100 in November was going so well was probably due to using almost all solid foods. While this course doesn’t lend itself to the easy exchange of supplies possible at Mother Road (which was an open road race with a small trail section), I do plan on going to the Costco and picking up a bunch of bananas, trail mix packs, and mini-chip packages.
During the race, I plan on quicker first loop with the slowest being loops 2 &3. After that, I’m just hoping I have enough in the tank to take to get around/close to first lap time for the rest of the race. While I’m flexible on this depending on how I feel, this is definitely how I think it’ll shake out best. The goal is sub-17 with flexibility to go down further if its warranted or adjust up if necessary. As always, I’ll constantly evaluate where I’m at and go from there.
Of the other competitors, I’m probably most excited to see Jamie Donaldson again. Having raced with her twice at Badwater, it’ll be nice to see her out on the trails. She’s definitely a dynamic racer who races in the mold of a Scott Jurek, patient and deliberate in her approach to a race. Her race this past year at Badwater was eerily reminiscent of Scott’s 2005 Badwater, finally moving into 1st position with 1/3 of the race left to go. That patient approach is what is so hard to come by, particularly in a race like Rocky which almost lures you in to the “go for broke from the start” mentality.
I met her for the first time prior to the 07’ Badwater and was pretty shocked that she had seen the Google video of my team’s race in 2006. Sometimes when you post things there or on YouTube, you automatically assume that no one really looks at that stuff. Of course, she ended up become an internet ultrarunning phenomenon not only because of her talent, but also her perserverance in the 07’ race to continue up the Mt. Whitney portal climb with debilitating shin spints. It’s that commitment and perservering spirit that we all strive for in this sport and makes it pleasure to see her wherever our paths may cross.
I'm still figuring out the fundraising program and how that's going to work, but when I get it together, I'll be sure to post all about it both here and at my website. I’m pretty excited about this race to set the year off on the right foot, literally and figuratively. I’m sure that echoes the thoughts of most people when it comes to that first race of 09’. It’s time to pack up, toe the line and get moving. Time to let it ride….
God bless,
Gundy
Friday, January 2, 2009
2009: New Year and New Challenges
Hello, 2009!
Wow, I can’t believe it’s a new year. I’m pretty excited going in to this year considering how 2008 ended. I’ve been giving my body a chance to recoup while spending time both in the gym and out on the trail. I did a 50k at Rodeo Beach at about 70% at the end of December as a training run to get myself jump started for training for 09’. Overall, I’m primed and ready to go. I set a few goals/resolutions for 09’ which include the following:
1) Raise $18,000 for development programs with WHM in Uganda
2) Run sub-30 hours at Badwater (if accepted)
3) Get weight down to 169 lb. by the Napa Marathon and maintain that weight
4) Run sub-2:50 marathon by the end of 09’
5) Run sub-18 hours 100 miler
6) Finish top 5 at a 100 miler
Some of them are probably easier than others, but I’m not afraid to put it out there and let it ride. I’m not afraid to fail and realize success is never guaranteed. However, considering what a good ending to 08’ with Mother Road 100 and CIM, I feel really good going into 09’. I hope to go out there and exceed my expectations for myself. I’m trying to stay away from the “A” goal, “B” goal and “C” goal stuff, because I find that for me, if I get too caught up in it I sometimes settle for less than I should. I know the “top x” goals are more dependent on who’s running and how they’re running, but since I hate to nail in on an exact time right now, they correspond to about the goal times I’m looking at. Placing is one of those things takes care of itself as long as I take care of the running part. While I’d love to far exceed those goals and I train with targets beyond those goals, they represent excellent physical, mental and spiritual tests. Of course, the most important goal is always listed at #1. Here’s to all of us going far beyond our expectations in all the areas of our life in 2009 and to the people and things that God has placed in our lives to help us get there.
God bless,
Gundy
Wow, I can’t believe it’s a new year. I’m pretty excited going in to this year considering how 2008 ended. I’ve been giving my body a chance to recoup while spending time both in the gym and out on the trail. I did a 50k at Rodeo Beach at about 70% at the end of December as a training run to get myself jump started for training for 09’. Overall, I’m primed and ready to go. I set a few goals/resolutions for 09’ which include the following:
1) Raise $18,000 for development programs with WHM in Uganda
2) Run sub-30 hours at Badwater (if accepted)
3) Get weight down to 169 lb. by the Napa Marathon and maintain that weight
4) Run sub-2:50 marathon by the end of 09’
5) Run sub-18 hours 100 miler
6) Finish top 5 at a 100 miler
Some of them are probably easier than others, but I’m not afraid to put it out there and let it ride. I’m not afraid to fail and realize success is never guaranteed. However, considering what a good ending to 08’ with Mother Road 100 and CIM, I feel really good going into 09’. I hope to go out there and exceed my expectations for myself. I’m trying to stay away from the “A” goal, “B” goal and “C” goal stuff, because I find that for me, if I get too caught up in it I sometimes settle for less than I should. I know the “top x” goals are more dependent on who’s running and how they’re running, but since I hate to nail in on an exact time right now, they correspond to about the goal times I’m looking at. Placing is one of those things takes care of itself as long as I take care of the running part. While I’d love to far exceed those goals and I train with targets beyond those goals, they represent excellent physical, mental and spiritual tests. Of course, the most important goal is always listed at #1. Here’s to all of us going far beyond our expectations in all the areas of our life in 2009 and to the people and things that God has placed in our lives to help us get there.
God bless,
Gundy
Monday, December 15, 2008
2008 California International Marathon (CIM) Race Report
So here it is. My CIM race report: From Folsom to Sacramento.
I was looking forward to getting back to the road, having spent a good deal of my year on the trails. CIM was a way to help bridge the training time between November to Rocky Raccoon 100 in February. I like to race, and had been yearning for the opportunity to get that sub-3 at this marathon as evidence that I’d be ready to take another big step forward in my ultramarathon racing. People seem to have this impression that if you run ultramarathons, you will automatically lose your marathon speed. But, I’ve used a hybrid approach to training, combining the core elements of road marathon training with the longer, course-specific runs of trail running. As I’ve progressed in running ultramarathons over the past 3 years, I’ve found that my speed has been developing in part due to the muscular strength required to run the ultra distances. While admittedly most all of the marathons I’ve run over the past 3 years have been either with others (as a part of their goal races) or not at 100%, each year I’ve been able to run one goal race and continue to drop my personal best in the marathon. CIM has been “that race”, as much for its place on the calendar and proximity to San Francisco than anything about the course profile. I try to choose races for a variety of reasons, but I must admit that sometimes it’s fun to find a course where you can turn and burn.
Going into this race, I had been dealing with soreness and tightness in my right hamstring for over a month. Running the Mother Road 100 had actually helped to loosen it up and stretch it out, but it still persisted at highest intensity effort. The 4 weeks of training were not much to write home about and I wouldn’t have even gone for sub-3 if it wasn’t for a couple of key marathon pace runs in the two weeks prior to the race. I’m not too much of an advocate for the taper, so I did my traditional week long taper. What can I say? I like to run and find that my body is looser and more ready to go with the shorter taper than most marathoners.
In effort to skip the details that often clutter a good story, let’s skip straight to the race. With a cool 36 degrees F start and mid-40s F high temperature, it was a great day to race. While slightly lower than the “ideal” 50 to 58 degrees F, it didn’t matter in light of the awesome cloud cover and spirited crowds that gathered at strategic intersections.
Here it is:
0-13.1 1:28:20 (Chip)
13.1-End 1:32:12 (Chip)
Final 3:00:32
Honestly, I didn’t pay too much attention to splits, especially since course topography can vary between miles. The volunteers kept calling out 6:47 pace, which sounded good to me. In a race that was a wild-card as far as performance, I just paid attention to how I was feeling and making sure that I put out “even effort”. It helped to have the 3 hour pacing group nearby to pal around with for the first 9-10 miles. I spent the next 10 miles going back and forth with a running friend, before he faded back and I spent the rest of the race trading places with individual runners. I maintained that lead on the ever-thinning sub-3 hour group till 23+ miles. Having a time advantage on the group by 25 seconds, I had planned for a slight fade. But with the hamstrings tightening up, it took just enough off my closing speed before a final finish of 3:00:32. While a little disappointed I didn’t drop the opening half by about a minute considering how fresh I felt, I had no reason to be disappointed with being 33 seconds off of a predicted 2:59:59 finish. It just felt nice to run a good PR and set it up well for a killer 09’.
Of my two remaining goals for the year, a sub-3 marathon represented the greater prize. It represented an increase in marathon speed that most don’t associate with runners who dabble in ultramarathons. I still have longer term goals for the marathon and it holds a place in heart as the place where all this running stuff began. I believe that to the contrary, the road and trail ultras have made me stronger due to the emphasis on climbing and downhill running, as well as the persistent mental/physical effort that one is forced to endure.
I’ve targeted getting to 2:50:xx as a sort of standard-bearer to have the right combination of speed and endurance to fully compete at the 100+ mile distance. I have the endurance; now, I just want to add the necessary speed to support that strength. While I believe that may take until sometime in 2009, I believe it can be done with the right combination of weight loss and intense training. I have always run at around 180 and believe this is the year to reshape my body at around 169 to compete effectively. It’s been a long process to lose the weight/muscle that has served me well in many other athletic pursuits, but necessary at this key juncture if I want to compete as a runner more than just an athlete. This has meant trying have appetite control in the face of pretty darn good-looking holiday meals! It is often quoted that each pound lost equates to 2 seconds per mile; hopefully, I will lose the weight in a way that will not compromise the necessary power and speed. At least my knees will thank me for not having to carry as much of “me” as they usually do.
Going forward, I feel great going into next year. 3:00:32 is good, but not good enough. I’ve set the bar for a sub-2:53 “A” goal and 2:54 “B” goal at the Napa Marathon on March 1, 2009. In addition, I have started to formulate goals for the Rocky Raccon 100 in Huntsville, TX in Feb. of 09’ (don’t want to state them quite yet!). Most importantly, I’m already at 175 lbs. and hope to work my way to that ideal 169 lbs. by mid to late February. I can say with certainty that I have my eye on applying for Badwater again in 2009 as my “A” race, which will make it an incredibly busy year in general. I will do whatever it takes to make myself faster, stronger and tougher. Even in this rainy season in the Bay Area, I will find a way to make it to the track or the roads or the trails to do whatever I need. After the Napa marathon, Uncle Andy has already formulated a training plan which will include 10 x 1 mile hill repeats up Twin Peaks in San Francisco and Mt. Tamalpais twice a week in order to prepare for both the climbs at Badwater as well as the climbs at many 100 milers.
As the year winds down, I’ll be setting my other goals for 2009 in the next couple weeks as I set my race schedule for next year. I’ll also be setting goals for fundraising for a new set of projects in Uganda. I am thankful that my running can be a powerful witness to my character and support the work holds the highest place in my heart. Good times are ahead. Merry Christmas and God bless,
Gundy
I was looking forward to getting back to the road, having spent a good deal of my year on the trails. CIM was a way to help bridge the training time between November to Rocky Raccoon 100 in February. I like to race, and had been yearning for the opportunity to get that sub-3 at this marathon as evidence that I’d be ready to take another big step forward in my ultramarathon racing. People seem to have this impression that if you run ultramarathons, you will automatically lose your marathon speed. But, I’ve used a hybrid approach to training, combining the core elements of road marathon training with the longer, course-specific runs of trail running. As I’ve progressed in running ultramarathons over the past 3 years, I’ve found that my speed has been developing in part due to the muscular strength required to run the ultra distances. While admittedly most all of the marathons I’ve run over the past 3 years have been either with others (as a part of their goal races) or not at 100%, each year I’ve been able to run one goal race and continue to drop my personal best in the marathon. CIM has been “that race”, as much for its place on the calendar and proximity to San Francisco than anything about the course profile. I try to choose races for a variety of reasons, but I must admit that sometimes it’s fun to find a course where you can turn and burn.
Going into this race, I had been dealing with soreness and tightness in my right hamstring for over a month. Running the Mother Road 100 had actually helped to loosen it up and stretch it out, but it still persisted at highest intensity effort. The 4 weeks of training were not much to write home about and I wouldn’t have even gone for sub-3 if it wasn’t for a couple of key marathon pace runs in the two weeks prior to the race. I’m not too much of an advocate for the taper, so I did my traditional week long taper. What can I say? I like to run and find that my body is looser and more ready to go with the shorter taper than most marathoners.
In effort to skip the details that often clutter a good story, let’s skip straight to the race. With a cool 36 degrees F start and mid-40s F high temperature, it was a great day to race. While slightly lower than the “ideal” 50 to 58 degrees F, it didn’t matter in light of the awesome cloud cover and spirited crowds that gathered at strategic intersections.
Here it is:
0-13.1 1:28:20 (Chip)
13.1-End 1:32:12 (Chip)
Final 3:00:32
Honestly, I didn’t pay too much attention to splits, especially since course topography can vary between miles. The volunteers kept calling out 6:47 pace, which sounded good to me. In a race that was a wild-card as far as performance, I just paid attention to how I was feeling and making sure that I put out “even effort”. It helped to have the 3 hour pacing group nearby to pal around with for the first 9-10 miles. I spent the next 10 miles going back and forth with a running friend, before he faded back and I spent the rest of the race trading places with individual runners. I maintained that lead on the ever-thinning sub-3 hour group till 23+ miles. Having a time advantage on the group by 25 seconds, I had planned for a slight fade. But with the hamstrings tightening up, it took just enough off my closing speed before a final finish of 3:00:32. While a little disappointed I didn’t drop the opening half by about a minute considering how fresh I felt, I had no reason to be disappointed with being 33 seconds off of a predicted 2:59:59 finish. It just felt nice to run a good PR and set it up well for a killer 09’.
Of my two remaining goals for the year, a sub-3 marathon represented the greater prize. It represented an increase in marathon speed that most don’t associate with runners who dabble in ultramarathons. I still have longer term goals for the marathon and it holds a place in heart as the place where all this running stuff began. I believe that to the contrary, the road and trail ultras have made me stronger due to the emphasis on climbing and downhill running, as well as the persistent mental/physical effort that one is forced to endure.
I’ve targeted getting to 2:50:xx as a sort of standard-bearer to have the right combination of speed and endurance to fully compete at the 100+ mile distance. I have the endurance; now, I just want to add the necessary speed to support that strength. While I believe that may take until sometime in 2009, I believe it can be done with the right combination of weight loss and intense training. I have always run at around 180 and believe this is the year to reshape my body at around 169 to compete effectively. It’s been a long process to lose the weight/muscle that has served me well in many other athletic pursuits, but necessary at this key juncture if I want to compete as a runner more than just an athlete. This has meant trying have appetite control in the face of pretty darn good-looking holiday meals! It is often quoted that each pound lost equates to 2 seconds per mile; hopefully, I will lose the weight in a way that will not compromise the necessary power and speed. At least my knees will thank me for not having to carry as much of “me” as they usually do.
Going forward, I feel great going into next year. 3:00:32 is good, but not good enough. I’ve set the bar for a sub-2:53 “A” goal and 2:54 “B” goal at the Napa Marathon on March 1, 2009. In addition, I have started to formulate goals for the Rocky Raccon 100 in Huntsville, TX in Feb. of 09’ (don’t want to state them quite yet!). Most importantly, I’m already at 175 lbs. and hope to work my way to that ideal 169 lbs. by mid to late February. I can say with certainty that I have my eye on applying for Badwater again in 2009 as my “A” race, which will make it an incredibly busy year in general. I will do whatever it takes to make myself faster, stronger and tougher. Even in this rainy season in the Bay Area, I will find a way to make it to the track or the roads or the trails to do whatever I need. After the Napa marathon, Uncle Andy has already formulated a training plan which will include 10 x 1 mile hill repeats up Twin Peaks in San Francisco and Mt. Tamalpais twice a week in order to prepare for both the climbs at Badwater as well as the climbs at many 100 milers.
As the year winds down, I’ll be setting my other goals for 2009 in the next couple weeks as I set my race schedule for next year. I’ll also be setting goals for fundraising for a new set of projects in Uganda. I am thankful that my running can be a powerful witness to my character and support the work holds the highest place in my heart. Good times are ahead. Merry Christmas and God bless,
Gundy
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Mother Road 100 Race Report
It’s been awhile since I’ve written a full-fledged race report. I know this is a trail running forum, but I figured since there's been a couple other threads on this race, I might as well post. I’ve actually been focused on writing a book proposal for a publisher in my free time, which is humorous considering the likelihood that I could ever get a book published is very small. In fact, when they ask for qualifications, one of the ones listed will be “Runner’s World Forum- Contributor”. This report will be more of a short synopsis rather than a griping tale of triumph and despair, simply because I don’t have the time to create that sort of intrigue….so here goes nothing.After getting patience beaten into me in a few of my recent 100 milers, it was time for a different tack. Going into the Mother Road 100, there was both a lot of anxiety as well as a lot of excitement that this would be a “corner-turning” race. Looking at the race profile and being aware of the general topography of Route 66, I expected this race to be flat at times, but mostly rolling from peak to peak. The first 10-15 miles of the race were rather uneventful, marked by random oil rigs, American trucks whizzing by, and miles of open fields. The most exciting thing were probably the police cruisers that were escorting us out of Elk City. In a marathon, the only one with a police escort is generally the leader. In this case, the entire field followed behind the cruisers. I cruised through the 16.4 mile mark at 2:20:xx, having already intentially started the process of slowing down to 9:00+ min./miles. I was in 6th place at this point, enjoying the fact that I was in a very nice position where I could continue to run alone but maintain a comfortable pace going forward.The first major checkpoint was at mile 30.5 at the Route 66 Museum. Reaching the museum in 4:22:xx, I needed a short break to let my body settle down. Over the last 5-6 miles, I could feel myself start to strain to maintain focus and my posture began to suffer as my stomach began to sour slightly. It was too early to let this race slip away from me when we had so far to go and had already positioned ourselves well, moving from 6th to 2nd from the last checkpoint. We made a concerted effort to not use gels during this race, and stick with solid foods as long as I could take it. Keeping things simple, I pretty much only ate Lays chips, ginger snap cookies and bananas. Every once in awhile, I’d stick in a sugar wafer or different kind of chips/cookies. While I primarily only drank NUUN mixed in water, we also added Propel and G2 at times to add some sweetness. As distances increase, my tolerance for various types of food decreases. This decision was partially aided by Northwest Airlines, who conveniently misplaced my second piece of luggage with a few extra clothing items and all of my GUs. Northwest would eventual return the luggage, a day AFTER I returned home. At various times, I even allowed my mind and eyes to wander, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of the Midwest plains. There is quite a bit of history attached to Route 66, and it was great to have an opportunity to take it all in. This included, among other things, copious amounts of road kill. Apparently they didn’t get the memo that Route 66 was still an active road. Over the next 10 miles, the incessant rolling roads continued, broken only by the need to go over (or under) the overpass over Interstate 40. Route 66 often paralleled I-40 for a great deal of the first half of the race. With the aid stations often 10+ miles apart, I would sit in the crew vehicle at times when the sun exposure started to bear down on me. It was taking its toll, but the rest minutes were crucial to keeping me mentally engaged while waiting for the body to “turn the corner”.It was around mile 41-42 that I could feel my body and my pace strengthen once again. I was starting to hold the 10:00 min per mile pace again, intermittently dropping under it for shorter stretches. I was continuing to take advantage of the rolling hills by going down them at or below 9:00 min per mile pace and taking it easier of the ascent. I would throw in 1 min walking times going uphill to take in nutrition before starting up again to give me added momentum on the downhills. I was still holding onto 5th place and although 6th place kept trying to close the gap, I would continue to maintain it through the 50 mile checkpoint. Just before the 50 mile checkpoint, I could see 4th and 3rd place in the distance but chose not to go after them. Instead, I was focused on using the walking breaks to keep my legs fresh in anticipation of strong close over the last 1/3 of the race.After coasting in at around 8:16 to the 50 mile mark, I took 6 minutes to regroup and drink 2 cups of chicken broth. The nutrients and high sodium content hit the spot, tipping the electrolyte and energy scale back into balance. The result of this was a renewed sense of purpose and mission, as well as a more upright running posture signaling that not only was I back in the driver’s seat, but that the engine was just getting warmed up. Only a half-mile out of the aid station, the 4th place competitor was crossing the road to get back out on the course after being tended to by his crew. He looked dazed and unsure of himself, with his head wandering and his legs moving gingerly while trying to run again. I greeted him warmly, wished him well and just kept on moving. Another mile down the road, I could see the 3rd place competitor cresting the next hill as I began down the hill I was on. While the ups and downs were somewhat scattered, these hills were much more uniform in length (anywhere from 2/3 to 1 mile, I think) had a clear rythym to them. The most important thing at that point was developing a strong rythym in order to maintain the 10:00 per mile pace through the rest of the race. I continued to see sub-17 hours as a very real possibility, choosing to focus on my time rather than placing, which would ultimately take care of itself. Passing people was the least of my concerns when an epic blow-up could be lurking in the distance. After catching up with the 3rd place competitor around mile 53, we seemed to change positions back and forth with some measure of frequency. He continued to try to run all sections, while I took a different tack. I would run the downhills at a sub 9:00 to 9:30 min. per mile clip, but I would always give myself a minute of walking about half way up the uphill sections. This allowed me to use some different muscle groups, clear my head and even munch on some food without sacrificing time towards my ultimate goal. I was also believed this would allow me to save muscle strength to significantly drop my pace over the last 10-20 miles. In addition, I was also taking short periods to put on colder weather clothing, keep taking in solid food, and even spend a minute or two in the crew vehicle getting warm. We continued to go back and forth until finally around mile 62.5, I took off for the last time. I was too physically strong to continue holding back and I had grown tired of hanging around him. In no way did it reflect any enmity towards the other runner; it was merely a way to give myself a psychological edge in order to finish strong. By mile 67.5, the gap had grown to 0.75 miles and I just kept pushing forward. The volunteers at the 67.3 mile aid station pegged me at well over 20 minutes behind 2nd place and even further behind 1st place, which kept me solely focused on the sub-17:00 hour race goal and not on the two runners in front of me.After polishing off a strong section with a 9:10 final mile, I arrived at the 73 mile aid station surprised to see the flashing lights of the 2nd place runner in the distance. Things were rolling along quite nicely. After a cup of hot potato soup and putting on more cold weather gear, I was off on my own on the 6 mile off-road dirt section of the course that gave me the isolated feeling of being in “Sleepy Hollow”. The section has a decent amount of foliage, which creates a sort of “tunnel-like” feeling with no end in sight. Away from the concrete, the weather shifted and with some wicked winds picking up, it created a wind tunnel which brought a chill to my bones.As I met my crew member at the outlet from the dirt back to the pavement in the town of Geary, I had originally thought of running with her from here to the end and picking up the vehicle later. However, with the conditions so cold and our formula working well, we didn’t want to mess with a good thing at the time. This is where it got interesting. We were supposed to go on Hwy 273 East, so when we reached an intersection without any markings or signs on the ground as was expected, we simply kept going. There were no signs anywhere that we could see looking ahead. All other major intersections had multiple ground markings painted on as well as one of those two-sided ground signs often seen outside small shops.12 miles later, after continually checking to make sure we were on 273, we realized the truth when there was no aid station. 12 miles and over 2.5 hours later while freezing through winds, humidity and temps in the 20s and low 20s. The time we took reflected the breaks needed to keep the body warm and somehow try to keep clothes dry to stay warm out there. As much as it hurt to be out there, it hurt even more to discover what happened. When you’re one of the first runners out there, there are no “others to follow”. In fact, the only painted symbol on the roadway was on the right hand side (as opposed to the runners being on the left) which was covered up when my crew member stopped for me on the spot to get me another sweater to wear. There were no two-sided signs and the supplies left unmanned were tucked away to the right on a porch that is not very visible from the roadway at night in the quiet, dead-still town of Geary at night. I was spent, emotionally and physically. As much as I could’ve gone back out there at the 17:25 mark (after working with my crew member to sort out what had happened and finally figure out what the race officials recommended) and a little over 21 miles to go, I let it go. To be up there with a chance to close the gap and overtake 1st and 2nd was both awesome and taxing at the same time. The emotional drain when I finally got the news from my crew member was definitely a lot to take in at the moment. I know that I should have just finished, but then I was thinking about all these crazy rules of the race and the flight home to mom’s 60th birthday celebration in SF later that day, and I just decided to rest for at least a few hours before going to the airport to fly home. Should I have just gone back out there and finished? Probably. It probably reflects somewhat poorly on my character considering those who struggle just to make it in 29:59. For that, I do hope that this is more of an abherration than the sign of a long term defect. But in this case, that excitement and anxiety left me fully drained when I figured out that we had taken the wrong road. There was also a bit of an appreciation for the mental drain that those in front go through while jockeying for positions during a race. It adds a layer of excitement, anxiety, and physical strain that can push an individual closer to that “edge”. Usually, races leave me with something to go back to the drawing board with to figure out. In this case, there was nothing about this race (apart from the missed turn) that wasn’t executed well. Sure, the down period between mile 30 to mile 40 wasn’t exactly flawless, but our reaction and execution of our recovery strategy was excellent. Besides, I always plan for this as a down period partly due to the body being drained of stored glycogen. I was so proud of my crew member for helping me manage a race that reflected everything that I had put into planning. It played incredibly well into my strength of closing out the last 10-15 miles of 100 milers incredibly strong. While I was building to closing out with 9:00-9:30 min. miles to finish, I guess I’ll have to save it for next time . It’s enough for me right now to know that a sub-17 hour race as well as the eventual 1st place time of 17:17 were well within my striking range. While normally I would come away from this feeling like nothing good happened because of the non-finish, I am genuinely excited about the future and can still say, “Mission Accomplished” (somewhat ). Next up: CIM and Rodeo Beack 50k.
Stay strong, take care and God bless.
Gundy
Stay strong, take care and God bless.
Gundy
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Year Winding Down
Hello again!
I know it’s been awhile, but I did want to update the site with all the comings and goings. First off, in September, I completed 2- 100 milers: the Rio Del Lago 100 in the Folsom/Auburn area and the Angeles Crest 100 in Southern California (just north of the eastern L.A. valley area). I was tremendously challenged in both races, with a badly bruised left big toe and sprained right knee over the last 75-80 miles at AC and temps around 100 degrees at RDL. They both took a lot out of me and left me in precarious straits. But, I’m pleased with how we recovered to finish strong in both circumstances. A special thank you goes out to my pacers at both races: Mambo Jose, Mike Moseby, Lora Liu and Rick Gaston (www.365ultra.blogspot.com). It was an awesome opportunity to run with them by my side to perservere. I’ve always enjoyed bringing and introducing friends and family to the world of trail running (particularly 100 milers) through experiences like pacing or crewing. It may or may not be something that they do in their lifetimes, but they get the taste of what I go through and we get to share that together. I never want to take their contributions to my own successes for granted.
As far as my goals for the year, I’ve hit all but two of the goals. It’s not like I had that many goals to start out with (listed below on the front page of the site), but it does show a good measure of success at transitioning to the wear and tear of these longer races. While still wanting an even better time at Badwater, I was happy with the 36 hour finish and the 16th place finish, which does represent a step forward. While I’ll still be shooting for a sub-30 hour finish if I get accepted next year, my body’s ability to recover from low points more rapidly is encouraging. The two goals left on my list for the year are a sub-3 marathon and a sub-20 100 miler. Of the two, the easier one will probably be the sub-20 100 miler. I just paced a friend to a 8:58 hilly 50 miler, minimizing the wear and tear on my body and giving me the confidence that at the level of effort I gave, I could’ve gone another 50 on the course in the same time or less. I just need to relax, limit the anxiety, and run a smooth and even race. Running a road race like the Mother Road 100 in flat lands should allow me to dial down the effort over the first 50 while finding the right rythym to keep trucking all the way through to the end.
The harder race for me should be the sub-3 marathon, considering the intensity necessary over the shorter distance. While I have incorporated major marathon training elements into my training, the marathon distance can turn on much smaller, less predictable events like a shoe lace coming loose. The one thing I haven’t focused on, but represents a big step forward in this event is weight loss. While my body fat level has dropped since starting to run ultramarathons about 3 years ago, there still is room for improvement. At about 5’11” and 179/180 lb., I’ve been able to compete well, but not well enough. I’m not getting up hills fast enough and while there could be a training component to address, I’m also carrying more mass up the hills that some of the other competitors at my height. It wasn’t until Lance Armstrong lost his weight (albeit, under rather dire circumstances due to cancer) that he was able to be come the elite climber he needed to be in order to win the Tour de France. There is simply a major advantage to the lighter athletes going uphill when gravity is pulling with a greater force on larger masses.
So here it is, in the midst of getting ready for these pivotal races, that I want to be 10 lbs. lighter by year’s end. They say that in marathons, a pound lost can translate into a 2 second drop per mile for one’s pace. 10 lbs. can represent the difference been just barely crossing the sub-3 hour barrier and making a run at a sub-2:50 marathon, simply by carrying less weight on the body frame. While some of this loss may come from losing fat, there’s also a desire to lean out the larger muscle in my quads and legs. The primary driver will have to be my diet, with a secondary driver being the use of a smart weight training program to complement my running.
Don’t get me wrong; I have no desire to be a stick figure runner particularly when my frame has always been built more for contact sports like basketball and lacrosse rather than running. But, the body is an amazing gift and just as it has taken time for it to simply adapt to running these distances, it’s going to take the next 3 months for it to take the next step forward.
I’ll post a preview of the upcoming races next week, along with the long-delayed part II finale of the Badwater report. Stay strong, run hard and God bless.
Gundy
I know it’s been awhile, but I did want to update the site with all the comings and goings. First off, in September, I completed 2- 100 milers: the Rio Del Lago 100 in the Folsom/Auburn area and the Angeles Crest 100 in Southern California (just north of the eastern L.A. valley area). I was tremendously challenged in both races, with a badly bruised left big toe and sprained right knee over the last 75-80 miles at AC and temps around 100 degrees at RDL. They both took a lot out of me and left me in precarious straits. But, I’m pleased with how we recovered to finish strong in both circumstances. A special thank you goes out to my pacers at both races: Mambo Jose, Mike Moseby, Lora Liu and Rick Gaston (www.365ultra.blogspot.com). It was an awesome opportunity to run with them by my side to perservere. I’ve always enjoyed bringing and introducing friends and family to the world of trail running (particularly 100 milers) through experiences like pacing or crewing. It may or may not be something that they do in their lifetimes, but they get the taste of what I go through and we get to share that together. I never want to take their contributions to my own successes for granted.
As far as my goals for the year, I’ve hit all but two of the goals. It’s not like I had that many goals to start out with (listed below on the front page of the site), but it does show a good measure of success at transitioning to the wear and tear of these longer races. While still wanting an even better time at Badwater, I was happy with the 36 hour finish and the 16th place finish, which does represent a step forward. While I’ll still be shooting for a sub-30 hour finish if I get accepted next year, my body’s ability to recover from low points more rapidly is encouraging. The two goals left on my list for the year are a sub-3 marathon and a sub-20 100 miler. Of the two, the easier one will probably be the sub-20 100 miler. I just paced a friend to a 8:58 hilly 50 miler, minimizing the wear and tear on my body and giving me the confidence that at the level of effort I gave, I could’ve gone another 50 on the course in the same time or less. I just need to relax, limit the anxiety, and run a smooth and even race. Running a road race like the Mother Road 100 in flat lands should allow me to dial down the effort over the first 50 while finding the right rythym to keep trucking all the way through to the end.
The harder race for me should be the sub-3 marathon, considering the intensity necessary over the shorter distance. While I have incorporated major marathon training elements into my training, the marathon distance can turn on much smaller, less predictable events like a shoe lace coming loose. The one thing I haven’t focused on, but represents a big step forward in this event is weight loss. While my body fat level has dropped since starting to run ultramarathons about 3 years ago, there still is room for improvement. At about 5’11” and 179/180 lb., I’ve been able to compete well, but not well enough. I’m not getting up hills fast enough and while there could be a training component to address, I’m also carrying more mass up the hills that some of the other competitors at my height. It wasn’t until Lance Armstrong lost his weight (albeit, under rather dire circumstances due to cancer) that he was able to be come the elite climber he needed to be in order to win the Tour de France. There is simply a major advantage to the lighter athletes going uphill when gravity is pulling with a greater force on larger masses.
So here it is, in the midst of getting ready for these pivotal races, that I want to be 10 lbs. lighter by year’s end. They say that in marathons, a pound lost can translate into a 2 second drop per mile for one’s pace. 10 lbs. can represent the difference been just barely crossing the sub-3 hour barrier and making a run at a sub-2:50 marathon, simply by carrying less weight on the body frame. While some of this loss may come from losing fat, there’s also a desire to lean out the larger muscle in my quads and legs. The primary driver will have to be my diet, with a secondary driver being the use of a smart weight training program to complement my running.
Don’t get me wrong; I have no desire to be a stick figure runner particularly when my frame has always been built more for contact sports like basketball and lacrosse rather than running. But, the body is an amazing gift and just as it has taken time for it to simply adapt to running these distances, it’s going to take the next 3 months for it to take the next step forward.
I’ll post a preview of the upcoming races next week, along with the long-delayed part II finale of the Badwater report. Stay strong, run hard and God bless.
Gundy
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