The Dawn of Day Seven

I ran my final loop of the week at 5am on Day 7. Tracy was there too. We had some great views of the sun rising over the prairie and trees along the course. On the left is the view we had at the beginning of the 5-mile loop, on the bottom-right is the view that greeted us at the end of that same loop. The Lake of the Woods trail can be beautiful at any time of day, but the morning light is extra special. It was a cool and crisp morning. As usual, lots of dew was on the grass and our feet were soaked by the end of mile one. The fog settling in the valleys, the deer prancing across the trail, and the sun rising on the horizon kept my spirits up. This was my fastest loop of the entire week---even with me stopping to take over 50 pictures. After seven days, you sort of know what to expect. There aren't a lot of surprises. Though I wasn't surprised by the beauty of the trail, it did make me pause. We are lucky to have this little county park in our backyard.

This was my second try at 7 days of running and it didn't go very well. Last year I did 303 miles, this year only 151 miles (full results for everyone tomorrow). I basically stopped after 2.5 days. I did enjoy the rest of the week. After getting in my my 5am loop, I would come home, shower, eat a second breakfast, watch a little TV, take a nap, and then go to the gym. The rest of the day was spent lounging in bed or on the couch. I caught the Champion's League final and the FA Cup. Two good games and a great way to end the soccer (futbol) season. I even took up a new hobby--shopping! My new favorite store is TJ Maxx. Picked up 2 new pairs of New Balance running shorts ($9.99 each) and 2 Nike drifit running shirts ($12 and $15).

After lots of thinking I have a new perspective on life. Running has now taken its rightful place as a high priority in my daily routine...but not the highest. I'd rather lounge with my rodent friends and watch a soccer match than run for 24 hours. I'd rather go for a garden walk than do a 100 miler. I'll be staying closer to home for a while...likely trading distant ultra runs for local 5Ks.

I want to thank everyone that came out this week. Even if you didn't complete the full 7 day event, it was good seeing you on the trails. I won't be repeating this next year. It's possible the event will take on a life of its own and continue...maybe with greater organization & flair. I have plenty of fantastic memories from 2008 and 2009. Some good photos too. I'm glad a few others enjoyed this lengthy informal fun run. I appreciated your support and encouragement.

The Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race banner was unfurled for the last time at 4:55am this morning. I hope everyone survived the week and finished with a renewed sense of determination and pride. One of the quotes on the header of this blog reads:

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." -T.S. Eliot

We've all had the opportunity this week to test ourselves and see how far we could go. I hope you reached your goals.

My Supporter?

On Sunday when this whole 7-day thing started, I was greeted by the display in the photo at right. It is in reference to Team Buffalo and my team in the Moon Walk competition. I won't say who's car that is, but her dog was also badgering me the whole day! To set the record straight, I had a work-related moon walk team long before anyone mentioned starting a buffalo trail running team. I would have been all over the buffalo team and I'm glad Bill finally started one and got a great group of buffalo runners to join. There's no real competition between my team and the buffalo---I've climbed all the way to 3rd place (out of 127 teams), but I can't go any higher. The Buffalo and Wayward Wonders are too far ahead. If I had 4 buffalo as my teammates, rather than 4 office peers, I'd easily be in first place. I currently have the same mileage as my 4 teammates combined! Anyway, the Moon Walk has encouraged a few people at work to walk more and think about exercise and nutrition. That's what it's all about. I hope that Team Buffalo holds onto first place.

Bad Karma?

On day 1 of 7 out on the trails, I should have known something bad was coming...I stepped on a thorn that went through my shoe and into my big toe! This happened around 7am on Sunday morning. Not a good sign. I let out a yelp, pulled it from my foot, and kept running...with the piece of evidence in my hand. I would wave it at each runner I came across as I finished the 5-mile loop. The picture at the left is the thorn in question. Pretty darn long and sharp! Fortunately, although it punctured my toe, it didn't go in too deep. I changed socks, put some antibiotic cream on the crime scene, and finished 30 miles before lunch. Over my standard lunch break, Sharon dug out what she thought was a tip of the thorn still stuck in my toe--I think it was just dried blood. Oh well. She disinfected the wound and slathered on more antibiotic. The toe hurt, but became numb as I ran. Ended up doing 27 more miles in the afternoon. Not a bad day of running, but a bad omen for the week.

While I'm taking it easy the rest of this week, the Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race is still going on and Tracy is doing a great job. Results are updated each day (some people still haven't sent me their miles, but most have).

I'm Done

I'm done with this race. Yesterday, Sharon called me just before 11am. She was crying. I was approaching 24 miles for the morning. Our old gerbil, Chester, was apparently in poor health and headed to the vet for a special 11:30am emergency appointment. I finished my loop (25 miles) and headed home. I met Sharon at an intersection as she was leaving for the vet with Chester. I yelled from one car to the other "Hope you feel better Chester!" I showered and started to eat lunch. Sharon called before noon with the news that Chester had passed away. Oreo, his brother, was diagnosed with a large tumor and lung problems--he is essentially in "hospice care" for a week or so. Then he'll be gone too. A lot can happen in a day. I'd rather not miss life as I run.

Chester, and his brother Oreo, were getting pretty old. We got them from someone that didn't want them anymore (who just decides to give up a pet?) and turned them over to the Humane Society just before Christmas in 2007. The two of them were rather rambunctious and silly characters. Chester is now gone and Oreo will join him soon. In addition to these guys, we have another gerbil (Wigan) that is depressed about his brother Barnsley passing away. Then there is Derby who has a broken leg (just had surgery on it) and his brother Bolton who seems to be losing weight and is distressed about his brother. Finally, we have the reclusive hamster named Simon that has neurological problems (we got him from the local Humane Society and they said he "might outgrow it"--he hasn't). All these "boys" keep us busy. The lone girl in the house, Chelsea, passed away recently. She was a good gerbil. It's been a tough few weeks for the fuzzy rodents of our household.

It's time to pay more attention to family than running. I'll be happier if I spend more time with the "wife and kids." A balance between running and life will be better for them too. I love to run, so I will. But I'll keep it in perspective. I've missed too many things because I was out doing some silly run: the 7-day race, moon runs, Badwater, McNaughton, Hood-to-Coast...the list goes on and on and on. They were all interesting and worthwhile endeavors, but they interfered with family and life. I get plenty of positive experiences from running...I just need to temper the running so I can get all the other positives from life. You hear the phrase "Work to live, not live to work" and the complement for running is "Run to live, not live to run." Running, in moderation, makes me a happier and better person. In excess, it becomes a negative factor in my life.

I begin my new running life today with 5 miles at the Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race. Not 45 or 50 or 55, just the minimum 5 miles on the trails. Maybe I'll head to the gym with Sharon later in the morning. Then it'll be time to "dose the gerbs" (two are on antibiotics and pain killers). Maybe a little reading, watch the Champion's League final, and help the wife in the garden. I might even mow the lawn. Nap in the afternoon. The simple pleasures of life.

I'll still have a couple crazy running adventures every year, but I'm going to try and stay closer to home and do shorter races. In place of this 7-day stage race next year, maybe I'll do a 24-hour run at the trails. Instead of Dances with Dirt "Devils Lake" 50K in July, I'll do the Fisher Fair 5K. You get the idea...run, but keep it simple. I appreciate all the runners that did the 7-day race last year and this year. Hope you have a good week. I'll be out there each morning at 5am for the rest of the week. Don't push too hard and try to enjoy the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve. Lots of cool plants and animals out there--on the first day of running I saw 2 snakes, 3 toads, a vulture, and a turkey! Of course, I also saw the usual suspects: squirrels, deer, geese, blue jays, swifts, red-winged blackbirds, cardinals, robins, blue birds, crows, chickadees...and several other birds I couldn't identify. Slow down and experience nature.

Enjoy your running. Mix it up. Keep it in perspective. Don't get injured. Words to live by, eh?

I'm Tired

It's only the start of day 3 of the Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race and I'm tired. Sore. Achy. Cranky. I was planning on blogging about each day after it was done, but that hasn't happened. I'm barely able to update the mileage totals for all the runners. I'll post some pictures and a summary at the end of the week. So far, I'm ahead of my pace from last year and on track to reach my goal of 304 miles (one more than last year).

7-Day Race Costs $62.88

I bought most of my race food and drink today...total cost was $62.88. Not bad for a week-long running event. That included candy bars, chips, pretzels, Cheetos, bananas, mini-donuts, coffee cake, roasted almonds, chocolate milk, smoothies, stick cheese, Gatorade, PB&J, soda, and ice. I'll need more ice and some middle-of-the-day runs for whatever I crave, but in general, I'm done with supplies. Pretty cheap race. If I actually get 300+ miles on about $75, that's a good return on investment!

In less than 10 hours, my life will become very simple and straightforward. Wake, eat, run, walk, sleep, repeat. There will be changes of shoes, socks, shirts, shorts, and a quick shower here and there, but it's basically walking & running for 7 days. And a few pain pills. And a refreshed music list for my iPod. I'll be missing the end of the English Premier League (best soccer in the world), but I'll grab my favorite podcast each day to keep up on the action (World Soccer Daily). Go Chelsea!

With the help of my wife (and plenty salt & pain pills), I hope to reach my goal of 304 miles (gotta get one more than last year). Wish me luck. I'm looking forward to seeing the sunrise Sunday morning on the trail.

No Need to Cancel Race

There's no need to cancel the 7-day stage race. The course was looking pretty shabby a few days ago, but the park has mowed most of it (and The Riddler has re-mowed about 50% to a fine fairway-type trim). Jeff may get out and finish his mowing, but if not, it's still in reasonable shape. And the mud and water is finally gone! Even the swampy north-east corner by Hwy 47 is fairly dry. I was not about to go for 7 days with wet feet. All the brown mileage and turn signs are back-up and some of the directional arrows are still painted on the ground (left-over from last weekends race). New people should not have trouble negotiating the correct turns. I'll try to freshen-up some of the faded turn arrows before Sunday morning.

The race is now a little over two days away. It all starts at 5am on Sunday morning! I'm still dreading the week-long run. Last year at this time, I was anxious, but excited and eager to begin. Once Saturday gets here, I'll probably get excited and be ready to go on Sunday morning. I'm healthy, uninjured, and in reasonable shape. What more do I need? Hope to see a few of you out there during the week.

7-Day Event is in 6 Days

Yep, the Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race is in 6 days! Yikes. Less than a week and I'll be running for a week. Confusing. I'm a bit unsettled by the whole thing. I'm not ready for 7 long & tough days of running. I suppose you are never really ready for an event like this, but this year I feel less excited...and less ready. Last year at this time I was psyched to try and run for 7 days and see how many miles I could accumulate. I am proud of my 303 miles from last year. This year seems less intriguing and I have a greater chance for failure. If I don't reach 300 miles, I will consider the week a failure. That puts more pressure on me to be disciplined and motivated each day. I don't like that pressure. Oh well. Too late to put in any extra training miles. This week is a good time to run easy each day and stay injury-free. My wife has had a nasty cold for over a week...I hope she recovers soon...and I don't get whatever she had. Swine flu go away!

Another reason I'm not excited about this year's stage race...the course is in awful condition! The grass is high, standing water is all over the place, and mud seems to dominate the first half mile. This week is scheduled to be warm and dry. Maybe the trail will dry out and the Lawnmower Man will get out there and do his job. Maybe the park will mow too (they mow nice and wide, but rather high). Maybe the swamp at the north-east corner will drain. That's a lot of "maybes"--I'd prefer certainty and action.

I have a feeling this will be my last attempt at 7 days of running. Taking the "vacation days" off from work and not having a vacation doesn't seem right. Asking my wife to put up with my complaining for a week doesn't seem right. Heck, running for 7 days doesn't seem right! I've already proven to myself that I can do it (although I sure fell apart on day 6 & 7 last year). What's the point of doing it again? And what's the point of doing it for a 3rd year in a row?

On a positive note, I have already exceeded my fund raising goal for the ASPCA! People can still contribute. I'll close it out after the 7-day event is over. Thank you to everyone that donated. If nothing else, I can think about the animals (and all of your great support) and that should keep me motivated to run.

Buffalo Trace Little Race

The older and shorter "Buffalo Trace" race is this Saturday at 8am (the younger and longer race is the 7-day one). This is the Buffalo Trace 5-Mile Trail Race organized by Second Wind Running Club. I started this race and directed it for the first two years. It's been directed by fellow buffalo every year. It's a good little race! The 5-mile trail is the "home of the buffalo" trail runners. We run it almost every Thursday evening. The double-wide trail course is well marked and has some nice variety--open meadows, prairie, corn fields, rolling hills, and even a bit of forest. The trail is maintained by the Champaign County Forest Preserve (with extra help from Jeff Riddle). It may seem like a pretty flat and easy course, but it's deceivingly difficult. It's no Clinton Lake trail, but it's much harder than local roads or tracks.

Not too late to sign up for the race. There is registration and packet pick-up on Friday at Body n' Sole (Noon-6pm), plus race day registration early on race morning (6-7:30am). If you aren't up for a full 5-mile run, there is also a nice short 2-mile walk. No excuses...get out there and support a good running club and a great event.

UPDATE: Race results are now posted.

Pleasurably Sore

After running the Gnaw Bone 50K on Saturday, I awoke yesterday (and this morning) pleasurably sore. No injuries, no blisters, just a full body achiness that signifies a hard run has been completed. It was a tough race through the mud, up and down hills, and across streams. I finished in 6:35 and felt good (22nd place overall, 9th in age group). That is almost 30 minutes better than my time last year (2008 race report here). I think I ran faster for the whole race last year, but getting lost twice took its toll. This year I paced myself a bit better and paid close attention to the trail markings. I didn't go off course once! It really does feel good to stay on course, pace yourself, and have something left in the tank for the last 5 miles. I passed a lot of runners in the last segment from Ogle Lake to the finish (~6.75 miles).

Reasons why this year went better than last year:
-Kept a close eye on all course markings (ribbons and signs)
-Started out with a medium-slow pace for first 10-13 miles
-iPod music kept me motivated
-Carried 2 water bottles
-Used trail gaiters

Tips for next year:
-Stay at a hotel in Nashville area instead of Columbus
-Run harder when wide muddy trail turns to single track

This is turning into one of my favorite races. I still don't like all the relay runners zooming past me and I don't like mixing non-ultra runners (half-marathon and marathon) with the 50K and 50 mile racers. Call me old fashioned, but I think ultra races should be for ultra runners. They have different goals and attitudes. Plus, those darn relay teams eat up all my aid station food and drink! I'm sure it's a huge money-maker to have all those extra runners, but it takes away from the ultra experience. As long as I am race director of the Clinton Lake ultra, there won't be a non-ultra distance in the mix. I might consider adding a 50 miler, but there won't be a 10 or 20 mile run. And definitely no relay!

Now I need to clean the mud off my shoes and decide if I'll do the Dances with Dirt Devil's Lake 50K on July 11. I'll decide after the Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race. Plenty of time to make my plans for the rest of the year during that event.

Running Barefoot

Since I claimed to be over my running biases, it's time to admit that I still hold onto one...I like minimalist shoes. I think they are better for your feet and they are more inclined to keep you injury free. The more the shoe allows your foot to "do its natural thing," the more you are in tune with nature and are allowing your mind and body to adapt to the terrain. You won't sprain an ankle running with low to the ground shoes. You definitely won't sprain an ankle running barefoot. Yep, some people actually run barefoot...all the time! On roads...in marathons...on trails...in ultras. Around town. Crazy folks out there. And I want to be more like them. You won't catch me running my next 100 miler sans shoes, but you may see me at the Mahomet trails doing a couple miles barefoot in the grass.

In case you don't believe me, here are a few good barefoot web sites:

Running Barefoot
Barefoot Runner
Barefoot Ted
Society for Barefoot Living

Would you run in high heels? Of course not! Then why run in shoes with built up heels? Try some barefoot running. You might enjoy it. If the idea of unshod feet frightens you, then try a pair of minimalist shoes (Vibram 5-Finger, any racing flat, running sandal, etc).

My Running Biases

Yes, I have many biases when it comes to running. I prefer trails. I prefer ultras. I'd rather run long and slow than short and fast.

I suppose many of these might seem like simple preferences rather than biases. Unfortunately, I also feel others should be the same as me! And I will often ridicule...maybe that's too harsh...I might make fun of those who have made different running choices.

Now I have seen the light! McNaughton Park mudfest may have been partly to blame (or do they get credit?). I'm tired of slow running in bad conditions. What's wrong with some road and track workouts? Treadmills have their place too. I still love the trails, but I am now mixing it up with a little road, bike path, treadmill, and track running. And some of it is fairly short and fast. I don't have to slowly slog through a trail run when conditions are bad. I'll hit the bike path or treadmill instead. I still PREFER trails to all other venues, but the others have a place in a well-rounded running program. I now have come to appreciate all the different kinds of running we have at our fingertips...or tips of our metatarsals.

By the way, you might want to allow your toes some freedom and run barefoot every once in a while. Spring and summer is a great time to toss the shoes and run barefoot on the fresh grass and soft dirt trails. It's great for your feet. We don't need expensive shoes with fancy cushioning and crazy support for motion control issues...woops...that's another bias of mine (that I haven't given up on yet). Feel free to run in whatever shoes work for you. Just don't complain to me that your feet hurt or you have blisters or suffer from plantar fasciitis. Many shoes CAUSE these problems rather than solve them. Interesting recent article here on the topic of shoes and their connection to runner injuries.

So, I apologize to those I may have offended when I mocked your choice to run on roads while I ventured to the trails. I'm sorry if I made fun of your decision to do speed work on the track while I did fartleks on the trails. If you like 5Ks, that's fine. I still prefer ultras, but I may see you at a few summer road races. We are all runners and we should support and encourage any choice to get out of the house and run. Hey, if you want to stay inside and run on a treadmill, that's OK too! Just run. Well, walking and hiking is fine by me too. It's all good.

2009 Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race

Hard to believe another year has gone by and it's time again for the Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race. I, and hopefully a few friends, will be running for 7 days (May 24-30) at the Lake of the Woods trails in Mahomet, IL. It's a low-key, informal event designed to answer the immortal question, "How far could I go in one full week of hard running?" Last year my answer was 303 miles. Not too shabby. My goal this year is at least 304 miles.

In addition to challenging myself to set a week-long running PR, I am trying to raise money for the ASPCA. Feel free to check out my ASPCA fund raising page. You do not need to donate to participate in the stage race. In fact, the whole event is free! Of course, you get nothing in return for that zero entrance fee--this is a completely self-supported event. I'll bring a 5-gallon cooler of water and a chair. You are welcome to them. Everything else is do-it-yourself.

If you are interested in participating, please read through the race web site. If you are still interested after understanding what this event is (and what it is not), send me a note and I'll add you to the participant list for this year. How far can you go?