6am Really Means 5:59:45

Don't us runners have a code of conduct that goes something like this...if we agree to meet for a run at a certain time, we don't head off without our colleague until we've given them a bit of time to be late?  Say 5 minutes?  So if we are scheduled to meet at 6am, then we should hang out until 6:05am before giving up on our comrade! 

Apparently my regular running partner, Jeff, lacks this understanding.  He used to have it a few years ago...maybe he's just getting old, cranky, and impatient.  Tuesday I show up at 6:02am for our regular run and he's already off on the trail.  Fortunately, he's slow and I caught up to him within the first 1/2 mile.  He says, "Yeah, I left at 5:59:45...figured you weren't showing up."  What the hell!  Maybe your watch is fast?  Maybe mine is slow?  Can't we cut each other some slack?  Plus, our little town just installed another traffic light...that could delay me 30-60 seconds. 

I understand that eventually we can't wait any longer and we start running without our planned partner.  But be reasonable...isn't a couple of minutes worth it to run with a fabulous partner?  They'll keep you on pace, protect you from ravenous wild animals, and deliver wonderful conversation...give 'em a break!

For "anyone" I might be running with tomorrow...see you around 6:00:59 on Thursday morning...please wait for me. 

My Running Library

You enjoy reading books about running?  I do.  Love books anyway, but when it comes to running, I'm a sucker for a new book, used book, old book, whatever.  My running library is now at 134 books. You can see them here:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/ultrarunner

Let me know if you are intrigued by any of them.  I'll write a review.  If you know of good running-related books that I don't own, let me know!  I'm always on the lookout for an undiscovered classic.

The link to "My Library" is always on the sidebar of this blog.

Yes, I also read magazines about running, but I don't archive them...well, actually I do save my old Marathon & Beyond issues (I have every single one they've published), and I keep my Trail Runner magazines too (have every one of those also--great photos), and I store my UltraRunning magazines (I only have a few years worth of those). I do read Running Times every month, but pass issues on to a friend when I'm done. They are better than Runner's World, but not so good that I want to keep them around. Am I missing a good magazine read?

Next Races for Me?

I had a post a few weeks ago (June 6) titled "Train, Then Register, Then Race."  Seems like good advice and a running philosophy that keeps things in perspective and doesn't let me get ahead of myself.  So, now what?  I'm actually trained and in "race shape" after the 8-hour Howl at the Moon ultra.  I've stepped back for about 10 days and done easy running to recover...now I'm about to dive into more serious training.  Seems like I've completed the "Train" part of that statement.  Next comes "Register."  Then "Race."  Hmmmm....what races look good for this fall? 

September 18 brings an opportunity to run a brand new trail ultramarathon (50K) in the vicinity.  The Evergreen Lake 50K will be in Comlara Park just north of Bloomington-Normal, IL.  This first year should be rather low-key and fun.  Doubtful there will be tons of runners.  The course does two loops around a lake--scenic and fairly flat.  Could be fast!  This should be on my racing schedule. Better sign up soon.

October 8 may see me making the annual pilgrimage to East Peoria, IL and the Farmdale Trail Run (33 and 50 mile events).  This is the race's 6th year.  If I'm in shape now, why not register and do this race too?  I've never missed the event...why stop now?  This should be on my racing schedule.  Better sign up soon.

Can't I find some non-ultra races too?  Yes, indeed!  How about these local gems:

October 22: Illini Mentor Program 5K
October 30: Allerton Park 5.5 Mile Trail Run
November 6: Rattlesnake Master 10K
November 19: Run for the Library 5K
December 10: Da Deer Run 8K Trail Run

What about next year?  The Potawatomi 50-100-150 mile trail race has early sign up through next week.  I did the 50 miler this year and sucked it up pretty good.  Time for redemption?   Why not sign up now and save a few registration bucks?  I'm trained...so that means I can register now, right?  Maybe I should step up to the 150 mile event?  Already completed the 50 and 100 milers in Pekin...time for 150 miles?  Well, I'm not trained for THAT distance yet, so I guess I'm not allowed to register for the 150 miler...yet.  Darn.

The Birthplace of Ultra Running

Western States 100. Birthplace of ultra running. Check out this Team Salomon Running video...



"When you come out of it, you're not the same person...and that's good."

For more cool running videos, check out the Salomon Trail Running TV web site that features ultra runner Kilian Jornet (he won WS100 this year and was in the previous video--Kilian was the young dude, Gordy was the old guy who started the whole WS100 thing).

Invisible Shoes

I tried out my new "Invisible Shoes" running sandals yesterday.  They were "interesting."  I need a few more runs in them, with a few adjustments in the strapping system, to fully review them.  I think they may work out well as a barefoot alternative.  Right now, they flop around a bit too much. After I tighten the fit, I'll report back again.  Mine have the newer sole material ("Feel True" outsole, not the Vibram they utilized in the past) and you get excellent contact with the ground with just a bit of protection. The sandal kits cost around $25-30. I bought the 6mm sole (slightly thicker for trail running).  They offer a 4mm outsole too.

Accuracy of My Howl Predictions

About a week before the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race I made predictions about the top 30 finishers--including myself at #30.  Well, the race is over.  How'd my predictions go?  Did 29 people beat me?  Were they the 29 I predicted?  The world wants to know!

First, I finished in 19th place.  That's 11 spots better than my prediction.  Good for me, not good for my prognosticating.  Here is a list of my original predictions with the actual placing in parentheses (and the +/- indicating how far above or below my prediction they fell).  If someone didn't start the race, their name is crossed off.

1. Brandon Janosky (28th, -27) 
2. Tim Collins (5th, -3)  <= darn good pick
3. Tommy Doias (4th, -1)  <= excellent pick!
4. Scott Colford (1st, +3)  <= darn good pick
5. Mike Crowder (dns)
6. Mike Wendell (dns)
7. Chris Friedman (27th, -20)
8. Steve Jones (9th, -1)  <= excellent pick!
9. Mark Bowman (32nd, -23)
10. Matthew Condron (3rd, +7)
11. Janet Stroud (dns)
12. Carl Benton (26th, -14)
13. Dorn Peddy (dns)
14. Jennifer Eichelberger (8th, +6)
15. Paul Wilkerson (37th, -22) 
16. Brandon Smith (12th, +4)  <= darn good pick
17. Kathleen Yarger (dns)
18. Chad Braun (11th, +7)
19. Daphne Donald (10th, +9)
20. Don Frichtl (13th, +7)
21. Nancy McCarty (21st, 0)  <= PERFECT!
22. Ryan Krows (16th, +6)
23. Andrea Stack (31st, -8)
24. Brian Kuhn (65th, -41)  <= terrible pick
25. Mike Gossman (24th, +1)  <= excellent pick!
26. Curtis Wilson (54th, -28)
27. Travis Sheets (dns)
28. Gary Davidson (33rd, -5)  <= good pick
29. Jeff Fago (92nd, -63)  <= terrible pick
30. CHRIS the Blogger! (19th, +11)

Biggest miss on the + side was Chris the Blogger moving from predicted 30th to actual 19th place (+11). Biggest miss on the - side was Jeff Fago moving from predicted 29th to actual 92nd place (-63).

Some good predictions there, and a few big misses too. One perfect pick (Nancy McCarty). Thanks Nancy...your check is in the mail.

I am Slightly Above Average

I am above average...at least compared to the old Chris of the last 10 years (or is that the younger Chris?).  I just completed my 11th Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race. My average for the past 10 years has been 42.6 miles.  Yesterday I ran 43.77 miles.  Slightly above average!  Sweet.  It was good enough for 19th place overall (out of almost 300 runners) and 2nd in my age group (40-49 year old males). That's above average too.

UPDATE: Full results posted here.

I think the Maffetone/Van Aaken heart rate training worked well.  I was rested, but well-trained.  Even with the intense sun and fairly warm temps (high of 85, dew point 67), I was able to run steadily with a low heart rate. My heart rate average was 138, with a high of 154. Didn't eat much either--must have been in a good fat-burning zone.

Here are my updated statistics after the 2011 event:

Total Races: 11
Low: 33.9 miles (2010)
High: 47.06 miles (2006, 2008)
Total Miles: 469.85
Average Miles: 42.7
Best Placing: 12th (2005)
Worst Placing: 99th (2010)

Every year it becomes harder to sustain a strong effort.  Age takes it's toll...but not this year!  I'll be back next year to try for that mystical 50 miles in 8 hours.  Next year if I can manage 50K (31 miles), I'll also break 500 total "Howl miles."

NOTE: Photos courtesy of fellow buffalo runner Brian Kuhn.  Thanks Brian!  Interesting how tired one looks after going for 8 hours (photo at right is at the 7:57 mark).  I think the photo at the top has me looking fresher--must have been after only 4 hours of running.

What's a Good Pace for an Ultramarathon?

"The only good race pace is suicide pace,
and today looks like a good day to die."  
-Steve Prefontaine

We'll see what kind of pace I pull off today at the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour ultramarathon. It's going to be warm and humid, with a chance for rain. Guess that beats 95 degrees and sunny!  I'm sure Pre would have enjoyed the courage and passion of us ultrarunners.  Whether it was in his prime, or today when he would have been 60 years old, Pre would have kicked my ass in any 8 hour running event. But I'd try to make him earn it!

Why is Howl at the Moon So Special?

Only one day until the big race.  What race?  Seriously?

The HOWL AT THE MOON 8-HOUR ULTRAMARATHON!  

There are tons of reasons I love the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour ultra. Here are a few:

• Close to where I live
• Organized by my local running club
• Largest timed ultra in the USA
• Tons of friends run it
• Lots of friends volunteer
• Long history of the race
• Inexpensive entrance fee
• Free beer (before and after)
• Free camping (before and after)
• Great aid stations (and access to own car on course)
• Inducted me into their Hall of Fame!

And if you know the right volunteers, and impress them just enough, you may even get an extra bonus award after a few years...

That is one sweet belt buckle! Now you know a few reasons why I love this race. I've run this classic event 10 times. Tomorrow will be my 11th Howl at the Moon race.  Next year (2012) I should easily break 500 total miles at Howl. Here are my current statistics:

Total Races: 10
Low: 33.9 miles (2010)
High: 47.06 miles (2006, 2008)
Total Miles: 426.08
Average Miles: 42.6
Best Placing: 12th (2005)
Worst Placing: 99th (2010)

How will 2011 turn out?  Will it be a new high?  New low?  Average?  I don't know...but I already have that sweet buckle and I'm in the race Hall of Fame...what more can I ask for?  It's an annual reunion of running friends from around the country. No matter the miles, it'll be good.  It's not just running...it's running with friends. Ultra friends.  Best of luck to all the runners and walkers.

Weather forecast for Danville, IL on Saturday, August 13:

Low: Mid 60s

High: Low 80s

Mostly Cloudy, 70% chance of rain (possible thunderstorm)

Motivation to Race? SMx4

I've had some motivation problems in training and racing in the past. I give up when the going gets tough...or somehow rationalize that it would be better to slow down or stop. With Howl at the Moon 8-Hour ultra coming in just 2 days, I'd like to think this year will be different. Last year, Howl was my worst race ever.  Yes, ever. But I had good excuses.  My mother had passed away just the week before.  And the week before my mother's death I was in Canada "doing" the Canadian Death Race...which ended in an undeserved DNF (pulled from the course at an incorrect and too-early cut-off time).  I was tired physically and emotionally. That was last year, this is this year. I am physically in better shape. I'm well rested, but also well trained. I'm also fairly well heat acclimated (hard to do that in the Canadian Rockies--easier in central Illinois).

Of course, not all is well this year.  Just last week, one of my dear pets (Scunthorpe the degu) passed away after surgery. That's him in the picture above. Cute, eh? He was the best degu ever...and one of the best pets anyone could dream of having. So this year I will run thinking about my mother, my degu, my sister (who passed away several years ago), and my wife--who is alive and kicking, but would rather not have me running crazy ultras in the heat. All of these individuals have the same first and last initials: SM. Not sure if that's a creepy coincidence, or just reality that "S" is a pretty common starting initial for names.  Whatever the reason, I will be running for Sandy (my sister), Stella (my mom), Scunthorpe (my degu), and Sharon (my wife).  It's a family affair and I must run to honor the clan!  OK, that's a bit overdone.  I simply need to do my best, see where that takes me, and enjoy the ride. Howl at the Moon is going to be great.  Wish me well.

Oh yeah, while "SM" (x4) serves as my primary motivator, it just so happens that "S&M" is my buffalo nickname. Interesting. S&M runs for SM, SM, SM, and SM. Coincidence? Maybe. Anyway, I'll try to enjoy the day, remember my lost loved ones, and appreciate my dear wife. That should keep me going for about 40 miles...then it's all S&M to the finish line!

Wogger? Woggle This, Bitches!

So they used to call me a wogger ("they" = "me").  Guess that's a fancy term for someone who is a walker and jogger combo. Cute. Others have called me a slogger ("others" = "me"). Again, funny. Slow jog turns into slog. I get it. Clever wordsmiths out there. Well, hear this people...

"WOGGLE THIS, BITCHES!  I'm back!"

Yeah, that's right. I'm back to running.  Still keeping the same low heart rate training zones, but now I'm actually running at reasonable paces. Watch out...I am faster!  Is it the weather?  Maybe. Is it my tapering?  Likely. Is it my time away from work? Definitely. Sleeping more? Yep. Eating more? Yeah.  Less beer drinking?  Affirmative.

Today's 5-mile run was at 8:41 pace.  Yesterday's 5-mile run was at 9:21 pace. 9-miler before that was at 9:19 pace. 10-miler before that was at 10:00 pace. Still kept the max HR at 150 or below and average HR at 140 or below. Those restrictions used to have me plodding along at 11:00+ minute/mile pace. Nice trend here. Again, it's my taper phase and I'm about to PEAK!  Just call me the Lasse Viren of the Midwest. Not only can I taper, but I can peak.  I have 4 days left until race day and my peak is planned for noon on Saturday, August 13th. It's going to be epic.

My Howl at the Moon race predictions were made a few days ago in my August 5 blog post. I stand by them (although one person in my top 30 has notified me they are not running). If you think I'm backing down from those predictions, or afraid of some competition, you're wrong. Here's my friend Tom Petty (and the Heartbreakers) explaining how I feel...



Or maybe you prefer the live performance over the studio...



"Well I wont back down, no I wont back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I wont back down

Gonna stand my ground, wont be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin me down
Gonna stand my ground and I wont back down

Hey baby, there aint no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I wont back down.

Well I know whats right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin me around
But I'll stand my ground and I wont back down

Hey baby there aint no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I wont back down
No, I wont back down"

Get it? I'm not backing down.  How about you? Let's all have a great Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race!

Fellrnr Running Resource Page

'Fell running' - the English term for trail running, coming from old Norse Fjell, meaning hill.
I suppose a fell runner is one who runs fells.  Meet the fell runner (or fellrnr)...

One of the better (but not well-known) running web resources around is Jonathan Savage's Fellrnr site:

http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Main_Page

Lost of great information from training, racing, and nutrition to race reports, book & software reviews. Much of it is based on his own running and racing experience, but it is also backed up by research when available. Good stuff!  The site is good for runners of all abilities and levels, but ultrarunners may find it even more useful since Mr Fellrnr is an accomplished long-distance runner. Check it out. Don't worry, it's not all about fell running...in fact, it doesn't have much about fell running at all...just tons of good "regular" running advice and resources.

Howl at the Moon Race Predictions

The Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race is 8 days away (August 13).  Time to see how I compare to the other 309 entrants (that does not count walker division).  It's not easy making predictions.  Some of this year's entrants may not even show up and race, others may show up, but drop out, and then there are people running the race for the first time and there isn't data available from past races (to predict their finish placing).  I figure I'll do my best at predicting the future.  Things have a way of evening out: if 5 people I predict to beat me don't, there are likely 5 others that will end up beating me.  My relative ranking is thus preserved...if I get any of this correct! 

In all honesty, I am prepared better than last year, but not as well trained as I had hoped. Still, I should do OK.  Maybe even well.  Not great, but above average for me.  In fact, I think I'll place in the top 10%--that would place me among the top 31 finishers.  Let's be generous and say I will finish in 30th place!  Here are the 29 people that will beat me (in rank order):

1. Brandon Janosky
2. Tim Collins
3. Tommy Doias
4. Scott Colford
5. Mike Crowder
6. Mike Wendell
7. Chris Friedman
8. Steve Jones
9. Mark Bowman
10. Matthew Condron
11. Janet Stroud
12. Carl Benton
13. Dorn Peddy
14. Jennifer Eichelberger
15. Paul Wilkerson 
16. Brandon Smith
17. Kathleen Yarger
18. Chad Braun
19. Daphne Donald
20. Don Frichtl 
21. Nancy McCarty
22. Ryan Krows
23. Andrea Stack
24. Brian Kuhn
25. Mike Gossman
26. Curtis Wilson
27. Travis Sheets
28. Gary Davidson
29. Jeff Fago
30. CHRIS the Blogger!

I'm not sure about that group of buffalo from 20-24.  Odd to have them all together--that order could easily get jumbled. Cuz Don is old, but has too much experience to count out. Nancy is always solid. Ryan has run well all year. Andrea just had a nice marathon last weekend. And the Dawg is coming up from Austin to make an appearance. I wish them all well. I'll be chasing them for 8 hours. 

Running division places #31 - #309 = you lose!  All walkers = you lose.
 
I'm not including total miles since that is very dependent on race-day weather. The winner could have over 60 miles...or barely break 50.

Let the wagering begin!  Trash talk optional. 

No matter what happens, there are a few Buffalo friends that deserve mention...I will whip the Fat Kid. I will conquer Democratic Tom. I will trounce Glowstick. I will batter IP. I will stick it to Legendary. I will defeat the Science Guy. I will wrangle Cougar Bait. I will dirty-up Mr Clean.

For me, I'm most curious about a few "novice" Howl runners:

Matthew Condron
Brandon Smith
Ryan Krows
Jeff Fago

All of them have the potential to rock this race...and I have them all beating me.  Condron could place in the top 5 (I have him 10th). Smith could easily be top 10...but everything would have to come together (I have him 16th). Krows ran last year, but intentionally stopped early.  He could surprise me and break the top 20 (I have him 22nd), but he could fade and fall behind even me! Fago is newer to ultras, but he's been getting in better training than me. We'll duke it out and see if we can each stay top 30 like I've predicted.

My sentimental favorite is Tim Collins. He's experienced and he's got this race in his blood.  Tim trains like a madman in the Michigan summer heat. He could pull out an overall victory.  Go Buffalo!

My nightmare is being beaten by Christine Crawford in the walker division!  It's possible. She's an awesome runner...and can probably log a LOT of miles walking.

NOTE: For those that don't remember my rant on July 6th, check out that related Howl at the Moon blog post too. It's a classic.

SportTracks Running Software

Just wanted to share my new running software with you.  It's called SportTracks.  I found it via Runblogger's site--Pete uses it regularly with his Garmin watch and wrote a nice review of the software.  I've been going back and forth between Garmin's own "Training Center" (which resides on your PC), Garmin Connect (which is their web-based program), and Dailymile. They all have their pros and cons, but SportTracks easily beats them all for downloading data, syncing with other data, and supporting a variety of analysis and reporting tools--including third party plugins.  The only place SportTracks falls behind in is the social aspect...and there is a "dailymile plugin" that grabs your data and exports to DM with just a couple of clicks. Could this be my perfect solution to logging my runs? Well, I liked the free version of the program so much, I upgraded to the full version ($35) within 12 hours!  I also grabbed a few plugins (many plugins are free, others are limited use without a fee, and some require a small one-time fee--usually around $5).  The weather application is awesome!  A few features that I REALLY enjoy...

Let's start with one of three automatically supplied run-mapping options (this is "satellite" option):

My 5-mile trail route

Quick analysis of my heart rate over the course of the run, divided by my custom-made Maffetone zones...

Heart Rate Maffetone Zones

And I can look at my pace over the full run and divide that by walk-jog-run zones:

Pace "Zones" (Walk-Jog-Run) 

All of the settings can be automated by entering your age, gender, resting HR, and maximum heart rate. Then you can create your own zones (based on pace or heart rate) and there are tons of extra ways to slice your data.  In addition to the fine graphs, there are tables summarizing all of this data too--how many miles, time, and proportion of the run are in each zone?  How often were you gaining elevation? Losing elevation?  Running on the "flats"?  And you can click and transfer the zones to the map and usually see where you are running faster/slower, where you are going up/down, where your pace is fast/slow, heart rate high/low, etc. Pretty cool, eh?

This may be just another techno gadget for running...but it's got me motivated for a while.  Maybe in a few weeks or months I'll toss it aside...maybe not.  Coach Jeff should get a Garmin watch and this software...I wouldn't see him for days as he looks at all of his running ("jogging") data! 

PS: Another neat thing about the Garmin watch is that it stores 1000 data tracks.  So I can download all of my old data to this new software in one minute.  No entering old information manually.  And if I want to go back to Garmin's own software, I can download all the newer missing data with no problem--unless I go for more than 1000 runs before I change my mind.  Gotta love technology!

Heat Training Advice

Here is my personal heat training advice: continue to run easy for about 45-60 minutes per day in the heat.  You'll feel like shit, but it will get slightly easier each day.  It takes about 10-12 days to become heat acclimated.  After this time period, you won't have super-human strength, but you will be in much better condition than just one to two weeks ago.  At this point you can take it up a notch, with caution. The acclimatization will make a positive difference in your running and racing.  Drink plenty of fluids, take electrolyte pills, and keep your pace and heart rate under control. After the two weeks of acclimatization, your body will adapt and you'll have the following positive changes:

• Lower heart rate
• Less perceived exertion
• Sweat sooner (and more profusely)
• Less salty sweat (body preserves sodium)
• Lower core body temperature
• Greater blood plasma volume

Here are two excellent runner-written resources on heat training and one research article:

FellRnr ("Heat Acclimation Training"):
http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Heat_Acclimation_Training

iRunFar:
http://www.irunfar.com/2009/02/heat-acclimation.html

Dr. Lawrence Armstrong article ("Heat Acclimatization")
http://www.sportsci.org/encyc/heataccl/heataccl.html

NOTE: You will quickly lose the adaptation to heat if you stop running (or run in cool conditions). Be careful about the time period utilized for acclimating and how you taper.  It's a fine line...you still want to be acclimated to the heat, but you also want to be well-rested for your race.  We have 11 days until Howl at the Moon 8-hour race...plenty of time to acclimate...and plenty of time to lose your acclimatization.  Hang in there for 10 more days!

Zero Zero Zero

How bad has my running gotten?  Well, my running log has recorded ZERO-ZERO-ZERO for the last three days. Why run when it ain't fun?  Heat, humidity, fatigue. I don't like being tired all the time. Maybe these three rest days will help me recover physically and emotionally. I'll get in a short run today and hopefully be back on track with daily runs for the next 2 weeks...then THE BIG TEST...Howl at the Moon 8-Hour run on August 13. Then what? If the weather finally cools off, I'll try one or two 50K races in the fall. Might be nice to run a couple of shorter races too. A fast 5K? Quick 10K? Sounds fun.

UPDATE: Ran twice on Monday and I felt great. I guess the time away from running (and the heat) did me good. I'm back at it! Feeling good while you run is the best!