My Planned 2012 Races

Below are my proposed "races" for 2012. Almost identical to 2011, except I actually plan on going to Land Between the Lakes in March (I registered, but skipped it this year due to injury). And I hope not to drop out of the CRUD 8-Hour race in May (I dropped at about 4.5 hours due to stomach issues). And I've added the 100km race at Kettle in June. As usual, the main event is August's Howl at the Moon 8-Hour run.

The first two ultras are just "fat ass" style fun runs. Good way to start the year! Free "ultra long" runs with friends. Then I go down to KY for the trail marathon in March to test my race fitness. Based on that result, I'll prepare for the 50 miler at Potawatomi in April. A week later I do my annual memorial run to remember my sister Sandy who passed away on Earth Day in 2006. In May, I take vengeance on the CRUD course and try to run well for 8 hours. It's a tough little loop course! In the past, I used June and July to develop a good aerobic base and get heat acclimated for the August Howl at the moon race...but this year I'll try a 100km race in Wisconsin. Finally, August will arrive and the annual Howl run will be here. Eight hours in the heat and humidity of central Illinois. Lots of friends, lots of fun. A good amount of pain and suffering too. The year concludes with three fall trail ultras: Evergreen Lake in Hudson, IL, Farmdale in East Peoria, IL, and McNotAgain in Pekin, IL. Great "local" races and a perfect way to end the year. It's possible that I'll do the "Across the Years" event on December 29-January 1...but I'm not ready for that yet.

These races are all listed on my sidebar too. I'll keep that listing up-to-date if things change. And I'll mark them off with a big checkmark ✔ when completed...or a nasty "DNF" if I fail to finish. It's not too late to consider changes...have any suggestions for me?  Will you be at any of these races?

• JAN 28: Riddle Run 28
• FEB 11: KRR Fat Ass 28
• MAR 10: Land Betwn Lakes Marathon
• APR 14: Potawatomi 50M
• APR 22: Sandy Memorial Barefoot Run
• MAY 19?: CRUD 8-Hour
• JUNE 2: Kettle Moraine 100K
• AUG 11: Howl at the Moon 8-Hr
• SEPT 16: Evergreen Lake 50K
• OCT 6?: Farmdale 33
• Oct 27?: McNotAgain 30

2011 Year End Summary

I guess it's that time of year when we are supposed to look back and see how the year went. In terms of running, I can't even remember what 2010 was like...and I sure can't recall what my goals for 2011 were. I'm not the goal creation kind of guy anyway. I like to keep things under the radar and not make public pronouncements. So I should probably skip this post and move onto something more concrete. Something that looks forward, without commitments, and simply says "I like to run and I'll continue to run in 2012." That's pretty straightforward. No looking back. Why live in the past?

Chris' Wrap-Up for 2010 (posted December 29, 2010)
Chris' Goals for 2011 (posted December 31, 2010)

Damn it!  Now that I see those old blog posts, I do remember thinking about 2010 and looking forward to 2011. OK, too early to post goals for 2012, but I guess I can look back on 2011 and see how my goals for this year were met...or not.

First, the good news.  I am ending this year injury-free and happy.

Now onto my 4 goals for this past year...

1. Run every day of 2011 (keep running streak alive)
This didn't happen. I made it to 95 days and it all ended on February 28th. You can read all about it here.  Basically, I got cocky and tried some speedwork on the treadmill and injured my calf. 

2. Hit 50 miles at Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race
This didn't happen either. I ran well this year, but ended up with only 43.77 miles. It was good enough for 19th place out of almost 300 runners. Not bad, eh? You can read more about it here. 

3. Finish an ultra-marathon in FiveFinger shoes
This didn't happen. I did lots of running in my FiveFinger shoes, but never anything over about 20 miles. Certainly no ultra. I did maintain my preference for minimalist footwear...and I kept running barefoot...but no ultramarathons in VFFs.

4. Set at least one new running personal record (PR)
Accomplished! I ran my first 50 mile ultra, and even though it was terribly slow (12:49, 32/86 starters), it still counts as a personal record for this particular distance!  I've run farther than 50 miles in several races, but never an actual 50-mile ultra. The Potawatomi 50 miler back in April was run on very low mileage and during my come-back from the calf injury. I finished. I even tweeted from the course for the full 50 miles. Read my fantastic race report here. 

So 2011 saw me complete one of four goals. Is 25% good? Probably not. The good news is that I'm happy and injury-free at the end of 2011...and I've started a new running streak (today is Day #35)...and I'm ready for a super year of running in 2012!  Before the end of 2011, I'll post my races for 2012, goals for 2012, and my training plan for 2012. Lots of good posts still left in 2011. Keep reading.

How did your running go this year? 

Christmas Running Loot

I ended up with some nice running gifts on Christmas Day--five running books, two shirts, and one DVD (see photo). Plus, an IOU on another DVD that may arrive today ("Unbreakable"--the latest Western States 100 documentary). Sweet loot from the wife! Thanks wifey. I now have 139 books in my running library. The books are also listed on the side of this blog via "My Library" link. Guess I should stop writing and start reading.

Hope everyone had a merry Christmas.  The new year is around the corner...that means a blog post looking back on 2011...and plans for 2012.

NOTE: The running streak is still alive. Today is day 33 of a planned 100-day streak.

People Are the Problem

I've figured out what's wrong with my running...PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM!  I do fine when I run by myself. No injuries, no pressure, pure enjoyment. When I run with a group, or at a race, or even at the gym on the treadmill...I tend to run too fast. Other people cause me to run faster than I should.  There's a subtle, or not so subtle, pressure to perform. It's clear to me now...other people are the problem. I'll be fine if I hang out with myself. There you have it...you are the problem.

I need to go solo more often. There's the rub..."more often."  I thoroughly enjoy running with a large group, small group, or simply one other friend.  I even enjoy races with tons of other folks (although not the mega races).  I need the social connection to my running friends. I just need to balance solo with social, fast with slow, races with training. Is that so hard?  It shouldn't be difficult, but it is for me. I need to temper my own ego and simply run when, where, and how I want to run. Sometimes with a group, sometimes not. Pretty simple. It's just running, right?

Now if I only had a running friend that always ran slower than me and thus automatically tempered my instinct to run faster than was healthy. Someone that would satisfy the social aspects of running, but force me to take it easy. Someone that I could count on for nice and easy recovery runs and non-confrontational discussions. I vaguely remember Mr. Riddle down the road occupying this niche...until he ran too fast and injured himself...then re-injured himself by tripping while walking. Sad. Wonder if Mr. Rose up the block is still running? I need more slow running friends.

I guess people may not really be the problem.  Maybe it's me.

25% Toward Running Streak Goal

Not sure what motivates most people to start a running streak, but for me, it was simple--get through the central Illinois winter.  I started on Thanksgiving Day and plan on running 100 days straight which would finish up in early March. So far so good...I've made it 25 days which is 25% of the way toward my goal!

To achieve the 1/4 done mark, I went to Clinton Lake and ran the northfork 10-mile trail loop. It's used for the 30-mile race each April. Today was perfect. Great weather and excellent trail conditions. I need to get out to Clinton Lake more often. It's less than a 30 minute drive and the trail is much nicer than my local 5-mile Lake of the Woods loop.  I love my local trail, but it ain't Clinton Lake! I enjoy the scenery around the lake, excessive hills, and all the trees. I didn't think I'd be able to keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone (under 145), but I walked all the hills and jogged the rest while keeping an average HR of 123. Sweet. With time off from work, I'll be back frequently over the next 2 weeks. It'll be interesting to track my average heart rate and different paces.

I look forward to reaching 26% of my goal tomorrow. Every day it gets a little closer. One day at a time...one mile at a time.

21 Days and Counting

My winter running streak has now reached 21 days. That's THREE FULL WEEKS!  I'm happy. Next week it'll be a full month. That seems like an accomplishment. The plan is to go for 100 days straight (running at least one mile continuously per day). So far, my shortest run has been 2 miles, the longest was 10 miles. Pretty basic running. If I keep it up for 100 days, I'll emerge into March with a fine aerobic base and I'll be ready to race (tentatively, I plan on running the Land Between the Lakes Marathon on March 10).

A few buffalo trail running friends have joined me on this streak. Started with 16 comrades...we are down to 11 today. Not too bad. I hope I can make it the full 100 days (stopped at 95 days last winter)...and I hope a few colleagues make it too! Based on last year's failure, I know it's important to keep my ego in check. It's too easy for me to start pushing the pace and doing speed work when I should be keeping it nice and aerobic. Instead of the "Summer of Malmo," I need a "Winter of Maffetone." More details coming about my specific training plan for this winter.  It'll be heart rate based with lots of slow-paced running.

Of course, 21 days is just 21 days.  It's not that impressive.  I need to be cautious and not do anything stupid.  Gotta keep the streak alive!  

Quality vs Junk Miles

I'm currently on day 15 of a planned 100-day running streak.  It's a gimmick to get me through the winter. Several buffalo trail running friends are along for the ride. It's a great way to add a bit of accountability to your running.  I know I would have skipped several days in the last 2 weeks if it were not for the streak. For me, and I believe for many other runners, running consistently is the key to greater aerobic fitness and better racing. Sure, many of my streak running days are going to be fairly easy "junk" type miles, but they are still miles and they are better than sitting on the couch or lying in bed. I've noticed that when friends get injured, it's usually due to some form of "quality" speed work they are doing.  Speed kills. Rarely do people get injured from "junk" miles. We all need to let our bodies rest and "absorb" the training so we become stronger...but that "rest" can be an easy 2-3 mile run. Quality is over-rated. Quantity (including so called "junk" miles) is under-rated. I'll take an easy 5-mile aerobic run over 8x400m repeats any day of the week. And I won't get injured. I remember running 303 miles in one week during the 7-Day Buffalo Trace Stage Race...and I didn't get injured. Yet a few speed sessions on the treadmill, or hill repeats, or track workouts will sideline me. Sign me up for a high dose of junk miles. You can do the speed sessions.  We'll see who emerges ready to race in the spring!

Truth be told, I'm sure the right mix of quality and quantity, speed and base runs, will deliver the best bang for your mileage buck.  It's a tough balancing act. The risk-reward curve is tenuous. I'll stay conservative and follow the slow, but steady, progression that aerobic miles will provide. Just call me a "junk mile" junkie.

Winter Speed Work

Sometimes we need to take the path of most resistance.

Today was day #9 of my 100-day planned running streak.  I was supposed to meet another runner for a mellow 5-mile trail run...he didn't show, so I did speed work on the trail.  I went to the closest section of the trail that had a small loop that I could keep repeating.  It was a .35 mile loop near the parking lot. Originally, I thought I would run one loop hard, the next loop easy.  On the second loop I realized there was a good hill on the loop (about .1 mile long). I decided to run repeated loops, but sprint up the hill each time (while jogging the remaining part of the loop for recovery).  It ended up being a great workout!  My heart rate would peak around 170 after cresting the hill, then slowly fall to about 125-130 on the recovery jog (~.25 mile). Repeat...over...and over.  Ended up with over 4 miles total (11+ loops). Nice workout for early in the winter season.  I suppose it's really late in the fall.  We haven't had snow yet in central Illinois.  The ground is frozen, but it's fairly smooth and conducive to fast running. My (fairly) new Altra Instincts worked well (still too heavy, but nice on the hard ground). I hope to continue hill repeats in the future.  My local 5-mile trail affords many opportunities for hill workouts.  I can warm-up on the trail and stop at whatever hill strikes my fancy, do repeats, and cool-down by finishing the full trail loop.  Or I can run the whole 5-mile course at an easy to moderate pace then charge up each hill. Lots of variety!

The one lesson I learned from past winters is to STAY OFF THE TREADMILL for speed sessions.  Too easy to go too fast (too soon) and get injured.  Plus, it's a lot more fun doing speed work on the dark trails with deer watching you.

As an ultrarunner, I often take the path of least resistance. That usually means walking the hills.  Sometimes you need to show those hills who is in charge!  That day was today.