Week of Running Rants Recap

Had a fun time getting a few running rants off this week. Here is a recap of this week's posts. Enjoy. Maybe next week I'll do a series about what I love about running and runners.

Fuck the Heat!

Screw You, Flies!

Road Runners...What's your Problem?

Possible to DNF a Timed Race? Yes, and I Despise You!

Crews and Pacers: Who the Hell Needs Them!

Crews and Pacers: Who the Hell Needs Them!

I told you this was a week filled with rants...

I've completed 85 marathons and ultras (69 ultras, 16 marathons), and I've never really had a crew and my only true pacers were in my last 100 miler. Who the hell needs a crew and pacers for a race? Can't you achieve your goals on your own? There are already enough people on the race course--we don't need more people driving around intercepting their runners to provide aid or pacing. Enough is enough! Do the freaking ultra on your own.

I've finished a 7-day stage race (303 miles) without any aid, crew, or pacers. It can be done and you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment doing it all on your own. You against the course. You against other runners. Not you, PLUS LOTS OF EXTRA HELPERS, against other solo runners. Mano a mano. Suck it up and have all your shit together. Crew? You can't put together a drop bad with supplies like the other runners? You need your mom to help you finish a race? Screw that! And why pacers? Don't you have enough discipline to run on your own? You need a guide on the trails? Should I buy you a toddler leash too? Screw that! Did your little helper pay the race fee? Thought not. Then they don't deserve to be on the course with the other actual racers. You pay, you run.

Got it? No one needs a crew or pacers to finish an ultramarathon. Grow up and do it on your own.

NOTE:  In my last 100 miler I had two awesome pacers (Sandra and Andrew) and they helped me run a PR race. Maybe I'll allow you one try at pacers (or crew) every 70 ultramarathons you run. That seems like a good compromise. Also, if you are running the Badwater 135, then you can have a crew and pacers. See, I'm not crazy.

Possible to DNF a Timed Race? Yes, And I Despise You!

Week of daily rants must continue...another pet peeve of mine follows...

I really dislike, maybe even despise, those that sign up for a timed running event and don't finish it. You probably thought it was impossible to DNF ("Did Not Finish") a timed running event. Well, technically that may be true, but if you don't keep going for the full time, you are a DNF!  You don't sign up for a 5K and decide to "just do 4K"--do you? Why sign up for an 8-hour ultra and stop after 6 hours? That's a DNF buddy! Officially, you'll just be assigned whatever miles you accumulated in that period, but we true finishers all know you didn't finish. You didn't complete the full timed event. Worse yet, you took the spot of someone that wanted to get in and challenge themselves for the full time. Next time, if you aren't going to finish, don't sign up. Maybe that local 2K race is more your style.

Seriously, this "DNF" in timed running events is really problematic. We have a local "Howl at the Moon" 8-Hour ultra in August...and it fills up quickly. Unfortunately, many runners sign up planning on stopping after 26 miles (marathon) or 31 miles (50K). If that's what you want, just sign up for a freaking marathon or 50K! You can get more than 26 miles in 8 hours. Skip the timed event if you aren't going to try. Many runners that wanted to push themselves for the full 8 hours are locked out because other "so-called runners" took a spot and didn't even plan on finishing.

Understand? Yes, you can DNF a timed event. And yes, I despise those that do.

NOTE: I understand if you get injured you might need to stop early. It happens. No shame. But the VAST MAJORITY of "DNFs" at timed events are simply weak souls that lack discipline and refuse to push themselves. Get off your ass and give it a valiant effort.

Road Runners...What's Your Problem?

Airing of the grievances continues...

What the hell is wrong with road runners? They seem way too serious and they don't seem to have much fun. Whenever I run a road race (not many, I prefer trails) everyone is so competitive and out for themselves. Before and after the race, they compare PRs, talk about their next race, what they'll do differently, why this race didn't go as well as it should have...blah, blah, blah. Very few smiles.

What's wrong with you? Enjoy. When's the last time a road runner passed you and asked how you were doing? "You OK? Need any help? Want to run together for a while?" Never heard these words from a fellow road runner...but I hear them at EVERY trail race I run. At trail ultramarathons, racers will even offer up food, water, electrolytes, and pain pills. Pretty cool. Trail races, especially ultras, have a laid-back vibe where everyone helps each other. Harder the race, the more assistance offered to fellow racers. We are in it together. It may be a race, but we are not really competing with each other...more against the course and ourselves. And afterward, we'll share a beer with all of those that beat us. Good times. Lots of smiles.

Also, roads are way too easy and repetitive. What's up with the attraction to road running? Get off the freaking pavement and enjoy nature. Hit the trails. Run a trail race and experience true camaraderie. Challenge yourself with a trail that goes up, down, left, right, across streams, through mud, and over bridges, rocks, and roots. Enjoy running the way it was intended...you out in the wild!

Road runners...I just don't get them.

Screw You, Flies

The daily rants continue...

I'm not the biggest fan of house flies, but I'll occasionally shoo them out of the house instead of killing them. They aren't that bothersome. Unfortunately, they have some bigger and badder brethren that hang out on my local trails. Probably on your trails too. I'm not as tolerant of them.

I really hate horse flies. Deer flies too. Any big old flies that hang out on trails, chase you down, pester you, and BITE you! These suckers are relentless in the hot and humid summer months. When the trails come close to creeks or ponds, they seem to multiply and really go after you. I pick up the pace, but these buggers are fast! Wave your hands, swat at them...they keep coming. Wearing a hat helps (they seem to go for your head and neck), spraying some insect repellent helps, but nothing seems to really keep them away. I hate these bastards!

I came across a running forum that mentioned horse flies and how to fight them on a run...

• Run very early in the morning
• Wear a yellow shirt with a high neck
• Put on insect repellent and make sure it is in your hair and on your shirt, but not on the front of your shirt because you will be breathing it the entire run if you do
• Wear a desert hat with a couple small sheets of fly paper on it, a blue notecard with tanglefoot on it, and a neck cover
• Put a stuffed dryer sheet in your hat and shorts
• Put whine vinegar all over your body, neck, head ears, and sprinkle it on your hat, you might smeel like coleslaw
• Occasionally sprint to lose them
• If you need to, stop running and be perfectly still and they will go away
• If one lands on you slap him silly, their population will decrease with time, you may get bug guts on you though
• Try not to breath out carbon dioxide
• Carry cinnamon ferns and swat the flies with them while you run

Not sure if these tricks work, but I'm thinking about trapping them with a fly strip pinned to my hat. Apparently, tanglefoot can be used on a index card and will last a long time. Also, here's another fly strip source for your running hat.

I only have one thing to say...Screw the flies!

Fuck the Heat!

This past Saturday, I had planned on a 5-hour trail run. It was intended to be a great tune-up for my 8-hour race in August. It didn't go well. It was hot and humid. The trail was hilly. No breezes, and lots of deer flies. Pretty miserable. I hate the heat. Really. Seriously. Running in the heat sucks. I stopped after 4 hours and only 18 miles. Originally, I thought I could knock off 24 miles in 5 hours. Guess not.

Of course, this was my fault. I've been training on the treadmill and was not heat acclimated. Heck, I wasn't even endurance acclimated  Short, fast treadmill runs don't get me to the finish line of a long, hot trail run. The heat of summer won this round...but I'll be back in August.

I have 47 days left until the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race. That gives me almost 7 weeks of training. It's my turn to make this summer heat my bitch. I hate the fucking heat, but I'll conquer it. For the next 47 days, I'll train harder and longer. I'll do runs in the heat and sun. More miles, more acclimatization. I'll be ready. Fuck the heat! If it's 95 degrees out, then I'll relish the chance to beat the heat. If it's only 80 degrees, I'll wear pants and a sweatshirt. I will win.

NOTE: This post starts my "week of rants." I need to get a few things off my chest (besides the Garmin HR strap that digs in on every run). You can look forward to a post-a-day about some running-related thing that pisses me off. Today it was heat. Tomorrow it may be you!

Weekly Training Plan (Revised)

I've revised my weekly training plan. The last 3-4 weeks have gone well with me doing three quality workouts, plus one regular easy run. Tuesday and Thursday are speed type workouts--tempo, intervals, progression, hills, fartlek, etc. Saturday is the long run and Sunday is a moderate length easy run. M-W-F are all "off" days for full recovery. I enjoy this schedule. It seems to be making me faster. Not sure it has enough miles to completely develop my endurance and aerobic capacity for ultramarathons, but it may work. 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
OFF	45-60 minutes Intervals, Fartlek, or Hills	OFF	45-60 minutes Tempo or Progression	OFF	3 hours long and easy	Long and easy (~90 minutes)
Rest	Speed	Rest	Stamina	Rest	Endurance	Endurance

I have a 5-hour club "fun run" this Saturday (June 22) on a tough trail. If that goes well, I am confident this schedule will have me ready for the 8-hour Howl at the Moon race on August 10. 

Daniel Lieberman Barefoot Running Lecture

Daniel Lieberman, from Harvard University, giving a 50-minute lecture on what we can learn from barefoot running. Very good and well thought out. Lieberman is a primary researcher in the Harvard Skeletal Biology Lab.



Thanks to Tuck and his "Yelling Stop" blog for posting this video first.

If I Could Only Have One Running Shoe

I have lots of shoes. Let's not make me divulge just how many, but it's more than 10 in my current rotation! I have trail shoes, road shoes, racing shoes, ultra shoes, minimalist shoes...I even have "Invisible shoes" (now called Xero shoes). Let's just say I like shoes. I go in phases regarding which 2-3 pairs of shoes I like the best and tend to wear the most. When I have a long ultramarathon (can you say 100 miler?) I tend to train in more cushioned shoes (like my Hoka Stinson Evos), when I have a shorter race, I might lean toward my Mizuno Wave Universe 3. Middle distance trail run? Then maybe my New Balance 110s. A shoe for each purpose! I firmly believe shoes are tools to accomplish a task. And at times that task is strengthening my feet and improving my running form...that means NO SHOES AT ALL...completely barefoot teaches lessons no coach can!

So, what if I had to select just ONE PAIR of shoes for all of my running? If I could only have one pair of running shoes, which pair would it be?

INSERT DISCLAIMER...the shoe I am about to announce as the best overall shoe for all of my running needs from 5K on roads to 100 miles on trails has not been provided by any sponsor or shoe manufacturer. I paid retail for these shoes! No evaluation bias here. Also, these shoes are probably not the best at any ONE task, but they are better than average at almost everything. Great all-around shoe...at a reasonable price.

My one running shoe would be the Skechers GoRun Ride. Retail price of $80. Sale price often around $60 The new version, GoRun Ride 2, just came out so the original is easily found on sale right now!  I have no idea what has changed in the version 2, but the regular GoRun Ride is an awesome shoe. Lightweight. Flexible. Wide forefoot. Stretchy upper. Cushioned. Low drop (4mm). Reasonable traction. Breathable mesh. Comfy.

So, go get a pair of the Skechers GoRun Ride and "run like Meb." The shoe let's my feet do what they want to...but it still protects and provides enough cushioning to hit the trails or do long runs on roads. Speed work on a track? Sure. Trail marathon? Sure. 10K on roads? Sure. Hanging out at work? Why not! Relaxing on a weekend? Yep. This shoe just works.

I also have the Skechers GoBionic and GoRun 2. Both great shoes too. The GoRun Ride has the most cushioning of the three. GoBionic is most minimal.