Running and Real Life

Okay let's face it, if you are reading this most likely you are similar to me and you just love running.  So much in fact it is about all you talk about, you are always thinking about workout is next, or what you are going to do differently on next race...lets face it running is life lol, but sometimes we have to step back and realize what is going on in the rest of the world and see if there are other things we need to pay attention to.

I personally try to race every other weekend, always try to run everyday, and every once in a while try to slide in a 2 a day.  Sometimes all these plans are not possible, training usually is the most accurate, but recently mine has fallen off a bit.  Reasons are: the kids have doctor appointments, school orientation, maybe they just want to do something with me randomly, work asking me to work more, I mean the list is endless honestly.  Some I pick to do, some I say well I have to get my training in, or I just decide not to sleep, which is helpful since I do plan on doing a 100 mile race soon. 

On to races, I miss a lot of races I plan on doing, I mean a lot.  Reasons being: lack of sleep and probably the biggest one, decide to take the kids to a race or event, kids or wife need something and it is a better place to spend the money, bills, pretty much anything that money is better spent elsewhere. 

Sometimes real life throws us a curve ball and if we are able to handle our addiction we handle it right, if not, we realize a utility may be in danger of being turned off or experience the burning death eyes from our spouse from our spouse, which is usually the indicator for me I should have spent the money elsewhere.  She is fully supportive of my running but sometimes I get carried away with racing and she lets me know about it lol. 

Just remember, there is life off of the trail.

Training for this week:

Monday - easy run (1.5 hours for me)

Tuesday - mile repeats (trying for 4 this week at my recommended pace, if you don't know yours try out the calculator at the bottom of the blog)

Wednesday - easy run

Thursday - 5,4,3,2,1 (just google it if you don't know what this is, it is explained much better out there than I can)

Friday - easy run

Saturday - 15k trail race (hopefully)

Sunday - 10 mile run

Sorry no cool pics to entertain you but I am having to do this post and some future posts from my phone, and for some reason it does not like the pic option.

Mooreland Free Fair 5k, 10k and 1 Mile Fun Run, August 15, 2015

This is what this town is known, the Mooreland Free Fair and this race, or at least it is how I even found out this town even existed.  I know when I first brought up that I was going to this race a few years ago, everyone was like "oh yeah the free fair is awesome", it is about 20 miles from my house and never knew.

The Fun Run is nice how they do it, it is a straight out and back course.  Parents can run with their children or let them run on their own, there is no chance for them to get lost and you can see them the whole time, depending on how tall they are.  If you are a parent, pretty sure you get to watch your child finish, because I am almost certain we did not start till they were all finished, which is awesome because who doesn't want to watch their child finish or help their child finish.

As for the 5k, it is a fast course and generally the talent is fast that shows up.  The course is pretty straight forward, I think there are a total of 5 turns counting the turn around since it is an out and back.  It is really flat except at the turn around, you go down a hill then turn around and go back up it.  The winning time this year 17:02 and the course record is 15:09 for the men and the women's course record is 18:33.  The results are not yet posted, so that is about all the information on times I have.

This was the first year for the 10k event, so the winning time was the course the record, which was in the mid 38's, set by a guy I see racing a lot and tend to be back and fourth with him, even though lately he has been putting it to me, his name is Casey Carmichael.  As for the course, it is shared with the 5k for the first 2 miles and the last 1 mile, so you get secluded from the speedsters for 3 miles.  Once again the course is decently flat except for the 3 miles it does not share with the 5k, the road you go off onto is nice and rolling with some decent hills on them, I mean good hills for the road people lol.  You can kind of get an idea of the course with my little GPS map from the race. 

All of the races have great prizes and they have the age groups so well broken up, that it is actually hard to not get an award.  A little bit of cash here and there too, which is never bad.

The race for me was an okay race I guess, it was my fastest 10k on the year, so I can't really complain, even though I wanted that W and the course record for at least a year.  I started off strong, really struggled to hold my self back for the first mile but managed a 6:08, which is a slow first mile for me so yay!  The next mile I was able to back off a little more even though it was a little slow, I think it was like 6:30, way off pace.  Right after the 2nd mile is the turn, where the races split up, I was so irritated with that 2nd mile I sped up and lost my concentration to miss the well marked turn... luckily Casey is a more than fair competitor and he yelled at me to tell me I missed the turn.  So, I had to double back and obviously chase him down, as I caught him he said he is going for 6:20 a mile for the first 3 and then seeing what happens after that, just so happens 6:20 is the pace I was looking for to average during the race, so that was comforting.  Stayed with him for mile 3, then he started pulling away after that, he trains on the hills, he loves the hills, and he ate me alive.  I tried a last
ditch effort in the last mile to try and chase him down but he was too far gone, not even the Foltz kick was enough for that gap.

Good race Casey! Can't wait to see you at our next race whenever that may be, and good luck in your marathon in Colorado.

Training for this week shall be:

Monday - 1.5 hour easy run

Tuesday - Mile repeats with a 2 minute rest in between each, trying for 6 definitely doing at least 4

Wednesday - 1.5 hour easy run

Thursday - Ladder workout 100m, 200m, 300m, 200m, 100m for 3 miles, with 30 second rest in between each one

Friday - 1.5 hour easy run

Saturday - 27 mile run (also an early 1/2 mile race with Max for his first race ever!)

Sunday - 18 mile run with hills

Training and Listening to Your Body

Not even sure what I am going to title this at this point, but I do know what I am going to talk about, training and listening to the body, actually that might be a good title!

There are times when you go out to train and you are looking at your training schedule and what is up for the day, and you are just like I am way too tired for this, my legs hurt, or it just may be way too hot for this exact workout.  Sometimes, it is just best to deviate from the plan and find something that will work or just take a rest day.

Lets start with too tired, now I am not saying too lazy, these are two completely different things.  When I say tired, I am saying literally have been having problems staying awake for the last few hours.  I do have this issue often as I do most of my training when I get off of work and I work third shift so there is that psychological issue as well.  Falling asleep while running is possible, I have done it, it is no fun waking up 50 yards down the road, a lot of things can happen in that time.  "Sometimes sleep is the best cross training", not sure where I read that line, it was a while back, but it's dead on the money.  Get a nap in, there have been times in the middle of an Ultra and was so bad off I stopped and napped, see if that helps or just go to bed for the day, either way it's one training day in a 3 month, 6 month or year training block.  Better to be able to run tomorrow than get hurt and not be able to train for weeks.

Next subject is pain, sometimes it can just kill any motivation we have to get out the next day, then again some of us thrive on it.  You wake up the next morning after a run and your legs are just killing, you think about running, but then you are like well will I get hurt if I run anymore, the answer could be yes or no.  Most times we are sore is because the day before we may have pushed it just a little harder than what we are used to, either we did speed work, got in some weight lifting, took a different course that may have been just a little hillier than what we are used to, or nutrition and/or sleep has changed up.  Whatever it may be, it may be a sign to take it a little easier today, we hate to back off now because yesterday was awesome, but if we push today the soreness COULD be worse tomorrow.  As for other pains, not muscle soreness or generally pains we get from the amazing fun time of running, you may want to talk to a doctor, especially if it has been around for a while or is getting worse.

Last but not least, especially this year in my area, the heat.  You walk out the nice air conditioned building, to realize you have entered the 7th gate of hell, as you start to run you realize you are literally the only idiot outside in this stuff, as you see random faces staring at you from inside their cozy homes.  In these conditions, I would say maybe we should cut the run short today or slow it down a lot.  When it is abnormally hot in your area, pay special attention to your body, some people take the heat just fine, I know I did when I was younger, I was actually best in high heat.  Now that I have gotten older, high heat shuts me down as it does most people, I know I can't go as or as hard as I would like, it's been a tough lesson, because I still fight with it keep trying to push through it, but the body can only handle so much stress before it starts forcing you to slow down or worse.

All I am saying is just be careful out there, we all want to keep racing, after all that is why we train.

Also, do not forget, I am still doing my shoe giveaway for lucky cross country runner.  Check out my Facebook page for more details.

Training for this week:

Monday - 2 hour run

Tuesday - 1 mile repeats x6

Wednesday - 2 hour run

Thursday - 400 meter intervals x12

Friday - 2 hour run

Saturday - 10 mile run

Sunday - 10 mile run

Zack Hummer Memorial 5k and 10k

The Zack Hummer Memorial 5k and 10k is an event put on by a community in remembrance of an athlete but far more than that a brother, son, grandson and friend.  It's a tragedy I personally do not know much about, but was told about this great event by a fellow running buddy last year and asked me to come and support the event, and this is now my second year attending and it has grown a lot.  During this event there is obviously a 5k and 10k road race, 3 on 3 basketball tournament, music, raffle drawing, and my favorite, food.  This year, Charity, who is the mother and one of the great organizers of the event, and is also a member of Team Ragnarok, she is the goofy lady in the light blue, announced that this was a record year for the running events and basketball tournament, and all in good reason, it is one of the better events I attend throughout the year in East Central Indiana.

This run course is the type of run course you come to when you are looking to set a PR, it is fast.  I have been off my game this year as I have been training to run ultra distances, but this has been my fastest 10k this year by 1:30 with a 39:35, and I did a track workout two days before it and worked till 4:30 that morning.  For the 5k it is a one lapper and you guessed it, 2 lapper for the 10k.  It is basically an out and back with a loop around the park on the end each lap, you can not get lost and you always know where you are because it is marked very well.  Most the race is in the shade except for about a mile on each lap, from approximately mile 1 to mile 2, so for most of the race you are not battling a lot of heat.  Like I said, if you are looking for a good PR, come here!




Another great aspect of this race is the prizes, cash prizes for placing in the top 3 spots overall!  This year it was $100 for first, $50 for second, and $25 for third, so I was happy with my second place finish, and the rest of the team was happy because we kind of cleaned up, every person under the tent brought home money except the youngin he missed out by one place thanks the Chet, the guy in the red, also if you place top 3 you get a free entry for the next year, it is not like the entry fee breaks the bank though, it is only $20.  With entry fees that low, it is hard to stay away anyways.  I will definitely be back next year, and be hoping that they have my Pepsi and pickle for a $1.75 after the race.

Then there was the basketball tournament, which Team Ragnarok may have to form us up one next year.  The entry fee is $80 per team, and I believe they had cash prizes too.  From what I seen though I will definitely need to get on the court, because there were some serious teams playing.

Also, I started my first running shoe giveaway for kids.  Visit my Facebook page - That Guy in the Kilt, for more information.

Well I guess on to the training portion for this week, I feel great after the race this weekend so lets get to it.

Monday - 2 hour easy run

Tuesday - 1 mile repeats x 6

Wednesday - 2 hour easy run

Thursday - 5,4,3,2,1 fartlek

Friday - 2 hour easy run

Saturday - 24 miles on road

Sunday - 16 miles on hills

DNF or Did Not Finish

I had a serious issue about this last year, I was super frustrated about it, because it had happened to me in almost half my races.  They ranged from 50k to a 4 mile race that I had an anxiety attack around mile 2.  I was battling in my mind whether I should keep racing or just drop it and pick up a new a hobby, but with me being the competitor I am, I snapped out of that thought and got right back to training.  So far this year I've had much better luck, only "DNFing" one race which was a 24 hour race last week, but I was actually really happy with my decision to drop and the week after it.

The reason I bring up this subject is not really about me, is more about an article I read that was about one of the athletes I started following this year, Tejay van Gardaren, that I thought had a good shot at the Yellow Jersey in Tour de France this year.  For those who do not know what the Yellow Jersey stands for, it is the Jersey that the lead rider on time gets to wear during the each stage of the competition.  Well, a couple days before the end of the race, he had decided to drop out, he was currently in 3rd place and was the lead rider for USA and Team BMC.  The reason he had pulled out was because he had a lingering cold and it was getting worse.  It was causing him to fall further and further behind, so if he would have stayed in he most likely would not have finished where he wanted or close to and risked causing himself more problems in the future, like getting sicker or causing an injury from the lowered immune system and or more than usual difficult breathing.  Pulling out in the end was probably the best thing he could have done, for him, lowered his risk of becoming more sick, causing an injury, and shortened recovery time from the race and sickness so he can get back to training sooner and get a jump on the next race.  If you want to read more on the article, here it is: Why Tejay van Garderen Made The Right Choice

We have all battled the idea of DNFing in a race, thinking if I do it now it will make easy to do it in the future, or it will make me look weak.  Both are a possibility, but most competitors are not going to just drop out of habit, the hardware, goals, and the race is usually enough to keep us rolling after a DNF.  Yes, some people who may not understand why you did not finish, may joke that you are weak, but most people that have been doing it long enough are going to understand because we have dropped out a few times.  Stopping a race or never starting a race because of injury or sickness, is going to almost always prolong your racing career, you have to listen to your body, you don't won't to end it all over one more mile do you?

Training schedule for this week:

Monday - 1.5 hour run

Tuesday - 4 x 1 mile repeats

Wednesday - 1.5 hour run

Thursday - Sprint ladders 2 miles worth - 100 m, 200 m, 300 m, 200m, 100m; repeat till distance is met

Friday - off

Saturday - 10k race (Zack Hummer Memorial 5k/10k)

Sunday - 14 mile run

Christmas in July 24 Hour and Sqwincher Sqweeze

Well this was by far the most challenging thing that I have attempted.  Not everything went according to plan before the race, the race conditions were not exactly friendly, and it was by far the longest race I have ever attempted so here goes a race and product review along with a botched attempt at going farther, well I went the farthest I ever have but not as far as I wanted.

Christmas in July is a really fun event to go to, they have multiple events: a fun run, 5k, 10k, 6 Hour, 12 Hour, 24 Hour and the locals and event organizers really made the 12 hours I ran entertaining, that is for sure.  They had the whole course decorated with lights, inflatables, and other Christmas themed decorations.  The locals literally are there just as long as you are still running never giving way to fatigue to make sure you keep moving, especially this one girl, no idea who she was but she seemed to be there every lap to give every single runner a high five or fist bump. Then there was food, it was great especially the late night pizza and the early morning pancakes and bacon, oooooooh bacon!  Then there is the course, the ultra course is the only one I touched, but it was just under 1 mile.  1 mile does sound intimidating to do for 24 hours but the course is rolling, winding, and easy to get lost in your thoughts in.  With all that said, this is a tough ultra for the simple fact it is on asphalt, so no soft trails for easy running, you will feel every step after a while.

The awards I thought were one of the most appealing things about this race, giant nutcrackers, belt buckles for clearing 100 miles, and very well made finisher medals.

So I guess on to my experience for the event!....!  It started off as any other event except for I got up a little earlier than usual thanks to my 1 year old, well the time was about 6:30 am.  Was all packed up and ready to go by noon, but had to do a little running around to make sure the house would survive while I was gone.  3 pm, I get out the door for my 3.5 hour drive, plus going back across timelines, I figured I was going to get a good nap, man I was wrong!  Nice drive for about the first 1.5 hours, then it all stops, literally.  I heard over the radio that there had been a possible tornado touchdown about 18 miles up the road, and apparently everyone else heard it, because cars were piled under the next underpass and traffic was at a dead halt.  About that time we started getting beat by hail, so I just kept my eyes open, eventually we started moving, but were at a dead crawl for I don't even know how long, all I know is I pulled into the park at 9 pm their time, and the race started at 10pm, when I was planning to be there at 6 pm their time, so no nap for me.

So I start running, get one lap down, and I start into a comfortable running pace, a little slower than my normal easy run pace. After about 5 miles or so, I catch up with the lead girl, who took off at the start, she told me she was last years winner.  We decided to stay together probably for the next 5 or so miles.  She backed off a little bit and I decided to try and hold pace a little longer, thinking to get some good miles in during the cool night, which if I would have known the rain was going to hit I would waited till then to try and hammer miles down since it was currently around 80 degrees.  I felt great honestly until around the 5 mile mark, which I think I may have still been leading, but I got tired and I got tired fast.  Every lap was worse and worse, I was literally waking up while still running.  I really got worried so I stopped and talked to a volunteer and they offered me a place to nap for a little bit and informed me there was no time limit in between laps, so I napped for close to 2 hours.

Just shy of the 7 hour mark, I woke up and I knew I had cleared the 30 mile mark before the nap so I still felt okay about possibly breaking 100 miles.  As I got back to running, I felt great!  I put down 5 or 6 solid miles, then the sun started coming up, so I started getting a little conservative, because I knew it was about to get hot.  I got to the probably 10 hour mark and fatigue from lack of sleep the day before hit me again, so I found a random bench on the course and passed out, many of the participants were worried about me and kept waking me up, I had to inform them that I had been awake for 14+ hours before the race and that I was just resting for a little bit.  After I got up, not sure where I was on time scale or anything.  I ran maybe two more laps, then calmed down and just walked a few laps while talking to some of the others going through the sufferfest with me to conquer a few more miles.  At the 12 hour and 40 minute mark, I was told I could check with the Race Director and find out my lap count, I checked it and I was at 44 laps and 42 miles.  I thought about for a few minutes and decided to pull out at this point.  With state I was in and how hot it was, 110 heat index, there was no way I was going to hit 100 miles.


Sqwincher was really nice and set me up with most of my refueling needs.  Sqwincher Sqweeze Pops which if you know anything about me while I am running, I absolutely love popsicles while I am putting down some serious miles.  They also sent me Sqwincher Single Serve stick packs, which were great, because unlike some stick packs they mix perfectly with 20 oz of water instead or 8 or 12 oz like other similar products.  I used their products for all my hydration needs this race and absolutely loved them.  Way better than gatorade, because they kept my stomach calm and the flavors are so much more intense, they wake you up when you get into that endurance trance.

My training for this week, it is going to be reverse taper so I can get back up to full speed next week:

Monday: 3 mile run
Tuesday: 3 x 1 mile repeats, 2 minute rest
Wednesday: 1 hour run
Thursday: 6 x 400 meter intervals, 1 minute rest
Friday: 1 hour run
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday 6 mile run hills

Nike LunarGlide 5: A Shoe Review

Yes I know these are the old model and the new model is already out, but hopefully this will help you out when are looking at the new model, since most shoe reviews are released after a few runs in them.  Mine is being released after 600+ miles in them.

So here they are brand new, my first pair of Nike's in over 10 years, so when I was first buying them I was really really fighting with myself, because I am an Adidas man.  I was pointed towards them by a couple people in the Trail Running and Ultramarathon community on Google+.

These things are like pillows, that literally it was tough to do fartlek, tempo, or intervals during the first 200 miles in them.  I am not complaining about it though, normally I do those type of runs in my racing shoes, so since these are not my normal racing shoes I am fine with super kooshy leg saving experience.  For my super long runs 20+ miles my feet never felt better, early in their life they are really great for ultra marathons that are not on super slick trails, because they are a road shoe.

200 - 500 miles I still loved them, they stiffened up a little bit so I could start really laying down some speed in them when I felt like it and they were still holding up very well in the long run.

After 500 miles at 171 pounds the shoes are starting to end their life with me, I am currently plus 600 miles in them.  Since around 500 miles my feet have starting hurting in them, the traction has finally started wearing out pretty good, but the top part of the shoe is still holding up strong, except for where my dog chewed them a little...  I am putting a new pair of insoles in them this week and going to be running the Christmas in July 24 Hour next weekend and am confident they will soft enough with addition and the shoes will hold up for many many more miles, hoping to hit the 1000 mark with them.



So here it is taper week 3, big race next week, time to ease into it.

Monday: 30 minute run
Tuesday: 30 minute run
Wednesday: 30 minute run, start chowing down on pretzels
Thursday: Relax and continue chowing down on pretzels
Friday:  Pretzels will be all I snack on till race time, Race starts at 10pm
Saturday: Race ends at 10 pm
Sunday: Trying to recover