Month: June 2014

Nearing the end of my run today I was literally willing my tired body up the last couple of climbs (will … up the hill …will … up the hill was my mantra, repeated over and over) and I discovered a move that provide a little bit of inertia – but enough to propel me over the crest of little climbs and down the other side. Bobbing my head back and forth just slightly, 10 pounds of inertia is enough for your body to follow.

When I’m on fresh legs I can swing my arms in an almost cartoonish motion that allows me to use my upper body to run uphill faster. I learned it from the guys racing La Luz in Albuquerque (9 mile uphill race).

Today’s run was like this:

• Brown chicken brown cow for 10 miles
• Wheels slowly coming off over the next 5
• Rally for the last 5 and finished strong

http://www.strava.com/activities/159751305

When the wheels come off you have to be really careful with the self talk because it can turn into a death spiral if you let it. “Man I’m an idiot – what are you doing!?” (bad self talk) to “You did a stupid thing, but you’re not stupid.” (better). Best of all is the self talk that tells the doubting you to “STFU! I’m concentrating!” And wow does it take a lot of concentration when the wheels come off.

I think this is my new favorite loop in Forest Park – it has a good mix of singletrack and forest road with good climbing. Singletrack climbing at the start for a few miles to rolling singletrack for about 10 miles, then you drop down onto a forest road and descend to connect with another forest road at about mile 13, then back to singletrack to the finish road at 19 miles. I ran the last mile on the road to get to my Car2Go so I could drive home.

FML moment of the day. There’s my Car2Go home. On the right we have a No Trespassing sign, on the left a fence… that I considered jumping to walk UP the hill so I could go home. I ended up walking back around the fence and then storming the hill. Note: I feel kinda bad for the people who get the Car2Go after I’m back from a long run. Thinking I might just start taking a trash bag with me to sit on.

Nutrition

• Took the 70oz bladder in UD pack. Filled with Tailwind
• 1 20oz bottle filled with Tailwind
• 2 Clif shots (I espresso w/caffeine, 1 vanilla bean)
• 2 Clif blocks (not a pack, just 2 blocks)

I drained the bottle and the hydration bladder around mile 17.

This was my first long run after Beacon Rock 50K and I would have been satisfied to stay home and play with the kids and work on the treehouse I’m building. I started to get excited as I was driving to the trailhead – no expectation, just a little run through the woods.

My motivation has been on a bit low after my disappointing 50K time at Beacon Rock.  And I’ve been super busy at work with 2 trips to SF in the last week, so my sleep schedule has been off.  I think that racing is extremely depleting both mentally and physically – it cores me out at a very elemental level.  But as today’s run shows, even if I don’t feel checked in mentally, the physical bump from racing is still there. I was about 2nd fastest time on the sections of this loop that I’ve run before. That’s a good thing. And the final mile or so I was able to dig deep – mile 20 was my fastest.

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http://www.strava.com/activities/156984866

So the most awesome thing that I saw on the run was a guy and his son (assuming – he looked about 12) at the Saturday market (it’s also held on Sunday). Playing this Weezer song to the touristas walking along the waterfront. They were *jamming*.

Linkedin has made it easier to break a connection than to unfollow connections’ long form posts. Nice product design. Kudos.

It’s a toss-up between calling it ‘user hostile’ and a ‘dark pattern’. As I was searching for the controls to unsubscribe I realized how many profile (and post) impressions I was giving to the user who authored the post. Ewww… kind of slimy design practices.

Someone (a designer) made the decision to not allow this link to be an active unfollow:

This Following button does not toggle to unfollow.

Neither does this one.

From the help docs:

As a means to drive engagement, another design decision was made to automatically follow 1st-degree connections.  **The Unfollow button indicated in the above help text doesn’t actually work.

Increasing reach by authoring long-form posts is baked into the platform, but at the expense of spamming your 1st-degree contacts. In this case the decision was between allowing the user more clear controls over notifications (and following) or designing the system in such a way to make defaults to push engagement and impressions (which drive views on the post).

3:30 wake up.
4:20 cab to airport.
6:00 (inside!) the jet.
6:20 activate superpower! (sleep-on-plane).
7:45 arrive!
8:00 coffee!
8:15 cab to office.
9:00 – 16:00 talk talk talk talk talk….talk talk…talk talk talk.
16:15 cab to airport.
18:40 (inside!) the je… [delayed…delayed…delayed…]
20:30 (inside!) the jet.
20:55 blast off!
22:15 cab to home.
22:45 bed.

From Midway Claude Sylanshine then flew on something called Consolidated Thrust Regional Lines down to Peoria, a terrifying thirty-seater whose pilot had pimples at the back of his neck and reached back to pull a dingy fabric curtain over the cockpit and the beverage service consisted of a staggering girl underhanding you nuts while you chugged a Pepsi.

-The Pale King

I started. Even if the novel isn’t complete, I’m looking forward to the pure genius of the writing.

http://www.strava.com/activities/151248847

After crossing the ridge on top of Hamilton Mountain the trail takes a sharp right into the trees and what begins is about half a mile of the most beautiful running trail of the course. THIS. This is why I love trail running I thought as I bounded down the mountain.  A soft forest duff of pine needles and rich soil cushioned my feet.

This was the first loop of two 25 kilometer loops at the Beacon Rock 50k. I had drained both of my bottles of Tailwind at this point and settled into a steady rhythm back to the aid station with a light pack where I could refill fluids and push off for the last 5 miles to the campground – the end of the 25K course and the turnaround for the 50K.

The morning began at 5am when my alarm went off and I went downstairs to have a piece of toast with almond butter, a banana and a cup of coffee. Check in was at 6:45 with the race starting at 8am. On the drive across the bridge into Washington and out Route 14 East there was a little bit of rain and I had a mild panic attack that I hadn’t even brought a shell if the weather turned pear shaped during the course of the day. As I rounded a curve in the road, the Columbia River Gorge opened up below me and in the distance I could see the sun burning down through the low cloud layer.

I checked in, got my number and dropped a bag at the halfway point with 2 bottles of frozen Tailwind.

Just before 8am we got the pre-race details from race director James Varner, who reminded us that this was not a road race…it was a trail race and we don’t leave trash on the ground – if we see a gel packet on the ground, pick it up and carry it out.

1, 2, 3. Go.
The race started out from the group campground and turned right down a paved road for a 1/4 mile before turning sharply back onto a fire road where it immediately began climbing. I made a point this race to not start too quickly and purposely keep my heart rate down – with the goal of picking up the pace in the second half of the race. I ran up the road and each time my heart rate began to climb, I slowed down to a walk and recovered, then repeated.

As we continued to climb the race pack began to break apart. As we turned to climb on single track, I was with a group of 5. We slowly made our way up the mountain on very loose and steep footing. There were short sections of runnable terrain and I was frustrated when the group continued to hike and not run those sections. Nearing the ridge the lead runner stepped aside and with a group of 3, I passed, crested the ridge and immediately began descending. The single track was very steep, loose and off-camber. Difficult to get into a steady rhythm in this terrain, but as we descended I remained steady, ran where I could and stepped gingerly where the terrain warranted.

Nutrition
After not managing nutrition very well at Gorge50k,  I vowed to stick to a plan and keep the calories inbound according to the clock. I ate one gel 10 minutes before the race started and then continued to eat about every 30 minutes. Early in the race I was eating gels and drinking Tailwind, at about 1.5 hours, I took two S-caps (sodium and potassium). The temperatures were in the low 80s, shaded in the forest, full sun exposure along the ridges. I knew I would be losing a lot of fluids and in fact was soaking wet the entire race. Later in the race I began to eat Clif blocks and caffeinated gels. Just after 20 miles, I ate half a peanut butter sandwich and a few salty chips. From 25 miles to the finish I drank a few cups of Coke (last aid station) and plain water.

The only major issue that I had was with the Gu hydration drink they were serving at the aid stations. I consumed 4 bottles of Tailwind, but when I ran out, I switched to Gu Electrolyte brew. Early in the race the taste (and sweetness) was bearable – but later in the race as the temperatures climbed I began to feel naseuous when drinking it – to the point that I threw an entire bottle away on the trail and only drank water and ate gels. At one point after drinking a few sips of it – I tried to burp and felt like I may throw up. I kept it down and was able to eek out a few burps – but it was close. Gu Electrolyte Brew in hot weather doesn’t work for me… it’s disgusting.

Highs and Lows
The only true low that I had was nearly at the top of the 2nd climb on the 2nd loop. I was a bit disoriented and was expecting to see the amazing vista and then quickly descend 5 miles back to the final aid station. I just wanted to be off the ridge and on the way home. It felt like it never came – after reaching one summit, the trail descended slightly and climbed again.  I was confused about where the ridge was and when I would get there – it was probably another half mile to the cutoff trail that led back to very runnable, shaded terrain. It didn’t come soon enough.

The course was challenging for a number of reasons – the runnable terrain was very *runnable*, but there was also so much elevation gain (~8000k) that my legs were very tired from climbing and descending the steeps that when I did reach the very runnable single track and fire roads my quads were screaming at me.  The temperature was also a factor, I didn’t stop to pee the entire race, so I was probably not drinking enough. The start of the second climb was particularly tough as I was ascending a jeep trail in the full sun. It was very hot.

I’d be lying if I said I’m happy with the result. I got my ass kicked. I tried a different strategy (nutrition,  HRM) this race with mixed results. I was checking time as I came into the last aid station and I realized I wouldn’t be able to go under 7 hours. I was bummed, but I closed strong, moving quickly the last few miles of fire road and running the climb up the road to the finish. Something with my training or strategy isn’t quite dialed in and I’m going to need to take some time to figure it out. I think my first shift is to stop thinking about 50K like an ultra and begin to think of it like a marathon.

I guess the thing I love most about running ultras is that things never go according to plan. You have to adapt and think on your feet. Is there any better metaphor for life? You have amazing highs… rolling through the aid stations to big cheers… chasing someone down steep rocky trails – feet barely touching the ground. Literally flying. And you have incredible lows… 18 miles back in the woods, completely alone, sun blazing down – nothing to drink … and too many miles to go. But most times it’s just the simple things – when it’s hot and dusty and you’re tired… and the wind picks up and cools you off. There is nothing more primal.

Tapering for a race is a lot like maintaining a beautiful garden; cutting the grass, landscaping the hedges, weeding, edging, watering – ensuring that everything is *perfectly* in place and beautifully manicured….

…before dousing it with gasoline, throwing a match on it and burning it to the ground. Which is the race of course.

I’m setting a very risky precedent this week. I’m rested, recovered – not injured. Within 2 lbs of my race weight… I have no excuses. None.

[vimeo 96560790 w=500 h=281]

Zegama-Aizkorri from B&B on Vimeo.

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http://www.strava.com/activities/148752510

Trying to keep heart rate low low low today. I moved so slowly up to Washington Park I probably could have pranced and gone a little quicker. One more run this week, then racing on Sunday. I’m trusting that my 50 mile weeks were enough of a base and that my 20 milers will carry me through.

The Beacon Rock course has about 1K more elevation than Gorge 50K – 7500/vert. Most volcanoes (Hood, St. Helens) are about 5K… and I’ll be running what I can. My strategy is to start slow and negative split the second 15 miles, which means I’m going to need to dig deep the 2nd time up Hamilton Mountain.

Starting to inventory food and hydration and planning a feed strategy. It’s going to be in the 70’s and I think there will be a lot of open running (full sun).

7 Days.

The weather in Portland is best suited to long-sleeve zips most of the year and that’s what I’ve been wearing all through the winter and early spring. I have a nice short sleeved Nike Dri-Fit T-shirt from Hood to Coast a couple of years ago – I really like the (nearly) absence of any seams and that it dries really fast… but I don’t really want to wear a H2C shirt at this weekend’s race. Sounds vain – but I have major issues with chafing and I really don’t want to deal with the aftermath next Monday. I have a TNF tank top that I like – but anything longer than 10 miles, it chafes very bad below my pits. So new Patagonia Outpacer shirt in the laundry.

Weather looks like it’s going to be in the low 80s, so I also picked up salt tablets to avoid any hyponatremia problems. As there are aid stations every 5 miles, I was thinking of just taking a handheld bottle… or two – and then carrying gels and just eating from the table – the problem with this tactic is that I haven’t done my long runs this way, so …. bad idea to do something different in a race. I may not be able to hold a bottle for the second 15 miles and I can imagine freaking out trying to decide if I should dump my bottle or not…or trying to clip it to my belt somehow so I don’t have to carry it — I’d rather save the angst and stick to my run pack.  Still considering taking one bottle — and then taking aid when it’s available.

20 oz of Tailwind every 5 miles… is about 6 bottles… if I take a hydration bladder @ 70 oz it will take me to about mid-race before I’ll need a refill. I think the best strategy is to take 2 bottles, no hydration bladder and refill at every aid. If I count and mark my Tailwind in baggies, I can refill with water and tailwind when I roll into aid.

Beacon Rock AS
5.5
11.8
15.5 – drop bag
21.0
27.3

I think I’ve tapered correctly the past 2 weeks – I’m planning to get 2 medium runs early in the week and then just stretch/yoga/foam roll the back half of the week and be ready to rock on Sunday.  Woot!