"Going the Distance!"

Marathon & Beyond 100 Mile Training Article

2010-12-03T11:29:00.002-06:00

Very exciting news! I wrote an article a few years back and it will finally be published in the January/February 2011 issue of Marathon & Beyond. The article is titled "How I Trained for my First 100 Miler" and chronicles my journey from my first ultra, the Berryman 50 miler, all the way to my final exam at the 2007 Kettle Morraine 100 mile run. Check out www.marathonandbeyond.com for details of where to get your own issue or to subscribe; it's a great magazine that every ultra runner will enjoy reading!
Hope you all are well and Happy Running!
Carey

Short Berryman Race Report and So Long, For Now...

2008-05-21T20:55:00.002-05:00

Filled with emotion after finishing the 2007 Kettle Moraine 100 Mile Run

Another amazing event put on by the SLUGs and co-race directors David and Victoria White! You really couldn't have scripted a better day, the weather was ideal and I got to see many of my good friends. Not my finest performance finishing the marathon in 4:44 but I had fun nonetheless. Got to run a bit with Jerry Frost, chat it up with Don Frichtl, Paul and Cindy Schoenlaub, Ben Holmes, Pat Perry, David and Victoria, Rick Mayo, David Stores and so many others; it really was great :-) For the full 2008 Berryman Marathon and 50 Mile Run Results click HERE. And now, let's move on to what is really on my mind.

I started this blog over a year and a half ago and had no idea what a big part of my life it would become. It began more as a marketing tool when I started my job as a loan officer for Mindy's Mom but then evolved into something much more. It took on a personality of it's own as my "baby" and all of you became my cyber family sharing in my accomplishments and supporting me when I was down. I can't begin to even explain to all of you how much it has meant to me to know you were out there reading along and sharing in my life, laughing when I laughed and crying when I cried. The emails I've received, comments on the blog and all of you who have come up to me at races have touched my life in a profound way and I thank all of you for being interested in my story (or stories) and sharing the past 18 months with me. What a journey it has been! Throughout the last year and a half I have grown more than in any other period in my life and finally let the real Carey shine through as I tore down the walls I had built around myself. As I sit here writing this I am filled with emotion and must admit a bit sad, but it is time. For those of you close to me this probably isn't a suprise while to others it may be totally out of left field. As I embark on a new career and direction in life I need to focus my full attention and efforts on that, I hope all of you understand and support me in pursuing my dream. This is not Good-Bye but simply so long, for now. Know that I am here and you can always email me if you ever need anything or just want to say hello. The picture at the top of this post is me after finishing my first 100 mile race almost a year ago. It was perhaps the best moment of my life thus far and really the start of "the change" inside me.

Wishing you all the best,
Carey

Berryman Report Coming Soon!

2008-05-18T19:13:00.003-05:00

Andrew Karandjeff, Victoria White and Lee Hess with the thumbs up

So my last race for a while is history and I must say I really enjoyed seeing all of my good friends and running a course which has so many special memories for me. I definitely didn't set any records as I finished in 4:44:22, I kept telling my legs to go faster but they just wouldn't listen :-) I hope to have a race report together by the middle of this week.

How amazing was the weather this weekend!?! Between the marathon yesterday and the Cardinals game today I definitely took advantage of it. Hope all of you were able to catch some rays too!

Until later,
Carey

3 Tips For More Energy

2008-05-16T10:44:00.006-05:00

Fitness Together - St. Louis owner, Tim Chudy, posted these great tips on his blog today on how to have more energy and who couldn't use that? Enjoy!

"Everywhere you go people are looking for 'energy'. You’ve heard and seen all the ‘Hi Energy’ stuff out there. But where should you go for your energy fix? And is it really a fix at all? Or just a remedy that leads to an inevitable crash and burn?

In reality, the "energy" we're chasing is simply mental alertness. And it's no secret that coffee, energy drinks and cigarettes contain drugs that stimulate your brain, giving you the mental alertness we often mistakenly call 'energy'.

If you are searching for a better way of living, a life that doesn't depend on chemicals - literally, drugs! - to keep you awake and motivated, if you are tired of being tired, then being jacked up, and then being tired again, then set the coffee cup down, step away from the supersized Diet Cokes, and turn to a more natural solution. There are better, healthier ways to achieve higher levels of physical and mental energy.

Here are 3 ways to gain more energy, naturally:

1) Exercise

It doesn't matter what time you exercise, just be consistent with your efforts. Just pick a time that fits with your schedule and personality. If you have to do it first thing when you wake up, just do it. Don't even let yourself think about it. Just get started. A lot of people think too much about their plan. They want to have everything perfect before they begin working out.

Focus on intense strength training for 30-40 minutes followed by a brief cardio interval training session to boost your metabolism all day long. Exercise is like a drug. Like caffeine and nicotine, exercise causes the release of many 'good for you' chemicals into your blood stream, resulting in mental stimulation and an improved sense of overall well- being. Exercise just makes you feel awesome.

2) Eat smaller, more frequent meals

Skip the cycle of starving and overeating characterized by no breakfast, a high-carbohydrate lunch, and a huge dinner. Instead, eat a supportive breakfast and then continue to eat supportively every 3 hours for the rest of the day. Research shows that a high-fiber, high-protein breakfast helps control appetite and increases mental alertness all day, and improves your ability to process information.

Don't skip breakfast and rely on a coffee to get you through the day. Got no time? C'mon! You're an adult, you can get up 10 minutes earlier to have a protein shake, some almonds, and an apple. You're not in high school anymore. No excuses!

3) Eat only whole, natural foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, raw nuts, Green Tea, water

Trying to survive on processed foods is a recipe for an energetic disaster. Stick to whole, natural foods during the day, snacking rather than eating huge meals and you'll never feel like dozing off again. If a food is from a bag or a box, it doesn't deserve a place in a supportive nutrition plan. Try to avoid all added sugars.

Bonus Tip:

Take 2-minute breaks during the day to perform some light stretching or deep breathing.

Sitting at a computer all day zap our 'energy'. From poor posture, to eye-strain from computer screens, your office, cubicle, and car seat definitely sucks the life out of you. Daily exercise breaks are essential to not only boost energy, but mobility. Each day, as your slump over your computer, your upper body becomes rounded forward and tense. You need to reverse that movement by incorporating some light shoulder and chest stretches. In addition, get outside into natural light whenever possible."

Yoga and Running / Berryman Marathon Saturday

2008-05-11T11:29:00.008-05:00

Header from runnersworld.com

YOGA AND RUNNING
Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while know that I started doing Yoga about 8 months ago and how strongly I believe in it as a complement to running, you may remember that I included it as a blog entry subject back in September. Yesterday I was breezing through the June issue of Runners World and saw that they had an article on how Yoga makes you "stronger, sharper and less injury-prone." I couldn't agree with them more! They also featured a group called Runner's Yoga 90210, founded by Angie Stewart, "where marathoners, beginner runners and even members of the UCLA track team gather in Beverly Hill's Roxbury Park for a 20 to 30 minute run followed by 45 to 55 minutes of yoga in a nearby studio." I actually have a similar routine, each week on Tuesday and Thursday I run for 45 - 60 minutes before my morning Yoga class and feel incredible after I'm done. It's a great back-to-back combo that I highly recommend. For more about Yoga and Running visit the Yoga For Runners Section at runnersworld.com.

BERRYMAN MARATHON SATURDAY
This Saturday is the Berryman Marathon and 50 Mile Race down near Berryman, MO in the Mark Twain National Forest. This event holds a special place in my heart as it was where I ran my first ultramarathon back in 2006. This is my last scheduled race for sometime as I shift my focus to my new position at Fitness Together - St. Louis so I'm really looking forward to having a great time. Berryman holds a lot of memories as it is a special place not only for me individually but also for Mindy and I when we were together. Her smile, kindness and enthusiasm at "her aid station" will be missed by all.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! :-)
Hope all of you are well,
Carey

Big River Running Company Summer Speedwork Sessions

2008-05-06T13:49:00.003-05:00

My good friends at Big River Running Company are putting on FREE Tuesday night speed sessions at the Vianney High School Track (I-44 & Lindbergh). They begin tonight and will continue throughout the summer until Tuesday, August 24th. Anyone who completes 10 or more sessions will not only be faster by the end but will also receive a free Big River Running Company shirt. Be at the track around 6:30 pm to meet, the sessions will start promptly at 7:00 pm. I'll definitely be there for most of the summer and hope to see some of you! To learn more click HERE.

The 40 Runner’s Commandments

2008-04-29T12:04:00.004-05:00

Fellow SLUG, Randy Hunt, sent this out today via "SLUG Mail," Good Stuff!

The 40 Runner’s Commandments
by Joe Kelly
1. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
3. Don’t make running your life. Make it part of your life.
4. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself.
5. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times.
6. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you’ll need to call for a ride.
7. Don’t compare yourself to other runners.
8. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
9. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won’t run.
10. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.
11. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner.
12. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there.
13. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.
14. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
15. Don’t talk about your running injuries. People don’t want to hear about your sore knee or black toe.
16. Don’t always run alone.
17. Don’t always run with people.
18. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it.
19. No matter how slow, your run is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.
20. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you’ll get during racing.
21. Races aren’t just for those who can run fast.
22. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.
23. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn’t feel like running.
24. There is nothing boring about running. There are, however, boring people who run.
25. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.
26. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.
27. Don’t try to outrun dogs.
28. Don’t wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won’t run very often.
29. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started.
30. Without goals, training has no purpose.
31. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.
32. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.
33. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate.
34. “Winning” means different things to different people.
35. Unless you make your living as a runner, don’t take running too seriously.
36. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn’t look good in tights.
37. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.
38. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them.
39. Running is simple. Don’t make it complicated.
40. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn’t come until the end of the run.

What? I thought Dark Chocolate was GOOD for you!?!

2008-04-27T16:42:00.006-05:00

For the past few years it seems like everywhere I look I'm reading about the benefits of dark chocolate and with my focus on health and fitness, I've been doing my duty and making sure to include at least 1/2 oz. of dark chocolate in my diet every day (my preference is Ghirardelli's 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate). Some days are tougher than others but I know that what I am doing is good for my body and that it will pay off in the long run; YEAH RIGHT, I LOVE CHOCOLATE! Sunday long runs are "tough", resistance training is "tough", EATING DARK CHOCOLATE IS PURE HEAVEN! So I must say I was a bit bummed when I read recently that perhaps dark chocolate isn't all it's cracked up to be. According to a double blind, placebo study conducted by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University:

"This investigation failed to support the predicted beneficial effects of short-term dark chocolate and cocoa consumption on any of the neuropsychological or cardiovascular health-related variables included in this research. Consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa was, however, associated with significantly higher pulse rates at 3- and 6-wk treatment assessments."

Say it ain't so!!!! Apparently it was too good to be true and we've been tricked by the marketing geniuses at Hershey's. Of course I may hold out until I see more evidence, it was only one study and they could be wrong; they say there's no "short-term benefits" but I'm in it for the long haul. To read more about the study click HERE.

Two weeks have passed since my 70 mile DNF at McNaughton and as time passes I have become more comfortable with my decision. If you've been paying attention to my upcoming race schedule you may have noticed that one day I say I'm running Kettle in June and the next day it's "tentative"; I haven't signed up yet because I'm a bit undecided. Part of me thinks I need to get right back on the horse and "redeem" myself while another part of me doesn't feel redemption is necessary; "only run it if you truly want to". So that's what I've decided to do, until I'm 100% certain I'm not going to commit.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get my daily dose of dark chocolate :-)
Hope all of you are well,
Carey

2008 Double Chubb Results and RD Write-Up

2008-04-21T22:00:00.004-05:00

1st Place Female Christine Crawford on her way to victory (photo by George Powell)

Of course I went out to cheer on all the runners at the 2008 Double Chubb Trail Runs on Saturday. The course was re-routed due to flooding making it much more challenging than usual. It was great to see all of my friends and catch up; sometimes it's nice not running and just being a spectator. As always David and Victoria White did an amazing job as race directors; our group is so lucky to have the two of them!

For the full results click HERE and if you haven't already, make sure you page down to read my post from yesterday on Diet and Exercise. Below is the brief write-up from Victoria about the race:

"Let me just say, a great big THANK YOU to all our great volunteers, and to my husband David for dealing with the Park People, and getting them to let us have the race, even though half the park was flooded.

Race day, brought a light rain, while we were trying to get things setup. Having the Granddaddy Lodge was a bonus, as most of the runners stayed under there until I drug them out to start the race.

We had 4 runners that have now completed all 10 races. Congrats to Joel Lammers (WI), Lee Hess (MO), Stuart Johnson (KS) and Al Maiuro (MO). They were all presented with a Denim Shirt embroidered with Double Chubb 10 Year Finisher on it.

A huge Thank You to Jeff Collier for the Start/Finish Banner and the directional sign he made for us. They will both be used for years to come.

As always the Slug's bring out our best volunteers to help with the race, from helping with packet-pickup all the way to loading up the trailer when it is all finished, the volunteers worked tirelessly. Thanks again, I can't pull off the race without you.

We had to change the course, due to the flooding, so the 25K runners did the Double Chubb and the 50K runners did the Quad Chubb. (Janet Whalen said she invented the Quarter Chubb, doing only one loop). Mud was the word of the day, and made the hills slick. 6 runners dropped down to the 25K, having enough of the hills. Not going past the Rail Road tracks, cut out about 12 miles of flat trail.

Chris Wright won the 25K with a time of 2:05:55 with Master Jeff Vanderlinden on his heals at 2:06:53. 3rd overall and Female Winner was again Mary White with a time of 2:14:23. Female Master was Laura Scherff with a time of 2:24:20, on a tough day, these times are impressive. The Senior award went to Rudy Schwarz with a time of 2:31:45 and GrandMaster to George Powell with a time of 3:02:23. On the Female side it was Deb Schopp with a time of 3:41:52 taking the Senior and Grandmaster Joyce Yarger with a time of 5:54:36.

David Pokorny won the 50K in a time of 4:06:58 with Joel Lammers taking the Masters with a time of 4:22:37. Ben Creehan led the race for the first two loops, and was only 2 minutes behind on loop 3, but ended up finishing 2nd with a time of 4:16:06. Christine Crawford won the female race with a time of 4:41:55, and claimed she really enjoyed it (when she turned around, I discovered she was wearing half the course on her back). Starting from the West Tyson end, there are showers for the runners to rinse off the mud, and grime from the trail. When Kat Yarger finished, she asked me "when can I sign up for next year?" I'll get back to you on that one Kat. Gena Bonini won the Female Masters division with a time of 5:53:40. Senior Lee Dougherty beat out Don Frichtl with a time of 5:28:17 with Don's time of 5:29:30 pretty close on that one. Tony Kramer took the Grand Masters with a time of 5:39:22 and Senior Female Kay McVey had a time of 7:20:22.

I really enjoyed the day, having a little party for 100 of my closest friends. It's always nice to see people finish their first trail race, or their first Ultra. The smiles and hugs make all the work that goes into putting on a race worth it."

Victoria White
Double Chubb Race Director

Lose Fat / Gain Strength - A Few Diet and Exercise Tips

2008-04-20T14:42:00.009-05:00

Carrie Tollefson - Diet and exercise done right (photo from runnersworld.com)

A friend of mine emailed me this week asking me for some advice on how to lose weight based on my own experiences and information I've learned over the years. I wouldn't consider him overweight; he's around 6 feet tall and 185 lbs. and would like to get down to around 170 lbs. and be "lean and mean". While I do not claim to be an expert I have been successful in not only losing a considerable amount of weight but also maintaining that weight loss; and, as most of my friends can attest, I've read practically everything I could get my hands on regarding nutrition.

OVERVIEW
In order to be successful losing fat and gaining muscle both Diet AND Exercise are important and go hand-in-hand. If you are overweight or obese, making simple changes in your diet will result in quick weight loss since you have so much to lose; but, at a certain point the addition of exercise is imperative to continue making progress. I recommend that you make changes in your diet and start on an exercise routine at the same time to supercharge your fat loss and enjoy the mental and physical benefits of an active life immediately. You must also look at this as a lifestyle change and not some temporary diet where you will go back to your old routine once you lose the weight. I'm sure you've heard people say, "I can't wait to lose this last 10 lbs. so I can get off this diet; I miss ice cream so much and that's going to be my reward!" Guess what, this attitude is the main reason 90% of all people who lose weight actually gain back even more than they lost in the first place.

YOUR DIET
At the age of 24, it was easy for me to lose the weight for several reasons. I was young, a smoker who never worked out and had one of the worst diets you can imagine. Believe it or not, here is what I would eat in a typical weekday:

Breakfast - 3 Mrs. Fields Cookies and a 44 oz. Coke (my office was in a mall)
Lunch - McDonald's Super Size Big Mac Meal with a Super Size Coke
Mid-Afternoon - 44 oz Coke
Dinner - Either ate out at a Chili's type restaurant, Burger, Fries, Chips and Salsa and Soda or if eating at home something else very unhealthy and in large quantities.
Dessert - At around 9:00 pm I'd have a big bowl of ice cream.
I'd also drink about a liter of Coke every evening and drank alcohol probably 3 times a week.

My caloric intake was in excess of 5,000 calories a day while I was only burning around 2500 calories; it really is amazing that I didn't weigh more and I'm lucky that I caught it when I did! The changes I made were dramatic as I cut out all fast food and soda, started a resistance training and cardio program, limited my consumption of alcohol and started planning my weekly meals. I would take my lunch to work, grill chicken breasts on Sunday and freeze them for dinners during the week and carefully tracked my caloric intake so it matched my output (or in this case I was aiming for a caloric deficit to lose weight). But let's say you're like my friend and you don't need a major over-haul like I did; you just want to clean things up a bit. Here are a few tips:

1. NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST - It really is the most important meal of the day and jump starts your metabolism. Try to find a good combintation of complex carbs with high fiber, protein and healthy fats; I start every single day with Nature's Path Optimum Power Cereal with skim milk and I add in a few raisins. If I'm in a pinch and don't have my cereal I usually go for a whole wheat bagel with all natural peanut butter and a skim latte.

2. EAT OFTEN - You really should eat 5 to 6 sensible meals throughout the day. Think of your metabolism as a fire, if you build your fire and don't tend to it the flames will slowly die down but if you stoke your fire it will come roaring back to life; these small meals serve to stoke your metabolism. A typical week day for me looks like this: I eat my breakfast (described above), eat 2 of my Mom's Oatmeal Raisin cookies around 10:00 am, a lunch of Turkey and Spinach on whole wheat bread with whole wheat pretzels and an apple, mid-afternoon/pre-workout snack of an Odwalla or Clif Bar, for dinner a chicken breast or salmon with brown rice or red potatoes, steamed broccoli and carrots and then for dessert fat-free yogurt with berries and almonds. Also, immediately after my workout, I grab a skim latte and I usually have 1/2 ounce of Ghirardelli's 60% Cacao dark chocolate thrown in there somewhere.

3. BE CONSISTENT - "But Carey, I need some variety and can't eat the same things everyday." That's OK, I actually enjoy my routine and do break away from it with comparable substitutions but I still ensure I'm making healthy choices and keeping my caloric intake in check. When I say consistency it doesn't mean the same things, at the same time, every single day; it just means don't have yo-yo's in your diet where one day you're making healthy choices and the next opting for muffins and french fries. Even if you eat the same number of calories on your healthy vs. not so healthy days there's more to it than that; remember that the quality is just as important as quantity especially when resistance and endurance training.

4. IT'S OK TO "CHEAT" - Occasionally. Allow yourself one meal a week to fall off the wagon; this could actually help your body so it doesn't get in a rut and shock it back into fat burning mode. Remember that this is a lifestyle choice; if you deprive yourself completely you will not be successful. As time passes and you make healthier choices including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, etc. your body and mind will no longer crave those high-processed, sugary foods that are bad for you; funny how this works, but trust me, it's true.

5. HYDRATION AND ALCOHOL - Cut out all soda and sugary drinks; personally I drink diet soda but there are purists out there who say to cut this out too. Water is always the best choice! As far as alcoholic beverages you should cut these back to a minimum and drink in moderation. If you're going to drink have red wine or a drink like vodka and club soda; stay away from high sugar drinks such as margaritas and mixing your spirits with sugary soda. I do not drink alcohol at all for a few different reasons but I'm not saying you have to completely cut it out, just be smart about it and know that the calories in alcohol can add up very quickly. Not to mention losing your inhibitions and hitting Taco Bell for that infamous "Fourth Meal"; we've all been there...

The above is just the tip of the iceberg; as athletes, nutrition is extremely important to ensure we are not only performing our best but also keeping our immune system strong and our mind functioning properly. A book I highly recommend picking up is Eat Right to Train Right by Chris Carmichael; I consider it the nutrition "Bible" for athletes. Nutritiondata.com is a great website for evaluating the nutritional value/content of foods and also determining your caloric expenditure; DO NOT let this tool create a food obsession where you record and analyze everything. My recommendation is to track your food intake for a period of 3 days which will give you a baseline to help determine what changes you need to make and where the holes are in your diet.

FITNESS
Over the past year my view and approach to workouts has changed quite a bit and evolved from focusing solely on cardio conditioning (running) to a combination of resistance training, yoga and cardio in order to be stronger and healthier. Also, since studying for my CSCS Exam, I've learned much more about the importance of resistance training and the downsides of following an aerobic only conditioning routine. While aerobic conditioning is effective for burning calories and fat it is not the most effective way to build muscle and in fact many studies suggest that it may do just the opposite. The amount of muscle you have directly effects your metabolic rate; more muscle means more calories burned, it's as simple as that and the most effective way to build muscle is through resistance training. Resistance training does not only mean weight training; pilates, yoga (power yoga in particular) and boot camp style workouts are other great ways to build muscle if you're not a big fan of pumping iron in the gym. As an endurance runner, having a strong core is imperative to improving performance; when you're deep into a race these core muscles help you maintain your form and avoid injury. Since incorporating yoga, pilates, ab-work and weight training into my routine while maintaining my cardio component (running 50 miles per week), I have been performing better and feeling stronger than I ever did when running was my sole focus. My goal as an ultra-runner is not to add bulk but to add strength; there is a major difference. Yoga, pilates and lower-weight/higher-rep resistance training allows you to do this without adding a ton of mass.

As most of you know muscle does indeed weigh more than fat so if you are only using the scale to measure your progress you may find yourself disappointed. Last Fall I weighed 165 lbs. and after a winter of relatively high mileage and adding in resistance training and yoga I am 175 lbs. My diet is "cleaner" than ever, I'm working out on average 10 - 12 hours per week and feeling/looking stronger than before so I am happy with where I am because I know that the weight gain is due to increased lean muscle and loss of fat. It took me a while to stop focusing on the scale and simply look in the mirror; once I did I liked what I saw :-)

As I said in the beginning I do not claim to be an expert here and continue to learn more and more each day in my experiment of one. Some of the above may work for you and some of it may not; the method of losing weight seems quite simple, burn more calories than you consume. But, as I've found out through the years and in my studies, there's a lot more to it than that. Conversely, many of us do have easy fixes we can make in our every day lives to produce quick results. Of course, the less you have to lose the more complicated it gets.

Please share any thoughts or comments you have as I (and everyone else, I'm sure) would love to hear them!

Hope all of you are well,
Carey

Randomness at the Charlottesville Marathon

2008-04-19T18:16:00.008-05:00

Chris in the jungles of Colombia (South America, not Missouri :-)

My good friend, Chris Wynne, ran the Charlottesville Marathon today in Charlottesville, VA. I ran Chris' first marathon with him back in 2006 at Chicago and of course, he ended up beating me; I chalked it up to beginner's luck :-) This was his third marathon and he finished in a time of 3:32:04 which is very impressive considering he's also a full time law student at UVA. What's so interesting about his run today is the email he sent me this afternoon:

"You'll get a kick out of this -- I ended up running with this guy who told me he was partial to ultras....after about a few minutes, I found out that not only did this guy recognize your name from your blog, but he was the guy whose girlfriend you talked to at McNaughton -- the guy who slept for 11 hours during the 150 miler and got up and kept going (I think he said he wound up finishing 6th). His name is John and he's from here in Charlottesville. Small world, right??"

I don't know what's crazier, the randomness of Chris "running" into him or the fact that he is running a marathon less than a week after the McNaughton 150!?!

Great job Chris on a strong finish! For the full 2008 Charlottesville Marathon and Half Marathon Results click HERE.

The 2008 McNaughton Park 100 Mile Trail Run - My First DNF

2008-04-14T18:05:00.010-05:00

The Heaven's Gate Crew

I met fellow SLUG, Travis Liles, at his home in Troy, IL at 11:30 am Friday morning and then we continued on the 2 hour journey to Pekin, IL for the 2008 McNaughton Park 100 Mile Trail Run. It was relatively warm but windy as we left Troy but that all changed as we headed north.

We arrived at McNaughton around 2:30 pm, ate our Subway sandwiches and then made our way over to see if we could pick up our race packets early. The 150 mile race had already begun and many of the runners were coming through the start/finish area as they completed their first 10 mile loop. The McNaughton Park Trail Races have three distances; the 150 Mile Run (15 loops) started Friday at noon and the 50 mile (5 loops) and 100 mile (10 loops) runs both started at 6:00 am Saturday morning. We found Andy Weinberg, the race director, and he said the packets wouldn't be ready until 4:00 pm so Travis and I headed back to town to check into our hotel and relax a bit at Starbuck's. When we came back to pick up our packets around 5:00 pm it had gotten even colder and the wind had picked up quite a bit.

"Thank goodness we aren't running tonight," I said to Travis.

Little did I know that was the best time to be running since the overnight rain and additional 150 runners would turn the course into a "you'd have to see it to believe it" mudfest by Saturday afternoon. Travis and I headed over to Applebee's to grab our dinner to go and I saw fellow SLUG, Don Frichtl, having dinner with three young ladies. I didn't want Don to have all of the fun so I made my way over to chat with him a bit and, of course, to meet the "Valpo Girls" (Sarah, Katie and Cara). Don said he had run a loop earlier in the day and that the trail was in good condition; but that was before all of the additional runners and rain. The "Valpo Girls" were there supporting Ellen Erhardt and said they would cheer me on too.

"What do you want us to say when you come by?" they asked.

"Just tell me I'm looking good no matter what," I replied.

I wonder if Katie is single? I digress, on with the story...

We woke up around 4:45 am Saturday morning and began our preparations for the race. With the mud and 2 creek crossings per loop I knew that my feet would be wet for the entire time so I decided to try out a tip I learned from Jeffrey "Sam" Rogers to coat my feet in diaper rash ointment (zinc oxide) which would serve to "waterproof" them. I actually did this the night before and slept with socks on and then added another coat in the morning; this tip is brilliant as my feet looked fresh with no pruning whatsover after running for almost 17 hours in the muck that was McNaughton. Also, per the advice of David Horton on the Ultralist, I applied Balm of Gilead to my areas that are prone to chafing in the front and the behind; this too worked wonderfully as I had no issues whatsover during or after the race.

At 5:30 am we arrived at McNaughton Park and I made my way over to the drop bag canopy to stash my gear and listen to the pre-race briefing. I chatted a bit with friends and made a few new ones who knew me from the blog; they joked about how I probably hear that a lot at races and actually, I do. It's nice to know that someone out there is reading this :-) The temperature was in the low 30's with a blustery wind but it was not raining, yet. As the first light of dawn began to creep through the clouds the Mayor of Pekin welcomed us to their city and wished us luck, followed by a few last words from Andy and at precisely 6:00 am we were off.

My plan was to average 2 hours and 15 minutes per loop which would get me well under the 24 hour mark with a 22:30 finish. Usually it takes me a while to get into my groove but I was feeling good from the start and running fast. Before long, Mark Carlson, a friend from the blog running the 50 miler, caught up to me as we approached the Heaven's Gate aid station to the cheers of the "Valpo Girls."

"Yay, Carey! Looking Good!" they yelled.

I gave them the Rocky pose and a big smile, "You probably say that to all the guys," I said.

Mark then teased me, "What's this? You've got your own cheering section!?!"

I ran with Mark and his pacer, Scott, for loops two and three and was stoked to see my parents as I entered the start/finish area at the end of 30 miles. This was the first 100 mile event my Mom had been to and I was really excited for her to experience all that is a 100 mile race. I then continued on the 4th and 5th loops as the course got progressively worse from the wear and tear of the runners and the rain. There were spots where the muck was probably 12 inches deep and practically sucked your shoes right off your feet and it was as though the hills were coated in oil; you'd take one step forward only to fall three steps back. I didn't have any issues with the downhills and I credit that to Yoga which has helped my balance tremendously.

My approach to nutrition during the race was simply to eat; whether it was gels, solid food, soda or soup it really didn't matter, I just needed calories. Whenever I would start to feel off I knew it was one of two things; either I was low on salt which I could tell by looking at my hands (they begin to swell when I'm low) or I needed calories. Although I didn't feel like eating I would force myself to down a gel; in the beginning this was tough to do without a gag reflex but as I continued it got easier and easier since I knew that it would make me feel better. This was a big triumph for me in regards to running ultras as the nutrition aspect has been the hardest thing for me to get down (literally).

I finished my 6th loop at around 7:30 pm and stopped for a minute to talk with my parents, grab my new Petzl Zipka Plus headlamp (loved it!) and down some Pepsi.

My Mom and Dad were great, "Do you need anything? How are you on gels? Salt?" they asked.

"I don't know, I'm trying to figure it out," I replied obviously distracted and someplace else.

In actuality I was thinking about what a mess the trail had been and how difficult and slow it would be trying to navigate it in the dark. I completely spaced and didn't grab anything but the light and headed off for my 7th loop. After I finished the first mile my parent's met me at the top of the hill with the remainder of my can of Pepsi.

I quickly downed it and said, "The trail is going to be ridiculous."

They replied, "That's OK, you've been running strong and look great, just go out there and give it a shot."

And with that I dropped into the woods for what would be my last lap.

During the day the mud was definitely challenging but you could see where to step in order to best navigate the uphills and not just slide backwards or fall flat on your face. This was much more difficult in the dark and the frustration mounted as I sloshed around slowly making my way along the course. About a mile before the Heaven's Gate aid station I ran up on Ellen Erhardt and her pacer, Christine Crawford.

"Is that Christine?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"It's Carey, Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Yes, at Clinton Lake; but it was only 30 miles," Christine replied. "I'm having a hard time keeping upright with my runner and I have fresh legs!"

"This section is really depressing and makes you want to quit," Ellen chimed in. "I keep telling myself it will get better, it will get better."

"I just don't know if I want to do this anymore, it's getting a bit ridiculous," I replied as I moved past them and continued up the hill.

Going into the Heaven's Gate Aid station I had pretty much made up my mind that this was my last lap. I walked up and began talking with the aid station captain, my friend and fellow SLUG, Brian Kuhn, about the conditions and the fact that I just didn't want to do 3 more loops under those conditions.

"I ran a loop and I know, the conditions are tough; possibly the worst I've ever seen. You don't have anything to prove so the decision is yours; I'm sure you'll make the right one whatever that may be," he said.

"Thanks Brian, I don't know if I'll be back around, I appreciate your help and advice," I said.

"Only one more lap to go, right?" asked Katie who apparently thought I was much faster than I actually am.

"I think I'm done after this loop," I replied in a sad tone not because I was upset about my DNF but was more down that I wouldn't be able to see her and everyone else at Heaven's Gate three more times.

As I passed back by Heaven's Gate aid station heading back to the start finish I quietly continued on in the darkness; I had already said my goodbyes and just wanted to get the last 3 miles done. I walked the last mile or two with Julieann Bergman and her husband, Marc; they had decided to call it a day also and we talked about the unbelievable conditions and rationalized our impending DNF's to each other.

Just before 11:00 pm, after 70 miles and almost 17 hours of running, I crossed the line finishing my last loop.

"I'm done," I said, "Had enough and don't want to head out there in the mud again."

"Why don't you take some time, rest, even get some sleep and then give it a go later. The trail will get better and dry out as time passes, you can finish it in the morning," the volunteer said.

"My boyfriend slept for 11 hours and is now out there passing people; you can totally do that," another woman said (her boyfriend was running the 150).

"It's not a question of whether I can do it; I just don't want to do it, I don't need the finish that bad. Give me a second and let me talk it over with my Dad."

"It's ridiculous out there, Dad. The thought of doing three more loops in that mud, two of them in the dark, is just too much. I'm done, what do you think?"

"That's fine with me; you ran well and had a good race. You don't need to go back out there to prove anything," he replied.

And with that I took off my timing chip and turned it in officially taking my first DNF.

How do I feel about it today? I'm a bit mixed, it's very easy to play "Monday Morning Quarterback" when you're back sitting in the comfort of your own home typing away on a computer. This was perhaps one of the best races I've ever run; I nailed the nutrition, was running very strong, felt good mentally and physically and was in 3rd place when I dropped. You may say, "How could you drop when you were in 3rd place if you weren't hurt?" For me the mud was just that bad, it hadn't become a race anymore as much as it had just become a test of who could endure the mud the longest; I think the winning time of 27:06:58 pretty much tells the story there. Could I have finished? Without a doubt and now that I know what the winning time was I may have won; all I had to do was complete those last 3 laps in 10 hours or less. Sounds easy, right? That's a big IF. Would it have been better for me to take a rest and give it a shot at dawn when the trail was in better shape and I could see again? I can answer that with a definite no. For me, when I set out to run a 100 miler it's all at once; no breaks, no naps, just one foot in front of the other until it's done. Was it OK for me to quit because I was sick of the conditions and wasn't going to achieve my sub-24 hour goal? I'm still not sure...

David Goggins ran an incredible 150 mile race finishing in 33:36:20; I am astounded by his performance and truly cannot comprehend doing that even in the best of conditions. For the complete list of the 2008 McNaughton Park Trail Runs Results click HERE. Congratulations to him and all of the other finishers, thanks to Andy and all of the volunteers and thanks to all of you for your prayers and positive thoughts on Saturday. I hope you understand why I stopped at 70 miles, whether you agree with my decision or not may be a different story. I have been honest here in my thoughts and rationale and hope that you can at least respect me for that.

Hope all of you are well,
Carey

101 Year Old Man Completes London Marathon; or Is He Really ONLY 94???

2008-04-14T10:27:00.008-05:00

Martin with a smoke after the marathon

Buster Martin ran the London Marathon yesterday in just over 10 hours but there is some question as to how old he really is. Below is from the UK Times Online:

On Saturday The Times disclosed that Guinness World Records had refused to verify his claim to be the oldest marathon runner. Now it has emerged why the world record guardians will not be featuring Mr Martin in its celebrated publication. Internal correspondence between senior officials at the organisation, obtained by The Times, shows that Guinness has evidence that Mr Martin is a mere spring chicken of just 94.

To read the article in its entirety please click HERE.

I hope to be able to run a marathon at his age, whatever that may be...

2008 McNaughton 100 DNF

2008-04-13T15:33:00.006-05:00

Just a bit before 11:00 pm last night, after 70 miles, I decided to call it a day and dropped out of the McNaughton 100 Mile Mudfest. These were by far the worst conditions I have ever seen; if you'd like to check out the few who finished and when the rest of us dropped please click HERE. Overall I ran a good race; felt good mentally and physically but decided to hang it up and live to fight another day. Thanks to Andy and all of the volunteers and congrats to all of the runners who trudged through to the finish! I'll post a full race report later this week.

Hope all of you are well,
Carey

Let's Do This!!!

2008-04-10T16:12:00.003-05:00

Photo of Winston Churchill taken by Yousuf Karsh

"If you're going through hell, keep going." ~Winston Churchill

"Watch a man in times of... adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart, and the mask is torn off." ~Lucretius, On the Nature of Things

"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey." ~Kenji Miyazawa

"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." ~Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

"When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters - one represents danger and the other represents opportunity." ~John F. Kennedy, address, 12 April 1959

"Adversity introduces a man to himself." ~Unknown

"We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one." ~John Updike

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant." ~Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), Satires

"When you're feeling your worst, that's when you get to know yourself the best." ~Leslie Grossman

Signing off until Sunday...
Carey

Weather Forecast for McNaugthon

2008-04-09T09:32:00.006-05:00

Jeremy and Sara after the Sylamore 50K

Most of us have been checking the forecast for days now but in case we may have missed it Ryan Dexter just sent out the email below to the Ultralist about the expected conditions for the race this weekend:

"Similar to last year - I think the weather is going to cause this race to become an epic adventure yet again.

- There is a flash flood warning in effect in Pekin, IL until early Friday morning with rain in excess of 3 inches possible.
- Friday - showers possible/cloudy - High: 57 (wind chill 47) Low: 35 (wind chill 21)
- Saturday - showers possible/cloudy - High 42 (wind chill 31) Low: 29 (wind chill 15)"

My friend, Jeremy Bolt (also running the 100 mile race and pictured above with Sara Kniffen), sent this proverb to me some months back:

Traveler : What kind of weather are we going to have today?
Shepherd : The kind of weather I like.
Traveler : How do you know it will be the kind of weather you like?
Shepherd : Having found out, sir, that I cannot always get what I like, I have learnt always to like what I get. So I am quite sure we will have the kind of weather I like.

My hope is to have this same attitude Saturday!
All the best,
Carey

"Yes, Running Can Make You High" - NY Times Article

2008-04-08T12:18:00.003-05:00

Photo from bayfrontfitness.com

I meant to post this earlier when I saw it on the Ultralist but simply forgot; I know, hard to believe, but it happens :-) Interesting article in the March 27th edition of the New York Times:

"Researchers in Germany, using advances in neuroscience, report in the current issue of the journal Cerebral Cortex that the folk belief is true: Running does elicit a flood of endorphins in the brain. The endorphins are associated with mood changes, and the more endorphins a runner’s body pumps out, the greater the effect."

To read the article in its entirety please click HERE.

McNaughton Park Trail Runs Next Weekend

2008-04-06T14:10:00.005-05:00

One of the McNaughton Hills - photo by Mark Carlson

The McNaughton Park Trail Runs are next weekend near Pekin, IL and include 50, 100 and 150 mile events. Originally I had signed up to run the 150 mile race but after much thought and consideration I decided about 6 weeks ago to drop down to the 100 mile distance and give it my best effort to try to break the 24 hour mark. Here's a short blurb about the course from the event's website:

Do you think Illinois is all flat cornfields? Wise ultra-runners will get some serious hill training in before coming to McNaughton Park! We don’t have mountains in Illinois ... just a few rolling hills with elevator shaft downhills guaranteed to warm your quads on a chilly April evening. Here’s how one satisfied customer described the terrain: ‘I now know why Illinois is so flat. They took all the hills that are supposed to be there and put them ALL into one spot in Pekin, IL ... and called it ‘McNaughton Park’.”

If you'd like to take a McNaughton Virtual Tour created by Ollie Nanyes please click HERE.

The "only 150 mile ultra race in the United States" begins at noon on Friday with the 50 and 100 mile races starting Saturday morning at 6:00 am. Fellow SLUGs Jeremy Bolt and Travis Liles will also be tackling the 100 mile distance and SLUG, Tracy Thomas, is toeing the line for the 150. If any of you would like to track the runners as the race is happening there is a webcast you can tune into by clicking HERE. If you see that I'm "stalled" say a quick prayer and send me some positive vibes! I'll post a full race report next week after the race.

Today was the Go St. Louis Marathon and I went downtown to cheer on the runners and enjoy the amazing weather. Last Fall in my Yoga class, my friend Larry Hook and I were talking about running and he said, "I've run a few half marathons and someday I'd like to run a marathon," to which I responded, "Why don't you do it next Spring?" Well, today was "someday" for Larry as he rocked the course with a sub-4 hour finish! Way to go Larry and congratulations to all of the finishers! To view the full 2008 Go St. Louis Marathon Results click HERE.

From today's weather it certainly seems as though Spring is here; hope you're outside enjoying it!
Happy Running,
Carey

The 2008 Barkley Marathons Results

2008-03-31T20:50:00.004-06:00

Photo of Brian Robinson's finish courtesy of Marcia Rasmussen

The Barkley Marathons took place this weekend at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. Here is a description of the race from mattmahoney.net:

The Barkley is considered one of the toughest 100 mile races in the world. It has 52,900 feet of climb (and 52,900 feet of descent), more than any other 100 mile race, more than the 33,000 ft. of climb at Hardrock, and more than the 45,000 ft. at Nolan's 14. Since the race began in 1986, only 6 runners (7 now) out of about 600 have finished within the 60 hour cutoff. The race consists of 5 20-mile loops with no aid except for water at two points. The cutoffs for the 100 mile race are 12 hours per loop. The 60 mile "fun run" has a cutoff of 40 hours, or 13:20 per loop. To prove you completed each loop, you must find 9 to 11 books (varies) at various points along the course and return a page from each book.

"Fly'in Brian" Robinson won this year's race in 55:47:00 setting a new unofficial course record. Here is what David Horton had to say about Brian in an email to the Ultralist earlier this evening:

"Brian is an amazing man and athlete. I am truly impressed by what he did at Barkley. He told me in an e-mail prior to Barkley that he had trained hard and was ready. When he says something, you can take it to the bank. Even more so, he is a credit to the human race. I am glad to call him a close friend. I am not sure I would have finished the PCT if he had not helped me.He deserves all the accolades that he receives. Don't forget that he hiked all three of the major long trails, 7400 miles, in 300 days, within one calendar year. I consider it an honor to be in one of the seven with Brian at the top."

Here are the unofficial results as compiled by Wendell Doman:

Loop 1
1 Brian Robinson 7:07:43
2 Byron Backer 8:03:15
3 Jim Nelson 8:22:20
4 Greg Eason 8:52:23
5 Carl Laniak 8:52:25
6 Andrew Thompson 8:56:35
7 Jason Poole 9:03:09
8 Todd Holmes 9:03:10
9 Dewayne Satterfield 9:15:15
10 Michael Graz 9:05:15
11 Heather Graz 9:05:16
12 Blake Wood 9:11:52
13 Andras Low 9:11:53
14 Joe Decker 9:17:24
15 Jon Barker 9:17:25
16 Wendell Doman 9:33:00
17 Hiram Rogers 10:33:24
18 John Tyszkiewicz 11:09:58
19 Eugene Trahern 11:09:59
20 Ed Furtaw 11:18:19
21 Bill Goodwine 11:18:22
22 Andrew Hackett 11:19:45
23 Leonard Martin 11:19:55
24 Sue Thompson 11:27:11
25 John DeWalt 12:04:33
26 David Hughes 12:17:06
27 Matt Mahoney 12:17:06
35 Starters

Loop 2
1 Brian Robinson 16:47:30
2 Jim Nelson 20:00:57
3 Byron Backer 21:53:37
4 Carl Laniak 22:14:44
5 Greg Eason 22:14:45
6 Andrew Thompson 22:14:55
7 Blake Wood 23:17:20
8 Jason Poole 23:19:46
9 Joe Decker 23:37:30
23 Starters

Loop 3
1 Brian Robinson 29:56:49
2 Jim Nelson 33:42:34
3 Byron Backer 36:28:29
4 Blake Wood 36:52:27
5 Greg Eason 38:15:57
6 Carl Laniak 38:15:58
7 Andrew Thompson 39:15:59
7 Starters

Loop 4
1 Brian Robinson 43:19:20
1 Starter

Loop 5
1 Brian Robinson 55:47:00 (unofficial result)
1 Starter

Congratulations Brian on an amazing accomplishment and also kudos to the 60 mile "fun run" finishers! To view all of Marcia Rasmussen's photos of the finish please click HERE.

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

2008-03-28T07:16:00.003-06:00

Moraine Lake (Photo from the Banff/Lake Louise Tourism Bureau)

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour made its St. Louis stop last night and I went with my good friend and fellow SLUG, Deanna Stoppler. My favorite film was 20 Seconds of Joy; below is a description from the film festival's website and a preview from YouTube:

“I don’t want to die, I want to live. I’m pretty good at running away, and this is my escape!” This is how Karina Hollekim describes her dedication to BASE jumping. Documentary filmmaker Jens Hoffman first met the now 30-year-old Norwegian in 2002. He immediately started to film, accompanying her through many stages of her BASE-jumping career, until it comes to a sudden stop, changing all aspects of her life.

You definitely need to check it out when it comes to your area. Click HERE for the US Schedule (this page also has links for International and Canada dates) and HERE to learn more about the Banff Mountain Festivals.

Trail Running Video with Scott Jurek

2008-03-27T10:30:00.001-06:00

Definitely worth 4 minutes of your time as Scott discusses and demonstrates body alignment, his uphill running technique and the importance of engaging your core while attacking hills.

Ryan Shay's Autopsy Results Released

2008-03-26T07:30:00.003-06:00

Photo from RunnersWorld.com

Last week, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office released Ryan Shay's autopsy results. Here is an excerpt from the online Runner's World Article by Amby Burfoot:

"The brief autopsy report said only that Shay, who died at the 5.5-mile mark of the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials in Central Park last November 3, had succumbed to an irregular heartbeat caused by an enlarged heart. There was also evidence of scar tissue in his heart, possibly from an old infection, but the autopsy could not positively implicate the scarring or say what had caused it. In an e-mail to Shay (Ryan's Father), Ellen Borakove of the New York City medical examiner's office wrote:

Ryan's cause of death is cardiac hypertrophy with patchy fibrosis of undetermined etiology. Natural causes."

To read the article in its entirety please click HERE.

Shaw Nature Reserve Video by David Stores

2008-03-23T20:14:00.003-06:00

My good friend and fellow SLUG, David Stores, was kind enough to share one of his favorite running areas with us, the Shaw Nature Reserve, which is about 30 miles west of St. Louis just off Interstate 44. This adds a whole new dimension as it's one thing to write and talk about trails and adventures but quite another when you can document them on video. Also, as many of you know, we've had some major flooding here in the St. Louis area and David was able to capture a bit of the Meramec River on film during his run. David, next time you need to invite me along! If any of you have videos you'd like to share please send them to me and I'll get them up on the blog. If you haven't already, check out my 3 Days of Syllamo Race Report below. It's a bit long but so is running over 93 miles in a single weekend!

2008 3 Days of Syllamo Race Report

2008-03-19T18:50:00.010-06:00

Rob Apple, Susan Donnelly and Jerry Frost at Sunday's 20K finish line

THURSDAY NIGHT
I met my good friend Jerry Frost at the I-44 commuter lot at exactly 3:30 pm Thursday afternoon, packed all of my gear into his Ford Escape and we were on our way. Jerry and I always have some interesting, and rather deep, conversations about life and this ride was no different. A few hours into the trip we were cruising along chatting away when all of the sudden the CD started shorting out and the lights began flickering; before we knew it the engine was sputtering. We pulled over to the side of the road just south of Salem, Arkansas, about an hour from Mountain View and in the middle of nowhere. Although I know nothing about cars I diagnosed the problem as either the alternator, the battery or more than likely both; this same thing happened to me before many years ago with my '84 Chevy S-10. As we got out of the car we could hear the thunder and see the lightning in the distance; we actually both kind of chuckled as the rain drops started falling, what luck! In a matter of minutes a young man stopped to help us out and then one of his neighbors also came out to help us push the truck off the road. Once off the road we called AAA for a tow and about 45 minutes later we were riding shotgun with Kenny, the tow truck driver, on our way to Mountain View. As we road along Jerry chatted with Kenny and noticed a picture of a dog on his cell phone. "That your dog?" Jerry asked. "Yep, that there dog's the best coon huntin' dog around. I trained him from a pup and he placed 1st in a national competition. Man offered me $10,000 for him but I said no way; some things are more important than money." We got to Mountain View around 11:30 pm, dropped off the Ford at an auto shop, said our good-bye's to Kenny and checked into our hotel. "I've never seen you that quiet," Jerry said. "I was just taking it all in and wondering what part of a 'coon' people eat." "Carey, people don't eat coons, they just kill them for the sport of it." "Glad I kept that question to myself then," I replied and with that we got our gear ready for the next day's race and went to bed.

FRIDAY - 50K
Jerry woke up early and walked down to the auto shop to sort things out with the truck while I hung out at the hotel, took a shower and ate breakfast. Since we didn't have a car Paul Schoenlaub was kind enough to come pick us up; he swung by the hotel around 8:05 am and then we headed over to get Jerry. As we pulled up to the repair shop Jerry had a disappointed look on his face, "I've got to stay here with the truck so we can get it fixed; I'm going to have to miss the race," Jerry said. Bummed for Jerry but in a hurry for the 9:00 am start, we bid him good luck and headed down to Blanchard Springs campground. We got there around 8:45 am and I scrambled around to get everything ready, pinned my race number on, signed in and filled my water bottles. I said a few hello's and headed over towards the start to listen to the pre-race instructions from Steve. I looked around at the field and saw some great runners; this year's field was much deeper and I knew that I didn't have to worry about repeating last year's 4th place finish. Josh Nordell, Ty Draney, Tom Brennan, Matt Hart, these guys are in a whole different league! A few minutes after 9:00 am Steve announced "OK, Go!" and we were off.

I started out near the front of the pack too fast like I always do and ran with Ashley Nordell, last year's first place female, for the first few miles until I tripped and fell flat on my face. Ashley said, "Looks like you got your fall out of the way early!" "I'm sure there will be more," I responded as I stopped off by the creek to wash up and let her go on. For the next few miles I was passed by several people; Pat Perry said hello as he went by and Andy Emerson introduced himself since we've never actually met in person. Before I knew it Stuart Johnson was coming up on me and I said, "You know, we've got to stop meeting like this! Seems like every race I start out like a banshee and end up dying about 4 miles in." "The trick is to take it easy today, it's going to be a long weekend," Stuart said as we settled into a slow, steady pace; we would end up running practically the entire rest of the race together. There was a lot of debris on the trail from the recent snow storm so we were constantly hopping over, going around and straddling the trees and branches that blocked our way; this made the going quite slow and tore up our legs quite a bit. About half way into the race we were joined by Paul Turner, I didn't know Paul but Stuart did so we ran along together for a while as they caught up on stuff; by the end of Saturday I would know Paul quite well.

A little later I pulled away from Stuart and saw Pat Perry up ahead on the trail walking. "We must be at about the marathon distance because I'm hitting the wall," he said. "No, actually we're only at 20 miles; still a long way to go," I replied as I passed by him figuring I wouldn't see him again until the finish line. I ran by myself for a bit but before I knew it Stuart was back, with Pat in tow; somehow Pat had a new lease on life and was running again. For the last few miles we were running practically everything and as we came out on the road we all knew the finish was near. We picked up the pace and although we had decided to finish together I started running even faster, Stuart and Pat did too. I broke into an all out sprint for the last 100 yards or so crossing the line in 5:53:12. As we stood there, catching our breath, Stuart said, "We probably shouldn't have been sprinting that last part, it'll catch up to us tomorrow." "Yeah, I'm sure you're right, but I could smell the finish line and just wanted to be done!" I responded. Although I beat my time from last year by almost an hour the field was so strong that I ended up placing 17th. I was OK with that, now with no pressure I planned to take the rest of the weekend easy and just enjoy myself; little did I know I'd be racing against cutoffs the next day.

I headed back to set up my camp, soak my legs in the creek and shower before chowing down on the pasta dinner Chef Cal had cooked up. For some reason I felt really tired and worn down and assumed I had just let myself run too low on water, salt and food. I figured filling up my tank and a good night's rest was all I needed as I crawled into my tent around 9:00 pm, but sound sleeping just wasn't in the cards. Massive thunderstorms blew through the entire night; thunder, lightning and a torrential downpour which kept me in that world where you're not awake but not really asleep either. Around 3:00 am I thought, "If it's doing this at 5:00 am there's no way I'm leaving my tent," and then I dozed off again. As my watch alarm sounded I got up, looked outside and saw nothing but stars in the sky. "OK, no excuse now, I guess I'll have to run!"

SATURDAY - 50 MILE
Steve had to re-route the 50 mile course due to debris on the trail and the new course was said to be very challenging. It was an out and back on the Sylamore Trail for the first 18.5 and then continuing on the Ozark Highland Trail for another 6.5 miles to the turnaround; per the rumors it had 8,000 feet of elevation gain and loss EACH WAY! With our headlamps and flashlights on we headed out towards the Sylamore steps a little after 6:00 am; thankfully none of us knew at that moment just how long the day would be. I settled in with Stuart Johnson and Paul Turner from the beginning as we made our way slowly along the Sylamore Trail dodging debris in the pre-dawn darkness. We arrived at the Barkshed aid station around 8:30 am, 2 1/2 hours and less than 10 miles into the race; what was taking us so long? This would be the question of the day. We trudged on down the Sylamore Trail stopping at the aid stations along the way to refuel with coke and pringles. We reached the 18.5 mile aid station around 10:40 am and were warned by Liz and Steve's sister that the next 6.5 miles were tough; apparently a lot of very steep and long hills and a bit more technical. We were moving at a snails pace already and none of us were too stoked to hear that!

This next section was definitely challenging, there were some very beautiful sections that included cascading waterfalls, interesting rock formations and a few caves; in fact Paul and Stuart both joked about stopping to take a nap in one of the caves and for me to pick them up on my way back. Up to this point none of us were in the best of moods and it didn't get any better; usually when you hit a low point you can count on the people around you to pull you out of it but all three of us just continued to feed each other's negativity as we complained about how long it was taking, how hard the course was and how much longer we were going to be out there. We were definitely in a funk! We reached the 25 mile turnaround a little after 12:30 pm, 6 1/2 hours into the race. The "code" word listed on the paper at the turn was "Syllamo" (to prove you had actually gone all the way out) but I joked that the first thing I was going to say to Steve upon crossing the finish line was "You're a sadistic ass!" We now started our way back knowing that we only had 7 1/2 hours to make it to Blanchard Springs before the 14 hour cutoff; we were all a bit concerned!

We discussed our strategy for making it back within the allotted time. First and foremost we needed to turn our attitudes around and start being more positive, we had to push ourselves by running more and walking less and we needed to stay properly fueled and hydrated; these three things were key to a successful finish. We saw a lot of our friends still making their way towards the turn; they were also a bit concerned about the cutoffs and commented about how long this course was taking. A short time after picking up the pace I could feel that familiar wave wash over me and I started sweating profusely; I was not feeling well at all, I didn't just hit the wall I was actually in it. As we reached the 27.5 mile aid station I dumped my water bottle over my head to snap out of it and was zig-zagging a bit as I approached the table. Billy Simpson and Greg Eason could tell I was bonking hard and asked if I was OK. "Yes, I just need soda and food," I replied as I began slamming 3 cokes and ate almost a half a can of pringles. Those really hit the spot which meant my salt was low too and I knew that I would be feeling better within minutes. We left that aid station around 1:15 pm knowing that the next few miles were the toughest on the course.

About a mile later Paul said, "It's been great running with you guys today, you go on. I need to walk a bit and can't keep up this pace." "OK, man, but keep going, don't stop, you can finish this thing!" Stuart and I said and with that we continued running on. "Do you think he'll make it?" I asked Stuart. "Yes, if he just keeps moving. Paul's one tough dude!" Every now and then we would see Paul just a short distance behind us continuing to hammer on and he caught up to us again at the next aid station where Liz and Steve's sister were working. "You guys were right, that section was tough! Steve's one sick dude to come up with a course like that!" I said. "Yes, it's brutal. I'm not like him, he enjoys causing you guys pain. He figures the harder the better," his sister replied. More pringles and coke and we were out.

Around mile 39 I was feeling really good and began pulling away from Paul and Stuart. None of us said anything, I just started running more and a bit faster and the next thing I knew I had left them. As I came down the hill to the Barkshed Aid station at 4:30 pm the volunteers were cheering me on and said "Only 9 more miles to go!" "Yes, I know. I've run the Sylamore 50K a few times and definitely know the way back from here!" I quickly grabbed some coke and pringles and was on my way. I ran practically the entire time for the rest of the race and was feeling really strong. As I approached the Sylamore steps there was a little girl and her Dad out on the trail, "You're almost there," she said and I smiled back, "I know, it's all downhill from here!" Running down the steps I came out into the field and saw Pat Perry about 200 yards from the finish line with his hands up celebrating his finish. "How great would it be if I could pass him at this finish line?" I thought and at that moment I broke out into a full on sprint. The spectators all saw me coming and began cheering but I couldn't make up the distance finishing just 19 seconds behind him in 12:17:59 for 11th place. As he turned around he said, "Where did you come from? You must have been flying for the last 25 miles!" "Yeah, I was feeling good and ended up running a negative split. Something like 6:30 for the first 25 miles and 5:45 for the last; it was my slowest 50 miler but probably the best race I've ever run," I replied. "Great job!" Steve Kirk said as he came over to shake my hand. "Next year, I'm running the 5 mile St. Patrick's Day fun run in St. Louis. That course was ridiculous," I half-jokingly said. "What do you mean? You'll be back next year, you know it," Steve replied. After grabbing a fleece I returned to the finish line to welcome the rest of the runners in and found out that some very experienced people were actually pulled due to the cutoffs. As we stood around talking many of us agreed that it was one of the toughest courses we had ever run. After soaking my legs in the river, taking a shower and mowing down on some red beans and rice I headed to bed; I was absolutely beat but the end was near!

SUNDAY - 20K
I slept about 11 hours and woke up around 8:00 am Sunday morning; as I headed up to the race pavillion you could feel the excitement in the air. We were all exhausted but this was the last day, a 20K victory lap if you will! I chatted a bit with Pat Perry as we ribbed each other about who was going to win the stage race; only 16 seconds separated us so it all came down to this race. "I don't know if I feel like racing today, we'll just see how I feel," I told Pat but secretly I really did want to beat him. He had run two great races but I knew that I was faster, I figured he had been running out of his mind and that there was no way he could keep it up. As we headed over to the start line Ashley Nordell came up to me and said, "You're Carey, right?" "Yeah, we've never really got to talk much since you're always way out in front," I replied. "You met my friend, Cheryl, at a race down in Oklahoma. We have a thing where when we meet people from different states we always email each other," she responded. "It was at Turkey & Taturs, yes, I remember her. She was really cool, we chatted quite a bit out by our cars after the race." "Small world," she said and with that we turned attention to Steve for the last day's instructions. The plan was to stay with Stuart the entire race as he was really going to put the hammer down because he definitely wanted to beat Pat and a little after 9:00 am we were off. We started towards the front; Stuart, Pat, Ashley and I cruising along and I knew within a few minutes that there was no way I could keep up this pace for long. We started going up hill and I did my best to hang on to Ashley and Stuart but I just couldn't, Pat was on my heels and I could hear him breathing heavy but I was too. About 2 miles in we came to a tree, I went off the trail to go around but Pat went under it and passed me. "Oh, I've got you," he joked but I thought to myself, "Yes, you do!" He was only 20 feet ahead of me but I was tired, my legs were heavy and I just didn't feel like racing anymore so I let him go.

It usually takes me 7-8 miles to warm up but in a 20K you don't have that long. I was passed a lot during the first half of this race and kept telling myself that I just needed to push on. I was only carrying one water bottle and drained it about 6 miles into the race; thirsty and hungry I arrived at the unmanned aid station, filled my water bottle and headed out for the last 5 1/2 miles. I was feeling a bit better and mentally convinced myself that it would be easier to run than to walk. Veronica Battaglia was on my tail for the entire last 4 miles and with about 1 1/2 miles left was less than 100 yards behind me. Heading into the last downhill section I thought there is no way I can let her pass me so I started flying at an 8:00 minute pace; downhill, technical running is my strength so I easily pulled away. Heading out on the road I saw Paul Schoenlaub and Stuart at the showers, "Great job, Carey. Looking strong, you're almost done!" they shouted to me. "Man, Veronica's on my tail. I'm beat, she's been pushing me this entire race. I can't let her pass me!" and as I crossed the bridge I looked behind me and there was no sign of her. I was relieved but still needed to push on this last bit to the finish. I got into the field and started my usual finish line sprint to the cheers of the spectators. Crossing the line in 2:38:55, Steve congratulated me on finishing all three days and gave me my hand-carved Ozark Hoot whistle finisher's award. Pat was there and I congratulated him. "You did awesome this weekend and we're a better man than me; great job!" He ended up beating me by less than 10 minutes for the entire stage race.

I headed over to grab my camera and snapped a few pictures of my friends and runners coming into the finish before breaking my camp down and showering. By about 2:00 pm Jerry and I were ready to start the journey back home and I was excited to have another 3 Days of Syllamo Stage Race under my belt. For the complete results of the 2008 3 Days of Syllamo Stage Race click HERE.

As many of you know I've been having a rough time mentally during my races lately. I've been wallowing in my low points and unable to get myself out of them; I haven't been enjoying the journey and just want to get to the finish. This weekend was no different as I was down quite a bit but continued to push on because that's what I do. I love the feeling of finishing and the sense of accomplishment I had on Sunday when we were driving home BUT this is only a small part of ultra-running. I am doing some real soul searching and trying to turn around my mental attitude to be more positive during the actual experience, this is much easier said than done! In order for me to keep going out there and running these races I've got to have a better outlook otherwise I will burn out and just be checking them off the list; or worse yet I will just quit running races all together. There's so many things I love about the sport; the friends I've made, the new lease on a healthy life I have, the confidence I've gained through these accomplishments, knowing that I'm inspiring others to get out there and push themselves and the list goes on. The trick for me is to remember all of this when I'm tired, hungry, thirsty, cold and hurting 20 miles into a race knowing that I have many hours left to endure. As David Horton says, "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." I've been suffering too much lately and it's time to put that to an end.

Hope all of you are well and Happy Running,
Carey

3 Days of Syllamo Race Report Coming Soon

2008-03-17T17:52:00.004-06:00

Challenging, that's the word that best describes this weekend. From the road trip down to Arkansas to the hellacious 50 Mile course Steve created for us on Saturday; this weekend was full of obstacles physically, mentally and emotionally. The official results are not yet posted but I know that I finished just a bit under 21 hours for the entire stage race, about 45 minutes slower than last year. Saturday's course made last year look like a walk in the park! I'm writing a full report and hope to have it up in the next few days.

Unfortunately I was only able to take a few pictures down there; that's the problem when you're a "one man show" it's tough to both run and snap pics for the blog. To check out the few that I have click HERE.

Hope all of you are well and Happy Running,
Carey

3 Days Of Syllamo Stage Race Next Weekend

2008-03-09T09:39:00.004-06:00

Header from the 3 Days website

3 Days of Syllamo, a three day trail running stage race covering over 150 kilometers in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, begins this Friday with the 50K event. Here is a description of the event from their website:

Day One 50k: This run will take place on the Sylamore and Syllamo trails. Full aid stations will be provided at approximately 4-8 miles apart.

Day Two 50 mile: “This is where the fun starts.” This run will be held on the Sylamore, Syllamo and Ozark Highland trail that winds, climbs and descends through the beautiful Sylamore Ranger District including several creek crossings, past scenic vistas and bluffs and through dense forest. Full aid stations will be located approximately 4-9 miles apart.

Day Three 20k: This run will take place on the Syllamo mountain bike trails. Aid will be provided at the halfway point.

To view the 2008 Participant List click HERE and to read my race report from the 2007 3 Days of Syllamo Stage Race click HERE.

Steve and Liz Kirk do an amazing job as race directors; this may be my favorite event of the year! After each race Chef Cal whips up a great meal and this year Steve has promised folk music from local musicians and massages from the Massage Works School of Therapy as part of the post race festivities, NICE!

Today will be my last run before the race; an easy, 8-10 miler. Since I began tapering my left leg hasn't been bothering me as much and everything feels like it is healing up quite nicely. To be honest, I was just running too much for too long. My plan for the rest of the year is to cut back my running to around 50 miles per week, return to Yoga classes 3 times per week and introduce at least one class into my weekly routine. I took one called 24 S.E.T. last week which is "a cardio/strength combination class that alternates strength exercises to sculpt every major muscle group with easy to follow step moves;" it was great!

Hope all of you are well and Happy Running!
Carey

101 Year Old Man To Run London Marathon

2008-03-05T09:07:00.003-06:00

Picture of Buster Martin from BBC News

This story, from BBC News, was posted on the Ultralist yesterday and I thought it was awesome!

Man, 101, to run London Marathon
A 101-year-old man has his sights on the London Marathon in a bid to become the world's oldest competitive runner. Working plumber Buster Martin ran Sunday's Roding Valley half marathon in Essex in five hours 13 minutes, and is now focusing on London's 26-mile event.

On finishing the run, the first words of the ex-member of rock band The Zimmers were: "Where's my beer?" Mr Martin, who has 17 children, started work at Pimlico Plumbers in London three years ago because he was bored. He drank a tankard of ale before signing autographs and chatting to fans near the finish line of the Essex race.

'A revelation'
Charlie Mullins, managing director of Pimlico Plumbers, said he was "amazed" when Mr Martin appeared at work on Monday morning after his exertions. He said: "I was amazed and delighted, he turned up on time and set to work polishing the vans. He's a revelation."

Mr Martin's trainer is marathon enthusiast Harmander Singh, who helped Fauja Singh, 96, break the London marathon record for the over-90s.

Buster, who lives in London, made headlines last year when he signed up as an agony uncle for men's magazine FHM, offering guidance to a younger generation. He also found fame when The Zimmers, who had a combined age of more than 3,000 years, scored a hit single last year with a cover of The Who's My Generation.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/7275861.stm

Weight Gain and Hyponatremia: Thoughts By Dr. Lisa Bliss

2008-03-02T17:30:00.007-06:00

2007 Badwater Finish Line Photo from Lisa's Blog Entry: "Goodwater"

Keeping your electolytes and fluids balanced is one of the trickiest and most important parts of ultra-running. This week on the Ultra-List, Dr. Lisa Bliss discussed the causes of weight gain, hyponatremia and how to keep our bodies in balance during ultramarathons. Dr. Bliss was the 2007 Badwater Female Winner and is the medical director for some of the world's toughest ultras. The following is taken directly from her Ultra-List response; it's a bit long but has tons of great information, especially with rising temperatures just around the corner:

Consuming a very large amount of salt is one (dangerous) way of maintaining a normal sodium level despite weight gain, but it is not a necessary condition. Here are a couple common scenarios seen at ultras:

1) Runner has a daily diet normally low in sodium but takes extra salt - in whatever form - during an ultra. She gains weight, like Ray K says, because salt causes the body to retain water. Sometimes, it doesn't take much. Many can testify that sometimes there is noticeable fluid retention, say in the ankles, just from eating a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV or, in my case, a slice of this fine Lou Malnati's deep dish spinach Chicago style pizza I just received on dry ice from a friend... but I digress....

Salt helps the body retain water. That's why we give 0.9 normal saline IV's to runners who are dehydrated. Salt and water hydrate better than water alone.

No matter what the normal daily dietary intake of salt, if a runner takes "too much" salt, water will be retained in the tissues as the body attempts to maintain a normal amount in the blood vessels, which is ultimately what matters most (the sodium in the blood vessels) because that is the sodium electrolyte that the brain "sees" and reacts to as it passes through the body.

There have been runners who have taken too much water AND too much salt (wrongly thinking this is a good way to avoid hyponatremia) and they are overweight and bloated and have swollen legs and/or hands, and their sodium levels in the blood are normal or even HIGH. Now, THAT'S a lot of sodium! Too much. Guaranteed, these runners are not feeling well and, at the very least, are not going to be running their best race in that condition.

Interestingly, the article that Karl referenced mentioned Noakes' article, which notes that there were endurance athletes in the study who gained weight but were not hyponatremic. Hmm.... He then theorized that they must have sodium stores and that sodium was somehow mobilized from these stores into the bloodstream. What he didn't do was account for sodium intake during the run. It is a glaringly obvious omission in my opinion. You can absolutely gain weight (fluid) and have a normal sodium level if you take in sodium. And you can be fine without any problems. But it's a slippery slope. You may also get yourself into lots of trouble. Adding salt to "offset" weight gain is NOT a good thing to do.

So, yes, too much salt can cause fluid retention and weight gain without hyponatremia. Thing is, though, a runner in this situation now has TWO problems to deal with: too much of two things - water and sodium. Adding more salt to an already fluid overloaded body is not the solution for preventing hyponatremia. A fluid overloaded body requires.... less fluid! Don't try to solve a problem by creating another.

2) BUT... there is another scenario where there may be weight gain even without taking in too much salt or too much fluid. We see it in the longer ultras, the 100-mile and 100+ mile races, especially the hotter races and multiday races. It's the problem of edema. Most of us have encountered it at some point with longer ultras. That's why we sometimes bring a larger shoe size in case our feet swell up. Feet can swell from too much fluid, too much salt and fluid, or they can swell despite optimal fluid and electrolyte balance. It's a consequence of the "pounding" of the muscles and the "pooling" of fluid in the feet from us forcing them to carry us for100+ miles down the roads or trails.

For an example, look at the legs of the runners in a multiday event or an event like Badwater. There can be significant pooled fluid in the legs. If the fluid is in the legs and there are indentations on the skin from your socks or your shoes are tight, etc., then the fluid is in the tissues, NOT in the blood vessels. So, now you can have an increase in weight on the scale but not necessarily an increase in fluid in the blood vessels, which is where the sodium is. So, an electrolyte test can be perfectly normal in this situation despite the increased or level weight, and I would argue that you could even be somewhat *dehydrated* intravascularly (where it matters!) if you are carrying extra fluid body's tissues but do NOT have optimal fluid and electrolyte replacement.

So, here's a question for Lulu. If a runner on day 3 of a multiday run is up 2 pounds and is not feeling well, should we assume he is hyponatremic? Well, we should consider it for sure, but is it necessarily the case? Do you tell him to stop drinking because he's up 2 pounds? Do you hold him at the aid station until his weight comes down? Should we refuse him fluids if he says he is thirsty? Well, if the fluid is in the tissues, it does not dilute the sodium in the blood. Weight gain and leg swelling does not preclude the possibility of hyponatremia, but the weight gain should be evaluated in context, and contexts can become quite complex at some of these ultras.

Fluid from significant swelling (and even fluid hanging out in the gut) are more a concern AFTER the race when those fluids gets mobilized back into the blood stream and finally to the kidney where they can be eliminated from the body. It's when the fluids go back into the blood stream that we have to be careful, especially if we are also rehydrating post-race. That's the most common time for hyponatremia to happen and that's why.

I bring up these scenarios to show that it's not always so black and white, that weight gain, while a red flag for sure, does not *always* mean imminent danger, nor does it mean that someone should necessarily stop drinking. Hyponatremia must remain in the differential; it has very real possible consequences, but it's not quite the science some of us think it is or wish it were, at least in ultrarunning.

In the end, there is NO advice on this topic that can replace personal experience and training. Training and more training. That is the ultimate answer to all the questions. Learn, read, listen, but above all, pay attention to your body and find out what works for you and make adjustments. My experience comes from reading, listening, watching, treating, and above all, making mistakes and learning from them. In the past, I've gained up to 10% of my weight and lost up to 8%.

Scales are excellent to train with and, in my opinion, essential (and easy) at races like Badwater. It was fun for me to make a game of trying to guess my weight when I trained in Death Valley before the race last year. Ask Nancy Shura, who believes in the scale too. I ran about 20 miles to Stovepipe Wells and wanted to catch up with Danny W who was making his way up to Townes Pass. But I was feeling "dry" and fatigued, not so uncommon feelings in the desert. I wasn't peeing. I got on Nancy's scale and was 6 pounds down. Instead of trying to chase down Danny (which I never would have been able to do anyway), I sat at the pool, ate a hoagie from the store, a big bag of chips and drank over 2 liters of fluid. I was still down a couple pounds but I peed. But I felt better and Nancy drove me to meet up with Danny who was RUNNING up to the pass! I was fine then only because I stopped and took care of the problem before it got too bad.

On the flip side, during the race itself, I strolled into Stovepipe Wells with a slight headache and light-headedness, and I was peeing freely and clear, enough that I suspected I might be hyponatremic. I got on the scale and was down 3% of my weight. I was in clothes that were drenched in water, so I was likely down another 1-2% of my true weight. My tested sodium was mildly low by 1-2 mEq/L. I was surprised at both the scale and my sodium level. I was only mildly hyponatremic (and that occurred over many hours asopposed to very quickly) so the sodium level was NOT the likely cause of my symptoms. My body was, however, getting rid of excess fluid, i.e. peeing, so it was attempting to bring the sodium concentration back up. BUT I was underweight! So, what do you do in this situation? First, dissect the problems out. I was mildly hyponatremic, so that needed to be fixed, and I was moderately dehydrated, and that needed to be fixed too. So, I went back out on the road and increased my fluids AND my Succeed! tabs, and the problems got resolved. I adjusted my intake of both and continued to monitor my weight on the scale because, as we know, conditions (effort, appetite, thirst, temperature) are always changing and we need to roll with whatever's in front of us.

Guidelines and information can be helpful, sure, but they also can hurt you if you are not flexible. We just need to learn, try, adjust, and train.

Lisa Bliss
Spokane, WA

Peak.com - The Endurance Sports Community

2008-02-29T10:55:00.002-06:00

Andy Weinberg, the race director of the McNaughton Park Trail Runs, and one of his friends started a new website called Peak.com - The Endurance Sports Community. Here's a description of the site from their homepage:

Welcome to Peak, the place for athletes and People Inspiring People. Join, and get connected to others through your own personal profile, your own blog, your own photo album, and share your stories, workouts, training tips, travels and experiences, while finding friends and fellow athletes to train with, create groups, or post events.

I signed up today and it's very cool; it's a beta version so there are still a few bugs they're working on regarding the blog entries and HTML coding but that's the only issue I've stumbled across. Everything else seems to be working A-OK! So please join and make sure you add me as one of your friends; my user name is CareySmith.

Hope all of you are well and enjoying this beautiful weather!
Carey

Hashing and Taper Time's a Com'in!

2008-02-25T17:15:00.007-06:00

HASHING
Last weekend, during our trip to Arkansas, Gena was telling me about the St. Louis Hash House Harriers and invited me to come to one of their hashes. What is a hash, you say? Here's a brief history and definition from the June '95 issue of Hawaii RacePlace Magazine:

"Hashing . . . it's a mixture of athleticism and sociability, hedonism and hard work, a refreshing escape from the nine-to-five dweebs you're stuck with five days a week. Hashing is an exhilaratingly fun combination of running, orienteering, and partying, where bands of harriers and harriettes chase hares on eight-to-ten kilometer-long trails through town, country, and desert, all in search of exercise, camaraderie, and good times.

Hashing began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1938, when a group of British colonial officials and expatriates founded a running club called the Hash House Harriers. They named the group after their meeting place, the Selangor Club, nicknamed the "Hash House." Hash House Harrier runs were patterned after the traditional British paper chase. A "hare" was given a head start to blaze a trail, marking his devious way with shreds of paper, all the while pursued by a shouting pack of "harriers." Only the hare knew where he was going . . . the harriers followed his clues to stay on trail. Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and solving the clues, reaching the end was its own reward . . . for there, thirsty harriers would find a tub of iced-down beer.

Hashing died out during World War II (Japanese occupying forces being notoriously anti-fun) but picked up in the post-war years, spreading through the Far East, Australia, and New Zealand . . . then exploding in popularity in the mid-70s. Today there are thousands of Hash House Harrier clubs in all parts of the world, with newsletters, directories, and even regional and world hashing conventions.

Hashing hasn't strayed far from its Kuala Lumpur roots. A typical hash today is a loosely-organized group of 20-40 men and women who meet weekly or biweekly to chase the hare. We follow chalk, flour, or paper, and the trails are never boring . . . we run streets and back alleyways, but we also ford streams, climb fences, explore storm drains, and scale cliffs. And although some of today's health-conscious hashers may shun cold beer in favor of water or diet sodas, trail's end is still a celebration and a party."

So yesterday, after my long run, I decided to check it out for myself and joined Gena, her sister Carrie and Jeremy for the fun and festivities. The hash took place in University City and wandered all over the area, across Delmar and then headed back up Maryland where it ended at CJ Mugg's in Clayton; it was about 5.5 total miles. There was a beer stop (or water, in my case) half way through the course and the trail was marked with fruit loops so you could see it in the snow. Picture a group of adults running through neighborhoods, blowing whistles and yelling "Are You On?" as passer's by wonder what the heck we are doing, oblivious to our little game. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed meeting a whole crew of new people even though I don't know their real names (they have Hash nicknames which tend to be a bit rude and crude, but funny); they also had plenty of soda and water for hashers, like myself, who don't drink alcohol. Since Sunday is my long run day I don't know that I'll participate regularly in these hashes but it's definitely a nice break from the more serious side of running where pace and mileage matter.

Taper Time's a Com'in!
One more week and then I begin tapering for the 3 Days of Syllamo Stage Race which is March 14-16 in Mountain View, AR. The picture above shows you exactly what I'll be doing; not much of anything except for kicking back with my feet up! I've been averaging over 70 miles per week for the past 3 months so this rest period is definitely needed; my legs have been feeling REALLY heavy lately and I can tell my body needs some time to repair. This will be a relatively short taper; I'll still run 40-50 miles during my lowest mileage week (3/3-9) but won't run at all 3/11-13. I can't afford to do a full on taper since I still have the McNaughton 100 Miler in April and need to maintain my training for it.

Hope all of you are doing well and Happy Running,
Carey

Break Free! (Nike Ad)

2008-02-18T19:56:00.004-06:00

Fellow SLUG, Carol King, sent this out to our running group today after reading my 2008 Sylamore Trail 50K Run Race Report:

"Hi everyone,
After reading Carey Smith's blog I felt compelled to share this video. Thanks for sharing your "questioning why you are running" portion of your race report. I do it a lot, being a new runner. It made me feel better to know that experienced, accomplished runners do it too."

As I told Carol I didn't realize they had a video camera following me on Saturday; that ad is so realistic it's scary! I think every runner has experienced this internal battle no matter how long they've been running or how many races they have under their belt. The trick is to remember all the things you love about the sport and to keep pushing on when all you want to do is quit.

Break free from those negative thoughts; let them eat your dust!
Carey

2008 Sylamore 50K Trail Run Race Report

2008-02-17T16:08:00.009-06:00

This weekend I headed down to Mountain View, Arkansas with fellow SLUGs Gena Bonini, Jeremy Bolt and Sara Kniffen to run the Sylamore Trail 50K Run. I first met Jeremy while running Berryman last year, met Gena for the first time down at Arkansas Traveller and have “run” into Sara a few times at races (plus we went to Parkway South High School together, but that was ages ago). Since then, Jeremy, Gena and I have gotten together a few times for group runs out at Green-Rock and Chubb so we already knew each other pretty well and I was really looking forward to our road trip adventure down south.

The ride down was a lot of fun as we swapped stories about life, our experiences and running while Gena treated us to some of her favorite songs by the Old Crow Medicine Show. All three of them are really great people; very positive, energetic, philosophical and fun so our conversations ranged from sharp witted humor to more serious subjects, a great mix for the 10 total hours we spent together on the road. We arrived in Mountain View around 7:00 pm, picked up our race packets at Angler’s Resort and had a great dinner before checking into our motel down the road. Due to the recent tornadoes that hit the area, FEMA had taken over all of the rooms at Angler’s so our reservations had been moved to a motel about 5 miles up the road. This caused a bit of confusion for the young lady working at the motel but Jeremy helped us sort it out and we got settled into our rooms to rest up for the race. Before turning in I began reading my new book, Swimming to Antarctica, which I bought some time ago but until now had been collecting dust on the shelf. I don’t swim and didn’t really think I would enjoy it but as I got into it I was fascinated by the author’s drive, determination and mental strength. She completely dedicated herself to the sport of endurance swimming and trained to push past the limits of fatigue and exhaustion actually becoming stronger with each passing mile. I could really relate and drew inspiration from her stories of dedication to a sport most people couldn’t understand or comprehend.

Gena awoke early Saturday morning and let me sleep in until the last possible minute, “Carey, time to get up, it’s 5:45.” “OK, OK,” I replied as I slowly began preparing myself for the day ahead. Gena went to the front desk to grab coffee and as she returned along with Jeremy and Sara they filled me in on the weather, “It’s not that cold but it may get colder later in the day, plus it might rain,” to which I responded, “No way it’ll get colder and it’s not supposed to rain until long after the race is over. I’m sticking with my shorts and no jacket but you guys do what you want.” As we drove to the start the drizzle began and of course the group pointed out to me that I could cross a career in meteorology off my list. We arrived, parked in the overflow lot and gathered up all of the SLUGs we could find for a group photo, chatted a bit and started making our way towards the start line as 7:00 am approached.

My plan was to start near the front so I wouldn’t get caught in all of the traffic at the Sylamore Creek crossing and before I knew it we were off. The lead group charged up the road section as we made our way towards the start of the trail. Everyone running towards the front seemed to know each other so there was quite a bit of chatter, “Woo-hoo! Got to love this trail! This is what it’s all about, right Steve-O?” “Yo, Yo, you said it brother!” Everyone was definitely stoked to be spending the day running through the woods with many of their close friends. I wasn’t quite as excited and for some reason couldn’t get myself into it mentally; I was feeling strong, running well but just didn’t want to be out there. As many of you know I have been doing a lot of high mileage training lately and averaging about 70 miles per week for the past 3 months. This has definitely taken its toll and I’ve been teetering on the edge of being over-trained. Lately, much of the joy I first found in running has been lost and it’s started to feel more like work, this is one of the main reasons I decided not to run the McNaughton 150 miler and instead drop down to the 100 mile distance. I want to get that joy back! As we approached mile 3 Stuart Johnson came up on me, “How’s it going Carey?” “Not that good, nothing’s wrong with me physically, I feel good, but I’m just not mentally into it today,” I responded. “That’s OK, Carey, it’s a long race. You’ve got plenty of time to hit your stride,” and with that he passed me and continued on down the trail.

For the next 7 miles there was a major battle going on in my head, “You’ve got to get yourself out of this, Carey. Maybe this just isn’t your day, but nothing’s wrong so why isn’t it your day? Some days you’re the windshield and other days you’re the bug; I guess today you’re the bug! No, you’re not, you’re strong and can do this; there’s nothing wrong with you. Stop making lame excuses for yourself, you know you’re not going to quit so push yourself to achieve your 5:15 goal; you came all the way down here to run, NOW RUN!!! But I’m not having fun, or am I having fun; I don’t even know anymore. What’s wrong with me!?!” I arrived at the Gunner Pool aid station, filled my water bottles, downed two Cokes and headed off towards the turn around. I began to mellow a bit and embrace the race experience; the weather was decent with a slight drizzle and the trail was a bit muddy and wet but otherwise in good condition. I was sharing the trail with some great friends and fellow runners, there were many volunteers out there sacrificing their time to make this experience the best it could be and you know what, I really couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing. “You are having fun,” I thought. Relieved to be out of my “funk” I could feel myself getting into a rhythm both physically and mentally as I glided down the trail.

About 2 miles before the turnaround I spotted a very slippery rock and thought to myself, “I bet that would be really easy to fall and bust your knee on,” so what do I do? I step right on it and sure enough slipped driving my knee with the force of all of my body weight right into the rock. “Wow, that hurt. I wonder if I broke my kneecap?” It began to swell and went numb but my knee was still working so I continued. In the fall I also broke the top off my water bottle so much of my water was sloshing out with each swing of my right arm; for the rest of the race I could only fill my bottle half way up. I reached the turn at 2:37, downed some Coke and headed back towards the finish.

The way back is my favorite part of this race because you get to pass all of the other runner's still heading out to the turnaround. Some people may not like the fact that you have to negotiate your way around each other but I really enjoy seeing everyone and exchanging encouraging words. I had been running about 15 minutes and saw Gena, Jerry, Jeremy and Sara coming towards me. "Yea, Carey! Looking good!" Sara yelled and I smiled back, "You guys are doing great!" I replied, as I hammered down the trail. I continued on, seeing Brian Kuhn, Deb Johnson, Carol Izadi and Lee Hess and seemed to get stronger with each friend I saw. The miles flew by, "You're doing great! Looking strong," I said as I smiled at each runner. As I arrived at the Gunner Pool aid station I knew that I would need to give it everything I had if I was going to break 5:15. A quick half filling of my water bottle, two cups of Coke and I was off making my way up the hill. At this point I was running practically everything and began passing runners who had been ahead of me the entire race; this made me run even faster. "This is why you are down here, no holding back, just continue giving it all you've got, you can rest at the finish," I repeated to myself as I charged past two more runners. "Way to go, Man! You're fly'in; finish strong!" they cried as they stepped aside for me to pass. I don't know of many other sports where competitors cheer you on as you pass them; ultrarunners truly are an amazing group of people.

With about 2 miles left to go I saw another runner up ahead and caught up to him as we were crossing a stream. There was a Y in the trail, he darted right and I followed. About a quarter mile down we ran into a dead end at Sylamore Creek; we had gone the wrong way and I knew that I didn't have any time to spare if I was going to break 5:15. "This is wrong," I said and he replied, "You're right, the trail is up along that ridge." "Man, this is no good. I was trying to break 5:15. Let's just climb up the ridge and catch the trail." So we headed straight left charging through the thorns and rocks Barkley style (check out my leg in the picture above) and as we reached the top of the ridge found the trail again. We had gone an extra 1/4 mile and lost a few minutes but it could have been much worse. I pressed on running everything but also being careful not to fall in the mud and rocks; the trail was quite a mess by now. As I made my way down to the creek my watch read 5:12 and I knew that my goal of going under 5:15 was no longer possible. "That's OK, just give it all you've got," I thought to myself and charged across the stream making my way to the last mile of road. As I came out on to the highway I noticed that I was running a 7:00 minute mile pace gliding down the hill; I could "feel" the finish line drawing me to it. A woman was sitting in her mini-van and rolled down her window, "Way to go runner! You look great, good job!" I smile back and thanked her as the finish line at Angler's appeared in the distance. My legs were a bit heavy but I continued my sprint as I crossed Arkansas Highway 5 and the finish line in 5:23 beating my time from last year by 24 minutes. I'll take that!

I grabbed my finisher's shirt, chatted a bit with Marla Luckey and hurried back to the motel for a shower before Gena, Jeremy and Sara finished. When I returned Gena and Jeremy were there waiting and said Sara would be along soon. We stood inside watching out for her and Jerry and after a few minutes they appeared off in the distance. Everyone was all smiles (Gena set a new 50K PR) and said they had the time of their lives! We went back to the motel so they could take showers and then all met back at Anglers for a group lunch. Ten of us sat around at Angler's eating great food, talking about the race, upcoming events and life; 3 Days of Syllamo Race Director, Steve Kirk, made his way over to fill us in on the new courses he has designed for this year's race. He was excited about having 32 water crossings in the 50K along with one section where you are literally running down the middle of the creek; I'll make sure I pack my water wings! To view the results for the 2008 Sylamore Trail 50K run click HERE.

What a great weekend! I am so glad that I got to spend time getting to know Gena, Sara and Jeremy even better and am excited that I got to see so many of my friends down there and make some new ones. This was a true test for me as I was in a major funk for the first 10 miles of the race questioning what I was doing out there and why I even run. Ultra-running is a lot of hard work and requires tremendous dedication but it's all worth it. The feeling of pushing myself to the limit, accomplishing goals that I never thought possible and forging true, lasting friendships that are meaningful and deep; these are just a few of the many reasons I run. I feel like I can share anything with many of my ultra friends and know that they will not judge me or look down on me for what I've done in my past or the issues I still struggle with today. They accept me for who I am regardless of how much money I make, where I live or what clothes I wear; they are real, honest and true.

Don't ever forget why YOU run!
Carey

2008 Rocky Raccoon 100 Pacer Report and Sylamore 50K Next Weekend

2008-02-10T17:00:00.001-06:00

Brad and I at the finish

2008 ROCKY RACCOON 100 PACER REPORT
I arrived in Huntsville at around 2:00 pm Friday afternoon and my phone rang practically the minute I landed, it was Brad. "How was your trip?" he asked. "Relatively uneventful; where should I meet you guys?" I responded. "We're just outside of baggage claim in a Hummer," to which I replied, "Of course you are!" Brad's got a thing for renting unique cars so I wasn't suprised by his choice. I exited the concourse and sure enough there he was sitting in a black Hummer H3. A few moments later Suzy came up and introduced herself; she had been inside looking for me but wasn't having much luck; we'd never met in person and she mostly knows me by my signature SLUG jersey and hat from the blog. We jumped into the H3 and were on our way to Huntsville chatting about life and the upcoming race.

Huntsville, Texas... Not only is it home to the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Trail Run but it also has the world's tallest statue of an American hero (Sam Houston) and the Texas State Penitentiary. First, we headed out to Huntsville State Park to get Brad's packet before checking into our hotel. At the lodge I ran into "Bad Ben" Holmes and chatted with him a bit before seeing Gabe, Tiff, John and Stacey; John said he was a bit nervous as he would be toeing the line for his first 100 miler. "Don't worry, John, you'll do fine," I assured him (and he did). I introduced Suzy and Brad to everyone and then we headed off to the Super 8.

Brad and Suzy settled in to relax while I headed out for a 9 mile run; whenever I go to a new city I never miss an opportunity to explore it with a run. I headed out and had no idea where I was going, ran through some sketchy areas, then stumbled upon Sam Houston University and as I continued past the campus the area got very desolate and run down. There were no people or houses around just old, crumbling buildings except for a structure with massive brick walls up ahead on my right. As I got nearer I saw the guard towers on each corner and realized I had found the infamous Huntsville Texas State Penitentiary. I continued to run around the enormous structure and saw that one of the guards in the tower had noticed me; I kept waiting to hear "You are in an unauthorized area, please vacate the premises immediately," but I guess I looked harmless so they let me continue my lap. I ran back through campus and around the football stadium before heading down Montgomery Street to the Super 8; another city to check off the list. Brad and Suzy were both hungry so we went to Chili's for takeout and made a last minute Wal-Mart trip; being from Canada, Suzy was blown away by the Wal-Mart Super Center because apparently they don't make them that big up North. Back at the hotel we ate our dinner, chatted and went to bed.

Suzy took Brad to the race in the morning while I slept in since I would be pacing all night long. She came back to the motel around 11:00 am to get some shut-eye and I headed to the race to provide Brad with some moral support throughout the day. I sat with Stacey Amos and Matt Holmes for most of the time as the runners passed through, the weather was around 70 and humid; a bit hot to run in but perfect to sit and watch. Brad came through mid-afternoon and headed out on his third lap; he was looking and feeling good and was pumped up because he knew I'd be joining him after this lap. An hour or two passed and I headed back into town to get Suzy, grab a sandwich from Subway and some Starbuck's before my pacing duties commenced. At around 6:45 pm Brad finished his third lap and we were off into the night to begin the last 40 miles and get him to the finish. Brad was in great spirits as we headed out and brought me up to speed on how everything was going; he had been taking S-Caps regularly, staying hydrated and keeping his energy up by eating at each aid station. We ran most of the time before hitting a rough patch between miles 67 and 73 where he began bonking very badly; of course he didn't want to eat anything but I told him he had to figure out something that would work since we still had quite a ways to go. From then on he would grab Coke or Sprite, down a Hammer gel and gummy bears or sugary candy at each station which ended up getting him to the finish. The miles melted away and we were on our last loop making great time on the way to a sub-24 hour finish. At around mile 93 Brad realized he was going to finish this thing and really dug deep running the entire last 7 miles; we didn't walk once! He pushed himself to the limit finishing in 23 hours and 26 minutes; not only did he finish but he posted an amazing time for a first 100!

Unfortunately Suzy had already headed to the airport to catch her 8:15 am flight to Vancouver but she was there in spirit. We took some pictures, grabbed our gear and excitedly jumped in the car to take showers and get some sleep at the motel. We woke up around 10:30 am; Brad was on cloud nine as we headed back to the race to grab his drop bag and then to the airport. As we went our separate ways I congratulated him again and told him what a great job he had done to push himself to finish under 24 hours. Very humbly he told me he couldn't have done it without me. I don't know about that, he was the one who ran 100 miles I was just along for the ride on the last 40. Again great job Brad and all of the other finishers last weekend at Rocky! For a list of the results click HERE.

My flight didn't leave Houston until 3:30 pm so my Uncle Kevin, Aunt Teresa and Cousin Alex picked me up at the airport and we headed to Starbucks. I hadn't seen them in 10 years and now Alex is 16; obviously she looks a bit different than I remembered her. We had a great time visiting and talking about life; I was so happy to see that Alex had grown up to be a beautiful, intelligent and mature young lady and you could tell that her parents are very proud. I promised all of them that it wouldn't be another 10 years before we saw each other again and Alex told me she'd hold me to it; I hope she does. I arrived home to St. Louis around 1:45 am after a 5 hour delay in Chicago; it could have been much worse and I was glad to be sleeping in my bed and not in O'Hare. To view all of the pictures from the weekend please click HERE.

SYLAMORE 50K NEXT WEEKEND
This Friday I'm heading down to Mountain View, Arkansas for the Sylamore 50K Trail Run with Jeremy Bolt, Sara Kniffen and Gena Bonini. This is a great race and is run on the same trail system as 3 Days of Syllamo. Last year I finished in 5:47 with very little trail running experience on an icy course and a cold day so I should be able to better that time quite dramatically this year. I've been battling a tweaked left ankle along with some IT Band irritation so it will really depend on how my body performs for me Saturday; it sure would be nice to go 5:15 or less. To check out my 2007 Sylamore Trail 50K race report click HERE.

I wanted to let all of you know that I've decided not to run the McNaughton Park 150 Miler and instead have dropped down to the 100 mile distance. I just don't feel like I'm mentally prepared for the challenge of 150 miles at this time in my life and would prefer to push myself to a 24 hour 100 mile finish on a very difficult course. Personally I need to focus on getting my career back on track which is stressful enough without the added pressure of trying to prepare myself mentally and physically for a 150 mile race. I hope all of you understand and support me in this decision.

Stay tuned for a full race report next week and I hope all of you are doing well.
Happy Running,
Carey

Endurance Planet "Tales From The Trail" Audio Magazine

2008-02-07T08:57:00.000-06:00

Endurance Planet and Zombierunner have partnered together to produce an audio magazine for ultrarunners. Included in Volume 1 is the late Joel Zucker's 1997 Hardrock Report, along with my Arkansas Traveller Race Report and a race report from Andy Jones Wilkins. The following is a description of the monthly Tales from the Trail audio magazine:

"Finally, an audio magazine for ultrarunners! Endurance Planet, a website for runners, cyclists, triathletes, and adventure racers has partnered with ZombieRunner to offer Tales From the Trail, a monthly compilation of true ultrarunning stories. The professionally produced stories are available here each month for $3.95, while this inaugural edition is free. Enjoy! And meet us back here next month."

To Play in Windows Media Player click HERE.
To Play MP3 Stream click HERE.
For a Direct Link to the MP3 file click HERE.

You can also visit Endurance Planet or Zombierunner for more information.

Download the MP3 to your IPOD and listen to some inspiring race reports while you're hammering out the miles.
Hope you enjoy!
Carey

Rock'in the Coon!

2008-02-04T20:41:00.000-06:00

Brad and I at the finish

I joined Brad this weekend pacing him to his first 100 mile finish at the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile Trail Run outside of Huntsville, TX. He "rocked" the course in 23:26:04 placing 63rd out of 167 finishers; WAY TO GO BRAD! For a complete list of the 2008 Rocky Raccoon results click HERE.

As most of you know I had quite a few other friends who also ran the race including:
Kevin Dorsey - 17:41:12
Kyle Amos - 18:14:42
Gabe Bevan - 19:33:41 (WOW!)
John King - 20:48:21 (1st 100 Mile Finish!)
Ben Holmes - 26:08:13
Dale Perry - 27:57:47
Matt Bickhard - 28:32:16 (1st 100 Mile Finish!)

I'll post a write-up about the weekend either later on this week or Sunday. Congratulations to all of the finishers!
Carey

Yours Truly 50K at Green-Rock and Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler This Weekend

2008-01-27T18:26:00.002-06:00

David, Jerry and I at the Yours Truly 50K

YOURS TRULY 50K AT GREEN-ROCK
Today a group of us tackled the Green-Rock Trail near Six Flags for the Yours Truly 50K. The day began out a bit chilly with the temperature around 22 degrees as we gathered at the trail head for the 8:00 am start. The group was made up of fellow SLUGs Jerry Frost, Greg Murdick, Travis Liles, David Stores, Jeremy Bolt, Lee Hess and myself. You honestly couldn't have scripted a better day with sunny skies, temps reaching into the upper 50's and the trail probably in the best condition I've ever seen it; just an absolutely amazing day to spend running through the woods with a group of close friends! My run went pretty well although I began bonking really hard around mile 25 and never fully recovered until I was comfortably back at the car and the run was over. At one point I said to Jerry, "You know how people say they hit the wall? I'm beyond that, I'm actually in the wall!" My legs were jello and I had that all over drained feeling most of us are so familiar with and although all I wanted to do was lay down we continued to hammer on. Jerry's comment back was, "That's good, right? It'll serve you well down the road, it's all part of training. Savor it!" You've got to love Jerry! As you may remember from previous posts Green-Rock is a somewhat technical trail with many steep climbs and very rocky so there would be no speed records set today. David led the way finishing around 7:05 with Travis shortly behind him, Jerry and I finishing in 7:23 and Greg Murdick finished just a little behind us.

After the run Jerry showed us pictures from the HURT 100 trail where he ran a loop during his recent vacation to Oahu. The trail is amazingly beautiful but undescribably difficult; I've never seen roots like that and can't imagine running 100 miles there! Not wanting the day to end, we marveled at the pictures and chatted a bit more but soon went our separate ways. As I drove home from the run I couldn't help smiling the whole way back; it's days like these that remind me why I love this sport so much!

Picture of the Rocky Raccoon Course from the race website

ROCKY RACCOON 100 MILER THIS WEEKEND
Friday morning I'm heading down to Huntsville, TX to pace my good friend and Running4Recovery founder, Brad Holzworth, to a finish at the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Trail Run. Crewing for Brad and I will be the newest member of the R4R team, Suzy Vandyck, who is traveling down from Vancouver, BC to support Brad during his journey. According to A Step Beyond: A Definitive Guide to Ultrarunning by Don Allison:

"This race offers a unique opportunity to run a 100-mile race in the middle of the winter. Rocky Raccoon also provides the first time 100-mile runner a course that can't get much easier in terms of terrain or design. The course, a mixture of forest service roads and relatively flat and well-groomed trails, consists of five 20.2 mile loops with four well-stocked aid stations. Being prepared for any type of weather is a good idea, as the sun can get hot during the day; nights may be cool however, even in mild years.
The course is very well marked, and the multiple loop format means that route finding after 80 miles should not be a problem. However, people still get lost. Paying attention to the marked intersections and understanding the course map are important to running the course correctly. The trail can be muddy in spots, and many of the low-lying areas around the lake can be flooded. Most of the streams are bridged, but if the water level is high, the potential for wet feet is present."

The list of people I know running this race includes Bill Niktakis, Kevin Dorsey, "Bad Ben" Holmes, Gabe Bevan, Kyle Amos, John King, Dale Perry, Bob Marston and Matt Bickhard. Also playing supporting roles are my good friends, Rick Mayo, who will be pacing John King in his first 100 and Gabe's wife, Tiffany, who will be there cheering him on to the finish. I am really excited to see some close members of my ultrarunning "family" along with making many new friends down at the race but most of all I'm pumped to pace Brad during his first finish at the 100 mile distance (no pressure, Brad :-)

Hope all of you had a great weekend and were able to get some miles in out on the trails!
Happy Running,
Carey

Yours Truly 50K, How To Be A Great Ultra Pacer and "Spirit of the Marathon"

2008-01-20T17:00:00.001-06:00

Picture from the 2007 YT 50K in Budapest, Hungary

YOURS TRULY 50K
Next Sunday, 1/27, I will be participating in the Yours Truly 50K out at the Green Rock Trail near St. Louis with a few other SLUGs. This is an interesting concept as it is a world wide race, based on the honor system and you have 24 hours to complete the distance. Here's how the website describes the event:

"Time starts running at the same time when you start and will finish when you have run 50k. You can have breaks if you want. Your time will be the time between start and finish.
Example: You start at 05.00 AM and you run till 09.00 AM. Totally about 35k. You come home and take a shower, eat and watch TV for couple of hours. At 01.00 PM you continue your run. You run those missing 15K's and finish at 03.00 PM. You have used totally 10h to run 50k, that is your result."

Click HERE for more information and good luck!

My AT100 Pacer, Andrew Karandjeff and I at the Finish

HOW TO BE A GREAT ULTRA PACER
On Saturday, Februrary 2nd, I will be pacing my friend and founder of Running4Recovery, Brad Holzworth, during the last 40 miles of his attempt at the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Trail Run in Huntsville, TX. In the February issue of Trail Runner Magazine there is an article on how to be an effective ultra pacer. Below is a brief recap of the main points in the article along with some of my own thoughts:

Know the Course: It is always best to run the course beforehand but is rarely possible so the next best thing is to study the trail map and know the information on the race website like the back of your hand. Know where the aid stations are, the difficulty of the different sections so you know when to push hard and when to pull back and most of all KNOW THE RULES.

Know Your Runner: Do they like to talk while they run or prefer silence? Should you be stern in your motivation or gentle? Do they like to run in front or behind? There are many physical and emotional highs and lows in a race. Your runner could be feeling great and jovial one minute then suddenly become nauseous and cranky the next; learn how to read your runner and modify your approach according to their mood.

Plan Aid Station Stops: About 10 minutes before you reach the aid station discuss what your runner needs and what you will take care of. Andrew did a great job of this at Arkansas Traveller this year and we had a plan going into each aid station so we could get what we needed and get out as soon as possible.

Know When To Be Bossy: Late in a 100 mile race your runner will not be thinking clearly due to fatigue and low blood sugar, may be nauseous, dehydrated and just plain tired. It's at this point that you need to take over and become the decision maker ensuring that they eat, stay hydrated, keep their electolytes in balance and keep moving forward. They may want to rest or just sit for a while but this is usually what causes a DNF. Remind them that the pain is only temporary and will end when they are finished but that the memories and sense of accomplishment will last a lifetime.

You're There For Them: It's not about you so you need to cast your ego aside and take care of their needs but make sure you are also taking care of yourself so they can count on you when the going gets really tough. They know how important you were in helping them achieve a finish and will remember the help and sacrifices you made for a lifetime.

I have been fortunate to have wonderful pacers (Chris McMahon, pictured above right, at Kettle and Andrew Karandjeff at Arkansas Traveller) for both of my 100 mile finishes and this is my opportunity to return the favor in helping Brad achieve his goal. At the end of the day though it is the runner's job to get himself across the finish line. You are there to provide emotional support, fill their water bottles, help light the way and motivate them to keep moving but they are the ones who need to put in the training, planning and preparation required to cover the distance.

SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON
This Thursday, 1/24, the movie, Spirit of the Marathon, will be showing in select theaters across the country. This is a one day engagement with an encore presentation on February 21st so if you have a chance check it out at a theater near you. Below is a brief description from the film's website:

"Four years in the making, Spirit of the Marathon is the collaborative effort of three-time Academy Award winner Mark Jonathan Harris, Telly Award winner and marathon runner Jon Dunham and producer/marathoner Gwendolen Twist. Spirit of the Marathon is the first ever non-fiction feature film to capture the drama and essence of the famed 26.2 mile running event. Filmed on four continents, the movie brings together a diverse cast of amateur athletes and marathon luminaries.

As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports movie, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph; a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike.

Filmed on four continents and in five countries, the film stars legends such as Dick Beardsley, Paula Radcliffe, Bill Rodgers, Toshihiko Seko and Grete Waitz."

Hope all of you are doing well and Happy Running,
Carey

McNaughton Park 150 Mile Trail Run - It's Official!!!

2008-01-15T20:15:00.000-06:00

Saturday sunset at McNaughton (both photo's from MPTR site)

So I caved into peer pressure from Sherpa John and officially signed up for the McNaughton Park 150 Mile Trail Run just minutes ago! The race begins at noon on Friday, April 11th and has a 52 hour time limit meaning that it officially ends at 4:00 pm on Sunday, April 13th. REALLY!!! 52 HOURS!?! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?!?!?!

It's the only 150 mile trail race in the US and consists of fifteen 10 mile loops with 1,600 feet of elevation change per loop. One of the 2005 participants described the course as follows:

“It’s one of the most scenic courses I know: Mostly singletrack, forest with some meadows, hills with beautiful valleys in between. Lots of flowers and wildlife. At dawn, when I came to the 3rd creek crossing, thousands of birds were singing, frogs were ‘talking’ everywhere, wild geese above me were chatting, and several Whitetail Deer crossing the trail.”

As far as difficulty the following is on the race website:
- Easier than Barkley.
- Cooler than Badwater.
- Lower altitude than Leadville.
- Warmer than Yukon Artic Ultras.

What does that mean? Doesn't seem to really help much since I've never run any of those races! To view the list of all the other crazy people registered for the MPTR 150 Miler click HERE.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” - Lao Tzu
In this case it's "only" 150 miles but did he have a time limit???

More to come in the months ahead...
Carey

HURT 100, Dan Baglione's Thoughts on Risks & Mom's Hearty Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2008-01-13T19:26:00.000-06:00

2007 HURT photo by Arturs Pridanovs

HURT 100
This Saturday runners from across the globe will toe the line at the HURT 100 Mile Endurance Run near Honolulu, Hawaii. Here is how A Step Beyond: A Definitive Guide to Ultrarunning describes the race:

"Held in a nature center in tropical Hawaii while the contintental U.S. is experiencing the worst of winter, how tough can the HURT 100 Mile be? Pretty tough, actually. Muddy, rooted, rocky, single-track trails make up this multiple-loop course, set in a mountainous tropical rainforest. In addition, according to the race brochure, you can expect precipitous and dangerous drop-offs in several locations. All that and 23,750 feet of climb combines to make this one of the toughest 100 milers out there. As the race suggests, this 100-miler is for the adventurous (and experienced) ultrarunner. The 36-hour time limit attests as to its difficulty level."

Two "Blog Friends" will be participating in this event; Kelly, as a pacer for the 2007 Angeles Crest 100 female winner and AC course record holder, Suzanna Bon, and Sam (Jeffery Rogers) as a runner competing in the event. For live runner updates during the race click HERE. Also tune into Sam's Blog all this week as he discusses his training, race strategy and last minute prepartions and then again on Saturday as he and his team attempt to live blog throughout the race. Very cool, Sam!

Dan Baglione's Thoughts on Risks
Last week I talked about risking more this year and pushing myself to the limit by actually racing more and running less. Dan emailed me his thoughts on risks and I wanted to share them with all of you:

"It's a risk every time we toe the line. No matter how well you know the course, no matter how well you may have done in a given race in the past, you never know for certain what lies ahead on the day you stand at the starting line waiting to test yourself once again. If you did know, it would not be a test, and there would be no reason for being there. The satisfaction is in knowing that on that given day, we have done our best, physically and mentally."

Very well put, Dan. I agree with you completely!

Mom's Hearty Oatmeal Cookies
There are a few staples in my diet and one of my favorite are my Mom's delicious and healthy oatmeal cookies. I usually have two of them as a mid-morning snack and thought it would be good to share the recipe with all of you.

- Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
- In a very large bowl mix:
* 1 Jar of Unsweetened Apple Sauce (20 - 25 oz.)
* 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
* 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
* 1/2 Cup of Canola Oil

- In a different large bowl mix:
* 6 Cups of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats (or brand of your choice)
* 2 Cups of Flour
* 2 Teaspoons of Salt
* 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
* 2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
* 2 Cups of Raisins
* 2 Cups of Walnuts or Pecans

- Gradually add dry ingredients to liquid and mix by hand. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray and spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Yields approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Of course you can substitute organic ingredients if you prefer. We have tried whole wheat flour but found that it just doesn't work and we haven't tried raw sugar yet but may experiment with that sometime in the near future. Seriously, make up a batch; you won't be disappointed!

The Traveler and The Shepherd
A friend of mine, Jeremy Bolt, shared this parable and quote with me:

Traveler - What kind of weather are we going to have today?
Shepherd - The kind of weather I like.
Traveler - How do you know it will be the kind of weather you like?
Shepherd - Having found out, sir, that I cannot always get what I like, I have learnt always to like what I get. So I am quite sure we will have the kind of weather I like.

"Happiness and unhappiness are in the way we meet events, not in the nature of those events themselves." - Anthony De Mello

Food for thought...

Hope all of you are well and Happy Running,
Carey

Interview on Endurance Planet

2008-01-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

Ultra "Family" Member, Dave Wakefield, and I at the Rock Creek 50K (cute skirt, Dave!)

This morning I had an interview with Kevin Patrick, the owner of Endurance Planet. We discussed how I got into the sport, how running a 100 miler parallels the ups and downs we experience in life (or vice versa), the life-long friendships I've made along the way and the Running4Recovery program. You can listen to the full interview by visiting Endurance Planet or click below for the respective files:

MP3
WINDOWS MEDIA

Unlike my somewhat long Trails and Tribulations Interview about Arkansas Traveller, it is less than 10 minutes. Kevin kept me on track and to the point :-)

Hope you all enjoy!
Carey

Pride Cometh Before a Turned Ankle, Racing vs. Running and What Do I Do With All of these Experiences?

2008-01-06T15:58:00.000-06:00

Loch Vale - Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Pride Cometh Before a Turned Ankle
Last Tuesday I joined Lee Hess and a few others for a New Year's Day run out at Greensfelder Park near Six Flags. I've run through the park numerous times on the Green-Rock Trail but never explored the many side trails available; I ended up logging about 14 miles as I did two loops of the Cottonwood and Declue Trails. Although there is a portion that is on the Green-Rock Trail I found that the Cottonwood/Declue loop is much more runnable than Green-Rock; the hills are rolling and not so steep. So this morning when I awoke to temperatures in the mid-60's I scrapped my Green Rock Trail run and decided to do the same run as last Tuesday. I figured dehydration could be a big problem with the temps in the 70's and with limited water available on Green-Rock thought I'd be better off doing shorter loops with my car close by so I could refill my bottles. I've been running quite a bit lately averaging about 70 miles a week as I'm building my base for the upcoming season so by Sunday I'm usually a bit worn out. But today was different, I was feeling strong and decided to push it for the entire 14 miles. As I was flying along the trail listening to Pink Floyd I began thinking, "I'm getting pretty good at this trail running stuff; I think this could be my year. It's almost like I'm one with the trail, in fact it's been a long time since I turned my... AHHHHHHHHHHH, my freak'in ankle!!!!!!!" It hurt so bad I was immediately nauseous and began sweating profusely as I hobbled along cursing under my breath and berating myself. "That's what you get for being cocky!" I slowly finished up the loop and since the pain had subsided a bit decided to hobble out for another one. Of course once you've turned your ankle during a run it's pretty much inevitable that it will happen again and it did, 2 MORE TIMES! The moral of the story is that no matter how good you think you are at trail running you've got to stay focused when running on more technical (rocky, rooty) trails; you're always just one step away from a turned ankle or a really bad fall. Be careful out there and keep your mind on the trail..., Carey!

Racing vs. Running
In 2007 I more than surpassed any goals I had set in the beginning of the year by running over 2,750 miles, finishing 2 marathons and 11 ultramarathons. Much of this wasn't "planned" as I just continued to enter races and run them; even the 100 milers were a bit spontaneous. After 3 Days of Syllamo I had decided to push back my attempt at 100 miles until 2008 but as I was sitting in Starbuck's on Easter I saw the Kettle 100 ad in Trail Runner magazine. After Easter dinner I promptly went home and signed up, exactly the reaction Jason and Timo were hoping for. After finishing Kettle I swore to my ex-fiancee that there would be no more attempts for a while but then found myself signing up for Arkansas Traveller when our relationship abruptly ended just 7 weeks before the wedding date. After finishing one of the toughest AT100's in history I kept myself busy running the Rock Creek 50K only 3 weeks later followed by the Route 66 Marathon and the Green Rock 40 Mile Fun Run before ending the Fall season. This season I RAN a lot of races but I didn't RACE many. Of course I usually finished in the top 20% and finished as high as 3rd place at Turkey and Taturs but it always seemed like I could have pushed myself just a bit more and not left so much in the tank. I learned a tremendous amount about hydration, nutrition, electrolytes and my body in 2007 as I figured out what my limits were and stayed comfortably inside them. In 2008 I plan to push these limits focusing on quality vs. quantity and daring to red-line myself a bit; finishing races completely exhausted knowing that I gave it my all out on the course. Goals this year include running a sub-5 hour 50K (4:45 actually) and breaking 22 hours in a 100 mile race. Will I DNF? I just might but I think it's worth the risk. As T.S. Eliot said, "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." I know how far I can go but the real question is how fast can I get there?

What Do I Do With All of these Experiences?
Last week I touched on the fact that I've been in a hover mode since the breakup as I figure out what to do and where to go next. I've got a few irons in the fire with a couple of companies but it is early in the process and very possible that neither of them will pan out. Both are good opportunities but I wonder if I should do something different; do you know what I mean? I have had quite a life in my short 33 years fighting many battles along the way. I've been at rock bottom and on top of the world, a fat smoker, an accomplished ultra-marathoner and a lost soul; I'd like to think this was all for something. By writing this blog I can reflect on my life and also hope that others can learn from my mistakes and draw inspiration; I think people can relate to me because I've been there, done that. So what do I do with all of these experiences? Write a book, go back to school and study nutrition/fitness to help others achieve their goals, partner with someone to develop a survival retreat program for corporate executives, become a freelance writer or do I just do what I've always done (assuming an opportunity comes along)? I'd like to believe that the right door will open but I'm not really putting myself out there to make something happen. My life consists of a somewhat tedious job, running, reading, blogging, sleeping and eating as I wait to get back into the game. I needed this stress-free, non-committal, life-on-hold environment for the first few months after the breakup but now my biggest fear is that the weeks and months will continue to pass by and I'll be in this same spot 6 months from now. Now do you see why I lose focus and turn my ankle out on the trail!?! If any of you have ideas, suggestions or feedback please share. I'll beat you guys to the first one; patience, I know, patience...

Hope you all are enjoying this unseasonably warm weather and staying safe out there on the trails.
Happy Running,
Carey

Most Interesting Blog Posts of 2007

2007-12-23T17:53:00.000-06:00

On the summit of Mt. Whitney

December is the slowest month of the year as far as races are concerned so I don't have a lot to talk about there; I'm just continuing my normal running routine and getting in quite a few miles. Just yesterday I made a new friend at Yoga class and my yoga buddy, Larry, was telling her all about the blog. Rather than sifting through the 80 something posts I told her that I would email her the links to the best ones (of course I forgot to get her email address; not very "smooth" am I). As I was running today I thought this would be something to share with everyone since many of you may have missed some of the earlier stuff. So here they are, the entries that I think are most interesting from this year. Enjoy!

Sylamore 50K Race Report (2/19)
3 Days of Syllamo Race Report (3/19)
Kettle Moraine 100 Mile Race Report (6/4)
Psycho Psummer 50K Race Report (7/16)
Mount Whitney Summit Adventure (8/12)
Great Running and Inspirational Quotes (8/20)
Turkey and Taturs 50K Race Report (9/17)
Arkansas Traveller 100 Mile Race Report (10/8)
Trails and Tribulations Arkansas Traveller 100 Podcast (10/24)
Rock Creek 50K Race Report (10/28)
100 Mile Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (11/10)
Route 66 Marathon Race Report (11/19)
Green Rock 40 Mile "Fun" Run (12/2)

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Running!
Carey

Addiction vs. Passion, Number of 100 Mile Finishers in 2007 and My Weekend in Nashville (Yee-haw!)

2007-12-10T17:14:00.000-06:00

Image from MAVAV.org

Addiction vs. Passion: What's The Difference?
A few weeks ago a friend of mine left me a voicemail suggesting that I focus on Moderation as a resolution for 2008; he felt my running was simply substituting one addiction for another and he was concerned. He is a recreational runner who logs around 25 miles a week in addition to weekly Yoga classes and Personal Training sessions so it's not exercise he's worried about; it's the fact that I run "extreme" distances. From his viewpoint he feels I'm addicted to running whereas I would say I'm passionate about the sport; so what's the difference?

According to the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary the non-substance definition of ADDICT is to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively and the definition of PASSION is a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept. After reading both definitions I think it's easy to see the confusion. For most people running 100 miles is incomprehensible and they cannot understand why anyone would do it; many say, "I don't even like to drive that far!" For me it's about more than just covering the distance, it's embracing the entire experience and savoring each moment as you go from extreme highs to abysmal lows. It's the amazing volunteers you meet along the way and the life-long friendships that are forged while out on the trails (Finishers of the 2006 MMT 100 pictured above). Running ultras is about pushing on when every part of your body and mind is begging you to stop; it's knowing that you can achieve anything you set your mind to and that when the going gets tough you can handle whatever comes your way.

To me addiction is something negative and "dirty" that takes over your life and controls you whereas being passionate about something means that it is enriching your life and possibly the lives of others; there is a very fine line. I say I am passionate about running but can it be an addiction? Absolutely! When you are hobbling so bad you can barely walk due to shin splints but you still "have to get your run in," when you neglect your loved ones and make running the most important thing in your life, when you're physically and mentally beat and need rest but head out anyway because you "have to hit your weekly mileage goal," THEN you may be addicted and need to take a step back to evaluate whether you control your running or running controls you. Have I been this way in the past? Admittedly, yes. Today? No, but it is something that I am keenly aware of and ensure I keep in check. What are your thoughts on the difference between Passion and Addiction?

2007 Finishers of 100+ Mile Events
Ever wondered how many people finish 100 miler's in a year? Well I actually have and apparently others have too because Ultralister Jason Walz crunched the numbers to give us the answer.

Number of 100s finished in 2007:
11 (1): Dan Brendan (Pictured right at Across The Years)
9 (3): David Goggins, Dennis Drey, Hans-Dieter
8 (1): Phil Rosenstein
7 (3): Andy Kumeda, Gilles Barbeau, Jamshid Khajavi
6 (3): Jack Meyer, Karl Meltzer, Rob Apple
5 (9)
4 (31)
3 (66)
2 (283)
1 (1641)
2679 total finishes; 2053 ultrarunners; 80% of hundred+ milers run only one race, and 94% of hundred+ milers run 1 or 2 ultras.

And Kevin Stroud added that considering the population of the U.S. is currently estimated at 303,559,949 that makes each of the 2,053 100-mile finishers "one out of 147,861 people."

And now I'm sure you all will sleep better at night knowing this bit of trivia :-)

My Weekend In Nashville, TN (Yee-Haw!)
I flew down to Nashville Friday evening to visit my friend Shannon and have a low key weekend. Shannon and her friend, Michelle, picked me up at the airport and we headed down near Vanderbilt to meet their friend, Janet, at the Red Door. After sipping on a Diet Coke we headed to Park Cafe for an amazing dinner (highly recommended)! Saturday was a bit dreary and foggy so we slept in quite late and then headed down to get in some miles along the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. This is a paved path that runs along the Cumberland River and will eventually connect with other greenways all over Nashville; I calculated that there will be around 89 miles when the project is completed. Shannon and Michelle stayed strong in the cold, damp weather pushing themselves even though their bodies wanted to quit and I got in some speedwork along the flat, paved paths.

Saturday night Michelle had invited some people over for a delicious, homemade dinner. As Shannon and I were out exploring Nashville on Saturday afternoon Michelle was busy baking pies, marinating the meat, whipping up some fresh mango salsa and preparing the salad. We got home around 6:00 pm and were blown away by everything she had accomplished. We were joined for dinner by Rusty and Jenn and all chatted as Michelle grilled up the meat; we offered to help but being that she tunes into the Food Network 24 hours a day she declined and said she had it all under control. As we sat down there was silence as we all dug into the feast; everyone cleaned their plate and most of us went back for seconds!

Sunday morning we had a bit of a food hangover and slept in again before Shannon and I headed to a nearby park for a run. It was overcast but warm and humid; after 7 miles I ditched the shirt. Sunday afternoon the temperature reached into the upper 70's as we played "tourist" and hit all the spots downtown including 2nd Avenue and Broadway. The highlight was the Charlie Daniels Museum where Shannon picked up a Charlie Daniels Santa Bobblehead as a gag gift for my parents; they love it by the way! We headed out to the Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas lights before dropping me off at the airport for my 6:50 pm flight.

I am so blessed to have friends like Shannon in my life and continue to meet kind, generous and friendly people every where I go. Shannon was the perfect host treating me to delicious food, fun times and great company and Michelle, who I didn't know before the trip, made me feel welcome at her home and filled my belly with home cook'in. To view all of the pictures from my weekend trip to Nashville click HERE.

Hope all of you are well and staying upright in these icy conditions!
Happy Running (or sliding),
Carey

Green Rock 40 Mile "Fun" Run

2007-12-02T15:47:00.000-06:00

Stuart, Me and Jerry arriving at the Middle Aid Station (Photo by Travis Liles)

Yesterday, a group of us ran a Green Rock Trail "Double" fully supported by Lee Hess and a crew of volunteers. This trail is 10 miles one way and begins about 2 miles west of the Allenton exit near Six Flags and ends at Rockwoods Reservation. Green Rock is very rocky (hence the name) and hilly; it is known as the toughest trail in the St. Louis area and one of the most strenuous in the entire state. To our knowledge no one had ever accomplished a Green Rock Double in a single day so we were heading into uncharted territory.

Lee (pictured at right giving me a pep talk at the AT 100) is a fellow SLUG and had been planning this event for some time as a practice run for a race he would like to direct on the GR Trail sometime in the near future. There were aid stations set up at the start/finish, the middle and the turnaround just like there would be in an actual race with full ultra-aid station fare including Turkey Soup, Breakfast Burritos, M&M's, Coke, cookies, pretzels and PB&J sandwiches. About 15 runners were participating but not all were planning on doing the double. At 6:00 am we stood around the trailhead listening to some last minute instructions from Lee and around 6:07 am we headed off into the darkness with flashlights in hand. The temperature at the start was around 30 degrees with partly cloudy skies and the forecast called for sleet in the morning turning into rain around mid-day as the temperature increased; we were all mentally prepared for a long, wet day. After the first few miles the group split up and I was running with Stuart Johnson, Jerry Frost, David Stores and future SLUG member, Steve McKee. This was to be the longest run for both David and Steve so they were excited about the challenge; David commented that he only slept about 3 hours mostly due to nervousness about the gloomy weather forecast. There was a lot of chatter throughout the day (mostly from yours truly) which helped pass the time as we talked about running and life. Jerry was the first SLUG I ever met back at the Berryman training run in 2005 and is someone who has inspired me and taught me a lot about the sport of ultra-running; we don't get to run together very often so it was nice to spend the day with him.

When we arrived at the turn they were cooking up some yummy looking breakfast burritos but I stuck with my usual Coke, M&M's and cookies. In fact Jerry and Stuart were teasing me that I should do a Coke commercial; "Want to be a front-middle of the pack ultra-runner and finish in the top 10-30% but never win? Then drink COKE, that's what I do. Strive to be just a bit better than average!" Whatever works, right? We cruised back to the start/finish where David and I both changed into shorts; besides a few sprinkles early on it was dry, partly cloudy and in the mid-40's which is ideal running weather. I had been joking about how tempting it would be to quit at the turn and head to Starbuck's to enjoy a hot latte and a book but really always intended to go back out for a second loop. I told Jerry and Stuart this so they would stick around and not head off without me but when I returned from the truck they were gone. Lee and Andrew said, "Jerry and Stuart told us not to let you go to Starbucks!" Thanks guys, way to pass the buck. I stuffed my face with cookies and M&M's, downed some Coke and quickly caught up to them. I ribbed them a bit about there not being an "I" in Team; I'd have to remind Stuart of this again later.

David and Steve caught up to us and as we entered the middle aid station Steve told us he was planning on turning around. This was his furthest run beyond a marathon and he was happy to accomplish his first trail 50K; we all congratulated him and headed on to the turnaround. Around 1:40 pm we reached the turn and ate some of the best Turkey and Rice Soup I've ever had. We thanked everyone for their hard work volunteering and then started our way back for the last 10 miles of the day. Stuart (the "Old Punk" is pictured above with me at the Rock Creek 50K) wasn't wasting any time and quickly took off ahead of us as I heckled him about not being a team player; "No 'I' in Team, remember Stuart!?!" I think this made him go even faster because he was out of sight within the first few miles heading back. As we passed the 1 mile marker Jerry told David and I to savor every step since we were on the home stretch; he seemed a bit disappointed that the day would soon be ending. This kind of attitude is what makes him such a great ultra-runner; he embraces every minute of a run and truly enjoys the process.

We soon came up on Ted Gruener (pictured at left with me, photo by Travis Liles) and Jon Whiting who said Stuart had passed them like a man possessed flying right by. This was to be Jon's longest run ever and Ted had been running with him most of the day helping to support him in this challenge. We met up with Carol Izadi and Deb Johnson who were heading out to the turn as Carol said she just had to have another burrito; I run for Coke and M&M's and she runs for burritos. Once again, whatever works! We reached the middle aid station around 3:15 pm and both David and John were fading a bit. We all fueled up and made sure they would be OK to continue on together as Jerry, Ted and I picked up the pace; as we headed off Jerry exclaimed "Let's Get'er Done!" We reached the 9 mile marker and could hear the sound of cars speeding along I-44; Ted remarked what a sweet sound it was as it signaled the end of a long and grueling day. At 4:16 pm, 10 hours and 9 minutes after we had started, we reached Fox Creek road and were welcomed and congratulated by Lee and Stuart. About 20 minutes later we heard David (pictured right at Flatlanders) and Jon coming down the trail on the way to finishing their longest run yet on the most difficult trail in St. Louis. What an accomplishment, congrats to you both! At the end of the day 6 people completed the Double: Stuart Johnson, Jerry Frost, Ted Gruener, David Stores, Jon Whiting and myself. Carol and Deb ended up completing 34 miles and finished around 6:10 pm; job well done! Once everyone had arrived we all stood around reminiscing about the day and mowing down on the birthday cake Stuart, Deb and Carol had brought for Lee; I also run for cake :-)

Once again thanks to all who helped out and made this day possible including David, Travis, Randy, Andrew, Michelle, Dan, Jeff, Mike, Charlie and the rest of their Hasher Family; we couldn't have done it without you. Most of all thanks to Lee for coordinating such a great event; it was organized better than many "official" races! To view all of the pictures taken by Travis Liles click HERE.

Any of you have recent running adventures to share? If so, please do. How about some stories from the Tecumseh Trail Marathon yesterday?

Hope all is well and Happy Running,
Carey

"Go'in Back to Cali" and Staying Fit During the Holidays

2007-11-27T17:32:00.000-06:00

"Go'in Back To Cali"
Last week I headed out to Los Angeles to visit my good friend, Erik, for the Thanksgiving Holiday. The plan was to catch up with Erik on life, eat (of course), run along the beach, make some new friends and get in some hiking up near Malibu. I'm happy to say I did all of that and then some and the weather was perfect; sunny from the moment I stepped off the plane until I left yesterday with highs hovering around 70 degrees and lows dipping into the 50's. Erik owns a beautiful house in Venice about a mile from the beach so every morning I ran along the boardwalk towards Santa Monica Pier and ventured as far as Pacific Palisades a few times. I would then jump on the bike for a bagel and peanut butter from Main Street Bagels in Santa Monica and a No Sugar Added Mocha Latte from the Coffee Bean. Mmmmm... delicious!

We spent Thanksgiving at Erik's house and the meal was excellent; it was all organic and everyone brought a homemade dish. The dinner guests were great and all very interesting; they included Janella (works for Brushfire Records), Elizabeth (a local artist), Mike (a professional BMX rider and owner of Lavar Brand), Frank (owner of Natural High Lifestyle), Jason (an account exec for Outside Magazine), Brittany (a Director at Quiksilver) and Erik (SVP Merchandising and Design at Quiksilver). Frank advised us all to have an eating strategy so we had dinner and desert while taking regularly scheduled breaks to rest and let everything settle; eating can be hard work! With such a diverse group of people the conversations were very thought provoking; I enjoyed soaking it all in as we discussed everything from the environment to how to make the perfect cup of french press coffee.

Friday I woke up with a sugar hangover thanks to Brittany's homemade pies and ran it off with my own personal half marathon along the beach. After my bagel and coffee Erik and I headed up to Leo Carillo for some hiking and grabbed a bite at Malibu Seafood on our way back home. Friday night was mellow with dinner at Primitivo on Abbott Kinney and Saturday I spent most of the day just riding my bike around Venice exploring and people watching. I thought I was supposed to fly out Sunday afternoon so Erik took me to the airport around 10:00 am but when I tried to check-in I figured out that my flight was actually booked for Monday. I took a cab back to his house and enjoyed the rest of my bonus day; OK with me! Erik and his friends were so kind and really made me feel welcome during my stay. Part of the reason for the trip was to figure out what's next for me in my career and where I want to live; I can definitely see myself returning to the sunny beaches and warm people of Southern California and know that the right door will open if that is where I'm supposed to be. To check out all of the pictures from the trip click HERE.

STAYING FIT DURING THE HOLIDAYS
I definitely ate my fair share but made sure to get plenty of exercise during my vacation to burn off the excess calories. I logged over 60 miles of running along the beach and a ton of miles on the bike exploring Venice; it's OK to indulge a bit but it's imperative to maintain your workout routine especially during this busy season. I was reading the article, "You're Invited For The Holidays," in the LA Times on Sunday and it talked about how important it is to make time for exercise so you can start 2008 feeling fit and healthy. The article had some really good tips and you can check it out in its entirety by clicking HERE. Of course my recommendation is to just lace-up the sneakers, throw on some layers and head out the door!

This weekend is the Green Rock 40 Mile Fun Run out on the trails behind Six Flags. My good friend, Deanna, is heading down from Columbia Friday afternoon to crash at my parents house and we're going to roast up some SMOREs in the backyard; Good Times! The run starts at 6:00 am Saturday morning and I figure it will probably take us around 9-10 hours. The weather is looking ideal, partly cloudy with a high of 40 degrees and no chance of rain; PERFECT! I'll have pictures and a full report next week.

Hope your Holiday was good and Happy Running,
Carey

I "Got My Kicks" At The Route 66 Marathon

2007-11-19T16:03:00.001-06:00

Me, Dan, LaDonna and Brian

I headed down to Tulsa this past weekend to run the Route 66 Marathon with my second cousins, Dan and Brian. It was to be the first marathon for both of them and we thought it would be a great experience to run it together. My Dad and I left around 5:00 am Sunday morning from my Grandparent's lake house near Grove to drive to the Southern Hills Marriot where we were meeting up with Dan, Brian and their families. We arrived at about 6:45 am and I headed into the lobby to find all of them waiting. I quickly ran to the restroom and then we jumped into our cars to make our way to the start line downtown.

I expected a lot more traffic considering it was a marathon morning but we had no problems finding a parking space and getting to the start area. The weather was ideal with the temperature hovering around 50 degrees and an overcast sky; there was a slight mist in the air and a cool breeze from the south. For a marathon it doesn't get any better! As we stood around waiting we caught up a bit on life, since I haven't seen either of them in about 12 years, and chatted about the race. They were both very excited and well prepared for the 26.2 mile distance. I saw my good friend, Matt Bickhard, along with TATUR founder, Brian Hoover, who were also running the marathon; it seems that no matter where I race I always see familiar faces. Around 7:50 am we were directed into the starting corral and promptly at 8:00 am we were off.

Brian and Dan's goal was to maintain a 10:00 min/mile pace throughout the race and finish somewhere near 4 hours and 30 minutes. We began the race a bit fast (go figure) and were consistently running a 9:00 minute mile pace through the first 10 miles. They both were feeling good but I could tell Dan was a bit concerned about going out too fast and I should have listened better; instead of backing off we just continued cruising along. I kept reminding them to relax their shoulders, take electrolyte capsules and listen to their bodies; if they felt lactic acid building up or that we were pushing it too much just speak up and we would slow down. Around mile 10 I saw fellow SLUG Tom Whalen running back towards downtown in 4th place and shouted over words of encouragement; man that guy can fly! He ended up placing 4th overall and taking 1st place Master's Male; congrats Tom! We hit the halfway mark at 10:00 am and were pacing ahead of our 4:30 goal but a lot can happen during those last 13 miles.

As we left Jenks on our way back towards downtown, Dan said his hamstrings were beginning to cramp and I reminded him to take some more electrolyte caps and down some GU. We also stopped so he could stretch his legs out a bit and decided to let Brian go on without us. Around the 15 mile point I saw my Dad and asked him to bring my bag out to me at the next stop as I had forgotten S-Caps and Hammer Gels. Up until this point I had been borrowing electrolyte caps from Dan but they weren't S-Caps and had less sodium; I suspected that may be why he was having some issues as he wasn't replacing the salt he was losing through his sweat. About a mile later my trusty "Crew Chief" came to the rescue delivering the much needed S-Caps which I shared with Dan as he was complaining of severe cramping in his hamstrings and calves.

Around mile 17 we began taking walk breaks as we waited for the cramps to subside but they never quite did and by mile 22 Dan was hurting pretty badly as the cramps had now moved into his quads. It was also at this point that he hit the "Wall" and as he weaved back and forth he told me that he was so tired he could fall asleep right there in the road. Fortunately an aid station was near, he downed some Accelerade and GU and within minutes he was back and alert; close call! He pushed on despite the fatigue and pain reminding himself that the more he ran the quicker he'd reach the finish line. Around the 25.5 mile mark we saw Matt Bickhard who was walking back up (he had already finished) looking for his friend. Matt told us that it was all downhill from here which put the spring back in Dan's step as we coasted and rounded the last turn towards the finish line. We crossed the tape in 4:36:37 and Dan now officially has the first of what will be many marathon finishes under his belt. Brian finished about 15 minutes ahead of us in 4:22:34 and Brian's wife, LaDonna, ran the Half Marathon in 2:25:18. They dug deep and finished strong; congrats to all three of you!

As we stood around munching food and talking with our families I was reminded of how I felt after I finished my first marathon back in December, 2005. I was physically exhausted, emotionally drained but very proud; I could see that same look in their eyes and it made me smile. I think most of us ultra-runners tend to just shrug off the marathon distance as no big deal but watching Dan and Brian push on as they battled cramps and fatigue made me respect the distance again. Both Dan and Brian started out running back in January of this year not with the intention of completing a marathon but simply to lose weight and live a healthier life. After many months of training and hard work they accomplished something that most people never will; everyone CAN finish a marathon but few have the discipline and dedication to actually do it. Way to go Dan, Brian and all of the other First Time Finishers at the Route 66 Marathon!

To view the full results of the Route 66 Marathon click HERE and to view all of the pictures from the race click HERE.

I leave for LA Wednesday morning to visit my good friend and former colleague, Erik, for the Thanksgiving holiday. He actually lives in Venice so we plan to get in some beach running, yoga and hiking over the long weekend as we catch up on old times and discuss what lies ahead in the future.

Wishing all of you a great holiday and Happy Running!
Carey

Race Day Tips for a Marathon and Beyond

2007-11-14T21:07:00.001-06:00

Recently Runner's World Magazine published an article by Amby Burfoot on how to run a "smart" marathon titled, appropriately enough, "Marathon Smarts". This Sunday I'll be running the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa with my second cousins Dan and Brian and have been thinking about some tips to give them before the marathon. Much of this information is not new and is mentioned in the article but what I have done is to describe my own personal race routine whether I'm running a marathon or a 100 miler.

1. Stick With the Tried and True - I never try out new things on race day. This weekend I'll be wearing my New Balance 902's which have about 60 miles on them along with Injinji socks, my "signature" yellow SLUG jersey, favorite North Face shorts and a Headsweats hat. I've worn all of these items 100's of miles and know that they're comfortable and don't cause any chafing or blisters. For nutrition I'll bring along a few pouches of Hammer Gel and 10 S-Caps both of which I've used many times in training and I'll stick with water only for hydration.

2. Rise and Shine and EAT - The minute I wake up I'll eat a bowl of Nature's Path Optimum Power Cereal and add some raisins of my own; this is a staple for me as I eat it every morning. I usually eat about 2 servings so total with milk and raisins it's around 550 calories; plenty to fuel me for a while. Since we're leaving for Tulsa at 5:00 am (3 hours before the race starts) I'll also eat an Odwalla Bar at about 7:00 am; my favorite kinds are Berries Go Mega and Chocolate Chip Peanut.

3. You May Be Cold Now But You'll Be Hot Before You Know It - Unless the projected high during the race is below 40 degrees I'll wear a short sleeve shirt and shorts. Sometimes I bring along a throwaway sweatshirt to wear up until the last minute and either toss it or hand it off to my crew. If you wear a throwaway and toss it you won't get it back; most races donate the clothes to charity. I pick up my throwaway shirts at Goodwill for $2; can't go wrong there.

4. No Bloody Nips - I use Body Glide under my arms and on my inner thighs and Nip Guards or band aids (much cheaper) to protect my nipples; this is IMPERATIVE if you are a male. Make sure that you've worn your clothing, shoes and socks before in long training runs so you know they don't cause you any problems; goes back to rule #1.

5. Keep Your Number On Your Shorts (and your shorts on your rear end) - I actually just started this at Kettle since I planned on changing shirts at some point and have been doing it for every race since. It gives you flexibility so you can change on the fly and not worry about transferring the number; I'm assuming that most of you plan on keeping your shorts on for the entire race :-)

6. Perk It Up - I don't drink coffee before a race as it messes with my stomach but I do grab a Soy Latte if there is a Starbucks around. Many people, including my friends Gabe and Deanna, won't run a race without there caffeine fix; personally I can take it or leave it.

7. Save Your Energy For The Race - For distances longer than a marathon I don't warm up at all and this weekend at Tulsa I won't either given the leisurely pace we'll be running. If I'm really going after it in a marathon (which I rarely do anymore) then I'll jog just a bit before and do some light stretches after my muscles are warm; not too much but just enough so that when I start at a 7:00 min./mile pace my body is ready for it. For ultra's there is plenty of time to warm up when the race begins.

8. They Have Water At the Aid Stations - I may sip on water before a race but usually am plenty hydrated going into it; I see a lot of people downing liquids until the last minute and I used to be one of them. Perhaps I am just more lax now but I don't really worry about it; if I'm thirsty I drink but I don't go out of my way to hyper-hydrate. It's not like you're heading into the Sahara; in most marathons water is available every 1-2 miles.

9. Steady Does It - I never do this in marathons but am getting better; I always start out too fast and fade at the end. This is the opposite of how it's supposed to be done as it's better to get faster towards the end (negative split) or at least run an even pace throughout (even split). Most elite marathoners run negative splits as Ryan Hall did in his recent victory at the Olympic Trials.

10. Don't Let Mole Hills Become Mountains - Don't wait to get the rock out of your shoe or adjust your shirt if it's rubbing you in a weird way; these things will only get worse. Catch them before they cause any real problems!

11. Something To Drink? Yes, Please! - I drink from the beginning of the race until the end but be careful not to overhydrate; take S-Caps to keep your electrolytes in balance. Hyponatremia is very dangerous (potentially deadly) and can occur if you drink too much without replacing lost salt.

12. Love To Eat - In a marathon I'll stick to Gels only (GU or Hammer Gels) but in longer distances I will eat more "real" food. Whether it's M&M's, Coke or PB&J, if it looks good I'm eat'in it! You must replace the carbs you are burning otherwise you most likely will hit the infamous "Wall" when your body has depleted all of its glycogen stores. The body can only store about 2,000 calories as glycogen and most people burn an average of 100 calories per mile; that's why the Wall suddenly appears around the 20 mile mark when your body runs out of fuel.

So that's my own personal spin on the tips from Runner's World and you can read the article in its entirety by clicking HERE. Please email me or comment if you have any questions or an interesting pre-race ritual you'd like to share with everyone.

I'm off to the Lake Friday and then Tulsa Sunday morning; look for a full race report to be posted late Monday night.

Happy Running,
Carey

YOU RUN 100 MILES!?!

2007-11-10T15:26:00.000-06:00

UltraLister Davy Crockett recently published a list of 100 Mile FAQs (frequently asked questions) on his blog which I found very interesting. Although I'm a "Newbie" at this distance I do get quite a few questions from runners and non-runners alike when they find out that I've completed two 100 milers in my short running career (2007 Kettle Moraine and 2007 Arkansas Traveller). Following Mr. Crockett's lead I decided to post my responses to some of the 100 mile FAQs.

1. Do You Sleep During The Run? No, personally I do not. Since these are races my goal is to finish the distance as quickly as I can; also there is a 30 hour time limit for most 100 milers leaving little time for naps.

2. Do You Walk? Yes, I would say that I walk about 30% of the total distance (30 miles). The "plan" is to walk the uphills, jog the flats and run the downs; of course if the race is relatively flat then you must include scheduled walk breaks. At Arkansas Traveller I didn't follow this plan and ran everything for the first 16 miles which almost caused me to DNF early in the race due to the heat and humidity.

3. Do You Eat While You Run? Yes, you're supposed to. In a 100 mile race I'll burn around 15,000 calories so it is essential that I replace these calories during the run. For me I have a hard time eating as I tend to have no appetite and an unsettled stomach; I force myself to eat whatever "looks" good or something I can just gulp down. At Arkansas Traveller I lived on Coke and Soup during the last 60 miles but typical aid station fare includes Soda, M&Ms, Gels, Sports Drink, candy, chips, cookies, PB and Jelly sandwiches, boiled potatoes and about anything else you can imagine (pancakes, sausage, bacon, hamburgers, etc.). You must also replace your electrolytes during the race by either consuming salt or electrolyte capsules. Personally I take Succeed Caps and in hot weather consume about 3-4 an hour; during the AT100 I took over 60 S-Caps throughout the 24 hours I was running.

4. Do You Stop To Rest? There are aid stations about every 4-5 miles where we fill our water bottles, grab something to eat and see our crew if the station is accessible to them. My rule is to get in and out of an aid station in 2 minutes or less as I take food out with me to eat while I'm walking. My crew usually walks along side refilling me with Hammer Gels, S-Caps, Woerther's Candies, Starlight Mints, Clip 2 and Tums. I almost NEVER sit; as the old ultra saying goes "Beware of the chair!" It has been the cause of many DNF's (Did Not Finish) for other runners.

5. How Long Does It Take To Run 100 Miles? As Davy says in his response it really depends on the course. Kettle was my first 100 miler and I finished in 27 hours and 11 minutes due to the fact that I walked the entire last 38 miles. At Arkansas I finished in 24 hours and 35 minutes as I was better prepared both mentally and physically for the night portion; I practically ran an even split (1st 50 miles in 12:09 and last 50 miles in 12:26). In February I plan to run Rocky Raccoon which is considered "easy" for a 100 miler; my goal is to run a sub-24 but my "stretch" goal is to beat 22 hours.

6. Why Do You Like To Run 100 Miles? That's the Million Dollar question that I get all the time! First and foremost I like to push myself to see exactly what I'm capable of; the feeling of accomplishment when you finish is unsurpassed by anything else I've ever experienced. I love the people I meet during the journey and the beautiful places I get to see. I've learned a lot about myself; I can achieve anything I set my mind to and when the going gets tough I'm able to handle the stress in a calm manner (something I try to apply in everyday life). I enjoy reflecting back on the race and going through the "play by play" with family and friends; it's like reliving the excitement all over again! Lastly, you can't truly appreciate "rest" or a shower until you've run a 100 miler.

7. How Long Does It Take You To Recover? I'm usually running again by the next weekend although I stick to trails and go no further than 7 miles. Typically I do a "reverse taper" and am back to my average weekly mileage by about 3-4 weeks after the race. I ran the Rock Creek 50K three weeks after Traveller and missed my 50K PR by 3 minutes placing 7th overall; my recovery time is getting shorter and shorter as I get more miles on my body.

8. What Do You Think About As You Run? When running a race of this distance you focus on how you're feeling (body scan from head to toe and internally), keeping your hydration/electrolytes in balance, following your fueling strategy and what you're going to need at upcoming aid stations. When you scan and something isn't right you then move into a solution oriented mode to figure out what you need to do to fix the problem before it gets any worse. If you are at a REALLY LOW POINT you start thinking about why you're doing this as you search for meaning and inspiration to push on.

9. How Much Do You Have To Train? I average about 50 miles per week and a typical week consists of 4-5 runs of 6 to 10 miles and one long run over 15 miles. The Long Run is really the key as it primarily trains the endocrine system to handle the stress you will encounter during a 100 miler. I ran at least one race of 50K or longer practically every month this year.

10. Doesn't It Hurt? Yes! There are times when the pain seems unbearable; you must know the difference between "safe" pain and pain which signifies a problem so serious that you must quit. By about mile 50 everything hurts to some extent so it simply becomes varying degrees of pain. At Arkansas I actually started feeling better as the race progressed during the last 50 miles; I've found that for me late in a race it is less painful when I'm running than when I'm walking or standing still. As Davy said, after the race the pain subsides but the memories and sense of accomplishment last a lifetime!

11. Do You Get Blisters? I am blessed in that I have very few foot problems and rarely get blisters. If I do they are small and relatively insignificant; I usually don't even notice them until the race is over.

12. What Kind Of Shoes Do You Run In? I run in trail running shoes and love the Asics Gel Trabucos; I've tried others but keep coming back to these. I also wear Injinji Socks, use Sole orthotic insoles and Dirty Girl Gaiters. During Arkansas Traveller I ran in the same pair of shoes the entire race, never changed my socks and my feet felt great (it's all relative).

13. How Many Miles Do You Run In A Year? I just started running in September, 2005 so:
2005 - 492 Miles, 2006 - 2454 Miles, 2007 - 2305 Miles (through 11/11)

14. How Often Do You Run 100 Miles? I've only run two 100 milers and completed both of them in 2007. This year I also ran races of all distances including one marathon, six 50K's, one 6 Hour Timed Event and one 50 miler. I will be running one more marathon this month and a 40 mile "fun run" in December which will complete my events for 2007. Next year I will run fewer races and plan to participate in four 100 milers; I will run less 50k's and no marathons.

15. Do You Win? Not Yet :-) I am relatively young and early in my ultra career; the highest I've placed in a 100 miler was 20th at Arkansas. My running times in general have improved quite dramatically this year and I do think that someday I'll be able to run a sub-20 hour 100 miler. Is that good enough to win? Depends who shows up that year.

Are there any questions I've missed? If so please shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer them.

I may be back later this week with another post before I leave for the Route 66 Marathon on Friday. As you probably have gathered I didn't travel to California as my trip got postponed; I'll be heading out there for the Thanksgiving Holiday which actually works out much better anyway.

Hope all is well and Happy Running,
Carey

The Day After The Marathon

2007-11-09T12:45:00.000-06:00

This video was created by the Flora London Marathon as a commercial for the event. I saw it a few months ago but forgot about it until I was checking out Kelly's Blog today and she had it posted. Something most of us can relate to; enjoy!

Ryan Shay Collapsed and Died Saturday During the Olympic Trials

2007-11-05T10:34:00.001-06:00

Ryan Shay: Photo from nyrr.org

A tragic story as Ryan Shay died during the Olympic Trials this past Saturday in Central Park, NYC. According to sources, the 28 year old marathoner collapsed about 5 1/2 miles into the race and was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. To read the November 8th NY Times article, "Small Town Mourns a Running Marvel," please click HERE.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Alicia, his family and his friends. Let this serve as a reminder to us all that life is precious and that you never know when your time will come; enjoy every breath!

For more information please click HERE.

The Ryan Shay Memorial Fund
5873 Leisure Lane
East Jordan, MI 49727

I Hit The Wall: My Endocrine System said Enough is Enough!

2007-10-31T21:42:00.000-06:00

Major Endocrine Glands: 1. Pineal Gland 2. Pituitary Gland 3. Thyroid Gland 4. Thymus 5. Adrenal Gland 6. Pancreas 7. Ovary 8. Testes

As most of you know I've run quite a few races lately with the Flatlanders 6 Hour on September 2nd, the Turkey and Taturs 50K on September 16th, the Arkansas Traveller 100 on October 7th and the Rock Creek 50K this past weekend. I returned from the 50K this past Sunday and was feeling pretty good; physically I was a bit stiff and sore but mentally I was better than ever energized from a weekend of trail running and spending time with friends. I took Sunday and Monday as rest days to recuperate and then planned on a run Tuesday. Then, yesterday, I noticed a sharp decrease in my appetite and was feeling a bit off in general but headed out for my scheduled run anyway after work. The weather was so perfect that instead of running 6 miles I ended up doing 12 miles which put me over the edge. Today I awoke feeling queasy, with no appetite, no energy and emotionally depressed opting to call in to work and spend the day resting; I ended up sleeping 17 hours! So after a bit of research and consulting the "Ultra Bible" I figured out that my endocrine system was stressed to its max; it simply couldn't take anymore and things went a bit haywire (commonly diagnosed as Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome). Here's what A Step Beyond: A Definitive Guide to Ultrarunning says about the endocrine system:

"Most runners have no idea what the endocrine system is, nor its significance to ultrarunning. An ultra places tremendous stress on the body. The endocrine system reacts to enable the body to respond to the stress. WIthout proper endocrine system function, completion of an ultra would be virtually impossible. That system is trained by repeated exposure to stress. Mutltiple glands (pituitary, hypothalamus, adrenal) are active and they secrete multiple chemicals (aldosteroone, vasopressin, glucagon, insulin, adrenaline, cortisol, endorphins-just to name a few) that affect how we get through these long, stressful runs. The endocrine system can strengthen with moderate training, but can also be pushed to the point of fatigue and collapse by too much stress. That is really what overtraining is all about. Muscles recover rapidly from an ultra, but the endocrine system takes many weeks to fully recover. Too many long runs in too short a time will push a runner into an overtrained state that will force rest, not so much for the muscles, but for the endocrine system... And make no mistake, ultrarunning does exact a cumulative effect on most of us. It takes extraordinary effort to push your body through the demands of 50 miles, 100 or even longer distances. You are "borrowing" on your body's reserves. Just how long it will take to "repay the debt," varies among runners. But if the debt is not repaid in full, there may be foreclosure down the road."

Click HERE to read an article on endocrine system depletion by Jay Hodde and the owner of Succeed Products, Karl King.

What I learned today was that I definitely have limits; I have come to think that I can just keep going like the Energizer Bunny but that is not the case. I am human and not powered by batteries that you can just swap out when they're depleted. This feeling of invincibility has led me to do too much, too soon and today it all came crashing down. You must give your body (muscles and endocrine system) enough time to recover after events or it WILL SHUT DOWN. I wanted all of you to know about my experience so you can learn from my mistakes and know that it is OK to rest; if you don't do it on your own your body will do it for you.

Hope all is well and Happy Resting,
Carey

My Cousin Dan: From Couch Potato to Marathon Runner

2007-10-30T10:07:00.000-06:00

The above picture is Dan at his 182 lb. "fighting" weight

I wanted to share my second cousin's story with all of you as he is a real inspiration! Dan and our other cousin, Brian, will be running their first marathon at the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, OK on November 18th. I will be joining the two of them and am honored and proud to share in this life changing experience and celebration of their hard work and dedication. Here is Dan's story:

"Starting in high school, I had always been very fit, played football, lived in the weight room, and ate a healthy diet (on a teenager scale). During college my weight, like many other people, started to climb. I continued off and on to lift weights but as my weight room experience tapered my food consumption increased. At the age of 30 my weight had reached a new all-time high at 270lbs and 5’10”.

Ironically, it is not the person in the mirror that wakes us up to our weight it is a photograph that makes us think, “I don’t recognize this person!” It was that last picture that made me say enough is enough! I began to run and hated it! A half mile was torture! I started gradually, slowing building up to a mile, then a mile and half and so on. Now, I can’t wait to get out there.

I am now training for my first marathon. Running has helped me shed the weight fairly quickly along with eating sensibly. I didn’t follow any fad diet. I just ate sensibly. Many people get caught up in the diet scene and are more worried about points than what their brain is telling them. I now weigh 182lbs and the rewards are too numerous to count. For starters, I have more energy to keep up with my five year old daughter now! Running has transformed my life, one from obese and low energy to, “I can not wait to take that long run this weekend!” Your self-confidence will soar along with a boost in self-esteem. The worst thing about running is that I have had to buy a new wardrobe twice!"

Absolutely AMAZING! Dan followed the 4 steps of the Running4Recovery program by:

CLAIMING OWNERSHIP: He took an honest look at himself at the age of 30 and knew he had to change his habits. He took responsibility for his obesity and made a plan to do something about it.

ASK FOR HELP: He asked his family and friends to support him in his new lifestyle by helping him to make healthier choices in his diet. He also consulted books and online resources to help him reach his goal of running a marathon.

RUN FOR RECOVERY: He hit the streets religiously following his training plan and grew to love running; now he's a regular Forrest Gump!

ENJOY YOUR FREEDOM: On November 18th he's going to enjoy the benefits of being leaner and healthier by running his first marathon. This will be a celebration of his tremendous achievement!

Congratulations Dan; I am so proud of you. I can't wait to run with you and Brian in Tulsa and know that the two of you will do great!

This is my second post this week so if you missed the first one continue down the page to read my race report from the Rock Creek 50K this past weekend in Lake Perry, KS.

Hope all is well and Happy Running,
Carey

Rock Creek Trail Series 50K: Good Friends, Good Trails and GREAT TIMES!

2007-10-28T15:37:00.000-06:00

As you can see from the title above I had another awesome ultra-running experience this weekend at the Rock Creek Trail Series 50K near Topeka, Kansas. I left St. Louis around 1:00 pm Friday and headed over to Columbia to meet up with my good friend Deanna Stoppler and then we continued on to Lake Perry for a fun-filled night of camping before the race. Deanna's friend, Jeff Wells, had headed over a little earlier to get a camping space as he would be joining in the festivities too. Deanna and I arrived around 6:30 pm, found Jeff and our camping spot and hurried to get our tents up before it was dark. Once we were situated Jeff got the fire started and we made dinner; Deanna and I had some pasta with chicken while Jeff mowed down on a big, juicy steak. We then sat around the campfire swapping adventure stories and cooking up SMORE's. I hadn't made SMORE's in over 15 years and Deanna had never had them so we were in for quite a treat (she's Canadian, eh; do they even have marshmallows up there?). They were just as awesome as I remembered although Deanna had some trouble when her stick broke off inside the marshmallows; she had to perform a bit of surgery using Jeff's Leatherman. After a few laughs we all retired around 10:30 pm to get some rest before the race; Deanna came back from the bathroom and said there were a lot of barking spiders around. Still not sure what she meant; is that some sort of species I haven't heard of? Anyway...

We woke up the next morning around 5:45 am, ate breakfast, broke down our camp site and headed off to the race; the morning air was cool and crisp as the temperature hovered around 40 degrees. Perfect running weather! We arrived at the race and immediately I saw my good friend Dave Wakefield and talked with him a bit before checking in. He had made a running skirt out of his shorts; he's quite an interesting dude (in a good way :-) Deanna and I headed back to the car to begin getting ready and saw a TON of our friends; Rick Mayo, John King, "Bad Ben" Holmes, Stuart Johnson, Pat Perry and Paul Schoenlaub were running in the race and I was stoked to see them. We all chatted before heading over for the pre-race spiel and at 8:06 am we were off.

Before the race I was a bit worried as I had a weird pain in my right knee that started flaring up on Wednesday; I had done some research online and still suspect I may have a torn meniscus. I began running with Deanna and could feel the slight, sharp pain with each step; I told her that it was definitely real and I was worried. I figured that if it started bothering me too badly I'd just drop at the turn but hoped it wouldn't come to that. Deanna and I continued running together in silence for the first 6 miles before coming up on fellow SLUG's Stuart Johnson and Paul Schoenlaub. We politely passed them and in return were called "Young Punks" by Stuart; them sound like fighting words to me! That would be the last I saw of the two of them during the race but not the last I heard out of them; Paul's voice carries for miles! As we entered the 8.5 mile aid station I decided to let Deanna go; she was really book'in and I was still a bit worn from the AT 100. I continued on by myself hitting the turn in 2 hours, 30 minutes and feeling good. I talked a bit with Rick and John as I filled my water bottles and gulped down the Hammer Gel that Jessica Wakefield handed me. They had both signed up for the 25K race since they each have a busy racing schedule coming up and had just run at Arkansas Traveller a few weeks ago (Rick ran the entire race and John paced Gabe for the last 52 miles). Perhaps they had the right idea but I was having so much fun I figured I'd head back out for a 2nd loop :-)

Once back on the trail I was greeted with views of Lake Perry; the constant lapping of the waves against the shore served to relax my mind. As I ran along the bluff the cool wind swept across the lake sending a much welcomed chill throughout my body reminding me how lucky I was to be out enjoying the beauty and serenity of the trail. Then I heard it, this moment of peace and tranquility was interrupted by the voice of Paul Schoenlaub carrying through the forest! Stuart and Paul were closing in and I pushed on as there was no way I'd give Stuart the satisfaction of passing this "Young Punk." I found out later that they were gunning for me the entire second loop but I always knew exactly where they were; it was impossible for Paul to keep quiet long enough for them to sneak up on me (I'm just kidding with you Paul; OK, not really). As I entered the 28.2 mile Aid Station I was encouraged by the young volunteers to pick it up as there was a gentleman just up ahead walking, "He's only 2 minutes out just around the corner, he's yours!", they said. I humored them and accepted their challenge as I filled my water bottles and grabbed a Jolly Rancher. About a mile down the trail I spotted him; he politely moved aside and exclaimed in a thick British accent "I'm beat and tired as Hell, plum out of gas!" "I hear what you're saying, Brother," I replied as I passed him and continued running up the hill; there would be no more walking for me this close to the end. I spotted the blue Trail Head signs and knew the finish was near; minutes later I was greeted by the familiar hum of the generator as I rounded the corner for one last sprint finishing in 5:16:07 and placing 7th overall. Dave Wakefield took 1st place overall with a strong 4:41:50 finish and Deanna was a ROCK STAR taking 1st place female with a 4:56:57 finish placing 3rd overall; CONGRATS to both of you! I think "Bad Ben" sums up the race perfectly in saying:

"This race was a wonderful first-year production by Willie Lambert, the race director. And what a course...probably the most perfect 50K course that I've ever run on. Singletrack in the woods, with occasional views of beautiful Lake Perry. Just enough technically-rocky sections, broken-up by faster sections. There was good aid station placement and great volunteers."

I couldn't agree with him more! The post-race festivities were AWESOME with a live band, chocolate milk from a local dairy, baked potatoes, chili, soup and some great giveaways from the sponsors and Great Plains Running Company. Deanna cleaned up taking home a beautiful 1st place trophy, a pair of Montrail shoes, a Suunto T3 Watch, a Montrail Beanie and a Nathan Waistpack; must be nice to be a winner! We hung out for a few hours chatting with all of our friends before heading back to Colulmbia.

We got back to Columbia around 9:00 pm, picked up my car from Deanna's work and discovered about a mile down the road that I had a flat tire. I hadn't changed a tire in about 15 years (that's what AAA's for, right?) so Deanna took the lead. Although we were both tired, hungry and dirty she exclaimed "You may think I'm a bit crazy but this is great. The weather's perfect and it's a real team building experience!" She's right, I do think she is crazy but you got to love her attitude! Deanna and her boyfriend Dave were kind enough to invite me to stay the night at their place and I took them up on the offer. They live on a farm about 15 miles south of Columbia and it is absolutely beautiful. I awoke this morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and homemade pecan pancakes with real maple syrup; YUM!!! With a full belly I headed back to St. Louis around 10:00 am energized from another amazing adventure! To check out all of the pictures from the weekend click HERE and for the full Rock Creek Trail Race Series 25K and 50K results click HERE.

I'm often asked why I run ultra's and my response is first and foremost that I love the people. The ultra-community is one big family and we are excited to share our lives and experiences with each other. Today my closest friends are ultra-runners and although I've only known them for a short while it feels like we go back a lifetime. They are some of the kindest, warmest and friendliest people I've ever known and I'm thankful each and every day for this sport and the joy it has brought into my life.

Hope all of you are doing well and Happy Running,
Carey

Trails and Tribulations Arkansas Traveller 100 Interview Now Available

2007-10-24T19:18:00.000-05:00

I wanted to let all of you know that the Trails and Tribulations Podcast Interview is now available. As I mentioned in a previous post Kim and Andrew approached me a few weeks back about doing an interview about the Arkansas Traveller race and I thought this would be a great chance to add a 3rd dimension to my AT 100 Race Report. I also speak in length about how I got into running in the first place, the Running4Recovery Program and how ultrarunning has changed my life. Click HERE to visit the Trails and Tribulations website and at the bottom of the "Show Notes" you will have a choice to either download and listen to the interview on your computer or subscribe to the bi-weekly podcast. Thank you Kim and Andrew for all of your hard work and giving me the opportunity to share my experience with you and all of your listeners. I hope that through my story others realize that in ultras, as in life, things can change in an instant for the better; don't give up because you may miss out on something extraordinary!

Happy Running,
Carey

"Marathon Challenge" on NOVA, Diet as a Lifestyle, Re-evalute Your Footwear Needs and Upcoming "Adventures"

2007-10-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

Vermont Foliage: Photo by Matt Ramos

Running - 39.01 Miles, 5:40:19, 8:43 Pace
Yoga - 3 Hours
Elliptical Machine - 1.5 Hours

This is my favorite time of the year; the mornings are crisp, the humidity is low and the beauty of the changing forest is breathtaking. Fall is definitely here! Just this morning I was running with a group of SLUGs out on Chubb trail and the golden glow from the leaves was practically blinding; what a day to be a runner! If you'd like please share some comments or pictures of the fall foliage from your area; I'd love to hear about your experiences during what I think is the best season of them all.

"MARATHON CHALLENGE" on NOVA
I thought this program would be of interest to many of you as it definitely is to me; I love to hear about others pushing their limits to achieve a goal which they once thought was impossible. These individuals and many of you are living proof that we are all capable of anything we put our minds to through hard work and discipline. Following is a description of the program:

"In cooperation with the Boston Athletic Association and Tufts University, NOVA was granted unprecedented access to the Boston Marathon course. In the summer of 2006, we began following 13 hopeful novices as they took the first step toward completing the 26.2-mile race in April 2007. The participants come from diverse backgrounds - a young woman running in memory of her mother, who died in a tragic car accident; a working single mom; even a former NFL linebacker. The one unifying element is that none of them is currently a runner. Over the nine-month training period, exercise and nutrition scientists and doctors at Tufts University use sophisticated technology to monitor the physical transformations that the participants have undergone. The experience demands a transformation of mind and body, and NOVA cameras are there, following every step of the way. Who was able to finish the race and what type of changes did the runners experience? You'll have to tune in to find out. "Marathon Challenge" will premiere Tuesday, October 30 at 8:00 pm on most PBS stations. For more information you can visit the Nova Website. You can also view a short promo of the show on Youtube by clicking HERE.

DIET AS A LIFESTYLE

Many of you know that I once weighed in at 230 lbs. and was approaching a 40 inch waist; most of the people I meet today have a hard time believing that but it's definitely true. Runner's World recently had an article about how to maintain a healthy weight and not always be on a diet; diet's don't work. You must adopt habits and a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain indefinitely. By no means does that mean depriving yourself, as runners we can get by with a few more calories than the average Joe, but it does mean being aware of what you are consuming and burning. Here are a few tips from the article:

1. Keep Up the Carbs
You won't find NWCR folks on a high-protein diet. Most successful losers get about 49 percent or more of the calories from carbs, about 29 percent from fat, and the remainder from protein. This makes sense for runners, as you need the carbs to fuel your workouts. The key is selecting the right carbs-foods rich in fiber, like grains, beans, fruits, and veggies. Fiber helps dieters by providing a sense of fullness. Even better, research shows that a diet that includes 34 or more grams of fiber daily actually drops the number of calories your body takes up from your food. Over a year's time, this could equal a 10-pound weight loss.
2. Become a Morning Person
In one study, 78 percent of NWCR participants reported eating breakfast every day-a habit that may help curb appetite later in the day. Research shows that breakfast eaters, especially those who start the day with cereals (a natural for fiber), have a lower body mass index than those who skip the morning meal. Plus, protein often appears in breakfast foods in its proper proportion for sating appetite. Eating in the a.m. is particularly important for runners who work out in the morning, since it helps restock drained glycogen stores, along with supplying a variety of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed for recovery and good health.
3. Keep Moving
You know as a runner that burning calories tips the scales in your favor. So it comes as no surprise that NWCR participants are steadfast with their exercise. "The average person in the registry is burning about 2,800 calories a week in activity," says Wing. Last year, the USDA established 60 to 90 minutes as the recommended daily physical activity for those trying to maintain weight loss. Research shows that people who exercise daily on average weigh less than sedentary folks but eat more.

You can read the article in its entirety by clicking HERE.

RE-EVALUATE YOUR FOOTWEAR NEEDS
I've been running in Asics Kayano's for almost 2 years now; they have quite a bit of support, are a bit heavy and just generally a lot of shoe. In the past 2 years I've logged thousands of miles and my running stride is much more efficient now than when I started. I used to be a heel striker, slight overpronator and a somewhat heavy plodder; now I have a mid-foot strike, a relatively neutral gait and when running on road you can barely here me coming. Friday I realized that I needed to visit the running store to get into a shoe that fits the runner I am today rather than just sticking with the same old standby. I went to Big River Running Company and discussed my needs with Matt and Ben and walked out of there with a pair of New Balance 902's. I had always said I was an Asics guy but after running in them yesterday I may have found a new brand; plus the wild Orange color makes me look really fast! Key word here is LOOK fast :-) You are constantly evolving and improving as a runner; it's OK to re-evaluate your footwear needs and perhaps make a change. You may find out that is exactly what you need to get that spring back into your step.

UPCOMING "ADVENTURES"
So I told you last week that I have a lot of things going on between now and Thanksgiving; I have to keep my life interesting so that all of you will keep tuning in to the blog. OK, maybe that's not exactly true, but sounds like a good excuse for weekly adventures to me! I've been having a great time lately traveling to races and making new friends from all over the country. Of course there will be pictures and recaps up on the blog but I wanted to give all of you a quick preview:

This Weekend (10/26 - 10/28) - My good friend Deanna Stoppler and I are heading over to Topeka, Kansas to camp out, eat some SMORE's and run the Rock Creek 50K. There will be a TON of my friends either running or volunteering at this race; here are a few that I know will be there, Dave Wakefield, "Bad Ben" Holmes, Paul Schoenlaub, Stuart Johnson and we could see an appearance (at least as spectators) from fellow Arkansas Traveller finishers Rick Mayo and Gabe Bevan.

November 1 to 4 - Heading out to Western Nebraska (via Denver) to meet up with Running4Recovery founder and co-owner Brad Holzworth and the rest of the team. We plan on spending a few days out at his condo discussing our plans for the future of the program and just really getting to know each other better. We'll be hitting the trails out there and putting in some miles as we're brainstorming through our ideas. I'm really looking forward to the trip and the chance to connect with Brad, the team and to explore a bit of Nebraska (uncharted territory for me).

November 7 to 11 - I will be going out to Los Angeles for a few days to spend some time with a good friend and former colleague, Erik Joule. I worked for Erik at Guess and he has always been someone who stood by me and helped me through some of the darkest moments in my life. As many of you know I'm in "hover mode" right now as I figure out what is next for me in life; Erik and I have quite a bit of catching up to do as I am very different today than I was during my LA days. He is someone I greatly admire and respect and I know he will have some great advice and insight. We plan on doing a lot of hiking up near Ojai, running along the beach and Yoga (of course!). It will be my first time in LA since 2003 and it is nice to be going back to visit someone I can trust to support me in my new, sober lifestyle.

November 16 to 18 - I am running the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, OK, on November 18th with my second cousins Dan and Brian. They both recently started running and it will be their first marathon; I am so excited to be supporting them through to the finish and sharing in this life changing moment with the two of them! Dan has quite a story as he has lost almost 100 lbs. through running. He is in the process of putting the finishing touches on his testimonial and I will be posting it up on the Running4Recovery website soon.

So what have all of you been up to? Any recent adventures you'd like to share or some exciting events that you have coming up? I encourage you to post your thoughts and news in the comments section as I'm always interested in what is going on in your lives.

Hope all is well and Happy Running,
Carey

Arkansas Traveller Recovery, Science behind my "2nd Wind", Rick Mayo's Race Report and The Trails and Tribulations Podcast Show

2007-10-14T17:42:00.000-05:00

Sunrise on the Mt. Whitney Trail: Photo by Amy Wind

Running: 7.02 Miles, 1:07:31, 9:37 Pace
Other Non-Running: 4:45:00

Arkansas Traveller Recovery
A lot of you have been asking about my recovery; how are you feeling, what do you do after a 100 miler and when are you going to start running again? Here's what I did, what I SHOULD HAVE done and how I'm feeling:

Sunday and Monday: Immediately after the race (15 minutes) I jumped right in the car as I'd been dreaming about a shower for about 15 HOURS. I kept nodding off during the 40 minute drive but didn't feel too bad, that is until I tried to get out of the car. I could barely lift my legs as my hip flexors were trashed! It took me a while but I made it to my room on the 2nd floor (always request a ground floor room) and straight into a warm shower to clean up before lying down; I didn't eat or drink anything. I knew better and did a lot of things wrong here but didn't really care; I wanted a shower and rest so I skipped some important steps. I should have walked around a bit after the race, LIGHTLY stretched, and then after about an hour jumped in the car. Once at the hotel I should have taken an ice bath before my shower to reduce the inflammation and then a lukewarm shower to clean up followed by consuming some complex carbs, protein and drinking water to start replenishing my body and flushing my system out. Typically after a long run I'll drink Endurox along with eating a Clif or Odwalla Bar. We drove back to STL that night and only stopped twice along the way to get out and stretch; once again I knew better but we all just wanted to get home. Once home around 9:00 pm I ate a chicken breast, brown rice, ice cream, took some vitamins and 4 ibuprofen's and went straight to bed and slept until 10:30 am Monday. I slept like a rock and was VERY SORE when I first got up; I could barely walk but forced myself to get out of bed and within about an hour everything was working again. By mid-afternoon I was moving around pretty well.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: Went for a 30 minute walk Tuesday evening, rode the stationary bike 30 minutes Wednesday evening, 1 hour of Yoga Thursday and a 40 minute walk on Friday evening. During the week I increased my protein intake by eating 2 chicken breasts instead of one, having a protein shake every morning and eating something every 2-3 hours with a good mix of protein, carbs and healthy fats. I continued to take 8 ibuprofen a day (4 in the morning and 4 at night) to combat the inflammation along with vitamins and Joint Command to encourage joint recovery. Monday was my only sore day and by Wednesday I felt like I could head out and run a marathon; of course just because I felt good doesn't mean there wasn't a tremendous amount of damage that still needed to be repaired. No matter how good you feel you MUST give yourself ample time to heal after an event such as this.

Saturday and Today: Yesterday morning was my first run since the race and I headed out to Chubb Trail for a 7 mile run with Andrew; guess we didn't get enough of each other last weekend! I was fine through the first 3.5 miles but then my left calf started cramping up and I developed hip bursitis on my right side. I was running too fast and too far because I felt good going into the run; I should have listened to my body and slowed down when things started hurting. After the run I showered and went home to take 4 ibuprofen and go to an hour long yoga class. Today I didn't run at all and did an hour on the elliptical at the gym; this actually reduced the inflammation in my hip relieving the bursitis. My plan is to run 4 miles tomorrow at Queeny Park and see how I feel.

Regarding ibuprofen there are numerous studies that suggest that it is very hard on your kidneys and could cause permanent damage. Each of you must weigh the risks and benefits of using ibuprofen to determine for yourself if it is right for you. One of my good friends suggests using Bromelain, an all natural anti-inflammatory supplement, as an alternative.

Hope that answered the questions you had and then some. Please leave a comment or email me if you have any other ones that pop up.

Science behind my "2nd Wind"
I just finished reading the book Surviving the Extremes by Dr. Kenneth Kamler and stumbled across something very interesting and powerful especially in light of my race turnaround last weekend. In talking with other ultrarunners who have been at this a while the 100 mile distance (and beyond) seems to get easier with experience. Of course this is because they have physically trained themselves by putting in years and even decades of miles and also mentally they are prepared by knowing what to expect and how to handle the ups and downs. Dr. Kamler provides a great scientific explanation for this in his book of how we mentally strengthen ourselves.

"Testing the capacity for survival doesn't necessarily require being placed in harsh surroundings. All of us, whether living at an extreme or protected by an advanced society, are surrounded by emotional and mental, if not physical, obstacles. We spend most of our lives on the near side of those barriers, even as we long to surmount them. We take the easy way out, arguing, often with much validity, that to do so is safer or more practicial. If, however, we gather the will to cross over the obstacle, to confront the emotion or solve the problem, we gain strength from it. Telling the truth, making the sacrifice, doing the job though there won't be any recognition for it-these are mental exercises that strengthen will as much as physical exercise strengthens muscle. Such efforts actually form nerve connections in the brain that make it easier to overcome an obstacle the next time. Moreover, if we persist in the face of adversity, we often get a "second wind," much as an endurance runner does when he refuses to quit. The unexpected energy can carry us much farther than we ever thought possible and allow us to triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds."

Now, please go back and READ THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH AGAIN and start applying this immediately in your every day lives. By doing so you will train yourself to be able to overcome any obstacle that comes your way!

Rick Mayo's Race Report
Last night I was talking with a good friend on the phone and she asked "What did you do for 24 hours, listen to music?" Great question! Actually I only listened to my Ipod for about 1 1/2 hours so I had to think back to what was going through my head for the other 23 hours. When running a race of this distance you focus on how you're feeling (body scan from head to toe and internally), keeping your hydration/electrolytes in balance, following your fueling strategy and what you're going to need at upcoming aid stations. When you scan and something isn't right you then move into a solution oriented mode to figure out what you need to do to fix the problem before it gets any worse. If you are at a REALLY LOW POINT, like I was from mile 32 to mile 45, you start thinking about why you're doing this as you search for meaning and inspiration to push on. My friend, Rick Mayo (pictured above, finished AT in 23:33:22), wrote a great entry in his blog about the dialogue going on in his head. This captures what we're thinking and feeling better than anything I've ever read; nice job Rick on the race and the blog entry! This is a must read so click HERE.

The Trails and Tribulations Show
Ultrarunners Andrew Edwards and Kim Love-Ottobre have a new podcast called The Trails and Tribulations Show. The podcast features discussion on races, ultra race reports, interviews with ultra runners and people in the running industry, gear reviews, and all things connected with the ultra community. After reading my AT 100 race report, Kim emailed me and asked if I'd be interested in doing a phone interview with them regarding my recent finish at Arkansas Traveller and I said sure. I was quite honored that someone would approach me to do something like that and was very excited about getting to talk about the race. I also figured it would add another dimension to the blog and make the story come alive even more. So last Wednesday night Kim, Andrew and I chatted for about an hour about the race, how I got into ultrarunning, the Running4Recovery program and how running has changed my life. The interview will be up this coming weekend so please check the Trails and Tribulations website so you can download and listen to the interview. I would also highly recommend downloading the other podcasts available from the show as they are very interesting and entertaining. Thanks again Kim and Andrew for providing this great service to the ultrarunning community!

I have a lot of events and trips coming up in the near future and will fill you in on them next week. Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying this cool Fall weather!
Happy Running,
Carey

2007 Arkansas Traveller 100 Mile Race Report: From the Brink of a DNF to a PR

2007-10-08T18:55:00.000-05:00

Throughout the week prior to the race I had been eyeing the Saturday weather forecast for Perryville,AR, 89 degrees, 79% humidity and an Accuweather “RealFeel” of 99 degrees; are you kidding me!?! For some people they may welcome this last taste of summer before the long, cold winter but when you are running 100 miles through the woods these are far from ideal conditions. The Arkansas Traveller 100 would be my 2nd 100 mile attempt this year and hopefully 2nd finish; in fact going into the race I was so confident of a finish that I had proclaimed to all of you that I would beat the 24 hour mark. How quickly I had forgotten the physical pain and mental challenges I had faced at Kettle in June but I would soon be reminded!

My Dad, Andrew Karandjeff and I headed out early Friday morning to make the trek to race headquarters at Lake Sylvia, AR. We arrived there around 1:30 pm, I checked in, they recorded my weight and then we headed over to await the pre-race briefing from Stan and Chrissy Ferguson. We pulled up chairs alongside my good friends Rick Mayo, Gabe Bevan and his wife, Tiffany; Gabe and Rick were running the race and Tiffany was the crew chief. Chrissy went through the briefing filling us in about the history of the race and cautioning us about the heat and humidity we would face the next day; considering that it was about 91 degrees at the time we all knew exactly what we were in for. There was one piece of advice Chrissy told all of us; “Tomorrow is going to be hard, there will be moments when you feel awful and want to quit. It’s during these times that you need a reason to keep going; every year I’ve run the race I've dedicated it to a friend, relative or a cause and when the going got tough I focused on that reason. No matter what, unless you are on the brink of death, DON’T QUIT! Things will get better if you can just power through the rough times and you will finish.” This speech of inspiration would be something that I would remember the next day; at that time I didn’t know how important those few words would be.

After the briefing all of the SLUGs gathered for a group picture; there were quite a few that were either running or crewing for the race this year including Gena Bonini, Jeremy Bolt, Brian Kuhn, Mike Samuelson, Dale Perry, Lee Hess, Andrew Karandjeff, Charles Stroud and Carol Izadi. We chatted a bit more and then headed back to check-in to the hotel and get settled for the evening.

The next morning I awoke at 4:00 am not really nervous or excited, actually I was indifferent which concerned me a little; mentally I just didn’t feel into it which is not good when you’re facing a 100 mile run in 90 degree heat. I met Gabe and Rick and jumped into the car with them to head to the race. On the way none of us really said too much; it was really early and we were all focused on the task ahead of us. Gabe did say how much he really liked 100 milers and then qualified it with “Actually I don’t really like the process but the finishing part is great!” We got to the start, checked in and patiently awaited 6:00 am.

The temperature was around 74 degrees, humidity 97% (like running underwater) and promptly at 6:00 am we were off; as we started heading up the hill out of Lake Sylvia Gabe, Rick and I remained together. I was pushing for a sub-24 hour finish and figured I would try to stay with Rick as long as possible as he was shooting to break 23 hours; I soon figured out he was planning to run as much as he could and even voiced my concerns saying to Gabe and Rick “We shouldn’t be running the uphills, we will pay for this later.” They both pretty much ignored me and I ignored myself continuing to run everything along with them; this was a HUGE mistake which almost cost me the race. Around mile 8 the reality of the humidity, the distance and the steaming temperatures we would face later on set in and Gabe and I let Rick go; unfortunately a lot of damage had already been done. We then entered the Ouachita Trail section where I rolled my left ankle a few times and I already started wondering if I would finish; too early for that! We reached the Lake Sylvia Aid Station (mile 16.7) a little after 9:00 am on roughly a 20 hour pace and already my stomach was starting to bother me. My Dad and Andrew were there and I voiced my concern to Andrew that I shouldn’t be feeling this bad so early on; he encouraged me that things would get better but I didn’t really believe him. Heading out I knew this day would either be really short or extremely long!

Gabe and I headed out and ran together for the next 16 miles; he had been struggling with an injured right foot and now his left shin was in a lot of pain from favoring that foot. He was a bit discouraged and in a bad place mentally; I did what I could and told him he had to keep going. We both talked about how bad we were feeling and how it was way too early to be in this bad of shape; while we both encouraged each other it was also nice to know that we both were suffering so we didn’t feel alone in our battle. I continued to take my S-Caps, drain my water bottles and eat my Hammer Gels but my stomach was getting worse. We powered on and reached the next crew access aid station, Lake Winona (mile 32.2), a little before 1:00 pm still on pace for a sub-24 hour finish. At this point though I was questioning whether I would finish at all as I was feeling horrible and the day was heating up reaching 90 degrees. When I arrived an Aid Station volunteer had my drop bag in hand and asked me if I needed anything; I told her it was for the way back (mile 83.9), that is if I even made it back! Lee Hess heard this and said “What was that!?! We’ll have none of that talk; you will be back!” He came over to see what was going on and I told him my stomach was going south and I felt awful; Andrew and my Dad were there too and both were a bit concerned. We talked through my fueling, hydration and electrolyte strategy as I felt I was doing everything right. Lee gave me some rock salt in a baggy and told me to suck on it while I headed out. I left there knowing that the next crew access aid station was another 15 miles away wondering if I should have just quit there; I figured I could crawl 15 miles if things got bad enough and kept on.

At about mile 34 I knew that I had to eat something no matter how bad I felt and opened up a Hammer Gel; as I squeezed it into my mouth I was unable to keep it down and threw up everything in my stomach. Well, I’ll either feel better now or that would nail my coffin shut because of dehydration. I kept moving forward in a steady walk and was being passed left and right; fellow SLUG, Dale Perry, came up behind me and asked if I was alright. Apparently he could hear me heaving and we talked a bit about how I was feeling and the heat and humidity; he encouraged me to keep at it and moved on as I could only walk. I arrived at the Club Flamingo Aid Station (mile 39.7) and was contemplating dropping out; in addition to the stomach issues both of my calves were completely seizing up so bad that the minute I tried to run I was crippled with cramps. There was no way I was going to go another 60 miles like this plus my kidneys were starting to ache a bit which is also another bad sign; perhaps this just wasn’t my day. I sat down at that aid station and talked to a few of the volunteers about what was going on; I told them I wanted to drop but couldn’t do that to my Dad and Andrew and needed to move on to the next crew access aid station so we could discuss the situation. They wished me luck and I headed back out. It was in the next few miles that I was passed by a runner who was a nurse and she asked how I was doing; I told her not so good and that I didn’t think I was going to make it because of my stomach. She turned around and handed me a Queasy Pop (like a lollipop) which she gives to kids who have upset stomachs; I figured I’d give it a shot and thanked her. Little did I know this would end up turning things around for me. I had already come to terms with a DNF and decided I would drop at Powerline (mile 48.5); in my head I was already writing my blog entry to explain to myself and all of you why I quit. For the first time ever I was OK with a DNF and wouldn't let it define me as a failure; perhaps it was this realization that "set me free" and gave me the strength to continue on. I was no longer stressed or worried as a calming sense of relief and acceptance washed over me. Then, around mile 45, my calves stopped cramping, my stomach felt better and I began to run; soon I was passing people who had earlier passed me! As I neared Powerline I saw my Dad up ahead on the trail. He had come out to see where I was since they were worried; I filled him in on the last 4.5 hours (from mile 32.2 to 48.8) but told him that now I was feeling great. We walked along the trail and then came out on the road heading into Powerline; as I started running he did too! I told him not to run and get hurt, please walk down I’ll still be there as I had to get weighed in and re-stock my supplies. I headed into Powerline, passed the weigh in and told Andrew and Lee Hess that I was about to drop but had a miraculous recovery. I would see them again in 3.9 miles at Chili Pepper; by now I was no longer eating Gels and was living on Coke and soup since that’s all I could stomach. I ran much of the next 4 miles and got into Chili Pepper around 8:30 pm, got my headlamp on, chatted some with Paul Schoenlaub who was volunteering there and headed out towards the turnaround which was 5.1 miles away. Andrew was going to join me as my pacer here at Chili Pepper when I was heading back so I only had 10 more miles to go solo.

I pushed really hard during this section and started passing many people along the way; I was feeling good, strong and confident and knew that a sub-24 hour finish was still possible but that there was no way I could let up. I hit the 50 mile mark 12 hours and 9 minutes into the race and would need a negative split to make it happen (11 hours and 51 minutes in the dark); improbable but not impossible! At around 10:40 pm (26 hour pace according to the pace chart) I returned to Chili Pepper and quickly chatted with Paul Schoenlaub and Stuart Johnson to let them know I was back on track. Andrew joined me to pace, I grabbed some soup and Coke and we discussed our strategy as we walked out of the aid station. We would need to make up some time and couldn’t afford to let up; we would be toeing a fine line between a sub-24 hour finish and a DNF but I felt that I had it in me. Heading into Powerline, I weighed in, grabbed some Coke and soup and talked with my Dad and Gabe’s wife, Tiffany. They said they would see me in about 4 hours at Lake Winona and I confidently proclaimed “More like 3! I’m in a zone and have the Eye of the Tiger!” Tiff teased me and said “Oh yeah, is the music playing for you!?!” She then told me to stop wasting time and get moving; obviously she has a bit of experience at these things with an animal like Gabe for a husband! Andrew and I powered on through the night running as much as we could; we continued to pass people as we moved on and voiced words of encouragement to them along the way. Andrew was great; pacing is an extremely difficult job. You have to anticipate the needs of your runner, be able to read when to push them and when to let off; you must completely run like they feel. Even if you feel like you can’t run anymore and are tired or hurting when your runner decides to run you have to push on with them! In addition to monitoring your own needs you also have to be aware of how your runner is managing their hydration, electrolyte and caloric requirements. They truly are the forgotten heroes of these races and most of us wouldn’t be able to finish without them; thanks Andrew!

We reached the Lake Winona aid station (83.9) around 2:50 am and were in and out rather quickly; we had 3 hours and 10 minutes to finish under 24 hours. At this point both of us were hurting but were still driven by adrenaline knowing that we could do it; my Dad and Tiffany told us that Gabe was about 15 minutes ahead and we were determined to catch up to him. We had our aid station strategy down by now as I was downing a few cups of Coke while Andrew filled my water bottles and at the Rocky Gap station (mile 87.2) we were in and out in less than 2 minutes. We continued to pass other runners along the way and at about mile 91 saw a runner and his pacer up ahead on the hill; as we approached I saw it was Gabe and his pacer John King. Gabe was powering up the hill and as we passed him Andrew and I told him he was looking great and running strong; I knew he was hurting and wanted to try to encourage him as much as I could. We entered the next aid station together and were out in 30 seconds; Andrew and I continued running out of the Electronic Tower aid station (mile 91.4) and looked behind us to see John and Gabe’s headlights disappear in the distance.

During the next stretch we were flying and when we weren’t walking the uphills we were maintaining at least a strong 8:30 min/mile pace. We reached the Pumpkin Patch aid station (mile 93.7) at around 5:07 am and knew that there was no letting up if we wanted to beat 24 hours; we were in and out in seconds and sprinted from the station. We then were running around a 7:30 min/mile pace and as I looked down at my watch which read 5:17 am I knew that I simply couldn’t maintain this kind of pace to the end. I told Andrew this and he agreed; I had given it everything I had during the last 50 miles and was running on fumes; literally! We continued to run when we could and came to the top of the hill where there were 2 volunteers manning a tracking station; they asked my number, radioed it in to the finish line and told us we had 1.7 miles all downhill and on the road. Andrew and I both thought we were closer than that and were disappointed but didn’t say a word; we would just have to push on a bit more. We started down the hill maintaining what seemed like a 7:30 min/mile pace and I knew we had to be getting close; I was hurting and the only thing I said to Andrew was that I was going to puke the minute I crossed the finish line. I didn’t think I could keep running but there was no way I was going to walk this close to the finish! As we saw the lights ahead Andrew said “You did it man, this has been one of the most inspirational experiences I have had!” and I told him that there’s no way I could have pushed like that without him. I rounded the corner, the finish line music started playing as the landing lights were flashing and I crossed the finish line at 6:35 am; 24 hours, 35 minutes and 53 seconds after I had started on this epic journey.

Unlike Kettle I wasn’t filled with emotion at the finish; it was a different feeling but just as powerful. Instead of disbelief and relief at being finished I was proud to know that I had pushed myself to the limit; faced with sickness and mentally coming to terms with my first DNF I dug down deep to continue on when every part of me wanted to quit. There were times out there when I was searching for a reason and I thought back to what Chrissy had said Friday afternoon. At mile 35 I even had a mini-panic because I didn’t think I had a reason and knew that there was no way I’d finish without one. At Kettle I finished for my parents and for Mindy because I wanted them to be proud of me but yesterday I finished for myself. I doubted myself at numerous times early on and thought that perhaps I just didn’t have what it took to truly run a 100 miler; seems I was wrong. When the going got tough I kept going even faster!

First and foremost thanks to God for giving me the strength to persevere, my Dad, Andrew, Stan and Chrissy Ferguson and all of the volunteers for putting on an amazing event. This was the hottest AT 100 in history and had the lowest finishing rate in history (47%); they did everything they could to get us all to the finish line. Without them none of us would have made it! Congratulations to all of the finishers and for the complete results click HERE. You can also click HERE to view the pictures from the race.

Happy Running,
Carey

Piotr Kurylo - Spartathlon 2007 2nd Place Finisher

2007-10-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sasha Brewis (was involved with the original race in 1983 - 1985) was at the Spartathlon this year and asked why I didn't give more attention to 2nd place finisher Piotr Kurylo from Poland (pictured above from Kathimerini Newspaper). Apparently Kurylo walked for 6 weeks to get to the race in Greece from his home in Poland, UNREAL! Also, since he is not a wealthy man, his friends and family put together a collection of money for his entry. What an inspiring story of determination! Piotr Kurylo is a fine example of an every day person doing something absolutely extraordinary; Congrats Piotr!

Sasha also provided me with a bit of interesting trivia I thought you all might appreciate as follows:

"By the way, did you know the name Sparthalon comes from Sparta - Athens - London in tribute to John Foden and the other 2 RAF (Royal Air Force) runners from the UK who originally tested the course in 1981 on learning Phidippides had left Athens at sunrise and arrived the following day at sunset to ask for help with the battle of Thermopylae?

Foden got in touch with Mike Callaghan and John Leatham and convinced them to help make it race. Those of us involved in the initial first 1983 Race were very proud that Yannis Kouros won. He was a local guy who worked as a guard at Nemea and would regularly run across Sangas Mountain to have a coffee in Nestani. We heard about him when we did the check on the route for water holes and asked the coffee shop in Nestani to let him know when we were holding the first race.

Kouros turned up for the briefing, having not been in time to register and it was to the credit of the other international athletes that agreed he should be allowed to run."

As most of you know Kouros holds the course record finishing in an amazing 20 hours and 25 minutes back in 1984.

Hope all of you are well and Happy Running,
Carey

Jurek Does It Again, Arkansas Traveller this Saturday and 9/24 to 9/30 Weekly Recap

2007-09-30T11:20:00.000-05:00

24.03 Miles, 3:06:21, 7:45 Pace
Crosstraining - 4:35:00 (3 Hours Yoga / 1 Hour Cardio Kickboxing / 35 minutes Elliptical Workout)

SPARTATHLON 2007 RESULTS
Scott Jurek won the Spartathlon again with another amazing performace! Here's the recap from the Spartathlon 07 website:

"Scott Jurek did it again, finishing first in 23:12:14. Although after Sangas he was part of the leading group, which included former winners like Valmir Nunes, Marcus Thalman and Jens Lucas, he managed to take the lead after Tegea increrasing his distance from the 2nd runner in every check point.

Scott Jurek from U.S.A. now holds the 5th fastest time from last year and the 6th from this years race.

Piotr Kurylo from Poland finished seccond in 24:29:41, followed by Valmir Nunes 3rd in 25:37:40."

For the full list of finishers click HERE. Congratulations to all!

ARKANSAS TRAVELLER ONLY 6 DAYS AWAY
As most of you know I will be participating in the 17th Annual Arkansas Traveller 100 this upcoming weekend, October 6-7. This is only my second 100 miler in my short running career and my goal is to break the 24 hour mark which is going to require everything I have both physically and mentally. The buckle pictured above is the enameled one you receive for breaking the 24 hour barrier; I hope to have a picture of me wearing mine next week for the blog. Here's a description of the AT 100 race from A Step Beyond: A Definitive Guide to Ultrarunning, edited by Don Allison:

"The Arkansas Traveller 100 Mile is held on a 17-mile loop, followed by an 83 mile out-and-back. A short section of the route, about eight miles, is run over the unstable and rocky footing of the Ouachita Trail; the remainder is a mix of primarily dirt and jeep roads consisting of variably adequate footing. With no especially unique challenges, the 30-hour cut-off should be more than adequate for all runners. There are no major climbs on the course, the highest point is a hill called Smith Mountain that is crossed in both directions (mile 45 and 75) of the out-and-back. Since much of the course is run on dusty forest service and jeep roads, exposure to the sun should be expected. There are no stream crossings to deal with, and only a few short sections over which mud may be a concern."

They make it sound like a walk in the park; no problem, right!?! As far as difficulty goes it is rated the same as Kettle Morraine and Heartland. The key for me is to keep a steady pace throughout the entire race and not to fall into a death march in the last 30 miles like I did a few months ago at Kettle. I have a great crew with my Dad and Andrew Karandjeff and have my fueling strategy worked out; my body feels strong and I have no major injuries except for a slightly weak left ankle. This goal is definitely achievable and I'm ready to embrace the experience! I'm also looking forward to running with many of my Ultra friends down there including Gabe Bevan, Mike Samuelson, Kevin Dorsey, Rick Mayo, Matt Bickhard, Carol Izadi, Steve Kirk, Brian Kuhn and others. Also, fellow SLUG and one of my Ultra Mentors, Paul Schoenlaub, will be manning the Chile Pepper Aid Station so I'll be in good hands. Please keep me and all of the other runners in your thoughts and prayers next Saturday and Sunday as we face this challenge.

I'll leave you with a quote that I saw Friday afternoon as I was running by Kirkwood Middle School on Manchester Road:

"Don't wait for inspiration to act. Act to spark inspiration!"

Hope all is well and Happy Running,
Carey

Spartathlon 07, Running as Therapy and 9/17 - 9/23 Weekly Recap

2007-09-23T17:42:00.000-05:00

39.71 Miles, 5:47:54, 8:45 Pace
3 Hours of Yoga and 25 Minutes Elliptical Crosstraining

SPARTATHLON 2007
The 2007 Spartathlon will begin this Friday in Athens, Greece ending 245.3 Kilometers (152.4 Miles) away in Sparta. Scott Jurek (pictured above) was last year's winner in under 23 hours and became the second fastest person and recorded the fifth fastest time behind legendary Greek/Australian runner, Yiannis Kouros, who holds the four faster times. Here is a brief history of the race from the Spartathlon website:

"For twenty four consecutive years, the Spartathlon athletes have followed the route John Foden and his team defined in 1982 when they experimented in running from Athens to Sparta. It is based on Herodotus’ description of the Athenian ‘Imerodromou’ or messenger who arrived in Sparta the day after he departed from Athens and also on well known historical events of that time. It has, therefore, been considered the nearest route to that which Pheidippides must have followed.

Briefly, Miltiades’ messenger started out of Athens on the ancient Iera Odos, or “sacred road,” up to Elefsis. From there he followed Skyronia Odos, a military road on the slopes of the Gerania mountains, and traveled through Isthmia, Examilia and Ancient Corinth. He went on to Ancient Nemea, thus avoiding the Epicratea of Argos, as it wasn’t in alliance with Athens, and he continued along the mountains between Argolida and Arcadia. He climbed the Parthenio mountain (1200 meters), where he encountered the God Pan. Descending the mountain, he continued in the direction of historical Tegea, one of the locations mentioned by Herodotus in his account about Pheidippides. He proceeded south toward Sparta. Upon his arrival in Sparta, he completed 1140 “stadia,” which equaled 246 kilometers."

Jurek will be back to defend his title along with a very impressive field of athletes from all over the world. To view the list of competitors click HERE and for live coverage of Spartathlon 2007 click HERE.

RUNNING AS THERAPY
There has been a lot of talk recently about the benefits of running for treating depression, stress and anger. This is the foundation on which Running4Recovery was founded as both Brad and I have experienced these benefits first hand on our own personal roads to recovery. Recently Runner's World Magazine published an article about "Motion Therapy" and I thought you might be interested in learning more; here's a bit from the article:

"Some people work through issues lying down, feet propped up on a leather couch. Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, Ph.D., however, finds problem-solving most effective when he and his clients are in running shoes. Gontang, a psychotherapist, marathoner, and director of the San Diego Marathon Clinic, has been hitting the streets with his patients for the past 30 years. "Getting out and talking with others while you run or walk can help change your thoughts and give you a different perspective on how you choose to deal with anger, grief, or trauma," he says.

You don't need to be clinically depressed or severely troubled to benefit from "motion therapy." In fact, Gontang says many people run out their problems, perhaps unknowingly, on a regular basis. "Your therapy might come from your running group, your running buddy, the Saturday morning bunch," he says. "When you run sometimes hundreds or thousands of miles together, you trust each other, bare your souls to each other, and help each other heal."

Numerous studies have shown that exercise stimulates the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and beta-endorphin, all of which elevate mood and reduce depression and anxiety. Research is showing what runners have known all along: In this state of mind, they are more likely to disclose thoughts and feelings--whether it's to a training partner or licensed therapist--when they are logging miles. Gontang strongly believes in motion therapy and offers discounted rates to those who will see him on the road. About 75 percent of his clientele do--to his delight. "It's a healthy outlet for me as well," he says."

Sure beats lying on a couch; what a great idea! Brad and I also realize the value of having a support group and are in Phase 2 of the Running4Recovery Program which includes starting regional running clubs all over the country. Currently I am working on getting the first one started here in St. Louis which will serve as a model for the other groups across the nation. Spread the word and if you're interested in helping out please Email Me for more information. To read the Runner's World article in its entirety click HERE.

So I am now officially in taper mode logging in almost 40 miles this week along with 3 hours of Yoga; still loving that Yoga! Unfortunately Jeremy Gulley will not be able to pace me at Arkansas Traveller so Andrew Karandjeff is stepping up to the plate to help me in my sub-24 hour attempt. We got together this past Saturday at Chubb Trail to get in some miles and discuss our plans; thanks Andrew, you're a real lifesaver! My ankle is still pretty sore from the wicked sprain a few weeks ago at Hawn and it seems that every time I go out for a trail run I turn it again. I'm going to have to be REALLY careful at AT but figure everything will be hurting by about mile 70 so my ankle will be the least of my worries. This week I'll get in about 25-30 miles of running along with 3 hours of Yoga and some crosstraining on the Elliptical Machine. I don't really have much prepartion to do for AT as I've already got my list from Kettle and the AT Website has all the resources I'll need. Next weekend I'll be putting together my drop bags and picking up last minute necessities since I won't have any long runs scheduled. Nothing left to do now but rest up and get myself mentally ready for the challenge; the keys to a sub-24 hour finish are Relentless Forward Motion, maintain a Positive Mental Attitude, and EMBRACE the experience!

Hope all is well and Happy Running,
Carey

2007 Turkey and Taturs 50K Trail Race

2007-09-17T20:24:00.000-05:00

This weekend I headed down to Oklahoma to do two things; watch some football and run a race. Well the football game wasn't really much of a game due to the 54 to 13 blowout as the OU Sooners spanked Utah State (Boomer Sooner!). The Turkey and Taturs 50K Race on the other hand was a different story with excitement all the way to the finish!

I ended up leaving Oklahoma City around 7:00 pm Saturday evening to head to Tulsa where Gabe was kind enough to let me crash in his hotel room with fellow KC Trail Nerd, John King. Originally the high on Sunday was supposed to be in the low 70's and since I've been running very fast lately I mentioned to my Mom last week that I was going to shoot for a sub 5 Hour finish (course record is 5:01) and hoped to place in the top 5. I was just going to keep this between the two of us but when I arrived at the hotel we started talking about the race and I of course threw it out there to Gabe and John but also added a disclaimer since the revised forecast was now a high of 85 degrees and I hadn't tapered. My 50K PR up to now was a 5:29 on a course much easier than this so I was making a bold statement; I guess we'd soon see if I could put my money where my mouth was!

I woke up around 5:15 am after lying there all night half asleep; I wasn't nervous but for some reason just never hit my sleep stride. I figured I'd be OK since it was "only" a 50K, quickly got my gear together and headed out the door. At the race I ran into KC Trail Nerd Rick Mayo (pictured in the header with me) and his wife, Kristi (thanks for the pics), and we chatted a bit about ultra "stuff" and the upcoming Arkansas Traveller 100 Mile Run. A few minutes later Gabe and John showed up and we all chatted with fellow SLUG, Mike Samuelson, and Kevin Dorsey. It was about 68 degrees for the start and at 7:08 am the race began with the signature TATUR potato exploding; I must say that was a first in my racing experiences.

Rick started at the front and I wasn't far behind as I didn't want to get stuck in a lot of traffic. For the first few miles I worked my way past other runners, skipped the first 2 aid stations and soon found myself running alone. Around the 7 mile mark I spotted Rick and we started running together. This trail was VERY TECHNICAL meaning extremely rocky and rooty; it required your full concentration at all times and was similar to running through a field of softballs. From this standpoint it was the toughest course I have run to date. Around mile 8 I let my mind wander and took a NASTY spill going head over heels; fortunately I tucked and rolled with the majority of the impact to my right shoulder blade so although it was very painful it wasn't a race ender. When I fell it distracted Rick and he took a bad fall and may have broken his right hand; of course we both jumped up, brushed ourselves off and continued on. Rick got away from me a little and was about a minute ahead of me at the 25K turn; I quickly refilled my bottles and started back out on the course.

By this point the day was heating up and I was getting tired. My goal was to keep my walking to a minimum (I didn't walk at all the first loop) and I was able to pretty much stick to that although my pace slowed quite a bit. I kept chanting in my head "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and "Relentless Forward Motion" to motivate me to keep moving and it was working. About 4 hours into the race at the 25 mile mark I spotted Rick up ahead and he said, "About time, I was wondering where you were? Let's take this home for a sub 5 hour!" We knew we'd have to push and do 6 miles in that hour which would be difficult with the rising temperatures and the biggest hill on the course left to climb. He pulled away a bit with 3 miles left as I walked that last hill; I reached the aid station at the top and the volunteers told me I was in 4th place and this was where I made my mistake. My fueling strategy for the race was to use Gels exclusively and I was taking 2 about every hour and a half; this was definitely working as my stomach felt great but I should have been taking more. I felt a "bonk" coming on but instead of taking an extra 20 seconds to down some gels I figured I could gut out the last 2.4 miles. About a half mile out of the station that familiar wave washed over me; I was able to run the downhills but struggled with even the slightest climbs and was forced to walk. With a mile left I was passed by Kevin Dorsey who encouraged me and helped to light a fire for me to start running again. With my sore body and ankles I carefully jogged in the last mile. As I came out of the clearing Rick came running towards me telling me to hurry up because I was in 3rd place. What, I thought I was in 5th? As I crossed the finish line in 5:13 Rick told me that the first 2 finishers had gotten off course and had been disqualified; he won the race overall, Kevin Dorsey got 2nd place and I was in 3rd! I took a moment to sit down and gather myself then joined Rick and Kevin to recap the race and cheer in the other finishers. Gabe finished a bit after me with a great time of 5:31 and John King brought home a 6:11 finish only 2 weeks after completing his first 50 miler. Before heading back for the long drive home I sat around and talked to all of these guys about the upcoming Arkansas Traveller race; Rick, Mike Samuelson, Kevin Dorsey and Gabe are all running in the event. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of these guys again as it's like we're family; I love the ultra community and the friendships I have made through this sport!

I learned some great lessons in this race including my fueling strategy and how to keep myself running when my body just wants to walk. I am prepared physically and mentally and am running better than I ever have. At Arkansas Traveller I will be surrounded by friends on the course, at the aid stations and supported by my Dad, Andrew Karandjeff and Jeremy Gulley as my crew. I am excited to push myself through to the finish; my goal is to go under 24 hours and I feel confident that will happen.

Thanks to all of the volunteers and Race Director, Brian Hoover, for putting on such a great event. The aid stations were well stocked and the course was well marked; perhaps you guys can get out there and remove some of those rocks for next year. I'll definitely be back!

To see pictures from the race click HERE and for the full race results click HERE.

Great Running and Inspirational Quotes

2007-08-20T18:23:00.000-05:00

So I'm always coming across quotes that I like and keep them saved in a Word Document for my personal reference and figured I'd share them with all of you. As I find more (or hear them out on the trails) I'll simply add them to this post; if you have some great quotes either email them to me or post a comment on this entry. I'm trying to keep them more running related otherwise this list will be infinitely long. OK, here you go:

“Every morning in Africa, an antelope wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion, or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest antelope, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or an antelope – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” – African Proverb

"If the word quit is part of your vocabulary, then the word finish is likely not."
- B.G. Jett

“The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well.”
– Baron De Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games

"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse."
- Ann Trason

"The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost

"Tough times don't last but tough people do." - A.C. Green

“Endurance? You’ve only got to get out there and do it. Face up to it: man was meant to run.” – Percy Cerutty

“We will go to the moon. We will go to the moon and do other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard.” - John F. Kennedy, Jr.

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same…
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
- Rudyard Kipling, “If”

Whatever you can do,
Or think you can, begin it.
Boldness has power, and genius,
And magic in it.
- Goethe

"Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin

“It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys." - Emil Zatopek

"If you start to feel good during an ultra, don't worry you will get over it." - Gene Thibeault

“Now bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible.” – Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

“We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.” - Emil Zatopek

“To be great, one does not have to be mad, but definitely it helps.” – Percy Cerutty

"If one can stick to the training throughout the many long years, then will power is no longer a problem. It's raining? That doesn't matter. I am tired? That's besides the point. It's simply that I just have to." - Emil Zatopek

”I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."
- Steve Prefontaine

"Relentless Forward Motion!" - Tom Riley

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." - Jesse Owens

"There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be." - George Sheehan

"Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring." - Jimmy Carter

"Runners just do it - they run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first." - Author Unknown

"The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life." - George Sheehan

"Running is real and relatively simple - but it ain't easy." - Mark Will-Weber

"Life is a positive-sum game. Everyone from the gold medallist to the last finisher can rejoice in a personal victory." - George Sheehan

"A runners creed: I will win; if I cannot win, I shall be second; if I cannot be second, I shall be third; if I cannot place at all, I shall still do my best." - Ken Doherty

"Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher

"There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open." - Nike

"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." - Marcus Aurelius

"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity." - John F. Kennedy, Jr.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” - Calvin Coolidge

"Respect the distance or the distance won't respect you! It will eat you up, spit you out and make you beg for mercy" - Unknown (From Kelly Ridgway's Blog)

Mt. Whitney Summit

2007-08-12T10:22:00.001-05:00

A week ago today I was in route to Mount Whitney for my first ever mountain summit attempt; it is the highest point in the contiguous United States towering 14,496 feet above sea level. I awoke around 4:30 am and Mindy drove me to the airport so I could catch my 6:51 am flight to Las Vegas via Phoenix. I slept quite a bit on the plane to Phoenix and then chatted a bit with an older gentleman who sat next to me during the short flight from Phoenix to Las Vegas. He was going to Alaska to do some fishing and I filled him in on my adventure; we were both heading off into uncharted territory as he had never been to Alaska and I had never climbed a mountain. I arrived in Vegas and waited for the rest of the group near the baggage claim. The group included Joe Neubauer, Chriss Bossman, Amy Wind, Dan Wind and their daughter, Carrie. An hour and a half later they arrived and we picked up the rental car and headed to Target (which was on our way) for some last minute essentials. We had decided to take the Death Valley route as Joe and I really wanted to see and feel what it was like for the Badwater runners.

Death Valley was unreal; the landscape and mountains were like nothing I've ever seen. It was so desolate and barren. Excitedly Joe and I were talking about what it would be like to run Badwater and that someday maybe we would try it; that was until we stepped out of our air conditioned car. We stopped at a scenic point and jumped out of the car and I felt like I was in an oven with a million hot hair dryers blowing on me, it was unreal! My mouth and throat went dry immediately and we quickly snapped a few pictures and returned to the comfort of our air conditioned Jeep. Joe and I both looked at each other and said "No Way, we'll never do it. Those people are crazy!" This coming from 2 people who run ultra's for fun. We headed across the desert and I pointed out Badwater landmarks along the way (Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs). We arrived at the Lone Pine Campground around 7:15 pm and began to set up our camp. Around 9:00 pm we headed into town for dinner and a few games of pool at Jake's Saloon.

I awoke around 5:45 am Monday morning and was greeted by the amazing shades of amber and purple on the face of Mt. Whitney; it was absolutely beautiful! I then headed up the Mt. Whitney Portal Trail which went from our campground to the Whitney Portal. The rest of the group headed into town to grab breakfast, pick up our permits and to explore a bit. Basically I spent the entire day running and hiking the lower portions of the mountain and ended up logging about 23 miles in total. I was a bit concerned about being worn down for the Tuesday summit attempt but figured it would be good training for the Arkansas Traveller 100 mile run in October. We all prepared our backpacks for the next day and went to bed around 8:30 pm to get some sleep as we would be getting up at 2:00 am. I tossed and turned for hours and then right when I fell asleep my alarm went off; time to get up and prepare for our summit attempt. Carrie (Amy and Dan's daughter) had decided not to attempt the summit and would be spending the day by the pool at Dow Villa. The rest of us had decided to go our own pace and that it would be OK if we did not stay together as a group.

We were at the Trailhead around 3:15 am and started off. I knew that I really wanted to push myself and quickly pulled away from the group. Looking up I saw the headlamps of other hikers as they made their way up the trail and began passing them on the long route up. I probably passed around 20 hikers during the first 3 miles and came upon a group of 3 women; one of them asked me if I knew where the bathroom was. I said, "What was that?" and she said in an extremely condescending tone "You know, a bathroom? Where you pee!" I was a bit peeved by her attitude and said "We're on a mountain in the wilderness, there are no bathrooms. Pop a squat or use your poop bag; the choice is yours!" I then continued my trek up the mountain. I reached the Trail Camp (6 miles into the hike) at around 5:45 am and looked back towards the valley as the sun rose over the mountain range to our east; it was absolutely breathtaking! Mt. Whitney loomed just above me and was illuminated by the amber sun warming it's peak. This was the beginning of the infamous "99 switchbacks" in which you climb from 12,000 to 13,000 feet in a little over 2 miles. It was at this point that my pace began to slow and I began noticing the effects of the thinner air. I made sure to slow down and focus using the belly breathing technique which seemed to help a lot. I reached the top of the Trail Crest and followed the trail to the west side of the mountain where the temps suddenly plummeted by probably 30 degrees and the icy wind stung my face. I threw my polar fleece back on and followed the treacherous trail for the next 2.3 miles to reach the summit. This section was perhaps the most dangerous of all as there are major cliffs you are walking on where the trail is about 5 feet wide; I was careful not to look down so the dizziness and vertigo wouldn't send me plummeting to my death! Kind of dramatic but I'm really not exaggerating; it was scary! I reached the summit around 8:05 am in 4 hours and 52 minutes. I quickly found the summit proper and another gentleman and I took pictures of each other on the summit. He asked me where I was from and I told him St. Louis but that I had lived in LA at one point. I told him that when I left LA in 2003 I had a mountain of problems and addictions and that I had come back to conquer that "mountain!" We congratulated each other, I took a few more pictures and then began my descent; it was cold! About an hour down I ran into my group, Joe, Amy and Chris and they were looking good. I told them they were getting close and they got very excited; I wished them luck and continued on. I had decided to continue pushing myself on the descent but took the time to give hikers tips on the way up including how far they had to go (I was wearing my Garmin 205) and what the weather was like. The descent became a run/hike as I exited the switchbacks near Trail Camp but I was still careful not to slip or twist an ankle; it was "training" for Arkansas but I didn't want an injury to set me back. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and arrived at the Trailhead around noon; the descent took me 3 hours and 20 minutes for a roundtrip of 8 hours and 12 minutes (not including the 33 minutes I spent on the summit). I was very pleased with my time considering I'm a "Flatlander" and the fact that I had never climbed a mountain before.

On the way down I passed Amy's husband, Dan. He had made it to the switchbacks but had decided to turn around after tweaking his knee. I told him I was going to camp to wash up but would return to wait with him for the group. I returned around 2:00 pm and filled Dan in on my summit adventure and we waited for the group. They finished around 6:00 pm and were very excited about the day! We went out that night to enjoy a big Mexican dinner and share stories; it was great.

The next day we awoke around 6:45 am and Joe and I decided to tackle the Whitney Portal Trail up to the general store one last time. We arrived at the store and saw Amy, Dan and Carrie; they had driven up from Dow Villa to grab some breakfast and check out the souvenirs. We made sure to order the famous Whitney Portal Store pancakes which were HUGE!!! You must try these as they are like nothing I've ever seen before; totally awesome. Joe and I ran back down to camp and we all began packing up to make our trek back to Las Vegas.

I was only staying one night in Vegas (which is more than enough for me). We stayed at Planet Hollywood and my highlight was hitting my favorite coffee house ever; the Coffee Bean. I actually had it twice on Thursday before I headed to the airport; a hot drink in the morning and an Ice Blended in the afternoon. Mmmmmm... delicious! I then headed to the aiport and began my trip back to St. Louis. On my flight from Phoenix the man next to me spotted the book I was reading, "Into Thin Air", and asked if I was a mountain climber. I said not really but I loved reading adventure books. We talked a bit more and my Mount Whitney summit adventure came up which of course was the reason for my trip. He said, "Sounds like you're a mountain climber to me!" On second thought, maybe he's right!

Click HERE to check out all of the pictures from my trip.

Psycho Psummer 50K and 7/9 - 7/15 Weekly Recap

2007-07-16T09:57:00.000-05:00

58.85 Miles, 9:47:33, 9:59 Pace
3:00:00 - Gym Crosstraining

This week I still put in quite a few miles and gym workouts considering I also ran the Psycho Psummer 50K this past Saturday. I didn't taper for this race but did decide to take Friday off from running and the gym so there would be a little bit of life in my legs for the race; now to the report...

This race took place at Wyandotte County Lake Park outside of Kansas City, KS and was hosted by the Kansas City Trail Nerds. I was making the trip with new SLUG Stephen Reynolds. My sister has an apartment in Kansas City so I had sent out an email to the SLUGs about a month ago inviting people to carpool and stay at my sister's apartment; Stephen took me up on it. Turns out he is also an attorney here in St. Louis and knows many of the same people Mindy and I know so our car conversations were split between running and law; I felt like I was at home. Mindy dropped me off at Stephen's around 2:30 pm and we were on our way. The drive was relatively uneventful and we arrived at my sister's apartment around 6:30 pm, dropped our stuff off and headed out to grab a bite to eat before turning in for the night.

I awoke at 6:15 am and we were gone in less than 20 minutes. We made a Starbuck's stop along the way and arrived at the race start around 7:20 am. We parked right next to my good friend and KC Trail Nerd Gabe Bevan and I jumped out to greet him. I introduced him to Stephen and then we headed over to packet pickup where I ran into another friend, David Wakefield who had chosen to wear the same sleeveless 3 Days of Syllamo shirt as me (he was the overall 3 Days Winner so I was in good company). While getting my race number I said hello to fellow SLUG, Becky Leahy, who ended up being the 50K female winner; way to represent the SLUGs Becky! After making some last minute preparations we headed over to the start around 7:55 am. Bad Ben, the Race Director, gave us the "lay of the land speech" and we were off at 8:08 am.

Once entering the woods this trail starts off in a very hilly section; you say "There are hills in Kansas???" Apparently, and they are steep! The course consists of 2 loops around Wyandotte County Lake which is the Home Trail for the KC Trail Nerds as they have built many of the sections. The heat wasn't too bad on the first loop but the humidity was unreal; I was running with Gabe for most of the race and we both looked like we had been drenched by a waterfall by mile 5. Gabe and I chatted for most of the first loop and were joined by Dan Volk; this was Dan's 2nd 50K so he was asking us questions and we were giving him tips about hydration and electrolyte replacement. The 3 of us crossed the 15 mile finish line in right around 2:43 and were off on our second loop.

We started the 2nd loop at around 10:45 am and the day was beginning to heat up! I had been taking around 3-4 Succeed Caps every hour and was carrying 2 water bottles; this strategy was working and I was feeling good. Usually I don't eat much during a 50K as I have trained myself to do this distance with little calorie consumption but at mile 19 I was bonking; that all too familiar feeling was beginning to wash over my body. Because it was "only a 50K" (always RESPECT the distance, which I didn't in this case) I didn't even carry any gels on me so I had no emergency calories and at this point was runnng alone; Gabe had dropped back as the heat and humidity were starting to take their toll. I knew the next manned aid station was still a few miles off but luckily stumbled across Dan's Dad at a road crossing; he was kind enough to give me some Gatorade and in a few minutes I was good again. Pat Perry, recent Western States Finisher, was working the next aid station and he hooked me up with a lot of ice for my bottles and poured some cold water over my head; ooh that's nice, thanks Pat!!! As I was leaving the station I ran into Rick Mayo who was on his way back. He asked me about Gabe and I said he had dropped back a bit because of the heat but that he was still moving; I didn't really know for sure but figured this was true, Gabe's a tough dude! This next paved section was HOT and as I came back through Pat's station I wasn't feeling too great. He drenched me again and I was on my way at right around the 5 hour mark and 4 miles to go. I then entered a new section they added as Becky Leahy was exiting the same section. She said hello and shouted "We're almost there" as we passed; I know we're almost there but man is it HOT!!! I ran most of this section but then struggled through the last 2.5 miles which is the easiest section of the course. I kept talking to myself out loud saying, "Come on Carey, pick it up so you can be done with this. If you run more and walk less this will all be over sooner!" I talk to myself out loud quite a bit in races and it seems to work; usually I'm by myself so people don't hear me and think I'm going crazy from the heat. I emerged from the woods on top of a big hill overlooking the valley with the finish line. I raced down the hill and through the valley where I was met by Bad Ben running beside me and shouting encouragements along the way. I've never had an RD run in with me before and thought this was really cool! I crossed the finish line in 5:51:37 and Gabe came through a few minutes later; see, I told you he was tough! As soon as I was done one of the volunteers handed me a handkerchief filled with ice while another one took off my race number and yet another one filled my water bottle and asked me what else I needed; it was great! I headed over to a shade tree where I relaxed for a minute and enjoyed the feeling of being finished. Click HERE for the full results. Stephen, in only his 3rd race longer than 7 miles, toughed it out in the heat and humidity for a strong finish; way to go Stephen!

This was a great race and I will definitely be back for more KC Trail Nerds events in the future! There was plenty of ice, the drink on the course was Succeed and they had S-Caps at every aid station in addition to the usual fare. Thanks to Bad Ben and the volunteers along with Dick Ross for all of the cool photos. I'm feeling good although my quads are a bit trashed; those steep downhills really took their toll! I hit the gym for crosstraining yesterday and will probably do the same today; back on the roads again tomorrow.

Another great racing experience! Hope all of your runs are going well.
Happy Running,
Carey