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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2007 Turkey and Taturs 50K Trail Race

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

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

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.