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.

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

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

My First Time: The 2007 Kettle Moraine 100 Mile Endurance Run

100.2 Miles, 27:11:56

After a full week of preparing Excel spreadsheets, directions, bags of food and countless other things it was Friday at noon and we were ready to make the trip to LaGrange, WI for the Kettle 100 Mile Endurance Run. My Dad arrived at our house and then we headed to Washington University to pick up Mindy (she's now taking Bar Prep courses there for the summer). From there we started the 350 mile trip to Wisconsin. I drove on the way up and we made a few stops along the way to fuel the car and ourselves. Just before the Wisconsin state line we encountered some MASSIVE thunderstorms; I was actually glad because they were hitting the area earlier than expected. I thought this was a good sign and that maybe we would be spared the rain for the race. We arrived at the La Grange General store for packet pick-up right around 6:30 pm and were soaked as we ran from the car. The store is really cool with a Mountain Bike shop, deli and tons of natural food products and other items. I also introduced myself to RD Tim Yanacheck (Timo) as he is a good friend of many of the SLUGs and he gave us quick directions to the hotel we were staying at in Whitewater. We made our way through the charming little town of Whitewater, checked into the Amerihost Inn, unloaded our things and quickly went over our crewing plans for the race. We then headed out to Wal-Mart to get a flashlight, some rain gear and my Dad some reading material as there would be a lot of waiting. Last thing was to grab dinner at Randy's (all you can eat baked cod, potato and salad bar for $12.00; HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) and then we headed back for some sleep.

We all slept OK considering what we were going to face the next day and I woke up at 4:30 am ready to tackle my first 100 miler. The plan was for my Dad to take me to the start line and crew until mile 26.5; at that point he was going to the hotel to switch off with Mindy so he could rest in the afternoon and both would crew during the night. This was to insure they were fresh at night (or as fresh as can be expected) and could crew as a team during the "witching hours." We arrived at the start around 5:30 am and everyone was scrambling around, including me. I grabbed all of my necessities and headed over for the last minute info. Don Frichtl, a fellow SLUG, made it over to me and wished me luck (he was running a leg of the marathon relay) and Deanna Stoppler also came over and gave me a little present; some new gaiters! They were great but unfortunately I didn't have a chance to put them on as the race was starting in a matter of minutes; perhaps I can find some time later to try them out. Timo started the countdown and we were off!

I started out with Deanna until the first hill (about 1/4 mile) and told her to go on that I would be walking ALL hills from the beginning (thanks Paul Schoenlaub for this advice). She wished me luck and continued running; we soon passed the 1 mile mark and another runner yelled out "Only 99 more to go!" We all laughed but more out of nervousness than anything else. I first saw my Dad at the Bluff Aid Station (mile 7.4) and I told him that I was feeling better than I've ever felt at a race (it's amazing when you actually taper). Grabbed some more Clip2 and S-Caps and headed out. About 1/2 mile out of the aid station the rain started and I thought this was the start of an all day rainfest. Many runners donned jackets and trash bags but I figured there was no point; the rain was nice and cool and I wouldn't melt. Luckily it was short lived and stopped within the hour, nice! Shortly after the Horseriders Aid Station Stuart Johnson, a fellow SLUG caught up to me. He was running the 100K and had been hanging with his wife, Deb, until the Bluff Aid Station. We chatted a bit and recapped my strategy and then he headed on; I was running my own race and had a long ways yet to go.

I arrived at the Emma Carlin Aid Station (15.5 miles) and was at about a 21 hour pace; too fast! I decided to take the next section easy as it was the open marsh area which was flat with little shade; fortunately the sun was tucked away behind the clouds giving us a break. By the County ZZ Aid station my left quad and hamstring were tightening up so I asked my Dad to have Mindy bring me some Biofreeze along with my Marathon Stick when she returned. I thanked him for all of his help, told him to go back and get some rest and then continued on to the 31 mile turnaround. During this stretch I started seeing runners going back the other way as they had made the turn. I saw Christine Crawford (Female OA winner and fellow SLUG) and told her she was looking great; which she was, man is she fast!!! About a mile from the turn I saw Stuart and I told him my strategy seemed to be working. I asked him if he'd seen Deanna and he said that she was having a tough time but muscling through it. Then, about 8 minutes later there was Deanna! I asked her how she was and she said much better; she had loaded up on "Positive Vibes" at the turn. I told her that if she slowed down a bit that I’d catch up with her and we could run in her last 30 or so miles together; she said that catching up to her shouldn’t be a problem as she wasn’t setting any land speed records. I reached Scuppernong (31.4 mile turnaround), filled my water and mixed my Clip 2, grabbed some munchies and headed back out; I was feeling great! I would be seeing Mindy at County ZZ which was sure to put even more spring in my step; plus she would have the Biofreeze and Marathon Stick!

It was on this stretch that I was running behind a man wearing a grey, sleeveless Kansas City Trail Nerds shirt. At one of the switchbacks he caught sight of me and my yellow SLUG jersey and said “Is your name Carey?” I was wondering how he would know that and figured perhaps we had met at a SLUG event; turns out it was Gabe Bevan. He’s a regular reader of my blog and I also read his; how random and totally cool that we were out running a 100 mile race together. This ultra-community is awesome! He was having a tough time with the heat and we chatted just a bit; also turns out he ran his first 50 miler at Berryman in 2006 which was also my first 50 miler. Unreal! I arrived at County ZZ (mile 36.4) to see Mindy; boy did that put a smile on my face. She handed me the Biofreeze and I snuck away to get a little privacy so I could apply it to my glute and hamstring; almost instantly the icy-hot sensation started and it began loosening up. Mindy told me to go slow so I didn’t beat her to the next aid station as it was only a 2.6 mile run for me. Gabe and I ran together a bit more and loaded up at the Highway 67 aid station for the 8.3 mile trek back through the flat, unshaded prairie. At this point it was mostly cloudy, humid and around 80 degrees; I was running around a 20.5 hour pace and knew I had plenty of time to take it easy in this section. I let Gabe go on as I slowed my jog and interspersed a lot of walking. This was a long stretch but I knew that it was important not to push it; there were still a lot of miles to cover. I reached Emma Carlin (mile 47.3) at 4:00 pm still pacing for a 21 hour finish; too fast but I felt like I had been taking it easy; slow down Carey, slow down. Nutrition during the race consisted mostly of Clip 2, some Hammer Gels and whatever “looked good” at the aid stations. This seemed to be working really well but I was less than half-way through the race and was quickly tiring of the drink and losing my appetite more and more. I hit the 50 mile mark at 10 hours, 50 minutes; halfway done as far as mileage but probably more like a third down in time. I reached Nordic (start/finish/mile 62 turnaround) at 7:55 pm for a 13:55 100K, not too bad. At this point Mindy had a cooler filled with ice to cool my feet before I changed into new socks and shoes; oh that felt so good! I also changed shirts, filled up my supplies and met my pacer, Chris McMahon. Re-energized, feeling fresh and with a pacer I was ready to tackle the last 38 miles; or so I thought.

Chris is from Indianapolis and had signed up for the 38 mile fun run in hopes of pacing someone for the 100 mile; last year he had dropped from the 100 miler at the 100K mark and wanted to “finish what he started” along with helping someone else achieve their dream of finishing a 100 mile trail run. From the beginning he was so positive and had a very “Zen like” feel about him as Mindy would say (he very much reminded us of fellow SLUG and my ultra-running mentor, Jerry Frost); I already knew that I was lucky to have him by my side. We chatted about the day and how I was feeling; we were walking but I promised that we would be running soon. It was about this time that Deanna was running towards us; funny thing is Chris and I were just talking about her as I was wondering what had happened to her. She was so excited to see me, told me that she had gotten lost and that it was a long story. She then gave me a hug and wished me the best. After that I kind of broke my promise to run as I just couldn’t motivate myself to run much. I had so much energy at the 62 mile mark but now, less than an hour later, I was TIRED, HUNGRY and oh, did I mention, TIRED! I was hungry but nothing sounded good, how frustrating; it would be like this for the rest of the race. Up to this point I had probably consumed around 3,000 - 4,000 calories; not enough but a lot for me considering I usually run a 50K on less than 500 calories. We hit the Bluff Aid Station (mile 70.3) at around 10:30 pm. Chris, Mindy and my Dad were all telling me to eat; I get it I need to eat but what? I grabbed some potato chips and Ramen noodles which seemed to go down pretty well. Heading out I filled my water bottles, drank some Coke and started out into the night. Next place I would see Mindy and my Dad would be at the Hwy 12 aid station (mile 77.1), a little less than 7 miles away. Doesn’t sound like too far but a lot can happen late in a 100 miler.

Shortly after leaving Bluff my stomach began doing somersaults, not good! I continued to drink my Clip 2 but was quickly growing tired of it and ate some starlight mints hoping to settle my stomach. In addition to the nausea I was exhausted and my body wanted sleep; running through the woods in the dark can make it very difficult to stay awake especially when you’ve been up since 4:30 am. Your world is confined to the little circle of light in front of you like running in a tunnel. Fighting the nausea and exhaustion we reached Hwy 12 (mile 77.1) and I started to wonder if I was going to be able to finish; could I keep going when every part of my body and mind wanted to stop? I guess we’ll soon find out. The volunteers at this aid station were unbelievable! I was able to down some more noodles, popped a few ibuprofen’s, had some fruit and headed out for the long stretch to Rice Lake; it was around 1:00 am. Technically this is the most difficult section of the course with a lot of hills, roots and rocks. Normally I love this but in the dark, fighting off sleep and struggling just to move forward it was a nightmare. Chris was great during this section as I kept saying I wanted to lay down for a minute, catch a nap and I’d be better. He’d always say “Let’s just go a bit more and you can nap at the next aid station,” of course he wasn’t going to let me nap as that would have been the end. We both knew that but I continued to ask and he continued to tell me to wait just a bit more. I kept hitting my big right toe on the rocks and knew that it was toast, it hurt but so did everything else! We arrived at Rice Lake and everyone was practically asleep. I hit the porto-potty while Mindy filled my bottles and talked with Chris about how I was doing. I tried some food but nothing sounded good; I needed calories badly as I was bonking. I grabbed a few things and tried to nibble as we left the station; it was around 2:40 am. This was the 19 mile turnaround so every step from now on was a step towards the finish; mentally this was a big boost. Back on the trail we carefully made our way along this tough section and I was practically sleep walking for much of the time; Chris knew this and led me along pointing out rocks and roots along the way. There was a beautiful spot along this section with a lake and the full moon reflecting on the surface; Chris reminded me to look around and take it all in which I did. It was absolutely beautiful!

As we neared the end of this section we could see the Hwy 12 aid station in the valley below which meant Mindy, my Dad and hopefully something to settle my stomach. As I approached my Dad shouted out to Mindy that I was coming (she was taking a little nap in the car). She came running out with a smile asking what she could do for me; I’m very lucky to have her and my Dad who sacrificed their time and sleep to help me achieve this dream. The volunteers here were great as they had been before. The man doing the cooking made some hot water with a few drops of peppermint oil and had me inhale it along with a “European Spa Treatment” which consisted of a hot towel on my belly; believe it or not it worked and I was feeling better; it was 4:30 am and the sun would be coming up soon which I hoped would wake me up some and give me a boost. I grabbed some Fig Newton’s and headed out. During the next section we were eaten alive with mosquitoes but neither of us really cared that much; Chris had such a good attitude and said he didn’t mind sacrificing a pint of blood to help me finish; once again he was great! Luckily the unmanned station at Duffin Road (mile 90.2) had some bottles of insect repellant so we lathered up and headed on to the Bluff Aid Station. It was during this next 2.6 mile section that we caught up with fellow 100 mile runner Casey Lopez and his pacer. He was hurting and told us that both feet were just one big blister; at this point he was cursing the course and got mad! He said, “I thought this was beautiful yesterday! Now, I just want to be finished; screw you course I’ll beat you!” Hey, whatever it takes to get it done; right? He was very pleasant to Chris and I and focused his anger on the trail.

Chris and I continued and as we approached the Bluff Aid Station (mile 92.8) I realized that I was going to finish. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said “We’re really going to do this; I can’t believe it’s almost over!” Coming down the hill I saw Mindy and my Dad and was flooded with emotion. I hugged Mindy and told her I had to keep going before I lost it (I still had 7.2 miles to go) and that I’d see her at the finish. I entered the aid station tent wiping back the tears and asked for something to settle my stomach; that’s when Casey offered me some Pepcid which seemed to help. We left out of the Aid Station with 7.2 miles and 2 hours to go; it was 7:00 am. Chris and I walked and chatted for the rest of the way; I was torn between wanting it to be done and holding on to this experience as long as I could. Ironically, part of me never wanted it to end. We breezed through the Tamarack Aid station (mile 95.1), thanked the volunteers and kept going. From there the mileage is marked with a countdown; I promised Chris that when we hit mile 1 we’d run it in. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; is that really the mile 1 marker or am I imagining it. I asked Chris and he verified that there was indeed only one mile to go. With that we began running, both with smiles on our faces. I could feel the emotion welling up inside and the tears began. We made a turn and there it was, the Finish Line with Mindy and my Dad sitting right there waiting for me. I began crying so hard it was difficult to breathe but I kept going. I crossed the line as Mindy cheered and began crying too; I had to walk away for a minute as I was a complete emotional mess. We did it! When I say we I mean Mindy, my Dad, Chris and I for without all of them I never could have finished.

I’ve heard that you finish your first 100 miler a different person than you were at the start line and had no idea exactly what that meant until yesterday. I’ve encountered many struggles in my short 33 years, most of which were self induced. This had made me cynical of others and an island unto my own; there were very few people besides Mindy that I felt I could count on. This experience helped to tear down the walls I had built up and let people back into my life again. I said a prayer in the beginning of the race and God answered it by pairing me up with my pacer, Chris. His patience, encouragement and kindness helped keep me going. Mindy was absolutely unbelievable! I can’t say enough about my Dad; I am so glad that we are close again as the sport of ultrarunning has repaired our relationship. We are closer now than we've ever been! And last, but certainly not least, the volunteers and RD’s, Tim Yanacheck and Jason Dorgan, sacrificed their time and energy to help all of us realize our dream! Thank You! We finished this together as a team for without all of you I never could have done it.

Life is too short; tear down your walls and achieve your dreams!
Happy Running,
Carey

Check out all of the pictures at here!

Berryman Marathon and 5/14 to 5/20 Weekly Recap

37.81 Miles, 6:01:11, 9:33 Pace
3:00:00 - Gym Crosstraining
Another great event put on by David and Victoria White. Since Mindy graduated law school on Friday we weren't able to head down Friday night and woke up Saturday morning at 4:00 am to make the trek to Berryman, MO. It was a bit chilly and highs were predicted in the 70's; what a great day for running! We arrived about 30 minutes before the start, picked up my packet, said our hello's and made a few last minute preparations. Before I knew it 7:00 am arrived and we were off! My plan was to run a consistent pace the entire race and to take it pretty easy which I did. I wanted to practice my eating for the 100 miler but unfortunately ate too much pasta the night before and was filled to the gills! I ran with Deanna Stoppler for most of the marathon and she went on to be the 1st female winner in the 50 mile race (8:51:05). I crossed the finish line in 4:29:50 placing 19th out of 84 total runners. All in all it was a good race; no falls, sprained ankles or major damage done.


I hung around the finish line for a while as I wanted to see the 50 mile men's winner cross the finish line; the winner ended up being Eric Grossman setting a new course record in 6:33:27. Absolutely amazing!
A short time later my Dad returned from Mindy's aid station to fetch some burgers for the girls and to take me out to the aid station. This was the first time I have volunteered and I had a great time helping the runners and talking with them about how they were feeling and giving them tips to help ensure a strong finish; now I know why Mindy likes volunteering so much, it's a blast! Hanging out there for a while you hear some really inspirational stories. We met one gentleman named Larry Snowden from Cincinnati, OH who told us about how he and his wife have partnered with Jeff Galloway in helping people in the Cincinnati area to complete their first marathon or ultra. They had brought a group of their runners down to tackle the 50 miler; his wife was running with the group while he shuttled around the course in a van helping out. There was also another group of 21 runners from a Lees Summit, Missouri company (Genesys). The owner (Pat Perry) had paid all of their entry fees and put together a marathon training program for employees that wanted to participate. Most of the runners were first time marathoners and one gentleman has lost 50 lbs. since starting the training program; wow what an incredible thing to do for your employees! Mindy and I were so inspired by these two groups that I am going to reach out to Larry and his wife, Suzelle, about starting a Jeff Galloway group here in St. Louis. I know that is my true calling in life; to help others achieve what they once thought was impossible and helping people change their lives! I plan to contact them this week to find out more.


Taper, Taper, Taper... This week and next for sure! Keeping the mileage around 25-30 with the majority of my workouts at the gym crosstraining. BTW, the right shin splint is gone. Last week I began doing exercises at the gym using their Dorsiflex Hammer Strength machine (3 sets for each leg) along with cross training using the Precor elliptical and I seem to be cured; NICE!!!!

Less than 2 weeks until Kettle, the butterflies start every time I think about it!

Happy Running,
Carey

4/16 - 4/22 Weekly Recap and Double Chubb Race

60.72 Miles, 10:13:50, 10:06 Pace

Ran about 29 miles during the week with the remainder on Saturday in the Double Chubb race. The race started at 7:30 am and the temperature was around 52 degrees with very little wind; conditions couldn't have been much better but I knew it was going to warm up rather quickly. This course consists of two out and back's (7.75 mile stretch); the beginning is all downhill then flat for about 3.5 miles followed by a long climb and then rolling hills until the turn. My first out and back was pretty quick at 2:31:58 as I knew that the second lap would be much slower due to the increasing heat of the day. I made sure to stay hydrated and took about 16 Succeed caps during the race; seemed to maintain the right balance through the race as I felt pretty good the whole time. For the second out and back I walked when I felt like it and took it easy as the temps reached the upper 70's by the end of the race for a time of 2:57:54. I finished with a new PR, 5:29:52 and placed 19th out of 51 runners. It was great to see all of the SLUGs out there and run with some good friends; Victoria and David put on a great race as usual! Mindy also did great in the 25k with a time of 3:21; I'm amazed that she can just go and bust out 15.5 miles with very little run training. It's a testament to the hard work she puts in at the gym; she's in great shape and is a true runner in my book! Yesterday I took it easy as the heat from Saturday kind of zapped me.

This week will be back to normal and I'll run around 45-50 miles with 25 of those miles on the weekend. No true long runs just back to back medium runs. My next race, the Berryman Marathon, is on May 19th followed 2 weeks later on June 2nd by the Kettle Morraine 100 miler.

Run light and stay cool,
Carey

Sylamore Trail 50K

50K (31 Miles), 5:47:20, 11:12 Pace
As you can probably tell from the last few entries I was having a case of mental burnout with running, I think this event has renewed my spirit! Andrew Karandjeff (fellow SLUG) and I headed down to Mountain View Friday afternoon for the Saturday morning run. He hasn't been getting in as much mileage as usual lately so he was running the 25K race. Friday night was relatively uneventful and we got to bed about 10:30 pm to get a good night's rest for the 7:00 am start time. I changed my routine a bit and slept later than I usually do on race days. I skipped my normal pre-race shower (what's the point, right?) and opted for a Clif Bar vs. my usual pre-race Optimum Power Cereal Breakfast. We arrived at the race start around 6:30 am and stayed in the car until the last possible minute. At 6:55 am I left Andrew and the warmth of the car (25K started at 7:30 am) and headed to the start line. Temps were in the low 30's with a 15 mph wind (gusting to 25 mph) so we were all anxious to get started.

At the start I chatted with some fellow SLUGs (big turnout for this race with 16 SLUGs running) and left the start line with fellow SLUG Jerry Frost. As we headed up the hill Jerry and I talked a bit catching up on things as we haven't seen each other in a few months. This race is famous for it's creek crossing at mile 1.5 and 29.5 (it is an out and back). This year the creek was about hip high and the water was frigid! I quickly crossed (it's probably about 50 yards total) and passed many runners who stopped to change into dry shoes. The trail was beautiful as enormous icicles hung from the cliffs and the creek was amazing with colors of blue, green and aqua. The views were unreal from the clifs as I scurried my way along the narrow trail. The most dangerous part of this event was the black ice, you had to be very careful or you'd end up on your butt (which happened to me a few times)! Like the Tecumseh Marathon in December I decided to take it easy in the beginning and ended up running the first 10 miles with a group of 6 women, as they began to slow I continued my pace feeling rested and strong. Although I had some Clif Bloks and Hammer Gel's with me they just weren't sounding good so at each aid station I decided on M&M's and PB&J sandwiches to fuel my run, it worked and sustained my energy level the entire race. I reached the turn at 2H, 53M, filled my water bottle, took a handful of M&M's and headed out for the run back. I was ahead of my 6 hour goal pace but knew that anything could happen during the last half of the race.

As I passed the runners on the way back they shouted words of encouragement and yielded the right of way as I navigated the rocky trail. I continued to walk the up-hills, jog the flats and carefully run the downhills (very rocky, icy and slick) and ran alone for much of the way back. As I neared the creek crossing at mile 29.5 there was no one around in either direction. I entered the frigid water and actually fell into a hole. Up to my chest in the ice cold water I scrambled to get my footing and quickly recovered to get to the other side. My legs felt heavy and numb like ice blocks but I knew that I only had another mile and a half. I headed out on the road and up the last hill. As I reached the crest and turned onto the main road leading to the finish I knew I was almost there. I sprinted for the last half mile down the road and saw the finish line across the busy intersection. Waiting for the cars to clear (probably lost 30 seconds waiting) I crossed the road and was met by Andrew telling me what a great job I had done by beating my projected time. I crossed the finish at 5H, 47M (practically an even split) feeling good but cold and wet. We didn't hang around long after the race (left within 30 minutes) as thoughts of home and a hot shower were calling (even though I was still 300 miles away from home). The results aren't posted yet but I think I placed in at least the top 30 maybe even better. Andrew WON the 25K race even after getting lost for 15 minutes; he's a speed demon!

Originally I signed up for this race to get a preview of the 3 Days of Syllamo stage run next month. It is in the same area of Arkansas with the 1st day being this actual course (50K), the second day is a 50 Mile run with a 20K run on the last. The trick will be getting through that 2nd day when my legs are burnt and I'm mentally exhausted; thankfully Mindy will be there to support me through my quest to cover over 93 miles in a little more than 50 hours. In preparation for this I ended up running 12 miles yesterday to get used to running on tired legs; I'm really feeling it today!