Tapering For Merrill's Mile

It has been a while since I have actively tapered(oxymoron?) for a race. I have to remind myself that I am not supposed to run tonight. I have had more free time, but I miss the hills and fresh air. I suppose I could hike but who has time for that slower version of trail running???

I am still debating on my strategy. I thought a run/walk after 20 miles would be good, but had my run/walk based on time. After a meeting with Willy "Natureboy" Syndram I was encouraged to have points on the loop that I run and walk at. This way I don't have to watch my watch.

There is going to be a big 24 hour clock that is counting down. A 20 hour 100 miler is exactly 12 minute miles. I plan on starting out around 10-11 min/miles and varying from there.

With the Cool Running Pace Calculator I am going to print out my splits for 20 hours, 22 hours, and 24 hours. This way I can at least know if I need to be going faster if I plan on sleeping for a while, eating, etc.

I know that after the first 10 miles I will probably make my first walk point after the food and drink aid station. This will give me time to cram food down, get my head together, and keep moving. I will probably try to keep it down to .15 of a mile and keep a 17 min/mile walk pace, then hop back onto 11-12 min/miles.

The next walk point will be after the second aid station(drinks), where I will do .10 miles and keep that <17 mile="mile" min="min" nbsp="nbsp" p="p" pace.="pace.">
As I get more tired I will need more walk. I will start by extending the first aid station's walk and do the same for the second.

Instead of killing myself keeping track of my time I will look at those sheets every 5 miles to make sure I am still on pace.

It really shouldn't be too hard to stay on pace on this race since it is all flat, but in order to reach 100 miles I will have to remain stable and productive through the whole race. No quitting.

If I quit. I fail.

If I don't get 100 miles, but I don't stop, that is fine. I would love to get 100 miles, but giving a good hard attempt and knowing that I did my best is all that I need.

Merrill's Mile Training Update

Just an update on my training for Merrill's Mile. Here are some things I am doing.

As of now I am balancing between workouts and injury. I want to go out and push myself to run longer and faster. I know these workouts will help me gain muscle, lose weight, and most importantly get used to feeling not so great during a run. I have done a lot of hilly trail runs, as well as one 20 miler mountain run on 2 hours of sleep.

I am also experimenting with fluid intake. I found that after 15 miles on my long runs I get headaches. This does not change regardless of my daily diet. I am fairly confident this is due to an electrolyte imbalance. I was told by a few more knowledgeable people that I am drinking too much water and to try to be around 1 oz per mile. Of course this varies with climate/environmental factors. I am also experimenting with Thermotab salt pills and water vs. Sports Drinks. Something else that helped me with the headaches was some caffeine. Oh baby, a cup of coffee around mile 16 on my long run at the Hiker Inn of Springer Mountain made all the difference! I was also pretty far ahead of the pack and was able to take a nap. :)

I am still interested in Michael Arnstein and reading the book 80/10/10 I have started to make fruit my primary source of calories. I haven't kept up with it long, and I cheat occasionally, but judging by the intense run I did yesterday and the way I feel today I can tell that it is helping my recovery times! I think it is good to cheat a little. It keeps my body acclimated to eating things other than fruit. If I get into a jam during the run and I don't have any fruits my body will be able to handle the pretzels or anything else. I hope this diet change is one that continues to positively influence me.

To date my furthest run is only 30ish miles. I could try to go out and run further, but with Merrill's Mile so close I don't want to push it. I will just keep with what I am doing and hope for the best. There is very little I can do at this point that is going to help me in 3 weeks.

"Juice"

I am currently on an airplane. Less than 45 seconds ago I was offered a drink. More recently I have been drinking and eating more fruits. I thought that I would try a juice from the cart. The cranberry apple juice blend sounded good, so I chose that.

It wasn't until I had sat down in my seat that I realized I was drinking a lie. The "juice" that I got was only 15% juice. The rest looked to be the equivalent of a Coke.

This feels like false advertising. I wanted juice but instead got high fructose corn syrup.

The worst part is, we are fooled by other products as well. For example: chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets are not always completely chicken and I bet some are less than 50%

50% is still better than 15%. I mean, at least those crummy chicken nugget manufacturers are trying! Well, kind of.

People wonder why people are so fat.

For the most part:

1. People make bad food choices and know it. 
2. People may choose the healthier looking alternative and actually get something less healthy.

I think the FDA should make companies write on title of the product in clear text what the product actually is. Less than 95% real fruit juice? That is not juice, that is drink. I shouldn't have to read the fine print on a damn drink.

This change would encourage food makers to make real food or pay the price. Let the fatties that want to eat unhealthy, eat unhealthy. At least help the people that are trying.

How do you feel about this? Is there any known percentage of the named product that is required before it is considered false advertising? Could I take a muffin and call it a carrot? What about if the muffin contained 15% carrot?

A Really Great Lecture From Michael Arnstein

courtesy of vctc.org

Michael Arnstein is a prominent ultra runner who successfully ran multiple ultramarathons. He follows a fruitarian diet inspired by the book 80-10-10, which has inspired some of my meals recently. Take the time to watch this. I know it is longer than most videos, but there are many things to learn from it.




Always experiment. Always learn. :)

24 Hour Signup - Merrill's Mile - Course Evaluation

The other day I was browsing Facebook and my friend Willy "Natureboy" posted a picture of the Merrill's Mile belt buckle. I thought it was pretty and decided to sign up!

Ain't that sexy?

The truth is, I had heard about the race and was debating on whether to do the 24 or 12 hour race. Unsure of my abilities I was leaning toward the 12 hour. Then I saw the belt buckle. 100 miles. Could I hit 100 miles?

A quick calculation on Cool Running's pace calculator told me that I had to stay below a 14:24 min/mile. This means a slow trot or a fast walk. Could I do this? Hell, I dunno.

It is so easy to run out here that senior citizens can run!

Willy had mentioned that the loop was a 1 mile FLAT course. I have had race directors mess with me and tell me something is "easy" only to get out there and hit a mountain. Within 2 hours Willy had posted a picture for me of the loop. It was literally one of the flattest courses I have ever seen.

So I signed up.

RunningAhead Map of Course

Today I went there with Dave and ran it. We had no trouble getting into the Ranger Camp and started running. The terrain was very flat and soft. There were pea size rocks, which I didn't feel though my minimalist trail shoes(Link to my blog).

There were some spots where water had run a small divit on the course. No biggie, just step over.

The only thing I am hesitant about on this race is the flatness. This will use the same muscles the whole way. I am grateful that there are some inconsistencies on the trail to keep my mind in check and make me step differently occasionally.

I feel if there is a race that I can run 100 miles at currently this is the one. There will be a great aid station every mile, along with some very supportive people.

Check out that helicopter!

Oh, and as a bonus I was checking this out for my dad. Since he didn't join us and was worried about the terrain I sent him this picture.

Hehehehe...

More on my plans to complete this sucker later.

Being a Mule

Today my Dad, Angela, and I had a nice run up to Springer from Amicolola Falls. I tried something I have never tried before: Running with twice as much water.

Last week I did a tough run at 2:30 PM. It was around 95 degrees and sunny. At mile 6 on the trail I felt myself getting low on water. We still had 4 miles left and I was wanting to drink it all right then an there.

Fortunately we found a water pump and were able to refill/dunk our faces. From that I learned a valuable lesson: Run with enough water.

So this weekend I took my mom's CamelBak Women's Day Star 70 oz. Hydration Pack(Amazon Affiliate Link) and put 2 70oz bladders in it. I tested it with a quarter mile run, decided it would work, and set out to run 15 miles with it the next day.

RunningAhead Link of Run

Springer was an excellent run/hike. It is the approach trail for the Appalachian Trail. In my bag I had 1 70oz bladder of water, 1 70oz bladder of Gatorade mixed with Cytomax, a PB&J, 5 Banana Nut Cookies, and toilet paper - weighing in at 13 pounds. This was 8 or 9 pounds more than what I am used to running with.

It ended up being cool and rainy. I figured I wouldn't drink all my water, but it would help me as far as training goes to carry more weight and get stronger.

The first few miles were tough. I didn't drink much water and didn't really need to. It felt hard to move forward and I was tempted to dump out my bladder.

Around mile 3 I got used to it and felt like I was just carrying my Camelbak. Now you may be saying, "Well that's probably because you drank all of your water!" No, I still had at least 4/5 of both bladders left.

We made it to the top of Springer. Susan(she likes it when I mention her) had made some amazing Banana Nut Cookies. They were so delicious and moist. Well, most everything was moist at that point, but these were made that way. They really helped me not have a low point on this run. I also ate a PB&J. Another thing I like about this bag is the extra space. I can carry 4 times as much food as with my Camelbak XCT. Different tools, different tools... Of course, with this extra space, everyone handed me their trash, which I didn't mind.

On the way down I was able to handle my downhills as usual. During the times that I wanted to go slow on the downhills I had to work a little harder. Other than that it was all the same.

Around mile 14 of 15 my Dad ran out of water. I shared mine with him. He drank a 100ml of water during his run. This is great, but would have left him uncomfortable/stressed for a mile.

So, in a fast-packing and ultra-lite world where people are claiming to be minimalist, I am finding the good in carrying a little more. I was able to eat more and not worry about running out of water. Nor did I have to carry a water pump and worry about my water source. I had more food and I was able to share my extra space with others.

Peachree Road Race 2012 Recap

The Peachtree Road Race is one of my favorite races to run. It is very well organized for the amount of people that run it(60,000ish) and the crowds are fun and supportive.

2:45 AM I get a drunk text from a friend. I laugh, respond back, and realize that I have to be up in 15 minutes. We didn't get a hotel this year, so 3AM was the time to wake up for me to get my AIS(ass in seat) at 4:30 AM at my parent's house. I got dressed and was out the door. I chose to wear Vibram Five Finger KSOs with some duct tape on my feet to prevent blistering. I have been training in the VFFs recently and I have found that I am able to endure more fast running in them than barefoot. I was also sporting blue shorts, a white tank-top, and a red Bubba Gump Shrimp hat.

The drive down was uneventful and pretty quiet. Everyone was tired and looking at their phones. While waiting for the MARTA we met up with Dave, Sue, Matthew, and Carolyn. They looked tired, but once we all got together the energy level increased.

Friends, Family, and a Monkey(I am squatting)

Standing around in the cool at the start of a race is the worst. I could be running right now! Luckily I had earned wave B and got to start at 7:45, which means that I could probably run a majority of the race in the cool.

Before the race started I was nervous. I tried to relax, shut my eyes, and take deep breaths. This helped a ton. I just had to block out everything around me and just put myself in myself. One of the questions on my mind was in regards to my time. If I run a sub 42 minute race I would be in the sub-seeded wave next year. This would be a huge accomplishment for me, since that is two 21 minute 5k's back to back. This meant that I had to keep a 6:45 pace for the whole 10k. I positioned myself mid-pack on the start, thinking that the other B runners were probably equal or faster than me.

As the race started I realized I was wrong. At least 75% of the people in front of me were trotting at a 10 min/mile or less. WTF YOU ARE IN B. RUN!

After a few seconds of weaving in and out I was able to settle into a 6:00 min/mile. Gosh I felt like I was running a 10 min/mile! My legs felt great and I was passing people left and right.

I found a nice guy named Cody with a pony-tail that let me run behind him. He was really strong and consistent. He kept a pretty solid 6:30 min/mile. This put me a little ahead of pace, but I accepted it. The course starts off mostly downhill. I figured I would take advantage of the first 3 miles of downhill so I can have some wiggle room later on on the uphill.

Mile 3.1 rolled around. I looked down at my watch and noticed that I had run it in less than 20 minutes! I had broken my fastest 5K time and was on track to be sub-seeded!

The next part of the race was not easy. We hit some hills, which weren't that bad, just time consuming. They just slowed me down a little bit since I was used to running down the hills and had to switch my body to running up them.

It was at this point that a person yelled, "Yeah! Go Bubba Gump!" I love the crowd support! Last year it was, "Go Barefoot!" This year it was Bubba Gump.

Hill – Flat – Hill – Flat repeat. Mile 5 came and I was still on track to be sub-seeded. My average pace was 6:44. Ah! Too close! Gotta pick it up! I just kept pushing until we made the final turn. At this point I was running somewhere in the 5 min/mile range and weaving in and out of the trotters(why are there trotters in the A/B waves!?!).

Crossing the finish line I caught my breath and stopped my watch. 42 min 7 seconds. But my pace! It was 6.33 min/miles!?! Then I looked at the distance – 6.33 miles. Well, maybe I paused my watch a little late and my time will be lower... It turns out my time was 42:02, 3 seconds away from sub-seeded. This taught me a lesson: no matter how high the quality of the race is supposed to be, never ever rely on the distance.

After the race I stood around at the park and waited for my friends to come in. I kept moving, since my calves were sore. Last year I got overheated and started to go into shock. This year I made better choices and didn't have any of those problems. My legs were a little sore(I was expecting worse) but for the most part I was great!

I am honestly not frustrated about the whole time/distance/wave thing. I am very happy that I ran such a good race and improved so much over last year. I ran my fastest 5K and my fastest 10K all in the same race! Most importantly, I felt like I didn't injure myself or do anything stupid. I made better choices, and those choices paid off.

Oh and I made it on TV!