alcopa's posterous

Be Prepared

My most important goal in training for races and running them has been to have fun. It was with this goal in mind that I:

• Wore fake antlers in my first trail 25K on the opening day of deer season.
• Set PR times in both the 5K and 10K without shoes on my feet.
• Ran some technical, rocky trail races in five fingers (ouch).
• Left the running shorts at home for the last two Statesman Capital 10K races.

While I could argue (and frequently do) that the different (or lack of) shoes had a purpose, it's only the fun of bucking the trend that inspires the doning of the kilt. My favorite motto is "Don't be a Sheep." and I apply that to almost every aspect of my life.

While it's fun to goof off and stand out in a crowd, I've also put in some hard work at preparing for races. I would typically either do training runs on the course or do the course at a shorter distance the first time out. I'm patient with learning how to run a particular course and will come back the next year hoping to improve. The road marathon training was grueling, week in, week out. However, it did not feel great at all to get out there in the course and discover that I had not prepared myself to fuel properly for 26.2.

Since I was a Boy Scout for so many years as a kid, I should be familiar with the importance and benefits of "Be Prepared". What the Boy Scout motto meant to me as a kid was that I could go out into a harsh unforgiving environment and not die. Backpacking in the sierras, miles and hours from any help, you have to carry all the stuff you need to survive on your back. This could not have been more true with the search-and-rescue training that I did. It's hard to help someone else if you need help yourself, and you are distracting your mates that have to come to your aid.

Having fun is great, but it's never fun to DFL, DNF or be taken away in an ambulance as happened to one runner in the trail race last weekend. Preparing for every aspect of the race is done in training. As the training runs rachet up in distance and difficulty of terrain, preparing for a particular training run becomes more and more important.

Running the relatively flat, but nonetheless technical, trail races in Texas the past couple of years has been great and I'm starting to get more comfortable at it. Growing up in California, I love the mountains and last summer I finally got to return to them vacationing with the kids and doing some light training runs at altitude. Looking at the pictures and reading the race reports of my friends from the big mountain ultras has got me hooked on that as a goal. However, I've got a long way to go in my preparation and training.

Just how far I have to go was made very clear to me in a training excursion to the Guadalupe Mountains this past weekend. Yes, Texas does have mountains and the highest of which is 8749'. High enough to get a good taste of training at altitude. In two training runs over two days, I bonked fairly hard two times. My buddies where there to share water when I ran out and give my salt when I had neglected to take my own. They got me moving again and I owe them a huge dept for getting me back to camp safe each time. The first day had 3000' of climb over 8 miles and the 2nd run was 5000' of climb over 18. There was so much climbing that I felt more like a hiker than a runner. It was also hard to enjoy the downhills as I expended so much energy and was well on the way to a bonk on the uphill climbs.

Here's my todo list before the next time I attempt a race or training run with this much altitude and climb.

• Plan the hydration. Some guys carried 170 oz, or over twice what I was carrying. Working hard on the trails and mouth breathing in the thin air made my mouth dry and I drank a lot. The 70 oz pack was gone in the first 10 miles. The two handhelds were dry after 14.
• Check the supplies before the trip. I made a last minute decision to attend the training, and unfortunately was nearly out of salt and electrolyte tablets.
• Carry more fuel and different types. I've gotten better at solid foods on the run, and it was most welcome after hours at altitude.
• Plan the shoes better. I brought less shoe than I needed for the very technical trails here. The old 790s are getting worn down and need to be replaced. I also need another shoe with a better rock plate, so time to start trying other options and be ready for the next one.
• Bonk training. I need to spend more time recovering from bonks and running through them in a safe place near home. Bonking on mountrain trails with sheer drop-offs isn't the best place for this.
• Hill work. More hills, more often. Both running and power hiking.

That's it for this rambling post. I had a great time in the mountains, learned a lot and got the new facebook profile pic standing on the highest point in Texas. Next time I will be better prepared.

Dave's Chia Gel Recipe

I've had several requests for this, so It's time to write it down.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Chia seeds
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

I put everything into a tuperware and shake it well. Refrigerate overnight as the chia seeds need time to form the gel.

Makes 20 oz or enough for two small nathan bottles. 1/2 the recipe for 10 oz or 1 nathan bottle. The mix is liquid enough to suck through the nathan valve, but I find it easier to just unscrew the cap and drink it that way. This mix is more liquid than the standard chia iskiate recipe.

I'll usually take one bottle for less than 20 miles, or 2 for 20+ miles. 1 gulp every 15-30 minutes (depending on how I feel) for a nice even calorie intake. I usually start out at every 30 minutes and increase the frequency if needed.

If the amount of sugar upsets your stomach, reduce it. If you want more calories, increase it. This mix is the max amount that my stomach can handle.

I've tried solid food, which generally just binds up my stomach. I had some success with Perpetuem, but that stuff is just too nasty to drink for very long.

There are also supposed to be some health benefits to chia, but I mainly see the benefit is producing a good consistency gel that I can add other stuff to. The seeds are taste neutral themselves. The mixed gel will keep for up to two days refrigerated or 1 day not. After that, I toss it and make more. Let it sit too long and it will get fuzzy.

Having fun at a Road Marathon?

Let's face it. Running on the road sucks. The monotonous repetition of the same stride for mile after mile. I also find it difficult to pace myself, as there are none of the challenges that you find on trails to slow me down. This couldn't have been more evident last year as I bombed my way through the first few miles of the Austin 1/2 Marathon and then walked and off for the rest of it. I failed at pacing, hydration, nutrition, etc. I did finish, but it just sucked. Instead of learning from the experience, I went and did basically the same thing at the Salt Lake City Marathon, my first. I hung on for 10 miles and it all went downhill from there.

This year after finding out that Nueces was out for me, I was looking for some race to test out the back which feels mostly healed. I herniated a disc and hadn't been able to do long runs since the fall. I'll always be indebted to Shannon, the doctor that first diagnosed me, and Bridget, the physical therapist, who brought me back from despair.

Getting the all clear from Bridget, my physical therapist, and a back specialist doctor, I went out and ran the Bandera 25K trail race. Bridget (that's the other one) and I went out to work at Crossroads. I ran the 25K, spending some time with Manny and January on the trail. Bombed enough downhills to trash the quads and generally had a good time. A funny story relayed by Shannon was when Bridget (PT Bridget) was pacing her they ran into another runner friend and Shannon introduced Bridget to Jeff and he confused which Bridget it was. LOL! I worked until about 11PM and turned in. Bridget (the other one) turned in after the last runner was through (likely Shannon and Bridget, PT). Huge congratulations to Shannon for finishing the 100K, even after trashing her knee.

Nueces was out, so I signed up for the Austin Marathon with absolutely no expectations at all. In comparing this years marathon to last year's full and half marathons, I basically did every single thing different.

• Shoes, I bought them online and got them delivered 3 days before the race. No time even for a test run in them.
• Nutrition, much better this year. Actually have a plan for 20+ mile runs that doesn't kill the stomach. Chia gel with sugar, honey and salt. Consumed 20 oz
• Hydration, determined to do better, I brought along a full size handheld for Nuun the entire way. Also drank from the cups at every stop and took two salt tablets every hour.
• Pacing, go out slow and keep it that way. Run everything conservatively and save something for the back of the course, which is mostly downhill. Austin punishes runners like me who go out too hard with some good long gradual climbs.
• Training, about 20-25 a week with a 15 mile long. Yeah, not much.

I met up with Jim and some other barefoot runners before the race. It's always fun to watch all the reactions of people to barefoot runners. It's definitely a sign of the times that something so natural elicits shock, dismay and even amusement from most people. Wearing vibram five fingers, I felt more akin to the barefooters, instead of the shoe coffins worn by most. I've been returning to the most minimal shoes after the back issues. The less (or lack of) cushion and more feedback has always meant a softer landing for me and thus less stress on back and joints.

I lined up with Richard who I had run with before and was doing his first barefoot marathon. We ran together for 17 before he took off. He was running conservatively as he was mainly interested in getting his first barefoot done and not so much about time. This worked great for me and kept my pace slow and steady. Richard was very pleased that the chipsealed sections of the course have been smoothed out some by traffic. Chip seal sucks for a barefooter.

My plan was to run the whole course and only stop for a pee or to fill the handheld. The nutrition plan (one gulp of chia every 30 mins, and then later 15 mins) gave me steady energy and I never felt like walking. Another huge motivator was this oasis of trail runner support at mile 23. I was very much anticipating this for every mile before and they exceeded all my expectations. The Hill Country Trail Runners stocked and manned a full aid station, with all the goodies. A shot of tequila, a beer chaser, and a ton of smiles and cheers. Just the things you need at that point in a marathon. I was in and out in about a minute and picked it up for the finish.

Hill Country Trail Runners

Except for the lonely run through UT (do students not wake up on Sunday before noon?), the crowds of people cheering and especially the volunteers that called out your name were awesome. Makes the experience all that much better. Lots of great signs too, like "Rule #1: Cardio", F&%^ the Halfers, and "Run like you're being chased by zombies".

I did my usual sprint through the finish (at least it felt like a sprint!) and collected a nice looking medal. It was great to not feel like I wanted to pass out or puke (or both) and I got a beer at a little market and waited for Bridget and her friend to find me. What a great experience and a lot of fun. This road marathon thing may not be so bad afterall. But, compared to trails, it still sucks. :-)

2012 Resolutions: Eat more, drink more, suffer more and go into debt

Eat more, drink more, suffer more and go into debt. Those are my resolutions for 2012. I came up with this list as a joke, but the more I look at it, it's a good list.

Eat more nutritious food. Like foods with just one ingredient that can be found on the perimeter of your average grocery store. I just ate a banana and some cashews for lunch. Ingredients include banana, cashew nut, and some salt. Much better than loading up on McNuggets that include things like "sodium aluminum phosphate, mono-calcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and calcium lactate". Gag.

Drinking more is a requirement for the ultra-distance runner, and I plan to crack that distance this year. A herniated disk in my lower back set me back in 2011, but I'm on the mend. Race nutrition has always vexed me at distances over 25K. Last year, I ditched the Perpetuem, which has even more suspicious ingredients than McNuggets, in favor of a more natural energy gel. Chia seeds, water, honey, salt and sugar. It works, I can digest it and I've had the best long runs of my life using it.

Well, I'm already in debt, but I can do a much better job of managing it. I've noticed a distinct correlation between the number of possesions and the cost of maintaining them. It's not only the car collection, but anything else that clutters up the house or requires a storage unit. The old rule is if I didn't touch it for a year, then I don't need it. I'm going to follow that rule.

My marathon road coach told me last year that I don't know how to suffer enough. She was right. I tend to quit and DNF or DFL without actually pushing myself beyond what my brain says I can do. It's a great way to get stuck in the training, so this year I'm going to suffer more and enjoy the suffering. Being hungry is another form of suffering that I plan to do more of this year. In college, when I couldn't afford to eat, I weighed 155 lbs. I had a physically demanding job and easily burned off anything I could get my hands on to eat. Contrast that with now and I have a job that requires long hours on the computer keyboard and I can afford to eat most anything I want. I now weigh 205 lbs. A reasonable goal is to split the difference and get down to 180 lbs.

Well, that's it for the resolutions. Eat more, drink more, suffer more and deal with debt. What are yours?

Here's that pesky Mayan calendar that's causing all the fuss.

Paleo Wiping Fail

Last weekend, something extradinary happened. I did a long trail run in the heat and had absolutely zero issues with my gut, energy, feet, legs, etc. The run was perfect and I even finished up the last few miles barefoot. I was trying out a new concoction of chia seeds, water, honey, salt and sugar. I had no problem eating the stuff, as it stayed mostly liquid and it packed enough calories to keep my energy level steady for the whole run.

Buoyed with newfound confidence, I signed up for the 60K Capt'n Karls trail race at Muleshoe Bend. I had run enough 30K races to feel confident about finishing that distance in good shap, so I wanted to step it up and see how it would go at the longer distance.

I got pretty hot and dried out on the drive out to Muleshoe Bend in my car as the A/C is out. I never really recovered from this as I started the race and soon discovered a few things: 1. My mouth always felt dry, no matter how much I drank. 2. I'm not peeing and 3. I'm not sweating enough. The net result is that I'm dehydrated and starting a race in 104F heat insn't going to help the situation much. I drank ice water the whole race from my camelbak and never really caught up with the hydration.

My stomach was also not feeling great, however I was able to force myself to eat the chia "glop" I had mixed up. So, my energy level was always good during the race. I started out very conservatively and walked all the hills, of which there aren't many on this course. The stomach discomfort soon settled down in my bowels and halfway into the first loop, it felt like I was going to explode. Great, my first ultra attempt will also be my first time taking a dump during a race.

The problem is that halfway into the loop, you are in the middle of switchbacks. There's nowhere to get off the trail, because there are other parallel trails both above and below. I finally got out of that section without bursting and stumbled off into the woods for a little privacy.

Very much relieved, I now have the horror of trying to figure out how to wipe. I'm surrounded by cedar trees, none of which have anything resembling leaves. There is a layer of brown dry leaves on the ground, so that will have to do. There was a famous "paleo wiping" thread in the Barefoot Ted huaraches google group. Apparantly I didn't learn anything from the thread, since I now have no idea of what to do. I grab a handful of the small dry leaves and do the best that I can.

I run on, and while my gut feels much better, my cheeks are getting chafed. This r e a l l y  s u c k s  b a d. I finish the loop and Joe asks me if I'm ready for another loop. I say sure, except that first I need to go finish what I started out there in the woods. I run over to the restroom and inspect the damage. First, I need to remove all the small dry leaves, twigs and whatever the heck you call that stuff that falls off of cedar trees, from between my cheeks. Feels much better to not be running around with a load of ground debris back there.

Shannon sees me lingering by Josue, who is suffering from the result of Vibram Five Fingers vs Very Rocky Trail. Yeah, I was there last year. She tells me to get back out there and I head out. I'm feeling better, but I'm still hot, dehydrated and still can't pee. I manage a dribble about 5 hours into this ordeal, but I'm still in trouble.

I head in from the 2nd loop and figure that I have two choices. I have time for one more loop, which will drop me from the 60K finishers and put me in with the 30K finishers. Or, I can drop right now and take the 30K finish, without the additional suffering. Pretty easy choice to make when it's been a horrible run.

I record my slowest ever 30K race and spend the next hour trying to drink and eat. Then a couple of hours of sleep and I'm back on the road to Austin. I don't know what any of this means, except that I'm really looking forward to the 50K at little Rocky Raccoon, or being on a relay team at Cactus. Last fall, after a great road workout in freezing weather, my coach pegged me as a cold weather runner. Yes, I, am.

Ghostbusting in the High Sierras

It's midnight and I'm on a rope descending into a cave deep within the mountain. The meager light of the headlamp extends only 10' in any direction I look. I keep scanning the rock face below me for the ledge. Did the guide knot the end of the rope? The thought of missing the ledge and going off the end of the rope keeps my senses sharp. About 100' down I find the ledge and signal to send down the two green horns. Neither of them have ever rappelled before, let alone in a pitch dark cave. I wonder why I chose to be here on the second night of my honeymoon and whether I will make it out alive. There must be other things I should be doing instead ...

My son has been withdrawn all morning, but upon hearing "Let's do the cave tour!", he brightens right up. We purchase the tickets and catch up with the tour group heading up the trail to the entrance to Boyden Cave. While we wait for everybody to get there, I ask the guide about the other caves in the area. He mentions Church Cave and my ears perk up. He says that since 4 people have died in the cave, it's been closed off. He says that if I want to go into the cave, it would require a bunch of supervisor approvals and weeks of advance notice. I tell him "No, but thanks", that once was enough for me. The tour is thoroughly enjoyable and, due to a thunderstorm in the area, ends up being the highlight of the day. My son has a keen sense of adventure and my daughter loves rocks and learning about them.

After parking the pickup truck on top of the Auto Log, a woman asks if we are newlyweds. Yes, I reply, and wonder at how it is that obvious. Those were good times, but within the silver lining a dark cloud was gathering. I didn't realize that I was being setup and that the death of my true self was in the works. As a child and teen, I always loved to escape to the mountains. It's the one place that I felt at peace. The day of arrival always came with much anticipation and the day of return was met with much regret. In career counseling at school, my first choice was park ranger. Then, I could stay where I belonged. The Auto Log is a fallen giant sequoia that you could park your car on top of. In another 20 years I would be as dead as that tree. I lost myself after I stopped going to the mountains to focus on career and family. My beautiful kids made it all worth while, however my identity became husband and father. The mountains were still calling, however the calls went unanswered and echoed back from an empty shell of a man.

I park the rental car in the lodge parking lot and check in. I used to think that "roughing it" and camping was the best way to experience the mountains. Now I prefer to travel light and focus my attention on the sights and not whether my stove will light or the tent will leak. The room doesn't have air conditioning and neither is it needed. It's a cool night and I leave the window open for the fresh air. It's my first night in the mountains in nearly 20 years and I am welcomed back in a way that delights all of the senses. The air is cool, crisp and clean. The trees and underbrush emits a heavenly fragrance. The trail is soft beneath my feet with soft dirt, pine needles and decaying dead-fall. I wake up before dawn and head out on the Twin Lakes trail. At the intersection, I can chose the easy trail to Lodgepole or the climb up to the 9500' pass. I told the kids I would be back in 2 hours, and so choose the easy trail. The pass route will wait. The trail crosses several streams and rivers. I run through the pine forest and take in the sights and smells. Some fallen trees that are torn apart remind me that bears live here, however the only soul I see is a lone mountain biker. After I get back to the lodge room, my son is watching TV and says that it would be better if they got the Travel Channel. My daughter looks over at him and exclaims that this place IS the Travel Channel. I wonder at how my kids love this place as much as I do.

A wildfire is both the death and life of the giant sequoia trees. Regular wildfires prevent the accumulation of dead wood around the base of the trees and kill off other species that compete with young saplings. With too much dead wood around, the fire burns hot enough to kill or severly damage the old trees. As a teen, I was close to my essence when I donned a backpack and headed off into the mountains for a few days. Since everything must be carried on my back, only the essentials are brought with. The stuff must be light, rugged, and require little to no maintainance. On my honeymoon, I traded the backpack for a tent trailer. I should have known something was wrong by the way my little truck complained with having to drag this dead weight up into the mountains. The more stuff that is dragged along camping, the more time is spent dealing with the stuff. When a wildfire, or some similar crisis, threatens, the stuff becomes both a prison and adds to the crisis. During my 20 years of marriage I mostly kept the backpack for sentimental reasons and never actually used the thing for it's intended purpose. I still have the backpacker stove and it now serves only to make my coffee in the outdoors. Over the years I accumulated other bigger, heavier stuff, such as cars and houses. The maintenance of this stuff soon filled my "leisure" time and I forgot about the mountains and lost my self.

I always feel such freedom when I travel. I drive a car and sleep in a room that are both maintained by other people. I have a carry-on suitcase and a backpack for the laptop. All the stuff to my name can be easily carried. Even heading into the mountains with my kids, all of our stuff fit neatly into the trunk of the mid-size rental car. The lodge rooms are expensive, but worth the cost as compared to renting or borrowing a lot of stuff to go camping. And while I can take the kids on short 2 or 3 mile hikes, they are a bit young to take on a backpacking trip. I wonder if I even desire to go backpacking again. When I can rent a lodge room within walking distance of beautiful trails that lead up into the mountains. Trail running allows me to experiene a lot of trails without carrying a lot of crap on my back. My low maintainance water bottle, gps, camelbak and running shoes are all I need for a day of fun. Maybe I'm getting old, but it feels great to ascend a trail without 40 lbs on my back. As I climbed the trail to the ridge and headed over to the fire lookout, I came upon a voluntteer that was manning the station. He was in his tent and by the sound of it, was busy arranging equipment. I'd aleady been on the trail for over an hour and was having a blast. Having done the hard work during the ascent, I looked forward to the trail back down. It was beautiful and did not disappoint in the least. A hiker that I encountered saw me coming down and said how he always told his kids to not run down the trails. Not run down? Where's the fun in that?

Twin Lakes Trail in Sequoia National Park

Confessions of an Accidental Tourist

Yesterday, I watched the movie classic, The Accidental Tourist, with William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis, based on the equally classic novel by Anne Tyler.

If I had seen this movie in the late '80s when it came out, I wouldn't have fully appreciated it. I took a job in '96 that required 100% travel for a number of years. Fly out Sunday night or Monday morning, get home on the last flight Friday night, spend a couple of days at home and repeat. In order to avoid going insane, I got the business travel down to a routine that I thought didn't bleed over into my regular life.

Macon Leary is a travel writer that dislikes travel. He writes guides for business travelers so that they can live as much as possible like they are still at home.

It never really fully ocurred to me that in all of the wonderful (and not so wonderful) places I've worked, that I was actually an "accidental tourist". A business traveler whose main purpose was to get a job done and not soak in the local flora and fauna. I have traveled around the world, but have I really actually gone anywhere? So many trips involved home->airport->(repeat 5x (office->restaurant->hotel))->airport->home. I once spent a week in Mexico City. The highlight of the trip was conversing with the waiter at breakfast in Spanish the entire time.

So, the "emotionally distant" travel writer returns home from a trip to find that his wife is leaving him. This is the opening scene of the movie and the words that Sarah Leary uses have alrady been etched into my brain. I've lived that scene in nearly every detail. This movie has my full attention.

"I've rented an apartment downtown"
"I have to go"
"I needed you to be the type of person you've never been"
"My only hope is to get out of here and away from you"

My friends that know me now may be surprised that I identify with an "emotionally distant" character in a movie. It's much the same way that an alcoholic always must avoid the booze. I was disconnected from myself for much of my life. It may be natural for other people, but I make a conscious effort to check in with myself, my feelings, my gut and most importantly, my essense.

I'm also an introvert by nature, and the scenes in which Leary meets someone new also strike right at home. In my overseas business trip this week, I met lots of people and thoroughly enjoyed the many hours I spent talking with the person seated next me on the various flights. I hope it was mutual :-). It wasn't always like that. One day, when I was a teenager, my future sister-in-law meets me for the first time. I entered the room with my head down and exited the same way not saying a word. In my past life, I employed many of the techniques that Leary recommends for avoiding contact with other people on planes, and more. Reading a book, pretending to sleep, head phones, etc.

Leary is so distant from his own life that he can't even appreciate when a pretty woman, Muriel Pritchett, is flirting with him.

"Don't you ever get the urge to just talk?"

"Not really"

He even goes so far as to hang up on Muriel when she calls him. The obvious result is that the phone just stops ringing all together, which suites Leary and his brothers and sister just fine, as they would prefer to not answer it at all. I've been at a low point where the phone never rings and I didn't know who to call. The real friends then show up and I will never forget the ones that were there for me.

Leary's manager is a godsend for him. I had one of those during my separation. My manager had also been through it and I will never forget his words. "Dave, it's like having a heart attack. Your life has just changed forever." I stopped being a business traveler that same day.

Of the many trips to various places around the world, I can count the ones I made just for pleasure on one hand:

• 1995: Italy
• 1999: Cozemel/Cancun
• 2008: Tahoe/San Francisco

That list pales in comparison to the business destinations: London, Chicago, Tokyo, The Hague, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, New Orleans, Mexico City, Oklahoma City, Menlo Park, San Jose, Montreal, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Tulsa, Bentonville, Minneapolis, etc. Granted that some of these are not really tourist destinations, but many of them really do have a lot to offer.

There are few other places I've visited that covered both the business and pleasure categories at the same time. Nassau, Maui, Puerto Rico. I didn't choose the destination, but these reward trips included time for family day trips.

Leary spends time and effort scouting out eateries in foreign destinations that "approximate a typical american meal". I used to be so sick of restaurants on the road, that I never ate out at home, especially downtown. If you want a restaurant recommendation in San Francisco, I can help you out. Don't ask me about Austin, because I have a lot less experience eating out here.

In my business wanderings, there was some glimmer of hope for me. My favorite thing to do after arriving in a new city and having some free time was to pick a random direction and just drive, (or walk in the big cities). I would keep going as long as there was scenery involved. In Oklahoma, the trips were short, but I would spend countless hours on the streets of London, San Francisco, New Orleans and The Hague. The foreign (and a few domestic) big cities had the great advantage of excellent public transportation. Really not much excuse in those cities to not get out and see something.

However, what is there to see in a city after 5PM on a weekday? Mix it up with the singles in the nightclubs? Not the first thing that comes to mind when you're married. The usual activity would be scouting out restaurants for that night or future nights. Instead of looking for nasty "american" cuisine, like Leary, I always wanted to know and try what the locals ate. When I worked in Tokyo for a week, my colleagues took me out to a different restuarant every night. I think they wanted to find something that I wouldn't eat, but they never did.

What I enjoyed doing in the various cities in a sort of chronological order:

• San Antonio: Eating out at local haunts with the customer's IT guy, who unfortunately died of a gun accident
• Oklahoma City: Dined at the home of the customer's IT guy, who unfortunately died of cancer (do we see a pattern here ...)
• New Jersey: Getting on the bus to the Port Authority and walking around Manhattan
• San Francisco: Fishermans Wharf and Columbus St., Stinson Beach
• Chicago: Walking the waterfront and Michigan avenue
• The Hague: Going up to Scheveningen on the light rail and walking on the beach
• London: Taking the Tube to Waterloo station
• New Orleans: The Quarter, Cafe Dumond, French Market, House of Blues, Jefferson Square
• Montreal: Walking the huge underground malls
• Minneapolis: Mall of the Americas

Montreal

I will not give away the ending of the movie, in case anybody else has also not seen the movie. It's worth the watch. The messages in it were very clear to me. Take the time to choose my destinations in life. Embrace the people I meet along the way. Continue to find myself and connect to people that relate to the real me. Let go of the past and take the time to appreciate family, friends and all the people we encounter in our lives.

"What matters is not how much you love someone, but who you are when you are with them."

The Illusory Barefoot Trail Runner

I am a trail runner and a barefoot runner. I've run short road races barefoot and I've run trail races. I've not yet run a trail race barefoot.

This should be a no-brainer. After all, the shoe companies are warning us that all the "modern" surfaces (i.e. concrete and asphalt) that we run on require the protection afforded by shoes. It's only on "soft" surfaces, like grass, dirt, rubber tracks and sand, where barefoot is feasible.

It's true that the soft surfaces are a pure joy to run on barefoot. However, it's also true that the so-called modern surfaces are also easy to run on barefoot, with the right form.

So, if humans evolved to run barefoot, and "modern" surfaces did not exist at the time we were first evolving, then running on "natural" surfaces should be doable. Heck, my dog could run at full speed over any kind of surface, without a wimper.

Since we are such good natural surface runners, then where are all the barefoot trail runners?

There's a rumor that the Tarahumara are barefoot runners, due to incorrect interpretation of the Born to Run book and a TV show that portrayed them using an actor. Micah True aka Caballo Blanco, as the ambassador of the Tarahumara, is continously asked why he is not running barefoot and if the Tarahumara run barefoot. He patiently explains that they run in huarache sandals or shoes. He himself can be seen on the trails in shoes, or ocasionally in Vibram Five Fingers.

The attempts at barefoot trail racing that I've witnessed have resulted in horrible foot damage. Hopefully, Todd Ragsdale didn't do any permanent damage in his Rocky Raccoon 100 attempt. A month later he reported: "Toes are getting better. They still feel like there are a bunch of angry bees stinging them all the time. I'm back to running already, but with shoes on."

What about Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton, the parochial leader of barefoot runners everywhere? He says of the recent Born to Run Ultra Marathon: "... very few people were ready to run 10 miles (or more) barefoot on sharp pebbles scattered over hard-packed dirt."

Jason Robillard is perhaps the most successful barefoot trail runner that I'm familiar with. He has completed 50 miles barefoot on trails. He attempted the Burning River 100 barefoot, but went to the huarches about a 1/3 in to the race. "I seriously doubted I could run another 70 miles or so on bruised feet over terrain that will be just as rugged in select sections"

Barefoot Ted McDonald is a trail runner and the sole barefooter featured in the Born to Run book. He was so inspired by the huarache sandals of the Tarahumara, that he now manufactures and sells Luna sandals, named after Manuel Luna, who taught Ted how to make them. In a gesture of Korima, he gives back a portion of the proceeds to the Tarahumara. It's the huarache sandals that has enabled Ted to complete races like the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Race. "This year's race was to be my second attempt at running the entire course barefoot and with my own Luna Sandals." The previous year, he also used VFFs, when the trail got muddy, as huaraches are horrible in wet conditions.

It would seem that finding a completely barefoot trail runner is as easy as finding a leprechaun or a unicorn.

One thing that trail running has taught me, is to respect the trail. It is the trail that dictates how one is to run on it. Those that fail to respect the trail or distance are ripe for a DNF in a race. Our fledgling Austin Barefoot Runners group recently hosted it's first barefoot trail run. Of the 6 of us that attended, 4 wore (and wisely so) Vibram Five Fingers. I opted to start out barefoot and carried huaraches in my camelbak. One brave soul went barefoot with no backup shoes. There are two loops in the park. One is dirt single track and the other is old asphalt. All of us completed the dirt single track, but there were some very rocky sections early on. I endured a few of them and then donned the huaraches. I was going way too slow on the rocky portions of the trail. 3 of us also did the asphalt portion and 1 guy removed his VFFs for that part. His feet were baked about 2/3 through that run and he hobbled back to his car. In all, I did about 6 miles, with about 1 mile being pure barefoot.

I think that Barefoot Ted has the right idea. Some knowledge of the trail to be run will determine what to wear (or not wear) on the feet. No need to go overboard with the masochist thing and try to do too much barefoot. If I ever do a long trail run barefoot without backup shoes, I'll be on the look out for a leprechaun. Instead of 3 wishes, I'll only release him after he makes me a pair of shoes! If I can't find a leprechaun, then I'll get a ride back to my car on a unicorn. Either the leprechaun or the unicorn will be much easier to find than another barefoot trail runner.

Perfect Day for a 30K

Reveille Peak Ranch 30K, 5/15/2011, 4:10

Last year I did 4 30K trail races and I sucked in them in different ways. 1 of them was a bonafide DFL and 2 others were very close. I had GI problems on most of them, had close encounters with wildlife, and suffered in the heat of a Texas summer.

Today I ran the innaugural 30K trail race at Reveille Peak Ranch outside of Burnet. The Austin Ridge Riders have done a lot of trail work and the ranch has started filling up it's calendar with races of various types. A recent cold front and thunderstorms swept through central Texas, which both lowered the heat and humity. The rain softened up the trails and resulted in very little dust on the trail.

With such perfect conditions, what could go wrong? Well, here are just a few things that the disorganizers did to challenge the runners.

Packet pickup was the day before the race (and also announced via email to be on Wednesday, which it wasn't) for anybody that wasn't "from out of town". Well, since Burnet is "out of town" for me, I should have just waited and got my bib and shirt at the race. Except, that the directions to the ranch were also handed out at packet pickup. There was at least one runner that got lost just trying to find the place. Packet pickup consists of, well, a "packet". Stuff in a bag. You may well throw away all the other stuff in the bag, except for the shirt and the bib, but please give me a bag with stuff in it please, if you're going to call it a "packet".

Another confusing email was sent with "the course". Only, it wasn't a map of "our course", it was a map of the various trails on the ranch. This may help to orientate me to the area, but it still doesn't tell me what the 30K course looks like. 5 minutes before the race, we are given a verbal description of 3 10K loops which start and end at the finish line. This is what I expected as it's typical for a 30K when there's also a 10K option and also what I needed, since my drop bag with nutrition for the 2nd and 3rd loops was at the finish line.

2 minutes before the start, previous course description was rescinded and a new course description was given. We would run out to the loop and run two loops (not 3!) and not come back to the finish line until after the 2nd loop. I took this information in stride and promptly entered the course, without my gear and not having a clue what I was going to eat on the course. Please, if the loop does not come back to the finish area, have drop bags picked up and put out on the course!!!

Once on the course I hook up with Jeff and run with him for the whole race. This is very cool as I don't often get to hook up with trail running buddies in races that are about my same speed. We also see Dimitry on the course and the Haley clan at the start/finish. Dimitry is faster and passes us twice, as he got lost and took a detour. After he passed us the 2nd time, I wondered if he would do another detour, so we could catch up.

I'm still not sure what color trail markers were used to mark the course. There were also different style of trail markings. They consisted of:

1. Pink ribbon
2. Blue ribbon
3. Orange ribbon
4. Green ribbon
5. Black ribbon
6. Yellow ribbon
7. Yellow caution tape, usually laying on ground
8. Orange caution tape, usually laying accross the trail
9. Reflective lane markers on the rocks
10. White signs with arrows, generally hanging above eye level
11. White signs with arrows for marking trails not part of the race

The pink ribbon and some of the white signs, and some, but not all, of the reflective markers seemed to be the best choice, however there were lots of places where none of them could be found. Then, you just choose a random color and go for it. I generally followed the route with the most fresh footprints. It's one advantage of being slow.

Jeff had asked about GUs at the aid stations before the race and been assured that they would be there. We get to the aid station, and no GUs. The typical sort of snack foods from other trail races can be found, but no GUs. This is a great way to mess with runners. First, make sure that they can't get to their drop bags during the race and then have different food at the aid stations, then you said you would. Faced with the task of consuming calories for the next 4 hours, I take inspiration from the two "sha's". Sharman and Sharpie. The former won a 100 mile race by grazing the aid station buffets and the latter always amazes me for his ability to consume said buffet items while running. I dived into trail mix, bananas, oranges, and PB&J. I took my fill, did it quickly and was still eating for the next 1/2 mile past the aid station. My stomach did okay with this, even though I also had Perpeteum in my one nathan bottle.

Now, if the runners are not confused enough by the trail markings, or lack thereof, let's make the two loops have different lengths and slightly different courses. Trying to figure out if we've finished the first long loop yet, we ask at the aid station and get "11ish miles". Then, at the next aid station we get "10ish miles". We've entered the time warp! We do manage to finish the long loop and then are given verbal instructions for the 2nd shorter loop. This is another great way to mess with runners. Tell them where they are going just before they get there. Don't bother with a course map, or anything boring like that. It's more exciting to tell the runners where to go, over halfway into the race, when their brains aren't exactly firing on all cylinders.

Okay, I think that my ranting is over. The level of disorganization witnessed was very nicely balanced by absolutely perfect weather (rare in Texas) and trails that were in pristine condition with a variety of technical levels. Lots of running on large areas of solid rock, like Inks. Nice soft single track in the trees, mixed with the nasty rocky trails. The course had some short climbs and lots of rollers. Something for everybody. I was so enamoured of the trails here that I wanted to take some of it home with me. I face planted on the 2nd (short) loop and tore open my knee. The dirt helped stop the bleeding and that same dirt is still there as I write this.

I crossed the finish line with Jeff and we were greeted with burgers, beer and a frigid kiddie pool to sooth the tired legs. Bridget told me that she got tired of holding my refill bottles and read through all her magazines. I didn't have time to tell her about the course changes before the race, but she did find out eventually. We headed back to the Verandas B&B, where the host had graciously let us check out late, so I could get cleaned up and have an ice bath. I'm getting used to the ice baths. Not much screaming now, just grunts and groans. It's just the thing to set the legs right before getting in the car and driving a couple of hours home. On the way, we stopped at the Nutty Brown Cafe. It's named after their famous Texas Pralines. I ordered the corn with my CFS and mashed potatoes. I know, I have a sick sense of humor.

Verandas B&B, Burnet

My finish time was 4:10. A new 30K PR. We ran 17.7 miles. Did we run the course the right way? I'm not sure if anybody knows what the right way was. We got the distance close enough, so I'm happy with it.

Garmin data

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/85980277

I don't know, maybe it was Utah

I love to run down hills. The only problem with going down is that eventually you have to go back up, as most training runs and races are on a loop course. Sometimes, on those 5:15AM training runs, when I'm still asleep, I dream of a course that's like an Escher drawing. The course continues on forever in a nice gradual downhill. I would often dream about this course and where it could be found. "I don't know, maybe it was Utah".

Turns out, that it IS in Utah.

Salt Lake City has beautiful views of the neighboring Wasatch Mountains.

While mountains are great to look at, they don't exactly help people with marathon PRs. However, in Salt Lake City, they really do. You can be inspired by looking at them, without having to run up and down them. The race starts at the base of the foothills and then descends into the center of the city via a route that is mostly down hill.

In Austin, we are so proud of our pink granite state capitol, that most of the major races either start at or run by this building. Not so in Salt Lake City. The hill that leads up to this capitol is not part of the race.

I got to SLC 3 days before the race in order to be a tourist and check the area out. We drove up through Emmigrant Canyon the first day and returned via East Canyon and I-80. Beautiful vistas and a short hike through some remaining snow made for a restfull day.

The marathon course starts at the Olympic Legacy Bridge and ends downtown at the Gateway Mall. Both locations have lots of reminders from when SLC hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. Bridget heard that the Gateway Mall used to blare Olympic music over their sound system for some period of time after the olympics were over, until people started to complain.

On Thursday we went over to the Salt Palace convention center and did the packet pickup. The expo was nearly identical to other expos. While I have a lot of technical running shirts, I can't pass up a good deal. I bought another shirt for $15 and an official long sleeve T. After that, we hooked up with Mike who was also in town to run the marathon. He was recovering from a foot injury he got in a 50 mile trail race and was just running the marathon for fun.

On Friday, we found City Canyon behind the state capitol and did a short hike there. There were lots of warning signs about where dogs were allowed to roam as this snow-melt water source provides drinking water to the city. Beautiful canyon with the moraine rocks typical from an old glacier. Just past where this picture was taken, there's a sign that says "Warning: Cougars have been spotted near here." I told Bridget that I wasn't worried about it, especially since I could run faster than her.

Arriving a few days early to settle in and relax was perfect. I quickly got over the pre-race nerves and settled into a routine of checking out parts of the course and the local tourist attractions. In the case of the Gateway Mall, these were actually one in the same, as we watched an IMAX movie there and ate at several restaurants. The Everest IMAX movie was interesting as I have recently read Bear Grylls account of climbing Everest at the age of 23. I am struck by a quote by Ed Viesturs about climbing the 8000 meter peaks.

Getting to the top is optional, but getting down is mandatory. A lot of people get focused on the summit and forget that.

The importance of this quote is in that a lot of people get killed on these mountains after they summit, when they are on the way down. This is a great lesson in life in regard to goals. It's one thing to have a goal and accomplish it, but quite another to set standards for going about it. For example, practically any novice climber can now stand on top of Everest after paying a large sum of money to be guided up the mountain on fixed ropes. While it's still a huge feat and the risk of death is always there, you haven't climbed Everest. You simply jumared up a rope on a day when the weather permitted it.

Last year, my goal was squarely on the 25-30K trail race distance. I accomplished that with a sub 3 hour finish at little Rocky Raccoon 25K. While an 11 minute pace isn't particularly fast, it's the pace that I started the race with. My next goal is the marathon. I had dreams of a BQ time, but I'm just not that fast. My goal is a 9 minute pace, start to finish, for a sub 4 hour finish.

How do I spell relief? T-R-E-E

On to the actual race. I got up at 5 and drove over to the Gateway mall finish line area to park. From there it was a short walk over to the light rail station to pile into a car with other runners. 15 minutes later we were at the starting line. Very, very smooth and well coordinated. It's sprinkling out and I'm looking for where to drop my gear bag, but not in a hurry to lose my jacket either. I run into Jason and chat for a minute, but haven't seen the other Rogue runners. I'm also looking for Mike and find him in a nice cozy spot on a porch. He forgot to bring salt, so I divvy out some of mine. For some reason, I brought like 10 of them (I would use 4 on the course). He asks how much salt are in each tablet, and I'm surprised at myself for not knowing. It's neglecting details like this that has cost me dearly before and it would hurt me again today. Mike and I talk a while about nutrition. He's a bigger guy than I am and he needs about 200 calories an hour during a race. I've brought two 10oz nathan bottles with 2 scoops of Perpeteum each mixed with water. Back home in Austin, I calculate that out to about 250 calories per bottle for 500 total. Big oops.

I also carried a throw away bottle of Nuun electrolyte which I very much liked having during the race. Gateraide and Perpeteum don't mix at all, so I could only drink water from the water stops.

It's race time and some dude gets on the sound system and starts doing a freaking speech while the runners are all shivering. 10 minutes of that and then we are off. I'm feeling very good. I've been over the course a dozen times in Google Earth and had driven it the day before (thanks to coach for the reminder). I had a plan of 5 mile splits, so I didn't really have to worry much about each mile. Just run the paces and enjoy the views.

Miles 1-5: Pretty much all gentle downhill. Plan: 44 minutes, actual 45 minutes

Miles 6-10: This part has some rollers in Sugarhouse Park and then heads south. Going south is flat and then there are a couple of left turns heading east towards the mountains. These are gentle uphills and easy to keep pace on. Plan 1:31, actual 1:32 (elapsed)

Miles 11-15: Flat, a little uphill and more downhill. Going down Holldaay Road I start to get the feeling that my energy levels are dropping. In addition to the Perpetuem, I also have trail mix. I've had good results with trail mix on trails, but it doesn't work out so well on the road. In retrospect, my stomach is not able to handle very solid foods at road race pace, which for me is about 2 minutes faster per mile than trail. The result of starting to eat the trail mix is that my stomach just binds up into a painful knot and not much is going to move through it for the rest of the race. I'm slowing down. Plan: 2:16, Actual 2:27

Miles 16-21: Having really enjoyed the scenery of the Wasatch mountains on the first part of the race, I'm really not liking running on this expressway. There are zero spectators and not much to look at. My stomach is still in a knot, but I'm able to finish up the Perpetuem. About this time, Mike goes flying by me looking strong. He later said he had trouble after mile 20, but right now he looks great. It gives me a little boost, but later on I'm slowing down again. Then I get passed by a guy with one leg. I look behind me to see if the guy on crutches is back there too and then speed up to leave the one-legged guy behind. He looked to be in some pain and was going really slow. I'm shocked that I was actually going slower. I get some relief when we get off the expressway and onto 500E. This seems to go on forever, but ther is a fun "Temptation Station" serving beer and hard liquor. Mike stopped there. I didn't. It's also on 500E that my legs start doing strange things. First, the right ham starts to cramp and I'm able to shake it off. Then, a few steps later, I plant my left foot and the whole leg just collapses. I focus on my form and play around with it a little. The legs recover somewhat and I go on. Plan: 3:07, Actual 3:46

Miles 22-26.2: I'm really looking forward to getting off of 500E as it was straight, flat and boring, well except for the booze. There was also a couple giving out orange slices and I grabbed a couple. Precious calories. The sight of Liberty Park means that there are only a few turns until downtown. I'm still plodding along and notice that there aren't many runners left around me. I seem to have fallen behind people who are running and am in front of people who are walking, leaving only those who switched from the former group to the latter. With the turn onto State street I can see downtown and there's only this one mile section of uphill left before a downhill run to the finish. I'm starting to smell the finish line and start speeding up. I've also started drinking the gatoraide at the water stops, since it's calories and I figure it couldn't hurt my stomach any more than it was. The turn onto S. Temple street and I'm feeling pretty good and speed up. I hit the turn into Gateway mall and figure, what the hell, and sprint for the finish. Planned: 3:56, actual 4:55 Ouch.

Mike's waiting for me at the finish area and we chat for a while. I figure he had a good race, but he struggled with the last part of it. Bridget is around here somewhere too, but I don't see her. I head over to the tents for food and my gear bag. As I'm getting my phone out of the bag to call Bridget I get hit with what I know to be a blood sugar drop and feel like puking and passing out at the same time. Not cool in front of the runners lounging around at the tables, so I stumble back to my car which is thankfully very close by, since I had parked in the wrong garage that wasn't free for runners. I lay down for 15 minutes and then feel good enough to call Bridget and go meet her. I spend some more time laying down in the car before I can drive back to the hotel and we stop and get a 5 lb bag of ice on the way. Jump into the ice bath and I hope there weren't people in the rooms next to me to hear the screams. I crawl into bed sort of comatose like and Bridget keeps the beer coming until I fall asleep.

The weather was perfect and the course has a lot of gifts for runners. I held pace for the first 10 miles and had gut problems for the rest of the race. The nutrition plan I had simply did not work. I finished in 4:55. The marathon goal is still in the works.

Here's the finish line photo. I need to get some yellow technical shirts, as one of Bridget's favorite colors is yellow :-)

Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/79996137

Okay, here's the actual finish photo.