Antelope 100 Recap and Moving On

It was ironic that Karl Meltzer was the one who kept telling me that he wasn't sure he'd even finish the 100.  He was somewhat injured (stabbed by a yucca plant last weekend) and fatigued.  He said he'd start the race and see how he felt at mile 19 (the first time we came near the start/finish).

We started out and Dan Vega was immediately off the front.  I settled in with Karl at a reasonable pace.  I pulled away from Karl but he and I came back together at the first aid station (I stopped to grab a gel and he didn't).  Dan made a mistake, thinking he had gone the wrong way (you can do this short out and back spur either before or after the next section and Karl and I were doing it first, so Dan ran back to do the spur - he was a good 4 mins behind us by now).  At this point I was leading after bombing a long descent and starting the switchbacks back up from the beach.  At the top of the switchbacks Dan caught me and I couldn't believe he had run the spur and then caught back up in such a short time.  So, he was in front of me for the next few miles by about 100 meters with Karl further back behind me.  At an oddly marked trail junction at mile 18 Dan and I waited for Karl because we didn't know where to go.  The three of us cruised into the start/finish aid station at mile 19 together.  Dan was in and out in 30 seconds, Karl followed shortly thereafter.  I was having issues with my shoes cutting into my ankles and I had slipped on an icy slick muddy stretch and tweaked my knee somehow.  I commented to those two at mile 18 that "I just about did the splits back there."  Anyway, my stop at the aid station took a while tightening my shoes that were slopping around and generally not feeling right.  By the time I got out of there, Karl was 5 mins up on me an Dan was gone.  My heart sank and I dipped into a bad mood as the first wave of pain was already beginning so early in the race and I just felt out of sorts with physical pain and a scattered mindset having made dumb mistakes.  The next 20 miles were just dull.  I dropped to about 20 mins behind Karl by mile 40 and had a substantial lead over the 4th place person but I just wasn't feeling right.  At about mile 46 I was on the paved road where there was a marker to turn off into a field.  With the late afternoon sun (it was about 7pm) in my face, I missed the marker and continued all the way up the road to the top of Buffalo Point.  Realizing my huge mistake, something snapped in me and I was done.  I jogged back down, made the correct turn, and finished the first loop of the course in the dark.  It took 45 mins for me to stop shivering, since I was under dressed and had stopped taking in any calories once I decided I was done.  I think I'm done with Antelope Island; I've had some of my worse races there.

Now I begin "phase 2" of my training - much more vert.  Next up: a couple of 50 milers in May, then the San Diego 100 in June.  The mistakes I made this weekend have sunk in and I learned several lessons, mostly, to respect the distance of 100 miles.

Shaun Katona (my weekend traveling companion) drove with Pippit (very nice of him to bring Pip out for me) to the race (I flew since I was starting a day before).  Then I rode back with them.  Shaun finished the 50k, working through his own tough patches.

Pippit co-piloting to Utah.  He seemed to really like Shaun.

Pippit in his hotel room cave.

Shaun getting it done in the 50k

The highlight of my weekend was getting to witness Darren run his first 100 miler.  He's been training for it since December 1st, getting out every day regardless of the weather, working through injuries, taking time away from his family.  He said a sub 24 hour finish would be a dream and he made that happen: 22:11.  I got a bit choked up when he finished.  When he got his award buckle from the race director and said, "I owe this to my wife and daughter, my parents, and my coach" I had to walk away for a bit.  I haven't been that proud of someone in a long time.  The photos of his finish say it all.

Antelope 100

I dropped at 50. Dan vega wins in 15:30.
My buddy Darren finished his first 100 miler in 22:11!!

Last Minute Pre-Race Thoughts

A photo from GZ's door to Bear run last Saturday (him in yellow, me in white).  Photo by Mtnrunner2

Aside from worrying constantly about the weather forecast for the race Friday, I'm feeling good.  Getting out for my last little run today then packing and getting ready to catch my flight in the early AM.

Though it's silly for me to look at the other competitors, I can't help thinking about it.  Eric Storheim is the the one to beat in my mind.  Dan Vega showed he's got some wheels in the early season, Jay Aldous is full of toughness and experience, Mark Tanaka can pull out a fast 100 whenever he wants it seems.  Karl is always the favorite no matter what his level of readiness is.  He just popped off 70 miles at CTM100 when it was canceled mid-race last weekend but If he's at the start line of any race, he's the one I expect to cross the finish line first.  It'll just be a delight for me to start a race with him again.

With the start not until noon Friday, I'll have plenty of time to fiddle with start clothing and gear.  The high humidity on the island is going to make the 30 degree night temps feel extra clammy and chilled.  Better than 100 degrees, I suppose.

Here's to a fun, safe, and successful race for everyone in the 100mi, 50mi, 50k, and 25k.  Race Director, Jim Skaggs, really cares about putting on some of the best races, and it shows.

How do you like them apples, Brownie?

Certain to hear great jabs from Brownie, I'm going out on a limb and exposing the new ad from McDavid (Yep, Brownie, it says "professional").  How can I not do well in races with lightning going through my head?

Running With GZ on His Adventure

Like many of us longer distance runners, George often ponders the landscape and what it would be like to run to the landmarks that capture our minds.
From GZ's front door he can see Bear Peak and S. Boulder Peak, so he decided to run up them... from his house and back, 35 miles round trip.  I met up with him at Marshall Mesa trailhead and Jeff joined us a bit after that (as well as a handful of others we bumped into) on his journey and captured some of it on film...

The GZ Adventure Trailer:



The GZ Adventure Film:


And most of the raw footage with audio...

Todd Braje Joins Team McDavid

Todd Braje setting the course record of 5:30 at Jed Smith 50 miler.

Todd Braje has joined McDavid and it's growing Ultrarunning Team on a multi year agreement.  Todd's been utilizing compression socks for five years in his running career that has seen several national championships, including winning the USATF 100 mile National Championship last July at Burning River 100.  He holds a personal best in the 50 mile distance of 5 hours 30 mins (setting the course record at Jed Smith 50 miler).

I promised him I'd take him under my wing and teach him how to run faster. (that's a joke for any furrowed brow readers who may think I'm being serious).

Todd will be sporting McDavid gear at his next race, Mad City 100k National Championships on April 9th.

McDavid is stepping up and supporting not only runners but ultra races like the Buffalo Runs (100 mile / 50 mile / 50k / 25k) on Antelope Island and the Ice Age 50 miler in Wisconsin.  They're also supporting Adam Casseday with gear in his Appalachian Trail run.

I'm honored and humbled to be a part of such a great company and running on a team with a truly elite ultra runner in Todd.  We're likely going to round off the team with a female ultra runner soon enough.

Countdown and Cycle Dreams

Yep, Antelope approaches and I'm happy to say that I feel ready!

Yesterday was the first day in a week I could consider myself mostly healthy.  A bit of congestion and slight weakness in the body but overall I'll take it.  20 mile run yesterday in a decent time.  After the run I went and bought some goodies for the Della Santa...

If one can love an inanimate object, then it is I with certain style road bikes.

Next purchase will be a granny gear cog to replace that crit-monster cluster of gears, so I can wobble up mountain passes without exploding a quad.

I got her a new seat post and saddle.  I also found a great deal on a camel back tube to replace the terribly designed one on my new Nathan race vest.

Today I got out for a 12 mile run, looking to spin the legs with some surges.  Saw Scott Jurek and Joe Grant as they must have started from the other end of Teller Farms.  They seemed to be pushing it a bit when I crossed their path the second time (on my way back).

Now I start winding down, eating well, sleeping, and constant thinking about the race in 12 days.  It's 100 miles, so planning splits is ridiculous.  But, having splits at Bear worked well for me; kept me focused with small goals of maintaining those splits.  I have a few goals in mind, some are time goals and others are competition goals.  The main one is to finish, of course!

It Lives!

Well, sort of.  The fever and sickness has moved on finally.  This week has been a blur of headaches, cold sweats, and rocketing body temperature (reminiscent of those early first days of dating the ladies... in my 30s.  Just kidding.  I was a ladies man from the get-go, no, really.  Ok, fine, let's move on.).

I began doing these fast walks of 3 miles for lunch (which is at around 9:30am since I start work at 5) every day and now I'm sort of addicted to it and can't wait to get out.  "Walking?" one might ask, "What are you in a retirement home now?"  Hey, it ain't easy.  Go out and walk as fast as you can for 40 mins solid.  You'll be weak in the knees and dizzy.  I don't know what it is, maybe the blood swinging down to the feet and hands away from the brain or maybe using different muscles but it takes some getting used to.  Anyway, it's been a great compliment to my running and solidifies my reputation for being a wacko at work.  "Did you go for your little walk, Tim?  You could've joined us for our hamburgers and onion rings followed by a refreshing cigarette at lunch."

The illness was unfortunate but what can I do?  It really didn't set me back any.  The weather is gorgeous right now an is supposed to continue for the next tens days.  Looking forward to some nice runs this weekend!

Part of the Game (but it still sucks)

When I woke up Saturday and started getting ready for my last longish run before the race in three weeks, I knew something was amiss.  A scratchy throat and slight headache accompanied by extra sensitive muscles all told me that I was coming down with yet another sickness, the third in as many months.  I don't get sick.  I haven't been to a real doctor since 1987.  Ok, I get a cold maybe once a year.  I attribute this string of colds to working with unhealthy people (I think I'm the only one who exercises and doesn't smoke); seems like there's constant hacking and sniffling within earshot at work.  Need to start paying close attention to [not] touching my face and washing my hands constantly.  Funny enough, one of those co-workers just gave me a dropper bottle of "Wish Garden" herbal supplement for my cold.  Hope they don't have drug testing for the middle of the packers at Antelope.

I suppose the timing isn't too bad.  I ended the week at 83 miles with a long run of 30 miles.  My legs are like granite and I'm raging to race.  The cold will slow me down a bit this week (already took Mon and Tues off completely, which felt pretty good actually) but feeling crummy and taking it a bit easy this week will hopefully slingshot me mentally and physically to another, higher level of energy and eagerness, like emerging from illness usually does.  The weather has complimented my schedule well with the last two days being dank and ugly just when I decided to be inactive for 48 hrs.  Today and the rest of the week are supposed to be nice 50s-60s and sunny, so it'll be easier to get out the door and enjoy some good maintenance runs in the afternoons.  16 days 'til my big Hokas toe the line!

And now, a word from our sponsors (not McDavid)...

Just Stay Home

Sometimes it's best to stay home.

After my run this morning (30 miles, thank you very little), I was reading through a friend's copy of Runner's World while out to lunch.  "Ask Miles" has always been a source of laughter and nausea.  These are selected from the Feb and Mar issues of this year...

"Dear Miles, My face turns bright red after I run at lunch.  It's embarrassing at work.  How should I respond to stares?"  

- If I were "Miles", I'd reply.  "Tell them you're choking to death and to call 911 immediately."

"Dear Miles, I coughed mildly while running at the gym (a dry, noncontagious cough [how the f does this guy know what a "noncontagious" cough sounds like??]) when someone told me it's "people like you" that get him sick.  How should I have reacted?"

- My reply:  "Punch the bitch in the mouth and tell him that now he has something else to worry about than catching a cold."

Last one, ready?
"Dear Miles, someone said I'm too tall to do a marathon.  Is this valid?"

- [oh. my. god. I wanted to poke my eyes out after reading this one.] My reply:  "Yes, it's valid Sasquatch.  Go join a circus and make some money."

Two of my past favorites were losers asking:
"If my shoe comes untied during a group run, should I tie it?"
and
"My training partner is faster than I am.  What should I do about it?"

I KNOW I'm nothing special but please stab me in the temple with a Bic pen if I ever ask a question as dumb as these...

Noon Start and Splits

Might as well either settle in and absorb the banality of race thoughts that frequent my mind at accelerated rates as Antelope 100 approaches or pinch my blog off your reading list for the next 20 days.

Race start times:

There are some odd start times out there.  Cheat Moonshine Madness 50 miler starts at 9pm.  I'm not sure whether this race still exists.  Leadville 100 starts at 4am.  Bear 100 starts at 6am.  Grindstone 100 at 6pm.  Hellgate 100k at 12:01am (midnight).

I don't know which start time I prefer.  I suppose I'm used to starting races early in the morning.  Antelope 100 will start at NOON, Friday March 25th.  That will be weird.  I usually hit my low energy point in the day around 2pm, so it could work out well for holding back on the early pacing.  Nick P. seems to think I'll be sprinting for the first 50 miles and feels I should just pack a headlamp at the 50 mile mark drop bag.  He says it'll be light until 8:12pm (he thinks he's hot stuff.  I had to show him where the Big Dipper was).  Yeah, I looked it up, rocket boy is talking about astronomical twilight.  There's normal human sunset, then civil twilight (can see your hand in front of your face), then nautical twilight (you have to be on the ocean so you don't run into something because you can't see shit), then astronomical twilight.  I'm figuring astronomical twilight means you can see every star in the sky because it's ink black dark out and you'll trip and smash your teeth out running without a headlamp.

I decided to fly to SLC for the race.  It's better than sitting in a car for 8+ hours and getting all stiff.  I'll hitch a ride home with SKatona.  He keeps the heated seats in his car on full blast, like toaster oven coils because his normal heater only blows cold air.

Need to act like I'm working, so potential splits will have to wait for now.

Drop Bags

And the fun begins...

Right: Karl's finely tuned essentials at Rocky Raccoon 100.  Left: Who the hell knows what this guy has in his drop bag, stuffed animals to hug in the middle of the night at mile 80? (photo blatantly stolen from Olga's site)

The Antelope 100 course lends itself nicely to being self sufficient, with a bit of planning.  Two obvious aid stations make great drop bag locations, Elephant Head aid station (hit at miles 5, 10.5, 13.4, 55, 60.5, 63.5) and Lower Fray Peak (miles 27, 38.4, 77, 88.4).  Here's the sweet course map.

Anything else suggested?  Stuffed animals?

Initial drop contents:

Elephant Head
3 Power bars
3 EFS shot flasks
9 Ibuprofen
10 S caps
Socks
Body Glide
Wash cloth
Tights
Long sleeve shirt

Lower Fray Peak
Headlamp
Hand held light
Jacket
Hat
Gloves
Socks
3 EFS flasks
3 Ibuprofen
5 S caps
Tums
Huggy the Bear

Nice 90 min run with Jim P yesterday.  Lovin' this weather.

High Line Canal Trail

The thought of running the High Line Canal Trail (66.5 miles, mostly flat, wide dirt paths in Denver) has been stuck in my mind since Scott Jaime mentioned that we should run it for the FKT (that's fastest known time for folks like my mom who thinks I should run no further than 2 miles and only on sidewalks).  Peter Bakwin ran it as the first person to set the FKT last January.

I probably ran this section a few dozen times during my stint in Englewood.

Scott and I couldn't agree on a date.  My question is, should I run it this weekend?  I was planning a 6-ish hour comfortable run anyway (on trails).  I'm thinking a bit under 10 hour range for the canal trail.

Would it be an awesome last really long training run before Antelope Island 100 in 3 weeks OR would it be setting myself up for too much fatigue and maybe injury and general disaster?  (Lucho???)

Probably just a dumb (pre-coffee) passing thought.  I will probably run the High Line in April, if not this week.

IF I do run it, would any of my 3 local blog readers like to join me for some of it; God knows I would appreciate the company (PLEASE)...?

Pizza Snob

I realized I'm thankful I'm not a pizza snob.  Had some (a lot) of delicious Blackjack pizza last night (and Schilling 90, Twisted Pine Blonde, Dale's Pale Ale, uh, lost track after that).  I used to love Little Caesars pizza, which I'm not sure it exist out here.  I spent a month in Italy for a chip timing company I used to work with and had an open tab at a fine little restaurant in Piazza del Erbe in Montova (situated roughly between Veniza and Milano).  The folks in that quaint northern Italy town were amused by my ability to eat two pizzas.  They were about the size of one slice of an American large pizza.  I eventually got into the swing of things and learned: 1. do not ever eat while walking down a sidewalk in public.  2. eat small portions more often (goes for the tiny caffeinated drinks too) .  3. savor life in each, small morsel (this was troublesome when it came to beer and wine).

Anyway, back to pizza, I love pizza, all of it.  I do favor the deep dish versions like Chicago's Gino's East but am open to being friends with all versions of pie.

On the goal front, based on a post from a few days ago, I have been wearing a watch on runs and I replaced the headlamp in my car (I'm embarrassed at how inexpensive and easy it was.  I was worried that like everything else on that car, it would be molto costoso.  Ah, the language goal.  I have looked into classes and I think Italian is the way to go.  Bellissimo!  Now I can wander around annoying people like the guy in "Breaking Away" blurting out Italian phrases...

Ciao amici.