Ryan in Boise

2013 Idaho Great Potato Marathon

2013-05-19T00:57:00.000-06:00

Me, Dennis, Christie, and Derek

Perfect weather for a marathon today. 48 degrees at the start and maybe 60 degrees at the end. My idea of a 3 hour run went out the window in the first mile. Not because I was hurting or anything but I made the decision to run a bit conservative so that I would feel good at the end and have closer to even splits.

A smile! Proof that I had fun. Mile 20

The half and full follow the same route to mile 13 and then the half turns left and we continue on. There were probably 3 times as many half runners than full runners. When I got mile 13 they all turn and I continued on by myself after being surrounded by lots of company. My friend Christine Kollar came to supply me with Tailwind along the course and a smiling face which was a big boost at mile 10, 13, 18/20. David McKinnon joined me for mile 20 to the end which was a big help too. After mile 20 the course goes slightly uphill. When I say slightly I mean barely noticeable but after running at an average pace right around 7 minutes a mile my pace jumped up to 7:25 consistently all the way to the end.

David pushing me through the mile 20 aid station

I had no idea what my overall pace was or even what my time was until I got to the end and read the finish line clock that read 3:08 and change. I knew my mile splits from when the watch was beeping so I knew I was in the ballpark for Boston qualifying. My time was good enough to BQ and I even beat my wife to the finish. Michelle was doing the half and she wanted to beat me to the finish since we started at the same time. I passed her on the FINAL turn. I went screaming by yelling WHATZ up MICHELLE as I snuck right between her and Cami who had joined her along with Hannah at the end. DANG IT Ryan! I overheard Cami and Hannah offer to 'take me out' and Michelle must have declined!

Hannah, Mom, Cami, Dad, Kaylee, Michelle, Me, and Zach

BUT when we got to the finish and compared watches we realized that she beat me by 5 seconds due to the chip/gun difference. THEN after we got home and checked the official results we actually TIED with a time 3:08:13! I have challenged her to a re-match!

Everyone knows I am a HR training nerd so here it comes, my Avg HR for the race was 156. My normal marathon target HR is 165 so I guess I should have pushed harder.

Derek, Christine, Michelle, Me, and Jayk

It was great to have my parents and all my kids at the finish line to celebrate with us. It was also wonderful to be there to share in the finish line moments of a number of our friends. I even got a kiss from Spuddy the Potato girl at the end. 10th place overall. 3rd in my age group. Edged out the women's winner by just under a minute!

Garmin details for the running nerds like me

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The real story for me today though, was the fact that the course covers so many of the miles I have used for training and where I learned to love running when I started. As the miles clicked by I thought back over the years to some of the memorable moments I have had along this path.

Michelle and I did a run before Boston where we got to Discovery Park and there was snow on the ground. When we stopped near the picnic shelters there were taningers with the yellow chest and orange head everywhere which was a cool sight.

When we passed by the Crow Inn around mile 4 it reminded me of the first time I mapped out a half marathon on the greenbelt and ran it. The hydrotube off Warm Springs to the Crow Inn and back is a perfect half marathon.

We passed the Shakespeare Festival where Michelle and I have parked for each of our runs on Robie Creek which are good memories.

Next was the Lucky 13 on Eckert and Warm Springs where I have done the Run Til You Puke Half twice with Tony Huff and others. It was nice to see Tony out on the next corner cheering us on as we passed today.

Near Barber Park I ran a half marathon with Doug Draney the day of the Potato Marathon in 2010 and we even got mixed up in the race when it kicked out on Parkcenter. At that time I remember dreaming of running a 1:40 half someday.

When we approached the Parkcenter Bridge it reminded me of the day Christie and I ran her 50 miler and the greenbelt was under a foot of water. We ran through the water like 10 year old kids having the time of our lives.

Just as we went under the Broadway bridge it reminded me of all the times Michelle rode her bike with me while I was training for races. We would go down fast together and her worthless bike wouldn't shift so she could get up the other side. I often had to push her and her bike up the other side into Julia Davis.

The first time I ever ran a marathon was the the Ryan Anderson 1st Annual Invitational December 6th, 2009. Michelle and I started and ended at the rock on the south side of the greenbelt right next to the Anne Frank memorial. Every time I pass that spot it reminds me of how far I have come.

The first time I ever ran a mile in the 7's was right by the firefighter memorial just after Americana. I remember that day very clearly in February 2010 and wondering if it was a fluke. I always have a smile through that section.

Just before St. George in 2010, my last hard run was a 10 miler with Mike Marquart that started and ended at the Glenwood parking lot. I wondered if that day was a fluke too because it was my fastest 10 miler ever until 1 week ago.

Ironically, after all the miles and all the training, I actually ran 4 miles today that I have never covered. From Les Bois around mile 21 we ran through Garden City. It was a really nice stretch of greenbelt and it's hard to believe I haven't done it. So that will be my new memory from today. Pushing hard once again through uncharted territory hoping to meet my goal around the next corner.

2013 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 100 Mile Race Report

2013-05-16T15:35:00.000-06:00

When I worked at Hubble Homes one of Don Hubble’s favorite books was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey. I remember the 7 habits were posted throughout the building to remind people of their message and applicability to work as well as life. I’ll spare you the corporate team building speech but the habit that has stuck with me the most all these years since is:

Habit #2 – Begin with the End in Mind

Over the last few years, as I have set goals for myself I always begin by asking myself what my goal is and then building my plan for success backwards from there. I tried to identify the necessary steps I needed to take in the interim to ensure I would be successful in reaching my goal. I have met most of my goals this way and for the ones that I haven’t I used another of the habits in later attempts:

Habit #7 – Sharpen the Saw

This one can be interpreted several ways, but to me it means I must always be learning, asking questions, and becoming better at whatever I am doing. It reminds me of the Albert Einstein quote, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

BEGINNING WITH THE END

My initial goal was 22 hours. Then my friend Frank Morris ran Rocky Raccoon in 21:46 and I jokingly told him told him my new goal was 21:45! On race day, the pace chart I gave to my crew chief Michelle had a goal finish time of 21:24.

PRE-SHARPENING THE SAW

What have I done in the past that didn’t work and what can I improve on? They are numerous….

• Seek the advice of others who are more experienced and smarter than me. I have been doing this from the beginning and expect I will always do this because I recognize that I don’t know everything and there will always be someone smarter than me. Big thanks in this department to Christie, Frank, Dennis, and Jon who had all run this course before and gave me a good idea of what to expect and where to push the pace or conserve energy. Most of all, thanks for impressing upon me the fact that 100 miles is still 100 miles. Just because it is flat(ter) doesn’t mean it will be eas(ier).

• When taking a crew and/or pacer I need to have a solid plan detailing what I will need and where I will need it… so they can do their job… so I can do my job… RUN! Michelle and I had this worked out fairly well. Swap bottles, change of clothes, headlamp, etc pretty straight forward. Jeremy Haddock from Logan, UT was my pacer and I met him for the first time at mile 38 as I was putting on my might clothes at Lower Frary. I am friends with him online but had never actually met in person until the race. We hit it off immediately and he was an amazing asset in helping me get to the finish line on schedule.

• Finding a shoe that protects my feet so that I can still run at the end of the race. Each of my bad races ended poorly not because my legs and lungs couldn’t keep up but because of my hammered feet. Just before the race I got a pair of the new Pearl iZumi Emotion Trail N1’s. They had 5 miles on them before the race and I told myself I would evaluate them after the first 20 mile section and change if necessary. I never did change them and my feet felt amazing all the way to the end. No blisters, no hot spots, and no sore hammered feet. So my new N1’s have 2 runs and 105 miles in them.

• Going out too fast. Everyone feels good at the beginning and finding out what too fast for ‘you’ is a hard thing. I am dense and had to repeat this lesson 3 times in 2012 (Salt Flats, Silver City, and Wasatch). I finished all three races but it wasn’t pretty at the end. Since this course is two 50 mile laps the effect of going out too fast can be easily measured by comparing the first lap time to the second lap time. When I was reverse engineering my plan, I gave myself an extra hour thirty minutes for the second half. In 100 miles this is just a sliver of time which makes being smart in the beginning even more critical.

• Eating enough calories. More importantly eating the right combination of liquid and solid food that works for me. I have had success both ways but through trial and error have learned that less solid food is better for me in longer races. My plan was to eat between 200 and 300 calories per hour. I accomplished this with a combination of Tailwind Nutrition, EFS drink, EFS liquid shots, occasional gels, and Gatorade at aid stations where Michelle couldn’t crew. I had a few solid food items that included ginger snaps, PBJ, chicken noodle soup, broth, grapes, chips, and quesadillas in small quantities along the way. I tried to stay away from the candy stuff and just have plain Jane items.

• Power-walking or power-hiking on a regular basis is beneficial in the long run. Don’t just walk when I get tired, by then it’s too late. Also, power walking is not a gift that is bestowed on many people. It is a skill that must be practiced and when done efficiently will be faster than most people can run near the end of a race. I probably walked 35 miles of this race. Most of my walking in the flatter sections was in the 13:00 to 14:00 pace range. On the uphill sections, I just put my head down and did the best I could. I kept reminding myself to walk with a similar intensity to what I have when I am running. In the past, ran until I got tired and then walked like I was on a Sunday stroll to recover from running which wasn’t very efficient.

• Learn to recognize changes in how I am feeling so that I can get the situation corrected as soon as possible. Bonking doesn’t happen in 5 minutes. It is a culmination of a number of bad decisions over miles and hours that can ultimately end a race. I ate like a beast from the beginning to the end. I had 2 miles where I could feel my energy start to spiral between mile 86 and 88. I ate and drank EVERYTHING I had all at once to prevent bonking and hopefully carry me through to the next aid station at mile 88 which worked.

EXECUTION

All of this planning boiled down to a very simple race day strategy. I shared this plan with several people before the race and it seemed fool proof so I went with it:

A) Don’t be STUPID

B) Repeat step A as many times as necessary to reach your goal

After we started up the first hill I asked myself a question, “When I am on the second lap will I be running this section?” If the answer was no I walked. I repeated this question in my head a thousand times over the course of the race. At the end of the first hill (which is mile 2 or 3) I stopped and counted 25 people behind me. There were 95 on the entrants list so I figured I was in 70th place at that point. I was rewarded for my patience in the end. After mile 10 I was NEVER passed again on the trail by someone who finished ahead of me. As was promised, (by the people smarter than me) I passed many great runners who went out too fast and it was an energizing feeling.

The first loop was gorgeous with big views and sweeping valleys below. I spent 40 seconds total in the three aid stations on the first 19 mile loop while getting everything I needed to keep up the calories. Just as I was finishing the loop I trotted back down the hill to the start with a guy who said he was more scared of the flats than the hills we were coming down from. He said it is so flat I’ll just want to run the whole thing! True, but that is where STEP A of my plan comes into play.

Leaving Mountain View on the first lap

Michelle and Christine met me outside the aid tent and got me all set up and I was off again after about a short 2 minute stop. On the flatter section from 19-50 I ran what felt comfortable without much regard to my pace. I had my watch set to lap every mile and on the screen I had one field set to average lap pace. After running comfortably for say half of a mile I would power-walk until my average pace settled down to goal time. This did two things for me. It allowed me to run a natural pace but forced me to conserve and institute the power-walking early and often which was a huge success. I repeated this process for the nearly 100k on the second half of both laps.

Lower Frary first time through

Michelle was amazing at all of the aid stations helping me stay focused and moving. When I came through the mile 38 aid station I got some running pants on as the sun was starting to dip in the sky. I opted to start the race in shorts, t-shirt, long sleeve, and windbreaker with gloves. I had the pants on 5 minutes before the start but made the executive decision to ditch them which was smart for me even though it had snowed prior to the start and the temps were just above freezing.

This is where I met my pacer Jeremy for the first time. I recognized him right away from pictures I had seen. Plus he is a giant with red hair so that helped too.

The sun went down just as I was getting to the Mountain View aid station at mile 42. After a quick climb and drop back into the Lakeside aid station I was nearly done with lap #1. While I was going around the point of the island I got off course somehow in the dark. I figured I must be running parallel to the trail and didn’t think much of it. After a few minutes I converged with the trail and coasted in to the start/finish.

Jeremy, Derek, me, and Michelle at mile 50

I got into the mile 50 aid station at 9:35pm. I had planned to put on night clothes here and I wasn’t all that cold at this point so I opted to continue on with what I had on. I had a few bites to eat, refilled my bottles, and killed a packet of First Endurance Ultragen. I have had it in the past as a recovery drink at Speedgoat and thought I would give it a try at the halfway point. I knew I would be power-hiking the next stretch so I wasn’t too concerned about having a few extra calories in my stomach. The drink is around 320 calories. I snapped a few pictures with Boise Trail Runners pace team while I was there too. Christine, Jon, Derek, and David were there waiting for Emily, Amy, Christie, and Sean.

I was in good spirits and feeling good. Jeremy and I got to know each other better while I rehashed to events of the first lap. I laughed to myself as I approached many of the uphill sections I walked and thought I could still be running them at mile 55. Our aid station stops were efficient but not quite as fast as the first time around. I had started drinking soup broth regularly to help keep my body heat up and the cupless race thing turned out to be a bit of a pain. Normally I grab a paper cup and go. When I am done with a paper cup I stuff it in my pocket and ditch it at the next aid station. With the plastic cups I had to stand around and first cool it off and second finish it. (I will be adding this to my sharpen the saw list for next time) I need to bring my own cup. Speedgoat was cupless last year and it worked like a charm but the middle of July I can pound a cold coke in 3 seconds flat and be on the trail!

Prior to the race I told my buddies on Dailymile to send me some good vibes around midnight when I expected to be pushing through mile 60 about 12 hours into the race. I mentioned this to Jeremy during mile 59 and asked if I was close. A couple minutes later his watch beeped and he announced that we had just hit mile 60. I looked down at my watch and it was 12:00:04! Four seconds late but I’ll take it.

At mile 63, (while trying to cool my scalding hot broth down in my plastic no-to-go cup) we met Mike Place and he offered me a 200mg caffeine tablet. I took it thinking it would be helpful and it was…for a while. We left the aid station and headed down toward the start / finish line 5.5 miles away. I was flying high on caffeine and was pushing the pace. At one point, I asked Jeremy if he was taking care of his hydration and nutrition thinking he was fading a bit. I know being a pacer can be demanding. It is also easy to neglect your own needs while tending to the needs of your runner. Another thing that didn’t help was just before the previous aid station I gave him my bottles and asked him to go ahead and fill them up. It turned out that the aid station we could see wasn’t ‘right ahead’ as it appeared. It was like a mile away so I had him run way farther that I should have.

We arrived back at the mile 69 aid station at 1:58am. I quickly grabbed a bite to eat and changed clothes. I wasn’t terribly cold, but I was however, sweating like a beast and thought it would be best to get a drier shirt on. So I peeled off my soaked t-shirt and long sleeve and replaced it with a single thermal long sleeve. Michelle could barely help me get it on because I was so sweating profusely while ironically others in the tent were freezing to death and on the verge of DNF’s if they hadn't already from from cold.

While Michelle was helping me change she told me that Jeremy would not be going back out with me. Jeremy had recently had some medical procedures done so he wasn’t sure how he would feel during the race. He also had been traveling for work that week and had spent most of the prior day on an airplane. We talked about all this beforehand so I was mentally prepared to go on solo into the night. After a 5 minute stop and a few high fives I was back on the trail.

The next aid station is the Mountain View aid station and Mark Kruezer was there volunteering. I met Mark at Salt Flats last year and he kicked my butt at Wasatch later in the summer. After Wasatch I asked him about his race strategy that day and he shared that he tried to BANK ENERGY in the beginning of races when it is most tempting for people to try and BANK TIME because they feel good. His strategy works. I have PR’d every race I have done since Wasatch. It was good to see him.

Mark told me I was in 12th place which was a cool boost. I knew I was running strong but had no idea where I was in the field. I remember thinking it would be cool to crack the top 10 but I hadn’t seen anyone forever. I figured I would just continue to operate my 2 step plan and hope that someone ahead of me dropped. That is terrible of me to think but it's true.

The flat rolling section out to Lower Frary aid station was uneventful. When I arrived at Lower Frary, it was getting cold(er). I think it was around 26 with a wind chill of 8 through the night. Somehow I managed to keep my granny hands warm using my gloves with Michelle’s 99 cent Wal-mart gloves over the top. Michelle got me all set up with some hot broth and a quesadilla (which did not hit the spot at that moment). I knew I needed to eat it but it took me a mile to eat it.

When I left the wind began to howl and it started to snow. It snowed sideways on me for nearly 5 miles all the way to the Ranch aid station. When I got there I was stoked that I was finally at mile 88! Until Vince Romney ruined my day and told me it was only mile 83. I had been paying attention to my run pace and walk pace but really had no idea what mile I was at. When I arrived at the aid stations I was trying to recall the distances from the map. Mile 88 wasn’t until I returned to Lower Frary after the out and back.

When I got there Vince was stoking the fire in the pounding snowstorm with about 8 camp chairs around the fire. Each of them had between an inch and an inch and a half on the seats so I asked him if this was his strategy to make sure no one sat down around the fire! I stayed about 5 minutes and headed back out into the snow. I am sad to report that Vince had bacon and chose not to take any. That won’t happen again. I am sorry.

The snow seemed to subside as I headed out of the Ranch just after 5am. The day was starting to take its toll on me and I could feel myself starting to fade at mile 87. I downed all my water, Gatorade, and took a gel hoping to avoid a bonk before I got back to the real mile 88! It worked and as I rolled in there I knew I needed Jeremy’s help again if he was able. Michelle had been monitoring my pace on the chart I gave her and she knew I was falling off the pace so she went and asked Jeremy if he would go with me for the final 12 miles before I even got there.

Mile 89 after Lower Frary the last time

When I pulled in I said, IS JEREMY HERE? I NEED HIM! She told me he was already getting ready and would join me shortly. I told her I was going to leave and for her to drive down the road a half mile where the trail crosses and have him jump in there so I wouldn’t have to wait. The aid station stop was 7 minutes but my next mile alone was just over 13 minutes. Just the thought of having Jeremy back to keep my brain occupied was a huge boost. I knew the sunrise would be less than an hour away too which always helps. My mood went from impending doom to relatively relaxed and focused. I didn’t ask much of Jeremy other than to keep a good pace and to talk to me but not expect much conversation back in return.

Sunrise just before Mountain View

We were about 2 miles from the Mountain View aid station when the sun came up. I felt like my goal was within reach. I left the aid station tent at Mountain View before Jeremy and it was my pleasure to kick his butt up the hill to the road at mile 94! I could smell the barn and once we crested the hill we settled into a nice controlled walk/run that averaged out to a 13:45 pace over the last 10k of the race. From the time Jeremy joined me I actually improved 10 minutes over my goal which was awesome.

Up the hill from Mountain View

As we rounded the last bit of trail I told him that before I left I told my son I would run one mile just for him as hard as I could. He told me he wanted me to run mile 99 as hard as I could just for him. I told Jeremy that when we hit the straightaway at the end I was going to lap my watch and run all out, whatever that turned out to be. So, I hit the watch, eased into my stride, and took about 3 steps and said, ‘That’s not going to work!’

I then tried the more sensible approach of building up my speed to what felt comfortable. Jeremy ran up ahead to tell Michelle I was coming and get in position to take a finish line picture. I ran out of real estate at the end for a full mile but my Zach .75 mile turned out to be a 12:20 pace which was amazing. I got to run across the finish line trying to keep up with Michelle which was wonderful too since I wouldn’t have been able to do this without her help.

Finish. Big thanks to Michelle and Jeremy

I collapsed at the end and was ecstatic to be done, meet my goal, and FEEL GOOD at the end!

Finish time 21:12:03 Goal time 21:24 BAM!

Mile 1-17 / Mile 19-100

More pictures.....

Start the day before

Looking back toward Salt Lake at Lower Frary the day before

5 minutes to go! Bill Amy Emily me and Christie

I am smiling, that's good right?

In a day filled with DNF's the Boise crew was 7 for 7 Christie, Sean, Lyn, Sam, me, Emily, and Amy

Me trying to keep up with Michelle at the finish!

Wasn't sure I would get up after I finished. I pretty much fell to pieces. Luckily no one was there to see it but Jeremy and Michelle!

No foot issues. Amazing. Love the new Pearl iZumi trail N1's. I have had worse feet on a 5 mile trail run in the Boise Foothills

The hardware

Cory Reese at mile 83. I got a terrible picture of his finish which I have intentionally omitted. His finish line jump was awesome, as usual. But I was a second late and captured the standing on the ground version!!

Christie and Derek hanging in at mile 85

Sam and Emily at mile 94

David and Sean at mile 94

Mike Place at the finish

Bill and Sam at the finish

Michelle, Emily, and me

This is what finishing feels like, true story. Right Emily?

Christie and Savannah finishing

Me congratulating Amy just after she finished

Shanda after a great 50k finish

Graham and Jennifer after finishing the 50 miler

The Boise Pace Team - Derek, Jon, Christine, and David

To be Inspired

2013-05-15T11:30:00.000-06:00

I have had many people tell me how they appreciate how open and real I am when I put things on my blog. The real reason I do that is right here
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When I found this picture I thought to myself that MY inspiration for the Idaho Great Potato Marathon has come from all the coaches and participants in the Girls on the Run program. The coaches provide guidance and structure for young impressionable children that will have a lasting positive impact on their lives.

I have participated in practice and run the races with my daughter and it is amazing to see the girls enjoyment, excitement, and drive. It has been a good reminder for me to recall why I started doing this myself and why I continue to push myself.

Coaches and girls: When I cross the finish line on Saturday it will be 'because of you I didn't give up!' When the race become tough I will remind myself to GO MY HAPPY PACE!

Please join me in supporting the great work of Girls on the Run by making a small donation to my fundraising drive. http://www.imathlete.com/donate/RyanAnderson

Thank you,
Ryan

Random things I found today

2013-05-15T11:08:00.000-06:00

Set a goal so big you can't achieve it....

2013-05-07T16:29:00.001-06:00

The Great Potato Marathon is coming up on May 18th and I will be running in it. As I have been thinking about the race it reminded me of this picture I saw on Facebook several months back.

Everyone has their definition of what 'impossible' is. For me, my impossible was losing weight. I honestly never thought I would stick with it long enough to see tangible results.

After that it was running a half marathon, a full marathon, 50 miles, and finally 100 miles.

I have set the bar high again for this race and am shooting for under 3:10. My fastest time was 3:14 back in 2010 at St George.

(Excerpt from an email I sent to Christie)....I WILL, however, cross the finish line with a smile on my face no matter what time is on the clock. We are both fortunate that we are able to chase our dreams and have so much fun doing it! As you know, I often tell people that I am nobody special.

What is special about me (us) is where we started. Out of shape, overweight, un-athletic, wanna-bes just trying to improve our health.

I often think of this fact and use it as a technique to relax and focus. Not too many years ago this was our 'goal so big you can't achieve it'. Yet somehow it has become a real possibility through dedication, perseverance, and hard work. Let that feeling of knowing how hard you have prepared and how far you have come be that little voice that calms the nerves, settles the anxiousness, and tells you that you WILL REACH YOUR GOAL.

RTYP Half Marathon

2013-05-06T10:40:00.001-06:00

Not much to report here other than I feel like I am ready for the Great Potato Marathon. This was supposed to be a RTYP (Run til you puke) half marathon but I used it as an opportunity to test my marathon pace and just a bit faster.

We started at about the starting line at about the starting time so this would be kind of like a practice for the real thing. I felt out the ups and downs and was making mental notes of where to push and where to hold back too. I didn't hydrate and take calories like I would during the race so the garmin data shows an impending bonk at this pace but I was aware of that. Our plans were thrown together at the last minute. We went from 12 miles at MP to 13.1 all out and then another 7 back to the car at comfortable pace.

It worked out and we had a great run. Michelle was with me on the bike most of the way and Christie ran her own pace. We met up near the end of the half and then slogged it in together. This was the end of a 60+ mile running week for me too so I am confident with a little R&R I will be ready!

The last time I did this was just before Boston and I ran ALL OUT the whole way chasing Tony. This one was at comfortably hard pace and I was only seconds behind that time! NOW, the true key is to be smart on race day....unlike at Boston. I got caught up in the fun and the crowd and ran too fast for too long and crashed. I have learned a lot and will do better this time.

Work Ethic

2013-05-06T10:22:00.002-06:00

When my Grandma Macel (my dad's mom) passed away at the age of 99 I inherited two things. A 1940's Clarion radio and a tiller. Every year I turn over the garden it is a great day remembering what a wonderful Grandma she was.

Almost all of my garden tools came from my Grandpa Jan (my mom's dad) who passed away at age 88 and I love thinking about him too as I work in the yard. I was blessed to learn the value of hard work at a young age and for that I am grateful. Thanks Mom and Dad.

I imagine my work ethic has rubbed off on my training and preparation for life, work, family, and running. Not sure where it went all those years I was overweight though. I imagine I was just focused on other things. Surviving the Navy first. Then starting a family. Then getting finished with college. I guess all good things come in time. I learned while I was getting in shape that you have to truly want it (whatever 'it' is currently) for yourself and once that happens great things will happen.

Robie Creek 2013

2013-04-26T13:42:00.001-06:00

I always have good intentions to write a race report and get about halfway through then never finish...Boston, Bear, Wasatch, Salt Flats, Antelope.....

SO, I just need to lay something down before I forget it all.

I signed up for Robie back in February. I always have friends who don't get in that really want to and I don't usually feel strongly one way or another so I decided to sell my number to my friend Brian so his daughter could run.

On the day of packet pickup I was going with Michelle to get hers and transfer mine to Brian. Before going I stopped to see the chiropractor and he mentioned he needed to go and try to sell his. I offered to take it for him to save him the hassle. Long story short, I couldn't find any friends who wanted it and decided I would rather run it than sell it to some random person on the street.

It isn't like I wasn't training, but I found out I was running on Wednesday at 6pm. I did one run on Thursday to stay loose and then the race on Saturday. I am a numbers weenie so sat down and looked at recent times on training runs with equivalent gain and distance. I did the same with the downhill sections too but figured I would just blow the doors off on the downhill and the time would be what it was.

After an exhausting numbers crunching session that lasted about 10 minutes I decided my goal was going to be to hit the summit in 1 hour 10 minute and then run the downhill in 28 minutes. That works out to be about an 8:15 pace on the 8.5 miles of mostly uphill with 2,100 feet of gain and 6:05 pace on the 4.6 miles of all downhill and 1,700 feet of loss.

Race morning I did my normal routine of say hello to friends while mingling around with Michelle. As the race start got closer I realized I was going to be starting in about 1,500th position which is not good when I am shooting for a good time. On the other hand it forced me to go out slower than I would have otherwise, so it might have actually helped me.

I was in a pretty thick crowd until...the first hill. It got pretty thin right after that! The people who probably shouldn't have been at the front fell back and the people at back that shouldn't have been dinking around slithered through.

I have been on Rocky Canyon many times but the last time I ran up was Robie Creek last year! I spend a lot of time on the trails that are typically more scenic. Aside from my time goal my bigger goal was to run marathon HR pace the entire way. For me that is 165. I wore my garmin and had the display set to time, distance, HR, and Lap HR. I looked at my watch a number of times but never knew what my pace was. I was only paying attention to my HR to guide my effort level. The watch is set to beep every mile split so I knew how fast each individual mile was but had no idea if I was on target for my 1:10 goal.

The only instance I was aware of my overall time on the way up was when we passed the aid station at Orchard trail head someone asked how long we had been out. We had just passed mile 7 and the time was 58 minutes. In the back of my head I was crunching the math to figure out what it would take to get to the top in time and I felt like I wouldn't make it since the last mile before the summit is the steepest part. No worries, I just stayed focused on holding my HR at 165.

I rounded the last corner just before Aldape Summit and Dennis came down to meet me. He asked how I was doing and I told him I felt like I was about 30 seconds late! I had asked Christie to bring me a water bottle with Gatorade in it to swap me so that I could just blast through the aid station. I took the bottle said a quick hello and thank you to all the friends who were volunteering with the Pulse and was down the backside in a flash.

The downhill is just as punishing, if not worse than the uphill. I started off flying and a high school aged kid passed me like I was standing still! My goal of holding a 165 HR was still the main focus which is not an easy feat when descending that rapidly without going insanely fast. It was a good thing I didn't look at my pace because I probably would have slowed down thinking that I was going too fast.

I kept cruising down until the last maybe the last 1.5 miles. I somehow managed to hold my HR high but could feel myself starting to fade just before the end. In the back of my head, I thought it wouldn't hurt to let up. Either way I was going to beat my time from 2010 when I ran a 1:50. On the other hand, it would be over soon and I could push through one more mile. The last mile feels A LOT harder compared to the three and a half before it because it's a lot flatter (still downhill though). I was sure my pace had dropped by at least a minute based on how I felt but still stayed focused on the HR of 165. The last split on my watch before the finish was about 2/3 of a mile since I lapped it at the summit and the finishing pace turned out to be 6:35 which I was ecstatic to see later.

When I crossed the finish line the race clock had just hit 1:40 and I was sure I was shuffle back at the start by at least 1 minute. So that meant I got my 1:38 and change time I was shooting for. In the final chip time results I ended up with a 1:39:33 which was awesome. I was the 73rd finisher, 14th in my age group, and I only got chick'd by 5 smokin' fast ladies!

My summit time was 1:11:43 with a descent of 28:18. Not bad for someone who runs slow on the trails everywhere. Ultras are way different animal where you are rewarded for lasting FOREVER at a moderate pace. Before the race Dennis mentioned that I shouldn't dally at the aid station because the goal is to get to the end faster than the other people! Funny because us ultra guys are not usually that competitive so we need a reminder now and again!

PART I was now over.

PART II begins.....

The other part of the plan on this day was to turn around and run BACK to Aldape Summit and beat Michelle there. She was hoping to hit Aldape in 2:30 I believe which meant that I had 50 minutes to return 4.6 miles to the top. After finding my finish line bag, getting some recovery calories, and the camera I headed back out.

I wore my Boston Marathon shirt to honor those affected by the tragedy. It was fun to see the smiles on the runners as they passed and saw this crazy person going the wrong way wearing a Boston shirt. I kept whooping and hollering encouragement to everyone along the way. I even reminded people to SMILE THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!! I wondered to myself if this was encouraging or deflating to people to see this guy with all this energy and smile that has already finished and headed back for more before they have gotten to the finish. My friend Claire told me she overheard someone talking about me on the bus and comments were positive so that was good.

Somewhere past the Robie Creek volunteer fire station I heard someone sneaking up from behind. I wondered what crazy person would be headed back? There would be a good chance I would know them because there aren't that many crazy people! Turned out it was Wayne Rancourt. He finished ahead of me and had time for some finish line refreshments before heading out. It was nice to have someone to chat with on the way back up because it wasn't quite as fast as the way down!

I was pushing a pretty fast walking pace with little spurts of running so I could beat Michelle and just before the last sharp turn before the summit I saw her blue shirt through the trees! I yelled at her and told her I couldn't believe she BEAT ME!! I was glad to see her and happy she beat me because I know it was motivation for her to.

I was so close to the top I decided to go up around the corner to get some aid station stuff and refill my water. I got to say a proper hello to everyone volunteering and tell them my finish time which they were wondering about. After a short stay, I headed back down and joined Michelle. She was moving good and keeping a consistent pace.

As we neared the finish line, there was a woman about 100 yards ahead and I told Michelle she had to TAKE HER! With each turn of the road we reeled her in little by little. Michelle passed her right at the start of the finish line chute which was fun to see. When you are that close to the finish it's easy to coast in (I have done it many times) but it's a lot more reward to give 100% all the way to the end. Michelle finished in 3:49:33! This was a redemption from 2012 when she was unable to finish due to the heat.

All in all it was a great day for both of us!

Weekly Check in

2013-04-19T16:22:00.000-06:00

This wasn't the week to hit 160 something which is to be expected. I decided to run the Race to Robie Creek half marathon on Saturday. I had an entry already but was planning on selling it to a friend for his daughter. I had to go to packet pickup to give him my paperwork to transfer it into his name as well as get Michelle's packet. Before heading over there I was getting adjusted at the chiropractor and mentioned I was headed that way. He mentioned he needed to go over there to try and sell his. I told him I would take it for him to save him the hassle which he appreciated.

I called everyone I knew that might be looking and didn't hear back from anyone. I even offered it to my friend so he could run with his daughter but he passed on it. So, I am running. I have been topping off my energy reserves with more food than usual and was at 172.0. I'll get it next week.

In the meantime, I am planning on improving my best time on Robie from back in 2010 when I ran 1:50 (which is still currently my 'race' PR)! Can't wait. 2,100 feet of gain by mile 8.5 and followed by 1,700 feet of loss in 4.6 miles. The first time I ran I hit the top in 1:17 and 0:33 to the bottom. Hoping for closer to a 1:10 / 0:28 split this time!

Boston Marathon Reflections

2013-04-16T17:19:00.005-06:00

Yesterday started like most days for me. I got up at 4am, got my running gear together, and headed out for a run. I met Derek and we ran 9 miles around Polecat loop here in Boise. Since it was Patriot's Day I thought it would be appropriate to don the Boston Marathon shirt from when I ran back in 2011. The run was fluid, relaxing, and we even PR'd by 6 minutes surprisingly.

After I got to work I hung my shirt in my office to dry out and listened to some of the coverage of the race. Hearing the commentators descriptions of the sights and sounds brought back the feeling of that day. It was in the 50's, wind at our back the entire way, crowds so crazy there was rarely a break in the cheering. I stared at the shirt and just smiled a silly smile.

I tracked a number of friends and acquaintances on the athlete tracker online and then stopped paying attention. Then I started to get calls and emails from people wondering if I was there or knew people there. No? I am in Boise why? There was a bombing at the finish line.

I spent quite some time trying to take it all in and make sense of it all. Which of course is impossible, because there is no logical reason for such a cowardly and ruthless act. I pray that those who were injured or lost loved one will be able to heal from this heartbreaking event.

As I have been thinking about this today one thing has been coming back around. This terrible thing robbed so many people of one of the happiest moments of their life that they may never have the opportunity to experience again. My finish line moment took place 50 feet from the second explosion. This day, for the runners on the course, was supposed to be a celebration of hard work, dedication, and giving it everything they had. Instead, it will be remembered for the wrong reasons.

Let us never forget those lost and injured. Be thankful for those on scene police officers, doctors, nurses and countless volunteers who risked their own safety to attend to the needs of others which ultimately saved a number of lives.

By the end of the day, my silly smile had been replaced with sadness and a blank stare.

Weekly Check In

2013-04-12T08:22:00.000-06:00

Still headed in the right direction. Hoping to see 160 something next week. I set that goal almost 4 years ago so we'll see!

Today I ran Shane's Loop with Derek and Otto and felt like garbage. I think my body was telling me two things. Rest and eat! So we took it pretty easy and I ate a HUGE breakfast once I got to work. Bring on the day!

Around the hood run and random inappropriate thoughts

2013-04-10T12:08:00.002-06:00

Hopefully this doesn't offend anyone but here it goes... Today I had to leave work early to pick up my daughter at middle school who wasn't feeling well. Since I was home (and the sun was shining) I thought it would be good to go out for a recovery run and suck up some sunshine.

Before I left work, Christie told me she got us both signed up for the Great Potato Marathon which I am pretty stoked about. The smart coach plan says I should be doing my easy recovery runs at a 7:58 pace, assuming I had been training for a marathon. Anyway, I have an Ultraspire Spry race vest that I wear when ultra running that I decided to take with me. I filled my two Nathan 10oz waist bottles and put them in the front pockets. Normally, this isn't a problem on the trail because I never run terribly fast. But today, I think I came as close as I ever will to knowing what it's like to run with big boobs and a really crappy sports bra. Those things bounced and jiggled like I have never seen from running so fast. At one point I had to cinch the straps of the vest down tight so they would stop bouncing. THEN, I was breathing so hard they started shooting out cloudy sports drink in my face as my lungs crushed the bottles from being super tight. Fortunately for me, I drank my 'boobs' and all was good.

Early this morning I ran from the Homestead trailhead to the top of Lucky Peak and back in just under two hours. So this was supposed to be a recovery run and ended up being a progressive tempo run instead. Good times.

Mile 1 - 6:59

Mile 2 - 6:57

Mile 3 - 6:41

Mile 4 - 6:28

Did I mention I am excited to try and run fast at a marathon?

Avg HR 159 Max 168

Weekly Check In

2013-04-05T08:11:00.002-06:00

Staying focused, eating right, and getting the exercise in this week. Down a bit more to 172.

Great early run with Derek, Christie, and Rachel. Christie and Rachel started early to give Derek and I some motivation to run the whole uphill which seemed to work! We did take a few walk breaks to keep the effort in the 'I think I am going to die' zone without spilling over into the 'I am pretty sure I am going to die' zone!

11:17 pace up the hill and 6:41 pace down the hill. 1,632 feet of gain and drop. Avg HR 159 Max 178. This was as close to a marathon tempo run as I have done in a super long time and it felt good. Glad to see Derek was feeling 100% since he ran 100 miles last Saturday too.

On the downhill, I realized that if I could find a race that was run completely in the dark I would do amazing. If I can't see the rocks and potholes they don't exist and I run super fast. So if anyone knows of a 50 miler that starts at like 9pm let me know!

The rain started with a couple of miles to go too and that was an awesome end to a wonderful morning. We all stood in the parking lot chatting getting rained on without a care in the world. Make it a great day everyone!

Ooh and I PR'd this loop by like 13 minutes :D

Homestead Trail to Highland Valley Loop

2013-04-02T11:56:00.000-06:00

Ran every step except to stop and open a gate and go across a cattle gaurd. I have never been confident enough to run a cattle gaurd although I have seen it done. I am ok with taking an extra 3.5 seconds to make sure I don't snap my leg!

I saw lots of deer and since it was dark the whole way it was beady eyes staring back at me. None of them moved either. It was like they thought, If I don't move he won't see me!!

Perfect weather, zero other trail users. 1677 feet of gain, Avg HR 147, Max 178

PR'd this loop by 13 minutes! BAM

Check in

2013-03-29T04:47:00.000-06:00

So the race has come and gone and I swear I will write a race report of some kind. Anyway, I spent the last couple of weeks prior to the race not trying to be at a calorie deficit so that my body could recharge and heal. Since the race I have been focusing again on eating right and flushing all the toxic junk from my system that is a by product of running 100 miles. Part of that is the 6,000+ calories I ate during the race which was nearly all carbs. The other part is what remains in your muscles after that much physical activity.

On Monday when I woke up I weighed 186.6, Wednesday, 176.6, Thursday 175.6, and today was 173.6. The first 10 was no surprise, just water retention and swelling going down. The last three were a bit of a surprise since I haven't done much this week and it would represent a true loss compare to my pre-race weight. I am not exactly sure what my pre-race weight was though due to loading up on carbs and cutting back the exercise.

All I know is after going all out for 100 miles I feel amazing compared to my other races. I have learned a lot over the last couple of years and it is gratifying to finally be putting it all together.

Weekly update

2013-03-15T11:25:00.003-06:00

Another week down and holding steady (which is perfect). After last week I decided that my goal would be to NOT have a calorie deficit from then until the race so that my body would get everything it needed to recover and get stronger. I have figured out the maintenance diet pretty good over the last few years!

Another interesting thing happened this morning. I did YOGA. Ryan the running nerd does some yoga, who would have thought! I had fun with Christie at the Y, so I bought a Rodney Yee DVD called Yoga Conditioning for Athletes. There is a strength section, stretching section, and sport specific workouts for running, tennis, golf, cycling, and swimming. Today I picked the stretching option with a side of runner specific training. I finished feeling awesome and foam rolled to top it off!

Then I decided to bust out the Wasatch Front 100 finisher belt buckle for some casual Friday good luck and realized my belt needed another hole punched in it. That was a nice surprise since I haven't had to do that in about 3 years!!

Make it a great day everyone!

Antelope Island final prep

2013-03-12T11:27:00.001-06:00

The Antelope Island Buffalo Run 100 miler will be starting 10 days from now on March 22nd and I am getting pretty excited. (click here for a larger version of the map at right). I have learned a lot in the months that followed my less than stellar performance at Wasatch last year. I finished that day but I did many things wrong along the way that left me in survival mode at the end.

I had a good performance at the Foothills Frenzy 50k in October and a great run at the Wilson Creek Frozen 50k in January. I used some of my lessons learned at Wasatch to make sure I did the right things to finish strong and feel decent at the end.

I like to take my own advice to set a goal, tell everyone who will listen, and stick to the plan. Here it is, my goal at Antelope Island is between 21 and 22 hours. The plan is simple a) don't be stupid b) repeat step a. as many times as necessary. Training is all but over so it is what it is at this point.

Last year at Salt Flats I was at the half way point in just over 9 hours and 30 minutes so a 22 hour finish doesn't seem that unreasonable. That was too fast for my fitness level and the conditions that day however. This time I hope to do a better job listening to my body and recognizing that the smart thing to do in the first half is to bank energy, not time, when I still feel good. Since last year, I have been more focused on building my endurance and containing my enthusiasm during the first half of races. Over the winter, I have also had a good mix of hills and flats that has prepared me for this type of race.

I have also remained focused on strength training while attending classes at A2O Fitness with Jenny Mac. Jenny always seems to get the best out of me and I love going to class each week. I honestly think the conditioning circuit class was the main reason for my improved performance at Wilson Creek this year. Everybody gets tired but being physically prepared has taken me further in races while still feeling decent.

My recent 15 pound weight loss will hopefully come in handy on race day too. I am not pushing around too much excess these days but 15 pounds is a lot when you put it in tangible terms. It is roughly equivalent to putting (6) two liter bottles in a backpack and running with it for an entire day. Whew, that sounds exhausting. I am sure it will be beneficial but not sure how to quantify it! I am often amazed that I was able to carry an 'extra' (62) two liter bottles around with me before I lost my weight.

The final thing is not to go nutz between now and the race while tapering and recovering from months and weeks of hard work. Happy Trails!

Progress Update

2013-03-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

They always have coffee specials here at work and today is 2 dollar Thursday. I told them to give me an Americano with as many shots as allowed by LAW (that is just espresso shots with hot water added to top off the cup). She hands it to me and says here is your SIX SHOT Americano!! If you don’t hear from me you’ll know I had a heart attack and died :D BAM

Anyway, I was down 0.8 from last week but still up a bit from my low a couple of weeks ago. Headed in the right direction for now. I honestly think the low number was skewed because of the exercise I did the day prior which left me dehydrated. SO, from now to race day I will try to stick to my maintenance calories to recharge my body so I will feel 100% going in. Calorie restriction leave me (and probably most people) feel fatigued and blah most days because my body is saying I'M DYIN' HERE!

This is what my wife does while I am not at home. So not FAIR!!

Step Forward

2013-03-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy tweeted out the first line of this that was posted by the guy from Duck Dynasty recently. I went looking for the original author and found this entry on Ralph Marston's website.

Step forward

A thousand disappointments in the past cannot equal the power of one positive action right now. Go ahead and go for it.

If you’ve previously told yourself that it can’t be done, this is the moment to change your assumption. When you can dream it, imagine it and visualize it, you can do it.

Instead of making excuses, make some progress. Instead of looking back with regret, step forward with enthusiasm.

Choose to define yourself based on the person you know you can become. Choose to see your life in terms of the best of what is possible.

If you focus too much on the past, you’ll be held back by limitations that may no longer even exist. Instead, look forward with positive expectation, and you’ll find yourself quickly moving in a forward direction.

A new, fulfilling reality is calling to you. Step forward right now, and begin to make it happen.

— Ralph Marston

Destiny and Determination

2013-03-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

I went to Humphreys Diabetes Center at lunch to see how my weight has changed since I volunteered at the Weight Loss Challenge and found this saying on the doors to their conference room. I definitely feel like I am in the determined group. Down 13 pounds since the start. Should have signed up for the challenge I guess!

Progress Day 35

2013-02-28T17:22:00.001-07:00

I always hate when I hear people say they lost 3 pounds over and over while forgetting to mention the weeks in between where they gained it back. SO, I gained 1.6 pounds this week, up from 174.8 last Thursday. My food log doesn't agree with the change but I have have been feeling terrible this week and taking a host of feel good pills. I have not taken any today since this morning thinking it was my body holding onto fluid from the meds. So I'll do it again in the morning and if it's an improvement I'll go with that number!

On a side note, I am having my blood drawn in the morning and can't eat until 9:30 which will likely be the end of me since I get up so dang early. Oh, and I am planning on putting my name at the top of the Aldape FKT board in the morning with Derek!

*Update. I weighed exactly the same this morning. Guess I just need to keep at it! Derek and I found slush, ice, and snow up Rocky Canyon which wasn't much of a surprise. BUT I am not in the mood to get hurt doing something I shouldn't be. We decided to just run from 5 Mile Gulch up Rocky Canyon to Orchard and then back around 5 Mile on the trails. It was nice to be off the ice but the deep slush and snow wasn't much better. I also have a blood draw at work today that I am supposed to be fasting for. Needless to say I should have stayed in bed this morning.

3 Cool Things Before 7am

2013-02-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

The first cool thing was I tried some new endurance fuel from Tailwind Nutrition after reading a review by Cory Reese. I don't normally have GI issues but I am always looking for something great. I mentioned seeing his post to my friend Christine who finds it hard to get calories down during a race. She bought some and we split it. Anyway, it went down easy, tasted good, and I felt good afterward. It was a 12+ mile predawn run in cool temps so I would say it needs more field testing but I like it!

The second cool thing that happened was I bought a SMALL shirt for work and brought it to wear today. I told Michelle I bought a shirt and she rolled her eyes as if to say YOU DO NOT NEED ANY MORE SHIRTS! .....and she is right. I bought it just because I could AND it fits. (no sausage wrap here) The last time I bought a small anything I was probably 12 years old. It was a really good feeling after years of never being able to find anything on the rack because all the XXXL's were gone.

The other cool thing this morning was completing 2 laps at Polecat Trail with Christine. We negative split the 2 loops by 2 minutes and spent a total of 50 seconds in the 'aid station' at my truck between laps. Good times!

Stimulus and Response

2013-02-25T08:32:00.001-07:00

I have seen this before, maybe even posted it before...anyway I got to thinking about it today and thought I would add it to the blog. Everything in life is a choice.

Progress Day 28

2013-02-21T11:23:00.001-07:00

Today is day 28 and my 3rd anniversary of meeting my weight loss goal of 175 back in 2010. I have been working hard to get back under 175 these last few weeks and made my goal today. I just barely squeaked by with a 174.8. I'll take it, progress is progress. This is a total of 15.4 pounds in the last 4 weeks from my starting weight of 190.2.

More importantly I have been able to string 4 good weeks back to back which has seemed to elude me for so long. Up, down, up, down never really getting anywhere.

I put in the work this week and put in the restraint at the table to get my goal so I was confident it was going to happen for me. My prior success has given me a lot of confidence that I can do this as well as just about anything I set my mind to if I am willing to put in the work. At races I am rarely surprised by my results because I know what work did or did not get done in training.

The difficulty of getting back to this weight reminds me of something I learned along the way. Losing weight is the easy part...keeping it off for the next 40 years is the more difficult of the two. So, 3 down 37 to go.

(Keeping the weight off article I found last year when preparing for the Boise Cascade health fair.)

A Constant Reminder

2013-02-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

I wrote a post back in 2011 titled Use the Force Luke to express my amazement regarding how close I am to constant temptation EVERY SINGLE DAY all day at work. I have been here nearly 5 years now and the chocolate bowls have not gone anywhere.

Back in February 2010 when I met my weight loss goal, I took a Mr. Goodbar out of the bowl and put it under my monitor and wrote 169 on it. It was a stretch goal and coincidentally the day I found out I am only 5'9" and not 5'10" like I had always thought. Since my initial goal was simply to get into the healthy BMI category, that meant I needed to get to 175 if was 5'10" and 169 if I was (and am) 5'9".

For the last 3 years I have had to stare at this daily reminder of my inability to buckle down and get serious for a last little push. I thought I would never get there and for so long it seemed like the possibility was slipping further away. Now it feels like a manageable goal which is energizing and motivating. Glad I didn't just eat it way back when out of frustration. The bad part is it's 3 years old now! Make it a great day.