The Magic of the Race Bib

What does pinning on a race bib mean to you?

Well it means you made some level of commitment, right? You just didn’t randomly go to the park and someone handed you this piece of paper with a number on it. You paid your race entry fee with your hard earned money, possibly bought a new piece of attire or gear for the race, and in most cases, put in some level of training so you finish without looking like a train wreck. It also means regardless of where you finish in the event you will for sure finish ahead of all of those who did not have the courage to sign up. It means I’m going to give this my best shot!

To the race organizers and volunteers, it is a way of identify you, either by way of a chip attached to the bib which is becoming more common or the old fashioned way of just visually reading your bib number. It’s a way to show support for those we don’t know—“looking good on those hills Number 89!” Surely all of us have heard something to that effect from a race supporter or volunteer at some point.

But there’s something else about the bib that has become more and more evident to me in the past year or two, and it’s what this post is the subject of. I’m borrowing the term “magic”, and I suppose I could have chosen some other more appropriate word, but magic is just what came to me and I am sticking with it because I truly feel that is what it can bring.

What I’m finding from this magic of the bib is the ability to perform beyond what I thought was possible. Right now I am focusing my running on the ultramarathon distance. Since hearing years ago of these races traveling long distances, I became intrigued by them and thought it would be so cool to say I completed one—to someday sit back and reflect on it when I’m much older and wonder how I ever did such a thing. I also liked the fact that many ultramarathons are run out on trails in the woods, which really appeals to my love of nature and the outdoors. I knew it would take quite awhile to get to the point of running beyond a marathon but that it would be worth it. Yes, it did take years to (safely) get my mileage built up and enter one of these events but I did it. It was mostly due to scheduling, but my first ultra that I entered was a 12 hour race—something I wouldn’t necessarily recommend but I felt it was just what would work for me. It was upon reflecting back on this event that I first felt this magic.

In that first ultra, my main goal was just to get in the 31 miles it would take to finally call myself an ultramarathoner. Since I had roughly covered that distance in my training and did it in less than 12 hours, I figured that 40 miles was likely possible since I know I can always do better in a race than on my own in training. It is that point though that is basically what this whole post is about—how you can do more in a race than in training, especially if your training is solo like most of mine is.

So I guess knowing that in races I tend to do better than training, the magic was already there but I just never gave it a lot of thought or paid much attention to it. But with the ultra, it started to become evident. My wild goal for that race, if everything went just right—my physical training, my stress level, the weather, my hydration, nutrition, was 50 miles. I felt that every single thing would have to be dialed in just perfect for me to achieve this and I’d probably finish it just under the 12 hour cutoff too.

It was an ambitious goal because my prior longest distance race was a marathon, so going nearly twice that distance, on trails nonetheless, would be no easy task.

The race went well. I actually had to tell myself to slow down early as I was completing loops of the course in times I didn’t feel like I should have been able to. But 31 miles came up on me somewhat quick and I remember thinking how at the end of my 7th five-mile loop, I finally get to say I did an ultra. But I kept going and I completed my next goal of 40 miles. What was intriguing though was the fact there was still plenty of hours left in the race. I kept going. Another lap and I was at 45 miles. When I completed that lap I told the race official I was heading back out again. I was tired and the sun was getting lower in the sky but I here I was with a chance to finish my ultimate goal of 50 miles—and perhaps even exceed it! Well I completed that 10th lap and when I crossed the start/finish line the lady asked me if I was going back out again. I had wrestled with this thought while completing my 10th lap what I would do should I make it back in time to head out again. I told her no, I was done. The clock read just a hair under 10 hours 45 minutes. I couldn’t believe it! Here I was at my very first ultra and I completed my ultimate goal with over an hour to spare.

That’s what I mean about the magic of the bib. I know there’s no way I could have ever done that on my own in some training run. I was sure everything had to just perfect for me to pull off 50 miles. For the most part a lot of things did go my way, the weather was nice, I felt stress free somehow, I felt I did as much as I could  from a training perspective without overtraining. But I had some bumps in the road too. I went out a little to fast and my quads were hurt already about mile 20. Having a talk with myself and adjusting my running strategy helped to alleviate that issue. I also had my (older) Garmin GPS watch decide it didn’t want to turn on that day too—so I couldn’t monitor my pacing as closely as I like or monitor my heart rate either. I’m not used to that and was a quick adjustment I had to make.

But somehow I believe the magic started that day. When I got done with the race and it started to sink in that I just did 50 miles—I had the urge to cry. I didn’t understand how I met this goal relatively easily where I thought it would take perfection—and do it with time to spare! Part of me regretted not going for another lap, but in the moment I was content with having achieved my ultimate 50 mile goal when I told the lady I’m done. I felt like I was on top of the world.

I guess in variable degrees, it is part determination, accountability, the result of training, camaraderie, and the power in numbers—along with various other things that combine to form this magic. And never are there equal parts of these items, or the same balance from event to event. But what I have found is that they are there, in some form or another at most every event I do.

While I really can’t explain it, more and more I feel the magic is influenced by the aforementioned camaraderie and power in numbers. It just seems like being around like-minded people and all fighting individual battles to achieve the same goal propels you to something you would not have done on your own.

During this year, my second year of ultrarunning, I felt the magic again. I felt a stronger sense of it as well. I did my first official 50K race. About two months later I did my second 50K race and even though the course was probably just as hard or even harder, coupled with a hotter and more humid day, I knocked 22 minutes off my finishing time. The magic of the bib?

I did that same 12 hour ultra again this year too. My main goal was to equal the 50 miles I did last year (hopefully faster) with my ultimate goal being either 60 or 62 miles (100K).

This year having trouble with my truck on the way to the race forced me to actually park and run 1.5 miles to the race. I was debating if I should even run it but since I was so close to it and upon calling a good friend and having rough plans on how to get back home and deal with my truck, I decided to give it a shot.

I was very stressed at the start, having run to the race and only getting there 10 minutes before the start. I had a broken-down truck and was unsure what to do about it or how to get it back home. The weather was so-so at best. The course was going to be sloppy from rain the day prior. I didn’t feel like much was going to happen in this race. I wasn’t even sure how long to run, or again if I should even be running and instead tending to the truck. I started the race figuring I could drop out at any time. I had some low points early and as I settled in, my plan on what to do with the truck and how to get both me and it back home, I started feeling like actually turning this day and this event into a race again. My friend would not be coming for awhile so I figured I’d get in at least 20 miles. Well each of those laps were fast again. From mile 20, I felt like why not get in at least 31 to call it a true ultra? Again the laps were really consistent regarding pace. From 31 it became 40. My laps were still consistent. I was doing each lap right under an hour. So at that lap time I would be on pace to hit my 60 mile ultimate goal. My main thought was “how the hell was this possible?” Here I was in general terms in the middle of bad day running a great race. I decided to go for the 50 mile distance to at least equal what I did last year. I succeeded. I got in the 50 miles—a full 55 minutes faster than last year!

But had to call it quits. My friend was already at the race and I wanted some daylight hours for him and I to see if I could get my truck running again. Ultimately with a lot of work we did just that so that I could drive it home.

I’m almost surely convinced there was some magic in my race bib that day. I honestly have no idea how being as stressed as I was that day, I managed to get in 50 miles and set a PR by almost an hour.  What makes me mad is the fact that without having to deal with my truck I was on pace to again get in my ultimate goal! I was running sub one hour laps and had two hours and 15 minutes left to finish two more loops to get to 60 miles. While those 2 laps would have been hard to mentally and physically push through, I know in my head and I know in my heart I would have been able to complete them with the time that was left on the clock.

There felt like some kind of magic at work that day.

In my fourth and final ultra this year I once again felt like I couldn’t explain how well I did. My official 50K PR is 6:07. This fourth ultra was a 40 mile race consisting of five 8 mile loops. So at the end of one’s fourth loop you are ever so slightly past that 50K distance. Upon getting done with the race (all 40 miles), I was talking to both the race director (RD) and the woman doing the timing. I saw they had the splits written down but could only remember one or two of them as I left the park. So I emailed the RD and asked for my splits. It turns out that my 32 mile split was 5:33. So while even though elevation change was not as much, I ran 32 miles a full half an hour faster than what I ever ran 31 miles—all while having the 100% full intention to go another 8 miles. I did really well in this event having finished 3rd overall and was the 2nd male finisher. I knew I was up front of most runners in this small race but by no means did I think I was that far ahead of others. Once again it felt like there was some kind of magic that occurred that day from pinning on that race bib.

Now to be clear on this topic, as I somewhat eluded to before, you should know that by magic I don’t mean in the literal sense like the dictionary would define it. But at the same time, part of what I have accomplished, from 5K to 10K to half-marathon to ultra, I can’t fully explain how I do so well sometimes. I know deep down that the aforementioned training and determination and preparedness are the real reason why I can accomplish these events, but it is the exceeding expectations aspect that I cannot explain and what I’ll stick with calling magic. I know that without the training I did for these events that I would not have come close to completing them in the times I did. It is my determination to finish what I started that helps me along when low points come along. I also feel the camaraderie aspect of running, especially ultra distance events, is a component to this type of success. When you combine all of these factors in a race you are bound to do better than in your training, whether on your own or in a group. I feel like the sum of the parts is greater than the whole essentially.

But kinda like the runner’s high, something most of runners experience at some point but struggle to explain, the magic of race bib brings us to another level of what we think of as possible. Perhaps the magic is a derivative of the runner’s high—I don’t know. All I can tell you is I believe in it.

In part, the purpose of writing on the topic of this post is to encourage you to get out there and not just sign up for a race, but to maybe sign up for something that is beyond what you think is capable or something that is out of your comfort zone. I don’t know if you will see or feel the same thing I do. And admittedly it might take awhile, even a long while before you see or feel what I have learned about the magic of the race bib. But I hope that in time you experience what I do, for I cannot explain how I completed some of what I have. While I don’t blow away the competition, I have accomplished more than what I ever thought possible of myself.

Don’t be surprised, if you haven’t already, that some day you finish a race and you do better than what you ever thought possible. You can call it something other than magic if you want, just know it exists.

How distance running mirrors life—my personal perspective

Inevitably, when someone engages in a conversation regarding running, the standard questions arise: “How long have you been running?”, “What got you into running?”, and my first personal favorite, “What's the longest distance you've ever run?”

OK, maybe favorite isn’t the right word to use for that last question, but as someone who enjoys challenging myself with increasing my running distance, I often find myself in a quandary with what to say when trying to explain the distance of my longest run/race. When you’re a distance runner, you find that your answer to that question is received with a variety of responses: amazement, shock, an eyebrow raise, and my personal favorite, the back and forth shake of the head.

I say I'm hesitant to answer that question simply because of some of those reactions. But what most people don't understand is that running long-distance, while indeed an accomplishment, is not really such an extreme. An endurance event like distance running really has a lot of similarities with another endurance event—life.

Most don't understand that, and admittedly it took me a long time to understand that as well. It does take a while to see the similarities, but when you look, they are there. I've seen them. They are starting to become more evident to me the longer that I participate in running long distances. I too once thought that long distance running was something extreme. That was before I really started to pay attention to what I feel when running longer distances.

Deep down, I ask “How many times do we really push ourselves past the norm?”, taking on challenges into what we find uncomfortable—essentially something out of our comfort zone. This is what you do in distance running, push yourself into a zone that is uncomfortable for you. Again, most people don't truly do that. Which I understand. But I ask each of you this: “Doesn't life test you and push you into what makes you uncomfortable?” Stop and think about that for several moments.

This is where I start with tying together that distance running / endurance events really do have a lot in common with life itself.

Life will hand you ups and downs, twists and turns, highs and lows. These are all analogous to running for several hours and many miles. In fact, training and competing in ultramarathons has taught me so much about myself, who I am, and how to handle life better. I find that the periods of lows while running never last, eventually you work your way out of them, and you come back to baseline. I believe life is like that as well. The break-up, the layoff, the death of someone you love—they all bring us down and make us sad. But in the vast majority of cases we all bounce back and are stronger for having gone through that situation. It hurts when you’re in the moment yet seems tolerable upon getting through it. Stronger in the long run—just like running long distance.

In life, there are times when you will most likely experience some kind of great discomfort or pain. In both running and life, it is a time like this that we assess ourselves. We think: What is causing this pain?, What steps do I take to get rid of it?, and How do I prevent this from happening again? But just like the ups and downs, you learn from the pain and how to become stronger from having gone through it.

Life hands you plenty of moments when you will be tested physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Run long enough and far enough and then get back to me—tell me you weren’t challenged in all of those same ways. In endurance running the physical eventually become mental, and that’s when the emotional roller coaster begins—they are all intertwined, one influenced by the other, never truly separate. I doubt anyone would disagree about this in life too.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt alone? I’m guessing the answer to that is likely yes. And this too is often found in distance running. Sometimes the solitude is purposely sought out, sometimes not—but regardless of purpose and whether it’s life or running, you are forced to learn self sufficiency. This life skill carries over to running, and is one we must all learn to be able to progress despite of the adversity. In the tough times in life, the ones that come along when our support system isn’t there, being able to cope and make it through the low points on your own is so important. Especially with the training aspect of endurance running, this is so very true as well. In a race there’s a much higher chance someone will be near or around you, but training runs often wind up being a solo effort and you had better be able to pull yourself out of the lows you will ultimately face.

In one of my favorite podcasts, East Coast Trail and Ultra Podcast, Episode 10 discusses some of these topics and touches on a great point. It talks about how in races there are aid stations. For non-runners, an aid station is a point along a race course where participants can get food or water, maybe adjust or change clothing/shoes, and in general get help in order to complete the event. The guest on the podcast touches on what I mentioned, that sometimes in life there are no “aid stations”, it is going to throw a situation at you when you least want it and are most unprepared for it but you are going to have deal with it and unfortunately you deal with it by yourself. Many times in life we find the help we need after when we really needed it—and that perfectly describes an ultramarathon. Most times when we’re hitting a low, the aid station is miles away.

That leads me to my next point. In both distance running and life, it’s how you react to the diversity you face. I guess at least in a race there’s a way to bail out and quit. But how many times in life do you have that option? With the ups and downs, the pain, the solitude—in both life and distance running it’s how you grow and learn from having gone through these experiences. As long as you learn from them and remember the mechanisms you used to make it easier, the next time you face those same situations then it won’t be as bad and you’ll be more prepared to deal with them—making them less stressful.

Regardless of the aforementioned similarities between life and distance running, there are two other final overriding concepts I especially find true even more so. The first is the fact that, in both races and in life, the clock keeps ticking. Neither stops and waits for you. You have to literally and figuratively put one foot in front of the other. Otherwise you’re not really making forward progress, which is ultimately what is needed in both endurance events I mentioned. The path will likely seem uphill at times and going downhill out of control at others. Regardless, learn how to find it within you to move forward—don’t worry about the speed with which you’re doing so—just move forward!

The final point is dedication. Many say to me that it must take a lot of dedication to run long distances. Yes, it does. I can’t dispute that. But stop and think how much dedication it takes to get through life. Do any of you think that dedication is extreme? Perhaps if you truly stop and think about you’d say yes but in general I bet your initial response would be no.

As you can see, there are several aspects of distance running that closely parallel life, whether it be in general or be in more specific adaptations that are required of us. So while I do understand your perspective of distance running being extreme, I hope that these comparisons help to provide insight on those who run long distances, whether at the ultra or sub-ultra level, and leaves you with a greater appreciation for their desires and accomplishments, and let’s you know endurance running is simply a reflection of a greater endurance event!

2017 On The Rocks Trail Run 50K Race Report

After not posting any articles for awhile, I decided that it was time for me to get back at it. So today I’m posting a race report about my latest ultramarathon that I completed two weekends ago.

On Saturday July 15th, I completed the On The Rocks Trail Run 50K held at Rocky Ridge Park in York, PA. I was using this event as training for two late summer / early fall ultras I plan to do that are longer than this 50K distance.

Event Overview:

This event has been held for several years and this year was the first that the longest distance was 50K—making it an “official” ultra. In prior years the longest distance had been 45K but the race director added in another (new) trail and thus was able to now reach that true ultra distance. The route for this race is a looped course of just over 10 miles per loop. This year, just as in past years too, had options to run one, two, or three loops. One loop was ~16.7K, two loops was ~33.3K, and of course 3 loops for the 50K. I had run the one and (mostly) two lap options in prior years but after not being able to sign up for a race the prior weekend to this event, at the last minute I worked in this race instead to get in another long distance race.

That’s not to say it was a lesser choice by any means. The On The Rocks Trail Run is actually one of my favorite local trail races and competing in this one marks the sixth straight year I’ve done this event in some capacity.

Overall, I’d rate this event as a moderately difficult race and I will get into more detail in the next section.

As for conditions that day, the weather was rough at the start of the race. While the temperature was in the low-mid 70’s, but the humidity was very high. It just seemed like a sauna once everyone started running. My shirt was very wet from sweat already after about two or three miles of the race. A breeze did seem to cool us down at some spots on the course and as the race progressed it seemed the humidity did alleviate and it felt (marginally) more comfortable despite the sun shining brightly. However by the time I was finishing the sun was heating things up again.

The Course:

The course is a challenging one that contains a lot of single track but there are also plenty of spots where the trails are wider and great for passing or running with someone. Regardless of the width of the trail(s), there are plenty of sections that are rocky or have roots too. Be prepared to pick up your feet! I had to remind myself of this! There are some nice easier sections mixed in but honestly you should not get too comfortable since a technical section (there are many) will soon follow. I like the technical running so for me it was not a problem. It does get tougher as the race progresses though, especially on that third loop! Run the loop once for the shorter race and you know you challenged yourself. Run it again and you’re thinking: “yeah, this is tough.” Run a third for the 50K and you’re kinda ready for it to be over. That’s what ultra running is all about though, challenging yourself and seeing just what you can accomplish.

One positive was that the new section of course added to get the distance to 50K, the aforementioned new trail, was a flat section with only very minor inclines and declines. The new trail is a mountain bike trail with many, many twists and turns and was a nice contrast to rest of the course. And again it was flat which I’m sure most runners appreciated.

Regarding elevation, the info on ultrasignup.com lists about 1400ft of climbing per loop. This seems to be pretty accurate as my Garmin VivoActive HR recorded 4,386ft of total elevation gain and loss for the three loop 50K distance. There are four good sized climbs in each loop—one near the beginning, one about mid-course, and two in the last miles of each loop. The fourth one is the most technical and likely the steepest. I have to say that this one just sucks—there’s not really much else to say.

There were four aid stations on the course. These were especially helpful considering how hot and humid it was that day. The volunteers at the aid stations were great as they would fill your bottle while you grabbed something to snack on. They had both water and a electrolyte replacement drink (I’m guessing it was Gatorade) at each station and I would drink Gatorade each time and just fill up my water bottles that I was carrying to drink between aid stations. I believe at least one aid station also had soda too. Some of the food that I remember seeing at the aid station included watermelon, candy, Oreo’s, and trail mix. I’m sure there was other food too but I mostly stuck to eating watermelon as it would provide me with both additional water and some sugar. I did have to snag an Oreo too several times!

The course was marked very well throughout with the exception of one spot about 2+ miles into the course where I almost made a wrong turn as did two runners ahead of me. That spot was the only one I’d say would have benefited from additional marking. Full disclosure—I did volunteer and help mark about a 4 mile stretch of this course (not the section where I almost made the wrong turn), so I’m partially bias I guess with my assessment for trail markings.

Overall you’ll be running under the cover of trees for at least 90% of this race with the only real open area near the start/finish line.

Other Stuff:

The race is very affordable, considering the cost for signup was only $35 (regardless of which event you chose) and included a tech race t-shirt (if you signed up early enough.) This is very affordable as many 5K’s are in the $25 range to run.

There’s plenty of parking at this event and there are indoor bathrooms (always a plus!) near the parking area and race registration pavilion.

Post race food was great! There was water, soda, sports drink to quench your thirst and food included pizza, subs, chips, candy, and deserts like cookies, etc. Seating was available under the cover of the pavilion.

So How Did I Do?:

Well in case you were wondering, my official finish time was 6:07:56. I had only competed in one other 50K to this point and my On The Rocks finish was about a 22 minute PR, so I was very happy with that considering it was a tough course and the weather was warm. That time was good enough for 11th place overall out of 46 finishers. There seemed like more than 46 runners at the start as the crowd was larger than prior years but according ultrasignup.com, there were 16 DNF’s, showing it was a tough day for some racers.

I’m not sure I raced this event as I should have. I think I was a little too quick on my first loop as I could feel my legs starting to get tired already at the 15 mile mark. By mile 17 I could feel the tiredness even more and I had to back off a little bit. My first two loops were at about the same pace having completed the first in just under two hours and I left the aid station at the start/finish line at the end of loop two just 45 seconds over the four hour mark. The third loop involved more walking for me  the thoughts of maybe finishing the race a just under 6 hours disappeared—I knew I could not sustain that effort on the last loop. I will still take my PR for this event though and be very happy with it!

In the other events, the 33.3K distance had 22 finishers with 9 DNF’s. The 16.7K had 73 finishers with 4 DNF’s.

Final Thoughts:

Regardless of the difficulty and conditions, I personally always enjoy this race. I am likely partially biased again since I personally know the race director for the event. He and his wife, along with all the other volunteers, put on a great event every year. I also like Rocky Ridge Park a lot too. It is a great place to do hill training, which in the long run is what I believe really strengthens you as a runner, especially a trail runner.

If you’d like to challenge yourself on a trail race, give one of the options a try. If you’re a new trail runner I’d stick to the shortest distance event to get your confidence and progress from there, but you will walk away with a good sense of accomplishment nonetheless.

Please feel free to comment if you have any questions or thoughts regarding my blog and thank you for reading!

2017 Ironmaster’s Challenge 50K Race Report

This past Sunday I completed my third ultra, the (8th annual) Ironmaster’s Challenge 50K. I like reading about longer races like this one prior to competing in them, so as I followed with my other two ultra’s I completed, I’m writing a review of the event for others to learn from. You can read my first and second race reviews by clicking on their respective links, found here and here.

Event Overview

As stated, this was a 50K, with the race website stating the total distance at 31.5 miles. There was also a 15K event held too. My Garmin GPS watch showed 30.69 miles at the end (even with one wrong turn adding about a half mile) but I’m not worried about the distance difference. The race starts out in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Cumberland County, PA and runs through Michaux State Forest. Also on the race website is listed >5300 feet of elevation gain. My watch showed 5003 ft upon finishing and again I’m not worried about the difference. Along the course was 3 check points as there was a cutoff for the finish time (10 hours).

The course offers a little of everything—minimal road running, single track, gravel and dirt roads, and some rock scrambling early near “Sunset Rocks” which is a nice overlook. There was a couple of nice outlooks along the course and I probably should have took time to enjoy them more than the few second I did look around. I guess the racer instinct was in me to keep moving. There was about four significant climbs from what I recall with one of them coming about mile 28 which just never seemed to stop and I found to be difficult.

The weather at the start was comfortable, being in the low 60’s. I was glad that it was cloudy as I started sweating early. As the race progressed, the sun started peaking through the clouds more and more and by the last several miles and through the remaining afternoon the sun stayed out and it really seemed to get hot.

Training Notes

I basically started training for this event at the beginning of the calendar year. I focused on getting in as much hillwork as I could—which is needed and I do suggest—and running on trails to increase my abilities with uneven surfaces. I got in several long runs of 2500 ft of elevation gain but still feel like I could have used more hill training honestly. My longest long run was 25 miles. I found training for this event difficult early in my training simply because I was doing it all outside in the winter—which I do not like the cold! Depending on how bad the winter is, successfully completing long trail runs can be tricky and difficult to pull off. I feel I was only able to do the proper training because of a mild winter which didn’t include much snow.

The Course

My early miles seemed slow to me which was mostly due to two good climbs fairly early in the course. Mile 2 was basically a rock scramble for a good bit of time but I enjoy that so it was fun even if it did slow me down. I took it easy through the early miles since even though I felt good I knew I might not feel near as well later if I pushed too hard early. Right after the first water station, just before mile 4, I made a wrong turn. I don’t think it was marked particularly well since I (and another guy I was running with) encountered a group of 8-10 runners that also missed the same turn. After the race I heard of many other runners missing a different section of the course but for the most part it was marked well.

The course through the first 15-20 miles was quite winding. There were technical sections and some easier running mixed in but just about a mix of everything. At times you felt like you were running through a traditional forest and other sections where you were running parallel to and crossing small runs and streams all with the accompanying rhododendron that it had more of jungle feel to it. Still other sections were more pine trees, so there definitely was a mix.

At the half marathon distance my time was 2:50, which again I thought seemed slow. I felt pretty good at check point 2 which was about 19.5 miles into the race. There was a long(er) flat section just after the check point which I liked that lead to another long climb. Coming down that same hill though was fun as it took a much shorter route along a well traveled hiking path. I was interested by the different looks we runners received from the various hikers climbing up the steep path. On the road section below the hill was a spring, and since I still had the cup from the last aid station I filled it up with water and poured it over me. Man was that ever cooling and refreshing!

Upon passing the scenic Laurel Lake, there was a lengthy climb. The grade was distinct in two aspects—first was long gradual ascent up a dirt fire road followed by a turn into the woods for another long climb that was anything but gradual. As stated before, it came about mile 28 in the race and really slowed me down. I felt like I was never getting to the top of that hill!‚ it literally seemed like it went on forever. The remaining miles were mostly downhill and the finish line was right at the Ironmaster’s Mansion back within Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

Aid Stations

I thought the aid stations were great in this event. There were 4 water stations with food/drink and the same at a minimum of 2 of the check points too. Some of the food I saw at the aid station included fruit (apple slices, bananas, grapes), small bags of pretzels, and various flavors of gels. Regarding hydration, Gatorade and water was available. Personally, I stuck to carrying water in my Fuelbelt and drank Gatorade at the aid station. I ate mostly fruit from the aid stations just grabbing one bag of pretzels. The other food I ate was trail mix, a packet of almond butter, and a granola bar I carried with me. I retrospect I probably should have grabbed a gel or too.

I’d also like to say the volunteers at the aid station were very friendly, as they would ask how you’re doing, what you needed and were great at asking if you needed water bottle(s) filled.

Other Race Mentionables

In addition to the food at the aid stations, there was food after the race as well! Each runner/hiker of the event got a goodie bag that was quite complimentary! For the cost of $70 (or $80 depending on when you signed up), there was a ticket for the food (pulled pork or a hot dog, chips, pasta salad, cookie or muffin, water or sports drink), two tickets for a cup of beer, a tech race t-shirt, a winter beanie, and some smaller misc items. Not bad to go along with a well run and scenic race course!

Final Thoughts

My official finish time was 6:29:29, which was 20th place overall out of 120 total participants for the 50K distance. I have to say despite the difficult hills in the course I liked this event and would by all means try it again. The only real thing I’d dislike about it would be doing a good bit of the training in the winter. Everything else I like about the event: a scenic route (also close to home), friendly volunteers, friendly runners, and a challenging but fun course.

I guess my one regret was that I didn’t take time to look around and truly enjoy the course as much as I should have but I did have a good time pushing myself and seeing how well I could do from a time perspective. I kinda figured that I put too much work in my training to not give the this an honest effort. Nonetheless, I will consider this event again and recommend it if you don’t mind starting your training in the winter!

So give this race a thought next year if it’s not too far away for you. Please feel free to write if you have any questions or comments and thank you for reading!

Burnout

I think sometimes in life we all experience a time where, intentionally or not, we bite off more than we can chew. I feel as if I have slowly fallen into this scenario with my running while training for two distance races, and in this post I discuss what had lead up to me feeling this way and my tips for working through it and preventing it.

This year, I signed up for both a marathon and ultramarathon (50K) in the late spring. Both races are local and ones I never ran before, so I thought they would be good candidates for testing myself in preparation for building up my distance running resume. However in training for them I’ve found I’m having more times when I’m either not into the run when I’m running or having lacking the motivation to even start the run.

The one thing that I knew would challenge me the most is running outside (since I’m without the luxury of owning a treadmill or having a gym membership) to complete all my training. Living in the Northeast, this can be difficult since any running outside can get tricky due to the short days and winter weather. While this winter was fairly mild where I live, I still find running outdoors to be difficult due to an intolerance to cold temperatures. I toughed it out and got through the winter months. Now there are more daylight hours and the temperature is finally staying tolerable—and even get warm now fairly consistently.

In that process of toughing it out and building up my mileage to be properly trained, I think the mileage has taken a toll on me mentally. Last year, in training for my first two ultra’s, albeit both in a late summer timeframe, my main mindset was increasing distance starting at the beginning of the calendar year—which I did successfully and completed one of my highest yearly mileages. This year, with an earlier goal race, I had to accelerate this process again. Comparing this year to last year, by February 1st, I had double the distance. By April 1st, I had an additional 150 miles logged. This acceleration has lead to some burnout though.

In realizing and assessing my burnout, I thought it might make for a good topic to share with others to provide information and ideas.

• Reassess your goal(s)

This topic wasn’t the first thing that came to mind to me, but eventually I learned that generally speaking, this is probably the one of the best things you can do.

Asking yourself “how important is this to me?” and “why am I feeling this way?” are questions that get you thinking from a broader sense and seeing things from a different perspective. If training is becoming stale, too intense, or too boring then completing a self assessment can tell you if you need to take a break, alter your training, or perhaps delay things until another time when you are better able to handle the training volume/intensity (or both) in order to reach your goals.

Sometimes these questions will have difficult answers. And sometimes the answer(s) you arrive at will likely be something unpleasant as you think you should be able to otherwise work through.

In my case, having already signed up and paid the money for my goal races prior to having the feelings of being burnout–and having a strong desire to compete in these events, I didn’t feel like not doing these events at all was the right choice for me.

What I have found is that picking spring endurance events which require me to log more mileage in the winter is probably not best for me. I prefer running in warmer conditions and “forcing” a lot of miles in the winter to train seems like it is not a choice in the long term as by the time spring and longer days with warmer temperatures are here, I have less desire to get out and continue with running. Thus, to deal with my burnout I have turned to my next topic…

• Alter your training

Likely one of the quickest and easiest things you can do with your running is alter the way your approach your weekly routine. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut but doing something fresh and new is a way to bring some vitality back into your running—and there’s  a lot  you can experiment with such as volume, intensity, location, or the type of workout you complete.

If your burnout is from volume, which can be more than likely, then I’d definitely recommend reducing your mileage and taking a break. Taking a week or two to reduce volume and increase recovery could leave you to having more energy when you get back into your regular routine—and in that time you won’t have lost that much fitness.

For me, right now this is the reason I feel I’m experiencing feelings of burnout. I had to safely but with a moderately quick time ramp up mile weekly mileage in order to get into the longer duration of long runs for knowing how I’ll react on race day of running with tired legs and how to get myself to the finish line when climbs in the last miles make me want to just take a break. Completing this higher running volume when it was colder and sometimes in the dark proved to be near my limits of how much I could push myself before I experience simply not liking running anymore.

Intensity is another aspect that can easily lead to burnout. Again my suggestion is to mix in a week every month of lower intensity, which again leads to faster recovery time. While working on speed is often important to many runners, a lower intensity run will help to build your aerobic base—so don’t think that running slower is not worth it.

Conversely, mixing in some higher intensity running might be good to mix in now and then if you often complete most of your mile at a slow pace, such a during training for long distance events.

Changing the location of where you run is a great way to mix things up too if that is a option for you. I know personally this helps me a lot in getting through some runs. Mostly run on the roads?—why not try a trail or head to a track if you can? Experiment and see what might work for you.

Lastly, mix up your type of running to change things. Completing track workouts, tempo runs, and fartleks can all address some of the aforementioned means of altering your training and help to prevent burnout.

• Review how your changes are working or not working

This may seem obvious, but always take time to review any changes that you make. That way you weed out anything not working for you—which is nonproductive, and focus on what is working for you—so you can use it as a positive learning experience and possibly apply it in other means as well.

Either your mind or body will likely let you know when you’re feeling burnout but try to get in the habit of making assessments, say quarterly or even monthly, of what you’re experiencing with your running—and most importantly prevent burnout before it ever begins!

For me, I have made it through my longest training run with my goal races being now 2 and 5 weeks away. At this point I will be reducing my volume and running at some different locations to work through my feelings of burnout—the worst of which is in the past now. I also am starting to feel reinvigorated from both the warmth outside and all the growth I see in nature when I’m out trail running, each making getting in miles a lot easier!

In closing, I hope some the above tips and advice help if you too have been feeling burnout. My suggestion would be to try one change at a time to find out what works best for you because with altering too many things at once, it is harder to derive at what truly caused a change and know what works best.

Advice on setting and achieving goals

One year is ending, a new one will soon be beginning. And it’s during this time when many people set goals to better themselves. While I don’t necessarily use the new year myself as a time to set goals (I implement goals as soon as I can reasonable pursue them), I thought now was a good time to write a blog post on goals and share what I found works for me regarding goal setting. While what works for me may not work for you, I hope this post at least inspires you to find something new and find what does work for you!

Many times the goals set at New Years are fitness related in order to achieve better health—which is great because without having optimal health I venture to say the vast majority of us work less at other goals and pursuits we have in life. Not to mention the fact that physical health can also affect our mental and emotional health too.

So let me get this post started. I’ll list a few main points and then discuss each more in-depth.

• Write down your goal(s)

It sounds simple but the act of putting pen to paper makes it a bit more official. I often think that the thought of my goal(s) in my head as a concept, and the act of actually writing down of the goal as an initial step in the journey to achieving it. I also suggest sticking to the paper and pen format too. It’s just my belief that it’s a little more tactile and thus productive than typing it on your digital device(s). That’s not say you can’t also add it to your device (it’s another means of “making it official”), but I find it’s just not the same as pen to paper. Either way, by moving from the thought/idea/concept in your head to writing down your goal(s), you now have a way hold yourself accountable! 

• Break down your goal(s)

Cutting your goal down to smaller and more attainable achievements helps to take the enormity of the goal back to something that doesn’t seem as overwhelming sometimes—especially if you have a really big goal or if you’re a type A person. These smaller units become more achievable and make it easier to see positive progression which in turn makes you feel better about your overall progression toward your goal. Similarly, setting different degrees of a goal can also be helpful. For instance, say your goal is to lift a certain amount of weight. You could set mini goals of lifting say 70% of that weight, 85%, and finally the actual goal weight. This way in case something gets in the way (injury, work, other personal commitments) of you achieving your ultimate goal, you can still have a sense of accomplishment in achieving these smaller goals, and knowing while it may take longer, you are at least in progress with your goal.

• Envision

This is a big one for me personally! While training, envision yourself achieving your goal. For 2016, my big personal goal was to run my first ultramarathon, which as it turns out was going to be a 12 hr event. This was incredibly far more than I had ever taken on before and something I needed to put major time and effort into my training. Even during the initial training stages, I would envision myself being in my goal race while I was out training for it. It was good practice in that come race day, I had experience in knowing what to change when something isn’t going as I had planned. It was as much mental as it was physical—which I feel if you’re honest with yourself you’ll agree that’s the truth when trying to meet any goal that’s physical in nature. Finally, believe in that envisioning! Trust me on this point, you will be much more successful when you believe in that envisioning. It may take awhile to learn this skill but consistency is the key. To me, this envisioning is a powerful tool toward success!

• Develop a mantra

This is another act I highly recommend! Inevitably you’ll have some lows come along in your journey and having a mantra to say to yourself I’ve found to be a great way to get back on track and work toward positive progression. It can be one word, one sentence, or whatever you want it—just be sure you believe it! That is the key—believing it!

Don’t borrow a friend’s mantra unless it actually works for you. I’d really suggest finding your own honestly. Both you and your goal are unique—so why shouldn’t your mantra be unique too? One of my main mantra’s (in life) is “I trust that I am prepared.” This mantra holds me accountable constantly. Initially I adopted it in training for my first marathon, then applied it professionally when going back to college to get a new degree, and then again personally when training for my first ultramarathon. I successfully achieved all of these so you can see it works for me. While working toward my goal, if I don’t feel like I’m at the point where I should to be totally prepared to achieve my goal, then I know I have change what I’m doing or work harder or work smarter. And that leads me to my final main point.

• Review your goal(s) periodically

I also find this act to be instrumental in successful goal achievement. My personal suggestion is to review both your main goal and any sub-goals you established. In reviewing your goals, you once again hold yourself accountable for your progress, which I always feel is good. Related to my last previous main point, it also allows you to at the very least see, if not actually make, the necessary changes for positive progression. I feel reviewing your goal(s) also helps you weed out what isn’t working and thus allows for quicker growth by enabling you to focus on what is working.

I’d encourage you to at least try and see if a few of these work for you. You never know. Life constantly changes so just because it didn’t work before doesn’t mean it can’t be tweaked and work for you now—or just use it as a starting point. As long as you make forward progress that is the key! Good luck—you can do it! Get to it and accomplish something you didn’t think you were capable of!

Ultramarathon training and preparation

My last few posts have been race reviews and my thoughts on my experiences with running my first two ultramarathons. First was my 12 hour event, followed by a 40 mile race. Both of these were big jumps for me transitioning into the ultra world and essentially tests to see if I think I have what it takes to eventually pursue my ultimate running dream—running a 100 miler.

In those posts, I didn’t really go into any details regarding my preparation in training for these two important events. With some inquiries about how I did train for these events, I thought it was worthwhile to share my approach—so that’s the focus of this one.

With any long race, I think a lot of runners get asked the question somewhere along the line of “isn’t that hard?” Well to some degree the answer is yes. But mostly, if you trained properly, then the answer should lean toward no. I’ve heard and read of many people saying they want to run—and I’ll use the commonly mentioned marathon—only to do so and say they can barely walk for a week and then think running is horrible. In all likelihood, for whatever reason, they just failed to put in the work beforehand (in my opinion.) To have a good race experience, you really do have to have dedication in your training. From my past experiences, I have found this to be very true—and if you follow it I think you will be very well rewarded and surprise yourself on race day.

I’ll be honest about my training—it was only semi-structured. To be a tad more specific, each effort had it’s purpose and certain aspects of training had a focus, but scheduling how to work each of those efforts into my work week was…juggled, to say the least. During the vast majority of my training, I was working two jobs split between first and second shift, sometimes close to 60 hrs/wk. And there were a few weeks where I had worked 7 days a week, so long runs (run/hikes) didn’t exist. I didn’t stress about this. I knew I had an erratic work schedule and that fitting in long efforts would be challenging. It was just what had to be done. So while I like structure in my training, and these races were important to me, with my work situation at the time I was just going to have “wing it” to some degree on this whole ultra training thing.

My first two ultras were only 3 weeks apart—so in effect training for the first was the same as training for both. The longer race was first too, so I couldn’t use the first as a tune-up for the second. Tackling a 12 hour event—I went big(ger) for my first ultra.

Having these races already on my calendar for a long time, my training started very early in the year. Having a solid 8 months to build up my mileage was important since it would reduce the risk of me getting injured in pushing myself farther than I ever have before. After all, the quicker you ramp up your mileage, the more likely you are to develop an injury. While this is common sense, it is often forgotten.

Knowing these ultra’s I wanted to complete would be hours on end, I really didn’t focus my training on mileage. My main focus was building up the time I was spending on my feet. I think that is an important concept and one of the key points I’d like to stress. While I did have a mileage goal in mind (40-50 miles) for my first 12 hr ultra, I was realistic in knowing it would take me the vast majority if not all the 12 hrs to complete that goal. Plus there was the fact I had never ran/walked/hiked for anywhere near that timeframe either. I knew the miles would rack up for me—but only if I keep moving! If I’d stop because I was too tired after 6 or 8 or whatever hours, well then obviously mileage stops as well. So you can see how time and NOT distance becomes so important. On my long weekly efforts, I would only increase about 45 minutes to the total time I would complete, safely adding only 2–3 miles depending on terrain. My goal was to work up to a the equivalent of a full work day (8 hrs) of near constant movement (some combination of running, power hiking, etc.) I got in a few efforts around this time and figured that would be a good test for race day and that on race day I’d be able to dig a little deeper to complete the 12 hours.

Then within that focus of time for my training, it was just covering as many miles as I comfortably could without wearing myself out. I knew there was no way I could run the entire time for these ultras—and I was totally fine with knowing that. Very early in the year, my training did consist of solely running. My base for starting was around 7 miles. As I transitioned away from just running, one of main focuses was finding a good run/walk ratio. This is my second key point and was something that really challenged me! I experimented with different number of minutes walking and at different intervals for those walks, but most of that flies out the window so to speak when you’re on trails. The constant elevation changes would force me to hike when I “should” be running and other times the terrain would present me with opportunities to run when I was scheduled to walk. In experimenting with this run/walk ratio, what I eventually learned was two things—two very important things. Those were: 1) let the terrain ahead of you dictate whether you run or walk, and 2) listen to your body. These two items make up another key point and one I would definitely recommend for anyone training for an ultra distance event. What I found was discovering that perfect run/walk ratio only works if you’re running flat surfaces—which on most any trail ultra you are not! So I would follow my aforementioned two learned rules and then if my run/walk ratio worked within following those rules, I would apply it. If not, oh well. Expanding on my mentioning of terrain, I learned to play the hand you’re dealt so to speak. You see the hills in front of you won’t get any less steep no matter how much you wish and the rocky sections won’t suddenly become smooth either. So if you find yourself seeing your heart rate (HR) keep climbing and climbing (I’ll discuss this key point too shortly) but you feel like you’re barely moving, then honestly just ditch the running. What I’ve found is I can power hike just as fast on steeper inclines and keep your HR lower and conserve energy—trust me, you’ll need it. I also wouldn’t worry if I had long stretches of running because of a long downhill section during a time when I thought I should take a break with walking. Why not let gravity help you out? Unless you’re in actual pain, there’s no reason not to let gravity be your friend and cover the same distance using less energy.

I also tailored my training to the type of terrain I would face, and another point I can’t stress enough. Knowing the events I wanted to do were on trails, that is what I trained on.  There was no way I wanted to be unprepared come race day. As much as I could, I sought out hilly, technical trails which would constantly challenge me—and they did! Not only would it prepare me mentally for that terrain, but I knew it would strengthen the stabilizing muscles in my feet and ankles, delaying the time these areas would fatigue. I know when I first started trail running I would feel a soreness afterward in my ankles so I knew strengthening was important for truly long distance. A few times out of necessity I trained on hilly roads, but believe me, it is just not the same. I would always suggest training on as close to the same surface and type of terrain as you’ll face on race day as much as you can.

Another item that helped me a lot was stair climbing. One of my jobs I averaged 7 to 8 miles of walking each workday. I believe this job helped me with my ultra training. Even though I obviously wasn’t running, I was spending long durations of time on my feet—again, my main goal. Also in this job was the availability of stairwells. Walking—or sometimes even jogging or running—as many flights of stairs as I could was also a substitution for any lack of running and a secondary method of hill training. For me, any day less than 15–20 flights of stairs was a disappointment. If I tackled 30+ flights—OK, now we’re talking’. Hit about 50 flights of stairs—now that was good day! Sure, it was hard, but I knew in the long run this was going to help strengthen me. I don’t have that job anymore and it will be interesting to see in the future if I notice a difference. I miss those stair workouts and really suggest if you have the opportunity to incorporate stair climbing into your training that you do so. It will really prepare you for steep climbs!

Now I’ll touch on the aforementioned topic of heart rate. Another aspect of my training that I incorporated was heart rate monitoring—and more specifically within that was what is known as zone 2 training. I had both read and heard about this concept in researching running and upon learning about it, thought it made sense and was applicable to what I was trying to accomplish. By no means though do you have to follow zone 2 training.

Many HR monitoring watches come with preset (or you create your own) training zones relating to a percentage of your maximum HR. A lower number zone relates to a smaller percentage of your max HR. The different types of workout you do fall into different zones—for instance a tempo run would fall in zone 3 or 4 since you’re running a bit faster and would have a higher HR or a speed workout on the track might fall in zone 4 or even 5 depending on the purpose of the workout. The thinking behind utilizing this method of training is since a ultramarathon consists of long distance running done at a slower pace, training should be kept at a slower pace and stay within zone 2. There’s little benefit to having a higher HR from running faster when realistically most runners while not be able to keep up that faster pace the entire time of their event. Eventually you become more efficient with your running within zone 2 and you do become faster.

One of the easiest and most common ways to determine your zone 2 is the formula: 180 minus your age. The result is the number you want to keep your HR below for distance training. If you are a seasoned runner who has been staying in shape then there is a slight deviation allowable to add 5 beats per minute to the result of your number but if you are new(er) to this training or newer to running in general then just stick to the basic formula.

I will attest to zone 2 training being difficult at least in its initial stages, and this is something I heard from many others. It was difficult to keep my HR that low. What I thought was slow running was actually raising my HR about what my max should be for zone 2—especially for hills and inclines. This showed me I likely wasn’t as fit as I thought I was. While this was frustrating, I did slow down (the vast majority of the time) and continue following this training regimen. There were many times where I needed to slow down to a walk (or hike depending on terrain) in order to keep my HR within zone 2. I will tell you that you do need to be patient with this regimen and it will take time to see results. For me it took a few months, which is rather common. However, if you stick to following zone 2 training for your distance running then you will see results and be able to run at a faster pace and still keep your HR lower.

One of the ways I learned to more easily stay within zone 2 was to alter how I breathed. While I realize some of you won’t be able to incorporate this, it was an effective method for me. To stay within zone 2, I would (in effect) force myself to breathe strictly through my nose. Obviously this restricted the amount of air I could take in within each breath. This lower volume of air would force me to slow down in order not to be out of breath. Thus the slower running kept my HR lower. Basically as long as I could solely breathe through my nose I was going to have a lower HR and stay within zone 2. Don’t get me wrong, this was not easy to do! I had to make a very conscious effort in my initial stages of trying this approach—but with practice I found this to be a very effective technique. At times, yes, I did need to breathe using my mouth but regardless I would always make a effort to keep my breathing controlled! I can’t stress enough using controlled breathing in order to follow zone 2 training. This is a great topic to read up on and one where you can do a search and find a ton of info on—perhaps a topic of a future blog post.

Transitioning back to other training techniques, something else I would do within my training efforts is I would envision myself being in an ultra. My suggestion is picture yourself adjust to all the feedback your body gives you. Learn to become confident in making changes as that feedback changes. Picture yourself having a good race and reaching that next aid station or the finish line. You’re going to experience lows in an ultra and the easier it is to break any negativity you have mentally or make changes based on how you feel physically the better off you’ll be.

For instance, in my 12 hr event, I started moderately too fast and only 20 miles into the race my quads basically felt like they were mostly spent. They were already tired and sore and I had over half my day still ahead of me. I remember the spot where I had to have a talk with myself—as if I was talking in third person. I told myself that I have to slow down or else you’ll never reach your goal or if you do you will feel worse than you ever expected to post-race. In my second ultra I was experiencing more prolonged discomfort in the back of my left knee and again I had to listen to my body and back off the running and do more walking/hiking. In each of these instances, it was adjusting my mindset in order to successfully complete the event—just as I had practiced in training.

Additionally, beyond the physical and mental prep with my training, was training and experimenting with other aspects of running I would face on race day. Within training, was learning what, how much, and when to eat. Same thing for hydration. Your training efforts is the time to experiment and nail down what works and what doesn’t—don’t be afraid to learn in your training so you have less stress and can have a better experience on race day! I also experiment with how I even carried my food and water, completing some efforts with my new hydration pack and others with my Fuelbelt to find out what worked best for me.

Overall, take some time and make a checklist of all the variables you can face on race day, and prep for these in your training—again, training is place to make mistakes and find out what work and what doesn’t. And if a mistake happens then learn from it and progress.

I realize this article is somewhat long—hey, just like an ultra! So I thought here at the end I’d try and pick out and list the best pieces of training advice and put them in quick list for you to sum up the article.

1. Take your training seriously—don’t think that it’s all just going to “come together” on race day.
2. Specificity—train as much as you can in conditions you’ll face on race day.
3. Envisioning—picture yourself in a race while you train and learn to be confident in your ability to face different situations you encounter.
4. Listen to your body—it’s giving you feedback for a reason and use that to get to the finish line.

Will all of these training strategies be right for you?—likely not. What I do hope though is that a look at my training will give you some ideas or you’ll pick up at least something that you’ll find helpful and grow as distance runner. Thanks for reading and good luck with your running!