The First 10,000 Miles

What does 10,000 miles mean to you? It’s all in what perspective you’re talking about, right? 10,000 miles of flying in an airplane isn’t that far. 10,000 miles of driving in a car is basically one year, and in terms of the car it is just breaking it in.

But 10,000 miles on foot is a little different, and I recently achieved this distance in running regarding lifetime miles. When I started out running 12 years ago, I never really had any goals in mind other than to just be more healthy. I never thought it would lead me to races and reading and listening to podcasts on the subject. I never thought it would lead me to double digits in distance and then marathon distance and eventually ultramarathons too. I never dreamed I would learn so much about myself through running and become a different person

10,000 miles has taken me to new levels of exploration—to new races, parks, and towns; to new trails, roads, and paths I never knew existed; and mostly—to new exploration of myself.

I have learned so much about myself through running. I’ve experienced thoughts, feelings, and emotions I never knew existed within me. And I have grown from experiencing all of these.

I’ve learned that I have more abilities in me than what I thought I had prior to running. I’ve learned that I have more of a love of nature and the outdoors than I realized. Because of that love of nature I’ve learned I have a growing interest in photography as well.

I’ve learned that I can get through tough situations in life by breaking them down and relating them to running. Here is one prime example of that.

Upon deciding to go back to college to learn a new career, in many aspects, it was putting things in a running perspective that got through the tough times of only working part time (and having bills and owning a house) while also being a full time student. I had already run a marathon at that point, three actually, and viewed schooling as a marathon. Starting out by taking my general education classes at a community college to start earning my credits was like the first 10 miles or so of a marathon. Easing into things and getting a feel for how this will all go. The core classes for the PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant) program I was enrolled in was the meat and potatoes, so to speak, of miles 10–20. Then after all of the classes there was clinicals. I viewed this as miles 20–25 of the marathon—that’s where you really have to put everything together and apply what you learned previously to get you through and believe you actually have what it takes. Finally studying for the State Board Exam to earn my practicing license was like the last 1.2 miles where you’re still not at the finish line yet and you just have to gut it out until you have actually finished and you get to say you did it!

I love the way running can make me feel. That is especially true when it comes to trail running. That aforementioned love of outdoors is evident with trail running. I never know what is up around the bend in the trail—perhaps a lookout, the sunlight shimmering across a lake, the beautiful butterfly, patch of flowers, or some woodland dwelling critter. When I’m out running on the trails I seem to forget about every thing else. My worries and cares and fears seem to go away. It is calming, peaceful, and meditative all at once. In large part, it has become my escape. I don’t feel invincible in the real world but out on the trails everything just seems to flow and I feel like most anything is possible.

I guess most of all I just like the enjoyment I get from everything running related. I like the challenge of creating a training plan to run an ultra. I enjoy reading on what others are doing and how it inspires me to push myself. I like hearing from time to time that I have inspired someone else. That is something I never ever thought would come from running. Not in wildest dreams did I imagine someone else would look at what I’m doing or did in the past and tell me they wish they could do the same or find it within themselves just to attempt it. In part, that fuels me for the days I don’t feel like running—because yes I do have those days. Eventually I miss it or know it’s time to head out and explore and progress.

The journey has been interesting in those 10,000 miles. Going from mostly a complete novice to a seasoned runner I’ve learned how to make gains in running by how to train, how to dress, how to eat, how to drink, how to have the right mindset—and how to put them all together to become a better runner.

Upon starting to run I never knew I eventually start doing races. It was in fact finishing the very first 5K I ever did that truly made me start thinking of myself as a runner. I had put a lot into training for that once difficult distance and laid the groundwork for being a consistent runner. After finishing the race and driving home, I asked myself “now what?” I liked the race. I liked the challenge of working to achieve it. I like how I felt during and after the race. After eating lunch I went to the computer and start looking for another race. I haven’t really looked back since that first race. Something has been inside of ever since that day. I hope it never leaves.

One thing through the years I’ve also learned is do what works for you. Become a runner, and every other runners seems to tell you to try this or that for virtually everything. But you have to find what works best for you.

I have run all 10,000 miles without ever having earbuds in my ear or headphones on my head. Listening to music/audiobooks/podcasts while running just isn’t my thing. I don’t consider it safe to do that when running on the roads and when I’m on the trails I prefer the songs of birds or water over the rocks in the stream.

I have run all 10,000 miles outside. I’ve never had a gym membership and just haven’t looked into getting a treadmill—even though one would be nice in some of the cold Pennsylvania winters. I don’t know how many others can say they’ve run every single mile outdoors but I consider myself slightly lucky as I have gone over 9 years without ever missing a calendar week of running, so Mother Nature must be on my side.

I also know that I will continue to learn. I don’t feel you ever know it all with running. I still feel like I don’t do well with hydration and that in particular is one area I want to improve and learn more.

Moving forward, I don’t know where the next 10,000 miles will lead—or if there will even be another 10,000 miles. I sure hope so and can’t right now imagine life without at least some degree of running, but perhaps other interests, experiences, and opportunities will present themselves and just like I didn’t set out to become a runner I will learn to grow with those opportunities as I did with running. Perhaps eventually my body will start to give out on me and running frequency will slow. Again, I hope doesn’t but we never know what lies in store for us.

Much of what I’ve accomplished in running so far I never knew was in store for me. But it has been for the positive. I just hope to progress. My ultimate goal, though I know will challenge me in all aspects of not just my running but also in overall general sense of me, is to complete a 100 mile race someday. I hope to write that in my words about the first 20,000 miles. Wish me luck!… and good luck to you! Now get out there and explore!

Managing Self Imposed Expectations

I think it’s safe to say a lot of runners are goal oriented. Sometimes those goals are more external, influenced by either an individual or group, but I’m willing to guess that most of our goals are the product of internal factors. I’d also venture to say that we runners put a fair amount of pressure on ourselves to reach our goals.

I’d like to discuss that pressure, or expectation, we impose on ourselves, for personally, I am experiencing that right now.

For me, 2018 is so far turning out to be a year that is not what I envisioned in regards to running. I was hoping to increase the distance of my ultramarathon races this year to work toward my ultimate goal of a 100 mile race. The idea I had was to try something of the following: 100K, 12 hr, or 24 hr event—or several of them. I did sign up for a 100K race (my first of that distance) and was considering some of the same ultras I had done in prior years, but also wanted to try a few different ones too, again with the focus on distances at or beyond the 50 mile distance.

One reason things haven’t gone as planned is the changing of race events. I was looking at a fairly local event that had a 12 and 24 hour option but found out from the race website that due to low participation the prior year they are no longer holding the race again in 2018, so that option was a no go. Another event with 12 and 24 hour options changed the date to a week or two after a 50K that I planned to run, and I felt there was not enough recovery time for me to compete well in both events. So I eliminated that event from my potential races as well.

In this instance, my expectations were derailed by external factors that I had no control over so it was just something I had to deal with and find a similar substitute regarding my events/races. There was nothing I could do to change those circumstances so accepting them and finding a workaround was fairly easy—it was the only choice. Right now I am looking at finding some new races that are either in the summer or fall timeframe.

Finding races later in the year leads me to my next point about managing expectations, and the one I really wanted to write about.

Again what I’ll talk about is a topic out of my control (largely), but for whatever reason has been one I’m finding much more difficult to deal with and accept.

In 2018 I’ve found it to be difficult to stay healthy for any extended time. It’s not something major or significant regarding health, but instead several episodes of the nagging, annoying, something that you just get sick of being sick type of unhealthiness. Starting at the first of the year, I had a head cold for a week or two having congestion, stuffiness, coughing, and fatigue. Then a week of a stomach bug cropped up which really draining my energy. Upon getting rid of that, another head cold that hung on for several weeks got me again. By the time that disappeared, so had the month of February essentially!

Having exceptionally cold temperatures in January made motivation for getting out to run difficult as well during my bout with having a cold. Upon looking back I wonder if running in very cold temperatures led to the head colds hanging around for so long. I have no way of knowing, I guess just looking back I wonder what I could have done differently.

I had been running the entire time with these ailments but at a decreased intensity and not really building up my mileage that much either. By the time I built up my mileage again to build toward my long-term goals, I again developed another head cold. I finally decided to see a physician to get cleared up and while I have been able to stay healthy overall since that I still don’t feel 100% yet.

This has lead to a few things. While I have been able to build up my mileage, I notice myself tiring quicker and thus I haven’t pushed myself as hard knowing I’ll increase my likelihood of developing a running injury from the jump in mileage to soon. To compensate I’ve been running as far as I feel I safely can and immediately follow it with hiking so that I can extend the time on my feet without wearing myself out too much. This slower paced hiking is good for training anyway as I will have spots that require hiking in my eventual ultras.

I also fear pushing myself too far will compromise my immunity and I’ll get sick again. I’ve been more diligent with dressing so I don’t overheat and subsequently sweat too much as I’ll often then get chilly quickly. I just find it very hard mentally and psychologically to push myself at my true limits fearing it will bring about another round of sickness.

All of this has lead me to rethink and adjust my ultramarathon goals for 2018.

I have a 50K coming up in one week and to date my longest long run has been 16 miles. If I include my hiking I’ve got up to 20 miles but that is by no means where I feel I should be for a 50K. For that event, I’ve come to the conclusion that I won’t set a PR and will have to “settle” for just getting it done. While I feel I can do it, I know I will be slow and the distance will more than likely feel very tough. I’ll and take pride in knowing that I can enjoy some of the views and scenery instead as when I’m racing I don’t notice the surroundings near as much.

Regarding my 100K I had signed up for, I will be contacting the race officials and withdrawal from the race, letting a more ready and deserving candidate enter. That 100K was six weeks after my 50K and I know there’s no way I’d be reading to double my distance and feel anywhere near ready for it. I will shoot for the same race next year. There’s always next year I tell myself.

While I don’t like what hand I’ve been dealt, I realize it’s fairly minor in the grand scheme of things. My running is essentially, an albeit important, hobby to me and waiting another year to run a race I really wanted to attempt will not kill me. I want to keep running a long time so if slowing down in the short term with aid me in staying healthy for the long term then that is what I need to do and how I’m approaching things going forward.

Overall, I’m trying to take a step back and look at things from a broader perspective. Some of my aspirations, even within running, yet alone my entire life, are evolving and changing, so I’m taking this one piece of my life and looking at how if fits into a bigger puzzle.

If health will allow I’ll progress beyond what I done in the past but for right now I need to just put myself in the position to attempt a greater goal. Sometimes that’s just what needs done.

2017 Hex Hollow Half Race Report

For my last semi-long running event this year, I decided to get in one more that was out on the trails. One last race to test myself out in the environment I like most and get in miles toward my yearly mileage goal.

That event was the Hex Hollow Half, and the following is a race report for it.

Event Overview:

This was just the second year for this event. Both years there have been two options for running: a one-loop 6.66 mile event and a two-loop 13.13 mile that of course equals a half-marathon. It is held at Spring Valley Park in southern York County PA not too far from the town of Glen Rock.

This event is still rather small but fairly well known around the local trail running community. I can see this event growing in the coming years as more people learn of it.

If you are wondering about the name of this event and 6.66 mile distance—there’s a reason for it. The park is very close to the location of a famous local story from many, many years ago which involved witchcraft and a murder. If you want to read more about it you can here at Wikipedia or do a search for Rehmeyer’s hollow.

A view from near the start/finish area of the race.

The Course:

The Hex Hollow Half events consist of a lot of single track but in the beginning of the race the course is open for runners to sort themselves out mimicking a cross-country feel to the course. There are several double track areas on the course too and just a few spot where you’re running on an unpaved road. Regardless of the width of the course though you should expect to go up and down the entire time. About the only flat sections are the unpaved roads.

This was the first year I ran this event. I was not running trail races last year at this time due to a non-running injury. Both years have had windy conditions for the race but with temperatures at the mid-40’s it was warmer than last year from what I heard from other runners. It was nice day for running other than the high winds.

It had rained about an inch the day before the race so there were many muddy sections on the course. Honestly I thought it would be worse. You still had to watch your footing though considering how the trail wound around with so many twists and turns.

According to ultrasignup.com, there was about 1085ft of climbing/descent per loop. For two loops that would be 2170 ft, with my Garmin VivoActive HR recording ~2370ft of total elevation gain and loss. My legs (quads mostly) feel like either amount really. It’s just tough—plain and simple!

The course starts off downhill and flattens briefly before continuing downhill some more then finally just rolling little hills for awhile. After reaching the first unpaved road, runners face a steady climb before heading down the other side of the ridge to a small water crossing. From there, it’s just more up and down—as the entire course was. The biggest climb was roughly about mile 5. This one reduced me to power hiking most of it to keep my heart rate lower. After that, it was gradual downhill to a quick road section and then back up again only to go downhill yet again, With a quarter mile of finish is the steepest hill of the course. It is rather daunting this late in the course and both laps I switched to sidestepping for part of my journey up the hill as my quads were tiring quickly.

The course was very well marked with ribbon and directional arrows both painted on the ground and signs attached to trees. I heard of only one runner making a wrong turn and not following the course. Me personally, I think that person was just not paying attention!

Since I did not carry water, I was glad for the aid stations on the course (three in total for the half-marathon, one for the 6.66 mile event), even though water was the only item they had.

A big (and often overlooked) aspect was having volunteers at just about every of the road sections that we used in the park. I tried to remember to thank them as I passed by for even though these roads are not used much (at least I think), it was nice to know us runners would be safe by having volunteers attend to any traffic on these roads.

Other Items About The Event:

The cost for signup was $35 (for the half-marathon) and included a race t-shirt. I believe the 6.66 mile event was $25 to sign up. I thought this price was reasonable.

There was plenty of parking at the park. The are multiple porta-johns at the parking area so there was very little wait which was nice.

One of the best parts about this event was the post race food! To drink, there was water and chocolate milk from Perrydell Farms, which is known locally for making some delicious products! Food included baked potatoes, pizza, slices of subs, candy, and cookies—all of which tasted so good after a hard race like this one! Most people eating after the race were huddled around the heaters that were under the pavilion with the food.

My Finish:

Overall, my official finish time was 2:08:34. That was 13th overall of 47 finishers and 5th in my age group. I was hoping to finish a bit higher, perhaps top 10, but I’m still satisfied with my result. This is a difficult course with lots of elevation gain/loss and the muddy conditions made for slowing at spots to assure of good footing. I think I went out a little too strong on the first lap too. Although the second lap didn’t go badly, I definitely felt it was hard and did a bit more power hiking up the hills. I was tired by the end of this race and my quads were fatigued in the evening.

Wrapping things up:

This is a fun course, there’s a good mix of trail types so it isn’t really boring at any point. I especially like how the course would wind through the woods having just one turn after another after another. Just don’t go to this race trying to set a PR. I like hills and after climbing the very steep hill near the end and heading up the gradual uphill to the finish line, I was ready to be done. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time challenging myself but I was more tired than usual after the race.

If you like a challenge, consider adding this to your list of races next year. Get out there and get to know some of the trail running community—there are some talented local runners showing up to these trail events.

I hope you liked this race report—again, consider it if you like trail running and don’t care about a PR. Please feel free to comment if you have any questions or thoughts regarding my blog and thank you for reading!

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!