Why I Run

But struggling and suffering, as I now saw it, were the essence of a life worth living. If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you’re not constantly demanding more from yourself—expanding and learning as you go—you’re choosing a numb existence. You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip. -- Dean Karnazes

Recently I have been debating a few buddies about purpose, passion, and inspiration in life. And the conversation has focused primarily on the workplace and our jobs. Like many people, work has become a real source of frustration and energy drain. Is it because the unusual and hard circumstances facing the middle class?  Or, perhaps, it is because the three of us happen to be at similar stages of life and are reaching dissatisfaction at the same time? I'm not sure and I don't think it really matters.

Our debate has heightened with the death of Steve Jobs because he is famous for inspiring people and credited with "never working a day in his life". And while I think that is a great thing to aspire to, I'm not sure it's something that everyone can expect in their life.  In fact, it is my opinion that we sometimes glamorize other peoples' lives because they seem better than our own.  Here are a few reasons why I don't think that Jobs' life is for everyone:

• Not everyone has the risk profile, creative mind, or entrepreneurial spirit that Steve Jobs possessed
• If you've ever read Outliers, then you have to give some credit to the idea that our success is determined by factors we don't control
• For every entrepreneur, there simply have to be thousands of others that make a business work.  The majority of those people cannot have the autonomy and power needed to love their job the way he did
• This entire argument is based, at least to a degree, on the idea that we all measure success by bank accounts and stock options
• This line of thinking almost dismisses the idea that Steve Jobs had tough periods in his life
• Even people that love their jobs occasionally succumb to the pressures and have it feel like "work"

So what does this have to do with running? Well one of the main reasons that I run is to find inspiration, passion and happiness in my life. If you have read my story, then you know that I used to be just another member of the heard. My long journey through running has lead me to places I never thought when I started. I am not just a freak of nature born with superior running skills. The early years of running were difficult as I struggled with weight and motivation. Earlier this year, I struggled with very bad knee tendinitis that had me questioning whether my goals for the year were even possible. Here I am more than 10 years later -- down 65 pounds -- and finally starting to understand what it means to live a healthy life.

This summer I decided to run my first ultramarathon. When I signed up to do it, it had nothing to do with inspiring myself or anyone else. The primary reason I signed up was to have a BIG challenge to train for. Somewhere along the way things changed. I was getting stronger and healthier every time I ran.  It became effortless and fun. All my personal best times began to fall with ease. And it was all because I worked hard at it. There was a direct link between my hard work and  the results. How often does that happen in corporate America?

And another funny thing happened, I inspired other people!  My daughter ran her first 10K with me (and finished in the top 10% of her age group by the way).  She spent weeks preparing for that race and has become one of the better runners in her school.  Later in the summer my kids both torched a 2K run in Marble, CO.  Before this year my wife pretty much hated running.  She ran two half marathons in under 2 hours each.  Countless other people that I know began asking me for advice about running.  My sister made the absolutely incredible sacrifice of flying out here for barely more than 48 hours just to be a member of my ultra crew.  Then she went on to run a darn good marathon of her own later in the summer.  I made numerous new friends and even enhanced some relationships with existing friends.

Those who run long are not freaks of nature. We are not a handful of chosen ones blessed with indefatigable muscle and indestructible cartilage. Nor do we have indomitable willpower that others lack. If anything sets us apart it is a kind of sensitivity. We can hear a faint chord vibrating on old and brittle strings. It begins to resonate through us when we rise predawn for a morning run. The sound builds the longer we stay at it. On a long run through the mountains our attention becomes focused, in tune, automatic. Each footfall and each breath synchronized with a primal tune. Ours is a re-creation of once necessary dispositions. -- Powell, Bryon. Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons

The other beautiful thing about running -- running long in particular -- is that each run is a microcosm of life.  There are almost always parts of the run where you struggle and have to preserver. There is a constant struggle to balance between enjoying the moment and pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone. We learn to embrace and overcome pain and weakness.  If you run with friends, the ups and downs are evident in your interaction with one another. During period of the run you are joking, teasing and really enjoying one another's company. And at other times you are too busy struggling to say a word.

The week before my ultramarathon I developed a virus that caused me to run a 101 degree fever. And, for reasons still unclear to me, I had terrible stomach discomfort that kept me from eating and drinking the last three hours of my run. The competitor in me wishes that those things had not happened because they ruined my chances at reaching my goal time. But the human side of me wouldn't change a thing because I learned so much about myself on that day. Everyone has a story, but those that involve struggle and sacrifice make for more gripping theater.

Those of us that look for passion and meaning in life in our work are likely to come up empty more often than not. Perhaps people are living lives that are too comfortable. As part of a modern industrial society, we have many conveniences in our lives. But I believe the true beauty in life is overcoming adversity and finding a way to enjoy the journey. Running appeals to me because it is such a simple sport and it reveals your character in raw form.

As I close this, I want to leave you with a video shared with me by a running friend.

Weekly Training Wrap - 10/17 – 10/23

"The only good race pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die." -- Pre

If you read this blog, you have probably seen that quote before. As I warmed up for my "tune-up race" today, that quote was bouncing around over and over in my head. It has been many months since I really attempted a 10K race. In fact, I have very little experience racing them. Consequently I don't know a lot about strategy for a race of this distance. What I did know: I needed to run a 42:30 to keep with my 3:20 marathon training plan and I had just run 17 miles a day earlier. Honestly, I didn't have high expectations. But I'm not really a defeatist, so I decided the best pace was suicide pace (whatever that is!). After a decent warm up, I switched directions on the track -- to help balance the load on my body -- and started running. With a 6:51 target pace, I decided to bank a few miles below that without spending all my energy. First mile 6:42. It felt pretty darn good. So I banked a few more below the necessary pace (6:35 and 6:29). At the 5K mark I had tied my best pace on this same track (20:20). Hmm, am I going too fast? Can I keep this up? Every time I started to struggle I focused on my form -- lean forward, drive your knees, keep your feet landing under you, use your glutes to propel forward -- and I just kind of settled into a 6:28 pace. I ran my second 5K faster than the first and beat the "necessary" pace by nearly 2 full minutes. If I'm being fair, I should acknowledge that the conditions today were PERFECT. And I always run my best times on that track.

So now I have a decision to make: what the heck do I do on race day? That 10K pace suggests I could run a 3:11 marathon. And that doesn't include the 10 second per mile benefit that I should get from dropping 4K feet in altitude race day (maybe 5 or 6 minutes on race day). Could I really run a low 7 min/mile marathon?!  Seems impossible.  I am the same guy that was happy to break four hours 12 months ago. BQ is for studs. Only feather weight runners with an insane V02 max can run a sub-3:10 (my BQ time). I still feel like that is an unrealistic goal, but I am insanely happy that I can even think about it. I won't consider revising my goal of sub-3:20 until closer to the race. And it's very doubtful I'll attempt a 3:10 unless conditions on race day are absolutely perfect and I feel amazing at the halfway point. It is too risky. With Leadville training coming up, I may not have another shot at a road marathon for a while.

I have three more hard weeks of training before taper, meaning October will likely be my last 200 mile month of the year. The big run this week is 18 miles with 14 at marathon pace. But what is my marathon pace?! I suppose I'll shoot for something in the 7:30 range.

A quick update on Leadville:  registration opens November 1st.  They are expecting the 100 mile races to fill quickly.  And since I'm impulsive anyway, I will likely sign up early if I am going to sign up at all.  At this point I would say it is likely, but I'm still searching within to think it over.  If you know me, you know I don't half-ass anything.  If I do it, I will build my entire summer around that race (24 weeks and at least 2 tune-up ultras).  It's a huge commitment and I'll need a dedicated crew and pacers to make it happen.  Stay tuned.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	8	5x600 Intervals
Tuesday	4	Easy pace
Wednesday	12	MLR at a pretty easy pace
Thursday	4	Easy pace
Friday	Rest
Saturday	17	An LSD run with 1300' vertical
Sunday	10	Tune-up race 10K
Total	55	About 2800 vertical feet gained

Weekly Training Wrap - 10/10 – 10/16

This was a BIG week for me. In fact, it's not hard to argue that it is one of the hardest weeks of running I've done all year. The combination of the massive LT run, the MLR, and the near MP twenty miler sure was a ton of work. I feel like I really nailed them all. The LT run was difficult to read because it was on a treadmill at a low elevation (500 feet in Austin), so there was some estimation in how to pace it. And the 20 miler was probably 15 - 20 seconds too fast, but it felt comfortable on the heels of a rest day Friday. And I have two recovery days (Sunday and Monday) before my next hard run. I describe that pace as near MP because it was on hills (71 feet gained per mile), at altitude (4000 feet higher than Vegas), and with a bit of wind. Add that all up and I figure it is worth 20 or 30 seconds per mile, meaning the level of effort I exerted was near marathon pace.

Next week will be interesting because the plan introduces the tune-up races into the schedule. I've decided to substitute some long intervals instead. On Saturday I plan to run 2 x 4 miles at roughly HMP for roughly 11 total miles. And then on Sunday it calls for a 17 mile long run. That sort of takes me back to the summer where I was doing back-to-back long runs.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	7	TM Recovery miles in San Antonio, TX
Tuesday	11	7 progressive LT miles at an average pace of about 7 min/mile
Wednesday	5	Recovery miles in Austin, TX
Thursday	12	Early morning MLR at about a GA pace
Friday	Rest
Saturday	20	A hard (borderline MP) 20 mile run
Sunday	5	Recovery miles
Total	60	About 3100 vertical feet gained

Weekly Training Wrap - 10/03 – 10/09

This week was a cutback week and I really enjoyed it. There were a couple of highlights to the week.  The first was my Wednesday V02 max workout. Jon gave me advice on my splits: I am assuming because he was helping me test my limits. It was hard and I didn't quite complete the workout the way I wanted, but it is a sign that I have a bit more in the tank than I realized. The second highlight was the Saturday run through the snow and rain. I can only think of a few runs that were even close to this tough with weather:

• A crazy, looping run in similar conditions with Karen and Jon
• A short, fun run in below zero temps with Jon
• A sloggy early morning run when even Jon called me "nuts" early this spring

(Funny, Jon seems to be a part of all those stories.) And the final highlight of the week was going down and watching my wife and a bunch of my friends kick butt at the Denver Rock and Roll Marathon and Half Marathon. In particular I would like to thank my wife (1:55 half with almost no training) and Chuck (2:53 full despite fighting through injuries) for inspiring me to continue giving it my all. What an energizing way to kick off the remaining tough weeks of my training!  In fact, I have officially changed my goal to 3:20.

This week will be little more of a challenge because I am in Texas until Wednesday evening where the weather is supposed to be in the 90's with unbearable humidity.  And this might be the toughest week on the Pfitz 18/55 plan.  In particular I am dreading the 11 miler with 7 @ half to 15K pace.  Yikes.  Fortunately I'll be 6K (yes six thousand!) feet lower in elevation when I attempt it.  According to the altitude adjustment calculator, that should be a 25 second per mile benefit.

I am just shy of 2000 miles running for the year and 150,000 feet of vertical gain, but I still feel strong!

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	8	GA miles to start my running week
Wednesday	8	with 5 x 800: 6:22, 6:18, 6:15, 6:18, 6:30 (crashed on the last one)
Thursday	5	Recovery miles
Friday	Rest
Saturday	14	Slogging through the snow
Sunday	8	Somewhere between GA and MP pace.
Total	43	About 2700 vertical feet gained*

Weekly Training Wrap - 09/26 – 10/02

Another tough week of training. I am surprised at how much I feel like I'm being pushed on this plan. It seems to me there are a couple of potential reasons for this. First, I am finally pushing my pace closer to my limits (compared with all the LSD ultra running I did over the summer). Since I never really ran for pace over the summer, most of my runs felt comfortable (as long as I was properly hydrated).  It never really occurred to me that I could run this fast/hard. Perhaps if I wore my HR monitor more often I would know these things! The other potential reason is that I didn't give the Pfitz plan enough credit. Because the plan is "only" 55 miles per week and with only one long run, I don't think I gave it enough respect. Nonetheless, I feel like I am finding gears that I never thought I had. It is unbelievable to me that I ran 16 miles (on Saturday) in just over 2 hours. I have only run 8 miles in under one hour about a half dozen times in my life. And that same 16 mile workout took me about 2:20 in preparation for last year's Denver RnR marathon. What's more, my average HR was 152, so I wasn't exactly killing myself on the run. Wow, an eye opening week. I might need to revise my goal to a lower pace (gulp!).

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	6	Recovery miles to start my running week
Wednesday	14	A very early morning MLR at low end of GA range.
Thursday	5	Recovery miles
Thursday	4	Parent Running Day: 3.65 miles in 25 mins, including a 20:20 5K
Friday	Rest
Saturday	16	Long Run with 13 miles @ or below MP, several miles were close to HMP
Sunday	6	Family recovery run (extremely easy)
Total	51	About 2500 vertical feet gained*

Weekly Training Wrap - 09/19 – 09/25

This was my first week on the new plan and it was a bear for a few reasons. First, it is one of the higher mileage weeks on the Pfitz 18/55 plan, so not an ideal weak to just jump on. And really all the paces this week (except Sunday) were at or below my GA pace. It was a tough week for both miles and intensity.  Second, I have to get my body used to getting up earlier to fit in MLR workouts during the week. And finally, I was coming off the race week from Lead King Loop and didn't really have a chance to "recover" before hitting some hard miles. I am pleased with my performance this week and definitely think I am stronger for it. The next two weeks offer a little relief from the intensity.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	7	Recovery day at the high end of GA range.
Wednesday	12	An MLR at low end of GA range.
Thursday	10	Tempo run - 10 with 6 miles @ 15K pace: 7:23, 7:18, 7:13, 7:08, 7:13, 7:18
Friday	Rest
Saturday	20	Long Run @ low end of GA range
Sunday	5	Family recovery run (extremely easy)
Total	54	About 3340 vertical feet gained*

* - Being a road training plan, my vertical gain will probably decrease slightly in the coming weeks.

Lead King Loop 25K

There are so many amazing things that happened this weekend that I just have to call this my best running experience ever. My neighbor and running buddy Tony participates in this race almost every year. His cousin and her husband run it as a charity even for the Marble Charter School. We ended up in a family reunion of sorts because we spent the weekend with him and his family. It turned out very good because they were GREAT hosts and took us in without hesitation. Tony comes from a family of accomplished runners and I enjoyed talking "shop" all weekend with them. But I have to admit, I was a little intimidated as I am not even close to being in their league.

We drove up Friday night right after school. Marble is more than three and a half hours away, so we checked in late. Tony had arranged for us to stay at the lodge that marks the start and finish line of the race.  It was such a great place and a huge advantage to be literally fifty yards from the race start. The proximity allowed us to stroll straight from our room to the start, shower before the awards, and generally just relax. The cabin had sleeping for 5 or 6 people, a full kitchen, full bathroom, and a loft with the beds. Very cute. Here is the beautiful little cabin we stayed in at the Beaver Lake Lodge.

Saturday

Saturday morning we woke up to pouring rain. It let up a bit in the early hours and allowed Tony and I to sneak in a short run and see a bit of the course. This is a view of the local mountains from our porch.

After breakfast the rain picked up and we decided to hang out for a while and wait for a break to go to the Milton Falls. We finally decided to make a break for it around 11 am and the weather let up nicely so we could get the hike in. Milton Falls was amazing! These pictures don't do justice to how cool it was. (For some reason we all kept thinking about the movie First Blood).

Johanna and I enjoying the falls. The weather was in the 40's, but she gets cold easily.

The entire Wellman clan enjoying the weekend.

Tony was an amazing host and we enjoyed spending time with him. It seemed like it was his personal mission to show us a good time.

Driving back from the falls we saw this cool photo were steam was coming out of the side of the mountain. I was a little bummed because it appears we were one week to early to see the Aspen trees changing. This time next week that same mountain will be exploding with color.

We headed out after our hike into nearby Carbondale, CO for some lunch and to pick up race packets. My kids both decided to run the 2.5K kids race over lunch. As we arrived at the race store to pick up packets and register, we noticed they had a family option where four or more people could register for nearly the same price as one adult and two kids. I had been telling my wife she should run the 12.5K course and it was financially smarter to do it! (Of course she exceeded expectations!). The entire Wellman clan was signed up to run Sunday.

After lunch on Saturday, we helped out Tony's family getting the race set up and then went to his cousins' house for dinner. It turned out to be a feast of spaghetti, wine, and cake (celebrating several birthdays, including my son Dylan turning seven). I talked some with Tony's uncle who ran the two mile in college (I believe 9:04 was his best time) and his cousin (who just completed the Boulder Marathon in 2:59). Wow, what a group of runners.  And of course I have been chasing Tony's amazing 2009 season all summer.

Sunday - Race Day

Tony's family puts on a great race: the 25K course starts at 8:30, 12.5K at 9:30 and kids are at 11:45.  It's a full day of family fun. Leading up to the race I did a bit of comparing to previous years to come up with an estimate for my time and potential placing. I determined that a good race for me was somewhere between 2:35 and 2:45. Historically that time would be good enough for a top 25 finish. Turns out that this is the first year that the Lead King Loop race has been part of a Colorado Grand Prix of events put on by the USATF. (They called it the USATF Colorado 25K Trail Championship). Ultimately this is a great thing for the event as they draw a deeper, more talented field. However, I wound up running a great race and missing the top 25 by a long shot. The USATF is providing prize money to entice runners to show up. The field was so deep this year that the top 4 runners all broke the course record of 1:55.

We got to sleep in and enjoy the morning while waiting for the race to start. This is a great thing because the valley gets sun slowly and is very chilly to start (see below: look I even have long sleeves on!). After we got started, Tony and I hung out and talked for about three quarters of a mile. Then the climbing started and Tony let me go out ahead. Not too long after we split I went into "trail mode" and just started power-hiking the climb. It was obvious early that the race was full of good runners because I was at the back of a pack of nearly 50 people that went out hard. Power hiking allowed me to keep my position at the rear of the lead pack and even pass a few people. I was hoping to average about 4 mile per hour on the climb and managed to do a bit better than that -- good thing because it was longer than expected.

My nutrition was dialed in today. After about 45 minutes there was a brief flat area and I took my first Roctane GU and washed it down with GU drink. I felt refreshed and managed to finish the climb strong. At the top of the climb I was out of drink and refilled with Heed (the race product) that lasted me the remainder of the race. Then I started running downhill! There were parts of the top section that were smooth enough that I looked around and enjoyed my surroundings. I really need to come back at some point and run this course purely for enjoyment.  It is like a slice of heaven -- just beautiful and serene.  In fact, the course takes you through the town of Crystal which is only accessible by Jeep and ATV and is the most photographed place in the United States.  The mountains around us were all capped with snow from the recent cold spell that passed through.

After descending for nearly four miles, the course starts to approach the town of Crystal and gets extremely technical. (My feet are REALLY beat up from all the pounding on sharp rocks). In addition to being technical, the course was very wet. Trying to avoid puddles was futile and I just ran through them, splashing mud and water all over. At this point I was running mostly alone with the exception of the occasional runner I would pass. My iPod had died many miles ago and I was alone with my thoughts. The one thing that kept going through my mind was "don't trip!". I did trip twice, but never fell. It's a good thing because the road was basically a cliff with the river several dozen feet below. After an hour and a half I did my second (and last) Roctane gel and immediately felt some renewed energy.

And finally, as the course started to come back into town, I could tell I had a good time secured. I wound up catching a strong woman runner and slowed to talk briefly with her. She had run nearly the same time last year and finished 3rd overall for women. This year she would be lucky to be top 10 this year with strong runners like Stevie Kremer here. After a bit she told me to run ahead and I sped off to the finish. I briefly wondered if I had left too much in the tank. After some reflection I think that my ability to finish strong just means that I ran a smart race. I finished in 2:35:50 or 36th overall -- but only 15th in my AG. Man my AG is tough!

Tony and I are eager for the challenge. I don't think it is a stretch to say that the only race that compares with the difficulty of this one, mile-for-mile, is the Leadville Marathon. I was surprised at the difficulty and technicalness of the trail. My feet are pretty bruised from the pounding on sharp rocks.

An hour later Johanna was getting ready to run her first out and back event with a big hill (1200 feet over 4 miles).

Johanna was all smiles after her 3rd place women's finish (and 1st in AG).

Here I am finishing at sub-seven minute pace around the lake.  I felt pretty darn strong considering how hard the race was.

Tony decided to make the race an opportunity to enjoy the scenery and the moment.  Part of me was jealous because I missed so much by "racing" it.  Racing a trail event is difficult predicament.  Here you are in some of the most beautiful places in the world, but you cannot stop to enjoy them! One mistake by not paying attention to the trail in front of you and you'll be falling to the ground. I hope to upload some of Tony's pictures to show you all how beautiful this course was.

Here is Dylan about two-thirds of the way through the kids race.  He wound up finishing 6th overall and the youngest kid in the top 10.  He ran an 8:20 mile in school last week, and I think he easily beat that today.

Savannah wound up 16th overall.  It took here a while to get over the fact that her brother beat her, but then she realized that he had averaged an eight minute pace and ran a terrific race.

I am not sure we could have asked for a better weekend.  Be prepared DMers because I plan to recruit heavily for next year's race!