Bear Chase 50k - Race Report

My employer sponsors a run club and each year we get a small amount of money to be put toward race fees if we participate in the club. I chose to have my fees put toward the Bear Chase 50k this year as an opportunity to break-up my last month of training for the year and prepare for my upcoming Javelina Jundred (100k). I did a bit of specific work to prepare, but mostly just logged some miles and did a mini-taper (a few days) heading into the race. It was apparent the day was going to get hot, which is good because Javelina will likely be warm as well. I typically handle the heat pretty well, but it still impacts race performance!

Since I carpooled with my buddy Woody, I picked up both our bibs on Friday and we enjoyed a leisure morning arriving at the race by 6:45 am (7:30 start) and just milled round as we waited for the start. I had my typical breakfast (a few eggs before leaving the house and an Epic Bar at the start line) before taking some Vespa thirty minutes before the start. I lathered in some sun screen and got myself ready to go.

Note that they changed the location of the start/finish area due to the flooding this Spring, so my description of some of the miles may not match previous year's events.

First Lap (Blue Course)

Part of what made the Bear Chase appealing as a tune-up for JJ is the loops the course uses. Of course, no one enjoys a loop course, but it does offer some advantages in terms of logistics on race day. Bear Chase sends the 50k runners out later than the 100k and 50m runners and on their shorter (10k) course to start. In doing some pre-race analysis, I thought I could run 4:45 and was considering going out at 9:15 pace and then seeing how it felt after a few miles. Well, as soon as we started, I threw that out the window and was running close to 8:15 pace right out of the gate. Had it not been for Mt Carbon, my first mile likely would have been near 8-flat.

The first lap went by pretty quickly and easily, with only a little bit of vertical gain after the Mt Carbon climb. I knew I was in the top 10 runners but had no idea where inside the top 10. I drank water only as I attempted to allow my gut to settle in and get my aerobic/fat-burning engine going. Toward the end of the first lap, two runners passed me, the only two that would pass me all day. I came into start/finish area in good spirits and topped off water before grabbing some Tailwind out of my drop bag. I felt pretty juiced and ready to see what the day had in store.

Second Lap (Orange Course)

Leaving for the second loop, my average pace was around 8:40 and I knew I had put myself out there. The only choice now was to go for it and see how long I could hold on. Though the field was still pretty sparse, I was now coming up on some 50m runners and it became difficult to know who I was encountering along the course. The next trip up Mt Carbon was a real burner and I got my HR deep into Zone 5, pretty much putting me on notice that my third trip up was going to involve some hiking.

During mile 10, we split off to go out around the Fox Hollow Golf Course and some pretty enjoyable miles, including 3 water crossings. I had mixed my Tailwind too thick (200 Kcals in a single bottle) and was using every aid station as a chance to top off my bottle and water it down. But, it was pretty clear today was a water-only kind of day after this first bottle -- the effort level and the heat were not conducive to taking in Kcals. I was in a pretty good groove until we start running on the trail along Morrison Rd, where it became clear I was red lining myself and the second half of the race was going to hurt. There are several short, steep climbs along this section that really take the steam out of you. Most of them were just steep enough to want to hike, but short enough to not want to hike. I chose hiking, mostly.

I came through the start/finish area once again and took only water and another serving of Vespa. This time I was a bit less enthused as I left, really wanting to get the final Mt Carbon climb over with.

Final Lap (Orange Course)

I ran pretty well until Mt Carbon and then I hiked the entire .3 mile segment, too much burn in the legs to run it a third time. The descent and miles along Fox Hollow treated me well, including 30 sec stops in each water crossing to drench my shirt and legs. By mile 24, I was hurting bad and wondering how I was going to run for another hour. I started trying to figure out what my finish time would be if I averaged 10 minute miles. My legs were so dead the miles felt like 10 - 10:30 pace, but I managed to fight through and put in a couple more sub-9s, including walking all the steep hills in this section. During the 27th mile, I could see both runners ahead that had passed me. I would gain on them and then they'd put ground on me. There just wasn't enough gas left in the tank to catch them and I began wondering if I might get caught, so I promised myself I wouldn't walk a step -- show no weakness!

After doing a mini-out-and-back segment to the park entrance and we turned back toward the start/finish area for the last time, I became relieved knowing it would be over soon and that I was likely in fine shape to finish well and without being caught. I crossed the line in 4:33, 9th place overall and 2nd in my AG. A pretty stout 2 hour improvement on my 50K PR (though that race had 8400 feet of vert!).

I will say that I was really impressed with the management of this race. The start/finish area, while not their typical one, was great and very easy to work with aid and drop bags. The timing, bibs, busing, everything went smooth. As is typical for me, I found the trail harder than I expected, namely some reasonably technical section that left my ankles a bit stiff the next few days and some sandy sections that were tough to get great traction in. And, a fair amount of the track was narrow biking track. None of that is bad, just things to note if you ever plan to do the race. For a guy that likes to do lots of vertical, this race presented a real challenge because it was so runnable. The consistency of running for that long is not something I do often (without hiking).

I spent the remainder of the day on the couch, totally wrecked and experiencing some issues from the heat and dehydration. I've bounced back pretty good at this stage and feel good to continue training for JJ, if I can muster up the motivation!

Training Update

Well, I've run 900 miles and 110K of vertical since my last training update; I guess I am a bit over due. I have intentionally treated the second half of this year a bit differently than the first, where I had a very detailed plan for how I would attack Western States 100. Even if it was somewhat unguided, I have been training. I guess you could say I have training OCD. A kinder thing to say is that I just love the rhythm of training and don't believe in showing up for an event less than fully prepared. In any case, I trained without much of a plan for July and August, choosing to take advantage of opportunities to run with friends and try to enjoy the summer with my family. When September rolled around, I got serious about putting together a mini-training cycle to prepare for my final race of the season, Javelina Jundred (100k). In addition to that, I added a tune-up race in the Bear Chase 50k this weekend. For this weekend, I have thought about some goals, I honestly don't know what to expect. It will be the "easiest" 50k that I've run so I don't really know how much or how fast I can run... we'll see.

The two things that stand out from training since Western States is a bit more focus on quality (with a bit less quantity) and a bit less vertical gain. I still get out to the mountain trails on occasion, but I am definitely keeping my focus on "runnable" terrain since both of my upcoming races fit into that category. Additionally, I have had a slight uptick in my cross training sessions. I'd like to get into the gym three days a week over the winter, but I am happy with 1 or 2 days a week right now. Barring a setback, I am on pace for personal bests in both distance and vertical gain this year. My body has held up well, but I do plan to ease off the gas quite a bit after JJ.

And, lastly, I have thought a bit about 2016 races and have a few things in my mind. It will once again come down to lotteries (maybe not lotteries for my own races, however!).  I hope to have that all nailed down by year end.

Topo Athletic Shoes

Several years ago, I ran the San Juan Solstice 50 and my feet to a pounding in an original pair of Brooks PureGrit. I was training for the Leadville 100, my first 100, and became quite concerned about my feet. So, I posted in a forum for Leadville runners inquiring about shoes and someone suggested Altra Lone Peak. It was the first time I'd heard of Altra. Concerned about transitioning to zero drop, I didn't go to Altra right away but eventually got a pair of Altra Instinct on sale and decided to give them a try. That pair of shoes changed everything for me. I fell in love with a simple shoe that I could wear all day in total comfort -- no squished toes, durable outsole, great for cross-training, etc... They were ugly, but I loved them. I became an Altra junkie and have now run more than five thousand miles in their shoes. However, it is no secret that I've had issue with Altra along the way. Altra seems to have lost their way to me, preferring to compete with the likes of Hoka instead of staying true to the original things that made their shoes great. Worse, they seem to constantly rush cheap shoes to market, willing to let the consumer pay more than $100 for shoes they know aren't holding up. The trouble is that very few shoe manufacturers make a serious wide-toe shoe these days. Even wide-model shoes fall well short of allowing my big feet the room Altra gave me. I searched for months until I came across Topo, named for Tony Post, the former CEO of Vibram.

As an REI member, I don't know how I didn't come across Topo Athletic sooner. After I discovered the brand, I did a little initial research and bought a pair of Topo Runduro. The Runduro appeared to be a perfect replacement for the original Altra Instinct I loved so much -- firm sole, low drop, good road feel, light weight, a true wide toebox, and an everyday trainer. The Runduro are on my feet nearly all day now, including gym work, walking and all my "hang out" time. I've worn them for runs between 5 and 13 miles without issues. With 100 running miles on them (and dozens more hours of wear), they appear to be a high quality shoe, hardly showing any wear. I think enough of them that I've already ordered a second pair. This looks like a perfect choice for me, and I've begun converting my friends, many of them I brought with me to Altra. I am so happy to have a simple, comfortable, natural, all around shoe again.

In addition to the Runduro, I took a dive into their trail lineup with a pair of the MT. They fit much like a "trail version" of the Runduro, which is exactly what I wanted. (That was another thing I couldn't figure out with Altra, why they had so much diversity in the lasts and things in their shoes. Build a great shoe, then throw some lugs and trail specific feature on and call it a trail model.) The MT are light, minimally cushioned and have no added protection. I took them out for a trail marathon along the Colorado Trail right out of the box. That proved to be a bit of a mistake due to the lack of protection on such a technical trail, but I loved everything else about them, in particular the weight and the fit. I knew the Runventure were a better choice for technical trail, but I have plenty of shoes currently in my line up for that. Anyway, I don't have much experience with the MT yet, but stay tuned as I get them out on the trail more and see how they hold up.

I am very happy to have found a replacement for Altra, though I will continue to try their products in hopes that they will revert to making shoes like they used to. I have very high hopes for Topo and plan to buy several more models in the near future.

Leadville 100 ~ 2015 Race Report

Guest post ~ Chuck Radford

Here it is …a race report only because I want to look back and recall some of the unfathomable events that happened on this day …this crazy, cool, amazing day.

A bit of history: Signing up for the Leadville Trail 100 was an impulse reaction when I did not get into the coveted Western States 100 race for 2015. However, when I found out in January that I got into the Leadville Trail 100 race, my emotional reaction was, “YES …CRAP …well, time to get on board.”

I officially started training at the end of March bleeding my off-season training into my regular training and not really seeing much difference except a little more structure. I ran a couple tune-up races to prepare for my LT100 adventure including the Dirty Thirty (50K), finishing 15th overall in a talented field and the Leadville Trail Marathon, finishing 3rd overall. I banked a couple long training runs with my final one being up in Leadville for a double Hope Pass crossing with good friend Mike Mizones. Unfortunately when we finished, we tried to relax with our feet in the water, and I fell, throwing myself (and my knee) into a rock to prevent myself from floating down the river.

I then dealt with a patella contusion for the next month …my PEAK training month, trying to work through pain, frustration and doubts. My peak training ended and I had logged a measly 50 miles a week before officially shutting it down a full week with no running the last week of July. That turned out to be the best decision of the month as it allowed my knee to fully heal and for me to log some “taper training” unlike I’ve ever done before. I was then faced with glute and IT band pains leading into the race, leaving me extremely doubtful, concerned and incredibly “stuck” trying to find a way to rise to the occasion.

Days before the race, I learned that iRunFar included me in their “Men to Watch” LT100 Preview, completely flabbergasting me. I actually found it to be an additional stress, even though my friends and family tried to get me to see that it wasn’t undeserved (it was solely based on my Leadville Trail Marathon finish, which I didn’t think translated into a small write up in the LT100 preview, but there it was).

With all the small details planned (house, pacers, crew, pacing plan, nutrition, etc.), AJ Wellman and I headed up to Leadville for a nice easy Hope Pass hike to get my legs flushed a few days before the race. We hit the race check in where I picked up bib, shirt and race bag, but something was just missing this year as there wasn’t the same excitement in the air. It was almost as if it was all business this year. I later realized that’s exactly what the whole race was about …business. AJ and I had numerous talks about things that didn’t go well last year and the goals for this year and how I could accomplish them. Goal #1: Stay positive; Goal #2: Eat less, but eat smart (approximately 100-150 calories/hr); Goal #3: Troubleshoot through the race; Goal #4: Keep it simple.

The next two days passed with some relaxation, the pre-race meeting, greeting my pacers, friends and family, and then trying to get a good night’s rest before race morning. Always easier said than done as you sit pondering on the pain, struggles, highs and lows you’re about to experience WILLINGLY the next morning on your 100 mile journey.

Race Morning:

As I did last year, I woke before my 2 am alarm, not able to sleep in anticipation and nervous energy before the race. I dressed, made coffee, eggs and bacon, and then woke everyone interested in going to the race start with me. I believe my comments to my wife were, “Oh my GOD, 100 miles!!!!” as a wave of anxiety ran through me. This was about to go down.

Jennifer (my supportive wife), Mia (my amazing daughter), Mike (my crew chief and section 2 pacer), Heidi (Mikes wife and a great friend), and Savannah (AJ’s daughter) all accompanied me to the race start. We took the obligatory family pictures, I gave kisses and hugs to all, tried to find my game face and lined up with all the other 100 mile hopefuls, as we waited for the official gun shot to kick off this little shin-dig of a day.

I stood in quiet, not able to find the spark or drive I thought I needed at this point to have a stellar day. I was curious how the day would play out. Ten second count down …headlamps turn on …watches start to beep …BANG …game on.

To MayQueen (Mile 13.5)

I found myself immediately running faster than anticipated with the goal out to the first aid station being around 8:35 pace. I tried to reel it in, but had a hard time knowing if I slowed too much, I’d fall into the train of people around the lake, so I kept moving, trying not to be irresponsible. We quickly moved down “The Boulevard,” up “Mini-Powerline” and around the lake and I realized I was running alone. I love training with friends, but prefer to zone out and run solo in races. I find the added chitchat and stress of passing or being passed an unnecessary stress that I don’t cope well with. I came into MayQueen about eight minutes faster than my plan. More than being concerned about being a little off my plan, I was noticing my glutes really talking to me already.

Hagerman Rd to Powerline
Race photos courtesy of Athlinks

Powerline

To Outward Bound (Mile 24.5)

I spent only a minute at the MayQueen aid station and got right out onto the Colorado Trail up towards Hagerman Road. I traveled well through this section, continuing to feel my glutes, but passing runners and still not having any kind of feeling (good or bad) about how the race was going so far. I was kind of in a “blah” state of mind, but with 86 more miles to go, I guess there was time to figure all that out.

As I ran up to the top of Powerline, I saw my friend Matt Curtis, with whom I also ran a lot of LT100 in 2014. Knowing Matt better the other runners, I had no problem chatting and passing some miles with him leading into Outward Bound. While a supporter informed Matt and I that we were in 17th and 18th place, we both agreed that we were committed to running our own races regardless of place.

As we entered the Outward Bound aid station, I was energized knowing I was going to see my crew for the first time today after 3 and half hours. I ran straight up to them as they strategically placed themselves right next to the water station. I immediately noticed a small weather front moving through and worried my crew would be cold, but luckily it didn’t stick around long and even provided a nice rainbow (sign of things to come???). We replaced bottles, I ate an Epic bar, dumped my warm clothes, yelled “Peace out,” and headed out.

OB Crew station with AJ, Jon and Mia with a weather front behind us

To Halfpipe (Mile 31)

As part of my goal to stay positive, I made sure to smile, wave and thank all the great supporters and fans every time I saw them. Running up to Halfpipe is a nice non-technical area that allows you to grind out some good miles. While some of it is uphill, I tried to start pushing the pace a bit and gain some time. I was patient enough out to the first two aid stations and knew it was time to move with more effort if I had it. This is where experience comes in and knowing when you are pushing too hard or too little.

As I made my way to Halfpipe, I simply replaced water and some Skratch and blazed through it, high fiving a couple volunteers obviously eager to see the mass of runners heading their way.

Colorado Trail Section ~ Beautiful

To Twin Lakes (Mile 39.5)

This final section through the Mt. Elbert water station and further up the Colorado Trail was a good section for me last year. I find miles 30 – 39 are mentally tough as you really haven’t hit any big mile markers and you still have a TON more to do. This section is so amazingly beautiful and secluded that you have to take a few moments to soak it in. I encountered a few more runners and passed them, moving up a few more places. I was eagerly anticipating the hill down into Twin Lakes where you are displayed for all to see …and cheer.

As I ran down the hill into Twin Lakes, I once again was excited to see my family and for the first time realized I was feeling strong. I flexed my muscles coming in thinking that’d give them an idea of how I was feeling, but really ended up looking silly. I quickly sat down, changed my shoes, ate another Epic bar, took some Tylenol, swapped water bottles, gave kisses and felt incredibly confident all of a sudden. If there was a place to feel that kind of confidence, now was the time. Hope Pass killed me last year and was where I lost all the time I made up at that point in the race. It was time for revenge.

Flexing muscles - dork

My crew taking care of me like a race car

To Hopeless (Mile 45)

I headed out towards the meadow to a TON of cheers and even seeing some fellow running friends on the way. I made it to the base of Hope and started to ascend with a mission. I knew this was where my race could actually be made …or ruined. This was the official point where I decided to put myself out there and go for it, regardless of the result. I hiked with fervor and aimed to not stop once all the way to the Hopeless aid station. That’s exactly what I did. I never saw anyone in front of me or behind me and felt that I had my position locked at that point in the race in 8th place. I was hiking like I was on fresh legs and not 40+ mile legs.

To Winfield (Mile 50)

After leaving Hopeless, runners ascend to the peak and then it’s a hair raising downhill descent into Winfield. As I worked my way up to the 12,600 foot peak, it started to rain and blow, leaving me a bit cold. However, that gave me more motivation to get off that mountain and down into Winfield. I peaked and to my amazement, I was able to actually run the downhills. It was becoming more and more apparent to me that my energy level and strength were so completely different from last year that it left me baffled. I eventually caught the 6th place runner and we flip-flopped spots all the way into Winfield.

Back to Hopeless (Mile 55)

Because this aid station is so remote, we sent a critical crew only into Winfield consisting of AJ, Mike and a good friend Jon, who came in early to be a part of the race. I quickly made it through the aid station, sat down in a chair, ate another Epic bar, swapped water bottles and exchanged a few words with another friend Wyatt Hornsby, whom I paced over this section in 2013. Winfield is the first section you can pick up a pacer, so I grabbed AJ (a great mountain climber) and we moved on out back towards the backside of Hope Pass.

If you don’t know, I fell six or seven times in last year’s race, leaving me frustrated and injured. I was happy I had made it 50 miles without falling once. Unfortunately, that was to change on the Sheep Gulch Trail, as I shortly took my eyes off the trail and went down hard on my hand and leg. I quickly jumped back up and tried to shut out the pain, but it stung badly. With the 6th place runner right in front of me, I was committed to keep him in my sights, knowing full well that not only had my confidence been building, but so had my competitiveness.

All it took was one fall to do enough damage

After getting off the Sheep Gulch Trail, it was a hard turn left and up the belly of the beast, facing up to 40% inclines, a lack of oxygen and heavy humidity. We worked and we worked hard up that monster, claiming the 6th place position and moving in quickly on 5th place. AJ and I were all business while cracking jokes keeping the levity light. AJ reminded me numerous times that I was doing well and to just keep doing what I was doing. At times I worried I was going to pay for the workload I was giving now later in the race (I think even AJ was concerned). We caught the 5th place runner at the top of Hope Pass, but once we reached the peak, he floated away to an eventual 2nd place finish!

After some coaxing, I pledged to AJ that I’d climb hard to the top, where we were met with some technical downhill into Hopeless. Unfortunately we were also faced with a ton of outbound runners and a lot of cross traffic. After hitting Hopeless, AJ made me fill up my bottle with Skratch in the event he and I got split up on the downhill.

Back to Twin Lakes (Mile 60)

Again I was pleasantly surprised at how well I was running downhill …how was this possible? It goes back to my eating goal and having energy and good energy at that. The cross traffic runners were amazingly accommodating and moved out of the way, as I made my way down. I made it to the meadow, through all the water sections and back into Twin Lakes with no more falls, but finding myself a little low on energy after all the effort I just put out on Hope Pass both ways. Running into Twin Lakes pepped me up though, as there were a ton of fans/supporters cheering me on.

Apparently everything was "thumbs up" at this stage of the race

Back to Halfpipe (Mile 69)

As I sat down at Twin Lakes, my wife (a Godsend) changed my wet shoes and socks for me (now that’s love) as I drank, applied sunscreen, replaced bottles and chatted strategy with crew. My daughter was immediately concerned about my cuts and bleeding, but I assured her I was fine. I thanked AJ for his pacing duties and picked up Mike, as we headed out up the underrated 1400 foot climb out of Twin Lakes and out to Halfpipe. I started to feel my stomach going “South” on the uphill climbs and let Mike know I’d do what I could. We worked a good run-walk strategy all the way into Halfpipe and troubleshot some ideas on what I could eat, as my eating rate was dropping quickly. Like miles 30-39, I find miles 60-69 equally as difficult mentally, but Mike did well keeping me "up" and moving well through those sections. I had some watermelon with salt on it at the aid station and set out for a good long running section.

Back to Outward Bound (Mile 76)

Mike and I ran well six good miles with only a couple breaks and passed the time with good chatter. As we came into the unofficial Treeline station, my daughter was running up towards me. She turned and we ran back to the crew hand in hand. There was nothing really for me at Treeline except my amazing family and crew who continued to pep me up knowing this is where the race REALLY gets mentally (and physically) tough. I realized back at mile 40 that the intense body pain was manageable …not fun, but manageable, and that it’s the mental side of running that keeps you in the game late.

Still smiling 70+ miles in

After a short four mile road run and back through the field, we made it back to Outward Bound and to our crew again. A quick note: running is a raw sport and ugly things happen. Mike can attest to me running down the road with my shorts half way down (bare-butt to the world) as I rubbed some Biofreeze on my glutes before pulling my shorts back up. That’s ultra running at its finest ... but I didn’t pee on myself like last year sooooo …

Back to MayQueen (Mile 86)

I was once again hitting a bit of a low after dropping Mike off and picking up Jon for the final 24 miles. However, with a change of pacers, comes a change of venue and Jon really helped me pep up a bit heading up to the final HUGE climb up Powerline. 

Pep talk from Mike

Heading out for the final 24 miles with Jon

As we ran the road to the base of Powerline, we were informed by supporters that no one was behind us, but the 5th place runner was just ahead of us. Rejuvenated, we turned the corner and there he was. Even though I had little energy, I found the needed energy to pass him and busted a move up Powerline. It was a struggle beyond struggles, but I was once again so much stronger than last year and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I was now in the TOP FIVE!!!

Last year at this same time, we were dawning headlamps and preparing for the dark. Jon and I made it this year all the way to the top of Powerline with tons of sunlight still shining. We came upon the unofficial aid station at the top. I sat down and we chatted for a few seconds with the fun volunteers. They informed us that the 4th and 3rd place runners were just ahead of us and none of them looked as strong as us or were moving as well as us. That was motivation to get out of that chair and MOVE.

We made it down a couple of switchbacks and up ahead was a runner. As good of a friend as Mike Aish is, I did NOT want to pass him. Unfortunately, he was struggling and we came up to Mike and Nick Clark and they very graciously cheered us on to catch the next guy. This put me into 4th place …CRAZY!

Back Home (Mile 100)

As we entered the MayQueen aid station, I realized just how hard I worked over Powerline and was really starting to feel it. Knowing Jon was eager to catch the 3rd place runner, I voiced my concern to my crew stating, “Jon’s gonna work me too hard.” ...and said it a couple times. I got a little negative, but gave hugs, grabbed my headlamp and we worked our way around the lake into the night hours. We did well moving up and down the rolling hills, taking breaks as needed, and I was running as much as I could.

We got to Boat Ramp, and I secretly made a personal pact that I was going to run all way to the parking lot (2+ miles) and I did. From there it’s a final struggle back up into town where we never did see the 3rd place runner, meaning he was moving as well as me.

We saw the lights of town FINALLY and then made our way to 6th St.. As we ran 6th St., we came across my wife, daughter and Mike. We all ran the final stretch and there I was …at the red carpet. I ran down the carpet, threw my hands up in the air as I crossed, and immediately fell, tripping on the carpet ...yeah, that JUST happened. I bounced up and laughed knowing NOTHING was going to ruin that moment and gave Marilee (race co-founder) a hug and received my finisher’s medal.

Finish line

My recreation of falling across the finish line the next day

My goal was a sub-20 hour run …I finished in 18:43:14 in 4^th overall and 2^nd in the masters division. Business was conducted and I had accomplished my goal of having a good gut day, lots of energy and staying positive, which all contributed to a win for my family, my crew, my supporters and friends.

We headed home to some beer, a shower and some VERY uncomfortable sleep. I got up the next day and had the best breakfast burrito of my life before heading to the awards ceremony to claim my award, buckle, and sweatshirt.

I am absolutely blessed with an amazing crew. These people were my inspiration through the day, my light when I was dark, my motivators and my comfort. My wife and daughter are my rocks, my long time friends Mike and Heidi help me have fun and enjoy every moment, my friend Jon is always a running inspiration who often reminds me of my potential and skill, and AJ is my coach/training partner/blood brother. I truly hope they celebrated the day as much as me.

Left to right: Jon, AJ, Jennifer, Mia, Me, Mike, Heidi, Savannah ~ The "A" Team

If you know me, you know I am a humble person, a family man and a trusty friend. I live life like any other average Joe, balancing family, work and running. I prioritize things the best I can and try to prevent my passion of running from interfering with my family as I constantly sacrifice sleep to do so. Are there challenges?  Of course, but I only hope I can be a strong role model to my children and other runners. I am open and honest and am more than willing to give my thoughts, advice and support to anyone seeking it. If you ever want my thoughts, please reach out to me.

A shout out to Epic bars, Fuel 100 Electro-bites, Skratch Labs, Tailwind  and Vespa as my running nutrition and to Hoka (Stinson) and Brooks (Pure Grit) as my running shoes. Anyone want to sponsor me? Please?  

Parting thoughts

Running 100 miles is like living 100 years full of challenges, opportunities, celebrations and struggles. In life we start fresh, ready to take on anything and we are a bit ignorant of what’s in store. We learn from our failures and sometimes fail to learn along the way. As time progresses we know that each step could have a positive or negative reaction and yet we compel ourselves to move forward either putting ourselves out there or sitting back and watching. With each phase we grow, we learn to adapt, we are reminded fully of pain and how to mitigate it or accept it. We get tired, cranky, fed up, and yet life’s challenge somehow wills us on. We lean on our support systems more and more and we find new motivation and inspiration from those we love and those who want nothing but success and happiness for us. In the end, you inch closer and closer to an amazing reward of satisfaction, peace, accomplishment and a love of living. These thoughts somehow helped me piece together “why” we do this crazy sport of ultra-running ...to live!!

**Special thanks to AJ for letting me guest post on his blog.  Check it out ...it's got a wealth of information on it if you haven't seen it already.

Leadville 2015: Pacing and other thoughts

Warning, this one could ramble a bit....

First, I should set the stage. I've been running seriously for about six years now. My journey, as has been the case with my life, has always been about exploration and learning and tinkering. One core value for me has always been health. After ballooning to nearly 250 lbs before my 30th birthday, I decided that my 30's would be a decade where I focused on health, hoping that it would pay dividends later in life. Through that lens, I have always explored running as means of getting healthier and improving my life, not just performance. Not coincidentally, as my health improved, so has my performance. I have learned more about nutrition and physiology than some people who study them in school, because I have dared to follow those people teaching outside the box. Train easy to race fast. Eat less to run farther. Eat fat -- gobs and gobs of fat!

About half way into my journey, I met Chuck Radford, a co-worker of mine. As co-workers, we obviously saw each other quite a bit. But it was our mutual interest in running that really got us to be friends. Chuck is also an eager learner and has watched what I've done and taken what I've learned and applied it to his own running. I don't think of myself as his "coach" per se, but there is definitely an element of that in our relationship. These days, I really am just more of a friend and someone who can give him my thoughts and sometimes advice. I jokingly call myself his "mental coach".

Anyway, Chuck and I have been together through all of our ultras, pacing, crewing, and generally supporting one another. Our mutual friend, Jon, called it a "blood bond" we've made with one another. I like to think that my break-through race at Western States 100 this year inspired Chuck. This weekend, he took the lead and inspired me to wonder if I have new levels I can achieve, finishing 4th at the Leadville 100.

When Chuck signed up for Leadville I agreed to pace. I was also to be his pacer in 2014 before injuring myself on a training run the day before and having to stick with crew duty. We joked that year that none of us would be able to keep up with him. As it turned out, he had a pretty good race (as ho-hum as sub-21 hours can be!), but none of his pacers struggled to keep up with him. This year, I requested to pace him for 25 miles, thinking I was going to be able to hang. As the weeks went by, I decided give up some pacing miles so I could spend more time in the mountains that weekend and not have to "taper" for the experience. I enjoy climbing and getting out in nature on adventures and figured that would be a good compromise. That was such a good decision....

Chuck went out at what we thought was an aggressive pace (hindsight suggests he went out quite conservatively) and we knew it was game on. He was at least 25 minutes faster than we expected into Twin Lakes and we hurried out to Winfield to await him and my pacing section. Last year, Hope Pass really gave him a tough time and it took nearly 6.5 hours for him to do the double cross. This year, he arrived at Winfield just a bit before 12:30 and ready to rock. He was focused and composed. Without much lost time, we took off and by the time we got on the Sheep Gulch Trail, he was already pushing me. PUSHING ME. This guy has 50 miles on his legs and I am working hard to hang! I stayed a consistent 15-20 yards behind him, trying to keep up and trying to yield the right away to the runners (he was in 7th place, so pretty much the entire field) coming at us. It was difficult jumping into a pacing section in the heat of the day and without having had lunch. I was sweating like crazy. Mercifully, we started going up the mountain and I was able to catch up and chat with him. He moved very well, rarely stopping, but climbing is definitely a strength of mine. Plus, the wind was blowing near the top of the pass and cooling me off. We saw many of our friends (Matt C, Woody, Trevor, Jeremy B) coming back at us along the way.

Cresting the top, we caught two runners. One runner we easily passed on our way to Hopeless aid station. The other, Kyle Pietari, seriously floated down the mountain on his way to a 2nd place finish. That was quite impressive. I helped Chuck fill his water bottles at Hopeless and told him not to look back for me going down, sensing he was going to drop me easily. And he did. Within a tenth of mile I could barely see his orange shirt up 100 yards in the forest. I was on the way to breaking everyone of my Strava segment PRs on this section and I still couldn't hang! (Jon later told me he and I ran the second fastest split over this section all day.) Once again, I tried to yield to the on-coming runners, many of whom were just starting their first Hope Pass ascent and likely not going to finish. But, I had to have looked like a rhino rumbling down the mountain and many of them got out of the way just out of fear, I think. One or two even joked about him "working me hard". Indeed. I wasn't even thinking about pacing at this point, just trying not to get dropped and the teasing my friends would have given me back at Twin Lakes. Oh, and trying not to do a face plant on the rocks and tree roots in my path.

We arrived at the meadow and he seemed to slow a bit, allowing me to go into threshold pace and actually catch him. I got to jog (for him, run for me) the final few miles into Twin Lakes where he seemed to gain some energy as I began exhaling. I survived. No way I would have lasted the next 16 miles with him -- so glad I "gave up" those pacing miles. I will let him tell his story, but the short version is that he had just done a double Hope Pass crossing in 5 hours after running 40 miles!!! That was the moment we all knew he had a chance to make it a special day, and he pushed on for 40 more miles and delivered (4th overall in 18:43). I retired to a chair with some beer, happy for my friend and knowing I'd be sore as hell the next day.

This is about as close as I got to him during my "pacing" section. Who's pacing who?

A big thanks to my daughter for capturing my humbling moment

I am still thinking about 2016, but, as I said, Chuck has inspired me to think about new levels I may have. I thought maybe my 23:30 at Western States was my ceiling. Of course, I thought his ceiling at Leadville was 19:30. In fact, I am pretty sure I told him outright I didn't think he could break 19-hours at Leadville, something only a few dozen runners have ever done. He proved me wrong in a big way. And maybe that's the kind of thing I need moving ahead. Leadville is definitely on my short list for 2016. A big buckle is still one of my few remaining running goals. If not for the lottery, I may have already committed to that plan.

I keep thinking I'll give up 100s, but it is addicting. So much happens in those 24 hours that you just cannot explain to people. So much life. So much pain. So much joy. So much bonding. It truly is a transcending experience, impossible to explain to someone not present in that moment. Thanks to my daughter, I recently started listening to Zac Brown Band. And when I hear their song "Beautiful Drug", I think of running 100s. What a perfect, beautiful drug....

Altra Superior 2.0 Review

I've been meaning to do some updates on Altra shoes for a little while now. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time and I really want to wear shoes for 200-300 miles before I critique them. I was really excited to learn of the Altra Superior 2 release over the winter and quickly snagged a pair of size 12.5 in black. I had the original Superior and liked them a lot. My hope was that they would be a trail version of One Squared, one my favorite shoes I've ever worn (and I'll review soon). The original fit of the shoe and feel of the shoe made me quite optimistic that they were at least close to achieving that....

Things I liked:

In general, I found the shoes very comfortable and light weight. Even as a larger runner, I enjoy more minimal feeling shoes and these fit the bill. Also, I felt quite comfortable wearing them as a road shoe when circumstances dictated (like combined road/trail runs during the winter months). I think they nailed the cushion aspect -- just enough enjoy the ride, but not so much that you couldn't feel the road or trail beneath your feet. I really found this an upgrade over the previous models that had significant trail feel and were much heavier. The upper material is quite breathable and dries fast as well. The lugs are more aggressive and grippier than earlier models. The addition of the gaiter trap is a great feature in this shoe as well. And, I think the "removable" rock plate is a genius idea! However, I find myself wanting to put that rock plate in other shoes (like Byron Powell) these days, because...

Things I disliked:

Honestly, the simplest thing to say is that the shoe feels quite cheap to me -- a shoe built to last about 250 miles. I don't mind having a shoe like that, but not at a $110 price tag. Pretty much every element of the shoe is falling apart quickly from 150 miles on. At 200 miles, I completely blew out the lateral side of my first pair. I called customer service and was told that was a common problem. I checked reviews on their website and many customers reported the same issues. I have two friends that have had blow outs on the lateral side as well (one at 122 miles and another at 250 miles). As an aside, they seem to have purged all their reviews from their site, eliminating at least a dozen poor reviews of the Superior 2. I know some of the former reviewers. I don't know if this was on purpose, but it sure stinks.

In addition to my lateral tear, you can see very rapid wear in the lugs both in the front and the back of the shoe. The lugs in the front appear to be chipping away and creating edges that would likely catch and shred, if the shoe was still wearable, that is....

Total shred on the lateral side.... fail!

Cheap looking lugs!

Lugs wearing and showing gaps.

Some lugs off a friend's pair after 232 miles

Another issue I consistently have with Altra is their sizing. I measure out at a true size 11.5 but sometimes wear all the way up to a 13 due to their screwy shoe fits. I found the size 12.5 pretty snug around the tips of my toes -- to the point I got blisters on the tips of my toes on a 38 mile run. I later purchased a pair of size 13s (that I still own and wear). The size 13s feel gigantic to me. How can a size 12.5 feel so tight and a size 13 feel so large? I had the same issue with the original Olympus. Anyway, the newer pair (not pictured) is showing significant wear along the toe-bumper area from toe-scuffs. This section appears like it will wear out quickly as well.

Overall I really find these a comfortable shoe that nearly hit the mark as a serious shoe for those not inclined to go with more and more cushion. The changes from the original Superior were spot on to establish the shoe in this space. Unfortunately, it is a continuation in a long line of quality issues for Altra. And, I continue to find myself wishing that Altra would start to refine what they do instead of reinventing themselves every six months. I'd like to seem some standardization among the lasts they uses so the heel, forefoot, and midfoot are more consistent from model-to-model and year-to-year. I'd also like to see them consider wide options because a wide toe box does not mean a wide shoe.

Moving on from Western States

I feel compelled to write one more post before I let it go. I am approaching two weeks since the race and my moment in the sun has come and gone. People and life move on to the next story (and are probably sick of me on Facebook by now!). Yet, I feel a sense of accomplishment for what I've done and am not eager to prove anything. That is definitely a different feeling from many races in the past. I just finished 78th in the most prestigious ultra marathon in the world. Seventy-eighth may not sound like such a big deal, but is huge for a 190 lb "Clydesdale" athlete running in heat. Make no mistake, the stats prove this was a hot year -- tons of drops and, other than Superman Rob Krar, relatively slow times. Some years 78th place is a 22:30 finishing time.

Anyway, I am content because I feel like all my hard work is starting to payoff. I've learned how to train. I understand nutrition, like I really get it (though don't confuse that with me saying I am perfect at it!). I am not afraid to dig deep and suffer. And, I am gaining a sense of how to pace these races, when to go easy, when to make a move, what's sustainable and for how long. My recovery time -- at least in physical pain -- is diminishing with each race thanks to smart nutrition and proper specific training. There are plenty of things I need to work on, like my feet. I still get this awful blister on my left foot that I must figure out. Is it my gait? Is it hydration related? Is it my downhill running form? Is it poor shoe (or size) selection?

The leads to another thing I am working on, shoes. I don't have any many love shoes right now. I default to Altra primarily because they have wide toeboxes. It helps that they reinvent their line up every few months and you can always find great deals on old models too! Frankly, Altra has several warts in my opinion: inconsistent sizing from shoe-to-shoe and year-to-year, something close to 50% of their shoes have major defects, and they seem more insistent on growth than refining the things they do well. But, the zero drop platform and the wide toebox keep me coming back. What I wouldn't give for a wide model of the Instinct and the Lone Peak. Oh well, I'll keep searching for something better. And, while I'm searching, I think I will once again make an attempt to go back to shoes that are more in the "minimal" category. That may seem strange for a larger athlete, but I prefer it. My feet feel more nimble, my cadence is higher, and I just feel more natural. Going to big cushion (Altra Olympus) certainly hasn't diminished my foot or knee issues in 100s. But big cushion shoes have definitely added weight and lengthened dry time for wet shoes.

As for future races, I still haven't made any official decisions. I do know that I enjoy mountains and trail running. I enjoy slow running, hence my preference for MAF based training. But, I also recognize that the best way to grow as a runner is to do different things. Take time off. Strength train. Road run. We grove certain patterns in ultra running and put a ton of stress on our bodies, in particular the exoskeleton. Sometimes the best thing is to pullback and figure out how to get better and evolve. Plus, it would be a mistake to think that many -- if any -- races will ever go as well for me as Western States. I put all my eggs in that basket and that just won't be easy to do a second time. It put a huge stress on my body, my family time, and my mental focus. Running is part of my identity now and, if I want to continue running for a lot of years, I have to find a peace in my previous accomplishments instead of always chasing the glory of what's next. Given the way the system is structured, I'll likely get into the lotteries again next year only because I don't want to eliminate future opportunity. I'd be just fine if my name didn't get drawn next year. To be totally honest (and selfish), I would absolutely love to comeback to WS100 as a crew member and pacer in 2016!