Signed Up For Green Lakes Endurance Run

I have signed up for the Green Lakes Endurance Run 50k race.  It is two weeks away on August 29, 2010 and will be my first ultra.  I've been thinking about running this for a few weeks but I've been unsure of myself.  When I looked at the registration I saw that they are allowing 125 runners and 124 had signed up.  I figured if I'm going to do it, I better just jump in.

I'm nervous about the race.  I don't know how I will perform.  I guess this is pretty normal though.  I plan to run the race very conservatively and not convern myself with time.  I will walk all the uphills and take frequent breaks.  I will stop at the aid stations and ensure I am drinking and eating enough.  May main objective in this race is to gain knowledge and experience and have some fun.  I want to figure out what works for me and what doesn't. 

The Green Lakes 50k is set up as a 12.5 km loop.  You have to complete four loops to finish.  There will also be a 100km running at the same time.  I've discussed the course with a couple of veterans and I'm getting mixed answers.  A female runner from the Runnersworld forums says that there is nothing particularly hard about the course, but there is one steep, short uphill that I should consider walking.  Of course she ran the 100km last year in 11:51:xx finishing as the third woman.  My running partner from yesterday ran the 50k version and said it was a challenging course because even though the uphills weren't steep they were fairly long.  Also, the section called "The Serengehti" is completely out in the open and can be an issue if the sun is shining.

Either way, I'm registered and believe I can cover the 50 km.  I don't even care if I'm dead last, as long as I finish and learn something.

Since the race is two weeks away I am going to start my taper now.  No more long runs until race day.  I plan to alternate days of rest with easy runs in the four to six mile range.  I want to do enough where I won't lose fitness, but little enough to go into the race rested and hopefully (mostly) pain free.

Good, Long, Slow, Trail Run. Exceeded Marathon Distance.

I haven't been able to run the last few days.  Between thunder storms and coaching baseball it has been hard to get free time.  Yesterday was the last baseball game so I'm being set free.

This morning I had planned to run the 1.2 mile path at the Helmer Nature Center in Irondequoit.  It is a relatively flat, unexciting trail, but it is close to home and the small loop makes it easy to set up a personal aid station.  I planned to run for five hours.  Upon arriving at the nature center I noticed LOTS of cars.  Apparently there was a softball tournament or something going on.  I don't like crowds and decided to drive to Mendon Ponds Park where I know I'll be mostly alone.

I decided to run multiple laps of the East Esker Trail/North Meadow Trail.  I do this loop frequently.  It is 6.59 miles and most of it is the path used in the Mendon Ponds 50k in November.  Today I ran it in the opposite direction of the race.  I don't know why, just felt like it.

This path is very hilly and fairly tough.  To use it for my long run I have to be smart about it.  I decided to run it as I would in an ultra.  That meant walking the uphills, running the flats easily and hammering the downhills.  After each lap stopped at the car, refilled my water bottle and grabbed a peanut butter sandwich.  I need to get used to eating while running.

The run itself was uneventful.  I didn't press too hard.  I slowed down a few times when I passed hikers with dogs.  I was afraid of getting the pups excited and getting bit.  I had one older couple make a comment when I passed them the third time.  It was cute watching them walk holding hands.  I know that I need to work on walking uphill faster and have to practice running again after walking.  All in all, it felt pretty good.

In the end I completed 4 loops for 26.36 miles in just over 5 hours.  It is the first time I've exceeded marathon distance.  I could have run further.  I could have run faster.  I don't think I could have done both.  My right Achilles tendon is a little sore, but not too bad.  My shoulders and lower back feel tight.  Nothing that will stop me from doing a light recovery run tomorrow.  A little ice and ibuprofen can't fix it.

As much as I enjoy coaching baseball I am glad the season is over.  It's hard to get runs in when three days a week are tied up.  Now there is nothing stopping me from getting out every day.

First Workout on the Path to Ultras

Today is the day that I start taking my goal of becoming an ultrarunner. My original goal was to go for a nice long run in the three hour range. Of course family obligations got in the way. That kind of sucks, but hey, things happen.

I was able to get out for a little while though. I had an hour and a half. Normally, when I run over an hour I try to go very slow, in the 11 minute mile range. I want to start pushing myself a bit more. I started by running the first mile at a ten minute pace, then ran nine more at an 8:30 pace. All together I covered ten miles in an hour and 27 minutes in mid 80's temperature and high humidity. I was a sweaty mess and very glad I carried my handheld.

I'm disappointed that I didn't have a chance to do a very long run, but I'm quite happy that I moved along at a significantly faster pace than normal.

After the run I had a nice large glass of chocolate milk and frosted mini wheats with peanut butter on them. Still feeling a little dehydrated. I'll keep pounding water for a few hours.

Getting Started as an Ultrarunner

Last fall I was looking at some pictures and came to the glaring conclusion that I was quite fat. Not the "Hey kids, look at the blimp" kind of fat, but way too big nonetheless. I started walking quite a bit and watching what I ate. The weight started to come off, but not nearly as fast as I wanted. In October 2009 I went in for a physical and was a mess. I was 6'3", 274 pounds and had very high blood pressure. My doctor wanted me to start taking stronger blood pressure medication (I was already on Atenenol). I was also having a lot of trouble sleeping because of sleep apnea. I decided I needed to get a little more serious with the weight loss.

By January 1, 2010 I was down to 267. A little progress, but still not where I needed to be. A Planet Fitness opened in my town with $10 month memberships. I signed up and started running on the treadmill. Actually, I started run walking. I could barely run two minutes at a time. I'd run until winded, walk to catch my breath and start running again. My stamina started building pretty quickly though. As the weather got nicer I started venturing onto the roads. That was so much better than the treadmill. Then a friend invited me to run in the woods. Being on the trails was so much nicer than the roads.

At the urging of the good people on the Runner's World Beginner's Forum I signed up for a 5k race in May. The thought was, if I had a goal to aim for I would stick with my training. Race day came and I had a very enjoyable experience. I wasn't particularly fast but I ran the whole way and finished mid pack under 30 minutes. This led to a few more 5k races, then some 10k races. My times have improved, but I will never be very fast. I have been enjoying running and have made some good friends in the running community.

My training has been very simple to this point. One day a week I run long, an hour and a half to two hours (occassionally three or four hours). One day a week I do some form of speed work, mostly Fartleks or hills. These workouts are about 45 minutes, but pretty intense. Two to three days a week I run for an hour at a pretty comfortable pace. All together I've been running 4-5 days a week for 6 months now.

At this point I am realizing that by far my favorite run is the long one. It gives me time to clear my head and think. As the months have moved along my long run has gotten longer and longer. Going 10-12 miles isn't much of an accomplishment for me. I hit 15 miles fairly frequently and have gone as much as 18 miles without walking. Again, not fast, but I'm not the guy that had trouble running on the treadmill for two minutes straight.

I've found that I enjoy running in races, but most of them are just too short. I go to a 10k and I'm done in under an hour. A 5k is over in 25 minutes or so. Even when I'm happy with my performance I'm a little disappointed. I kind of want my races to be an all day event.

To make a long story short, enjoying my long runs, loving the trails and my desire to take part in longer events has made me start to really think about participating in ultras. Now it's time to start increasing my mileage and learning about what it takes to compete. I'm excited to see how far I can push myself.