Are we there, yet?
Another month gone and I'm looking for cooler less humid weather. Ran 183.8 miles, down a little from the prevous two months, but still a good month.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Here were are, August already. What happened to the past few months? It's all sort of a blur, mostly forgettable, I suppose. I have no sense of time any more.
18 miles on the local coastal trail today. Finished July with 197 miles, including walking. More than last month.
WC, sorry your race was canceled. To no one's surprise, the trail marathon I was going to do on 8/22 has been canceled too. Just par for the course these days, unfortunately.
5/11/24 Grizzly Peak Marathon, Berkeley, CA
7/20/24 Tahoe Rim Trail 56 miler, NV
9/21/24 Mountain Lakes 100, OR
Running to eat
Very disappointed, but not too surprised, to hear that the 100-mile race in October was just canceled. I will be able to defer my entry to 2023 which is the next time I'll be back in the States again.
I'm still planning to run 100 miles somewhere on my own before I return to Bangladesh in October--with my wife as my crew--but it won't be in an official race.
But there is a silver lining to the race cancellation. I'd picked up a bit of a calf strain earlier this week, so I've not run since Tuesday. So I'll give myself more time to heal completely and then train a bit less aggressively than I had been for the race. Not running and worrying about losing fitness was stressing me out a bit, but now that I'm just planning to do my own 100-miler, I can take a bit more relaxed approach.
So just 41 miles this week, instead of the planned 100 miles. Next week might be even fewer miles.
Marathon PR: 2:52 (2006 Chicago)
Ultra #1: DNF at The North Face Thailand 100K (Feb 4, 2017)
Ultra #2: Finished in 6:53:03 at the Des Plaines River Trail Races 50M (Oct 14, 2017)
Ultra #3: Finished in 12:55:04 at The North Face Thailand 100k (Feb 1, 2020)
Ultra #4: Finished self-organized 100-miler in 19:28:53 (Oct 3, 2020)
king of the non-sequitur
im not surprised about more cancellations. i dont even want to sign up for anything unless i just want to donate money. this virus is all over the place now and not going anywhere. even a vaccine would take years to implement if they go at the pace they are going with testing. what we need are more creative ways to run virtual races. i would have one that has limited participants, like a real race, and have them send in a gpx file to prove their result. you dont even have to have a specific course, just a required amount of distance, vert, cutoff, etc. i looked at the Badger virtual, thanks Commander, but they have no details about it and it appears as if i'd have to run the actual course.
anyway 469M for July 7 more than June. that PR will probably stand forever. got done with the BAT in 38 days, 10 days faster than the RAT. it was a good challenge but i dont want to run 20 miles per day until the end of august to do the CAT. perhaps if i had no other responsibilities. in fact my best accomplishment from the RAT/BAT is that i also painted my house and re-did my deck. big cutback week this week and i am a lot more sore and tight like my body realized this is recovery time and shut down. learning drums with DD is taking more time now than running. it's important to learn new things!
skim, self supported 100 sounds like a great challenge! i think i could do that easier than a race for lots of reasons
Bridle Trails 50k 1-13-24 5:39
Cottontail 6 Hour 4-13-24
Cougar Long Series (May,June,July,Aug 2024)
Carkeek 6 Hour 10-19-24
Superior 100 was cancelled too, which was not surprising. Virtual FANS starts this month. I'm going to try to do one big day (12 hours or so) and then a couple smaller chunks. Maybe two 3 hour days and a 6 hour day, not sure. I'm hoping to do all of it on the FANS course at Fort Snelling, but the trail has been closed off and on for highway construction access/safety. It was open today when I was there to check it out.
If anyone's looking for an event for August, you can still sign up for FANS. It's $100 and the donation mostly goes toward scholarships for students - so if you're looking at virtual races and wincing at the costs, at least know this one will support a charitable cause. I'll be collecting donations too!
Problem Child
ended July with about 205 miles. Had a few short weeks for vairious reasons.
49.2 miles this week
2,454 elevation gain according to Strava. mostly the same 7 mile run up about 450 ft and one long 2 hour road run. I’m honestly surprised I could get 2,500 ft of gain per week from home just doing roads. If I was at work I could get 1,000 ft a day if I REALLY wanted but I’d probably get the same 2,500 in 5 days.
oh and I actually think I could FINISH the Marlette Lake 50k this upcoming weekend. Might not be pretty. I just want to blame logistics of it have a toddler and a pregnant wife’ for everything.
Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.
VDOT 53.37
5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22
Pain is my friend
330 miles for July. That’s the 3rd most in a month for me. Fitness is coming along. Still preping for a 24 hour race in October or December.
I know of 3 ultra races that happened this weekend. El Vaquero 50k, Tushurs 100k/50k/26.2, and Kat’cina Mosa 100k.
Did my long run in Vegas this last weekend. Started on the south end of Las Vegas Blvd and ran toFremont street then back. Started at 4 am to beat the heat. It was 85 degrees. 21 miles ave 8:18 pace. Last few mikes were faster to get out of the heat.
ATY 24 141.445 2019 1st
Bear 100 22:08 2021
Jackpot 100 Feb 14:59 - 5th
Pulse endurance 48 hr 175.3 miles
Bonnevile Backyard ultra
Ute 100 Aug
24 hour loop race?
Sheep Mountain 50 mi and 50k also happened this weekend in CO.
Cobra Commander Keen
349.6 mi for July, my biggest month of the year (by a whopping .74 mi). 79 mi last week. I was intermittently lazy during my "long run" on Saturday. I slept in an hour and decided I'd only run ~11 instead of 16. Then during the run I decided I'd hit a couple short out/back streets in town I hadn't run yet, and when coupling that with my planned route I ended up with 14 back at the house. I still don't know why I didn't just go get the other two miles instead of quitting when I did.
Bummer about more races being cancelled, though as others have said it's not particularly surprising.
FNKY - No requirement to run the Badger on the actual course (though there's nothing stopping a person, either). I think their biggest "requirement" is that 100 milers who want the buckle have to show proof of finishing within the (very generous) 36 hour cutoff and cover the cost of the buckle.
Brew - Congrats again!
5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22
Upcoming Races:
OKC Memorial 5k - April 27
Bun Run 5k - May 4
I signed up for Marlette 50k. This should be interesting with zero preparation other than a few 40+ mile weeks on roads and apparently one run along a flat section of the course. Oh and kind of knowing the climb at the start keeps going on and on and on. Should be fun learning How much I suck at ultras again.
The amazing Tahoe scenery should distract from the pain, suffering ,and lack of oxygen.
Sigh, wish I could have done TRT this year.
Just a dude.
Dang. How did I not know this was a thing? I'm gonna have to look at this... I ran nearly 25 miles of the course just last week...
-Kelly
Getting back in shape... Just need it to be a skinnier shape...
TWENTY FIVE?!?!?! Sheesh. Why pay $120 for a pint glass when you do it on the weekend. If I see you out there I’ll introduce myself. I’m not worried about catching COVID 19 from you. I hear runners are immune to COVID 19 in Nevada so they’re exempt from wearing masks. check ultra sign up. I stumbled on to it myself.
Dang. How did I not know this was a thing? I'm gonna have to look at this... I ran nearly 25 miles of the course just last week... -Kelly
Gatsby you’d THINK it was distracting however you really don’t see much of the lake during the times the race sucks. You’ll see it on the climb to Snow Valley Peak, then again about an hour or two later for a few minutes, then probably another hour around 3/4 of the way through the race, then never again as you turn away from it to then start remembering there is a hill to climb before a long descent to a flat stretch leading to an uphill they put in so you can have a downhill finish.
race update: They're sending people out in waves based on bib number. They asked I confirm I'll be participating (but I just signed up???) on Sunday. Masks are required when you're around other people and on the trail they ask you stay 6 feet away from others. No award ceremony and no hot meals, but they say F&B (food and beverage?) will be handled by the volunteers.
It's going to be interesting to be provided food, BUUUUUUT I don't think that is much different than some Ultra Marathon's I've been at. Although, I've only been to 3 and two of them I was a pacer and those two were pretty big deals so it's no surprise they were as good as they were. I'm sure the local race makes it harder when you have 4 volunteers and 8 runners coming in to keep people distance, on pace, and happy. If I had any clue what I used for ultra marathons I'd be able to bring it. Ginger if I can remember to buy some. I'll have my vest with two 16 ounce soft flasks. Maybe I'll pick up some gels or waffles. I'm open to ideas of how to fuel for a 14:00/mi paced 50k. Maybe I should call it a "supported long run" or something like that.
Hopefully people will not be digging their grimy hands into bowls of chips and gummy bears after lubing up their privates with vaseline, like the good old days. In theory, masked and gloved volunteers should be the only ones handling the food and drinks. You open your pack or bottle, they'll fill it up. You ask for a food item, they hand it to you. I'd carry some ziplock baggies to take stuff away with me, instead of hanging out at the A/S eating. It might take more time to get through the aid station that way, but hopefully everyone is patient and deals with it.
For long runs, I like trail mix, honey stinger waffles, Kind bars, and/or blocks (like Clif). Real food with calories and sodium, like PBJ, chips, and boiled potatoes are also good. Make sure you're taking in electrolytes.