Pi Day River Rotation March 10, 2018

I didn't do much running in the two weeks between the Psycho Wyco and the Pi Day Run. I really needed the time to recover after running/hiking 30 miles in sandals through ankle deep mud at Psycho. Even though my feet were fine during the race, I definitely had some stiffness/soreness to work out of my toes, it took the better part of a week for them to feel mostly normal again. I did a lot of stretching and foam rolling over those two weeks, but I only ran three times, twice for about 5 miles each on the treadmill and one easy run of 6-ish miles on the Clinton Lake trails. This seemed to  be about right training-wise, as I felt rested and ready to go for Pi Day.

I'd signed up for the Pi Slam, which is a 5k (7:30 start time) and a half marathon (9:00 start time). Since I generally run longer races (marathon and longer) I train at a fairly slow pace that I can  sustain, so I rarely try to run fast. I would come to regret not training at a faster pace though since it  took the better part of a week for my calves to loosen back up after the Pi Day races. I'm writing this on Thursday after the race, and the lower part of my calves, just above my achilles are still tender. At least I can now walk down stairs without bracing myself on the hand rail.

I was pleased with both of my races. I think that I could've run the 5k a bit faster (25:14), but I held back for the first mile or so. Truth was, I was intimidated by the shirt that the dude in front of me was wearing. I figured that anyone wearing a Hitchcock Experience shirt is a beast of a runner and I'd be foolish to try and pass him so early in the race (I told him about this as we talked afterwards, very nice guy). I just run by how I feel, I don't use a running watch that shows my pace, so I wasn't sure how much to push it early on. After running on his heels for a while though, I figured that I needed to go around him if I could, I know that I don't like anyone following closely behind me for too long.

This is me trailing the Hitchcock Dude (Jody Pasalich), photo by Mile 90

The half marathon went well and I was pleased to finish under 2 hours. I really felt good through the two 5 mile loops. The last 3 mile loop though, I was starting to slow, and I got passed by 4-5 people in the last mile and a half. I could tell by the burning in my legs that I was going to be sore afterwards. My normal running pace doesn't make my muscles burn like that. Going hard enough to feel that burn in a longer race is a definite no-no for me as I'm not really able to recover and will be much slower from that point onwards.

This race is so much fun! I really love running the roller coaster-y river trails, they make me feel faster (for a while anyway). They are such a great changeup from the North Shore Trails at Clinton Lake. No roots, no rocks, no climbs. The weather was absolutely perfect, the swag was awesome, the pie was delicious, and the beer was cold. The race directors (Caroline and Libby) did an awesome job as always, I really love the engraved forks that were given out as finisher medals.

RDs Libby (left) and Caroline (right) presenting me with my Pi Slam shirt, photo by Mile 90

I'm a little apprehensive about my next race. I'm running the 50 mile version (2 loops) of the Rockin' K at Kanopolis Lake on April 7. This will be my sixth consecutive year running this race, but my first time going longer than the marathon distance. I plan to write up a race report afterwards and I intend to bug you about it until you read it. :-)

Psycho Wyco, February 24, 2018

The Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run trail race takes place on the bridle (horse) trails that form a 10 mile loop around Wyandotte County Lake in Kansas City, Kansas. The 2013 Psycho Wyco was my first time ever running on trails (I'm sure that I ran along a riverbank somewhere as a kid, but you know what I mean).  I ran the 10 mile race that year, and I've ran the 20 mile (2 loop) race three times since then, so it's a race that I'm familiar with. Since it's in February, the conditions tend to be extreme. 2013 was a mud pit, 2014 was a foot of snow that would not pack down, 2016 was unusually warm (70's or even 80's by afternoon, I believe), only 2017 was good running conditions (dry trails, temp in the 20's and 30's). As I mentioned in my previous post, I decided to run the 50k (3 loops) version of the 2018 Psycho Wyco to help me prepare for the Hawk Hundred in September.

In the past, I've averaged about 2 hours per loop on this course. My second loop has been around 20 minutes slower than the first. Since I was pretty happy with my training leading up to this race, I was hoping for less than 6 hours for 3 loops. As soon we entered the trail and I saw how muddy the course was, I knew that 6 hours was out of the question. As it was, a lot of the mud was still somewhat frozen on Loop 1, so I managed the first loop in 2:01.

I still felt good heading out for Loop 2 until I was a half mile or so down the trail. That's when I saw the carnage that was left from the 250 or so 10 mile runners who had passed through an hour after the 250 or so 50k and 20 mile runners. All of the remaining snow and ice had thawed, and with all of the runners passing through, the trail was now an ankle deep pool of muck. These trails are always pretty rough, because they are meant for horses, and unlike the trails meant for 2 legged creatures, horses tend to create a deep trough or channel in the ground. Running through these muddy channels really takes a toll on your hip stabilizer muscles. I've been doing strength workouts for my hip adductors and abductors, but even with that, I wasn't prepared for 30 miles of slip/sliding forward, side-to-side, and yes backwards. So, Loop 2 was 2:46, and I was feeling pretty worn down.

As I headed back out for Loop 3, I knew that everyone's finish times were way longer than they'd hoped, mine would be too, so it goes. I was sick of the mud, but this was what I'd signed up for, running for hours when I'd really rather not.  I will need mental toughness if I'm going to run 100 miles in September, so this was just what I needed to do. Loop 3 was mostly hiking all the way around the lake, I tried to take advantage of any runnable sections, but they were few and far between, and my running wasn't very fast.

I hiked nearly the entire section from the start to the first aid station. There were many familiar faces among the awesome volunteers cheering me on when I arrived into Aid Station 1, and that really helped to perk me up. After leaving the aid station, the course goes through what is called "The Triangle", which is a meandering section of trail about a mile in length, after which you wind up on the other side of Aid Station 1. As I started the triangle I mentioned that I'd be ready for a shot of Fireball Whiskey when I exited. Of course the awesome volunteers didn't disappoint. The shot was waiting for me and they even provided a toast so that I wouldn't have to drink alone (not that it would've bothered me). That was a first, I've never had any alcohol during a race, but at the pace I was going, I knew it wouldn't hurt anything, and besides, it was pretty damn chilly.

Somewhere on Loop 3, as we were climbing up one of the muddy narrow channels, the guy in front of me lifted his foot and realized that his shoe had stayed in the mud. I offered some help, but he insisted that I just go around him (thinking back I don't know what help I possibly could've been). That wasn't easy to do however as it was so slippery that if you tried to climb to the side, you would just slide back into the middle. After awkwardly bouncing off of each other a few times, I managed to get around him and continue on.

This pic by Mile 90 Photography really captured how I was feeling at that moment on Loop 3. I'd just climbed a steep slippery hill and was gathering myself for more.

About 2 miles from the finish as I emerged from the woods at the final aid station (at the top of a tough hill), I was greeted by one of the volunteers shouting "Heyyyy M*&#@!*+=#er!". I started  laughing so hard that it took me a few minutes before I could answer and ask them for another shot of Fireball. They poured an extra-healthy dose and cheered as I downed it. I really can't say enough about how I appreciate the volunteers in these races. The races simply could not happen without them. It's no small thing to give up an entire Saturday and wake up at an ungodly hour to work for no pay in the cold and mud. Having done it a few times though, I can say that it is completely worth it to see/help the runners achieving their goals.

I finished Loop 3 in 3:28, almost an hour and a half longer than my first loop. Total time for the 50k was 8:17. On the bright side, I should definitely be able to improve next time. On the brighter side, I had lots of good friends to cheer and greet me at the finish as well as some new sweet swag!

Picture by John Knepper (L-R Shari Hicks, Barbie Stephen, Me, Ami Weidler-Hyten, John Knepper)

I had a hard time figuring out how many layers to wear for this race. Temps were in the 30's at the start and the forecast was for early afternoon rain and a high in the low-mid 40's. I ended up packing a backpack with (it seemed) 3 complete changes of clothes, putting it with the drop bags, and never using it (in fact I forgot it completely until I was driving out of the park and had to double back to get it). So, a tech fabric t-shirt, insulated arm sleeves, a long-sleeved tech shirt, and a water resistant jacket tied around my waist worked perfectly. I got chilly on Loop 2 and put on the jacket when the mist started turning to light rain. Once the jacket was on, I kept it on for the rest of the race as I wasn't moving fast enough to get too warm. From past experience, I'm cautious about running in cool wet weather. Running in wet clothes may be OK at first, but after getting worn down in a long run, you can reach a point where you can't move fast enough to generate enough internal heat to maintain your core temp. So I try to keep a rain resistant fabric at hand and layer properly so as not to sweat through the layers underneath.

I drank plenty of water, but didn't eat much during food this race, and that wasn't very smart. I didn't ever "bonk", but I did catch myself a few times on during Loop 3, just sort of lollygagging along. If I'm not able to run, I try to at least hike with a purpose, but it was tough staying motivated once I knew that my finish time would be so slow. There were some vegan energy balls on the first and second loops that were really good, I probably had 3 or 4 of those. Between loops 2 and 3, I did shove about 10 Pringles in my mouth at one time. I tried to apologize to the volunteer that witnessed this, but that just made matters worse as the crumbs flew out as I tried to speak. I don't really know why, but I also downed a cup of pickle juice at this stop. Maybe I felt some leg cramps coming on and wanted to prevent them anyway I could. I'm not sure if it helped, but it did remind me that I don't really like pickles. As these things normally go though, the foods were pretty well picked over by Loop 3. I had a baggie full of dates in my flip-belt in case I got too hungry, but never needed them.

That's it. Step 1 of my plan to get ready for the Hawk Hundred has been successfully completed. Two weeks after Psycho Wyco is the Pi Day River Rotation, I'm signed up for the 5k and the half marathon (long story). I can't wait for it, great race with awesome people! April 7th is the Rockin' K 50 miler, I've definitely got some training to do before I'm ready for that.

Oh yeah, I ran the Psycho Wyco (as I do all runs) in my Luna sandals and (when it's cold) Kakuetta Trail wool socks. Pic by Mile 90 Photography, the best in the business!

Running Goals in 2018

(Fair warning, this post is all about running. I plan to run a 100 mile race in the fall of 2018, I would also like to write up a race report about that experience. Having never blogged before, I thought that I would write up a few "practice" posts to get the hang of it. Any feedback with or without accompanying ridicule would be much appreciated.)

At some point in 2017, I realized that if I was ever going to run a hundred mile race, I'd better do it soon because I wasn't getting any faster or younger. Since I may only want to run 100 miles once, the race I'd choose could only be the Hawk Hundred, put on by the Lawrence Trail Hawks, a group that has become like a family to me and a race that I look forward to all year long. The schedule didn't work for me in 2017 though, so I decided that 2018 would be the year. I first bounced the idea off Deanna, when she didn't say no (she's talked me out of dumber ideas), I decided that I'd give it a shot. I began telling my plan to folks in my running tribe, the idea being that once I had publicly committed, there'd be no backing out.

For the past several years I intentionally start cutting back on my mileage in the fall and running much less for the last two (or so) months of the year. I like having a break, to run only when I feel like it, and not worry about monthly mileage. This gives me a bit of a mental/physical reset and allows me to ask the question, "Do I really want to do this?", so far the answer has always been "Heck yeah, what do you think?" (Napolean Dynamite).  So, each New Years Day, I  begin the struggle to get in shape for the 20 mile version of the Psycho Wyco in February. If I train right, I'm normally fairly well prepared for the Rockin' K Marathon, which is always the first weekend in April. By then, the weather is warm, which means I'll run at any given opportunity (#teamsummer!), so it's pretty easy to be ready for the Night Hawk 50k at the end of June. After that, if I'm not injured I set my sights on the 50 mile version of the Hawk Hundred in September. There are a few shorter races that I love to do in late September (Konquer the Konza 25k) and October (Randolph's Revenge Half Marathon), but after being in 50 mile shape for the Hawk Hundred, I don't really need to train hard for either of these. That's pretty much my usual race calendar for the year.

I've really enjoyed this schedule for the past few years, but I don't think it's challenging enough to properly prepare me for my first hundo attempt, so I decided I'd change things up. In 2017, I didn't dial it back at the end of the year, October through January, I averaged around 160 miles per month. In January and February, I'd run long outside on trails on the weekends, but the weekday workouts were strictly on the treadmill.

I don't mind the treadmill at all in the winter. To me, it's so much easier to just put on a pair of shorts and head to the basement after work than it is to figure out how much to layer up, put in contacts, and mess with a headlamp. Not to mention the cold temps, dogs, sometimes icy conditions, and wondering if the cars really see me as I'm running on the shoulder of the road in the dark. It's just too much hassle for an hour or so of running. The treadmill also forces me to think about what I'm trying to accomplish with each workout (i.e. what settings to choose for speed and incline). Over the years I've gotten so that I don't really like running on the treadmill on a fast setting, so for most of my workouts I leave the speed set at 10 minute miles and adjust the incline to vary the intensity of the workout (8 degrees gets intense pretty quickly). I do bump up the speed on occasion, but not for too long. I finish nearly every workout by maxing out the incline setting and hiking for a half mile just as fast as I can manage. I tend to think of the Three Sisters (three really tough hills towards the end of the 10 mile loop at Psych Wyco) and the Big Bluff Loop section of the Rockin' K Marathon while I'm doing this powerhike training.

To help prepare for my 100 mile attempt, I decided that I would run the longer distances of my usual spring races, the Psycho Wyco (50k instead of 20 miles) and the Rockin' K (50 miles instead of a marathon). Not only would these longer races help prepare me physically for The Hawk, but also help prepare me mentally for the long hours on the trail, at least that's the plan.

The mental side of running 100 miles is what concerns me the most. I'm fortunate in that I haven't really had any injuries that I couldn't manage and I am pretty reliable about putting in the training sessions, but how will I respond to running all day and all through the night? I've run 50 miles on a few occasions, but going twice that distance will be totally new to me and I want to prepare myself as well as I can. Running a third (10 mile) loop at Psycho Wyco and a second 25 mile loop at Rockin' K seem like good ways to do that. I want to push myself to a place where I mentally want to quit, at that point is where the mental training begins, that's what I'm calling adversity training. (I doubt that I invented that phrase, but I don't know where I first heard it either.)

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't cut back on mileage at the end of 2017.  In fact over the break between Christmas and New Year's I ran 6 out of 7 days. The weather was cooperating, so I took full advantage. My Psycho Wyco training  through January and February seemed to go pretty much as planned, I felt ready to go as Feb 24th approached, I plan to cover how that race went in another post.