Up next the CIM, but “THE LOTTERY” is first and Waffles

It’s been an interesting life since Clarksburg. I got a nasty stomach flu that has derailed my running. My daughter had it first, then me and now Lily has it. Like me Lily is running CIM this Saturday. I’ve kicked my sickness, but life and running just can’t get in the groove.

Saturday I found my cat had the boots put to him by someone. That and typical holiday family stress have made life BLAH, for lack of a better term.

I’m more than rested and tapered and last Saturday’s 12 miler felt good. So we will see what I’ve got in me Sunday. The final plan is to go with the 3:10 group. The body will dictate any further changes come race day.

Lottery Time

Saturday’s Lottery for Westerns States will have the biggest effect on my race. If I get in I’ll be that guy smiling with the care free attitude regardless of the 25deg temps. If I don’t get in I’ll probably be a bit more focused, but still having a good time.

The past few CIM’s I’ve run have been to pace Lily or someone else.  Last year I picked up the fashionable item around my neck from the side of the road.  The scarf will be in full effect Sunday have no doubt.

I had the pleasure of recently trying out the new Honey Stinger Waffle



 
Holy Mother of Calories (160) these little suckers are awesome.  They are based on a Dutch stroopwafel. 

I want a homemade one like this, YUM I suggest you go over to Fleet Feet Fair Oaks and try one out.

AB

A perfect day

Yesterday was a perfect day, (in case you were not aware). How did this rare event in the cosmic pinwheel of existence happen you ask? Well here are the ingredients:


1. A glorious sunrise, think purple, orange, red, yellow

2. Excellent weather

3. LOTS of friends, both new and old

4. A well executed race

5. No stress


The Story of how it all came together

Yesterday was my last big run before my goal of running the California International Marathon for time. The Clarksburg Country Run has been around forever. I first ran it as a junior in High School. I have a photo from the run, but the scanner broke before I could post it. Just visualize a big haired 168lb version of me in red split sided nylon running shorts.

My plan was to run a controlled race to nail down my pace for CIM. My recent training indicated a 7:10 - 7:15 pace was a definite possibility for the marathon. I figured I would go out around this pace and go for even pacing. If the legs felt good then I would try for negative splits.

Prior to the race my buddy Nick Bingham came to town. I’ve known Nick since high school. Nick is the guy you love to hate (from a running perspective). Nick is super talented, his marathon PR is in the low 2:20’s. He placed 5th his 1st year at Western States 100, he has notched a lot of wins in his career, you get my point.

Nick’s daughter Sarah and my daughter Izabella were born 7 days apart and get along great. So Saturday they dropped by so Sarah could spend the night with us. Nick and his son Andrew spent time with Grandpa. We have done this in past when Nick is in town for races. I knew from experience that I would not need to run Saturday before the race, the girls tax me enough. Who knew building fairy houses out of leaves in the backyard could be so taxing.

I awoke early race morning after going to bed early. Nothing like 10 hours of sleep to recharge your batteries before a race. As I drove to the race start I found myself looking at a glorious sunrise across the valley. It was at this point I realized my camera’s battery was dead. So this perfect day had one negative, no photos, but it was the only negative of the day.


Race

The weather was perfect, sunny but cool. There was a head wind on the way out, but nothing too drastic. After a warm-up, I put my watch on and was ready to go. No drop bags and loading of gear. It’s just you and your socks, shoes shorts and shirt. No packs, or bottles, flasks, iPods. I had gels, but only two. I actually used that little pocket inside my shorts (a first) to hold one gel; I held my other gel in my hand.

At the start I saw Lainie Mattoon and Ray Sanchez. Off we went and I settled into 7:15ish pace for the first 3 miles. I felt a bit dead legged, but relaxed. After mile 5 I settled in with another runner and my pace began to comfortably hover around 7:10 most of the time.

I ate a gel at 6 miles and again at 10 miles. At the 10 mile mark the guy I had been running with picked it up. It felt good so I went with him. As we moved along I realized we were pulling some guys back. I later realized we were now running about 6:50 pace. It felt fine, but it was intimidating running this fast with 7 miles to go at point. I felt good but after a few miles I settled it down to 7’s.

The remaining miles I held strong, no problems. I thankfully took another gel they offered at an aid station. If I hadn’t I think I might have had a bonk issue at the end of the race.

At four to go I thought about speeding up again just to see what I had. When I did it seemed to take too much effort so I just stayed put. At two to go I up’d the pace again to see if I was close to the end of my rope. A slight cramp at one mile to go told me to cool my jets, so I did.

I finished feeling strong and in good form, no feet slapping or labored breathing. I definitely still had 10K of running in me at the pace I was moving at. I grabbed some water and ran/walked a few miles for a cool down. My time was 2:22 and change, good enough for a 7:08 paced run.

I spoke to Kuni and Dasie Yamagata before and after the race. I also ran into Ralph and Sharon from my trail running group. I also ran into Jacob Rydman and his wife Sara. Sara won her age group, nice work!! I saw Mark Lantz, Eric Skaden, and John Blue and just about everyone else from the area. I was surprised to see my buddy Thor Anderson. He came up from Monterey at the last minute to run in prep for CIM.

I really enjoyed seeing everyone and having a great time running. The day got better after I drove home, two words: ice cream. A perfect day, the ice bath didn’t even faze me.


What next

I accomplished all my goals for this event. I learned valuable information about my fitness and my pacing for CIM. I believe I have a solid 3:10 CIM in me. At this point I think I will go out with the 3:10 pace group and see what develops.

Next up, the dreaded taper and then CIM.

AB

The new black, cool Blogs, and of course, cool gear

Black is the ubiquitous color in sports and general fashion.  Black running shorts are a mainstay for me and many other runners.  Cyclists are worse than runners when it comes to wearing black shorts, only the elite hammerheads wear the colored spandex like theses guys:

I personally think colored spandex cycling shorts are for another reason, but the photo illustrates that…..

Regardless, like the popularity of the color black, compression sock are all the rage now.  But unless your Paula Radcliffe and have yours color matched to your skin tone, the choice is of course, you guessed it, BLACK.  Now some guys and gals are running in white compression socks.  I’m here to show you that the new black are these babies:

As the sexy (and VERY hairy) model demonstrates neon green is the new black.  And the brand to buy is CEP.  Now pink is availble also, but neon green is what the cool kids wear.

Gear

I recently saw the review of this pack: Salomon Advanced Skin Lab Pack at irunfar.com. The price tag is steep, but it looks to be a very functional and comfortable pack for those epic runs. I’m planning to ply my masculine persuasion on the wife in the near future to obtain one for 2011 adventures.

I recently switched GPS watches after tiring the big red Garmin 305. I love my GPS, but sometimes it just felt too big to wear. It has some draw backs, but the Garmin 110 looks and feels like a watch, but is a GPS. If you’re looking to try a smaller GPS check out the 110 or the just released 210 and 410 that have more functions than the basic 110.

Blogs

Here are a few blogs and website I’ve picked up on recently I think you should check out:

Jacob Rydman, All round nice guy and someone to watch in 2011.

Rhonda Sundermeier, Great race reports

Sacramentorunning, All things running in and around Sacramento.

Jaymee, Sacramento stud who just qualified for the Trials. She sounds very dedicated to her training, a great read.

AB

Running, it’s a new world when training for the marathon

Eight plus years ago I decided to take up running full time again. I was fed up with cycling in general, (Sorry but yes, everyone dopes in cycling including Cat 3’s). So beyond the occasional ride I was no longer interested in racing. Lily and I were trying to have a baby. The whole “bike riding kills your boner” ad campaign was in full swing in the media, so I was taking a lot of heat for the lack of results. In my own defense, I just thought we needed to do as much practicing as we could. I wanted to get it right when we really wanted to be pregnant.

I always ran a little here and there, but not with any frequency. For almost two years I got fat and out of shape, (making babies is stressful). So when Lily became prego I was out of shape and looking for a running goal. Having lived most of my life in Sacramento I knew all about the Western States 100. Sacramento has a large and diverse running community. I signed up for the American River 50 mile as my first step back to a running career. I figured the bigger the better. The rest is history; I’ve had ups and downs.

With my return to running I changed the way I had run in the past due to a few factors: a.) I was older, b.) I was SLOW and fat and c.) training to run REALLY far was different than anything I had done before. I followed what ultra veterans told me and followed suit. Ultra running in general is pretty basic. Lots of aerobic running and lots of long runs in beautiful places, not a lot of quality running. Mile repeats and threshold running were not needed, 4-5hr runs on a regular basis were.

In recent years I’ve noticed that I was in a rut. Training was fun, but the results were not what I wanted. Don’t get me wrong trail running still beats any other type of running for scenery and location. But lots of runs at about the same pace always worrying about being aerobic and if you ate enough can really start to blow. When I was a tri geek and raced shorter distances and a few marathons we ran all sorts of paces and distances, why not in ultras?

I began to notice that a lot of other runners faster than I were not training the same way. Sure with ultras you got slow down and go long. But these guys would still do some paced runs.

So I began to change up my training and realized I had been (still am) a lazy fool when it came to training. So early in the year I began to change things up. This got me thinking about the road marathon again, that holy grail of pain and discomfort.

With the California International Marathon (CIM) running right by my home the choice for me was easy.

Training Changes

My plan was to begin a structured marathon training plan after SNER. I cobbled together a plan from various marathon greats, mostly Pete Pfitzinger. I’m now a couple of weeks into the plan and I’m enjoying the change of pace, literally. If you haven’t run a tempo or threshold run in a while, do it. Talk about clearing out the cobwebs and learning some things about your running.

Things I’ve learned:

As most runners know, drills and working on running form can help you become more efficient. Not just road running but on the trail. But when was the last time you heard a trail/ultra runner talk about running drills? By bring these aspects into my training I’ve already noticed that I ache less, regardless of running surface, I have quieter feet and feel way more relaxed running at different paces.

Running different paces is helping me immensely. Every workout has a point. When it’s a recovery run I keep it slow. Time to run fast, then I go fast. I’m finding better fitness, but I’m also becoming better in tune to my body. I’m also becoming more efficient using fuel. One gel for 20 milers, with no fade is nice. I look forward seeing if I can carry this over to my ultra training.

Gear, sometimes it’s needed, but I think we ultra people go too far some times. Sure you need bottles and packs sometimes on the really long stuff. But a recent trail 20 miler was two gels and a watch, I felt naked. I’m also coming to the conclusion that my iPod is sabotaging my training.

Will this change in training make me a better ultra runner, who knows? But it has improved my running which has made me really motivated to improve myself and race better. A good place to be prior to 2011.

I ran across this ongoing series of articles from Eric Grossman at Running Times. They are a great read, check them out:

Grossman Motivation Series #1

#2
#3

Oh yeah and I bit the bullet and I'm now on Facebook.  So I have to take back everything bad I ever said about FB or I'd be a bigger hypocrite than I already am.

AB

Sierra Nevada Endurance Runs 52.4

This past Saturday I competed in Julie Fingar’s Sierra Nevada Endurance Runs. I ran the double marathon (52.4 mile) event. Lily and I volunteered to help Julie with packet pick-up the day before. It was fun to meet so many other runners. Lily also helped with other aspects of the race, did post race massage and ran the 12K, (she worked harder than I did that day). As always Julie puts on a great race.

In accessing my fitness I thought I had a 9:30 or under in me, (10:53 pace). Regardless, my main focus was to finish since I needed a WS100 qualifier for the Lottery.

Training of late had been consistent, but I would have liked more long runs (+25 miles). Heat running and acclamation felt good. Hill training had been good, I’d been doing hills a lot more than even I realized. I will definitely be going back to the big hills near my Echo Lake cabin for next year.

September weather leading up to the race was ever changing. The Sunday before the race it was cold and I got rained on a little while running. The cool temps we had made me hope race day would be the same, NOT! 96 degrees was the forecast. It was that temperature at least, but it felt more like we were 10 ft from the sun.

The Race

From the gun I hung with a group of runners I knew or had just met. They included Tony Overbay, Lainie Callahan, and others. The pace we relaxed and everyone seemed content. From course knowledge I knew I needed to be on my own before the gnarly single-track hit. I slowing left on my own before Buzzards Cove. I find running with a group through this section can make you run other runners paces. I soon hooked up with Eric Toschi. We ran together for a while and keep the pace conversational. Eric had just run the TRT100.

The HRM was reading right where I wanted it to be and I was running relaxed. I walked a few of the short steeps to make sure I was running within myself. Eric went on his own after Avery’s Pond when I had my prerequisite pit stop to make. I later found out we were running in 2nd and 3rd place, (never been there before).

The section from Avery’s Pond to Cardiac went well, but the heat was coming on. I ate and drank everything I planned to. I stuck to my plan and hiked Cardiac. I ate and drank as I hiked after loading up at the aid station. Just prior to the Overlook I felt a twitch in my inner thigh, not good. So I went into overtime with the salt/water. In hind sight I needed to do even more. Regardless I felt great at the Overlook. I got a surprise; Lily was there taking photos. On the back side I stayed in control to keep from running the downhill too hard.

The ascent back up was uneventful, but the twitches were there and then gone, again not a good sign. I concentrated on staying relaxed and drinking, etc. I saw Kuni Yamagata on the way up and told him about my issues as I rubbed my leg for a second. Kuni is one tough runner, so in response he sprayed me with water and ran off.

From the Overlook and back to the bottom of Cardiac I stuck to my plan, but the twitches were there. I jumped into the canal twice and it felt so good. I really love that canal, most of the year it’s a free ice bath. In the summer it’s a life saving cool off.

At Rattlesnake Bar I was having serious issues. Mark Lantz was there and told me to take even more salt. Thinking I was taking enough (2-3 an hour) I threw caution to the wind and just downed it like candy. Mark is an Ultra god so I’ll do what he says.

The remaining miles had a LOT of hiking involved. Regardless I keep at it and didn’t lose myself. Around Avery’s Pond I got more nauseous than I ever have in a race. At one point I looked at my finger and thought about doing IT, but I didn’t.

Coke, ice water, salt and lying in all bodies of water defined my life from Rattlesnake Bar aid station to the end. If you have run near Avery’s Pond you’ve seen the horse troth by the bridge. Oh yeah I swam in that, (sorry Mr. Ed).

I finally felt better right before the Twin Rocks aid station. A bit too late to matter, but I was able to run from there to the finish. At least I could finish like a runner and not a hiker at the end. All said a tough, but rewarding day.  10hrs and change for 5th over all.

Afterwards it was great to hang out and watch my fellow runner’s finish. The men’s winner will be someone to watch. I briefly meet Ronda Sundermeier whose blog I have read in the past. I got some great photos of her and some other runners.

Melisa had a super tough day. She was dealing with physical issues that would have made me a DNS. Regardless she continues reinforce her new nickname I have for her, Tough As Nails (TAS). Her report should be coming soon here.

Gear/Food/Misc

The Nike Pegasus (road version) continues to be a great shoe for me even on the trails. Only one blister, which I didn’t know was there till it was over.

My Nathan waist pack was great, I’m glad I switched to it.

I had been toying with using a Patagonia white long sleeve to block the sun and keep me wet longer. I had tried it in training and liked what it did for me. I guess I didn’t do it at the race because I’m dumb. Next time I’m going to give it a shot.

Drymax socks: Best damn socks ever.

I know the following about me: Heat = no appetite. I used Ensure at the race which I hadn’t done in a while. It worked for me even when my stomach went south. This reinforces to me that liquid food works the best for me, especially in the heat. Looks like its back to Ensure and the Hammer liquid food products.

iPod: I went without music for most of the race. I’ve been doing in training and I think it’s a good idea. I definitely pay more attention to myself and the race without music.

A few photos of the race.


AB

Woozy Again and a Labor Day Cabin Weekend

So Friday was my second test at UC Davis Sports Medicine. I had all my food intake cataloged and I was again starving my ass off. As I had posted a few days ago. I got a bit woozy when the arm catheter was put into my arm for the blood draws.

I felt better this morning so I figured I was past it. Well I was wrong, as soon at I laid down to have my 3ml blood draw my stomach dropped. So after some discussion with the staff I dropped out of the study. I was really bummed, but it was just too much stress.

I also found that after the 80min test the day before I was REALLY depleted. This made getting back to work a bit of a challenge. I was dragging for a while and all I wanted to do was eat. Another few weeks of that and my boss was probably going to notice.

Cabin Trip

So after Izabella got out of school at noon we drove up to our cabin at Echo Lakes for the Labor Day Weekend. My mom, sister, her husband and my two nephews came along also.

As always it was a relaxing weekend, when at the cabin the Brantley’s know how to chill. It was a little more “energetic” around the cabin than most visits. My mom and family are a bit more tied to the urban life than us. Regardless we had a nice visit together.

I ran to the “Y” (10 miles) on Saturday to meet Lily who hit up the Pearl Izumi Outlet for a great deal on this jacket: Pearl Izumi P.R.O.  It was a great run, cool temp’s and I didn’t feel the altitude.

Lily and I then got out early Sunday for a big run. It was odd to be cold at the start, temps were about 50deg, with lots of cooling wind. Lily set her sights on Lake Aloha or 3hrs, whichever came first. I was going to do 3-4hrs, but later I wanted to hang with Lily so I looped back after hitting Lake Aloha. It was a good choice Lily rocked the run and we had some great Husband/Wife time together on the trail, (no sex just running).  The trail we ran had it all, rocky single track, climbs, sand, and altitude. Lily was smiles the whole time. She even stuck a “1up” Pose at the top of the climb to Haypress Meadows:



I later ran on a head and later met her at the Echo Chalet for a leg soak. We concluded later that the cooler temps and the Paleo Diet she been following has helped her fitness and health. Lily loved the run, she’s got the trail bug for sure now. We talked a lot about Way to Cool 50K.


The trail:

Lily rocking the switch backs

A low Lake Aloha

Weight loss has affected how my clothes fit, (OK that's a lie, I'm just being a dork, but only because the shorts are too big and when I do this it embarrasses Lily):

All smiles:

My Moment of Zen

 

AB

UC Davis Study 1st Week test #1

So I did my 2nd trial today as part of the UC Davis study. As directed I showed up with an empty stomach ready to run. The past week of food cataloging was interesting. FYI, chicken sandwiches are NOT a good idea a fast food joints if you’re pressed for lunch. The next couple of hours were interesting to say the least.

Woozy

First up was my weight, 181.2lbs, (NICE!). Last week it was 184lbs, the staff was suspect that I was changing my diet for the tests. I reminded them that I had eaten breakfast before last week. I also had to share that I was not so “regular” for a few days last week at that time. (T.M.I, but hey it’s all about the science)

Next up was a catheter in my wrist for the blood draws on the treadmill. Gretchen did great, I didn’t even feel it. Also set to go I took it slow and got up. The next feeling I had was WOOZY. So I lay down and played the please feel better game for 15 minutes. This was unexpected and sucked. Eventually I was up and running. The staff was great and said it happens a lot. Hopefully this won’t be an issue again.

Treadmill Test

So we get going with the test which was a bit more involved than the stated, run 80 mins, take food protocol every 20mins with a blood draw. I also had to wear the head and mouth gear for 10 minutes prior to the blood draw for breath testing. The head gear sucks, but I brought a hat which really helped to hold it up.

Per the max test I would be running at 7min mile pace, (OUCH). With the summer here I have to run when it’s really hot 5pm. As such 7min miles for 80mins haven’t been on the plate too much in the past months. So I’m thinking to myself, “This will be fun on an empty stomach”.

Change #2 was that I didn’t get a lot of food as part of the protocol. Today was Clif Shot Bloks. Shot Bloks are 100 calories for 3 Bloks. I figured I would get that much at least, nope I got two. Did I mention I started the test with a growling stomach? I will say the Bloks are pretty good, something to look at for a future race.

So the test went good, I would put the iPod on when I wasn’t wearing the head gear. No problems with the blood draws. Towards the end I was feeling a little drained, but I felt I good still go for quite a while. If I can build on my current fitness my C.I.M goals might work out.

The 5K run after the 80 minutes was at any pace, but they cover everything up. I went about the same pace at the 80 min test, but slowed it a bit towards the end.

Post Test

My weight was down 2lbs. Gretchen checked the blood work and said my electrolytes were great even with the water loss. She told me I must be a good sweater, but efficient when it come to electrolytes use. (HHmmmmm that sounds like a good skill set for a certain hot 100 miler I know).

I now have to do post test evaluations about soreness, etc at 2hr and 5hrs. I started fueling right away with an Endurox shake and a Clif Bar soon after. About an hour after the test I really bonked as I was getting ready for lunch. Taco Bell was my lunch choice, I back at work and in the field. I must say the tacos were perfect, all four of them.

Tomorrow will be a small blood draw followed by a 10K time trial at pace. After the test tomorrow the family is going to our cabin at Echo Lake. I foresee a lot of relaxing this weekend; the planned 20 miler might be adjusted.

AB