Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes

It has been a long time since a book inspired me to do more, to become more, to strive harder than I have ever before. Ultramarathon Man has done just this, literally. I already enjoy running quite a bit and am slowly but steadily increasing my endurance. I was going to go out for an 8 mile run but after reading about Karnazes' first Western States 100 I pushed it to 13.1 miles, the longest training run I have ever done. Of course it was my desire, but it was Karnazes' inspirational book that lit a fire under my ass.

I don't mean inspiration as in sappy and that cheesy bravado of "you can do it, I know you can" kind of way. His is the best kind of inspiration, the kind that inspires by doing. To feel as though I experienced his Ultra races at Western States, Badwater, South Pole and the 199 mile Relay is a great achievement, a testament to his abilities as a runner and a writer. Much props must go to Karnazes. In fact almost too much as I oftentimes found myself shaking my head and smiling, saying "this guy is crazy".

Karnazes is history in the making, achieving feats that no other human has ever done. His tenacity is awe inspiring and, more importantly, his view on life is commendable. Even if you are not a runner you should run out and read this book. For it isn't too often that you can pick up a book to read about the trials and tribulations of one man and become inspired to want to do more with your own life.

An Inspired Training Session

Today was just one of those days. Last night I knew that I wanted to go for a long run. I set my goal today for 8 miles and my original intention was to wake up early and run it in the morning. That didn't happen. I was too tired after having watched Ocean's 13 and then read some before going to bed. The clock read 2:00 AM. So the afternoon rolls around and I eat an early dinner then sit down and read some more of Ultramarathon Man. After reading about Karnazes first Western States 100 finish I was so inspired I started thinking lets push it to 10 if I am feeling good.

Hit the bike path and start out at a nice even pace at around 8:15 a mile or so. Soon enough I am feeling good so I decide to push it to 5 miles before turning back, but that wasn't enough! I started feeling the runner's high. Perhaps the first time I have ever recognized it for what it was. I was 6.5 miles into the run and started smiling and hitting my stride. Everything felt great when I usually start to feel tired. Hell with it, gonna do 13.1 miles today and make this my endurance run for the week. The kicker, though, is that I want to run it faster than I did in Santa Cruz last April, and I want to run the entire way without stopping or walking (which I had to do in Santa Cruz). Before I knew it I was back at my car having run 13.15 miles without stopping at a 8:29 a mile pace. I came in at 1:51:41, or 7 minutes faster than my previous best Half Marathon event.

This week has been a strong week for running and it is only just beginning. I leave for Mt. Madonna on Thursday and I know I will get at least a couple of 5-7 mile trail runs in, which will most certainly improve my endurance. Before long I will be running the SF Marathon and should be in great shape to finish strong. One can only hope.

Ongoing List of Mistakes and Lessons Learned

I find that there are many mistakes that I make and lessons learned almost every week that I run. Some lessons I continually learn over and over, others are experienced for the first time. The list below will be an ongoing project, one that I will compile, in no particular order, for myself as well as any other runners who are trying to learn from their mistakes as well as the mistakes that others have made. Ultimately this list will remind me of what not to do as I march ever onward towards that first Ultramarathon.

1. Don’t overtrain; allow ample rest for your body to recover. Mistake: I was running and exercising continuously for days on end, sometimes 2 weeks straight. It never bothered me until I threw in 6.5 hours of tennis and then less than 12 hours later I ran a PR in a 10k. Problem was no rest and then went straight into two events where I exerted more energy than normal. Legs became tight and I couldn’t run for a few days.
2. Eat and drink properly before an event or training. Mistake: Seems simple enough, but not always the case. I ate lunch at noon and the only fluid I had was a 40 oz. of coke at noon. Then I went and trained at 6:20. Result was I didn’t have the energy and hydration to be able to complete the training at the level that I wanted to train at.
3. Don’t run on autopilot! Mistake: In the few races I have run this year so far I would always get tired and allow myself to run slower. I finally turned off autopilot and kicked it into high gear, overtaking the man in front of me at the end of the race. My legs have the strength to push on and I can dredge up more energy to increase my speed.
4. Slower first mile then pick up pace. Mistake: Starting out the race on cold legs at a fast speed. Run the first mile at a good pace to warm the legs up, then increase the pace to the desired speed.
5. Train with discipline. Mistake: Setting out and doing the same run, the same distance over and over again. Vary it up and go for a long endurance run, then do speed workout at the local track, then change it up and do a tough hill climb. The combination will ultimately put you in better shape and prepare you for the longer runs. Also cross train in other sports. Biking is a good one if you include hills, which will also prepare your lungs for the long runs.
6. Pace, Pace, Pace. Mistake: My only races last year, the SF Marathon and the SJ Half Marathon, were run at terrible paces. I started out much faster than I should have and sapped my energy for the rest of the race. Each race takes a different pace. The 10k, for example, runs at 7-7:30 pace for me, whereas the Half Marathon at 8:30 pace. Mind your paces and you will go farther and faster than you ever have.
7. Treat All Distances The Same. Mistake: I notice when I get ready for a shorter run, say a 4-5 mile run, I tend to drag my feet a little more than I should, and yet when I set out with the mind frame of running longer than 6 miles I feel light footed and don't drag my feet. Treat all distances as long distances and the miles will go by easier.
8. Run the descents, walk the ascents. Mistake: No Mistake here, I knew that going into trail running that, and especially with endurance trail runs, you walk the ascents and run the descents. This prevents you from blowing all your energy and killing your legs by trying to run the hills too much.
9. Don't run all the descents and don't walk all the ascents. Mistake: At about mile 16 at the Stevens Creek 50k was an extremely steep downhill. I took it like any other hill and tried to run it, although it was too steep to run so I had to lean back and do a half trot. All this did was not necessarily make up some time but definitely hurt my left knee from the massive amount of pressure the steepness caused from trying to run. I would have been better off walking it with that steep of a descent. Same with hills, run the ones that are manageable, and walk the steep ones.
10. Just say NO! Mistake: After running the 50k last week I started to run again. The day went as such. I at lunch at 11:00, then met my brother at the gym at 4:00 and did some weight training on my chest and triceps for about 30-40 minutes, then decided to go out and run for an hour at 5:15 before eating anything. I got .2 of a mile in and knew immediately that it wouldn't be a good running day. Tired legs from the 50k, plus early lunch and hard weight training = no energy and heavy legs. Know when to say no to yourself and either not go out for a scheduled run or stop the run you are doing.

Walk For Rights 10k

I must say that I haven't planned my events too well. When I was looking over what I could race my eyes were much bigger than my legs could handle and I started booking back to back events. This is the third weekend in a row that I had an event on Saturday and Sunday. And this is the third event in a row where my legs felt heavy and tired before I was into the first mile on the Sunday event. But, surprisingly, this is the third weekend in a row where I have been able to set a new PR on the 10k.

Walk For Rights 10k - 0:46:32 (7:30 pace; 3/16)

Ever since Muddy Buddy my brother has started getting into running more, so I was happy to see that he wanted to run this 10k with me. We both arrived at around 7:30 and were one of the first to check in. Right away we saw that this was going to be a rather low key event, one with only a few participants and where the organization of the race itself could have been better. After we get our bib and go to the bathroom we loiter around for a while as the event brought in someone to go through a morning spiritual/yoga type exercise routine. It seemed a little out of place, but whatever floats your boat, right? 10 minutes after 8:00 rolls around and the stretching is done and we are ready to start. Right away a group of four people took off, two of which I knew there would be no way to catch them. The other two were close enough that it was still possible.

The course itself was at Shoreline Blvd. as a 2 loop course near the marshlands, very similar to the Run For The Future event I ran last weekend. A flat fast course, and very dry. As I went into the home stretch of the first loop I hear someone come up behind me and am passed. Five people now in front of me. Soon enough, though, I turn into the first loop finish where the 5k racers finish and notice that three of the leaders were all running the 5k race. This was a quick buoy to the morale that was steadily being pushed down from having to run a loop course, running exactly what I had just ran over again. Ahead of me in the distance I could see one runner, but I knew then that I wouldn't be able to catch him, so trudge on and begin firmly lengthening my lead on whoever was behind me, which I couldn't see anyone at that time.

Eventually I had to stop and walk, but for only 15 seconds, just enough to get my breath back and get a little feeling into my legs. Doing the triathlon yesterday took a lot of energy and I was doing all I could to not walk more than this short walk. Rested, I picked up my pace and pushed to the finish line in 46:32, 22 seconds faster than my previous 10k best! The one nagging thought, which usually is only recognized in hindsight, is if I wouldn't have walked would I have still set a PR or would I have ended up going slower without the quick rest? At the finish line I drank some water and waited a few minutes, got some feeling back into my legs, and then ran back until I found my brother in order to run the last of his race in with him. For running only two weeks and this being his first race (and he was sick to boot!) he did a great job.

Sum it up: great run, set a PR, and ran a race with my brother. Organization of the event could have been better but, ultimately, the charity benefits from this 10k and comes out a winner.

Lake Almaden Mountain Bike Triathlon

Now this is my second and last scheduled triathlon of the year, with hopefully more to come. The last one I had raced in Morgan Hill at Uvas Reservoir and was hampered by my swimming as well as the fact that I had a mountain bike, which took a lot more energy and was a lot slower. This race would be much more accurate as to my stamina in a triathlon compared to the other racers.

Lake Almaden Mnt. Bike Triathlon - 1:19:27 (5:56 pace; 73/203) Stats

Whew, this was a fun race. I've been looking forward to this event for a long time, not only because it is a) a triathlon or b) it is a mountain bike triathlon but because c) I have two friends who signed up for this event as well: Brian and Carla. Race day rolls around and I am there pretty early, wanting again to be sure and claim a good transition spot. Brian and Carla are already there, so I play catch up and pick up my packet and get my body marked. We finish everything up and take a stroll down to the water to test the temperature. I couldn't tell at first, but this water is definitely cooler than the Uvas Triathlon, confirmed by the announcer who said the water was 58 degrees. Not sure it was that cold but... They had been filling up the lake with extremely cold water, which you notice at the end of your swim as you swim right past the incoming water.

Time rolls around and the first wave goes off. My friend Brian and I are in the second wave, so we get in and get ready. I've began using the breaststroke recently which greatly increased my snail's pace that I had at Uvas, so I was fairly confident. Gun goes off and the mayhem began. 500 yards isn't so long, so I wasn't too worried about the length. Round the second and last buoy and I look up at the beach and Brian is already getting out! He lapped the wave in front of him and came into the transition area at 8:15! Unbelievable. So I am just about to finish and get out when I feel a rolling of water to my right and sure enough, the lead female swimmer from the wave that started 5 minutes after me passes on by, then I feel a wave to the left and the second female from the same wave passes as well. Damn it, I was trying to finish fast enough to not be lapped myself, but oh well, I kind of knew this would happen. Luckily it was only two swimmers, right? So after 12 minutes and 25 seconds I get into the transition area and about a minute into it my friend Carla comes in (who started five minutes after me), clocking in an impressive 9:26! Damn Carla and Brian are fast.

So I take off on the bike and immediately begin passing a ton of people. I passed the most, though, on the steep half mile hill. In fact, this is where I finally was able to catch up to Brian. Anyway, we cruise down that hill and get to the mountain bike part of the race, which is a single track trail following a creek with a few creek crossings. They didn't give us any warning on the first one and we hit it pretty hard. I got half way across the creek in too low a gear and had to walk my bike out. A little warning would have been good. The guy in front of me hit it so hard he almost flipped over the handlebars. Pretty soon though I am moving along and I am all by myself. I can't see anyone in front of me or behind me. The trail has some pretty steep turns that go straight up a hill, and I hit one of these without warning and crashed. Kind of funny. I was able to stop mostly but my momentum kept going forward and I was on the ground. I few cuts and bruises and I was up again. Only two people were able to pass, in fact these were the only two people I saw the whole single track section, which was about the last 6 miles or so. I came into the transition at 40:33.

The run felt tough. My legs were heavy, but I was surprised to see my first mile clock in at 7:15. Must have been moving faster than I thought. Eventually I finish the 3.1 miles at a 7:15 pace in 22:29, the fastest I have ever ran that distance. Amazing that it happened after I was tired from the swim and bike portions. In fact I have found while training for this that a lot of times once my legs are already warmed up, tired and so on from the bike that I do run very good mile splits. Strange. Overall I came in at 1:19:27, which was good for 73 out of 203 participants. At this finish line it was the best food I had seen at any event. Plenty of water with fruit, bagels and burritos! Big chicken burritos. Loved it. Granted it was 9:50 in the morning, but that burrito tasted great. My friends put in strong finishes as well, so I was happy when they crossed the finish line and I could see the flush of a recently completed triathlon spread across their face. Triathlons: tough, but rewarding.