Double Unders

"It takes ~10 years (520 weeks, 3650 days) of consistent work to master anything, including your sport. Don’t waste them."  @joefriel

jump rope 35 min.

I was supposed to run this morning, but I felt like jumping rope.  So I did that instead.  I worked on double unders the whole time.  Double unders are where you jump once for every two turns of the rope.  Technique wise they are about 20 times harder than just plain rope jumping.  If you can string a few together in a row they are also much more intense. 

The most I could get in a row was 8, at the very end of the workout.  One of the motivators to get it right is the whipping you get from the speed rope when you mess up.  I have a wire speed rope, and when you catch your forearm or your back, believe me, you know it. 

Here is a good tutorial on how to do them.  I'm basically doing none of the things stressed in the video, so I've got lots to learn.   



My buddy Oliver is 40 years old and he is an amateur boxer.  He is fighting today for a championship belt.  He is 3-0 in his boxing career so far (started 6 months ago).  Very cool.

Speaking of crossfit, check out this.

A New Challenge

"If you’re not prepared to look stupid, then nothing great will ever happen to you." House
DB shoulder press 20lb x 300 - 34:57
box jump squats 2 x 25
pushups 5 x 10

I have a new project.  I am embarrassed at how poor my muscular endurance is.  Brian came within less than 1 minute of my time for the shoulder press/jump rope circuit, and he jumped roped for more than 10 minutes longer than I did.  To make matters worse, my dumbbell press single rep max is higher than Brian's.  Translation - my muscular endurance sucks. 

Same thing on the box jumps.  The lactic acid builds up way too quickly in my legs on these.  I should be doing much more of these much more easily.

So, it's time to get to it.  Look for lots more low weight, high rep stuff for awhile.   

If someone were to ask me what ultrarunning is about, I will show them this blog post.  Excellent.

Finally a Good Day

"It's funny how everyone is attracted to the "extreme" methods of training when its consistency, monotony & discipline that really works."  @firmfitness
run 10 miles

I have been just beat down from work lately.  During times like this I try to stay focused on not missing workouts, but as you can tell from the last few posts, each one is hit and miss regarding motivation and effectiveness.  Today was an example of why you keep sticking with it.  I had very little interest in getting out of bed at 4:15, but fortunately I was meeting Steve for our weekly run so I had to go.  It ended being an effortless run at a pretty decent pace.  I know tomorrow could be another sufferfest, but it's nice to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Good motivation stuff here. 

I believe that as soon as you understand that it's ok to be wrong, then you can truly start to be successful.  Watch the video below - don't be afraid to take a risk.

Blah

"There's no magic pill or shortcut. Only consistent output over a lengthy time period truly yields the results you are looking for."  @bobbymaximus

kb swing 53lb x 2 x 40
box squat jump 5 x 20
treadmill 1 mile 15.0 incline 21:02

Just not feeling it lately.  I was so sore from Monday's workout that I slept in Tuesday.  Then today everything just sucked.  I wasn't too thrilled to get up in the first place.  My wrist started bugging me on the swings, so I cut that short.  For some reason the box jumps are much harder than they should be, so those sucked.  I finally gave up and walked a mile on a steep incline.  Stuff like this used to bug me more in the past than it does now.  Some times you're fired up, some times your not.

Nevertheless, I haven't been too excited about training lately - just going through the motions.  As a result, this blog has been getting more boring.  I'll have to try to pick it up going forward. 

Presentation on the benefits of exercise.   If you're reading this blog you are probably already dialed in to the benefits of exercise, but overall it still amazes what poor shape most Americans are in. 

Another example that lifelong fitness isn't all that complicated. 

Tongariro National Park in New Zealand (via Tahoe Weather Blog)

Shoulder/Cardio Circuit

"Persistence isn’t glamorous."  @farnamstreet

jump rope x 1000 jumps
strict shoulder press - 20lb dumbells x 100
repeat 3 times

55:55

My friend Brian and I chat about training a lot, but due to schedules, location, etc. we rarely ever work out together.  So to keep things interesting, I thought I would throw down a challenge to him.  Thus this circuit workout.   Even though he weighs 35 pounds more than me, I won't even make him scale the dumbell weight. 

Definitely the limiting part to the time here was my shoulder endurance.  The jump rope section would take me 8-9 minutes each time, and then the shoulder presses would take forever.  I was mostly doing sets of 10 with a bunch of rest between.  My shoulders were just fried.

Just like the 4 minute mile, now that Usain Bolt has shown sprinters that it is possible to run faster - they run faster.  It's all mental...

Love this guy's blog and his perspective on running.

Cherry blossoms in Washington D.C.  Spring is coming (via @ritholtz)

Nice Run This Morning

“I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.” @bobbymaximus
run 12 miles

If Steve had not invited me out for a run, I probably would have barely gone 5 on the treadmill.  But we ended doing 12 and parts of it were practically a tempo run for me (which is close to walking pace for Steve).  Nice morning. 

Incredible pictures of the California coast.

All Kinds of Stuff for a Friday

"Often winning doesn't contain joy & excitement. Rather, it's filled with a solemn relief verifying all those sacrifices weren't for naught."  @danharm

KB swing 70lb x 2 x 25, 53lb x 2 x 25
DB press 60lb x 5 x 2 (started strict, push press near the end)
DB push press 75lb x 10 x 1
box squat jump 5 x 20

I'm probably pushing it, but my elbow has felt really good this week, so I added some shoulder press work back in.  Hopefully I can keep that up.  The box jumps hurt more than they should have - need to do more of those. 

812 consecutive days of running with an average daily mileage of 8 miles?  Not sure if that is impressive or insane. 

My friend John finished his first marathon this last weekend.  Good job John. 

He just started running a few months ago, set a goal and got it done.  It's not that hard, don't overcomplicate it.

A post from the archives with some motivating thoughts from David Goggins.  Cool picture too. 

Listen to Ray Lewis, he knows what he's talking about (source)

You Can't Have it Both Ways

"Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification." Martin Fischer"

run 10 miles

It dawned on me yesterday how I mentally screwed up the 50k earlier this month.  My training approach has been to run very low weekly mileage (at least in terms of ultra training) and to gut it out on race day with leg strength and mental fortitude. 

What actually happened is I showed up at the race and I wanted it to be easy.  It wasn't, so I whined about it for a week.  But I can't have it both ways.  If I want to put in the suffering on a weekly basis by running 50-70 miles/week, the race could be easier.  If I want to lift weights and only run 3 days/week, then expect to suffer mightily on race day. 

I chose race day suffering.  Bring on the Silver State 50k...

I have posted this before, but it's still one of my favorite videos.

Kettlebell Swings

"1 pound of fat takes up 18% more space than 1 pound of muscle." @menshealthmag

KB swing 88lb x 20 x 15

Another brutal workout. I wanted to quit so many times during this, but I gutted it out.

I continue to be impressed at how physically taxing these swings are in comparison to how low impact they are on my joints. They are just the right combination of muscle and cardio effort. Plus, my elbow feels better than it has in months. All good stuff.

If you are interested in more information on kettlebell swings, here are some articles:

This dude puts up some insane kettlebell swing numbers

Another article by the same guy.  Check out the picture of how much weight he lost.

One final article from Bud Jeffries (same guy as above). 

Snagged this video from Lucho's site. 

Misc. Stuff

"Train with a purpose. Otherwise, it's just exercise." @pdeliverance

treadmill 5 miles 43:35

Not much interesting to talk about today, so here is some miscellaneous stuff:

At the Chuckanut 50k this weekend, the winner - Adam Campbell, was 9 minutes behind the leaders in 8th at mile 20 before winning.  That is how you pace a race.

"We pay a price for everything we get or take in this world; and although ambitions are well worth having, they are not to be cheaply won."  @bobbymaximus

"The rigid and inflexible will surely fail, while the soft and flowing will prevail."  Lao Tzu

New Toys + A Stupid Decision

"You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong."  @hedgefundinvest

KB swing 88lb x 20 x 10, 53lb x 4 x 25

I got a new, heavier kettlebell.  Since kettlebells originated from Russia, their weights are referred to in kilograms instead of pounds.  The green one is 24kg (53 lbs), the red one is 32kg (70 pounds) and the white one is 40kg (88 lb).  I have one more on backorder, a 48kg - 106 lb one.  Then my home gym will be pretty much complete.

I've heard that running marathons or ultras are like childbirth, you have to forget the last one before you are willing to do another one.  Well, I guess I have a short memory.  I was going to sign up for the Reno marathon yesterday (race is May 6) to use it as a training run for the Tahoe Rim Trail 50k in July.  But when I saw the cost was $70, I decided not to register.  So in an act I am sure I will regret, I signed up for the Silver State 50k a couple of weeks later.  It is only $55.

The race is run on a mountain I don't really enjoy running, and will probably be miserable.  I decided that would probably be the best training for the Tahoe race anyway (plus I saved $15!).  I am going to try to treat this as a true training run - go out very, very slow, run a negative split, and plan on being miserable, bored and tired for the majority of the race.

I'm an idiot.
 

Age is Just a Number

"Fitness is a mode of life, not a destination." @gmdavies84
treadmill 4 miles 33:17

Getting older doesn't affect heart rate as much as people think.  So what's your excuse?  (via @exerscience)

Again, age is just a number. 

Both of the above articles are covered by the following quote: "Being realistic is the most commonly travelled road to mediocrity." Will Smith

Your body will do what you tell it to do, it just depends how bad you want it. 

Crazy mountain biker trying to kill himself on a mountain trail (via @pkedrosky)

Dealing With My Elbow

"There's a big difference between knowing how to hurt and knowing how to suffer. Learn the difference." @bobbymaximus

KB swing 70lb x 20 x 20

I wimped out yesterday and skipped a workout.  The alarm went off and I was amazingly sore from the day before.  I was supposed to run (or most likely walk), but my ankle is still pretty sore from last weekend, so I used that as the excuse to bag the workout.  I still don't know if that means I am being smart or a wimp.

Also, my right elbow continues to be a pain.  Pretty much any weight lifting exercise where I bend my arm feels pretty crappy.  It loosens up by the end of the workout, but again this is an issue where I wonder if its better to just ignore the pain or try to fix it.  I was in the ignore it camp, but I'm moving to the deal with it camp. 

So I think I'll just stick with kettlebell swings for a couple of weeks.  Since your arm stays perfectly straight through these, and you are holding the kettlebell with two hands, these don't hurt my elbow at all.  The one byproduct of this is I will probably lose weight.  I've done high rep swings or high pulls three times this week and already lost 4 pounds in 5 days.  I have experienced this before.  Somehow the high rep kettlebell work does something crazy to your metabolism and the weight just melts off.

Sprint intervals are good for you.  Plus check out the picture of the magazine ad - "No one ever says let's play triathlon"

Off topic from training, but I thought this was cool.  This guy read 200 books and summarized them in 140 character twitter format. 

Sweet picture of the Sonoma Wine Country this week (source Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau

Busy

KB high pull 70lb x 20 x 25

This took about 50 minutes and was one of the toughest workouts I've done in awhile.  I'm still light headed an hour later. 

No time to write anything fun today, so instead read this.  Absolutely insane, and absolutely epic. 

Travel

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success." @lifeisgood

recumbent bike 9 resistance 8 miles 33:23
DB strict press 50lb x 5 x 5

Hotel gym. Did what I could with the equipment that was available.

Rainy day in S.F.

Some Post Race Rambling

"If your legs don't ache today then you need to spend less time at IKEA on the weekend."  @mtfu_training

KB swing 53lb x 10 x 50

Way Too Cool results came out.  I was 241st place out of 702 finishers and 88th place out of 162 in the 40-49 age group.

George asked if my modified (i.e. gutted) race plan had changed after I had finished the race, as opposed to how I felt while suffering on the trail.  I'm not sure. 

To be fair, I should probably run one of these races correctly before I make too many rash judgments.  Even though I tell myself to go out slow, it continues to be hard for me to grasp how slow I really need to run in the first half of these races.  5 1/2 hours is a long time to pace over.  I figure the last 1/3 of the race is supposed to suck, so I just gut it out.  Maybe my feeling about these races might be different if I ran them correctly.

Case in point.  My Mom told me that at the 8 mile mark they made an announcement that "Mr. Western States 100" (Tim Tweitmeyer)  was coming through the aid station.  She had no idea who he was, but the name stuck with her.  She remembered that he was one of the last racers through the aid station, well behind me. 

Of course, he finished half an hour in front of me.  Now, I am not comparing my abilities in any way to his, but his example of pacing is something I need to spend some more time thinking about. 

But having said all of that, I am still an ultra rookie.  When you are a running rookie, every race you show up at is a PR and a new experience.  I like to improve at the things I do.  So I know that if I want to run these races again in the future and improve on my times, I am going to need to train more.  I'm not sure that is something I'm willing to do.  If I can get 3 hour training runs in by running to the top of mountains in Lake Tahoe every weekend (as opposed to just grinding out 20 milers on the pavement), then I'm all for it.  But my schedule, the seasons, and my running motivation level don't support my ability to do enough year round mountain running to really consider it consistent training.  I expect this may become a barrier to me getting serious about ultras in the future.

Way Too Cool 50k

Way Too Cool 50k 5:22:20

"This is what you came for." @ScottJurek (7 time winner of the Western States 100 Mile race)

I thought about this quote a lot during this race. 

Overall, I was pleased at how the race went.  Last year I ran the Tahoe Rim 50k in 6:42 at 12 pounds lighter bodyweight.  The courses aren't totally comparable, but the elevation gain is similar.  I'll take a 1:20 improvement in my 50k time any day.   

I figured the most entertaining way to give you a feel for how the day went was to give you a running dialogue of what went through my head while I spent half a day wandering around American Canyon.
 
3:45 am - Alarm goes off.  Leave the house at 4:15 am and pick up my Mom, who drove down with me.  I really appreciated her coming with me, it made the trip a lot more fun.  I get up early all of the time, so the early wake up wasn't a big deal.

Get to Cool at about 6:30 - Crap, do you see how many of these cars have Western States 100 Mile Finisher license plate frames?  I don't belong here.

Check in - Sweet race shirt.  Patagonia.  Good job Cool race people. 

Start at 8:00 am - Man, there are a lot of people running this race.  It's like a regular road race, not an ultra.  I'm not wearing a watch, which I enjoyed.  I may never wear my watch again.  P.S. I also took two advil 30 minutes before the start.
 
First couple of miles - go slow, go slow, go slow.  Don't push, don't breathe hard, you've got 30 miles to go.

3-4 miles in - Shit, the inner tendon on my right ankle feels terrible - very tight and painful.  Why?  Is it because I haven't run trails in a couple of months?  Is it my shoes? (doubt it, I have done a lot of long runs in the New Balance MT110's)  I resign myself to the fact that it might be a very long day.  I also pop another couple of advil at this point.  I only allowed myself to bring 8 to the race, I end up using all of them.

5 miles - Isn't that Gretchen behind me? She ran this race under 5 hours last year, I'm definitely going too fast.

6 miles - I say hi to Gretchen, who has no flipping idea who I am.  I openly admit I'm a blog stalker who knows her from her blog.  That's what you get when you publish these things, random dudes say hi to you at races.  At least chatting with her takes my mind off my ankle for awhile. 

8 miles in 1:10:00 race time - I pass my Mom as we circle back to the start area.  I almost stop and tell her that I might be out here all day if my ankle doesn't go numb, but I decide against it.  "This is what you came for"...

9 miles - I'm finally happy.  After the aid station the runners really spread out and I'm by myself on the trail.  I said I wanted to run this race because there was so many people in it and that seemed fun since the other ultras I have run were pretty lonely.  But spending the first 8 miles jockeying for position on single track and trying to act like a legitimate ultrarunner ending up bothering me.  It's funny, none of these people know me or will ever see me again, but I feel like a tool if I am bogging them down on the single track. 

10-15 miles - Incredible running along the American River.  My ankle is numb now and doesn't hurt, the weather is sweet, the views are great, running is effortless, life is good.  I have yet to walk any hills - I have been powering up them with very little effort - passing a ton of walkers.  My weightlifting work on the legs is really working.  I resolve to try and keep the streak of running all hills going as long as possible.  Everything is clicking - "I love ultras."

15 miles - aid station.  The guy with me on the trail says, "hey, we're halfway there".  I tell him that the aid station we just passed says that we are 16.8 miles in and the next aid station is 5 miles away.  Lesson - always trust the dude with the GPS.  He was right, and the next aid station was nearly 7 miles away.  I'm trying to keep my salt tab intake below what I did for the Tahoe Rim 50k (when I took like 30 salt tabs).  Stay tuned on this one. 

18-20 miles - where the hell is the aid station?  Oh, and that don't walk any hills thing?  Screw that.  The last half of this course has some crazy hills.  Much tougher than the first half.  (the course elevation profile is here).

20 miles, about 3:20 race time - Finally, the aid station.  Drink a ton of water, still doing good on GU, start taking a bunch of salt tabs.  Hey, maybe I can break 5 hours.  I only need to average 10 minute miles which hasn't been too hard so far.  About this point the guy behind me is talking about the fact that this is his 99th ultra marathon.  What the hell am I doing here?   

21-24 miles - borderline train wreck.  Pretty rough hills and my overall effort level the first 20 miles just thrashes me.  It starts with my quads threatening to seriously cramp.  I take 4 salt tabs (this is on top of the 3 salt tabs I took about 10 minutes ago) and drink most of my water.  The good news is my quads calm down pretty quickly.  The bad news is my emergency measures leave me mostly out of water for the next few miles, which is less fun.  I'm walking nearly all the hills now, and getting passed by a ton of people.  I'm not having fun anymore, but at least "this is what you came for". 

24 miles - where the hell is the aid station?  I start daydreaming about oreo cookies.  I don't give a crap what time I finish in, or really anything having to do with running at this point. 

Time to get philosophical about what I'm doing here.  Why do I run these things?  What am I trying to prove?  I seem to enjoy showing up and doing ok without putting in the proper training.  I suppose that mentally it gives me an out because I have an excuse if I suck.  But that is lame.  What really is the point?  Am I trying to just get out and run on the trails?  I don't have to run 31 miles here to do that.  Do I want to be able to tell people "I'm an ultrarunner", even though I don't even admit to being a runner at all?  That is stupid too.  Am I just trying to challenge and abuse myself?  Well, if that's the goal, its working great.  Repeat this chain of thought on a loop for an hour or so, and you get a feel for how miles 20-26 went.  At this time, I also resolve to wear my nice new Way Too Cool 50k shirt everywhere I go from now on, because I earned the damn shirt, and because I am never coming back to this little corner of hell again.

Also, since I had time to kill on the trail, I mentally modified my 2012 race schedule.  Here was the previous plan:

Way Too Cool 50k
Reno Marathon (not registered yet)
Silver State 50k (not registered yet)
Tahoe Rim Trail 50k (already registered for this one)
Lake Tahoe Marathon (not registered yet)
North Face Endurance 50k (not registered yet)

Fortunately, around mile 25 I was able to enhance this plan.  New plan:

Way Too Cool 50k
Reno Marathon (not registered yet)
Silver State 50k (not registered yet)
Tahoe Rim Trail 50k (already registered for this one)
Lake Tahoe Marathon (not registered yet)
North Face Endurance 50k (not registered yet)

Mile 26.5 4:20 race time - This aid station is at the very top of the most brutal hill I have ever climbed in the mountains.  The nice guy at the aid station tells me I just ran a 4:20 marathon.  I could give a crap.  My menu at this aid station - two cups of chicken noodle soup, M&M's, 5 salt tabs (+5 more for my pocket), Sprite, one bottle of water, 5 oreo cookies (+take 5 more with me).

Mile 27 - My calves are getting a bit twitchy.  More water and salt tabs.  I am still getting passed by a ton of people, who are running fairly effortlessly, especially the two really happy ladies who are chatting like they are out for a light jog. You know that idiot who goes out too hard at the start of a race and who you pass later in the race, which makes you feel all smart about your wise pacing approach?  I am that tool.  I made about 50 people feel good about themselves the last 5 miles of the race.  That's me, always looking out for others.       

Mile 28 - I try to take my mind off the race by checking out the scenery.  Of course, I immediately stub my toe on a rock, fall to the ground, and both of my calves seize up so bad they basically disappear into the back of my knee.  It hurts.  I scream.  I lay on the ground for a minute, take more salt tabs, drain my water bottle, and wonder what is going to happen next.  Fortunately, I'm able to get up and get moving fairly quickly.  My calves would suck the rest of the race.  Lucky for me no one was passing me at this point, so I didn't have to share my embarrassment with others.  If an improperly trained runner falls in the forest and screams and no one sees it happen, did it really happen?  Just wondering.

Mile 28-30 Things are actually holding together fairly well, albeit at a brutally slow pace.  The good news is my stomach has been solid the whole race, so I've got that going for me.  I even pass a couple of people.  Of course they are both throwing up, which diminishes my pride in passing them.  We hit the aid station at around 30 miles and they tell us we have just a little over a mile to go.  4 laps on the track?  I can do that.

Mile 30-31 - Too bad that last mile is basically straight up a hill.  Oh well, at least there is no shame in walking this one in.

Finish - I make an effort to run before I get to the race photographer a 1/4 mile before the finish because  I refuse to have him take a picture of me walking.  I then run the rest of the way to the finish, because I refuse to let all of the people at the finish see me walking.  Finish time is 5:22:20.

Race aftermath - I hang out with my Mom for a bit.  I go to the table to check out the race's signature frog cupcakes.  I nearly puke at the sight of them (no offense Cool race folks).  I then check out the pizzas they are offering runners.  I nearly puke at the sight of them (again, no offense Cool race folks).  Time to go.

In all seriousness, overall it was a good race experience.  I have raced 3 ultras and done another 3 or 4 trail runs of ultra distance in the last couple of years.  While each one is unique, they all have highs and lows like what I experienced today.  And at the end of the day, I suppose that is the point.  I can tell you within about 30 seconds what my 5k time will be on any given day.  But there are so many variables in an ultra that there are a lot more unknowns, and many of those unknowns (like fueling and your mental outlook) have nothing to do with your fitness level.  I would like to believe that I can be fairly competitive in these races with 20-25 miles per week of training at a bodyweight of 180 pounds because I am strong mentally.  If that's not the case, don't burst my bubble, I'm just going to go with that story.

The race could not be better organized, and I can see why it is one of the most popular ultras on the west coast.  If you are dumb enough to want to run ultras, I highly recommend you try to get into this race.

Taking The Next Couple of Days Off

"One approaches the combat a lot differently when you know you cannot get hurt. No risk. No learning."  Sensei DE Budokan

DB row 90lb x 5 x 14
KB high pull 70lb x 10 x 20

I'm going to take a couple of days off prior to Saturday's race. At this point sleeping in past 4:30 am will do me more good than anything else.

Before every race I re-read this post I put together -- race day motivation

Well written post by Anton Krupicka exploring the mental side of ultrarunning.

This happened a couple of years ago, but this marine did 3,376 overhand pull-ups in one day.

50k This Weekend

"There is no such thing as maximum versatility. Everything costs something. Everyone pays. Focus requires exclusion." @gymjones

treadmill 5 miles 43:27

I'm running the Way Too Cool 50k outside of Auburn California this weekend.  I have always wanted to see more of the trails down there, and since this is a large race (for an ultra) with 800 people, it should be a good vibe.  One of the things you discover when you first run an ultra is how lonely it is.  Usually you are running by yourself quite a bit of the time.  I am thinking that might be a bit different at this race.

However, I fully expect to pay the price Saturday for my lack of running focus.  As in the quote above, my focus on versatility (strength + endurance) is going to cost me this weekend.  I'm 10 pounds heavier than when I ran the Tahoe Rim 50k last summer, which will probably take its toll.  My hope is my leg weight work will make the running the hills easier and maybe offset the cardio cost of the heavier weight.  But you can't avoid the fact that I only average about 20-25 miles per week of running.    

Regardless, I am very happy with how my training has been going, and if it costs me a few minutes in this race, oh well.  It's not like I am going to win anything anyway.  I like the idea of lifting heavy weights during the week and then running an ultra on the weekend.  That is just the kind of all around fitness I'm targeting.

Cool pictures of Alaska - Alpine Works 

Another blog post that reminds me to not be a mental wimp on race day. 

A Crossfit dude getting it done (via @crossfitgames)

 

Napa Marathon Recap

"Aim not to impress but to inspire." @gmdavies84

DB row 90lb x 10 x 14
KB high pull 70lb x 5 x 20

All three of the girls that I played "team Mom" for at the Napa marathon met their goals.  Theresa qualified for Boston, and Caitlin and Jen both finished under 5 hours.   

It was a great experience for me to see the race from the point of view of a spectator.  I was happy to be able to help the girls get to the start without all of the logistical drama that tends to go along with these races.  They had a very stress free experience getting to the start line, which can be a big deal at races like this. 

I learned a lot looking at all of the finishers, both the fast people and the "back of the pack" crowd.  Its important to remember that whether you finish in 3 hours or 6 hours, each person pushes their personal limits.  One of my favorite quotes is "your pain is not special".  That very much applies here.  The folks up front aren't trying any harder than those in the back.  They are just trying and suffering in a different way. 

Theresa ran a 3:28 and qualified for Boston with 12 minutes to spare.  She is a VERY dedicated runner and put in serious prep time, running up to 80 miles per week, but also focusing on recovery, nutrition, etc.  She did everything you need to do to run a fast time.  I believe her previous marathon PR was around 3:45, so this was a big PR for her as well.  She is a great example of what you can accomplish with single minded dedication.  She is also a very inspirational runner for the other folks on her running team, so I am sure a lot of people will learn a lot from her success yesterday.   

Caitlin finished her first marathon.  She started running last year, and ran a half marathon in May and another one in October.  We talked her into running a marathon based on my three day per week running approach.  She stayed very committed to the training and was dedicated to getting her long runs in (which are the core component of my "just do enough to finish your first marathon" training plan).  She stayed injury free, was well prepared, and learned what a mental challenge marathon running really is.  I am really proud of her.  It's very impressive that someone that would have had trouble running a couple of miles two years ago finished a marathon yesterday. 

And of course I'm really proud of my wife Jen.  She ran her last marathon in 2005.  She has run a few half marathons in the midst of having two kids, but she hasn't put in more than 10-15 miles per week in those windows when she has run.  Since we are all done having kids, she signed up for this race a few months ago with Caitlin.  Then due to a number of circumstances, she essentially didn't train for this race.  She ran a 12 mile, 21 mile and 8 mile run in the past month and did essentially nothing for the prior 3 months.  Her total training mileage for the last 4 months was 60 miles.

But she has a good fitness base and is one of the most mentally tough people I know.  So instead of just bagging the race because she wouldn't be able to run a "fast" time (she's probably good for between 4:00 and 4:15 if she trained hard) she looked at is as more of a mental challenge and an opportunity to help her friend Caitlin finish her first marathon.

It was very educational and inspiring to me to watch Jen go through the process of deciding whether or not to bail on the race, and then watching her basically just gut out a finish in a race she really had no business running.  It was a great lesson that you don't have to obsess about time and place in every race you run.  At its core, running is about personal exploration, challenge and growth.  Sometimes that involves trying to kill yourself to get a medal or qualify for Boston or set a PR.  But that's not the only way.  Sometimes you can learn a lot about yourself and others by running nearer the back of the pack.  You just have to open your eyes and have the guts to accept the challenge, whatever it may be.

I'm proud of you Jen. 

Jen and I at the finish

Off to Crew at the Napa Marathon

"Learn. Evolve. Challenge yourself. Good enough should never be good enough. Without a commitment to improving, life just isn't worth living." @bobbymaximus

A.M.
treadmill 8 miles 1:06:44
P.M.
run 2 miles

Excited for the girls to race tomorrow.  Will be great weather, should be fun.
Absolutely love this.  Very inspiring. 

Misc. Friday Stuff

"You know you're an ultrarunner if people at work think you're in a whole lot better shape than you think you are."  @nttr

box squat jumps (10lb vest) 10 x 15
KB high pull 70lb x 10 x 20
DB swing 90lb x 5 x 5

Kind of a recovery lifting day.   The kettlebell high pull looks like this.  I didn't have a heavy enough kettlebell to really make this much of a strength workout.   If I end up doing these more often I am going to need a heavier kettlebell.

This is classic.   I fall into a third category.  I don't waste much time on running and I produce mediocre results.  Somehow this actually makes me feel smarter.

On the topic of "the western U.S. is screwed due to lack of snow this winter", check out this satellite comparison of the snowpack last year and this year.

I'm driving to Napa this weekend to be Team Mom for Jen, Theresa and Caitlin as they run the Napa marathon.  Should be a blast. 

We did get a little snow near Lake Tahoe this week.  Too bad it will be 60 degrees this weekend.  Oh well, at least the trails will be clear early this year. 

Don't Be Average

"As you progress, avoid becoming preoccupied with distant goals or you may miss the pleasure of the climb." Dan Millman

treadmill 6 miles 52:02

90 miles run in February 2012 vs. 0 miles in February 2011.  That puts me at 175 miles so far this year vs. 53 miles as of this point last year.  I made a commitment to keep running throughout the winter, and it looks like I carried through on that one.

I liked this (via @elitefts):
"Here’s the thing: average is bullshit. You think it’s fine because you’re also surrounded by average dudes, so any small difference makes you feel good about yourself. But you need to stop f***ing around. It’s still average, you know it, and you’re better than that." - Julien Smith

On that point, whether you are in to weightlifting or not, this video is wildly impressive.  This lady weighs 105 pounds and deadlifted 225 pounds 20 times.  Let's see, 2.1 times my bodyweight is 378 pounds.  I can deadlift that... 0 times. There is a saying that somewhere in China a 12 year old girl is lifting your max bench press over her head. The same concept applies here, except this lady lives in Delaware.