WWKD?

I recently read a book called Get Off Your A-- and Run!  The author said that to motivate herself, she got a picture of a shapely, fit actress in bikini and put it on her mirror.  Each day, she would stand naked in front of the mirror repeating, "You fat b--ch! You fat b--ch!" while looking from herself to the beautiful woman in the picture.

I think that sounds rather crude and self-deprecating, but in principle I thought it might be a decent idea.  Then I saw the race pictures from last weekend's Possum Kingdom trail run and decided nobody shaped like that can be a good trail runner.

I figured Kelly might not be too thrilled about my putting pictures of gorgeous girls in bikinis on the bathroom mirror, so I found a picture of one of the greats, Dean Karnazes, the ultramarathon man.  I have put it on my mirror, along with a picture of myself at Possum Kingdom looking rather big around the middle.  I don't stand naked before the pictures chanting "You fat slob" or anything like that, but it's a good reminder to me.

Karnazes, sometimes known as Karno, has inspired me with his long runs, great running spirit, and desire to get even the most slothful among us moving.  I figure I could do worse that to make a habit of asking, "What would Karno do?"  So, would Karnazes get a 44 oz. Dr Pepper every time he stops for gas?  (And even sometimes when he doesn't need gas?)  Would he drink Dr Pepper at all?  Would Karnazes load up on sweets just because you can fill a whole box for a dollar on Fridays at the work cafeteria?  Would Karnazes skip a run just because he's feeling tired and lazy?  Would Karno walk those last few miles of the trail run or push himself to finish strong?

I'm no Dean Karnazes, but that guy's older than I am, and still runs competitively in ultras and trail races.  We'll see if asking WWKD? will help me get into better shape and start looking and feeling like an ultrarunner!

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Terry Hitchcock's Run

In this space I have written about the feats of well-known runners like Dean Karnazes, Michael Horton, and Marshall Ulrich.  These men are world-class ultramarathoners who have run big miles, setting them apart as ultra-elites.  Joining this small group is Terry Hitchcock, whose mega-marathon run is documented in My Run.  Unlike those other runners, Hitchcock could scarcely have been considered a runner before he decided he would run a marathon a day for 75 days.  But that's exactly what he did, running from Minnesota to Atlanta, arriving in time for the start of the 1996 Olympics.

Hitchcock's wife died of cancer in 1984, leaving him to raise 3 kids on his own.  Shortly after she died, he lost his job.  A decade later, at age 56, he decided to draw some attention to the experiences and challenges of single parents, so he came up with his plan to run to Atlanta.  Although he had not run marathons before, he found a trainer to help him prepare.  He was slow (at one point he said he ran about 8 hours a day), but his endurance held up and he seemed to stay strong.

Besides the painful process of running that far, the other painful part of the film was the dissolution of his team.  He started out with a support team in an RV, but they fled, so he was left with only one of his sons to support him for much of the run.  They did get some free hotel stays, though.  The focus of My Run is more on the runner than the run himself, following his personal journey.  Runners who see the film will probably be asking, How did he do that?  Karnazes, Horton, and Ulrich are seasoned runners with impressive running resumes.  Hitchcock is just a guy.  Which is really the message of the film: regular guys can do the seemingly impossible, whether it's running 75 marathons or raising 3 kids on his own.

Here's his web site: http://www.terryhitchcock.com/index.html

An author who's NOT a runner

I was reading Jason Jaggard's new book Spark and about half-way through I lost a little bit of respect for him.  I'm sure he's a great guy, but he shows a bit of his ignorance with some comments about running.

In a chapter called "Embracing Inspired Living," Jaggard writes:

I used to hate running more than just about anything else. My dad taught me a lot of valuable life lessons, and the one that stuck with me more than most was this: you never see a happy runner.

Think about it.  On Sunday mornings you see joggers out there chugging along the side of the road, and they don't look happy.  They look like they're in pain.  At best it looks like they're trying to do complex math problems in their heads. 

Or think about the Olympics.  The guy who wins the mile knows he'll be getting a gold medal, but he looks like somebody just came along and ripped off one of his toenails.  I don't know whether to cheer or call an ambulance.

So I don't mind telling you that I hate running.  I could easily make a list--a long list--of things I'd rather do than run.

He then goes on to talk about Dean Karnazes.  "Dean is an ultramarathon runner. (An ultramarathon is anything over seventy miles.)"

So first of all, and I know I'm being nitpicky, but where did he get the idea that an ultramarathon is 70+ miles?  "Ultra" = beyond.  "Marathon" = 26 miles, 385 yards.  Thus, an ultramarthon is a race covering a distance over 26.2 miles, typically 50K, 50 mile, 100K, 100 mile (with lots of variations).

Plus, to continue nitpicking, the mile is not an Olympic event!  I'm no Olympic historian or expert, so I can't say there has never been a one mile race at the Olympics, but I'm pretty sure the mile has never been an Olympic event.  The closest Olympic event we'll see in London will be the 1500 meter race.

I do know exactly what he's talking about.  Runners sometimes look like they're in pain.  They're sometimes doing complex math problems (calculating their splits to see if they can beat the cut off or their PR).  And he did get this right--sometimes they're losing toenails!  But none of that is exclusive of happiness.  In fact, it's all part of the happiness!  If Jaggard were a runner, he would know that.

He does come around a bit, when talking about how inspired he was by Karnazes: "After I heard about Dean, I started looking for the nearest pair of running shoes."  He doesn't really say whether he found them or went for a run, but at least the seed was planted. . . .

Run happy out there!

Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss

I'm not really one to be a hero worshiper, but in a lot of ways I would love to be like Dean Karnazes.  There aren't many people in the world who both love to run as much as he does, and can run as far as he can.  My longest races are a slow training run for him.  In his new book, Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean tells some funny stories of his running life, as well as reporting some of his race experiences (most of which are pretty funny, too!).  Just about anyone, runner or not, will be in danger of catching a bug for running after reading this.

Dean's not without his critics in the world of ultrarunning.  When his name comes up when I'm running with people, opinions will range from awesome to idiot.  Sure, some of his runs might be viewed as publicity stunts, but he's got enough wins and fast finishes in major races to be certifiably great.  He has completed Badwater several times, including a win, and has 11 silver buckles from Western States.  What more does the guy need to do?

When he's not running organized races, he runs forever just for fun.  That's what I like about his feats.  Sometimes he runs organized races, sometimes he runs on his own for a sponsor or charity, but many of his ultras are run alone, for the sake of the run.  This is a guy who sleeps little, needs little time for recovery, and is never as happy as when he's out for a long run.

I know I'll never be the runner Dean is (In spite of his repeated statements that he's just a regular guy, there's no question that the genetic lottery has worked in his favor.), but I want to be more infected by his joy of running.  He has made a life of it, and has included his wife, father, and children as much as possible.  If you don't know much about Dean, or if you have followed his career for years, you'll enjoy these stories.  And you'll have a hard time not going out for a run once you're done reading!

50/50: Dean Karnazes's Marathon Challenge

A few weeks ago, I posted a review of Ultramarathon Man, the movie documenting Dean Karnazes's running of 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days (posted here).  The accompanying book, 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days--and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! chronicles those 50 days and throws in lots of practical running and training advice. 

I really enjoyed Dean's recounting of the runs, of his ups and downs through the 50 days, and his personal stories of the people he met along the way.  This was late 2006, before I was interested in running at all, but  through Runner's World magazine, blogs, and e-mail lists, runners accross the country signed up and ran with him.  On weekends, many of the marathons were large events.  During the week, he ran the certified course in whatever city they were in, and worked with the race director for logistical help.  This marathon tour was a huge production, with dozens of people supporting him the whole time, and many more volunteers pitching in at each stop.  Besides the physical feat of running the 50 marathons, the practical feat of coordinating this travelling circus is impressive as well.  (Oh, and by the way, after his last marathon--New York City--Dean said, "No one had booked me a return flight from New York to San Francisco.  So I decided to run instead."  For the next 90 days, he ran all the way to St. Charles, Missouri, where he had started the 50/50, but decided he missed his family and went straight home from there.)

The crew set up full marathon amenities, like this cool finish line, at every event.  This lady ran the 6 New England marathons with Dean and cartwheeled across every finish line!

I must admit I was taken in by the subtitle of the book.  I want to achieve Super Endurance like Dean!  Well, maybe I can.  Mixed in with the travelogue, Dean offers lots of training and running advice for both beginners and experienced runners.  I don't believe you can ever get too much input.  If you read a magazine like Runner's World for more than a few months, you soon realize you're reading lots of similar running wisdom, presented in different forms.  50/50's advice is in the same vein.  Throughout the book is some great advice for runners, but it interrupts the prose of the 50/50 quest, and is presented in a scattershot way which would make referencing it difficult later on.

All that good advice fails on the promise of the subtitle.  If I did everything Dean says, I know I would be a better runner.  While I don't want to minimize Dean's amazing commitment to running and his intensity and love of the sport, I think he has to admit that he is genetically gifted.  I still wonder if I could reach his level of endurance; I'll never know if I don't try, but I'll never be able to try because that guy runs so freakin' much!  As one example, during the 50/50, Dean's blood was tested periodically.  At the end of it, he showed 1/4 as much muscle damage, as measured by creatine phosphokinase in the bloodstream, as a typical runner after one marathon!  Has his body adapted, or is this a genetic advantage he has?  Who knows.

Dean raised money for his charity, Karno's Kids.  You gotta love the slogan, "No child left inside."

On a side note, even though the 50/50/50 challenge sounds likes something no one has ever done before, at least one person beat Dean to it.  Sam Thompson started a similar quest earlier in the same year, completing 51 marathons in the 50 states plus D.C. in 50 days to raise money for Katrina victims.  In this Runner's World interview, Dean sounds supportive, "What Sam's doing is absolutely terrific. . . . if he encourages other people to get out and do things, I can't take anything away from him," but gets in a little jab, too: "He's obviously wanting to scoop what I was doing."  According to this Sports Illustrated article, Dean had some nice things to say about Sam Thompson's feat, and, in fact, talked his own major sponsor, North Face, into taking Sam on as well.  While Dean finished it with a small army and a large sponsor, Sam finished it with his wife and a trickle of a word-of-mouth campaign.  Both are amazing, but I tend to think Sam's might be a bit more amazing.

All things considered, Dean is an amazing runner and remains high on my list of running heroes.  I'm pretty sure I'll never match anywhere near his accomplishments, whether completing the 50/50/50, winning Badwater or Leadville, or running 300 miles in one stretch.  But he is an example to all runners to stretch ourselves, and set out to accomplish things we never thought we could do.  For some, that might mean finishing a marathon.  For me, it might be qualifying for Boston or completing a mountain 100.  More importantly, he promotes running just for fun.  Step out the front door, and run as far as you can in one direction, then run back home.  I love his take on the Australian walkabout.  He says to set aside a day for a runabout.  Start running in the morning, before the sun comes up, and run until after the sun goes down.  And just like Dean, enjoy every step of the way.

UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons - 50 States - 50 Days

Some people are just made different.  Dean Karnazes makes that point in this video: it's all about choosing your parents well.  Karnazes's ultrarunning feats astound anyone who's heard of him, and many have.  He's been featured on countless news shows, talk shows, published a couple of books, and run in races all around the world.  It's easy to look at him as a hero.

UltraMarathon Man chronicles one of his many bold feats: he ran, as the title suggests, a marathon in all 50 states over the course of 50 days, culminating in the New York Marathon.  Some of the marathons were organized races.  Most were put together by his crew, in which case they followed the course of the host city's established marathon.  Through the grapevine and his blog, Karnazes gathered a group to run with him at each site, sometimes hundreds of people, in one case only one.

One thing that struck me while watching this was how much fun it must be to run with Karnazes.  I have heard criticism of him as a self-centered self-promoter, but none of that came across in this video.  He shows lots of interest in the people he runs with, and shows genuine humility when people express their admiration.  He promotes not himself, but activity, exercise, getting people off the couch, fighting childhood obesity and general inactivity.  Who can argue with that? 

This feat, running 50 marathons in 50 days, has been replicated, probably by a number of people.  Karnazes does it right, though, with great support and planning, getting to every state in 50 days.  It's hard not be inspired by him. For someone who runs the occasional marathon, you have to ask, can I do more?  For someone who's never run one, you have to ask, why not try it?  Before I get too excited, though, Karnazes reminds me that his body chemistry and genetic make up have enabled him to have an extraordinary level of endurance.  Can I get there through nutrition and training?  That's the big question.  But after watching this movie, you'll be inspired at least to think about it!

Long Night at Inks Lake

On August 29-30, I ran the longest, slowest race of my life and had a great time. It was a 60K trail run at Inks Lake State Park. I finished in about 8:36.

Now for a bit more detail.

I went to the doctor Thursday for my well child check up. She said my blood pressure was terrific, and she bragged about how I was 20 pounds lighter than when I saw her 2 years ago. My EKG looked great. Its alarm went off because my resting heart rate was so low--47 bpm. It was gratifying to have my improved health, resulting from running, objectively affirmed.

On to the race. I left FW a little before 2 Saturday. I was tired already, and hoping I was not sick. I started getting a sore throat on Thursday, and was congested Thurs and Fri. I never had fever but thought I was getting a cold. I was still congested a little for a time on Sat, but figured I'd be OK. I was tired, but then I'm tired most of the time.

I got to Inks Lake in plenty of time to get registered, changed, warm up, and check out the terrain. The race started at 7.

Lap 1
About 60 runners started the race, which was 6 10K laps. It's a rugged trail, with lots of rocky sections, and some climbing. Not as much elevation change as I expected, though. It may have just been me, but it seems like the nice, smooth sections were uphill, and the downhills were mostly rocky, so there weren't too many places where you could cruise downhill without worrying about rocks and ledges. On this first lap, I did decide to let gravity pull me down the hills while I stepped with my mountain goat-like dexterity, making pretty good time. After a few minutes I fell in with Charlie, a hotel manager from Houston, who is good friends with Dean "The Ultramarathon Man" Karnazes. They used to run together frequently when Charlie lived in California. We kept a good pace together and enjoyed chatting.
This is a beautiful trail with some pretty views of the lakes and surrounding hill country.

Lap 2
For this lap, we had to strap on our head lamps. The downhills became much more tricky to navigate in the dark, slowing me down. Charlie and I stuck together the whole second lap after a break at the start/finish line. We kept up a good pace. I had my one fall on this lap. I tripped but caught myself with my hands, and my knees didn't hit the ground. Lucky. So much for the views. From here on out, the only view is what my headlamp lights up in front of me.

Lap 3
Charlie spent a bit longer at the s/f aid station, so I took off without him. I should have stuck with him, I guess, because this was a hard lap. I did run for a while with a guy with a long ponytail. We kept passing each other up. For some reason I was really tired on this lap. I wondered if I would finish. There was one section of the loop with an out and back (if the course was a circle, at that point in the circle you would run toward the center for a few minutes, go around a yellow stake, and run back to the same point on the circle. There was an aid station at the stake.) I wouldn't do this, but I did wonder what would stop me from only going partway to the stake. . . . I got ahead of ponytail and went on to the s/f aid station.

Lap 4
Shortly after I started this lap, I ate some Jelly Belly Extreme Sport Beans with Caffeine. That gave me a good boost. This felt like my best lap. I ran mostly alone, but stayed on pace. I became much more confident on the rocky downhills, which was encouraging. I stumbled a few times, but didn't fall again.
I finished lap 4 a little under 5:20. So now this is the longest I have ever run, time wise. I finished El Scorcho 50K in 5:19, and the Grasslands trail marathon in 4:50.

Lap 5
This was another good lap. I did start to feel some cramping, so I took some Endurolytes Electrolyte Replenishment Capsules which seemed to help. Still by myself, for the most part, I lapped a couple of people, which felt good!
After this lap, this is now the longest I have ever run at once. (El Scorcho 50K was the longest before now.)

Lap 6
Charlie and another guy came into the s/f aid station a couple minutes behind me; they had been gaining on me late in lap 5. I left just before them, with the determination that I was going to run hard this last lap. I wanted a negative split, where the last lap is faster than the first few. I started out well, lapping a couple more people, then I passed a couple who were also on their last lap. I started getting the big head, thinking, "I'm going to beat Charlie-who-trains-with-Dean-Karnazes." Then here come two people behind me--Charlie and his friend. They passed me, and I tried to pace with them for a couple minutes, but couldn't do it. They clearly saved more for the end than I did! I figured I wouldn't be able to catch them, but that my standing wasn't going to change because I couldn't tell that anyone was anywhere close behind me. I decided I would still finish strong, and at least run on the smoother parts. Well, I started walking more, running out of gas. One more guy passed me, but I did run the last half mile or so to the end.
By the way, one nice thing about a looped course is that you can take note of any trail hazards and avoid them on subsequent loops. So on laps 1-5, I carefully ducked under the low-hanging branch over the trail just after you cross the park road. You'd think by lap 6 I'd have that one figured out. Nope. That scab at my hairline, plus a modest collection of blisters, is the only injury from the night. Oh, one more funny thing--Zippy told me today "Daddy, your feet are all ripped up."

Results, 14th out of 51 starters, 31 finishers. I don't know yet how many dropped out. I know one guy I met dropped out b/c he had eye surgery this week and that was bothering him. There was also a pack of women who dropped out after being freaked out by a howling pack of coyotes.

I was tired, but probably could have/should have pushed more on the final lap. Some of the guys at the end told me this trail is much tougher than the one at Palo Duro Canyon, which is where I am going to run a 50 mile race in October. That was encouraging. Even though it's slower and harder, trail running is definitely more enjoyable than road races. I'm not ready to be completely done with road racing, but trail racing is my favorite.