tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78479062024-03-13T00:57:33.132-04:00Steven TursiSoftware Engineer & Oversized Ultra Runner from NJstevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.comBlogger602125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-47344569575573324152022-04-15T15:44:00.000-04:002022-04-15T15:44:13.581-04:00Umstead 2022: 29:33:27<p>This year's Umstead was hard fought but we got it done, bringing my total number of Umstead finishes to seven. Spent nearly the entire race with one Bill Gentry from Virginia, himself a 17-time finisher of the race. I've known Bill since about 2010 - He's a regular at The Fair - and he's a well known figure in the area's circle of ultrarunners. I can only hope Gentry enjoyed his time with me as much as I enjoyed mine with him.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg0AYsVD0H0LCeYm26KfHRA0iCQpMZGXkhPmywioRHpS6yqwbxF-5cQjihTUMw7Zso9YmHsbTMmKEfkXGf0GLU3vpyai3Ngp7li-Um_zHhcTM9HqkZRlrFqNV8Lm0HLvkYO827e0PfK3eMoINRwYSVPrD1IbDvZNsLHvd7GRsbplP5ob4gCg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg0AYsVD0H0LCeYm26KfHRA0iCQpMZGXkhPmywioRHpS6yqwbxF-5cQjihTUMw7Zso9YmHsbTMmKEfkXGf0GLU3vpyai3Ngp7li-Um_zHhcTM9HqkZRlrFqNV8Lm0HLvkYO827e0PfK3eMoINRwYSVPrD1IbDvZNsLHvd7GRsbplP5ob4gCg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>RD and head volunteer rhonda hugging gentry and I at the finish line</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>29:33 was the slowest finish for both of us, but neither of us have anything to prove and we're just there for the fun of it. The details of how our race went are not important. If I were to articulate them, they'd attempt to report on my fading memory's account of the highs and lows, perhaps with a preachy overtone, perhaps not. I've read hundreds of race reports like that, and have written dozens myself. I'll probably write a bunch more, but not today.</p><p>I have fallen into a pattern where I like to go back to the same races every year, seldom doing something different. All of these are races where my friends go; in fact I made and cultivated these friendships at the races. These races all have that in common, and they're all "parties with my friends."</p><p>Umstead however adds something else to this dynamic, and it's somewhat unique among every other race I've ever done. And this has to do with the organization and volunteers that make the race. Umstead literally has more volunteers than it has runners and each and every one of them is .. amazing. And yeah, I know, "all volunteers at every race are great" .. and that's true. But Umstead volunteers are in a class of their own. I've thought a bit about how to characterize it, and the best I can do is this: The volunteers at Umstead uniquely restore my faith in humanity. </p><p>And this characteristic rubs off on all of us who are running it. I run 100s for fun. But I'm convinced that Umstead - in addition to being fun - makes me a better person. And it's the race or the effort, but rather being surrounded by hundreds of Umstead volunteers that make it that way.</p><p>That's it. That's the post. Hope you all are doing well.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-49980847555918439382021-06-23T11:05:00.006-04:002021-06-23T11:05:58.966-04:00TGNY 100 2021: 29:55 - DFL (unofficial)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--ulX3cGxF2c/YNNKGmZKvtI/AAAAAAADOxg/KSRpOpyzrLACvM-XS5dj3UQ66dmcyikqgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--ulX3cGxF2c/YNNKGmZKvtI/AAAAAAADOxg/KSRpOpyzrLACvM-XS5dj3UQ66dmcyikqgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This past weekend I ran The Great New York 100 Mile Running Expedition.</p><div>tl;dr: I reached 100 miles in 29:55, but missed the 100k cutoff so my finish is unofficial.</div><div><br /></div><div>My early optimism was diminishing as the forecast deteriorated in the week prior to the race, culminating in a 90F+ degree day. But I never considered not showing up at all. My umstead DNF in March was weighing heavily on me (no pun intended) and I addressed it by going on a liquid only diet, for which I am now carrying around about 20 fewer pounds: Not as much as I would have liked before TGNY, but a lot better than nothing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Still, I was publicly positive and made plans as usual to hang out with friends during the race, particularly Oak and Mary. Oak was in the same starting wave as I (5:02) and Mary was 5:04. We planned to have her catch up to us in The Park and power through the race, "party barge" style. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ko-IqJY8h7g/YNNNOuxR9SI/AAAAAAADOzI/IVXqj6xqGK4aaix_34cHPiREEMt_wnVpQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ko-IqJY8h7g/YNNNOuxR9SI/AAAAAAADOzI/IVXqj6xqGK4aaix_34cHPiREEMt_wnVpQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />So we were off, it was cool in the morning, and when we got to The Park we ran a continuous mile to get the streak out of the way and then proceeded with walking the uphills, running down, and run-walking flats. Mary soon caught us and then quickly dropped us on a downhill and was out of sight. Oak and I stuck together, in no rush, moving at a decent pace, averaging about 12 minutes per mile even with walk breaks. Once we got to the Hudson River Pathway I started jogging easily and continuously 2-3 miles all the way to the bridge. By the time we got there, Mary was only a few meters in front of us and we hiked up the hill together.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HddiJjtvYdY/YNNKVO1mslI/AAAAAAADOxk/ltF_jmjyVYQO260s0t0BMUWlBzUehD0aACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HddiJjtvYdY/YNNKVO1mslI/AAAAAAADOxk/ltF_jmjyVYQO260s0t0BMUWlBzUehD0aACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />And so it was through the rest of Manhattan, all the way to the Bronx. This early in the race most of the fast runners in later waves had caught up and having not seen many of them since before covid, we chatted a bit and got caught up. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've completed the 100 mile and 100k version of this race once each but paced people enough that I've done the entire course probably four or five times - so I knew it pretty well and could repeat it from memory. But there were big course changes this year - the pedestrian pathway for the Henry Hudson Bridge was now open, meaning we no longer had to cross Spuyten Duyvil Creek by going over to Broadway first. Instead, the course crosses the HHB and proceeds north along the Hudson River, crossing through the neighborhood of Riverdale and going through parks there which had a few miles of really nice singletrack trail. We went all the way north to the Westchester County line before turning east and towards Van Cortlandt Park.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-721xXAhIAgI/YNNKehKcBKI/AAAAAAADOxs/ity6crdqpGIHUCTAWzoPR-TS-0xYY-OqwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-721xXAhIAgI/YNNKehKcBKI/AAAAAAADOxs/ity6crdqpGIHUCTAWzoPR-TS-0xYY-OqwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The new route in Van Cortlandt is far more windy and technical than the old, and I would have a hard time remembering it. But soon we were back on familiar trails and back on the old course, until we weren't again. There are more Bronx changes in the Soundview section, and I have to say these changes are a massive improvement. Instead of doing an out-and-back in City Island (which I didn't mind at all), we instead follow the coastline on non-technical singletrack, maintained pathways and neighborhood streets, and it all was very nice. The course was a bit confusing at first but now that I've done it I think I can do it again from memory. By this point, Denise had joined us and the four of us were in a bit of a loose group. After Soundview Park, there is yet another course change, removing the worst part of the entire 100-mile course under the Bruckner Expressway and instead has us running down Southern Street which is parallel to the Bruckner and showed me a part of the city I was unfamiliar with and has many restaurants and bodegas for optional support.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XWmECBMJmlY/YNNKu3zwA_I/AAAAAAADOx4/H49Tj9jtMSkpf3f8nIuS__cs-6vT72zFgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1278" height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XWmECBMJmlY/YNNKu3zwA_I/AAAAAAADOx4/H49Tj9jtMSkpf3f8nIuS__cs-6vT72zFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />It is also at this time that the heat is starting to bear down on us. Oak offered me an ice bandana and, while initially reluctant, I took it and holy hell that was nice to have. I think I owe my race to that ice bandana. I feel like that was the difference between clinical heat exhaustion and just a hot day. I knew to slow down and take it easy, but the sheer exposure was starting to take its toll. With all the significant course changes past us, we entered Queens and, in the hottest part of the day, dedicated every moment to being a little farther along than the last. Oak mentioned running and I said no, too hot. He immediately understood. Near LGA a neighborhood guy named Joe - a trail angel - set up a garden hose spraying heat-affected runners - and even offered ice and water to us. That guy is a hero. Shortly after dousing myself in the spray of his hose I was able to run pretty much non stop the next mile to the aid station at the World Fair Marina. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D0kV12a2JXU/YNNKnslftuI/AAAAAAADOxw/ZFKhwW3aNsUu4LLROVaYTKjoa5o4dD7rgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D0kV12a2JXU/YNNKnslftuI/AAAAAAADOxw/ZFKhwW3aNsUu4LLROVaYTKjoa5o4dD7rgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The heat was taking its toll on others too. We were starting to hear about people dropping. Mary dropped and Denise was taking care of foot issues in Astoria, leaving just Oak and I for the eastbound trek in Queens. The afternoon wore on and so did the heat. We walked all the way through Flushing and then Fort Totten and the Cross Island Parkway Bike Path. At a point here, Oak and I made a pact. We knew that the 100k cutoff at 9pm was slipping away - we agreed to continue self-supported and finish the course. A fistbump sealed the deal and we were relieved of the pressure to push to 100k by 9pm.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z8MRg4OC5mg/YNNNWSCrUEI/AAAAAAADOzM/62tdDRTHzboHGbmRA9z18bglu1lFOFxCgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z8MRg4OC5mg/YNNNWSCrUEI/AAAAAAADOzM/62tdDRTHzboHGbmRA9z18bglu1lFOFxCgCLcBGAsYHQ/w278-h400/image.png" width="278" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div>Before exiting the CIP path, Denise caught us and immediately agreed to join our pact. I more or less knew that the finish wouldn't be official so I really wasn't in the mood to kill myself to get to 100k faster and risk heat exhaustion or a late-race deathmarch. And, even though it didn't matter anymore, we still thought we could finish the entire course before the race ended at 11am. Oak's pacer met him at the aid station at Alley Pond Park, and Denise's met her at the aid right after Kissena Park. They worked on some issues again while Oak and I continued - by the time we reached Flushing Meadows, Denise and her Pacer were running. Both pacers were going to try to get us to 100k before the cutoff. But I knew the math - it was 3 or 4 miles away and we had just a few minutes to get there. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U-fQGwTAtO8/YNNLkibfSLI/AAAAAAADOyM/hi73FYt4OdcoEckA6qf2QhZ572siY7KdQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U-fQGwTAtO8/YNNLkibfSLI/AAAAAAADOyM/hi73FYt4OdcoEckA6qf2QhZ572siY7KdQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />By now it was late evening and starting to cool off, and we're running the majority of the time. Due to a missed turn on their part we actually got ahead of Denise and her pacer and the pacer got news that the cutoff was delayed to 9:30pm. But it was 9:15 and the 100k line was still almost two miles away. We put in a decent effort but it didn't matter, arriving about five minutes late.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7Arq7XudF8c/YNNLtw8Gl6I/AAAAAAADOyQ/J_-zeXa1gccPJeHM4Coa9PGf4Nz6Z6EzACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7Arq7XudF8c/YNNLtw8Gl6I/AAAAAAADOyQ/J_-zeXa1gccPJeHM4Coa9PGf4Nz6Z6EzACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Officially, this was the end of the race. Dwight was running the aid station and he told us we were officially done by asking if we would continue for an unofficial finish. Yes, of course. He made sure we understood we'd have no aid. "We're going to be self supported." While taking care of stuff, changing shirts, swapping out gear, Dwight handed me a 100k finishers certificate. Thank you Dwight but I don't want that. Denise, having stomach issues, opted not to continue, so Oak and I headed off into the night, down through the Richmond Hill section of Queens. This two mile stretch, straight down 108th St, goes through a residential area with broken sidewalks, music playing loudly in houses, and plenty of marijuana. It also has a Popeye's that's open til the wee hours. We stopped and got dinner - a chicken sammich and fries - and continued down into Howard Beach. Since it's possible the 7-11 there is the last aid for 20 miles, we stopped again and fueled up. Continuing south, the Howard Beach aid station was indeed gone. Midnight clicked over on the way to the Rockaways and I started running, for the streak. We ran a mile and a half continuously before reaching the neighborhood of Broad Channel and then the bridge to Rockaway. The next aid station, at the boardwalk, was gone. We stopped for a moment there, aware that this - mile 71 - is the farthest point of the course from the starting line. From here we would turn west and head back to Times Square. It was 1am.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AasS0F-tmho/YNNL0seAOQI/AAAAAAADOyU/IjiHgsgFkPYYlYaN3Y3KMY-_USOQY5i_QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AasS0F-tmho/YNNL0seAOQI/AAAAAAADOyU/IjiHgsgFkPYYlYaN3Y3KMY-_USOQY5i_QCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />The Boardwalk at Rockaway is longer than it used to be, and we get to go farther before moving onto the street and running through the quiet neighborhood there in the middle of the night. Then we run through Riis park. The aid station here was gone. We then turn north off the barrier island over the Gil Hodges bridge into Brooklyn, then along the Belt Parkway into Sheepshead Bay. We arrived at the aid station there at 4am, it was just about to close. Also, other runners officially in the race were there! We left, no longer DFL (this didn't last - they passed us back two miles later.) </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x8CGrJawCNw/YNNL7qVY9-I/AAAAAAADOyc/79VjrQvAUXUtg1nIYH7FiMk96WdPChb-ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x8CGrJawCNw/YNNL7qVY9-I/AAAAAAADOyc/79VjrQvAUXUtg1nIYH7FiMk96WdPChb-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I tried to run a bit on the 1.5 mile long Coney Island Boardwalk but it was futile. It was now somewhat light out and I was hitting a wall. When we got to Cyclones Stadium I had to sit down and recover. I took some caffeine and Advil and started trudging along again. Oak and his pacer were looking for a bathroom, so they tucked into a diner and I continued down the trail, and the advil/caffeine worked and started jogging again, all the way to the next aid, which marks the beginning of the 4.5 mile long pathway under the Verrazano Bridge. I grabbed three slices of cold pizza from the aid and started walking. After wolfing them down I started jogging and kept it up all the way to the bridge - a distance of almost two miles - which is remarkable for me that late in a race. I took a walk break and then started running again - all the way to the end of the pathway, another mile and a half.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sX69L_7i16M/YNNMBjs1uEI/AAAAAAADOyk/MEwdr-ZUK04iRctBm26t2yc4bkm9oiabACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sX69L_7i16M/YNNMBjs1uEI/AAAAAAADOyk/MEwdr-ZUK04iRctBm26t2yc4bkm9oiabACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The penultimate aid station was still open and soon we were on Fourth Ave, a 3 mile stretch of sidewalks and traffic signals late in the race. Prior to the race, Oak was really jazzed to run TGNY and see the city. On Fourth Ave, I asked him, "have you seen enough of the city?" "Yes." 4th Ave is placed, as if strategically, to frustrate people who are ready to be done. It is an endless countdown of streets, from 66th to 1st, with numerous enticing delis and coffee shops to hold up your progress. Finally you pass 1st street and then cross the Gowanus Canal on a bridge that is probably the most rickety in the Five Boros before turning north on Court St and going through Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, which are neighborhoods best described as "you can't afford to live here." </div><div><br /></div><div>I was doing ultra math and knew I had plenty of time to finish in under 30 hours, 22-23 minute miles would do it. I also was capable of running about 13 minutes per mile. I could walk 20 minutes per mile, but walking faster than that was aggravating my chafing and blister issues. I was tired and didn't feel like pushing it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oak and his pacer saw my walking pace, unable to keep up with their 17s and not running, and reckoned that I was giving up on a sub-30 finish. They went ahead and dropped me. Later Oak expressed regret but honestly it was the right thing for them to do. I arrived at the final aid station alone and, knowing I was the last runner, I just drank directly from a half empty water bottle to save time and got on the bridge.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-01RrLkLwlqo/YNNMbvuQsgI/AAAAAAADOyw/2V5lQSF7zUIRTAkTXanNGusUtzZbq_x0QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-01RrLkLwlqo/YNNMbvuQsgI/AAAAAAADOyw/2V5lQSF7zUIRTAkTXanNGusUtzZbq_x0QCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />It was starting to get hot out and the approach to the Brooklyn bridge is long and exposed but I still felt well enough to run down the other side of it and go up Centre Street, where I started my leisurely stroll up Manhattan. The only thing I made sure to do here was stay on the shady side of the street, because the sun was getting brutal. As I got into the numbered streets I was checking my watch repeatedly, making sure I had enough time. I discovered in the first mile of the race that Coros watches don't report an accurate pace in city settings with large buildings, so instead I was doing a street countdown against minutes remaining. I was staying ahead of schedule, getting stopped by the occasional red light. Finally I was in Herald Square with less than 15 minutes to go. I made it across 34th street, which is a real pain to get stuck at, and was frustrated by the lights north of there. I figured I was probably still ok, but just to be sure I jogged a few blocks, catching those lights, until I was at 40th with 5 minutes to get to 42nd. I knew at this point I'd be fine no matter what, so at 10:57 I strolled into a group of nervous looking friends and acquaintances at the finish line who remarked that I "came out of nowhere" to finish. I looked at my watch - and I had a bit over two minutes to spare. Perfect.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cIoOnWpoYPg/YNNMq9vUuAI/AAAAAAADOy4/_AqTW4r85iwhD-FvkbXO-6wtHOeyYNB3wCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cIoOnWpoYPg/YNNMq9vUuAI/AAAAAAADOy4/_AqTW4r85iwhD-FvkbXO-6wtHOeyYNB3wCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />Phil was very nice, he shook my hand and congratulated me but then said he was sorry he couldn't give me a finisher's award because I missed the 100k cutoff. I immediately told him not to worry about it, it's all good - and it's not because I don't want to be "that guy" (although I don't want that either.) Besides the fact that I have enough buckles, I also have a tremendous amount of respect for Phil and his perspective on the situation is no doubt super complex and nuanced. But from my perspective, the explicit agreement when I left the 100k aid station was that I would be going for an unofficial finish. There is no expectation that I would get any award at all. I was grateful that he waited for me, many minutes after his last official finisher came in.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>I will say that the distinction between an official and unofficial finish is meaningful only to certain people - but not to me and not to most of my friends. Of course I would prefer to have an official finish, but I do not regret one bit missing that cutoff. I ran the race I needed to run at the pace that I needed to finish under 30 hours, and from my perspective I executed it perfectly. So on the ultra list I include discussion of the distinction, but on social media I don't bother. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I am a bit overwhelmed at the tremendous outpouring of support from people - some that I disagree with ("he should have just given you a buckle!") and more that I agree with ("You’ve proved once again that the 100 miler is a race of persistence"), and some that just make me blush. ("The DNOF is one of the most impressive feats in ultra running.") Even in this year with terrible weather and COVID restrictions and the absence of Fred who couldn't make it, on balance it was a wonderful experience. I return to TGNY year after year because it is one of those special races and Phil is one of those special people. I'll always make room on my calendar to participate, one way or another.</div><div><br /></div><div>Postscript. Oak, in from out of town, Remarked in mile two, "Central Park smells great!" </div><div>"Oak, I don't think that has ever been uttered by anybody ever in the history of New York."</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hVN-2pVl1Kw/YNNMkZa5KcI/AAAAAAADOy0/VWbIJ0KsEbsbK8ZEeLbBEn6lsEMM28lJQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="929" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hVN-2pVl1Kw/YNNMkZa5KcI/AAAAAAADOy0/VWbIJ0KsEbsbK8ZEeLbBEn6lsEMM28lJQCLcBGAsYHQ/w307-h400/image.png" width="307" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-78910299473221348502021-05-28T13:10:00.007-04:002021-05-28T13:12:06.620-04:00Umstead 2021: DNF<p> I posted this to the ultralist back in April but I'm only just now remembering to copy it here</p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D4huCEJzBho/YLEkN1dh-vI/AAAAAAADNpE/KUPDSJRNHskmo00i8hpRVMH_s6HzQjoPwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1212" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D4huCEJzBho/YLEkN1dh-vI/AAAAAAADNpE/KUPDSJRNHskmo00i8hpRVMH_s6HzQjoPwCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h320/image.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>1000 words about why I DNF'd umstead</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This past weekend I returned to Umstead, a little heavier, and a little bit less trained. Umstead is .. well, umstead. I look forward to it every year, seeing all the faces that I've grown to love, and over the years I've developed a sentimental attachment to the race. In normal years, I'd bring my family, meet up with a couple dozen friends, and especially fred. And in normal years, Fred and I would at least run the first few laps together, as we have done "literally many times." Yeah, Fred. Who I knew wasn't coming but messaged me as I was entering the park on Friday to inform me that he was back in the hospital dealing with post-COVID complications. Still there today.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In retrospect, I had no business showing up to the start line of a 100. I have not taken a DNF at umstead since 2011, and have accumulated six finishes at Umstead since then. In fact, it was at umstead in 2019 where I recognized in myself a sort of internalization of the notion that you don't quit in 100s (that's Fred's influence right there). I remember where I was, in 2019, near the Brain Tree, when I was running the course and I just knew that I was in for a tough day but that I would finish. Nothing was going to keep me from continuing. And I noticed that I had already internalized it, probably at some previous race, and here for the first time, it was already there.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was a combination of many factors - self-identity of that never-quit characteristic, the extra hour they were giving us this year, and Fred himself, who was vicariously running the race with me, that I refused to believe that I was incapable of running 100 miles in 31 hours. And with Fred back in the hospital I had a sense of purpose: I need to do this, for Fred. But I also knew - by the numbers - weight 320lbs, total running in the previous 3 months <250 miles, that this would take more lift than an extra hour. I ignored that and pretended I could somehow power through it and run the race. For Fred.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And at the end of the first lap, which I completed in about 2 hours 50, I honestly thought I was getting away with it! Shortly after the start, I met up with Mary, a friend from brooklyn, experienced ultrarunner and generally extraordinary person, and our plan was to have a party barge where we'd RFM our way through the 100 as slowly as we can get away with. Many of you know Gentry, who texted me before the race to remind me that it's impossible to start too slow. And I took it to heart. 3 hours for 12.5 miles seemed slow enough to me, while still allowing plenty of time to slow down later.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Going out on lap 2, I felt pretty good. We were slowing down a bit, but for the first few miles it seemed that we could keep that lap around 3 hours. A six-hour 25-mile split would set us up for, perhaps a 13-14 hour 50 mile split, which at worst would mean a 17-hour second 50, and I knew I could deathmarch that if I had to. But at the mile-long hill at mile 5 in this lap, I hit a wall and then knew that this would not be a 3-hour lap. And Mary wasn't feeling great either. I don't remember what our time ended up being in lap 2, but it was so slow that I considered throwing in the towel right there. I can easily reach 50, but what's the point in that, there would be no 100 today. (The way to dispense that kind of nonsense is to go out on lap 3.)</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lap 3 was more or less a continuation of the second half of lap 2. I started off a little better, but before we got to the bridge at mile 4 I was back to walking slowly. In fact I don't think Mary and I ran a single step after mile 20. We would take turns going through dark spots, pulling the other along. (In fairness, Mary pulled me along more than I pulled her). </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Meanwhile, weather was happening. It was in lap 3 when we got drenched. The forecast was for sun and warmth. For me, a guy who prefers shade and cold, this wasn't great but I can deal with it. I wore sun protection from the very beginning. But the predawn conditions were cool fog. I sweated through my shirt pretty much immediately, and the fog hadn't lifted before completing the lap. Still believing the forecast, I figured that during lap 2 the sun would come out and dry out my now-heavy sweat laden shirt. But when it was still cool and misty at the end of lap 2 I said fine, the fog wins, put on a tech t-shirt. It turns out we had maybe a few minutes of sun before we could start to hear thunder. And that initial storm that finally hit us while we were on top of cemetery hill - it soaked us to our bones. People elsewhere on the course reported hail. I heard about tornado watches. It was that kind of intense storm, and we were in a clearing at the highest point of the course with a mile or two to go before shelter. And Mary had other issues that manifested during this lap; we agreed that it was necessary to have medical check her out and possibly pull her from the race. We both knew this would take time so I would go out on lap 4 alone. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">So we split up at the completion of lap 3. She went into medical and I went to my drop bag to take care of a few things (put on dry clothes). I felt like I could have a strong lap 4. And if I had a strong lap 4, I thought maybe I could attempt a lap 5 and see what happens. So I got my stuff together and headed out. Made it about 100 meters when I realized my headphones were dead. Considering live headphones to be a critical component of a strong lap, I decided to turn around and get a backup pair. About to head out again, I saw the medical area and thought, "I really ought to check on Mary." Turns out my timing was perfect, she was sitting up in a chair and was just given the go-ahead for lap 4. "We can go out together if you don't mind going slow", she said. I briefly thought about my strong lap 4 idea, realized I was only fooling myself, and agreed. So, thanks to a dead pair of headphones, Mary and I would do the entire 50 miles together. <br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My idea of a strong lap 4 seemed like a joke in retrospect. Lap 4 can only be described as a deathmarch for me. Mary was clearly stronger but she was graciously hanging out with me. I felt good for a couple of miles but it didn't last. It got dark, it rained on and off, and we trudged through it, finally finishing 50 miles in something like 16:30 (!!). That lap 4 was the hardest lap 8 I ever had. And it was also lonely. We went through the entire 3-mile sawtooth section without seeing anyone - we figured, correctly, that the weather had taken its toll on others. At the end of the lap, there was no decision to make. Someone said you can go out and get 100k. Nah. 3 laps or 5, 2 laps or 6, it's all a DNF. No sense in trying to sweeten it. I took a shower and went to sleep.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Umstead has and always will be special to me, and there will never be a time when I'm unwilling to go there. But whatever makes umstead special to me was different this year. At packet pickup, it was quiet. Nobody was around. People got their stuff and left. Same for Sunday. Finishers would come in, hang out for a minute, and leave to take care of themselves. So the finish line was just volunteers, busy volunteering. It had to be this way, this year. But next year I'd really like things to be back to normal.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Postscript: There we were, moving along the course, clearly struggling, and, like in all ultras, people would call out "great job!" and "you're doing awesome!" Everyone likes Mary. She has that sense of humor that makes her a pleasure to be around. So her response was always, "that's a lie but thank you!" and everyone would chuckle. But after the tenth time this happened, something occurred to me: They weren't lying. Mary and I were so happy to be there. We were having an absolutely wonderful time despite the discomfort, and it's impossible to hide that. So when people said we're doing great, they weren't referring to our glacial pace, rather the smiles we were wearing. I wish I had finished, it really bums me out that I didn't, especially considering Fred. But I still had a great time, and even though the day proved I had no business being on that starting line, I would totally do it again.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-18500433960036505892019-10-22T10:48:00.001-04:002019-10-22T10:48:37.486-04:002019 Badger 100 - Southwest WisconsinThe same group of folks that I joined in Chicago last year to run the World's Longest Turkey Trot are now full-fledged legit proper race directors, and I was happy to join them for their inaugural race, the Badger 100, held in Southwest Wisconsin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4wZZN9ccHHj6SVikJDchuojT-Qt1j32_2a2KywePf8OAKKA-PphYSBKyL-2BdCA-5ruooPRjCmdH5dPNO5-Mr-kclJugA7JvgntpCV9Xqm-hY6ZoxmcJttba2RKJ4JA2Bj0Va1jap10Ir4eWitQS4sB_uD9feTV9MKAaW7Xs23xlR8bZGqUprQrKaI1mKBOKIw47WfjW-8P1URS-dlmgPje3TdGV0vjEGhOaygh-tg0HjvubH9w6yhZx_kcDQcH_N3CkOVh0xJLC8zYW-fpFD_N30ENxizdLsRDYww75q2khcu81BdEkztokK0XTl0u84Jp97okHUnWsvAi_miA0Ush9YsKW4o3nOs43NRklJQcev1G_Ie7GbIMFHFr_zZKxIv9OFPmWqyJLa_7jWfveFOi4ZlJ2EzEI-HLCWnReEWXu-aiutTtimS_uTCIXfQKb1GSdMDGQK_NS6nWRbL4-fVyO6a8AS5EQM1TojwY47aBlGvoTQE_d8qMoPr_obiUEG9TXx8MpdJtIykpnnUx8UI5rbrHZhF383a5KJDbCVbCUh-hbHZbPzLmIscL1CHKocf0UxzUXdCcQFSQdWJTmYIjeocm-J9SKGmmc8t-H4USqX_15OQX1yuYa9H5VXUnOQcOaYqJYDXR3vaSAbkZMlnbjHN7dxXHoHCPQxsmx0DXh7gJpBzVNj30=w720-h1280-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4wZZN9ccHHj6SVikJDchuojT-Qt1j32_2a2KywePf8OAKKA-PphYSBKyL-2BdCA-5ruooPRjCmdH5dPNO5-Mr-kclJugA7JvgntpCV9Xqm-hY6ZoxmcJttba2RKJ4JA2Bj0Va1jap10Ir4eWitQS4sB_uD9feTV9MKAaW7Xs23xlR8bZGqUprQrKaI1mKBOKIw47WfjW-8P1URS-dlmgPje3TdGV0vjEGhOaygh-tg0HjvubH9w6yhZx_kcDQcH_N3CkOVh0xJLC8zYW-fpFD_N30ENxizdLsRDYww75q2khcu81BdEkztokK0XTl0u84Jp97okHUnWsvAi_miA0Ush9YsKW4o3nOs43NRklJQcev1G_Ie7GbIMFHFr_zZKxIv9OFPmWqyJLa_7jWfveFOi4ZlJ2EzEI-HLCWnReEWXu-aiutTtimS_uTCIXfQKb1GSdMDGQK_NS6nWRbL4-fVyO6a8AS5EQM1TojwY47aBlGvoTQE_d8qMoPr_obiUEG9TXx8MpdJtIykpnnUx8UI5rbrHZhF383a5KJDbCVbCUh-hbHZbPzLmIscL1CHKocf0UxzUXdCcQFSQdWJTmYIjeocm-J9SKGmmc8t-H4USqX_15OQX1yuYa9H5VXUnOQcOaYqJYDXR3vaSAbkZMlnbjHN7dxXHoHCPQxsmx0DXh7gJpBzVNj30=w720-h1280-no" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This Wisconsin Race actually starts in Illinois</i></td></tr>
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Race Director Scott has specifically asked me to write a report on the race, presumably because he think that since I've run a dozen 100s, I know what makes a race good and a race bad.<br />
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So I'm going to come right out and say that my easy-to-please ass has nothing critical to say about the race, which must be frustrating to a guy who is looking for areas to improve (I get it, man, I really do) but, unfortunately for Scott and his co-RD Adam, I have to blow them for putting on an outstanding race.<br />
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That's not to say there aren't petty annoyances that bothered me, some avoidable, most not. But from an organization and production standpoint the race had no issues, which is no small task for an inaugural race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/SplAls94cpQjB0VC6qTnRdy2CJM0-Jg3bB-vWbXhEotBCj816KQfXV5uRuyzlSgb5xClztmni0XsXhgdSv_hYa40iCky6M7GfsYa8cUzP4vwCPms_3PvE6L_YwPjMtZhAkaPrQSDj6Hg1xBDv4eYqQBtp3EeCCzEqHs5Ux-nSehIa_72UOIqt680Oj4MIb3zTGe4zpEna7XkSwkDwP_c5nmTLNf1rdghhaKyYCz7FdYo6Tu2KjD26Z1k5WhNicAP1DJ2CiG-oWVOnJuM0PxLQGZBxNHHvt1LioNtVap6p01JMrdi0atWh_hjMfDJwvk8WpkJQzhbSJ6zzT7im1AjQ5ZPRI9CwtQ10NkKwCGDlD5g-pUoaB6EG4RUav_E7quYhBn4ttxBwQsMhCZvFXnVWT9q01Y1u8XcIP1pa9Qj4ODC7ZDQ7mEoq4_ZjX486xFoK6BamEXGsmXypOGizqPSY7dQbgEq1igyZNRIm-4HGE6ouEojyCqwwQobcznO1vDPb5Z2ctr5b9fTEprN07jo8a2SQmVpVARcW4lp5qI1mMAvfR6lNf77Dm_5OwMZ7vP8BsrBhgCuiYFemW4oQugP46vA4ZcXku9JWW1ppjfnKJNCvaljKPiJUXfI070cU1k4KqiEmKUc9HuLiP2vvzsafjeF0RdYT7Okof0Q87wawWsf4xOXGd_TGXc=w2376-h1782-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1782" data-original-width="2376" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/SplAls94cpQjB0VC6qTnRdy2CJM0-Jg3bB-vWbXhEotBCj816KQfXV5uRuyzlSgb5xClztmni0XsXhgdSv_hYa40iCky6M7GfsYa8cUzP4vwCPms_3PvE6L_YwPjMtZhAkaPrQSDj6Hg1xBDv4eYqQBtp3EeCCzEqHs5Ux-nSehIa_72UOIqt680Oj4MIb3zTGe4zpEna7XkSwkDwP_c5nmTLNf1rdghhaKyYCz7FdYo6Tu2KjD26Z1k5WhNicAP1DJ2CiG-oWVOnJuM0PxLQGZBxNHHvt1LioNtVap6p01JMrdi0atWh_hjMfDJwvk8WpkJQzhbSJ6zzT7im1AjQ5ZPRI9CwtQ10NkKwCGDlD5g-pUoaB6EG4RUav_E7quYhBn4ttxBwQsMhCZvFXnVWT9q01Y1u8XcIP1pa9Qj4ODC7ZDQ7mEoq4_ZjX486xFoK6BamEXGsmXypOGizqPSY7dQbgEq1igyZNRIm-4HGE6ouEojyCqwwQobcznO1vDPb5Z2ctr5b9fTEprN07jo8a2SQmVpVARcW4lp5qI1mMAvfR6lNf77Dm_5OwMZ7vP8BsrBhgCuiYFemW4oQugP46vA4ZcXku9JWW1ppjfnKJNCvaljKPiJUXfI070cU1k4KqiEmKUc9HuLiP2vvzsafjeF0RdYT7Okof0Q87wawWsf4xOXGd_TGXc=w2376-h1782-no" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the course features a ¼-mile dark spooky railroad tunnel - which 100-milers pass through thrice</i></td></tr>
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Me - on the other hand - I was totally fucked, and it's my own fault. I went out too fast. I didn't drink enough water. I was undertrained, I was overfat, I wasn't prepared for the heat, whatever.<br />
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It is interesting that I went out too fast, because even though I know I have nothing to prove, I still run as though I do. My strategy by the numbers wasn't irrational. It was a credible walk/run strategy. Kept it up for a full marathon. And the numbers were not too fast .. in the neighborhood of 12-13 minutes per mile. Yet I wasn't up for even those speeds due to training or heat or whatever, and I knew it.<br />
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Anyway, I paid dearly for my early enthusiasm. My finish time - north of 33 hours, is by far the slowest 100 I've ever finished. I walked the second half of the race. I was told I had the ultra-lean. My pace had dropped below 24 minutes per mile. I had to be "un-fucked" by Holly when I came into her aid station with apparent heat exhaustion. I was in bad enough shape that she said she'd not object to me requesting a drop - at mile 93. I had a similar sentiment from a different volunteer at mile 60 - where came in to the aid station so fucked up he assumed I was dropping, and seemed surprised when I got up to go back out on the course to what we both knew would essentially be a 40 mile death march.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKFjJuzD0M8/XaItazj3-YI/AAAAAAACke4/gKiyALXUkOIyKNY01OsiFPjelErQHrluwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_20190803_053136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKFjJuzD0M8/XaItazj3-YI/AAAAAAACke4/gKiyALXUkOIyKNY01OsiFPjelErQHrluwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20190803_053136.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Outside of the tunnel, the entire course is like this - railroad easement</i></td></tr>
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Holly sufficiently unfucked me (thanks!) and I was able to continue and finish the race. Scott hugged me and gave me a buckle. I wasn't special, he gave hugs and buckles to everyone who finished. Yet in that moment the thing I appreciated most was Scott's friendship, not my own grit or tenacity. Then I sat down and talked with Joe P, who walked with me for about 25 miles overnight until I couldn't keep up with him anymore. Having just finished, the moment was all about me, but again what I really appreciated was the privilege of spending time with him.<br />
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Bringing this full circle, that might be the disappointing lesson of a dozen 100-mile ultra finishes. I don't think I'm any smarter or wiser. What is true is that with less experience I would have quit a lot sooner. Also, with less experience I might have found something about the race to complain about. It was too hot, too exposed, there was too long a gap before that one aid station. But I feel none of those thoughts, rather all I feel is that it was awesome that holly was there to unfuck me, and also the unnamed guy at mile 60, and rachel too at mile 67/74, and of course joe, scott, adam, juli, and everyone else including the stranger I encountered on the trail who said, "Are you Steve Tursi? I heard you are a total savage!" These people are the reason I love doing this.<br />
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I finish these things on my own two feet, but in no way am I alone. And while swag and awards are nice, what I really appreciate is a race with a strong and vibrant community of people - which is what the Badger offers.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-3154431687206646272019-04-17T08:02:00.002-04:002019-04-17T08:34:08.810-04:00Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run - 2019<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNvuG4Q7Pyo/XLcVtICo8PI/AAAAAAABhMw/gjoJIc3vUbIf9Lm_y1F6TnxbzqItpBcpQCLcBGAs/s1600/57578687_2695852557153802_7277232319637749760_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNvuG4Q7Pyo/XLcVtICo8PI/AAAAAAABhMw/gjoJIc3vUbIf9Lm_y1F6TnxbzqItpBcpQCLcBGAs/s400/57578687_2695852557153802_7277232319637749760_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Melissa and I shortly after Aid#2 on lap 3 (I think). Photograph by "Someone"</i></td></tr>
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Two weekends ago we all once again headed down to Raleigh to run Umstead. I am a 5-time finisher. My friends Fred and Bill, both of whom I talk to every day, are both in the 1000 mile club (Bill has 15 finishes). And there are at least two dozen other people who I look forward to seeing every spring as we all return to my favorite race on the calendar - among them, Melissa, who has been my running buddy for hundreds of miles, including pacing each other at other 100s, and would be attempting the 100.<br />
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The buildup to the race in my case was characterized by my heavier-than-normal out-of-shapeness. Weight is something I've always struggled with, and it has been especially bad the last few years - one lesson I've learned over this period was it's exceedingly difficult to lose weight - or even maintain it - when other things are on my mind. But the vicissitudes of my anxieties are a topic of another time - the point is that I showed up at the starting line up above 310lbs - 15lbs heavier than I was in 2018 when I ran 28 and change - and at least 30lbs heavier than my sub-24 run at Umstead in 2015. On paper, I was doomed.</div>
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Melissa, also feeling undertrained, listened to my concerns and resolved to run with me the entire race. We might both die out there, but at least we'll die together. Moreover, she would generously share her crew with me, promising to have them attend to my needs as much as they'd attend to her. I insisted that I don't need anything except maybe a ride to the race in the morning, but appreciated the gesture, and sure- if someone wanted to give me a 5-hour-energy I'd take that. </div>
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And that brought us to 5:59am - Fred, Melissa and I standing behind a pack of 250 runners in the dark, nervously anticipating the gun.</div>
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For those who don't know, Umstead consists of eight 12.5 mile loops on gently rolling crushed gravel.</div>
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Melissa might have saved my race. Without her I could have pushed myself to run in the 2:30's on lap 1. An easily-run sub-2:30 lap 1 would indicate a level of fitness I didn't possess, and left to my own devices I might have pushed myself just to achieve the number while sabotaging the next 7 laps. Melissa tempered that destructive mindset. As it turns out we ran about 2:50 - nervously long for me - even out of shape I should be well under 3 hours, and be running sub-3s for at least the first three laps, and I knew I'd slow down in lap 2. But Melissa was confident we were fine, and intellectually I knew it too. A fast start ensures against running out of time should I death march laps 7 and 8. A slow start reduces the odds of the death march. I've done enough of these to know better. But occupying my mind was the notion that, at my weight, is a death march unavoidable? "Better run fast, just in case."</div>
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Lap 2, with the light out but clouds keeping the sun away, was uneventful and we managed to stay under 3 hours here too - but not by much. I was nervous. Lap 3 was pretty bad - but lap 3 at Umstead is always a low point for me - I've come to expect it. It was over 3 hours. Lap 4 didn't improve, and Melissa was struggling. I suspected that she wanted to drop; take the 50. I wasn't going to let her. And we stuck together, until the hills of miles 7-9. I jogged down a stretch and looked over my shoulder and she was gone. And after walking - slowly - it was clear she wasn't catching up. She was going to drop. I knew it, she knew it. And sure enough, I got a message from her saying that she's giving her crew to me for pacing lap 5. This was unacceptable to me - I was not going to take her crew from her when she needed them the most. My own condition had not improved after my loop 3 malaise however I knew I could do lap 5 on my own and be fine. Afterwards I'll take a volunteer pacer if they had one, and keep going otherwise. </div>
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However, the matter was settled. Melissa made it clear to her crew that she would be dropping and wanted to lie down - there was nothing they could do, and frankly she preferred to be alone. Bill, half her crew, who was also a reserve Navy medic and cross-fitter who had never run more than 8 miles in his life, was going out on lap 5 with me and there was nothing I could do about it. I accepted this. And Bill was great. We weren't running much at this point, and what I needed in the lap where the sun went down was a companion, someone to talk to. Bill was not an experienced pacer but he was good at conversation and had no issues hiking 12.5 miles. Lap 5 was when I started to recover.</div>
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When we came back, Melissa was ready to go back to the hotel and her crew would go with her (I obviously had no problem with this.) I asked at the pacer desk for a volunteer and .. someone came out. Someone ("Someone" shall be his name, for in my stupor had forgotten it, and I think I embarrassingly forgot it soon after we started and called him Bill the whole time. I don't think his name is bill. He never corrected me. Sincere apologies, Someone.) Someone was a more experienced pacer and Umstead vet (and photographer) and was good at keeping me moving at a good speed - lap 6 was well under 3:30 - faster than the previous laps. We had a great conversation and I was rallying. We had caught and passed Fred. We passed 15-finish-Bill too. We finished lap 6 ahead of all my friends and Someone joined me on lap 7 as well. We ran the entire airport spur at 2am (necessary for a running streak) and finished the lap in the neighborhood of 3:30, still ahead of all my friends, and shortly after 5am, ensuring that I would finish under the cutoff even in the case a disastrous lap 8. Thanks Someone, you rocked.</div>
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I sat down after lap 7 for 10-15 minutes to change shoes, shirt, and just get a little more comfortable in preparation for the final 12.5 miles. I was not concerned about my friends (who deserved to beat me anyway). There were no volunteer pacers available, so I said my goodbyes to Someone, grabbed headphones for the first time in the race, and hit the road. </div>
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The first half of lap 8 was ok. I was moving pretty well, not running much but walking purposefully. In the last five miles, however, I was reduced to sub-22 minute miles. I put on some hardcore punk rock and made the best of it. With two miles to go, my 15-year-old son joined me and walked me in. I finished in 28 hours 17 minutes 14 seconds - faster than last year, when I was lighter and better trained.</div>
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So, what got me through it? I guess there's more to running than weight and training. Last year had crummy weather - but that crummy weather is ok with me. But having done a bunch of these - this is my sixth finish at Umstead alone - I suppose I have internalized the values of "just keep going" and don't waste time. Most of my stops at aid stations were minimal - less than 30 seconds. And there was never a notion at all of quitting. There was a desire to quit - I suppose that never goes away. But there was no serious thought given to quitting. No indulgence on heaven or earth would have gotten me to stop. It was work for sure, but I wasn't going to stop until the work was done. And that attitude didn't come to me naturally - I learned it over many years. So I would say experience got me through it. And I'm sure luck had a lot to do with it too.</div>
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I don't know how to finish race reports. Bye.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-77318468135262357152016-12-10T00:01:00.000-05:002016-12-10T00:01:07.277-05:00On the Tenth Anniversary of my First Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a reflective "what have I learned post."<br />
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tl;dr: The friends I made in running are much more meaningful to me than running itself, and I'm extremely grateful to them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJre9Sf1Dlo/WEqwMaX0jkI/AAAAAAAAh2Y/kFQe1LyYDgwAMnNYwbhMU7ryxM3-IIMwwCEw/s1600/2006lvm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJre9Sf1Dlo/WEqwMaX0jkI/AAAAAAAAh2Y/kFQe1LyYDgwAMnNYwbhMU7ryxM3-IIMwwCEw/s400/2006lvm.png" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>December 10, 2006<br />This is the only photo I have of my first marathon finish</i></td></tr>
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Ten years ago today, in Las Vegas, on December 10th, 2006, I ran my first traditional-distance marathon. You can <a href="http://stevetursi.blogspot.com/2006/12/race-report-las-vegas-marathon-dec-10.html" target="_blank">read my report </a>if you're interested in my mentality at the time. It's fascinating to me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C76xoJoqu_s/WEqtJCHZQ3I/AAAAAAAAh2I/6c-Sg3eoJRI20kp0htLpCtVkzN2PIIT1gCEw/s1600/1923607_9496735090_2160_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C76xoJoqu_s/WEqtJCHZQ3I/AAAAAAAAh2I/6c-Sg3eoJRI20kp0htLpCtVkzN2PIIT1gCEw/s400/1923607_9496735090_2160_n.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>2007 Philadelphia Marathon</i></td></tr>
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The following year, in 2007, I would run three more marathons. In 2008, I ran my first ultra (a 50k), followed by a 50 miler. That was the year I ran the Chicago Marathon. By 2009 I was attempting 100 milers. In 2010, I finally finished 100+ miles in a single event - in a 72 hour fixed time race where I hit 100 somewhere north of 60 hours. It wasn't until 2012 when I finished a fixed-distance 100-mile race under the 30-hour cutoff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cpX3sjvNCW8/WEqtJbnZetI/AAAAAAAAh2I/uj7VaCP-jlIIeOHqSOZDywBdO2RgQHddgCEw/s1600/306680_10150759766305091_1207521238_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cpX3sjvNCW8/WEqtJbnZetI/AAAAAAAAh2I/uj7VaCP-jlIIeOHqSOZDywBdO2RgQHddgCEw/s400/306680_10150759766305091_1207521238_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tammy and I at Umstead 100, 2012</i></td></tr>
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I tend not to run normal marathons anymore. In fact I haven't run one since 2013. Marathons aren't challenging - or, I should say - I don't run marathons in a challenging way. Marathons, run properly, are actually the hardest race there is; which is why I don't do them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HL34OJeDLpc/WEqtJL9Z2HI/AAAAAAAAh2I/gOmJqWPZFvMQVQlJYMpRZsYpUM8Z9CjiACEw/s1600/163836_10150105472170091_3134179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HL34OJeDLpc/WEqtJL9Z2HI/AAAAAAAAh2I/gOmJqWPZFvMQVQlJYMpRZsYpUM8Z9CjiACEw/s400/163836_10150105472170091_3134179_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That time in 2008 I drove to Chicago to run a marathon with Rizzo - then drove home that night.</i></td></tr>
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Instead, I run ultras. And, for the last few years, almost exclusively 100 milers or 24-72 hour fixed time races. They're social events for me, which leads me to the point of this post. But I'll preface my monologue it by saying I used to take racing much more seriously. I was frightened of DNFs, and had the typical pre-race anxiety that most runners get before a big race. These days, DNFs are rare, and though I still approach 100-milers with nervous anticipation, my anxiety comes from elsewhere in life. And while there's no shortage of the anxiety I feel from non-running activities; it's a topic for another time. (Preferably in person, with adult beverages in front of us.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDguJ5YIg9s/WEqtCUNZKFI/AAAAAAAAh2I/JXlfE9Lw2oMnqwRtuj1j9YPwixzryiQugCEw/s1600/13268264_10153982024355091_575639294260191582_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDguJ5YIg9s/WEqtCUNZKFI/AAAAAAAAh2I/JXlfE9Lw2oMnqwRtuj1j9YPwixzryiQugCEw/s400/13268264_10153982024355091_575639294260191582_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Anne, Ami, and Joey on my 40-mile 40th birthday run earlier this year</i></td></tr>
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I am going to tell a tale here of two runners, and will refer to my first runner as the "real" runner. Someone in a podcast that I love calls this person "the douchebag runner", which is not meant pejoratively but rather in jest. I think it's funny; laugh every time I hear it, but I'm not going to use it. If you're this person, you're not a douchebag to me. I'm going to give you the respect you deserve and call you a "real" runner.<br />
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("but some of my best friends are douchebags..")<br />
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I won't go into too much detail in describing the real runner, because you already know him or her. The real runner is interested in being the best runner they can be, and they're going to put in the hard work to be it. Real runners are admirable. Real runners do track work, tempo workouts, and hill repeats. Real runners count their calories, figure out which macronutrients to eat, measure their VO2 max, know their lactate threshold, are aware of exactly which heart rate zone they should be in at all times, and carefully plan and select the races they run. In most ways, real runners are better than me. A large part of me envies real runners. I wish I had their discipline and dedication. If I was a real runner, I'd probably be thin. And their fast finish times wouldn't be bad either.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YphtI95xGHM/WEqtHXTwbUI/AAAAAAAAh2I/SHrZBZJTPfM6hVAi773JZX-Tw927YivQACEw/s1600/10150874_10152272240180091_1623349075_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YphtI95xGHM/WEqtHXTwbUI/AAAAAAAAh2I/SHrZBZJTPfM6hVAi773JZX-Tw927YivQACEw/s400/10150874_10152272240180091_1623349075_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me pretending to be a real runner at the 2014 Wharton 5K - I ran 23:56</i></td></tr>
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But, alas, I am not a real runner. I am the second persona: the social runner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1egyo2ipR7Q/WEqtIicApKI/AAAAAAAAh2I/oWxR-2XsZzg6DC35_t--SDwB77L0ZP0uQCEw/s1600/13179038_10153969064410091_7996322643330733821_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1egyo2ipR7Q/WEqtIicApKI/AAAAAAAAh2I/oWxR-2XsZzg6DC35_t--SDwB77L0ZP0uQCEw/s400/13179038_10153969064410091_7996322643330733821_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stopping to shoot a selfie with the kids mid-race</i></td></tr>
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Point of clarification: before I go any further I must say that the two archetypes are not mutually exclusive. Real runners in fact tend to be quite social. And social runners almost always do care about finish times and will push for a good time in a race. But any experienced runner will tell you that almost everyone has a prevailing mentality, and for the purposes of this post I'm going to assume a clear distinction for convenience's sake.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6QvUzJV2kI/WErCqnwITdI/AAAAAAAAh3Y/31lhS63fKaE3YG35i6LD5anYDAyqFy9GACLcB/s1600/12931114_10153704910668422_7104986942460258677_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6QvUzJV2kI/WErCqnwITdI/AAAAAAAAh3Y/31lhS63fKaE3YG35i6LD5anYDAyqFy9GACLcB/s400/12931114_10153704910668422_7104986942460258677_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Melissa and Ami are two of my favorite people in the world, and I deeply value their friendship</i></td></tr>
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Most people who begin running as adults start out thinking they should be real runners. I was a real runner when I ran that marathon in 2006, despite my nearly-7 hour finishing time. They obviously don't call themselves real runners; they just think they're normal runners (and, to be sure, they are.) Some people stay real for the rest of their lives. Many people burn out and quit running altogether. But a lot of us, and I fit this pattern, transition from real runners to social runners.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ztP21FRoZgc/WEqtIwUsBbI/AAAAAAAAh2I/dLUof4Xb1MkE2EEuNV8RhIFotw2BzhPoQCEw/s1600/1479742_10152039741135091_1291390023_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ztP21FRoZgc/WEqtIwUsBbI/AAAAAAAAh2I/dLUof4Xb1MkE2EEuNV8RhIFotw2BzhPoQCEw/s400/1479742_10152039741135091_1291390023_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That time I ran a beer mile in a blizzard with Jen</i></td></tr>
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It starts out innocently enough. You make some running friends. Maybe they're online, maybe they're at work, maybe you met them at a race. These friends become training partners. And you get to know them, their families, their jobs, their interests and hobbies. Soon, you're doing long runs with them. Or you're entering long races with them. If you run with them enough, you'll learn their secrets, their fears, their anxieties. And these people who you've gotten to know deeply: you're now suffering with them. In 100 milers it's particularly poignant - you'll find yourself suffering with someone at 3am on the side of a road. You keep each other going, feeding off the other's energy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UweBC5vCYfs/WEqtHZDw2gI/AAAAAAAAh2I/M0WucxZH5dk-NvHZlNAw1g7TxKPnlhdnACEw/s1600/10565662_10152548068290091_1253231777_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UweBC5vCYfs/WEqtHZDw2gI/AAAAAAAAh2I/M0WucxZH5dk-NvHZlNAw1g7TxKPnlhdnACEw/s400/10565662_10152548068290091_1253231777_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>RJ and I, 4AM, mile 87.5</i></td></tr>
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And without realizing it, you've long since stopped caring about your VO2 max. All you give a shit about anymore are the friends you've made. You care about them far more than you care about any stupid race. And they care for you. They care about you, and listen to you in a way only a true friend can. And the value in suffering together with a friend far outweighs the value in finishing in a certain time. You'll find yourself seeking out longer and harder events - because more intense and time spent suffering with them leads to deeper and more meaningful friendships.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hwJpC8OJ1cg/WEqtJU-BCMI/AAAAAAAAh2I/rG0BxIWhMfweH8hNX5dT_G3a8g1msVpcACEw/s1600/3523_10153791382870091_6718850331011825190_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hwJpC8OJ1cg/WEqtJU-BCMI/AAAAAAAAh2I/rG0BxIWhMfweH8hNX5dT_G3a8g1msVpcACEw/s400/3523_10153791382870091_6718850331011825190_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fred and Ami, my most valued running friends</i></td></tr>
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To put it succinctly, you start out with them because they provide a transactional value to you: the quantifiable benefits of having a training partner. But soon their friendship becomes more meaningful than some economic arrangement. You want to spend time with them because of their intrinsic human value. The fact that you get a training partner is just gravy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4PGAEdI3NQ/WEqtIWNF2rI/AAAAAAAAh2I/lxhCBmjdxpAO8owBb500v8rQ_TjdQWmpwCEw/s1600/12211227_10153563877780091_1690856871_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4PGAEdI3NQ/WEqtIWNF2rI/AAAAAAAAh2I/lxhCBmjdxpAO8owBb500v8rQ_TjdQWmpwCEw/s400/12211227_10153563877780091_1690856871_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Melissa, my other most valued running friend</i></td></tr>
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Running for me has become part of my identity, and so when I interact with non-runners they tend to assume that I'm the first persona. They think that running 100 milers in some way resembles the way their cousin runs 5Ks. I guess for some 100-mile runners it does, but they're not like me. What I do is in no way similar to what the real runner does. It's not better or worse, but different. In fact the only thing I have in common with them is we run. "Running" seems like something that unites us, but not really. I can sometimes hang with real runners, especially if I want a hard workout for some reason, but they're typically not interested in hanging with me. To them, the way I train - at slow paces with lots of walk breaks (and sometimes a pizza and beer break) is a waste of their valuable training time, and that's OK. Everybody has their priorities.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7iz7Xlpe6M/WEqtJM64Z3I/AAAAAAAAh2I/5glnDW_lUxc19XonxWABYsfAVoqhKKaKQCEw/s1600/177776_10151044632985091_150054538_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7iz7Xlpe6M/WEqtJM64Z3I/AAAAAAAAh2I/5glnDW_lUxc19XonxWABYsfAVoqhKKaKQCEw/s400/177776_10151044632985091_150054538_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some of my amazing tri club friends after an early morning track workout</i></td></tr>
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Everyone has their reasons when they start running. For me it was weight loss.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvrrZyrHsmQ/WEqtJYkdH3I/AAAAAAAAh2I/G1G87bgyGbE9E0M5dOT5Fk4EJEkunB--ACEw/s1600/241649_10150239703475091_3815114_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvrrZyrHsmQ/WEqtJYkdH3I/AAAAAAAAh2I/G1G87bgyGbE9E0M5dOT5Fk4EJEkunB--ACEw/s400/241649_10150239703475091_3815114_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>400 lb Steve in the late 90s, with my cousin Sue. She is 21 now.</i></td></tr>
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And to be sure, if I stopped running tomorrow then my weight would probably balloon back to four hundred pounds. But I don't run to maintain weight. I run instead to maintain the circle of friends that mean more to me than running ever will. And to those friends: I can't overstate the gratitude that I feel. Thank you for the conversations both serious and light hearted, the opportunity to suffer together, and the insights I've gained into myself by your companionship. I'm a dramatically different person than I was ten years ago - much more honest, empathic, and disciplined - and I can't give credit to running; but rather to you.<br />
<br />
To each and every one of you - thank you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3trf44pAW3o/WEqtCQ0H66I/AAAAAAAAh2I/rf2FZbYaaxke3tdFZQ7BpqgMkPtyNwTZwCEw/s1600/2014-08-09%2B09.36.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3trf44pAW3o/WEqtCQ0H66I/AAAAAAAAh2I/rf2FZbYaaxke3tdFZQ7BpqgMkPtyNwTZwCEw/s400/2014-08-09%2B09.36.28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ami and I before Beast of Burden 2014 - her first 50 miler!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L80VQ4x3IdQ/WEq_h0ekG5I/AAAAAAAAh3E/jZg37_oNf_QBXPXGNddI9cxVGKSInD3JgCLcB/s1600/36661_442610115090_1774805_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L80VQ4x3IdQ/WEq_h0ekG5I/AAAAAAAAh3E/jZg37_oNf_QBXPXGNddI9cxVGKSInD3JgCLcB/s400/36661_442610115090_1774805_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>With Eric and Tony<br />Tony taught me everything I know about running ultras.</i> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XH7XaexPNjE/WEq_h6t2dzI/AAAAAAAAh3A/Y2wm3NC1sN04mM162nu8ouW8jUDjXiX2ACLcB/s1600/37854_1482639476617_2706324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XH7XaexPNjE/WEq_h6t2dzI/AAAAAAAAh3A/Y2wm3NC1sN04mM162nu8ouW8jUDjXiX2ACLcB/s400/37854_1482639476617_2706324_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That time I was on a Badwater Crew for Tony (2010)<br />Also: Chris, Eric, Meredith, Eddie, Herb</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prJbMErHgwA/WEqtCrvDxtI/AAAAAAAAh2I/vu9fAGx8HpI5AlkEKcUUI4aPf574XhJnQCEw/s1600/9k%253D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prJbMErHgwA/WEqtCrvDxtI/AAAAAAAAh2I/vu9fAGx8HpI5AlkEKcUUI4aPf574XhJnQCEw/s400/9k%253D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jim</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmN6ngCM9Q0/WEqtCetoqPI/AAAAAAAAh2I/Eo9jjh3sFJIasex9hx11bTMppPrm5mEOwCEw/s1600/13217305_10209117237785819_105966899709585258_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmN6ngCM9Q0/WEqtCetoqPI/AAAAAAAAh2I/Eo9jjh3sFJIasex9hx11bTMppPrm5mEOwCEw/s400/13217305_10209117237785819_105966899709585258_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Suzanne</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yG2FC7cGU1E/WEqtC5YsG9I/AAAAAAAAh2I/BIfjvaQR8fsxYYR2VOLIcKVWRxG8WlQ4QCEw/s1600/gentry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yG2FC7cGU1E/WEqtC5YsG9I/AAAAAAAAh2I/BIfjvaQR8fsxYYR2VOLIcKVWRxG8WlQ4QCEw/s400/gentry.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stephen, Bill, Jim</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ELYNTnmKosA/WEqtC1MN41I/AAAAAAAAh2I/DnpOE1z1-dklyMJ0ThaZNt-3g2HdwedywCEw/s1600/saturday545am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ELYNTnmKosA/WEqtC1MN41I/AAAAAAAAh2I/DnpOE1z1-dklyMJ0ThaZNt-3g2HdwedywCEw/s400/saturday545am.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tammy, Fred</i> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Plij53t48uw/WEqtC0sVUJI/AAAAAAAAh2I/smuUzE8VS7gfrDWiEtkRWG8MqA1gRMUfACEw/s400/Screenshot%2B2016-05-28%2B08.50.06.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stephen</i></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Plij53t48uw/WEqtC0sVUJI/AAAAAAAAh2I/smuUzE8VS7gfrDWiEtkRWG8MqA1gRMUfACEw/s1600/Screenshot%2B2016-05-28%2B08.50.06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Plij53t48uw/WEqtC0sVUJI/AAAAAAAAh2I/smuUzE8VS7gfrDWiEtkRWG8MqA1gRMUfACEw/s1600/Screenshot%2B2016-05-28%2B08.50.06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5pJqZK63Fyc/WEqtJFzx0zI/AAAAAAAAh2I/ZTeJdlTSXEkMTAQnzhByM611unsOz57GgCEw/s1600/218619_10150241734555091_5883650_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5pJqZK63Fyc/WEqtJFzx0zI/AAAAAAAAh2I/ZTeJdlTSXEkMTAQnzhByM611unsOz57GgCEw/s400/218619_10150241734555091_5883650_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Marge</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pREJYXMpQm8/WEqtJTg_5TI/AAAAAAAAh2I/eUhm_iOvfJgQ5REyRjmaq2Fg77srwUIdgCEw/s1600/272187_10151202133615091_1028562185_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pREJYXMpQm8/WEqtJTg_5TI/AAAAAAAAh2I/eUhm_iOvfJgQ5REyRjmaq2Fg77srwUIdgCEw/s400/272187_10151202133615091_1028562185_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lynn David Newton</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cuE-bpW5AUY/WEqtJuhEWkI/AAAAAAAAh2I/NbsMk2FtaFQaLoxOHa9tIpQ0RpMng99lwCEw/s1600/977261_10151653594475091_1220968949_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cuE-bpW5AUY/WEqtJuhEWkI/AAAAAAAAh2I/NbsMk2FtaFQaLoxOHa9tIpQ0RpMng99lwCEw/s400/977261_10151653594475091_1220968949_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My tri club</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTD-mLVneHs/WEqtI1Y3RJI/AAAAAAAAh2I/ltJOlWkJ-mgZ0E76fep1Ym_v1ONoEPrmACEw/s1600/1416345_10151962111000091_1533741870_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTD-mLVneHs/WEqtI1Y3RJI/AAAAAAAAh2I/ltJOlWkJ-mgZ0E76fep1Ym_v1ONoEPrmACEw/s400/1416345_10151962111000091_1533741870_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dr. Larry</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgqJhPj_EEk/WErB6xbKs_I/AAAAAAAAh3Q/rQxDpmhXbRk2YhXN2iapQ7GZSUHvcX4BACLcB/s1600/12227950_10153563883315091_1169807628_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgqJhPj_EEk/WErB6xbKs_I/AAAAAAAAh3Q/rQxDpmhXbRk2YhXN2iapQ7GZSUHvcX4BACLcB/s400/12227950_10153563883315091_1169807628_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gary and Bob</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6Laoj2-TlE/WEqtHmo1c9I/AAAAAAAAh2I/bWvqnr2wmNodGQ3DcxbVIk10xeKQob6hgCEw/s1600/10628517_10153180886035091_6874270750371053598_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6Laoj2-TlE/WEqtHmo1c9I/AAAAAAAAh2I/bWvqnr2wmNodGQ3DcxbVIk10xeKQob6hgCEw/s400/10628517_10153180886035091_6874270750371053598_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cliff</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrZrCY6exTc/WEqtHoktQUI/AAAAAAAAh2I/rzbumKQD-aEpN5UTphTiJPhmwB6iYzJMACEw/s1600/11201108_10153185473090091_4434680376286941039_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrZrCY6exTc/WEqtHoktQUI/AAAAAAAAh2I/rzbumKQD-aEpN5UTphTiJPhmwB6iYzJMACEw/s400/11201108_10153185473090091_4434680376286941039_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Three Days Crew, 2015</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAwDLTb4JVI/WEqtH0ewPKI/AAAAAAAAh2I/7h3oPtNOIZ8lGJ_c267ar-HCfycR7aesQCEw/s1600/11235431_10153180881200091_2673458155659682910_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAwDLTb4JVI/WEqtH0ewPKI/AAAAAAAAh2I/7h3oPtNOIZ8lGJ_c267ar-HCfycR7aesQCEw/s400/11235431_10153180881200091_2673458155659682910_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dave</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N8muF-v3t2M/WEqtHxu6Y-I/AAAAAAAAh2I/unzmRK38_nIOFmOaM5t2R6N9cvRCHV3PACEw/s1600/11259879_239687463031256_7984479519425251670_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N8muF-v3t2M/WEqtHxu6Y-I/AAAAAAAAh2I/unzmRK38_nIOFmOaM5t2R6N9cvRCHV3PACEw/s400/11259879_239687463031256_7984479519425251670_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Randy and Phil</i> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qC2NZlLI89U/WEqtIJvvbeI/AAAAAAAAh2I/ahdPehz-2gc3PNq4hrNIPg5vLvye9WSUwCEw/s1600/11638515_10153268814170091_1345626453_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qC2NZlLI89U/WEqtIJvvbeI/AAAAAAAAh2I/ahdPehz-2gc3PNq4hrNIPg5vLvye9WSUwCEw/s400/11638515_10153268814170091_1345626453_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Melissa, Rick, and the Kids</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2EnMlCGLPWA/WEqtIIMEjzI/AAAAAAAAh2I/XkvHfQvygPgE_5X2lLiDACnP7Nd7rvpUwCEw/s1600/12065569_10153545203160091_3668738792227418563_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2EnMlCGLPWA/WEqtIIMEjzI/AAAAAAAAh2I/XkvHfQvygPgE_5X2lLiDACnP7Nd7rvpUwCEw/s400/12065569_10153545203160091_3668738792227418563_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dusty</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9AoJ-qznhPg/WEqwMzf5NEI/AAAAAAAAh2o/WnkJ-UlshvQi9SSiDtUm0Zg7905hIMfZwCEw/s1600/i-VxmmBJM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9AoJ-qznhPg/WEqwMzf5NEI/AAAAAAAAh2o/WnkJ-UlshvQi9SSiDtUm0Zg7905hIMfZwCEw/s400/i-VxmmBJM.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Anne</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4BFzZmTrMQ/WEqtIVJr0rI/AAAAAAAAh2I/u5hLPNcWFygQ-6_cNGmm4i3wfaR9mVl0wCEw/s1600/12235212_10153563852475091_515748811_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4BFzZmTrMQ/WEqtIVJr0rI/AAAAAAAAh2I/u5hLPNcWFygQ-6_cNGmm4i3wfaR9mVl0wCEw/s400/12235212_10153563852475091_515748811_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dong</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4T_-jrOs9s/WEqwMv3GZQI/AAAAAAAAh2g/CxvaonYPgfEjiwlmEPMTA334ZvShdneNwCEw/s1600/i-CKpVWgV-2572x1929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4T_-jrOs9s/WEqwMv3GZQI/AAAAAAAAh2g/CxvaonYPgfEjiwlmEPMTA334ZvShdneNwCEw/s400/i-CKpVWgV-2572x1929.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hasher friends</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l7ycg3wJg_Y/WEqwMv18PpI/AAAAAAAAh2c/sV09Ng4m3PE_mSFTTm2HkUvSwO_w2gMxACEw/s1600/i-8z4Sz7D-2572x3429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l7ycg3wJg_Y/WEqwMv18PpI/AAAAAAAAh2c/sV09Ng4m3PE_mSFTTm2HkUvSwO_w2gMxACEw/s400/i-8z4Sz7D-2572x3429.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jonathan (matching socks)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QFRdTK-Qkts/WEqtIR4KVUI/AAAAAAAAh2I/c8oR5CCTMOoQzRpzAB8bdJVFfDHJRQKCgCEw/s1600/12227534_10153563856260091_637724562_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QFRdTK-Qkts/WEqtIR4KVUI/AAAAAAAAh2I/c8oR5CCTMOoQzRpzAB8bdJVFfDHJRQKCgCEw/s400/12227534_10153563856260091_637724562_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i>April</i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XRs1x9jKHh8/WEqwMVUcPcI/AAAAAAAAh2U/pFVUrqu5VEwQU5pVWdmr5PllrAqy0HomwCEw/s1600/i-8NFfkb4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XRs1x9jKHh8/WEqwMVUcPcI/AAAAAAAAh2U/pFVUrqu5VEwQU5pVWdmr5PllrAqy0HomwCEw/s400/i-8NFfkb4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>RayK and Melissa</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsXD4sD-rEQ/WEqwMVhUd0I/AAAAAAAAh2Q/vLHYCW5xLfAgPir7h6ukbVu22pbMLkmnACEw/s1600/i-7jVL294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsXD4sD-rEQ/WEqwMVhUd0I/AAAAAAAAh2Q/vLHYCW5xLfAgPir7h6ukbVu22pbMLkmnACEw/s400/i-7jVL294.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More Hashing Friends</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MLfccU2CeuY/WEqtI_mUgEI/AAAAAAAAh2I/uxhzRFtavdEXBA_vx-UA1R_25f7n-OW-ACEw/s1600/14448772_10154318973985091_9025972294878606304_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MLfccU2CeuY/WEqtI_mUgEI/AAAAAAAAh2I/uxhzRFtavdEXBA_vx-UA1R_25f7n-OW-ACEw/s400/14448772_10154318973985091_9025972294878606304_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fred and Andy</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I thought it would be fun to enumerate all the marathon-and-longer distance events I've completed in the last ten years:<br />
<br />
<b>Marathons</b><br />
Las Vegas (2006)<br />
Self-Transcendence (2007,2009,2010)<br />
Breakers (2007)<br />
Philadelphia (2007)<br />
Chicago (2008)<br />
Big Sur (2009)<br />
NYC (2009)<br />
Marine Corps (2011, 2013)<br />
NJ Marathon (2013)<br />
<br />
<b>Ultras</b><br />
Across The Years 72 hour (2x)<br />
Ancient Oaks 100 mile<br />
Beast of Burden 100 mile<br />
Booty Rumble 50K<br />
Caumsett 50K (2x)<br />
Damn Wakely Dam 32.6 Mile (2x)<br />
Forgotten Forest 9 hour<br />
Ghost Train 100 mile<br />
Grand Teton 50 mile<br />
Hinson Lake 24 hour<br />
Hudson valley recover from the holidays 50K<br />
JFK 50 mile<br />
Knickerbocker 60K (2x)<br />
Lake Waramaug 50K (2x)<br />
NJ One Day 24 hour (3x)<br />
NJ Ultra Festival 50 mile<br />
North Coast 24 hour<br />
Parsippany 12 hour (2x)<br />
Russell B. Cheney 50K<br />
San Francisco 50 mile<br />
Ted Corbitt 24 hour<br />
The Great New York 100 mile<br />
Three Days at the Fair 48 hour (2x)<br />
Three Days at the Fair 72 hour (4x)<br />
Umstead 100 mile (3x)<br />
Umstead 50 mile (2x)<br />
Vermont 50K<br />
<br />
Also: Ironman Florida (2012)<br />
<br />
<br />
Final thought. 2016 has been a rough year for me in many ways. We received lots of bad news this year, and coping has been difficult for me. Two of the reasons for this are of ultrarunning friends - people who I spent time on the trail with, but not enough time - and who I wish I knew better - passed away.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZZ-zArv9lY/WEqtCn3KmII/AAAAAAAAh2I/_JjTMncIwFYejq8owRts7uOl3Iq6pRjbgCEw/s1600/IMG_20151024_085930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZZ-zArv9lY/WEqtCn3KmII/AAAAAAAAh2I/_JjTMncIwFYejq8owRts7uOl3Iq6pRjbgCEw/s400/IMG_20151024_085930.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i>Eric and I in late 2015. He suddenly and unexpectedly passed away suddenly </i><br />
<i>earlier </i><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">this year. He was a kindred spirit, a lot like me. Family man and </i><br />
<i style="font-size: 12.8px;">unapologetic </i><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">back of the packer, who forged his deepest friendships while running.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JMRKrpvvoI/WEqtIxa_snI/AAAAAAAAh2I/34hNrozihs4CLWX6XVvo9bYhQL8m1QOUwCEw/s1600/1508009_10153288680645091_5573746902418210704_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JMRKrpvvoI/WEqtIxa_snI/AAAAAAAAh2I/34hNrozihs4CLWX6XVvo9bYhQL8m1QOUwCEw/s400/1508009_10153288680645091_5573746902418210704_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<i>I had the distinct pleasure of sharing a few miles on the Ancient Oaks course with Stu Gleman in 2014<br />He passed away from cancer in September, shortly after finishing one last 100-miler<br /><br />Here is a tribute to him, written by Laz</i></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<i>(ARFTA = A Race For the Ages; fixed time event that Laz puts on.)</i></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">the old guys at the ARFTA have stories to tell.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">they have a love of life to share.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and lessons to teach.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">greatest of those lessons...</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to savor the moment.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">when we are young,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">we do the things that young men do.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">we hurry always.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">barely able to finish one thing,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">before we must rush off to experience the next.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">what irony that those</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">with all the time in the world</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">are the ones in a hurry.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and only when we feel the limits of that time</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">do we learn to slow down,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and savor the moment.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">stu</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gleman</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> was one of us at the ARFTA</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">savoring the moment.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">it was his best performance in a long time.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">it was his "one more hundred"</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">as, shortly before the clock ran out,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">he completed his 110th circuit of the deadman mile.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">for those who shared laps with him;</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">old friends who talked of days and races gone by,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">new friends who might have heard the stories</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">the many stories</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">of a </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">man</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> who grew up poor in the west virginia hills</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">ran his first ultra in 1962</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and was a NASA scientist,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">when we were putting men on the moon.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">stu</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> was one of a kind.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">i am sure the tributes will come</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and the stories will be told.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">what i remember most were his words a few days before the race.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">ARFTA did not fit easily in his schedule,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">but</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"it is important that i come.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">i have friends who will be there,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">and i need to tell them that i love them."</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">we all know in our minds that we are not guaranteed tomorrow.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">there comes a time in our life that we know it in our hearts.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">stu</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> knew it in his heart.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">i am so glad that i had the chance to savor those moments with </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">stu</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> this weekend.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">i am sorry that there were not more.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">because there are no more tomorrows.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">stu</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> passed away tonight.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">all that i have now are the memories.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">but those will shine brightly,</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">until i have my own last tomorrow.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;" /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">stu</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">gleman</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> was one of a kind.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-73881441788478590692016-05-28T09:05:00.000-04:002016-05-28T09:05:32.758-04:00Triple Race Report: Umstead, 3Days, 40th Birthday RunFor lack of a post in some time, I now give you three quick reports in one place.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Umstead - April 2-3 - 100 miles - 27 hrs, 41 mins, 4 seconds</b><br />
http://umstead100.org/pdf/2016_OrderOfFinish100Miles.pdf<br />
<br />
The main take-away for my 2016 Umstead race report is that 100 milers don't get easy.<br />
<br />
I have, at this point, gone 100 miles or more in thirteen individual races, and I would be lying if I didn't say the intimidation factor has diminished over time. However, 100 miles is no joke, and even though my ability to finish one isn't in question, the temptation to approach a 100 with a casual "I've done this before, no big deal" attitude should be resisted because there's nothing but pain and suffering down that road.<br />
<br />
Poorly prepared, I relied on the kindness of my friends to get me through this race. I had two of them volunteer to come down - at considerable expense - to pace me. And if I've ever needed a friend to get me through a race, this was the race where I needed them. Both of them expressed how honored they were to be able to come and help me, but from my perspective they were being overly charitable towards me - and I'll forever be grateful to them for it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zj5hPmEnsfA/VwKzAjJl7QI/AAAAAAAAb9Q/SF1n92lv4igFbQAClGj9gxp9W_y5EdpkQ/s1600/MelissaAndAmi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zj5hPmEnsfA/VwKzAjJl7QI/AAAAAAAAb9Q/SF1n92lv4igFbQAClGj9gxp9W_y5EdpkQ/s400/MelissaAndAmi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Melissa paced me for miles 50-75, Ami paced me 75-100</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have completed about a third of my 100s without pacers, and consider them a "nice to have" but not necessary. In this race, I honestly don't know if I could have finished without them. And they also made it a lot of fun. Very grateful.<br />
<br />
<b>Three Days at the Fair - May 12-15 - 72 hours - 161 miles</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-to-TsEiXA/V0mUig4rGqI/AAAAAAAAdBo/k1tBIf1MvbYPiZW4t4dVJpPIFC3cN68XQCLcB/s1600/Screenshot%2B2016-05-28%2B08.50.06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-to-TsEiXA/V0mUig4rGqI/AAAAAAAAdBo/k1tBIf1MvbYPiZW4t4dVJpPIFC3cN68XQCLcB/s400/Screenshot%2B2016-05-28%2B08.50.06.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stephen Banfield and I at the fair</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
Three Days At The Fair, which is a 72-hour fixed time race in which the format is "how many 1-mile loops can you complete in a set amount of time", is my favorite race on the calendar purely because I am a social being and races like this lend themselves to people who like to mix "hanging out with friends" with "running extreme distances." I went into this race with a rather soft 156-mile personal record, with an aim to beat it by a rather large margin. I didn't beat it by nearly as much as I wanted, but still managed to have fun. Recap: Thursday was hot, and we all suffered. Friday was raining, and we all got wet. Saturday was mild and sometimes drizzly, and we all kept going.<br />
<br />
Notably, my son Joey entered the 24-hour race held on Saturday, and walked around the course with his friends (other kids of people involved in the race), and before he was finished at 9am Sunday had completed 28 laps. Since a standard marathon is 26.2 miles, at twelve years old he can honestly claim he's officially completed an ultra-marathon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TqIwFAu5VQM/V0mVOq5H7GI/AAAAAAAAdBw/5QmGzL_DM686UupvYlvCMOxTM7t-hUcQgCLcB/s1600/13179038_10153969064410091_7996322643330733821_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TqIwFAu5VQM/V0mVOq5H7GI/AAAAAAAAdBw/5QmGzL_DM686UupvYlvCMOxTM7t-hUcQgCLcB/s400/13179038_10153969064410091_7996322643330733821_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Marathon-running kids. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Steve's Fortieth Birthday Run - May 21 - 40 miles</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
On May 21, I turned 40 years old. Naturally, I wanted to run 40 miles. I started shortly after 5am from my house in Mahwah, and ran down to Saddle Brook. My friend Suzanne was there at my house at the crack of dawn when I left and joined me for the first couple of miles. That really meant a lot to me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vWfVW5Hd8q4/V0mWL30e11I/AAAAAAAAdB8/RxlVNh84UnECIVrYFeief4Vb3OoVJHlXQCKgB/s1600/13217305_10209117237785819_105966899709585258_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vWfVW5Hd8q4/V0mWL30e11I/AAAAAAAAdB8/RxlVNh84UnECIVrYFeief4Vb3OoVJHlXQCKgB/s400/13217305_10209117237785819_105966899709585258_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Suzanne and I at 5am</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was about ten miles to the northern end of the Saddle River County Park Path ("duck pond"), and the path itself is six miles long to its southern Terminus at Saddle Brook. I then YoYo-d the path a couple of times, with a few loops here and there, until I got to 40. At mile fifteen, Anne joined me for the last twenty-five miles. Ami joined us at mile 31 for the last nine miles, and Joey was there for the last mile. Afterwards, we celebrated with beer and pizza. My kind of birthday.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l25McJymf48/V0mWL2-xCNI/AAAAAAAAdB4/WzNrnphdWREwDazae9Ug3mFMalkJcjW9ACLcB/s1600/13268264_10153982024355091_575639294260191582_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l25McJymf48/V0mWL2-xCNI/AAAAAAAAdB4/WzNrnphdWREwDazae9Ug3mFMalkJcjW9ACLcB/s400/13268264_10153982024355091_575639294260191582_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>All of us right after finishing</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-16302934755045153062015-11-10T09:42:00.000-05:002015-11-10T11:36:56.813-05:00Brain Dump: NJ One Day 24-hour fixed time"24 hour race, two weeks after a 100 miler. Seemed like a good idea at the time."<br />
<br />
I posted that to facebook six hours into the race, but it only took about six miles before I knew I wouldn't be reaching any "a" goals that day. But I did reach my absolute minimum of 80 miles.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hZNT4-BaqHA/VkH-Sm80QWI/AAAAAAAAYMQ/NesCTqXrN1U/s1600/flop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hZNT4-BaqHA/VkH-Sm80QWI/AAAAAAAAYMQ/NesCTqXrN1U/s400/flop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"sitting on a park bench..."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This report is going to be brief -<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Oddly enough, from one point of view, I actually PR'd this race. I've never broken 80 miles in a 24 hour race before. On the other hand, in ever 100 mile race I've ever finished, I've always been well past 80 at the 24 hour point. </li>
<li>This is my third year running this race, and my scores were 78 miles in 2013, 79 miles in 2014, and 80 miles in 2015.</li>
<li>Melissa rocks. My attitude was kind of shitty overnight and she hung through it thick and thin.</li>
<li>NJ Trail Series rocks. They really built something special with this race and with the May version of it.</li>
<li>In my last report, I wrote that I can't do more than a few of these per year. This race tested and proved that statement. I actually physically feel ok, but I'm mentally drained.</li>
<li>My next monster ultra is Umstead in spring of 2016, and I'm not planning on doing anything major before then. Right now I just want to binge-watch netflix and play video games.</li>
<li>.. and lose weight. Gained about 25 lbs since April and boy I can really feel it.</li>
<li>Despite everything I just said, Umstead is going to be awesome. It's 20 weeks away and when I decided that I won't do anything major until then, I got really excited about it.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jl1H7wSrGsQ/VkIBUKskWQI/AAAAAAAAYMc/KYkCOL2RQE8/s1600/12211227_10153563877780091_1690856871_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jl1H7wSrGsQ/VkIBUKskWQI/AAAAAAAAYMc/KYkCOL2RQE8/s400/12211227_10153563877780091_1690856871_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melissa, you're the best. Thanks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-38881989465523030282015-10-27T11:09:00.000-04:002015-10-27T16:01:40.587-04:00Brain Dump: Ghost Train 100 mile trail ultra marathon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycJ0cllf8dE/Vi-HGIJeqxI/AAAAAAAAXkE/gQG6YFJCtXM/s1600/jim_atfinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycJ0cllf8dE/Vi-HGIJeqxI/AAAAAAAAXkE/gQG6YFJCtXM/s400/jim_atfinish.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Lampman and I after the race. We finished within five minutes of each other.<br />
photo by Erin Klinkman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
tl;dr: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/stevet/posts/10153540401345091?pnref=story" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QjzyRxlJx5s/Vi6I1hxgJhI/AAAAAAAAXhw/VSV5b6UhDO8/s1600/Capture.PNG" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
I will once again post a brain dump, rather than a long-form report, because I don't have the time or mental energy to write one. And the memories are fresh, so, 'here goes..<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jRnDOwlXPw/Vi6EQyj1oiI/AAAAAAAAXhY/zuLvOLvTgZw/s1600/IMG_20151025_122820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jRnDOwlXPw/Vi6EQyj1oiI/AAAAAAAAXhY/zuLvOLvTgZw/s320/IMG_20151025_122820.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finishers award was a railroad spike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Today is Monday. My brain is mush today. It's crazy.</li>
<li>The best part of any ultra - including this one - are the people. Met up with old friends, made new ones. </li>
<li>All the <a href="http://dflultrarunning.com/" target="_blank">DFL Roundtable</a> regulars were there: Eric, Mike, Scott and myself.</li>
<li>Special thanks to "new friend" <a href="http://hypatiarunning.blogspot.com/2015/10/ghost-train.html?spref=fb" target="_blank">Terri </a>who hung out with me for 30 miles! Wow! That was fun.</li>
<li>So I'm probably 15-20lbs heavier than I was at Umstead, and boy did I feel it. My easy "I can do this all day" pace was about a minute per mile slower.</li>
<li>After my continuous mile, I started a 0.2 mile walk, 0.8 mile run protocol that I maintained for most of the first half of the race.</li>
<li>The course is a 7.5 mile stretch, repeated round-trip, six times. Then a seventh "short lap" where we went to a turnaround point at mile 5.</li>
<li>It was mostly rail trail (I know, shocking!) but not completely. There was a 0.5 mile road section where were weren't able to acquire permission from landowners, and another <0.5 true trail section where - from the looks of it - the rail trail has been permanently diverted around someone's house. This section was a bit of a stinker. Short but steep, and with lots of rocks and roots and stumps.</li>
<li>There were a couple of road crossings with steep ascent/descents, and also a tunnel which looked more like an oversize culvert.</li>
<li>The true rail-trail sections - 80% of the course - was flat, occasionally rocky and with some ancient railroad ties. </li>
<li>This was a no-frills race with a $50 entry fee. Showed up 30 minutes before the start, got a bib and safety pins, and was ready to go. </li>
<li>However, for a "no-frills" race, the aid stations were just fine. All the normal stuff you'd expect in an overnight race. Excellent volunteers too (are volunteers ever not excellent?)</li>
<li>It was chilly, but not cold. The fires at the aid stations were nice. Too bad they were only at the aid stations.</li>
<li>It rained a bit overnight. </li>
<li>Joey says hi.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/420663074" target="_blank">"It's on strava or it didn't happen"</a></li>
<li>Halloween decorations were fun. Some group spent a ton of time carving pumpkins for us.</li>
<li>Really love the TARC vibe. You guys have a great thing going up there.. don't take it for granted. <a href="http://trailanimals.com/" target="_blank">Trail Animals Running Club Website</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
Getting away from the bullet points for a sec..</div>
<div>
<br />
They say every ultra is a learning experience and I want to write a bit about what I realized during and after this race. What follows is my opinion, realized only after years of experience, which may change again after a few more years.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
This race was really really hard for me. And not because the course was particularly difficult, or because I did something stupid that ruined the race, or because of some sort of adverse environmental factor. But I was really demoralized, and I lost all the will to finish. It never felt like I was incapable of finishing; I just stopped wanting it. Why was I out here? I've done this before; I have nothing to prove. I know what it's like to finish. It's not worth it. I can stop now and be comfortable and get some sleep and enjoy the rest of my weekend.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The week prior, there was a discussion on the ultra list about DNFs. I wrote that "tenacity is the highest value in ultrarunning" and the desire to never quit was in our DNA. Thinking of that, it occurred to me that the only reason I'm still in this thing is to not be a hypocrite. My friends will be so disappointed. But nobody will remember in a year. Who really cares?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Crazy as this sounds, experienced readers are no doubt nodding in agreement right now. The crux of a 100 are the mental games we play in the wee hours as our mind wrestles with the decision to quit or not, and this is what makes 50 miles categorically different than 100. Just about anyone who can complete a 50 in 12 hours can also complete a 100 in 30. It's not really a factor of extra training. 50s are little more than a feat of physical endurance, but what gets you from 50 to 100 is between your ears.<br />
<br />
Here's a concrete example that we hear all the time, given as an excuse to quit: "It stopped being fun." That person played the 100 mile mental game, and lost. The point of a 100 is to continue even when it sucks. Don't like it? You should have entered a 50.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
And that's the special appeal that 100 milers have. That's what makes 100s unique. Most beginning ultrarunners think 100s are merely a next step from the marathon or 50. But I've completed the 100-mile distance eleven times now - and let me tell you - 100s still intimidate the hell out of me. They're an exercise in getting over everything you're dealing with - mentally - and continuing towards the goal no matter what. It takes a massive amount of mental energy, so much in fact that I can't do more than a few per year. I simply don't have the mental capacity. Right now I'm sore and tight and achy and can't walk very well, and those are expected outward manifestations of having run an ultra. But what may not be obvious is that I'm just as exhausted mentally as I am physically.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
I sent a draft of this rant to some friends for review, and here's what one had to say:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
An interesting thing for me is that in the mental struggle we lie and rationalize and equivocate, but we do want that finish. We really want it. I plodded for miles at viaduct with Mary Vish with wrecked feet and we talked about how arbitrary 100 miles is and how insignificant a finish is in the great scheme of life and the universe. We went so far as to agree that chasing a 100 finish when completely beat down was just stupid. Then we finished and hugged and prepared to go our separate ways and I said something to the effect that we would see each other at the fair or someplace and reminisce about our stupid perseverance at viaduct. She looked at me like I was nuts--like, it's not stupid; it's an awesome accomplishment borne of two warriors' refusal to yield. (I'm paraphrasing more eloquently than the conversation went, but the gist of if was we weren't stupid; we were badass.) I thought it was funny how fast she flipped when we had done it. - Fred Murolo</blockquote>
<br />
Here's what "Laz" wrote to the Ultra List a couple of years ago:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
we all have our own voices. each one attuned to our own personal weakness. it isn't the temperature, or the altitude, or the distance we must conquer. humans are remarkably durable... physically. it is those dam voices. because humans are remarkably weak... mentally. it always seems like a good idea to run the race when we sign up. and it seems like an even better idea to quit, when we quit.</blockquote>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
All that brings me to my last bullet point:</div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>This was a lap-based course (instead of a single loop or point to point race), and every time you come by race HQ, there's an enticing opportunity to drop. The contrasting point is that, when you're out on the course, that opportunity simply isn't there. So it doesn't matter how much bitching and complaining and bellyaching you'll do out on the course, because you don't have any choice but to keep moving forward. The key is how you behave when in HQ. The nice thing about this is that the action required to not quit is insignificant: just stop complaining, take two minutes, and start the next lap. Once started, I know that I'm not going to stop early and turn back. It's an automatic fifteen miles added to my total. Then repeat, until 100 is achieved.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QNJzu-6OvoI/Vi6E-euksxI/AAAAAAAAXhk/qflD2Qi-fW4/s1600/ghosttrainbuckle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QNJzu-6OvoI/Vi6E-euksxI/AAAAAAAAXhk/qflD2Qi-fW4/s320/ghosttrainbuckle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finishers' belt buckle available for purchase</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I only took four photos. One was of the railroad spike, above. Here are the other three:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aHlskovfX3w/Vi6My7eW88I/AAAAAAAAXh8/85-nUjEsgVU/s1600/mile92.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aHlskovfX3w/Vi6My7eW88I/AAAAAAAAXh8/85-nUjEsgVU/s400/mile92.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mile 92 selfie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yTxGhnSwtqQ/Vi6EQ9_2upI/AAAAAAAAXhY/jV4fesBoP0c/s1600/IMG_20151024_090251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yTxGhnSwtqQ/Vi6EQ9_2upI/AAAAAAAAXhY/jV4fesBoP0c/s320/IMG_20151024_090251.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting to start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EqriF84k7ZI/Vi6EQ150-eI/AAAAAAAAXhY/7tXPyZB8GR4/s1600/IMG_20151024_085930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EqriF84k7ZI/Vi6EQ150-eI/AAAAAAAAXhY/7tXPyZB8GR4/s320/IMG_20151024_085930.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"only one can be dfl"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-51292038383961569672015-10-03T19:44:00.000-04:002015-10-03T20:11:30.356-04:0044 BreakfastsThis blog post is dedicated to the certain friend who admonished me a month ago for not updating my blog. And also to my other friend who gave me an idea for this post. You both know who you are, and I appreciate both of you's.<br />
<br />
Quick update: Streak is still going strong - Day 1740 was today - 4 years 9 months. I have a couple of big races coming up: Ghost Train and One-Day, and I may register for ATY. In 2016 I am registered for Umstead, intend to register for Three Days and One Day, will enter the lottery for Western States, and will close out the year by running Ancient Oaks again.<br />
<br />
Also, in case you missed it, there's a page of me being interviewed by Phil McCarthy about fixed-time racing in this article, which appeared in marathon and beyond. My stuff is on page109: <a href="https://marathonandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/19.5_EditorsChoice.pdf" target="_blank">https://marathonandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/19.5_EditorsChoice.pdf</a><br />
<br />
Now, onto the content:<br />
<br />
I spent 44 days as a guest, working at Pivotal Labs in New York City.
They offer a free breakfast every day to their employees and guests.
I took a photo of 44 breakfasts.<br />
<br />
Here they are, presented in order, most recent first.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLruO8GWJNQ/VhBm9JxO17I/AAAAAAAAXM4/MfEwFlnFOtQ/s1600/IMG_20151002_084212.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLruO8GWJNQ/VhBm9JxO17I/AAAAAAAAXM4/MfEwFlnFOtQ/s320/IMG_20151002_084212.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5mmyA5X_lw/VhBm9BKk_wI/AAAAAAAAXM4/T6qHQFCGY20/s1600/IMG_20151001_083437.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5mmyA5X_lw/VhBm9BKk_wI/AAAAAAAAXM4/T6qHQFCGY20/s320/IMG_20151001_083437.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihu27IXUBu4/VhBm9EWnDMI/AAAAAAAAXM4/ZNTPwKWUm4E/s1600/IMG_20150930_083340.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihu27IXUBu4/VhBm9EWnDMI/AAAAAAAAXM4/ZNTPwKWUm4E/s320/IMG_20150930_083340.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3wBhTxujYJI/VhBm9M3mJLI/AAAAAAAAXM4/eiZNElKk9Hc/s1600/IMG_20150929_084226.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3wBhTxujYJI/VhBm9M3mJLI/AAAAAAAAXM4/eiZNElKk9Hc/s320/IMG_20150929_084226.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AymJfRGD_sU/VhBm9DCSDaI/AAAAAAAAXM4/t5XseqYYTeI/s1600/IMG_20150928_084330.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AymJfRGD_sU/VhBm9DCSDaI/AAAAAAAAXM4/t5XseqYYTeI/s320/IMG_20150928_084330.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JcP7Vd4mBB0/VhBm9OQS94I/AAAAAAAAXM4/Me6I-4HI9LU/s1600/IMG_20150925_084156.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JcP7Vd4mBB0/VhBm9OQS94I/AAAAAAAAXM4/Me6I-4HI9LU/s320/IMG_20150925_084156.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XM6kHRLQpeQ/VhBm9NreR2I/AAAAAAAAXM4/uC6G-0znodQ/s1600/IMG_20150924_083534.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XM6kHRLQpeQ/VhBm9NreR2I/AAAAAAAAXM4/uC6G-0znodQ/s320/IMG_20150924_083534.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AF8rl4ZFUX8/VhBm9HxMgzI/AAAAAAAAXM4/D8VSrzNkweQ/s1600/IMG_20150923_084048.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AF8rl4ZFUX8/VhBm9HxMgzI/AAAAAAAAXM4/D8VSrzNkweQ/s320/IMG_20150923_084048.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8a39mEcjvc/VhBm9Bbp_mI/AAAAAAAAXM4/CYQPPMRtrgQ/s1600/IMG_20150922_083435.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8a39mEcjvc/VhBm9Bbp_mI/AAAAAAAAXM4/CYQPPMRtrgQ/s320/IMG_20150922_083435.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqujf4Um0zg/VhBm9OBblMI/AAAAAAAAXM4/G-PEpblYB9w/s1600/IMG_20150921_084202.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqujf4Um0zg/VhBm9OBblMI/AAAAAAAAXM4/G-PEpblYB9w/s320/IMG_20150921_084202.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tzNOEqMOkp0/VhBm9M7dT0I/AAAAAAAAXM4/auC2rPXS6zQ/s1600/IMG_20150918_083944.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tzNOEqMOkp0/VhBm9M7dT0I/AAAAAAAAXM4/auC2rPXS6zQ/s320/IMG_20150918_083944.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IFOADrT-Bao/VhBm9EPtNuI/AAAAAAAAXM4/wRTxjJns8zk/s1600/IMG_20150917_083328.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IFOADrT-Bao/VhBm9EPtNuI/AAAAAAAAXM4/wRTxjJns8zk/s320/IMG_20150917_083328.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJaTse_wSfA/VhBm9PvZhoI/AAAAAAAAXM4/HrQr3lzpNas/s1600/IMG_20150916_083851.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJaTse_wSfA/VhBm9PvZhoI/AAAAAAAAXM4/HrQr3lzpNas/s320/IMG_20150916_083851.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAnIta2aEMw/VhBm9AgR4RI/AAAAAAAAXM4/pfJjY2Va7vk/s1600/IMG_20150915_084215.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAnIta2aEMw/VhBm9AgR4RI/AAAAAAAAXM4/pfJjY2Va7vk/s320/IMG_20150915_084215.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MxevOshgrzM/VhBm9JU5zoI/AAAAAAAAXM4/ERLU0Wogi3Q/s1600/IMG_20150914_084203.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MxevOshgrzM/VhBm9JU5zoI/AAAAAAAAXM4/ERLU0Wogi3Q/s320/IMG_20150914_084203.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YajDIfUqBFE/VhBm9NB-qXI/AAAAAAAAXM4/wdhQH0e7BJg/s1600/IMG_20150911_083517.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YajDIfUqBFE/VhBm9NB-qXI/AAAAAAAAXM4/wdhQH0e7BJg/s320/IMG_20150911_083517.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7EsHD2CWLS0/VhBm9MNxEeI/AAAAAAAAXM4/kRIwpNyf9sg/s1600/IMG_20150910_083835.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7EsHD2CWLS0/VhBm9MNxEeI/AAAAAAAAXM4/kRIwpNyf9sg/s320/IMG_20150910_083835.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqn1XBMy5eA/VhBm9D0n1hI/AAAAAAAAXM4/03kk5EGOMqE/s1600/IMG_20150909_084411.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqn1XBMy5eA/VhBm9D0n1hI/AAAAAAAAXM4/03kk5EGOMqE/s320/IMG_20150909_084411.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-unLYwzcHUOc/VhBm9IPXt6I/AAAAAAAAXM4/6OKryAVfJRo/s1600/IMG_20150908_084413.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-unLYwzcHUOc/VhBm9IPXt6I/AAAAAAAAXM4/6OKryAVfJRo/s320/IMG_20150908_084413.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qGgnYV63DwE/VhBm9OGIdlI/AAAAAAAAXM4/OBdwHsESsFE/s1600/IMG_20150904_083456.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qGgnYV63DwE/VhBm9OGIdlI/AAAAAAAAXM4/OBdwHsESsFE/s320/IMG_20150904_083456.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfvFSnlhZXU/VhBm9OALhwI/AAAAAAAAXM4/1JZhEKwPWmQ/s1600/IMG_20150903_083830.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfvFSnlhZXU/VhBm9OALhwI/AAAAAAAAXM4/1JZhEKwPWmQ/s320/IMG_20150903_083830.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3po9kDN1vPs/VhBm9DNBx9I/AAAAAAAAXM4/4W7D_lNUQ9Y/s1600/IMG_20150902_083947.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3po9kDN1vPs/VhBm9DNBx9I/AAAAAAAAXM4/4W7D_lNUQ9Y/s320/IMG_20150902_083947.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsrRWh0taXk/VhBm9AT4XyI/AAAAAAAAXM4/hofKn0Hz9Mo/s1600/IMG_20150901_083908.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsrRWh0taXk/VhBm9AT4XyI/AAAAAAAAXM4/hofKn0Hz9Mo/s320/IMG_20150901_083908.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRoPaEzHkMQ/VhBm9OuiolI/AAAAAAAAXM4/74QQy9tRmpg/s1600/IMG_20150831_083818.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRoPaEzHkMQ/VhBm9OuiolI/AAAAAAAAXM4/74QQy9tRmpg/s320/IMG_20150831_083818.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RMYpX5WdYGo/VhBm9Fyc6BI/AAAAAAAAXM4/XP-SYaM2v88/s1600/IMG_20150828_084029.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RMYpX5WdYGo/VhBm9Fyc6BI/AAAAAAAAXM4/XP-SYaM2v88/s320/IMG_20150828_084029.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vEa9AW-dKP8/VhBm9IhLcyI/AAAAAAAAXM4/PRJ5ilEFR2o/s1600/IMG_20150827_083615.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vEa9AW-dKP8/VhBm9IhLcyI/AAAAAAAAXM4/PRJ5ilEFR2o/s320/IMG_20150827_083615.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFmrzErae6o/VhBm9JSibkI/AAAAAAAAXM4/90hOfPPigGs/s1600/IMG_20150826_083339.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFmrzErae6o/VhBm9JSibkI/AAAAAAAAXM4/90hOfPPigGs/s320/IMG_20150826_083339.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7HKkbn01oBY/VhBm9I8RAII/AAAAAAAAXM4/FX-TXaE8Hdc/s1600/IMG_20150825_083853.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7HKkbn01oBY/VhBm9I8RAII/AAAAAAAAXM4/FX-TXaE8Hdc/s320/IMG_20150825_083853.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HGeLXmqPl7o/VhBm9CXpzWI/AAAAAAAAXM4/xpkacgl-O1I/s1600/IMG_20150824_083341.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HGeLXmqPl7o/VhBm9CXpzWI/AAAAAAAAXM4/xpkacgl-O1I/s320/IMG_20150824_083341.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jz09InQ1Wxw/VhBm9Dm4ECI/AAAAAAAAXM4/od-rqNPLcAk/s1600/IMG_20150821_083648.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jz09InQ1Wxw/VhBm9Dm4ECI/AAAAAAAAXM4/od-rqNPLcAk/s320/IMG_20150821_083648.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HahG19w-M28/VhBm9J_l9EI/AAAAAAAAXM4/vFtjaxiiqNU/s1600/IMG_20150820_083632.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HahG19w-M28/VhBm9J_l9EI/AAAAAAAAXM4/vFtjaxiiqNU/s320/IMG_20150820_083632.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_0txXh2GaIw/VhBm9FhvcrI/AAAAAAAAXM4/FYytcObVsgY/s1600/IMG_20150819_084212.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_0txXh2GaIw/VhBm9FhvcrI/AAAAAAAAXM4/FYytcObVsgY/s320/IMG_20150819_084212.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ivIMf4hP7g/VhBm9NAD1MI/AAAAAAAAXM4/OxJwELWv7Yo/s1600/IMG_20150818_083639.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ivIMf4hP7g/VhBm9NAD1MI/AAAAAAAAXM4/OxJwELWv7Yo/s320/IMG_20150818_083639.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jzdNAyem-H8/VhBm9P3eyUI/AAAAAAAAXM4/qNq3ZmL0XfM/s1600/IMG_20150817_084653.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jzdNAyem-H8/VhBm9P3eyUI/AAAAAAAAXM4/qNq3ZmL0XfM/s320/IMG_20150817_084653.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VT8kKLGp2dY/VhBm9LtOzYI/AAAAAAAAXM4/o6T5qXbDvYg/s1600/IMG_20150814_083642.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VT8kKLGp2dY/VhBm9LtOzYI/AAAAAAAAXM4/o6T5qXbDvYg/s320/IMG_20150814_083642.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AyPZRYTVAFs/VhBm9IS6YBI/AAAAAAAAXM4/5AbQUYEKB_U/s1600/IMG_20150813_085411.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AyPZRYTVAFs/VhBm9IS6YBI/AAAAAAAAXM4/5AbQUYEKB_U/s320/IMG_20150813_085411.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBNSRBxEVP8/VhBm9KfRThI/AAAAAAAAXM4/iDP1XLMHic0/s1600/IMG_20150812_084136.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBNSRBxEVP8/VhBm9KfRThI/AAAAAAAAXM4/iDP1XLMHic0/s320/IMG_20150812_084136.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UdqR9qUuBx0/VhBm9Nnw6yI/AAAAAAAAXM4/1gEb45iDW70/s1600/IMG_20150811_083533.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UdqR9qUuBx0/VhBm9Nnw6yI/AAAAAAAAXM4/1gEb45iDW70/s320/IMG_20150811_083533.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LVnbp3LFEQc/VhBm9GLpluI/AAAAAAAAXM4/OBTiMunOJqo/s1600/IMG_20150810_083522.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LVnbp3LFEQc/VhBm9GLpluI/AAAAAAAAXM4/OBTiMunOJqo/s320/IMG_20150810_083522.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V3aFmMQJ3Uw/VhBm9EPxzcI/AAAAAAAAXM4/uW4-fMZ_Yek/s1600/IMG_20150807_083925.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V3aFmMQJ3Uw/VhBm9EPxzcI/AAAAAAAAXM4/uW4-fMZ_Yek/s320/IMG_20150807_083925.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IghjGEEHIrY/VhBm9AJ8y-I/AAAAAAAAXM4/D7OzYwt0Tpk/s1600/IMG_20150806_083456.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IghjGEEHIrY/VhBm9AJ8y-I/AAAAAAAAXM4/D7OzYwt0Tpk/s320/IMG_20150806_083456.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ruCri2jH3Kk/VhBm9Iv7o_I/AAAAAAAAXM4/h4U_EpL7ROA/s1600/IMG_20150805_083657.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ruCri2jH3Kk/VhBm9Iv7o_I/AAAAAAAAXM4/h4U_EpL7ROA/s320/IMG_20150805_083657.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8yeXzv7tF6A/VhBm9PbXT2I/AAAAAAAAXM4/SCk9czq0XN4/s1600/IMG_20150804_083252.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8yeXzv7tF6A/VhBm9PbXT2I/AAAAAAAAXM4/SCk9czq0XN4/s320/IMG_20150804_083252.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDmope7TwTg/VhBm9KRKlNI/AAAAAAAAXM4/q7ZV6JPzqmA/s1600/IMG_20150803_084958.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDmope7TwTg/VhBm9KRKlNI/AAAAAAAAXM4/q7ZV6JPzqmA/s320/IMG_20150803_084958.jpg" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-50573727715794708852015-03-31T06:47:00.000-04:002015-04-06T13:31:26.627-04:00Umstead 100 Brain Dump, 2015 edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azQpWWyie8E/VRmrSNDbeNI/AAAAAAAARto/Dz3GzcY15JQ/s1600/IMG_20150329_054912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azQpWWyie8E/VRmrSNDbeNI/AAAAAAAARto/Dz3GzcY15JQ/s1600/IMG_20150329_054912.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Seeing as this is a brain dump (and not a report - I think too much about reports and they never get posted), following is the result of my brain taking a dump.<br />
<br />
(If you'd like to read a properly written Umstead report, consider <a href="http://stevetursi.blogspot.com/2013/04/race-report-2012-umstead-100-mile.html" target="_blank">mine from 2012</a>.)<br />
<br />
Friday, talking to Banfield:<br />
<br />
B: "I think you can finish in under 24 hours. You should go for it."<br />
Me: "You're nucking futs. I'd be thrilled with 27."<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Of all my friends, it's only Banfield (and maybe McNulty) who might think I had a realistic shot at 24 hours, but holy hell if he wasn't right. I finished in 23:38. This amounts to a (nearly) 2 hour 100 mile PR, 5 hour course PR, and, most importantly, I caught my plane. I had a 12:05pm flight that would get me to a 4pm wedding in New Jersey after finishing a 100 mile race in North Carolina.<br />
<br />
I "reckon'd" (we were in the south. when in rome..) 27 hours is what I needed to shower, return the car, and get on the plane in time. The plane departed thirteen minutes after the last runner finished. I've never had any goal in a 100 other than to finish, and now I'm pressuring myself to actually perform well at a 100. 100s are hard enough. Additional pressure to get a certain time? Crazy talk!<br />
<br />
Yet, in order to run the race and attend the wedding (not mutually exclusive), I had to finish in 27 hours, or only finish 7 laps. Finishing 8 laps and attending the wedding: try it, just to be badass (and never pass up on an opportunity to be badass.)<br />
<br />
Honestly, if it wasn't for a 30 minute flight delay which caused us to be 15 minutes late to the wedding, the day would have been a rare period of absolutely perfect execution.<br />
<br />
Just for fun, here's a photo with Tammy and Fred at 5:45am on Saturday (race started at 6am):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7iwJTr-Vqc/VRlTxavU-3I/AAAAAAAAQ3s/b3zgdOSEFBc/s1600/saturday545am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7iwJTr-Vqc/VRlTxavU-3I/AAAAAAAAQ3s/b3zgdOSEFBc/s1600/saturday545am.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Here is a photo with volunteer pacer Alex at 5:45am on Sunday, right after finishing:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1cWKwy8W4pk/VRlUQsB5DlI/AAAAAAAAQ34/nDn6fU6Z9w4/s1600/sunday545am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1cWKwy8W4pk/VRlUQsB5DlI/AAAAAAAAQ34/nDn6fU6Z9w4/s1600/sunday545am.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now here is a photo with Anders, at the wedding, 5:45pm:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gd17cA5YA6Q/VRlUQtxjaKI/AAAAAAAAQ30/8KmykIPcs30/s1600/sunday545pm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gd17cA5YA6Q/VRlUQtxjaKI/AAAAAAAAQ30/8KmykIPcs30/s1600/sunday545pm.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wedding guests make good posts to lean on.</i></td></tr>
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The race started at 6am. Sunset was around 730pm. To catch my flight, I could relax if I reach 75 miles by midnight. I wanted to relax, so I pushed early from the start. The 12.5 mile split times were 2:22, 2:27. 2:32. and 2:59. My first four laps were all under 3 hours, and my 50-mile split was 10:21, a monster PR. Well now I can see that a 24-hour finish is in reach. Snit. Try not to think about it.<br />
<br />
Gentry and I had a conversation about this. As best as I can recall-<br />
Me: "I've got to stop thinking about breaking 24. It's driving me insane."<br />
G: "Don't worry about it, just run."<br />
Me: "I know, but how! I can't stop thinking about it."<br />
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(We had a remarkably similar conversation in the previous lap about a potential sub-10 50.)<br />
<br />
As an aside, I love Gentry. What a great guy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fHpBgz26oY/VRlZAVNW8rI/AAAAAAAAQ4I/tp6HLow6haU/s1600/gentry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fHpBgz26oY/VRlZAVNW8rI/AAAAAAAAQ4I/tp6HLow6haU/s1600/gentry.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Friday Registration Photo. L-R: Banfield, Tursi, Gentry, Jim</i></td></tr>
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Except then, lap 5 was under 3 hours as well and in fact faster than lap 4: 2:57. I had finished 100K, and the sun was still up. Lap 6 was in 3:08. I beat my 75-miles-by-midnight-so-I-can-relax goal by over 90 minutes. And then I couldn't relax, because I had 25 miles to go, and if I wanted the silver buckle, 7:30 to do them in. I could longer time to say, "it's too early to think about it." I had to go for the buckle.<br />
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I have walked marathons in 7:30, and know I can do this. I just need to remember to run downhills and not waste time in aid stations. Lap 7 was my first lap when I really started hurting. I was still moving well, but it became work at this point. A few miles in, Tony lapped me and we talked for about 5 minutes while walking up Cemetery Hill (He finished in 19:25). Tony is incredibly smart about ultras and I was invigorated by the conversation. Then, towards the end up the lap, I lapped Fred and we talked walking up the other side of Cemetery Hill (Fred has had better days.) He and I ran together for the first 20 miles, so I was surprised that I put 12.5 miles on him in my next 60. He finished in 27:58.<br />
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Speaking of not wasting time in aid stations, that was critical. I never stopped for more than 30 seconds on the back aid station, and never more than 5 minutes at HQ aid station (and then it was only twice.)<br />
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Lap 7 back aid station conversation. 12:19am. Mile 82.<br />
"Potato Soup."<br />
"Ok we're getting that for you. Would you like something else?"<br />
"No"<br />
"We have burgers, dogs, pizza.."<br />
"Just the soup"<br />
He hands me the soup and I'm immediately out of there. Thinking about how laconic I must have sounded to that guy, I made sure to yell, "thanks" as I left. I'm such an asshole.<br />
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Another thing that happened in lap 7 was, as I passed a group of runners with volunteer pacers, I was told by one of them that, last year, there were more pacers than needed and that they were disappointed that they didn't have anybody to pace. I was surprised. In previous years there weren't always pacers available. I wasn't going to use a pacer, but boy it sure would be nice to have someone to keep me talking and moving in lap 8.<br />
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So when I finished lap 7 (in 3:26), I requested a pacer, and sure enough several were available. So when Alex came out, we exchanged greetings and then I got straight to the point: "We have four hours and five minutes to do this loop. Keep me talking, and make sure we're comfortably enough under four hours that I don't get worried."<br />
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I'm not sure I could have done it without Alex. There were times when he was definitely pulling me along. Maybe I could have, maybe not. But the primary benefit was I relief: I could defer some of the responsibility to him, and get out of my own head. We did a lot of math calculating what our lap splits had to be. And every time we had a split faster than required, we'd say "we bought ourselves a couple of minutes." And he kept me awake. I was definitely staggering and swaying a bit in lap 7, and that mostly stopped in 8.<br />
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Other thoughts:<br />
<br />
I missed out on the second sunrise. Pity.<br />
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It occurred to me that 100 milers are categorically different than 50 milers. A 50 has more in common with a half marathon than a 100 has in common with a 50. This is the truth. Sent from above. Don't even think about arguing.<br />
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It was cold! Which I'm fine with. I managed to generate enough heat all night long (for a good time, take that statement out of context) to stay comfortable during the race. But as soon as I stopped moving, I started shivering uncontrollably whenever in cool temps, and this continued even after arriving in NJ. In fact at the wedding I wore my overcoat most of the time.<br />
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My "DFL Ultrarunning" shirt gets lots of attention. People love it. But I was doing so well that several people commented that it's inappropriate. "I know, I'm so bad I can't even DFL right." Still proud to be on Team DFL. Be sure to check out the podcast, where I occasionally make an appearance. <a href="http://dflultrarunning.com/" target="_blank">http://dflultrarunning.com/</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIdxGgLen3g/VRmGQ7N9jTI/AAAAAAAARnA/L1bwIBfFp3k/s1600/IMG_20150328_034012~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIdxGgLen3g/VRmGQ7N9jTI/AAAAAAAARnA/L1bwIBfFp3k/s1600/IMG_20150328_034012%7E2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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According to the preliminary results, I finished in 77th place out of 145 100-mile finishers, 258 starters, and 291 entrants including non-starters. There appear to be 88 finishers of the 50. We don't know how many of the 50 finishers intended to go 100, but it's safe to say the 43 who did more than 50 but less than 100 did. Eleven people started but did not finish 50 miles. There were five people who finished under 24 hours but after me (I can't even DFL the silver buckle right.)<br />
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The DFL Silver-Buckler finished in 23:50, and the first post-24 finisher was 24:17. That's a 27-minute interval with no finishers. And I know exactly why. If it's in reach, you push that last lap to make sure you reach it comfortably. Nobody wants to finish in 24:01. And finishing in 23:59 sounds like a very stressful last ten miles. In fact I made sure to tell my pacer that we ought to finish with at least 10-15 minutes to spare, so we can be relaxed in the last few miles.<br />
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Not once did I say, "this shit ain't right", but not because it suddenly became "right." I merely forgot. So to be clear - staggering and sleep deprived, far from home, through a dark forest at 3am in sub-freezing temps to reach some number in less than some other number just for a belt buckle that's this color instead of that color while worrying about making a wedding the next day - that shit ain't right.<br />
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Have you ever been to the delta terminal at JFK? It's like 14 miles long. I looked at my arrival gate.. B45.. and knew. I had a long walk ahead of me. After walking about 2 miles towards baggage claim I saw one of those little bus tram things driving by. I flagged him down and asked for a ride. Turns out that they'll just give you a ride.. just ask. Holy smokes that was a sweet ride. I was soooooo happy. Trust me - if you're ever returning to JFK via delta after an ultra.. flag one of those bus tram extended golf cart things down. You'll be glad you did.<br />
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My phone was in airplane mode during the race to save battery, but every now and then (6 times I think) I turned on the network to see what was going on. I saw encouraging messages, both via text and facebook. People were watching, encouraging, pushing me to the goal. I really appreciate that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFoADH93bAo/VRp5dS0kBLI/AAAAAAAARxg/aa4MCN0f7Zo/s1600/IMG_20150327_152046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFoADH93bAo/VRp5dS0kBLI/AAAAAAAARxg/aa4MCN0f7Zo/s1600/IMG_20150327_152046.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awards!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2G7k6b8_U5E/VRp5dUbLj0I/AAAAAAAARxg/CaDcftVh2WQ/s1600/IMG_20150327_134407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2G7k6b8_U5E/VRp5dUbLj0I/AAAAAAAARxg/CaDcftVh2WQ/s1600/IMG_20150327_134407.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letter from the Governor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkDy9xmpsmE/VRp5deVadpI/AAAAAAAARxg/NWi0vD423Uo/s1600/IMG_20150327_150230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkDy9xmpsmE/VRp5deVadpI/AAAAAAAARxg/NWi0vD423Uo/s1600/IMG_20150327_150230.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm always impressed by how well organized Umstead is.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tx9_-GSaMJw/VRp5dcdTS9I/AAAAAAAARxg/OFV2qVlXTWQ/s1600/IMG_20150327_160322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tx9_-GSaMJw/VRp5dcdTS9I/AAAAAAAARxg/OFV2qVlXTWQ/s1600/IMG_20150327_160322.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial Service for recently-passed Umstead RD Blake Norwood. It was very nice.<br />
That's Joe Lugiano speaking in the photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6xurYrs4aA/VRp5dVwu-tI/AAAAAAAARxg/fiE4Vneq_3A/s1600/IMG_20150327_152138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6xurYrs4aA/VRp5dVwu-tI/AAAAAAAARxg/fiE4Vneq_3A/s1600/IMG_20150327_152138.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blake's stuff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6u7n0kkQzBo/VRp5daX8KTI/AAAAAAAARxg/OaRS3Nqk050/s1600/IMG_20150329_104602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6u7n0kkQzBo/VRp5daX8KTI/AAAAAAAARxg/OaRS3Nqk050/s1600/IMG_20150329_104602.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old and busted, new hotness </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3x8Et1D9QOI/VRp6Mdngh_I/AAAAAAAARx0/KnKyWKcoDVg/s1600/IMG_20150329_202942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3x8Et1D9QOI/VRp6Mdngh_I/AAAAAAAARx0/KnKyWKcoDVg/s1600/IMG_20150329_202942.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the wedding! Totally worth going to. Amazing! Congrats Lynette and Leon!!</td></tr>
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<div>
<b>APRIL 2 ADDITION</b></div>
<div>
Several people have asked me what I weighed during the race. I don't know exactly, but on Wednesday after the race my bodyweight was 278lbs.</div>
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<div>
I was interviewed on the subject of my race on the DFL Ultrarunning podcast. I understand it will be available in episode 46 (not yet published.) When it is published, you can find it here: <a href="http://dflultrarunning.com/">http://dflultrarunning.com/</a></div>
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Finally, some new photos have surfaced. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHXOLxxsgMQ/VR1iSXAi94I/AAAAAAAAR0Q/jUZjB8Ad45U/s1600/10941862_867713339954232_8644952852555165891_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHXOLxxsgMQ/VR1iSXAi94I/AAAAAAAAR0Q/jUZjB8Ad45U/s1600/10941862_867713339954232_8644952852555165891_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running with Fred. Photo courtesy of Free Race Photos facebook page</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4KqFkGArIo/VR1iS-zkhaI/AAAAAAAAR00/xhvS6cNgmWY/s1600/11036343_10206237959769671_8880844209822337919_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4KqFkGArIo/VR1iS-zkhaI/AAAAAAAAR00/xhvS6cNgmWY/s1600/11036343_10206237959769671_8880844209822337919_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Ray Krolewicz.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ct2gpeSUwMQ/VR1iS5wqpuI/AAAAAAAAR0k/y6w-A54aGHI/s1600/11076213_10206235681752722_1441228095646938754_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ct2gpeSUwMQ/VR1iS5wqpuI/AAAAAAAAR0k/y6w-A54aGHI/s1600/11076213_10206235681752722_1441228095646938754_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Returning on the airport spur on lap 1. <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Photo courtesy of Ray Krolewicz.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7o5BwOTHjk/VR1iTFUH18I/AAAAAAAAR0o/waGWdIMn6lc/s1600/11079596_10206238142054228_167550854386138069_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7o5BwOTHjk/VR1iTFUH18I/AAAAAAAAR0o/waGWdIMn6lc/s1600/11079596_10206238142054228_167550854386138069_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking up the hill to HQ. <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Photo courtesy of Ray Krolewicz.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDN2QnzP7oQ/VR1iTwir2ZI/AAAAAAAAR1s/LJeXfcFajvs/s1600/11081201_867718796620353_912129275705313066_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDN2QnzP7oQ/VR1iTwir2ZI/AAAAAAAAR1s/LJeXfcFajvs/s1600/11081201_867718796620353_912129275705313066_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Photo courtesy of Free Race Photos facebook page</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdbPVFdCVdY/VR1iUIV9dMI/AAAAAAAAR04/rsXTCvawEpA/s1600/11082645_10206237962569741_4645531443351483996_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdbPVFdCVdY/VR1iUIV9dMI/AAAAAAAAR04/rsXTCvawEpA/s1600/11082645_10206237962569741_4645531443351483996_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bombing down the hill to HQ. <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Photo courtesy of Ray Krolewicz.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EmhHHS8n3Y/VR1iU_Jbt_I/AAAAAAAAR1E/hGM9PRVeTTE/s1600/11096546_10153077132710091_7476933958214344250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EmhHHS8n3Y/VR1iU_Jbt_I/AAAAAAAAR1E/hGM9PRVeTTE/s1600/11096546_10153077132710091_7476933958214344250_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding my new Buckle. Photo courtesy of pacer Alex.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCxBR2vJZew/VR1iWVya7zI/AAAAAAAAR1k/KX5jLwXnrMo/s1600/DSC_6644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCxBR2vJZew/VR1iWVya7zI/AAAAAAAAR1k/KX5jLwXnrMo/s1600/DSC_6644.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamming it up for the camera with Fred. Photo courtesy of Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LGq7K8EAhZI/VR1iWwZFnuI/AAAAAAAAR10/ydnoobUcMFo/s1600/DSC_6833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LGq7K8EAhZI/VR1iWwZFnuI/AAAAAAAAR10/ydnoobUcMFo/s1600/DSC_6833.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Photo courtesy of Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QwwMm45WGOE/VR1iXzZdElI/AAAAAAAAR2A/I4yL22HO108/s1600/DSC_7094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QwwMm45WGOE/VR1iXzZdElI/AAAAAAAAR2A/I4yL22HO108/s1600/DSC_7094.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Photo courtesy of Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run.</span></td></tr>
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<div>
<b>UPDATE APRIL 6</b></div>
<div>
Eric has posted his episode of DFL Ultrarunning in which he interviewed me for an hour or so on the topic of this race. You can find more information here: <a href="http://detroit9.podbean.com/e/episode-46-tarc-katzmanjurekmcduffie-and-steve-tursi/" target="_blank">http://detroit9.podbean.com/e/episode-46-tarc-katzmanjurekmcduffie-and-steve-tursi/</a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-11348637419477270312015-03-06T08:59:00.000-05:002015-03-06T10:15:49.240-05:00Steve's rules for a running streakThe United States Running Streak Association has a definition of a running streak that says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;">The official definition of a running streak, as adopted by the Streak Runners International, Inc., and United States Running Streak Association, Inc., is to run at least one mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day. Running may occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill.</span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;">This is different from the rules that existed when I started my streak back in 2010:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The official definition of a running streak, as adopted by the United States Running Streak Association, Inc., is to run at least one continuous mile within each calendar day under one's own body power (without the utilization of any type of health or mechanical aid other than prosthetic devices).
<br />
<br />
Running under one's own body power can occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill. Running cannot occur through the use of canes, crutches or banisters, or reliance on pools or aquatic devices to create artificial buoyancy.</blockquote>
.. which bums me out because when somebody asked me, "what are the rules for your streak?", I used to have a clear, unambiguous, specific, measurable, external document to point to. It wasn't something that I came up with on my own, and it was something that people agreed to.
<br />
<br />
The purpose of this post is to again regain a specific, measurable, clear, unambiguous set of rules for my personal running streak, and for those of my friends who agree with me. When someone asks me what my rules are, I can point them here. Let me be clear that these are rules I personally have adopted; they're no longer the rules of some governing association. Let me also be clear that I have no intention of creating a competing governing association. I won't be handing out membership cards, charging dues, writing a newsletter - none of that. I'm just writing rules that I adopt and that my friends have adopted.<br />
<br />
Some of my friends have adopted a more strict version of these rules; for example, a 12-minute-per-mile minimum pace, or a 2-mile minimum distance. Rules like that are not in conflict with these rules. They're simply more rigorous.<br />
<br />
For the purposes of this post, I am adopting the former rules of the USRSA, unchanged. I feel the rules are very clear, but for the benefit of people who would like crystal clarity, let's dive into each of the terms.<br />
<br />
<b>"One Mile"</b><br />
<br />
5280 feet, 1.61 kilometers. Use the most accurate measuring tool available to you. If all you have is a GPS, it is in the spirit, though not required, to run slightly more than 1 mile to account for the inaccuracy. If you have a measured mile, use that instead of a GPS. Keep in mind that "four laps of a high school track" is actually short of a mile, by about 30 feet. If you stop at four laps you did NOT achieve the mile.<br />
<br />
<b>"Continuous"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Continuous means no stopping for any reason. At least one mile in your run should be continuous. If you were planning on only running 1 mile, and you have to stop at a red light at 0.9 miles, then run 1.9 miles and make sure the last mile was continuous. Walk breaks are not allowed in your continuous mile.<br />
<br />
* Sudden turns (including 180º turns) are OK as long as there was no interruption in the running.<br />
* Stopping, even for 1 second, breaks the continuity.<br />
* Tying shoes, letting your dog pee, traffic lights, reckless drivers, earthquakes, lightning, seeing old friends, and being asked for directions are all good reasons to stop running. But if that broke your continuous mile, you need to restart it.<br />
<br />
<b>"Calendar Day"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The 24 hour local-government-recognized period from midnight to midnight. If your travel plans mean that you'll be in more than 1 time zone in the same day, then either time zone will work. If you are on a long haul flight going west such that you literally skip a day, then either change your travel plans or run on the plane.<br />
<br />
<b>"One's own body power"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Treadmills: OK<br />
Holding on to a fixed part of the treadmill while running: NO!<br />
Water running: No<br />
Trekking Poles: No<br />
Prosthetic: An artificial limb which replaced a real one, including a "Blade" is OK.<br />
<br />
<b>Questions and answers</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Is there a minimum speed?<br />
No. It can be 20 minutes per mile, but you have to be running/jogging/shuffling. It matters not if some people can walk faster than you can run.<br />
<br />
What is running and what is walking?<br />
From http://www.mathaware.org/mam/2010/essays/TongenWunderlichRunWalk.pdf: "Running is defined as a gait in which there is an aerial phase, a time
when no limbs are touching the ground."<br />
<br />
Can I puff on my albuterol inhaler?<br />
This was asked in jest, but a serious answer would be to refer you to this. http://www.usada.org/substances/prohibited-list/ Neither my rules nor the USRSA mention anything about PEDs, but I think everyone would agree that performance enhancing drugs are against the spirit of the streak. However, I have taken aspirin and ibuprofen, which did assist me in my streak. I don't think the drugs I've taken are on the banned substances list (which, by the way, is a clear, unambiguous, external, specific, measurable set of rules. It's nice when those exist, right?)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-31104500992479960592014-08-18T15:17:00.000-04:002014-08-19T10:00:03.750-04:00Beast of Burden 100-mile endurance run: 25:31:53 (PR)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TVI7WtOPIOk/U-5RR0k04cI/AAAAAAAANrU/nEtjfCVZm1U/s1600/noname.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TVI7WtOPIOk/U-5RR0k04cI/AAAAAAAANrU/nEtjfCVZm1U/s1600/noname.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i>Mile 99.99</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Introduction</b><br />
Earlier this year, when making summer travel plans, we did something kind of funny - because I am the only guy who has to return to work, Alex and Joe could stay out in California two weeks after I left. This lets him go to camp, and me a weekend or two with no plans and no family.<br />
<br />
Empty weekends like that are vacuums - they don't stay unoccupied for long. Immediately after I bought the plane tickets, I looked at the ultrarunning calendar to see what was up. 5 minutes later, I was registered for the Summer Beast of Burden 100-mile endurance run (hereafter referred to as "BoB")<br />
<br />
Going to 100-mile distance is undoubtedly much easier for me than it used to be, and in a multiday race it's a foregone conclusion. But traditional 100 mile races - the kind where the 100-mile mark is the finish line - still intimidates the hell out of me. As it should, because <i>100-milers are f-ing hard. </i>Despite my reputation to the contrary, I haven't finished too many of them. In fact prior to BoB my record in these races was dismal - 5 entries into 100-mile races, with one 100-mile finish. I have gone 100 miles at least 6 times in multidays (all in so-called "timed" 48 and 72-hour races), but in a traditional 100-mile race with a 30 or 36-hour cutoff, I have finished precisely one, and that was over 2 years ago, at Umstead.<br />
<br />
Additionally, I also convinced a friend/coworker/running partner to also go up there, and run the 50-miler as her first ultra. It's perfect because the 100-miler is simply two laps of the 50-mile course (which itself is two laps of the 25-mile course), giving me the opportunity to run with her for her entire race. She agreed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2ba_BxFUNs/U-5SLleT9MI/AAAAAAAANrk/6M190JCWPZs/s1600/2014-08-09%2B09.36.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2ba_BxFUNs/U-5SLleT9MI/AAAAAAAANrk/6M190JCWPZs/s1600/2014-08-09%2B09.36.28.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Three cheers for sombrero race swag!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Beast of Burden</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-uQMPKogh4/U-5STiCsoFI/AAAAAAAANtA/70ocQNFfOX0/s1600/2014-08-10%2B07.57.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-uQMPKogh4/U-5STiCsoFI/AAAAAAAANtA/70ocQNFfOX0/s1600/2014-08-10%2B07.57.33.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
The BoB ultramarathons are held twice per year in Lockport, NY, which is within 30 minutes of Buffalo. There's a summer version and a winter version. The course is along the towpath of the Erie Canal, and is the flattest course I have ever seen. It has a crushed gravel surface with a few short sections of asphalt or concrete. The course is very exposed; there is almost no shade on the entire course. It is 12.5 miles out and back, creating 25 mile loops; the 100 miler does this four times.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D0a2uRRLwAs/U-5gbgB7NQI/AAAAAAAANwA/ud6YvajUDY8/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-08-15%2Bat%2B3.30.57%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D0a2uRRLwAs/U-5gbgB7NQI/AAAAAAAANwA/ud6YvajUDY8/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-08-15%2Bat%2B3.30.57%2BPM.png" height="127" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
There are fully-stocked aid stations at the start, the halfway point (give or take), and at the turnaround. The canal runs east-west, and the course starts on the south side of the canal, runs west for one mile, crosses to the north side of the canal, then goes east for 11.5 miles before crossing to the south side of the canal again for the turnaround aid station, which is indoors.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VpiKLePSxkI/U-5ViWvvn8I/AAAAAAAANuw/0ByaM6rdfo8/s1600/10520854_10203506180847314_38303832102906646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VpiKLePSxkI/U-5ViWvvn8I/AAAAAAAANuw/0ByaM6rdfo8/s1600/10520854_10203506180847314_38303832102906646_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aid station at turnaround</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then it retraces its steps back. So at mile 23 of each lap you go right by the start/finish (people are on the shore there cheering you from across the canal), but you still have two miles to go. Each of the canal crossings (and there are four per 25-mile lap) are across drawbridges, so there are 16 times in the 100-miler where you could be held waiting for the bridge to rise or fall. (If you get there while it's up you can take a staircase across, but if it's in motion you have to wait for it to finish going up or down.)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yChT54wR25g/U-5SPERgBnI/AAAAAAAANsA/CIYSGph4-V4/s1600/2014-08-09%2B14.54.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yChT54wR25g/U-5SPERgBnI/AAAAAAAANsA/CIYSGph4-V4/s1600/2014-08-09%2B14.54.52.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We were held up by the bridge rising at Mile 24. Wouldn't it be a neat story if this cost me a 24-hour finish?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Lap 1 - 5:09:20</b><br />
Ami (my 50-mile friend) was hit with a severe stomach bug on Thursday and was still feeling the effects of that. Concerned that she wouldn't be able to start (let alone finish), we ran the first two miles at a nice easy 11+ minute pace, and if she felt bad and wanted to drop she had the option of crossing back over a bridge shortly after mile 2 to go back to the start. <i>I said, "If you can run two miles, you can run fifty!" A bystander overheard this and wondered where I got <b>that</b> logic from! </i>She had already started feeling a bit better, so we settled into a pattern of walking about 0.15 miles, then running the rest of that mile. We kept this going all the way into the first turnaround aid station, where I filled my 100-oz camelbak reservoir with water.<br />
<br />
On the way back, I was starting to be affected by the heat. When we reached the halfway aid station at mile 19, I should have refilled my res with ice water, but I decided to let it ride. This was a mistake.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RQila3e7OE/U-5SWSF5ueI/AAAAAAAANtk/Mf4rhyHZHc4/s1600/2014-08-10%2B10.23.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RQila3e7OE/U-5SWSF5ueI/AAAAAAAANtk/Mf4rhyHZHc4/s1600/2014-08-10%2B10.23.48.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gold dust at my feet on the sunny side of the <strike>street</strike> canal</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the temperature was relatively mild - about 80F, the unrelenting sun and the virtually windless conditions caused me to overheat. I was sweating like crazy and it was affecting my ability to run significantly. The walk 15%/run 85% pattern was quickly deteriorating into relatively more walking, and the low-11-minute miles we were maintaining on the out were high 11s on the way back, with a few outliers in the 13s-15s. I started longing for the long, cool night that I knew was coming. Yet I had another lap to do in the heat of day.<br />
<br />
At the end of this lap, at the aid station, I lingered for about 10 minutes until tightening up. I got the hell out of there. Shame I couldn't spend more time because they had snowcones!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Lap 2 - 5:54:00</b></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KPWg9En_zs/U-5ViCRbCFI/AAAAAAAANus/v-Hy_iIkhhE/s1600/10487388_10203506184527406_5388207513253184460_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KPWg9En_zs/U-5ViCRbCFI/AAAAAAAANus/v-Hy_iIkhhE/s1600/10487388_10203506184527406_5388207513253184460_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>#NeverForget</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The heat was continuing to hit me hard, and I was downright weak in the first half of this lap. We'd spend extended amounts of time walking, just trying to get as many miles as the day would allow. We pushed to the first aid station, averaging about 13 minutes per mile, and took a 5-minute break there. I filled a cup with ice and poured coke on top, then repeated several times. At this aid station I met up with a friend Al from Rochester (who parked a mile away). Tapering for the Pikes Peak Marathon the following weekend, he was interested in hanging with us for 10-15 miles, and figured that an out-and-back from the midpoint to the turnaround and back would be a sufficient little training day. Also at this point other racers latched onto us and for the next couple of hours the five of us hung out together. We probably ran about half of the distance to the next aid station, and were able to maintain sub-14 miles the whole way.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At the turnaround, I had to stop, sit, and rest for a while. According to the GPS record, I spent about 11 minutes there. Bad ultra habit! But I was starting to become concerned - despite drinking over 200oz of fluid in that period, it had been 50K since the last time I was able to take a decent piss. (Sorry, there are no photographs of me trying.) I know I was sweating a lot, but I didn't think I was sweating 200oz, and the only conclusion is that I must be retaining that water because of an electrolyte imbalance. I started taking salt.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Coming back, we were still exposed to the sun but it definitely was cooling off, and our pace showed it. We were consistently breaking 14 minute miles, and even had some sub-13s in there. By the time we reached the mid-way aid station (and Al had to leave us - thanks Al!), I was not feeling overheated anymore but still was unable to piss and was dreadfully worried that the damage had been done. I kept drinking a lot - just to the edge of nausea and not a drop more - and taking in salt pills. Also my pack was filled with ice first, followed by water+heed. Hot temps were over but I was still prone to overheating and avoiding that was utmost importance.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the last 7 miles to the start/finish, any misery I was feeling was being replaced with excitement for Ami, who had stuck with me the whole way, was about to finish her first ultra - a 50 - in a decent time. She likes to say I paced her but I know she helped me even more. Our final seven miles together were all under 14 minutes and we even managed a sub-13 in there, until the last mile, which we did in 11:30. The 50-mile split was 11:15 - a 30 minute PR for me, and fast enough for Ami to place 19th out of 42 overall and 11th woman! Not bad, especially for her first ultra!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L9FLWsEtNMs/U-5pYU1FFsI/AAAAAAAANwQ/gmRBzaErO0g/s1600/10553582_10152399278158422_8287187645291524969_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L9FLWsEtNMs/U-5pYU1FFsI/AAAAAAAANwQ/gmRBzaErO0g/s1600/10553582_10152399278158422_8287187645291524969_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Congrats Ami!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b>Lap 3 - 6:29:03</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_62xnhcsyHY/U-5p3m5eXDI/AAAAAAAANwY/JIwr_OJ1nK4/s1600/2014-08-09%2B21.17.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_62xnhcsyHY/U-5p3m5eXDI/AAAAAAAANwY/JIwr_OJ1nK4/s1600/2014-08-09%2B21.17.56.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>50 down, 50 to go</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I have another friend from Rochester, RJ, who agreed to pace me from the lap 3 turnaround to the lap 4 turnaround. If you're paying attention, that's miles 62.5-87.5. This was perfect. I had pacers for those exact miles at my Umstead finish in 2012. I feel like those miles are the crux of the race. The first 100K is just a formality, and the last half-marathon is a victory lap. Getting to 100K with a good attitude (and knowing my pacer was there waiting for me helped), and then getting those 25 miles behind me, are what I think gives 100s the reputation they have. In short, if you are going to have a pacer for any 25 miles in a 100, those are the 25 miles to have him in. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, I was still at mile 50, it was dark (9:30pm), and with Ami finishing I had to get there on my own. I was OK with this and anticipated some headphone time to break of the race a bit. After spending at least ten minutes at mile 50 aid station, I was once again running.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Or, more accurately, walking. I was moving slow at first, but settled into a rhythm in which my run/walk pattern was resulting in 14 minute miles, give or take. I was more than OK with this - 14 minute miles is definitely fast enough to finish a 100 within a 30-hour cutoff (and then some.. it'll actually get you in under 24 if literally every mile was under 14.) I was walking about half of the distance and running the other half, which was a good pattern for me - though the "run breaks" were starting to feel really long, even when they were less than a half-mile.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After midnight, I ran 1.2 miles continuously (for the streak's purposes) and that brought me within a mile of the turnaround aid station. walking the rest of the way, I saw RJ on the bridge crossing and was thrilled to not be alone anymore.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6mFhiujBrGk/U-5tQvheivI/AAAAAAAANwk/vO4qCKtbIDE/s1600/10380889_10203506184367402_2777756587350505219_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6mFhiujBrGk/U-5tQvheivI/AAAAAAAANwk/vO4qCKtbIDE/s1600/10380889_10203506184367402_2777756587350505219_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My awesome pacer and I</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
It was 12:30AM (right where I expected to be), and after spending 5 minutes in the aid station (still not pissing) we were on our way. I think RJ expected me to run more, but I was not in the mood. I was still on a run/walk pattern, though by now it's more accurately described as a walk/run pattern. I'd typically walk between 60%-80% of a mile, then run the rest of that mile. Meaning that as much as 4/5 of the distance was spent walking. (And, to be sure, there were a few miles which were walked entirely.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
RJ was a good sport about it though. He patiently listened to me as I droned on about how stupid 100s were, and how this is the dumbest thing I've ever done, and how I need to figure out why I'm not peeing, and whatever other stupidity I was carrying on about. To be honest I was really glad to have someone to vent to. To a pacer, I'm a low-maintenance runner, as long as listening to mindless drivel doesn't count as high-maintenance. At least I never yelled at him. But I can't imagine him ever being interested in doing a 100 after hearing me talk for so long about how much 100s suck.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KiHUmswXqWI/U-5v6q7YsLI/AAAAAAAANw4/bJfMRlbO8Nc/s1600/10384524_10203506180127296_3271167758728657902_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KiHUmswXqWI/U-5v6q7YsLI/AAAAAAAANw4/bJfMRlbO8Nc/s1600/10384524_10203506180127296_3271167758728657902_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
At the mid-point aid station, I gave RJ my pack and asked him to run ahead to have it refilled. We had a great aid station stop there, where I was able to get in and out in less than a minute. This is ideal 100-miler behavior. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By the end of this lap I was reduced to walking every step, and we had three consecutive 17+ minute miles. My hips in particular were bothering me, after spending 3 hours on my feet without a break. I wondered if taking a 5-minute sit break at the aid stations was helping me more than it was hurting. I decided I would find out at the next aid.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Lap 4 - 7:22:35</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YkhHhTCi2OE/U-5wSb0sgAI/AAAAAAAANxA/6PUp7Vdt4xg/s1600/2014-08-10%2B03.55.28.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You want more???</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I took a good long break at the mile 75 aid station. My mental attitude at this point was overwhelming dread - I felt like I had been pushing so long, but I still had a significant number of miles to go. And the idea of pushing another 25 miles was really messing with my mind. However, I was also confident I would finish. I knew that I had plenty of time - 12 hours - to complete the remaining 25 miles. A 2MPH deathmarch would be sufficient. But 2MPH deathmarches are not fun (Believe me, I know.) We eventually got out of there, and were soon counting the minutes until sunrise at 6am (though I was trying to get as far as I could before the heat came.) I knew I had done the work, most of the race was behind me, and barring disaster I would finish. I even was starting to let myself believe I would have a good time (for the record, I never let myself believe sub-24 was in the cards.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The miles with RJ post-75 were faster - taking a break off my feet apparently helped. The 17-minute miles were largely over. But this is, like I said, the crux of the race. We didn't have any sort of consistent run/walk pattern. We'd be walking along, and I'd tell RJ "let's run for a quarter" and that's what we'd do. "Let's run a third." I think once I said "lets run a half" and that felt unbelievably long.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPPQZpxmMsw/U-5zO9uxfzI/AAAAAAAANyE/44LWPp_U2-8/s1600/10559845_10203506181207323_8417351303985815659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPPQZpxmMsw/U-5zO9uxfzI/AAAAAAAANyE/44LWPp_U2-8/s1600/10559845_10203506181207323_8417351303985815659_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thanks to the full moon, we didn't use headlamps most of the night. I love it when that happens.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
By the time we got to the mid-point aid station, dawn had broke. Going by the hip experience last time, I sat down and spent another ten minutes there. When we were moving, we were moving reasonably well. But I was taking my time at aid stations and I knew it. One bright spot for this point of the race - I finally took a substantial piss, for the first time in 75 miles. It may have been dehydration after all. I was drinking a ton of water, and apparently sweating it all out.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fyATFIfhF6g/U-5vzVB7OMI/AAAAAAAANww/tB9AKlaamMY/s1600/1660814_10203506181047319_1112916520889856767_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fyATFIfhF6g/U-5vzVB7OMI/AAAAAAAANww/tB9AKlaamMY/s1600/1660814_10203506181047319_1112916520889856767_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mile 82</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After this aid station, we actually started moving better. Miles were taking about 14 minutes, which far exceeds what I'd expect for this point in the race. The trick was we decided to break the run walk pattern into half-mile increments instead of full miles. And they were broken into "walk a quarter, run a quarter." We were running half the distance! And by doing so, we did about 5 consecutive miles at this pattern. For mile 85 in a 100 this was really good for me!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SHC7bP54fxk/U-5zPlOXv1I/AAAAAAAANyU/8UP6WYBnu-4/s1600/10568965_10203506182367352_647071177975038509_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SHC7bP54fxk/U-5zPlOXv1I/AAAAAAAANyU/8UP6WYBnu-4/s1600/10568965_10203506182367352_647071177975038509_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>14-minute miles</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Finally we reached mile 87.5, and it was time for RJ to leave. We lingered in this aid station far longer than any other - more than 20 minutes, but I was psyching myself out for the last 12.5 miles. At Umstead, the last 12.5 took almost 5 hours but I had no intention of it taking anywhere near that long today. The sun was up and it was time to put my head down and get this done. But first..</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NwMgpXETWE/U-5z1Dvon3I/AAAAAAAANys/InjO0QIIn8c/s1600/10458544_10203506183807388_6730715975333588346_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NwMgpXETWE/U-5z1Dvon3I/AAAAAAAANys/InjO0QIIn8c/s1600/10458544_10203506183807388_6730715975333588346_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>..I put my head down for real</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Looking at the GPS log, I'm frankly surprised at how much time I spent in this aid station. I ate some cold pancakes and drank some hot coffee. But mostly I just hung out. I knew at this point I would finish, but it's still 12.5 slow miles away.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ky8r7kspPsM/U-5wTi16vOI/AAAAAAAANxI/eZuvQEBpp5U/s1600/2014-08-10%2B07.40.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ky8r7kspPsM/U-5wTi16vOI/AAAAAAAANxI/eZuvQEBpp5U/s1600/2014-08-10%2B07.40.46.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Typical mile 87.5 selfie</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
When I did walk out, I noticed that I should probably shake out some of the sand in my shoes, which hadn't been removed once the entire race so far.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VcnlL7wUIuU/U-5wV5ayZUI/AAAAAAAANxY/W8j_dn4Us_4/s1600/2014-08-10%2B07.54.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VcnlL7wUIuU/U-5wV5ayZUI/AAAAAAAANxY/W8j_dn4Us_4/s1600/2014-08-10%2B07.54.12.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Crushed cinder trail makes you want asphalt.<br />Side note - these shoes and socks were brand new the morning of the race.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I did eventually leave, and my first mile out of the aid station was over 18 minutes. Then I had a 17:22. Progress! I started to run a bit, and pulled out a 15:23 for mile 91. That was enough, and mile 92 was 17:21, and mile 93 was 19:00 - my second-slowest non-aid-station mile of the entire race. In mile 94 I hit the aid station, where I spent about 5 minutes. But I was eager to get out of there because the sun had come up and I was starting to feel the heat. Mile 94 was completed in 22:33. And, 4/10ths later, 10am struck - 24 hours into the race, my 94.42 mile split was a PR. I was also running again.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SmjvavqFa8/U-5wYNHzFfI/AAAAAAAANxs/FqtkU24pWVI/s1600/2014-08-10%2B10.00.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SmjvavqFa8/U-5wYNHzFfI/AAAAAAAANxs/FqtkU24pWVI/s1600/2014-08-10%2B10.00.10.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Notice the pace - 12:48 per mile for the 0.42 miles.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
At around this point in the race, I looked over my shoulder and someone who was in the aid station with me was back there. I'm not a competitive guy, particularly in a 100, but even the most laid-back fellow isn't going to be passed in the last 5% of a race without a fight. My headphones were in, the playlist was called "run fast", and I decided I would "run a song/walk a song." This concluded the mileage-based run-walk portion of the race, now it was by random draw of a shuffled playlist.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And it showed. Mile 95 was completed in 13:54. Mile 96 was in 14:58. Mile 97 was in 14:32. Mile 98 was 14:41.... and then, the wheels came off. The sun on my back felt as hot as it ever did the previous day, and I was once again overheated. I pushed too hard the last 5 miles and was about to pay for it in a big bad way. That was the bad news.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The good news was that I had to pay for in a big bad way it for only less than two miles, and I would be finished. And that person behind me? Nowhere to be seen.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A couple of minutes after this, I see Ami bouncing up the trail. You'd have no idea she ran 50 miles the day before. She was running her running-streak mile for the day, and was planning on running it in with me. Meanwhile, I was dumping the contents of my camelbak over by head, because the need to cool off was overwhelming. I wasn't able to run at this point, and actually wouldn't run for the rest of the race (last 100 yards notwithstanding.) She out-and-backed for a mile and walked it in with me. Mile 99 in 18:26, and mile 100 (my slowest mile of the race) was 19:32. I was going so slow that I was starting to be worried that somebody'd pass me in the last quarter mile, but it turns out the the next finisher after me was more than 15 minutes after.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My official finish time was 25:31:53, which was good enough for 17th place out of 40.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Aftermath</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3VZuxY7Z9C4/U_JJVNNRvbI/AAAAAAAAN3E/SSY4ufAFf6Q/s1600/10614867_10152559934380091_1039582928_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3VZuxY7Z9C4/U_JJVNNRvbI/AAAAAAAAN3E/SSY4ufAFf6Q/s1600/10614867_10152559934380091_1039582928_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>5 days after the race, I "participated" in the Parsippany 12-hour, completing 1.5 <br />miles and finishing DFL. The hard work I'm doing in this photo suggests why.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After working on this report for days, I'm writing this portion a week from Monday (T+8 days) post-race, and coming to terms with the rather surprising fact that it's going to take a month to recover from this race. Apparently, I really did a number to myself at the race. I'm noticeably lethargic throughout the day (even in my desk job) and all my runs since the race have been noticeably hard. I've felt particularly hard-hit in the mornings. It's a shame, too, because we've had some beautiful running weather this week.</div>
<div>
<br />
For the last few miles of the race, and for days afterwards, I kept saying, "100 milers - that shit ain't right", and I meant it. But that "wrongness" of 100s is also their appeal. They challenge me in a way that no other race does. Due to my back-of-the-pack speeds I take a "pass/fail" approach to ultras. Correcting for terrain, anything shorter than 100 miles is just not long enough to be all that hard, and timed-multidays let you get away with slacking off. But 100s don't let you slack off - they're the most unforgiving and grueling race there is.<br />
<br />
I guess this is why I looking at 100s to register for. 50 miles is my favorite distance to run, but I haven't run a 50 in years. 50 miles just does not intimidate me anymore - I can enter a 50 and be confident of my ability to finish it (barring disaster, like what happened at Pineland Farms a few years ago.) 100 milers, on the other hand, are always going to intimidate me. People like Liz Bauer who do 100 after 100 are stunning to me. <i>100 miles is f-ing hard!</i> And I can't imagine 100 miles ever being easy. And when I'm at a point where I can casually enter a marathon, 50K, 50 miles, or even an ironman, without the slightest bit of intimidation or fear, I find myself attracted to races that are both frightening and achievable. 100 milers fit that profile perfectly.<br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Postscript</b><br />
At about mile 99.5, a man with an Eastern European accent ran up to me and unceremoniously said, "I hate you."<br />
<br />
Unaccustomed to such straightforward language and able to detect sarcasm but unable to turn off my own filter (due to it being mile 99.5), I said, "What the F did I ever do to you?" (Substitute a very bad word for the F.)<br />
<br />
"Because look at me I'm in reasonable shape and yet you are the one about to complete a 100-mile ultra! I'm not even in the 50; I'm on someone's crew!" Unspoken, but clear to me: "Because a fat F like you is doing this and I'm not!" (For the record I'm 6'6", 280lbs).<br />
<br />
I forgot what I said afterwards. I think it was something to the effect of "and this is my fault?" but I hope I said, "well nobody's stopping you from signing up!"<br />
<br />
I finished the race and never saw him again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-90968544862207456542014-06-26T13:50:00.002-04:002014-06-26T13:50:31.438-04:002014 Week 25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Li-H6r8vulI/U6xcMS7VFII/AAAAAAAAK6k/4V8TruY2vfo/w539-h718-no/IMG_20140626_134509.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="239" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Boss awarded me this prize for winning at bowling</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
Still haven't found my garmin. :(
<br />
(Update Thursday June 26 - I found my garmin!!)<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday June 18</b><br />
Another hot day - and again slept in (not sure why.) Went to the fitness palace at lunch, which is air conditioned. Got on the treadmill and ran 5 miles in 39:32 (7:55).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTbhON-RWw8/U6MqYvSt9kI/AAAAAAAAK3M/Ks0lg2F4Hyg/s1600/IMG_20140618_133322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTbhON-RWw8/U6MqYvSt9kI/AAAAAAAAK3M/Ks0lg2F4Hyg/s1600/IMG_20140618_133322.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Thursday June 19</b><br />
Lunchtime run with Ami. We ran all of Leach, very bottom to very top. 3.73 in 34:20 (9:13).<br />
<br />
<b>Friday June 20</b><br />
Another lunchtime run with Ami. This time we split it evenly between a run and an organized walk at work. Found out the course, and then ran it in reverse (at a very fast pace) until we met up with the walkers, then walked back (the way we came) with them. Overall, 3.71 mi in 44:01 (11:52).<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday June 21</b><br />
Long run with Ami, Tony and Wayne. Went back to Rockefeller and ran what is probably my longest pure training run ever. Just about 50K, and we ran most of it, especially in the first marathon. 30.93mi with 4000+' of gain in 6:40:59 (12:58).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eWLWe_MDelA/U6xaiT6nUhI/AAAAAAAAK6Q/uo_xFZtYGMs/s1600/50krun.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eWLWe_MDelA/U6xaiT6nUhI/AAAAAAAAK6Q/uo_xFZtYGMs/s1600/50krun.PNG" height="400" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saturday run</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Sunday June 22</b><div>
Overate on Saturday afternoon (and Sunday morning) so by the time I got to this treadmill run at 3pm I was really slogging. Yesterday's 50K didn't help. 1.11 treadmill mi in 11:00 (9:55).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Monday June 23</b></div>
<div>
Lazy day for me - at work and later at home. Finally got out of the house at 8:30pm, feeling crappy, and ran the longer fake zero loop at home. 1.43mi in 14:03 (9:50). Had a team-building bowling event at work today, where I shot 191-202, leading my team to a first-place victory. Then, in the afternoon, in the annual Hertz Connect 4 tournament, I played my first three rounds (it has been going on for a couple of weeks but I hadn't played yet, and three opponents were waiting for either me or whoever beat me.) I won all three, and just like that I was the first person in the final four. Woo!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Tuesday June 24</b></div>
<div>
Lunchtime Alberon-West Park-Leach Loop with Ami. Walked up the hills. 3.51mi in 36:56 (10:32).<br /><br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-41005673310487658122014-06-19T16:07:00.000-04:002014-06-19T16:07:11.838-04:002014 Week 24AHHH! I lost my garmin. It's in my house.. somewhere.<br />
<br />
.... I think.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday June 11, Thursday June 12, Friday June 13</b><br />
All three of these days I was in a conference in NYC, so all three of these days I woke up early to run a fake zero before heading into town. Each run was the same short loop at home, which is about 1.2 miles. My times were 13:06, 11:20, and 11:55.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday June 14</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PW9VOziqmvA/U6MoLV8xlkI/AAAAAAAAK28/HotxKaKnLB0/s1600/longrun.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PW9VOziqmvA/U6MoLV8xlkI/AAAAAAAAK28/HotxKaKnLB0/s1600/longrun.PNG" height="400" width="353" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saturday Long Run</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Making up for my 3 consecutive fake zero days, Ami and I headed to Rockefeller State Park (meeting up with Tony Wayne and Aaron for the first few miles) where we ran and walked over 27 miles in 6:19 (13:52). This is a rare longer-than-a-marathon training run for me, and had about 3500' of gain.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sunday June 15</b><br />
Recovery fake zero - long fake zero loop (hill) at my house. 1.4 miles in 14:33 (10:11).<br />
<br />
<b>Monday June 16</b><br />
Easy lunchtime loop at work with Ami. 3.68 miles in 39:18 (10:41).<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday June 17</b><br />
Hot and humid day forecast - My plan was to wake up early and run 5-10 miles before work. What ended up happening was I slept in and ran my long fake zero loop. 1.4 in 14:13 (10:10).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-83908415406927215182014-06-10T19:08:00.000-04:002014-06-10T19:08:10.896-04:002014 Week 23<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nBoj7cf8kOU/U5eKu5CtemI/AAAAAAAAKyg/7wZ8a60-dZo/s1600/spartan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nBoj7cf8kOU/U5eKu5CtemI/AAAAAAAAKyg/7wZ8a60-dZo/s1600/spartan.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My Spartan Team</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Wednesday June 4</b><br />
Two-a-Day today. Ran early morning while it was cool and super-humid. A nice new three-mile loop generally downhill then generally uphill. 200+ feet of gain. Then I ran with Ami at lunch from work when it was warmer but not nearly as humid. We walked the last part of it. Morning run was 3.24 miles in 33:25 (10:20), afternoon was 4.27 miles in 46:35 (10:55).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ayQSQh-XD9w/U5eOy2NImYI/AAAAAAAAKyw/wayU4wQDtqk/s1600/ridgeLoop.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ayQSQh-XD9w/U5eOy2NImYI/AAAAAAAAKyw/wayU4wQDtqk/s1600/ridgeLoop.PNG" height="320" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>New three mile loop from home</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Thursday June 5</b><br />
Awesome lunchtime run with Ami, where we did 6.06 hilly miles in 56:59 (9:25). 650' of gain on this one.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday June 6</b><br />
Fast run with NGS. We blew up and walked the last mile or so. Some amazing splits but we paid for them. 4.56 miles in 44:35 (9:47).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X2vnneSpi84/U5eOy57t_iI/AAAAAAAAKys/7Lbu9PWUwnE/s1600/NGSRun.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X2vnneSpi84/U5eOy57t_iI/AAAAAAAAKys/7Lbu9PWUwnE/s1600/NGSRun.PNG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mile 2 is generally downhill, but mile 3 is uphill.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Saturday June 7</b><br />
Spartan Race today! I knew I wouldn't get a continuous mile at Spartan, so I ran a home fake zero loop in the morning before the race. 1.43 miles in 13:46 (9:38). Then, at Spartan Race we covered something like 5 miles. I did well where the course suited me - no problem walking up and down that mountain (which we did 6-7 times) - and spent quite a bit of time waiting at the top of hills for my friends. I never even got tired. But my fitness is lopsided and many of the obstacles I was unable to complete at all, fresh or otherwise - just not strong enough - and got through them only with the help of my teammates - or by taking the 30 burpees option. As a team our time was 3:15 - 38:57/mile.<br />
<br />
Here is a video of the race which shows every obstacle we encountered.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/h1nP9_nbpNo" width="560"></iframe>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sunday June 8</b><br />
Met up super-early (5am) with Ami and NGS for some loops around Rockland Lake. 6 of them, with some side trips, getting us 20.3 miles in 4:30:15 (13:17). We ran half of it and walked half of it. Maintained most of our walking under 15 minutes per mile.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday June 9</b><br />
Another two-a-day of sorts. Ran an easy lunchtime 3.61 miles in 43:46 (12:08), followed by an evening hash with Joey. Plenty of shiggy on this trail, and Joey loved it. That was 4.38 miles in 1:39:04 (22:38). That time includes the beer check.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday June 10</b><br />
56 miles in last 7 days! Wow! Took a rest day. Ran a fake zero late in the afternoon - and it was warm and humid again. 1.19 miles in 11:30 (9:40).<br />
<br />
Streak update: 1260 days - 3yr, 5mo, 13d. And I've run 5454 miles in it - that's an average of 4.3 miles per day.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-10204450004327288382014-06-05T16:56:00.002-04:002014-06-05T16:56:49.341-04:002014 Weeks 17 to 22Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
So there are two major things going on in my life right now, and running is taking a back-seat to that. I expect my weeks to be mostly fake-zeros with a weekend long run until things settle down.<br />
<br />
... and that includes blogging. I finally sat down, went through my log, and got caught up with six weeks worth of logs. Two ultras occurred in theses six weeks, and reports for both of them are in draft.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday April 23</b><br />
Still slacking off with a lunchtime SPAGR (Shortest Possible Atkins Glen Route) with Ami. 2.56 in 30:42. We walked from the end of Atkins back to the office.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday April 24</b><br />
1 mile at the track again. Under 9 minutes if that's any consolation.<br />
<div>
<br />
<b>Friday April 25</b><br />
Early lunch 1.2 miles in 10:40, before leaving to drive to Worcester and back.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday April 26</b><br />
I was supposed to run a marathon today, but the drive to Worcester and back got my home at 1am and then I had to wake up at 5:30 to finish the job that I was doing. I wrapped up at about 8am but by then there was no way I was driving down to South Mountain Reservation for a late start. Very tired all day. My run was in the afternoon, and I tested out a short loop around the block by the house we're in the process of buying. I was hoping that it'd be long enough to count for a streak-fake-zero run but it's about a quarter-mile short. There's a longer loop with a decent hill that will definitely count though.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g0h-ak79I8E/U15VjtPPj1I/AAAAAAAAKqU/o5p3jF1IA0E/s1600/newNeighborhood.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g0h-ak79I8E/U15VjtPPj1I/AAAAAAAAKqU/o5p3jF1IA0E/s1600/newNeighborhood.PNG" /></a></div>
My new place is on Blue Ridge Lane. Adding in the Lydia Lane part, This run was 1.16 miles in 9:52.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday April 27</b><br />
Since I missed the marathon, I drove up to Connecticut to catch the 6:30am start at the 40th annual Lake Waramaug 50K. I finished in 5:30, enough for a 77-minute PR. More details at my race report, coming soon.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ0jI5VV54Y/U5DYPDzg_BI/AAAAAAAAKxk/7O9-irJcFuk/s1600/Waramaug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ0jI5VV54Y/U5DYPDzg_BI/AAAAAAAAKxk/7O9-irJcFuk/s1600/Waramaug.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>At Lake Waramaug on my way to a 50K PR</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Monday April 28</b><br />
Damaged goods! Pretty sore this morning after my hardest effort in quite some time yesterday. Ran a mile at lunchtime in about 11 minutes with Ami, who did awesome at the NJ Marathon yesterday with a 4:12 result. We both credit the long runs we did together for our mutually awesome results: 12, 12, 15, 15, 18, 18, 21, 12 in February and March.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday April 29</b><br />
Suffern fake zero. Ran "around the block" one last time, 1.12 in 10:42 (9:34).<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday April 30</b><br />
1.2 miles in 9:42 (8:05) on the treadmill. I bought a house today!!<br />
<br />
(And because I bought a house today, I ran a lot of fake zeros for a few weeks. Things have been pretty busy.)<br />
<br />
<b>April Total: 129.2 miles in 22:22, 10:24 per mile.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Thursday May 1</b><br />
4+ laps at the track (1.08 miles) in 9:51.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday May 2</b><br />
Ran the loop around my new neighborhood for the first time, and, as expected, I came up a tad short - so I ran up and down my dead-end street a couple of times. 1.1 miles in 9:57 (9:04.)<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday May 3</b><br />
Four laps at the Mahwah HS track, with a lead and a tail, totalling 1.15 miles in 10:31 (9:10).<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday May 4</b><br />
Four laps at the Indian Hills HS track in 10:01.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday May 5</b><br />
SPAGR (2.59 miles) in 27:17 (10:33). Probably with Ami.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday May 6</b><br />
Joey had a lacrosse game at North Rockland High School, so I ran around there for a bit. 1.77 in 16:29 (9:20).<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday May 7</b><br />
Atkins Glen Run, not a SPAGR but close. Showing it to some coworkers who were unfamiliar with Atkins. 2.88 miles in 36:12 (12:35).<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday May 8</b><br />
Was going to run a single mile with Ami, but we added a bit at the end to make it 1.62 miles in 14:48 (9:09).<br />
<br />
<b>Friday May 9</b><br />
Did the full loop "around the block" at my new house for the first time, which turns out to be 1.41 miles with 150+ feet of gain. I'm not sure I believe the 150 feet number but there is a good hill in it. Did this in 13:08 (9:20).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yVQKLBocVwM/U5DLt3Y_KAI/AAAAAAAAKw4/rWpdoPqCrs8/s1600/NeighborhoodLoop.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yVQKLBocVwM/U5DLt3Y_KAI/AAAAAAAAKw4/rWpdoPqCrs8/s1600/NeighborhoodLoop.PNG" height="400" width="363" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My new neighborhood fake zero loop, including elevation profile. Click for larger view.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday May 10</b><br />
Out on Long Island this morning. Had a few minutes to spare in the morning, and it was quickly getting hot out - so I ran around a park once. 1.38 miles in 12:53 (9:21).<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday May 11</b><br />
Quick out-and-back (With Alex and Joe doing their own O&B) on a sunny afternoon at Rockland Lake. 1.78 miles in 14:30 (8:10).<br />
<br />
<b>Monday May 12</b><br />
Checking out the gym at my townhome complex, I ran for ten minutes on the treadmill in the evening. 1.18 miles (8:29). These treadmills weren't great quality, but are still nice just in case. They'll be a last resort option in the future.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday May 13</b><br />
Social run with the lifetime group. 3.68 miles nice and easy, in 42:05 (11:27).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXrE9Xdd3nY/U5DLVn-bUDI/AAAAAAAAKww/aTNBIujWXX0/s1600/May13course.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXrE9Xdd3nY/U5DLVn-bUDI/AAAAAAAAKww/aTNBIujWXX0/s1600/May13course.PNG" height="400" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Social Run fun</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Wednesday May 14</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cB0a2_65CRY/U5DMWpK5i0I/AAAAAAAAKxA/_1FP-F5FnWg/s1600/FairgroundLoop.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cB0a2_65CRY/U5DMWpK5i0I/AAAAAAAAKxA/_1FP-F5FnWg/s1600/FairgroundLoop.PNG" height="400" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Reverse Single Loop at the Fairgrounds!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's 3-Days-At-The-Fair weekend! Ran a loop at the NJ state fairgrounds on Wednesday - backwards! I don't think I've ever run this loop backwards before (I've run it forwards over 550 times.) 1.06 miles in 9:24 (8:53).<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday May 15 - Sunday May 18</b><br />
Details about my race at Three Days at the Fair will be in my report, currently in draft. For this post's purposes, my daily mileage was: May 15 (9am-midnight), 51 miles; May 16 (midnight-midnight), 49 miles; May 17 (midnight-midnight), 52 miles; May 18 (midnight-9am), 4 miles. 156 miles total in 72 hours (PR) (27:42 per mile, including sleep and other downtime).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B16aQnUyHNw/U5DYPCbgR6I/AAAAAAAAKxw/g4IH5IIfO9A/s1600/3Days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B16aQnUyHNw/U5DYPCbgR6I/AAAAAAAAKxw/g4IH5IIfO9A/s1600/3Days.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Three Days, Day 3. Post-100 mile Steve.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Monday May 19</b><br />
Corporate loop with Ami. 2.34 miles in 29:35 (12:39). Walked about the last mile of this.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday May 20</b><br />
A variation of my local neighborhood loop, which is flatter and closer to exactly one mile, but involves running on the major roads so I'm not crazy about it. 1.05 miles in 10:05 (9:35).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D3AQALmOVVs/U5DPEHPZ6hI/AAAAAAAAKxI/N1-XIbCSyYw/s1600/may20course.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D3AQALmOVVs/U5DPEHPZ6hI/AAAAAAAAKxI/N1-XIbCSyYw/s1600/may20course.PNG" height="400" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Home loop fake zero variation. I prefer the longer hillier option.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Wednesday May 21</b><br />
Happy birthday to me!<br />
Quick run around the field at Joey's lacrosse game. 1.09 miles in 10:33 (9:42).<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday May 22</b><br />
Easy run down Alberon and up Leach with Ami. Walked the last mile. 3 miles in 34:20 (11:27).<br />
<br />
<b>Friday May 23</b><br />
Normal around the block loop at my house. 1.41 miles in 12:34 (8:56) - which is fast considering I'm still recovering from the big weekend.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday May 24</b><br />
Saturday morning run with lifetime group. Hung in the back with a woman who was almost dropped. She was wearing headphones so we didn't talk but I don't like seeing people running alone. When I was slower, people were always generous enough to run with me far below their ability and this is how I pay it forward. But the sad thing is we weren't that slow. 5.23 miles in 53:13 (10:11) - but even at this very respectable pace, she was getting dropped.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday May 25</b><br />
Figuring we should probably start pretending we're distance runners again, Ami and I met at Rockland Lake for a longish run. I was hoping for 12 miles but I felt pretty crappy and was ready to bag it for 9. We compromised and ran a half-mile longer third loop for 9:55 miles in 1:42 (10:43).<br />
<br />
<b>Monday May 26</b><br />
Normal hill fake zero loop at my house. 1.41 in 13:19 (9:32).<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday May 27</b><br />
Normal hill fake zero loop at my house. 1.41 miles in 13:16 (9:26).<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday May 28</b><br />
Hertz fake zero loop with Ami. 1.08 miles in 11:57 (11:04). We were both kind of hurting.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday May 29</b><br />
Did a weight workout today. Ran from Hertz to my gym (via a round-about way) to get a mile in - actually 1.14 miles in 10:17 (9:02). After my weights workout I ran back directly - 0.4 miles in 3:33 (8:55).<br />
<br />
<b>Friday May 30</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_xUjllmKa2M/U5DSk1DgV0I/AAAAAAAAKxQ/FaarazAYPoA/s1600/May30Course.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_xUjllmKa2M/U5DSk1DgV0I/AAAAAAAAKxQ/FaarazAYPoA/s1600/May30Course.PNG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Run to Ramapo Res</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today I thought I'd try something different. Sick of my daily fake zeros, I've been considering what it'd be like to run from my new house in Mahwah NJ to Ramapo Reservation (one of my favorite running spots, 6 miles from where I used to live in Suffern NY), do something on the trails there, and then run home. It turns out that the parking lot at Ramapo Res is 2 1/3 miles from my front door - nice! But with a couple of dangerous roads on the way - bummer. (If any Mahwah township planners come across this, Darlington Road could really use a sidewalk, especially under 287 where there's a blind curve for cars.) Anyway, I ran to the reservation, and then the short hill (it's about a mile long) to the dam at MacMillan Reservoir. Then on the way back I cut through the Polo Grounds neighborhood and returned via 202 and then up Ridge Road (which turned out to be longer than my to-route.) Had some foot pain towards the end and walked the last mile+, but it still was a solid run for me where I ran 7.93 miles in 1:24:42 (10:41).<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday May 31</b><br />
On my Friday run I felt a little twinge in my right hip - the kind of twinge every runner feels almost every day and ignores. On Saturday morning at 2am that hip woke me up and the pain was enough to keep me awake for a couple of hours until Advil helped me back to sleep. This kind of thing worries me. I woke up limping - actually spent most of the day limping. And my run that day - that was also limping. I went to a track and hacked out four laps during Joey's Lacrosse game. My 400-meter splits were 3:18, 3:06, 3:06, and 3:00 - giving me a net distance of 1.01 miles in 12:39 (12:40). It hurt like hell and I sat down unhappy.<br />
<br />
<b>May totals: 217.8 miles in 82:39 (22:47 per mile.) </b>156 out of 217 miles, and 72 out of 82 hours, were at a single race.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt1aP_NPgqg/U5DVzD8b6XI/AAAAAAAAKxc/WKYJlb_GsSc/s1600/May.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt1aP_NPgqg/U5DVzD8b6XI/AAAAAAAAKxc/WKYJlb_GsSc/s1600/May.PNG" height="333" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">doh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Sunday June 1</b><br />
Went to the gym. Ran on the treadmill. 1.19 miles in 10:00 (8:25). Then I went swimming. My hip - not 100% but a lot better. What was that all about?<br />
<br />
<b>Monday June 2</b><br />
Ran with some different people than normal today. Found a potential new running partner in Christina. She is tough and can definitely hang. Would love to run with her more, because I think that when trained she'll bury me no problem. 3.29 miles in 34:20 (10:27). And the hip? 99%.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday June 3</b><br />
It was hot and shitty outside all day, and with a thunderstorm forecast I decided it was high time to do a solid tempo run on the treadmill. 7.31 miles in 1 hour (8:13).</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-60327861221762134452014-04-28T09:08:00.001-04:002014-04-28T11:55:06.020-04:002014 Weeks 14 - 16<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LH-yCvwbIEc/U0wm246CMQI/AAAAAAAAKpo/ic-EueBE7t8/s1600/887018_566619123445125_129611849408661578_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LH-yCvwbIEc/U0wm246CMQI/AAAAAAAAKpo/ic-EueBE7t8/s1600/887018_566619123445125_129611849408661578_o.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>John and Larry's first steps in their 250-mile run to Boston</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
So there are two major things going on in my life right now, and running is taking a back-seat to that. I expect my weeks to be mostly fake-zeros with a weekend long run until things settle down.<br />
<br />
Here's photos of everything I eat: <a href="http://instagram.com/stevetursi">http://instagram.com/stevetursi</a><br />
<br />
<b>Weight loss contest update</b> (I am in two weight-loss contests right now.)<br />
* Lifetime Fitness 90-Day challenge: Since my parents have been in town, I haven't been disciplined or keeping track. Oops. I think the damage is +5-7 lbs, but like I said I've not been keeping track so I could be off.<br />
<br />
* Hertz "thinner winner" employee weight loss contest: This contest is now finished. See above. I lost my first place position but at least one my location, which is good for $50.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iRtHuYo0_h0/U153a25qzgI/AAAAAAAAKqk/o9Ib6Y2ofvA/s1600/finalResults.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iRtHuYo0_h0/U153a25qzgI/AAAAAAAAKqk/o9Ib6Y2ofvA/s1600/finalResults.PNG" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Daily log..<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday April 2</b><br />
I was really sore after Monday's 5K test and Tuesday's social run strides! I ran 4 laps at a track around Joey's lacrosse practice and called it a day. 10:00 minutes, 1 mile. Guess the pace per mile. (:<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday April 3</b><br />
Beautiful day for a lunchtime run with Ami, where we ran 3.54 miles in 36:21, 10:17. We were both kind of sore though.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday April 4</b><br />
Took a rest day and just did a Lonergan Loop (1.65 miles) in 15:30, 9:24 per mile.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday April 5</b><br />
Broke 24 in the Wharton 5k (<a href="http://stevetursi.blogspot.com/2014/04/race-report-wharton-5k-philadelphia-pa.html" target="_blank">here's my race report</a>) and spent the rest of the day driving around Pennsylvania. Fun!<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday April 6</b><br />
Longish run at Rockefeller with Ami. 12 miles. We had planned to go longer but she was feeling something in her ankle and we thought it prudent to cut the run short.<br />
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<b>Monday April 7</b><br />
Fake zero single mile at the track during Joey's (cancelled) lacrosse practice. The weather was bad so I just said "hang on a minute" to Joey while I ran four laps.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday April 8</b><br />
Ran an easy flat 2.5 with Ami, who was still taking care of her bum ankle.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday April 9</b><br />
Ami and I visited Atkins Glen for the first time since before the snow. Great to be back! 3.2 miles.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday April 10</b><br />
Again with Ami, this was one of the best lunchtime runs we ever had, where we did 4.8 miles. We averaged 9 minutes per mile on this run that included West Park, Atkins, AND Leach! (Hills).<br />
<br />
<b>Friday April 11</b><br />
Ran Kingsbridge (hill near home) for the first time in forever. Did the entire 3.3+ miles in under 29, which is a personal best.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday April 12</b><br />
Longish 12 mile run at about 10:30 with Ami and Lifetime Saturday run group.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D44GUe-MV88/U0v0D0k2h8I/AAAAAAAAKpE/6FPCWyLnFQ4/s1600/longish.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D44GUe-MV88/U0v0D0k2h8I/AAAAAAAAKpE/6FPCWyLnFQ4/s1600/longish.PNG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Palm Sunday April 13</b><br />
Today Larry and John started their 250-mile stage run From Franklin Lakes NJ to Hopkinton (start of the Boston Marathon) to raise money for Hole-In-The-Wall camp for children with serious diseases. At the starting line, there were about 100 supporters, plus the fire department, police, mayor, news vans - a big group. I ran the first 8 miles with them from Franklin Lakes to home, but in order to get to Franklin Lakes I decided it was easiest just to run down there. It made for a solid Sunday long run of 16 miles total, and this was after 12 on Saturday. The 80ºF weather was getting to me a bit at the way back (especially since I ran out of water and didn't want to ask for more), but we were moving pretty slow (11-12 minutes per mile) and were getting close to my finish line anyway.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VO7C0XsmDMk/U0v1m2zsktI/AAAAAAAAKpQ/Dij5Ik_r3Os/s1600/FLAndBack.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VO7C0XsmDMk/U0v1m2zsktI/AAAAAAAAKpQ/Dij5Ik_r3Os/s1600/FLAndBack.PNG" height="320" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Run down to Franklin Lakes and back</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203507711030553">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PatPhillips">Pat Phillips Gonzalez</a>.</div>
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<br />
* <a href="http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/New-Jersey-Boston-Marathon-Bombing-Survivor-250-Mile-Run-Back-255096921.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand" target="_blank">Coverage by local NBC affiliate.</a><br />
* <a href="http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2014/04/franklin_lakes_man_starts_250-mile_run_to_boston_for_charity.html" target="_blank">Coverage by NJ.com</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mi1FTUj9n6g/U0wmuu0u-MI/AAAAAAAAKpg/xmVrEh15cm8/s1600/SteveAndLarry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mi1FTUj9n6g/U0wmuu0u-MI/AAAAAAAAKpg/xmVrEh15cm8/s1600/SteveAndLarry.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me and Larry completing his fifth mile</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Monday April 14</b><br />
Today was a work-from-home day, and I figured that after a 28-mile weekend I'd take advantage of the nice weather and tack on a trail run. I haven't been on a trail in so long I've forgotten what it looks like! Anyway,<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Tuesday April 15</b><br />
Went to the lifetime Tuesday group run but was short on time, and the weather was bad so we were indoors anyway. I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill, in which I did 3.67 miles (8:11).<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday April 16</b><br />
Solo run around the corporate park (Phillips to Grand to Spring Valley) where I did it very fast - 18:37. That's 2.36 miles, 7:54 average.<br />
<br />
<b>Maundy Thursday April 17</b><br />
Had very little time, so I ran a mile at a high school while Joey and Grandpa threw the lacrosse ball around, and then we were off someplace else.<br />
<br />
<b>Good Friday April 18</b><br />
Four laps at a track at 7pm.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday April 19</b><br />
Four laps at a track at 1pm.<br />
<br />
<b>Easter Sunday April 20</b><br />
Short loop around Suffern Orange-Washington. 1.3 miles in 11:30.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday April 21</b><br />
Short lunchtime run with Ami. We ran a mile and then we walked the rest of the way. Neither of us were feeling great.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday April 22</b><br />
Single loop around the lower lake at Ramapo Res. So this is how many fake zero days in a row?<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-70564391851617342592014-04-08T10:19:00.000-04:002014-04-08T10:19:34.583-04:00Race Report: Wharton 5K, Philadelphia PA - 23:56 (PR)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XRxbMUzBrBc/U0QC5wMMF-I/AAAAAAAAKok/wseKWT_zUoc/s1600/Wharton5K.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XRxbMUzBrBc/U0QC5wMMF-I/AAAAAAAAKok/wseKWT_zUoc/s1600/Wharton5K.png" height="168" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This race was sponsored by Hertz, and as an employee I got a free entry.<br />
<br />
It's not very often where you enter a race where you know before the race that you'll easily PR. My previous 5K PR was a 25:48 set in Mahwah back in October 2011 (also at a race sponsored by Hertz). But that race PR has been beat by 82 seconds in training last Monday when I ran 12.5 loops on a track in 24:26.. So I knew I could break the race PR. The only question was would I be able to beat my training PR.<br />
<br />
Well, that wasn't really my only question. The other question was would I be able to make it to the race on time? It started at 8:30am "sharp" and was held in Philadelphia on the University of Pennsylvania campus near its largest train station. We didn't leave Suffern until 6:10am and I was getting a little stressed as 7am and then 7:30am ticked by and we were still on the Turnpike. Making a long story short, I arrived at the race shortly after 8:20 and after a far-too-fast bathroom stop I was in the starting area a few minutes before 8:30.<br />
<br />
This being a college 5K, I quickly realized that I was one of the old guys in this race. I'm 37. According to the results, there were 25 people (out of 577) in this race who are 38 or older. I'm not often the old fart, so this was a new experience for me. Not that it changed anything.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtIpYTJve60/U0P5qbEbe4I/AAAAAAAAKoM/a-9lBVTCWXg/s1600/course.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtIpYTJve60/U0P5qbEbe4I/AAAAAAAAKoM/a-9lBVTCWXg/s1600/course.png" height="127" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Course</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The course is a double out-and back from one end of the campus to the other. There was a small bridge with a steep hill several hundred meters from the starting line, and we had to cross it four times. The course was otherwise flat-ish - there was a noticeable grade to much of it but it wasn't substantial. Weather for the morning featured a rather nasty headwind on the "out", especially after the bridge, but otherwise cool and sunny. Surface was half asphalt, half brick.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3jZbQZc_QF8/U0P5qO5sbWI/AAAAAAAAKoI/Njz2FFfDdCw/s1600/bridge.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3jZbQZc_QF8/U0P5qO5sbWI/AAAAAAAAKoI/Njz2FFfDdCw/s1600/bridge.PNG" height="320" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The bridge (Google Street View)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My goal for this race was 24 minutes. This requires a 7:44 per mile pace.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Mile 1</b><br />
Having not raced a short race like this in a couple of years, I got caught up in the wrong crowd early and went a tad too fast at the very beginning. <b>I ran that first mile in 7:26</b> - perhaps my fastest mile ever. I didn't realize this at the time because I didn't look at my split when the mile ticked by. I actually figured this mile was run in about 8 minutes because the very beginning of this race was quite crowded and it didn't feel like I was going very fast for the first quarter.<br />
<br />
<b>Mile 2</b><br />
In retrospect, I know that the 7:26 first mile was why I crashed - but at the time I thought I ran the first mile in 8. So when I struggled to maintain that 8-minute pace in the second mile I figured that it just wasn't going to be my day to run sub-24. Some days you just don't have it, and I chalked that up as the reason. I knew I would still PR, and since I was racing, might as well dig deep and do whatever I can to stay under 8. This was a very difficult mile for me. On the second lap, when I crested the bridge outbound at about mile 1.9, I came very close to walking. I was definitely working hard at this point. <b>Mile 2 was 7:59</b> - just made it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SZ6ngNk4zZY/U0P5pxGOwKI/AAAAAAAAKoA/TRwhqDDOE7M/s1600/wharton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SZ6ngNk4zZY/U0P5pxGOwKI/AAAAAAAAKoA/TRwhqDDOE7M/s1600/wharton.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the pain cave at the end of lap 1/Mile 1.55</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Mile 3</b><div>
I recovered modestly in mile 3, and actually sped up a bit. I still didn't think sub-24 was in the cards, but I figured I could probably break 25 if I kept it up. So I kept pushing at my limit, <b>which was 7:52 for the third mile. </b>I happened to look at my watch with less than 100 meters to go and for the first time I realized that maybe I could break 24 after all. I didn't understand why, but it read 23:40. Turning up the intensity to near max, <b>the last tenth was at a 7:27-per-mile pace</b>, which was actually slower than my first mile. But it was fast enough - my official chip time came was 23:56, a PR and under my 24-minute goal. Gun time was 24:16.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Afterwards, we celebrated my new PR with Breakfast at my favorite place to eat in Philadelphia - a cheesesteak from John's Roast Pork. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwCf7sCa1nU/U0P_c9fje3I/AAAAAAAAKoY/_vDljUl8J_0/s1600/cheesesteak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwCf7sCa1nU/U0P_c9fje3I/AAAAAAAAKoY/_vDljUl8J_0/s1600/cheesesteak.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>mmm, breakfast</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
My official time: 23:56 (PR), 166th place out of 577, 123rd place out of 275 males, 21st place out of 61 in the M30-40 age group.</div>
<div>
<a href="http://brynmawrrunningco.com/wpp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Wharton-5K-2014-Overall.htm" target="_blank">Please click here for official race results</a> (<a href="http://brynmawrrunningco.com/wpp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Wharton-5K-2014-Awards.htm" target="_blank">Age Groups</a>)</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-6234840336963830262014-04-04T17:15:00.001-04:002014-04-04T17:15:35.694-04:002014 Week 13Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
So there are two major things going on in my life right now, and running is taking a back-seat to that. I expect my weeks to be mostly fake-zeros with a weekend long run until things settle down.<br />
<br />
Here's photos of everything I eat: <a href="http://instagram.com/stevetursi">http://instagram.com/stevetursi</a><br />
<br />
<b>Weight loss contest update</b> (I am in two weight-loss contests right now.)<br />
Update to come next week. (:
<br />
<br />
Daily log..<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday March 26</b><br />
Another 1000-calorie run. I was actually short on time, and wasn't thinking when I entered 1000 calories. I really only had time for 500 calories worth of running, a mistake that became apparent in the first couple of minutes. Oops. Still, I didn't change the setting. I assumed I'd just stop early - but never did. In fact I kept speeding up until I was going almost 8MPH at the end. Turned out to be an awesome 4.89 miles for me - in 40:44. Average page: 8:20 per mile.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday March 27</b><br />
Lunchtime run with Ami. 5.4 miles in 50:39, 9:23 per mile. This run was notable because every single mile was run under 10 minutes per mile - including the mile that ascends Anne Terrace to Leach Rd. I don't think I've ever run that mile under 11. This time we ran it in 9:45.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday March 28</b><br />
Lunchtime run (work from home day) at Ramapo Reservation. Really only had time for a lap around the lake - which is 1.2 mile fake zero. 1.2 miles in 10:57, 9:08.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday March 29</b><br />
My tri club normally meets on Sunday morning at Market Basket - but this weekend we had a 21-miler scheduled, so I called a couple of tri club friends who are planning a 10-day stage run to Boston ahead of the marathon there and got together with them and Ami. We ran all around Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff. It was a fantastic morning where we did 21.87 hilly miles in 4:19:04, 11:51. That includes stops. We ran just about every step, too.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RM-7X2KogWY/Uz8fZCSzqUI/AAAAAAAAKnU/X68aZEyP3QY/s1600/franklinLakes.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RM-7X2KogWY/Uz8fZCSzqUI/AAAAAAAAKnU/X68aZEyP3QY/s1600/franklinLakes.PNG" height="320" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saturday Long Run</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Sunday March 30</b><br />
Lonergan Loop (1.59 miles in 15:41, 9:45) at 10am just as an easy run.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday March 31</b><br />
After a 1-mile warmup, I once again did the 5K track workout around joey's lacrosse practice. This time, which was after having a scoop of superstarch, I ran 5K in 24:26 - 7:49 per mile (PR). This is 23 seconds faster than last week's PR effort.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday April 1</b><br />
Tuesday afternoon social run with the lifetime group. Now that the weather is getting nice the groups are getting larger - which is a ton of fun. 3.69 hilly miles in 34:39, 9:24. We did a couple of 100-meter strides afterwards - where my pace in one of them, according to my watch, was 4:11 per mile. If only I could keep that up longer than 100 meters!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KcGsh3i3GaE/Uz8grZchbVI/AAAAAAAAKng/JnGB6d5hEr4/s1600/1505364_10152259367613965_737659892_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KcGsh3i3GaE/Uz8grZchbVI/AAAAAAAAKng/JnGB6d5hEr4/s1600/1505364_10152259367613965_737659892_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lifetime Tuesday Social Run group</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-40212666689368610162014-03-28T09:40:00.000-04:002014-03-28T09:40:57.835-04:002014 weeks 11 and 12Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
So there are two major things going on in my life right now, and running is taking a back-seat to that. I expect my weeks to be mostly fake-zeros with a weekend long run until things settle down.<br />
<br />
Here's photos of everything I eat: <a href="http://instagram.com/stevetursi">http://instagram.com/stevetursi</a><br />
<br />
<b>Weight loss contest update</b> (I am in two weight-loss contests right now.)<br />
* Lifetime Fitness 90-Day challenge:<br />
I missed the March 25 weigh-in, but I was plateauing anyway and wouldn't have done great. As of March 26 (according to my March 17 weigh-in), my bodyfat is down 20%, which is second place in the Montvale NJ club but still not in the top 100 nationally.<br />
<br />
* Hertz "thinner winner" employee weight loss contest:
<br />
My score, -11.87%, put me past Piff-Looger and I am over one percent over his 10.8%. He's has dropped to fourth place. But I'm still not in first - some guy in our OKC office came out of nowhere and is 0.33% over me, so I'm still in second out of 480 (first loser.) This is as of the weigh-in on March 7 - but the results weren't posted until March 25th (which is why this blog post is delayed). On March 20th I weighed in again and had a great result - putting me at almost 15% loss.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tY-O2jRLRE/UzV39rdQTII/AAAAAAAAKm8/e2FosOJHoTE/s1600/hertzcontest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tY-O2jRLRE/UzV39rdQTII/AAAAAAAAKm8/e2FosOJHoTE/s1600/hertzcontest.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Daily log..<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday March 12</b><br />
I tried to make it to the Lifetime CRT class at 5:30 but I couldn't get out of work on time.. so instead I went to the hertz gym and ran 3.01 miles on the treadmill.. in 23:58. Big weight loss today: 272.8 - Down 2½lbs since yesterday.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday March 13</b><br />
Another winner of a weight loss day. 271.2. 4lbs in 2 days. Wouldn't it be great if every day was like that? That'd be 14lbs/week! I'm just worried about the next plateau and when that's going to happen and how long it'll last.<br />
<br />
My run today - 2 miles in 22:38 on the treadmill - was blah. Not feeling a ton of energy.<br />
<br />
<b>Pi Day Friday March 14</b><br />
Lunchtime run with Ami. For some reason we were in a hurry today and ran 2.45 miles at 8:46 pace, and ran the last quarter at about 7:30.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday March 15</b><br />
6 laps (18 miles) at Rockland Lake with Ami in 3:13. Felt strong for the middle 4 laps, and not so strong in the first and last laps. Had a protein-eggs-blackcoffee shake prior to the run, and zero calories during the run, so this was a good sign of fat adaptation occurring, albeit more slowly than I'd prefer.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday March 16</b><br />
Crummy day at bowling (134/142/168-444) followed by 5+ laps at the Mahwah High School track.<br />
<br />
<b>St. Patricks Day Monday March 17</b><br />
Broke another treadmill at the office gym, after a mere 7 minutes at about 8 minutes per mile. Not happy. Was on track for another sub-24 5K. I went outside, in 24ºF weather, in my shorts and t-shirt, and ran 2.36 more miles in 20:33.<br />
<br />
There was a special at the bowling alley tonight, and I went by myself and played ten games for practice. My scores were 129-118-122-157-168-166-129-231-205-139. Turns out I just need 7 games to warm up.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday March 18</b><br />
Lifetime run group, and since there wasn't anyone slow to run with, I ran up front with the fast guys - and they actually couldn't keep up with me! One of them said to me, "I thought you were big and slow!" That was gratifying.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday March 19</b><br />
Things are about to get really busy for a week. The daily run is just something that I need to do alongside all the other things I need to do. Today, I ran on the treadmill for ten minutes before taking an hour long group exercise class.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday March 20</b><br />
Easy 2.7 mile loop around the block in 26 minutes with Ami<br />
<br />
<b>Friday March 21</b><br />
Afternoon short loop around the neighborhood near Joey's school at dusk. 1.2 miles.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday March 22</b><br />
Conveniently, we had a planned light weekend between last Saturday's 18 miles and next Saturday's planned 21. I would have liked to do 12 today, but it turns out that I did half that. Ran with the lifetime group, where we did 6.5 miles in 57 minutes. This was a tough run for me, especially with the hills!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ets8HkIdD1M/UzAmRo0Y5wI/AAAAAAAAKl4/NjXxeHBmizs/s1600/lifetimeRun.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ets8HkIdD1M/UzAmRo0Y5wI/AAAAAAAAKl4/NjXxeHBmizs/s1600/lifetimeRun.PNG" height="320" width="291" /></a></div>
<b>Sunday March 23</b><br />
Ran with the tri club for the the first time in a couple of months, where I managed to keep up with the front-runners at 8:30 or so for 4 miles before peeling off and relaxing for the last mile or so back to the car, then home to go back to work.<br />
<br />
That afternoon, at bowling, I shot much better this week. In fact, I have a new high game and tied my high series. - 162-194-246 for a 602 series. Here's how that big game went:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b>Monday March 24</b><br />
Joey had his first lacrosse practice today, and that means track season has started for me. I get to do a workout on the track around the field he practices on. And today, I decided that I'd finally do an outdoor 5K to see how I do when not on the hamster wheel. And an hour before the run, I did something that I hadn't done since early February.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mU-wDE2OLaY/UzVyzhzF5RI/AAAAAAAAKms/FlrqzInekgI/s1600/rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mU-wDE2OLaY/UzVyzhzF5RI/AAAAAAAAKms/FlrqzInekgI/s1600/rice.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rocket Fuel?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I cooked up a bit of simple carbs and ate it before the run. I've been running on zero calories every run for the better part of two months, and while at first it was very difficult, I've adapted to it nicely and most of my runs are more comfortable now. However, it's been in the back of my mind - even after adaptation, will I still get better performance with some traditional fuel?<br />
<br />
The result: I ran 24:37, 70 seconds faster than my 5K PR set in 2011. This is not surprising - I am lighter, in better shape, and this was on a flat accurately-measured track, and that 5K was on hilly roads with a bit of trail thrown in. The rice? It is an interesting experiment, and I was hoping the answer would be obvious. But the problem with this experiment is that I had no control. If I had been thinking, I would have run the 5K on the diet that I've been working on for the last couple of weeks, and then going back later and running it again on the rice. And there are so many independent factors (such as weather - it was about 32ºF at this run) that I'd have to repeat it a bunch of times and average out the results. But my hunch is that the rice did NOT give me a significant performance increase. I'm fairly certain I could have broken 25 on my low-calorie diet.<br />
<br />
The track (at Suffern Middle School) has a 5000m start line measured, 200m from the finish line. This gave me a convenient and easy way to verify that I was on track to meet my 25-minute goal - run each of the 25 half-laps in a minute or less, which I did. My slowest half-lap was 1:00.5.<br />
<br />
By the way, I jogged 5 laps before the run to warm up. And the rice was upsetting my stomach.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday March 25</b><br />
I ran for ten minutes on the treadmill (fast - 1.3 miles), before doing a few sets barbell squats at lunch, then I sat in the steam room.<br />
<b><br /></b><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-56272022411101659202014-03-13T10:49:00.000-04:002014-03-13T12:58:26.650-04:002014 Week 10Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
So there are two major things going on in my life right now, and running is taking a back-seat to that. I expect my weeks to be mostly fake-zeros with a weekend long run until things settle down.<br />
<br />
Here's photos of everything I eat: <a href="http://instagram.com/stevetursi">http://instagram.com/stevetursi</a><br />
<br />
<b>Weight loss contest update</b> (I am in two weight-loss contests right now.)<br />
* Lifetime Fitness 90-Day challenge: Bodyfat percentage is down 14%, which is 3rd place in Montvale but not in the top 100 nationally. If I was in the weight loss contest, my 10% would be first in montvale by a huge margin and 10th nationally. With a $10,000 grand prize, I'm really kicking myself for choosing the bodyfat option.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh8XHsROLP0/UyG_S4zyvXI/AAAAAAAAKk8/mFiDWqf-Vsg/s1600/90DayChallenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh8XHsROLP0/UyG_S4zyvXI/AAAAAAAAKk8/mFiDWqf-Vsg/s1600/90DayChallenge.jpg" height="224" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Official Lifetime bodyfat percentage scores</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* Hertz "thinner winner" employee weight loss contest: 7.5lbs in two weeks. Which isn't bad, but it could be a lot better if more than 4 days of the 14-day period had significant drops.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQidOpTJC8w/UyG_S3Bh2rI/AAAAAAAAKlA/KndmMYqvi3g/s1600/ThinnerWinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQidOpTJC8w/UyG_S3Bh2rI/AAAAAAAAKlA/KndmMYqvi3g/s1600/ThinnerWinner.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Official Hertz weigh-in scores</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iH50T2RV_ME/UyG_SyURWRI/AAAAAAAAKlE/moZjCISpKfs/s1600/weight.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iH50T2RV_ME/UyG_SyURWRI/AAAAAAAAKlE/moZjCISpKfs/s1600/weight.PNG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Morning weight readings. Yellow highlight is the period between the hertz weigh-ins.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Daily log..<br />
<br />
<b>Ash Wednesday March 5</b><br />
Lots going on today (don't ask) do I did 2 miles quick as I can (16 minutes) on the treadmill at lunch.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday March 6</b><br />
Still really busy. Went to a <strike>glacier</strike> track and ran on the 6" deep ice surface for 5 laps, which took 15 minutes. I tripped once and sunk once in the first lap, but the next four laps were uneventful.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday March 7</b><br />
Still busy. Worked from home in the morning, and got ten minutes on the treadmill (1.14 miles) at lunchtime when I arrived at the office. I was going to try to take a group exercise class in the afternoon, but it wasn't happening.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday March 8</b><br />
Finally a weekend day where I can relax. I relaxed by running 18 miles at Rockefeller State Park with Ami. Great run. Notably, I did the first 12 miles on a completely empty stomach, and then the next 6 on a slurry of beet juice, superstarch, and BCAAs. Energy levels were still off, but I can't deny that long runs on zero calories are getting easier. Perhaps the fat adaptation is really kicking in now.<br />
<br />
I will say that the weather is really kicking in. This run started out at 35º, but ended at near 55º. The plowed parts of Rockefeller (which are actually outside the bounds of the State Park) had an amazing clear and dry running surface, but the majority of the park, which is unplowed, had an uneven glacier surface that didn't soften up before we finished our run, limiting us to (mostly) the farms. We did try to run the glacier, but it was difficult and I was worried about twisting my bum ankle.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKW5gbLXrBk/UxxVTMr05sI/AAAAAAAAKkI/pvVnNZbPOW0/s1600/March8Run.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKW5gbLXrBk/UxxVTMr05sI/AAAAAAAAKkI/pvVnNZbPOW0/s1600/March8Run.PNG" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sunday March 9</b><br />
So the weight loss are still going, but I'm in the second plateau and this one is worst than the first. It's really annoying. These plateaus are a total pain in the ass. Consider that yesterday I ran 18 miles, 12 of them on an empty stomach and 6 on some beet juice, had smoothie after the run, a small lunch, and skipped dinner because I wasn't hungry. How is it possible that I'm UP 0.2lbs this morning? Plateaus, that's how. F-ing plateaus.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sfIrhXNoN0/UxxXLXvmr0I/AAAAAAAAKkU/uYbSnhw4T-M/s1600/annoying.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sfIrhXNoN0/UxxXLXvmr0I/AAAAAAAAKkU/uYbSnhw4T-M/s1600/annoying.PNG" height="241" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(Note - this was written before the weight loss contest update. On march 10th I started to drop weight again.)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bowling this week: 167-146-182, 495 series. OK given how I've been doing lately.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Monday March 10</b><br />
Went to the track at Mahwah High School, which was mostly clear of snow, and ran five laps.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday March 11</b><br />
Lifetime Social running group. I hung out in the back of the pack with Carol. Lots of hills. 4.25 miles in an hour.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-48694021860463980992014-03-05T09:52:00.000-05:002014-03-05T09:52:51.886-05:002014 Week 9Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
Here's photos of everything I eat: <a href="http://instagram.com/stevetursi">http://instagram.com/stevetursi</a><br />
<br />
Weight loss contest update. I am in two weight-loss contests right now.<br />
The work weight loss contest weigh-in was actually back on Feb 20, and my 286 weight was enough to move me from tenth to second place out of 480.. a mere 0.02% behind first place.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fjZyGsoDzQU/Uxc23uPTVeI/AAAAAAAAKjc/FXCRifMkb5Q/s1600/FirstLoser.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fjZyGsoDzQU/Uxc23uPTVeI/AAAAAAAAKjc/FXCRifMkb5Q/s1600/FirstLoser.PNG" height="126" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Second Place is the First Loser. You're in my crosshairs, Piff-Looger! (whoever you are)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The gym weight loss contest is also going well. I don't know where I rank nationally (probably not in the top 100), but bodyfat %, which didn't go down at all last week, is down 2% this week. If the bioelectric impedance fat-measurement device is accurate (a VERY big if) then my bodyfat percentage has gone down 4.4% in four weeks - over 21 lbs of fat lost.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday Feb 26</b><br />
At lunchtime, I set the treadmill with a "calories goal" (as opposed to a mileage or time goal), punched in 500 and my age and weight, and let 'er rip. Stopped me when it thought I reached 500 calories, which was 21 minutes and 2.3 miles. Then I did a few sets of bench press. After work, I returned to the gym to take a 50/50 class, which was really hard!<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday Feb 27</b><br />
Cracked 280 this morning - scale read 279.6, after reading 281.6 yesterday. I love to see that kind of momentum, particularly after seeing 285 way back on the 17th, but then 3 days til 284, another 3 days til 283, and 2 days til 282 - 3 lbs in 7 days which is OK (I guess) but won't win any contests nor outlast my patience. In contrast, as of today I've lost 3.2lbs in 2 days and seeing the chart stop to drop off like that is really encouraging. Hopefully it lasts more than a couple of days before the next plateau.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1sU30Sa1zg/Uw9Tvc-XWDI/AAAAAAAAKiw/dK9aurg2b5Y/s1600/weight.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1sU30Sa1zg/Uw9Tvc-XWDI/AAAAAAAAKiw/dK9aurg2b5Y/s1600/weight.PNG" height="245" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Every multiple of 10 (290, 280, 270) is a huge milestone and serves as a resolution to my determination. But getting into the 250s will be particularly meaningful to me. 259 in particular is the threshold where my BMI drops below 30 - the obese/overweight line. (Yes, I know about your arguments against BMI.)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GKirq1QJjgs/UxNpj-PiLwI/AAAAAAAAKjE/ZfNI15iaE1M/s1600/SaddleRiverRun.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GKirq1QJjgs/UxNpj-PiLwI/AAAAAAAAKjE/ZfNI15iaE1M/s1600/SaddleRiverRun.PNG" height="400" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saturday Morning</i><br />
<i>Saddle River Run</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Friday Feb 28</b><br />
1.6 mile Lonergan Loop Fake Zero. Rest day.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday Mar 1</b><br />
Met up with Dan and Ami at Saddle River County Park (the northern end of this is colloquially called the "Duck Pond", but we didn't meet there) and ran 15 miles up and down and around a bit. Great run on basically zero calories. I was really starved for energy by the end, so I mark this as a great "force that adaptation" run.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday Mar 2</b><br />
Snowstorm looming (actually at the time of this writing - pre-storm - it looks like it'll pass us to the south and basically be a bust up here), and with Joey not quite feeling well enough for church, I stayed home and did the 1.6 mile Lonergan Loop fake zero again.<br />
<br />
Got swept in bowling (no longer in first place), where I shot a dismal 134 followed by meh 165 and 166 for a 465 series.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday March 3</b><br />
Treadmill. Decent 40-minute run where I ran 4.57 miles. Weighed myself before and after this run, and lost two lbs. That's two pints - a quart of sweat - a Big Gulp (yuck) - in 40 minutes. In normal indoor temps.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday March 4</b><br />
Weight this morning was 279.4 despite disciplined eating and training! F-ing plateaus. Running with the Lifetime Club (kind of), I had to cut it short to run errands. 3.45 treadmill miles in 30:00.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yvnRyKioFww/Uxc5Tyto2PI/AAAAAAAAKj0/4WxbcthrZA4/s1600/plateau.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yvnRyKioFww/Uxc5Tyto2PI/AAAAAAAAKj0/4WxbcthrZA4/s1600/plateau.PNG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Continuation of graph from above to Wednesday Morning. F you, plateau.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-52912422848118550642014-02-26T11:32:00.000-05:002014-02-26T11:35:35.457-05:002014 week 8Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
Here's photos of everything I eat: <a href="http://instagram.com/stevetursi">http://instagram.com/stevetursi</a><br />
<br />
Weight loss contest update. I am in two weight-loss contests right now.<br />
<br />
Work Weight-loss contest is in its fourth week and posts results every two weeks: In four weeks I have lost 9.5% of bodyweight. I've officially gone from a sandbagged 316lbs on Jan 24 to 299 on Feb 6 and 286 on Feb 20th. Company-wide positions after the fourth week haven't been published yet, but for members of the office gym I'm in first place and won $25 for it. Woo!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ_7uC4iZAQ/UwZPoGuAybI/AAAAAAAAKiE/Qr7wfFWPaL4/s1600/1901028_10152183647735091_414935770_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ_7uC4iZAQ/UwZPoGuAybI/AAAAAAAAKiE/Qr7wfFWPaL4/s1600/1901028_10152183647735091_414935770_o.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
The second one, held at my non-office gym, is in its third week and posts results every week. I'm down another 6 lbs (to 286) but the bodyfat is down only 0.1%. So I'm still not in the top 100 in the country, and I've dropped to 2nd in the location. But Alex is doing great in the weight loss contest: first in the location is 23rd in the country! Had I entered the weight loss contest instead of the bodyfat percent contest, I'd be 5th in the country! (I wonder if I can switch..)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vxJi-YH3Oc/Uw4WJcPq-dI/AAAAAAAAKic/VyCL7WZ5vOc/s1600/1972794_10152194703450091_1615890509_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vxJi-YH3Oc/Uw4WJcPq-dI/AAAAAAAAKic/VyCL7WZ5vOc/s1600/1972794_10152194703450091_1615890509_o.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
on to my week...<br />
<b>Wednesday Feb 19</b><br />
So as of yesterday I have managed to run 61.8 miles so far in February. In order to get 100 miles this month (my minimum), I need to run 38.2 miles over the next ten days. With warm weather forcast starting through about Monday, I should finally get to run outdoors again. I don't mind the cold, snow, or ice - but the problem is that all the snow is plowed into the place I normally would run, forcing me onto the middle of the street where cars drive. It's really sketchy. So even though today is the first day of the warmup (it's going to reach 40º!), I still ran inside because not enough snow has melted yet.<br />
<br />
I meant to run an hour, but for some reason my energy levels were lower than yesterday. I lasted a half hour, where I ran 3.51 miles.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday Feb 20</b><br />
Shorts and T-Shirt weather! Sunny and 45º. Perfect! Ami and I ran just under 5 miles at lunch. Energy levels were low. I think I need to rethink the morning smoothie when I run before evening. I seem to have more energy at noon runs when breakfast doesn't spike insulin. There was a day last week where I had a salad for breakfast and I felt like I was on fire at the noon run. Something to experiment with and think about.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday Feb 21</b><br />
Lunchtime Kingsbridge hill climb. 3.6 miles in 37 minutes. Skipped the fruit in my morning smoothie and ran nice and easy (thereabouts 10 minutes per mile on the flat portion of this run) and felt super-comfortable at the end of it. Similar pace in yesterday's run was a real slog, where I did have fruit in the morning smoothie. It's anecdotal and more experimentation is required (particularly to see if I can repeat the slog by having fruit in the morning) but right now the evidence suggests that when I'm on a low-calorie diet where I'm intentionally keeping glycogen levels low, any sort of run on stimulated insulin is going to be hard. One thing I did notice about today's run is that it would be difficult to increase my effort with this diet. I felt like I could have run all day at ten minutes per mile but at 9:30 I wouldn't have lasted 5K. And that's OK, because I don't plan on keeping this diet when racing.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday Feb 22</b><br />
I volunteered at the Febapple 50m/50k/20m/10m at South Mountain Reservation today. Together with Zsuzsanna we ran the aid station at the start/finish. The winning time in the 50m - 10 hours with a 12-hour cutoff - and the low finishing rate - 7 out of a couple dozen starters - spoke to the conditions which amounted to a foot or two of slush on hilly trails. Actually, in the first lap, it was a foot or two of slush with an ice crust, that people had to break through, and anyone who wore shorts ended up with bloody shins! I swept the course along with my friend Dan, starting at 4:15, and by then it was just tight-deep slush. Lots of fun but very difficult. Took 2:38 to cover the ten miles, finishing about an hour after dark. Fun!<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday Feb 23</b><br />
Slept extremely well overnight, and woke up late because I had 9AM California start for an easy (12 minutes/mile) five laps (15 miles) at Rockland Lake with Ami. I was really beat up.<br />
<br />
So this 25-mile weekend was great, because it buttoned up my 100-mile month in February (so much for my earlier concern about being behind the eight ball).<br />
<br />
Had a better week in bowling. 169-164-169 for a 502 series. No huge games but above my average in all three. And I broke 500 for the first time in what feels like months.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday Feb 24</b><br />
2.14 miles in 20 minutes on the treadmill. Rest day. This officially put me over 100 miles in February. Also I had a fruit smoothie in the morning and was once again feeling a little tired on this run, though this may just me being beat up after 25 miles this weekend. More Experiments!!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
so today's run put me at 100.3 miles in February, making February my twelfth consecutive 100-mile month. Would be 34, but.. ankle.<br />
— Steven Tursi (@stevetursi) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevetursi/statuses/438018641498357761">February 24, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
(Actually that was a mistake - this would have been 32nd consecutive..)<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday Feb 25</b><br />
3.3 miles in just under 30 minutes on the treadmill with the Lifetime Run club. Kind of a "blah" run for me. And since I had reached 100 miles in February by now, I wasn't motivated to go any farther, particularly with another 15-miler planned for Saturday.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7847906.post-31788269400981861792014-02-19T10:29:00.001-05:002014-02-20T13:45:18.822-05:002014 week 7Random thoughts about my runs and anything else that comes to mind.<br />
<br />
Here's photos of everything I eat: <a href="http://instagram.com/stevetursi">http://instagram.com/stevetursi</a><br />
<br />
I am in two weight-loss contests right now. The first one, held at work, is in its third week and posts results every two weeks. The second one, held at my gym, is in its second week and posts results every week.<br />
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Work Weight-loss contest: In two weeks I have lost 5.38% of bodyweight and am in tenth place out of 484. I've officially gone from a sandbagged 316lbs on Jan 24 to 299 on Feb 6.<br />
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Gym contest: in 9 days I have officially gone from 30.1% bodyfat to 27.5%. That is an 8.6% change. I have also gone from 313.9lbs on Feb 9 to 292.1lbs on Feb 18. Bodyfat percentage is calculated using a bioelectric impedance gadget, which is not super-accurate, but if it was, the maths suggest* I've lost 14lbs of fat and 8lbs of lean. It'll be interesting next week to see the non-sandbagged week-to-week results. I'm in first place at my gym location but not in the top 100 nationally. Alex, who is doing the pure weight loss contest there, is in second place at the location and in 64th nationally. If I was in the pure weight loss contest, I'd be in 6th place nationally. With a $10,000 prize, I'm beginning to regret not entering that.<br />
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on to my week...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DtSZfa_AodI/UwTNHyfCFJI/AAAAAAAAKhw/sQw8rFp4Mpo/s1600/screwshoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DtSZfa_AodI/UwTNHyfCFJI/AAAAAAAAKhw/sQw8rFp4Mpo/s1600/screwshoes.jpg" height="640" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drilling screws into your old shoes is an awesome effective cheap way <br />to gain traction on snow and ice. But this doesn't offer sufficient<br />protection from fast-moving 3000-lb blocks of aluminum and steel.</i></td></tr>
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<b>Wed Feb 12</b><br />
I actually had a free personal training session today to help me on my form with deadlifts, jerks, and squats. It went well. And before the session, I ran ten minutes on the treadmill.<br />
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<b>Thu Feb 13</b><br />
Went out in the blizzard for 19 minutes, where I ran 1.7 miles. Thought I'd have a good story to tell about this run, but not really. Snow blew in my face when running into the wind, that wasn't pleasant. A bunch of people shoveling snow were looking like they were pissed at me. There were a few unplowed side roads that I ran through until well after 1 mile, and then I walked through. That's about it.<br />
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I am starting to get a little concerned that my volume is really low lately. I'm really going to have to ramp up the second half of February. Temps are supposed to warm up a bit next week, and that's going to help a lot.<br />
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<b>Fri Feb 14</b><br />
Me - "Hey honey want do you want to do on Valentine's Day?"<br />
Wife - "Binge-watch House of Cards."<br />
I love my wife.<br />
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Kingsbridge Hill Climb after work (from home.) Kind of sketchy.. Lots of snow, not a lot of room to run.<br />
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<b>Weekend Feb 15-16</b><br />
(Actually writing this on Monday)<br />
Both runs this weekend were half-hours in the afternoon on the treadmill. There is too much snow to safely run in the streets - my Friday outdoor run was a bit sketchy. The temps are going to warm up starting on Wednesday, which will alleviate the problem (and may cause a different problem - flooding!)<br />
Saturday's run was 3.21 miles, Sunday's 3.38. I am now just over 50 miles for the month, with 12 days to go.<br />
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Sunday I had one of the crappiest days of bowling ever. I shot 94-138-143 for a 375 series. Holy crap, I thought I had bowled my last sub-100 game.<br />
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<b>Mon Feb 17</b><br />
I wrote a blog post on nutrition today here: <a href="http://stevetursi.blogspot.com/2014/02/nutrition-update.html">http://stevetursi.blogspot.com/2014/02/nutrition-update.html</a>. I am struggling to go all-out but can manage a respectable pace under the current nutritional restrictions. 3.49 miles in 30 minutes on the treadmill. I don't think I'd want to try to PR a 5K without some simple carbs in me. This nutrition approach seems better at supporting long slow work, but that is a hypothesis I still need to test.<br />
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<b>Tues Feb 18</b><br />
It snowed some more this morning. By 6pm when it was time to run the snow had stopped, the sun had come up, and at 36ºF it was downright balmy. But there was way too much snow on the side of the road and it just doesn't feel safe, especially after dark, because there's not enough clearance. And so it was yet another treadmill run, with the lifetime run group. We had a great time though, and I ran 7.05 miles in 63 minutes.<br />
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* I'm watching too much BBC programming<div class="blogger-post-footer"><I>This content was delivered via a feed from Steve's blog. The original content can be found at <A HREF="http://www.tursi.com">www.tursi.com</A></I></div>stevetursihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684592160969467053noreply@blogger.com1