I've been feeling really tired when I run. I've been meaning to write about this, and almost a full year later, this topic is becoming relevant again.
Sometime last year I started the every day is run day streak, where I ran every single day of the year. Well, I tried to. I didn't make it due to a RER injury, but did last all the way until the end of July. It didn't come without some struggles and health challenges.
Disclaimer: what you're about to read is my experience. I don't recommend or encourage self-diagnosing and self-treating, so if you think you're having a similar issue, go see a doctor!
During my run-every-day streak, I started heart rate training. Not in the classical sense of heart rate training, but according to this Maffetone Method that Ben described in our last post. In other words, we're building endurance and strength by conditioning the "aerobic engine," also known as the heart. Read: no runs over 80% of max heart rate. In doing so, it means the possibility of more miles because of lower intensity. I was easily running 40-, then 50-, then 70-, and 80-, (and even over 100!)-mile weeks and still feeling fresh!
Once I started consistently outrunning my previous lifetime maximum mileage PRs (anything over 50 miles), I started feeling really tired and run down. It was hard to get the energy to wake up and sit at my desk some days! Still, I assumed this was a nutrition issue. On advice from friends, I was clearly iron-deficient. I added iron supplements and started eating more red meat. I sucked down spinach like it was my job. I tried to get enough iron, but not iron poisoning!
I continued running, but as my high-iron weeks went on, I didn't feel better and my 80% pace kept getting slower and slower. My mile times were getting slower (we had been doing mile time trials). An issue of too much mileage? I took a few lower-mileage weeks. One day, I tried running a time trial on the track and didn't make it to a mile before I had to stop. I was really winded, I couldn't catch my breath, and felt like I'd just completed a marathon (In reality, my watch indicated .7 miles). This was starting to become a trend-- I couldn't make it more than a half mile without feeling completely fatigued. My legs just couldn't go. I felt so defeated.
Finally, I saw my friendly neighborhood doctor (a friend of ours!) and she recommended a blood test to get to the root of the problem. Eeek!
Of course, it took forever and a half to fill up all of the SIX vials of blood (::shudder::). I didn't look, either. I'm actually feeling a little sick to my stomach just thinking about this experience. ::shudder:: (again) Let's move on.
Fast forward a few days...
Results? Surprises.
Iron levels? Just fine.
Just about everything else? Mostly fine. Except...
145 pg/ml might have put me into a possibly-ok range, but at 81 pg/ml, that's still considered over 50% below normal levels by this guide.
And:
See you that? It's not low... it's panic low.
My red blood cell, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels were really low. Not being an expert of these (besides knowing that they all made me really TIRED!), I did some googling and thought I'd share these definitions from the Mayo Clinic:
Red blood cells, or erythrocytes (uh-RITH-ro-sites), transport oxygen throughout your body.
RBC: Red Blood Cell count.
HGB: Hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body's organs and tissues and transports carbon dioxide from your organs and tissues back to your lungs.
HCT: Hematocrit. The proportion of your total blood volume that is composed of red blood cells. A hematocrit (Hct) test indicates whether you have too few or too many red blood cells — conditions that can occur as the result of certain diseases.
In hindsight, I experienced a few of the symptoms of this particular type of anemia, affirmative in bold:
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Pale or yellowish skin
Swollen tongue that may appear dark red
Weight loss
Diarrhea
Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet
Muscle weakness
Irritability
Unsteady movements
Mental confusion or forgetfulness
It's interesting because I'm not sure how long I've been deficient - it may be that I've had some degree of this (or symptoms) for a while and they didn't become so apparent until I started running more. In the months leading up to the blood test, I started noticing that I'd black out/lose vision every time I stood up from sitting -- I just dismissed it as my blood pressure being temporarily wonky, thinking nothing more of it. And I certainly don't doubt forgetfulness/mental confusion has been an issue... haha, it always is.
Solution?
Get more B12.
I was told to get some sub-lingual vitamin B12, 2500 mcg, and take it daily. (It's the kind that melts under your tongue, not the pill version). As any dietitian will tell you, it's better to get your vitamins from food, but my levels were so low we needed a jump-start with supplements. Turns out there are very few foods I eat that are on the list of foods containing the most B12! Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 2.4 micrograms daily. [Ps- I won't die with regret if I never catch, roast, and eat a squirrel.]
I was fortunate that the B12 supplements worked. If it wasn't absorbed well enough or if my body couldn't process it properly, the only other alternative would have been B12 shots. Yeah - shots! The horror!
Oh, and did you know? B12 is the active ingredient in a lot of energy drinks. It's the ingredient that gets you feeling amped!! So if your B12 levels are normal and you ingest 2,500 micrograms, I've heard you'll feel like you drank 3 cups of coffee. (Perhaps a way to get your caffeine-free energy boost? The internet said high doses of B12 are considered safe so it must be true.)
Red blood cells usually take 3 months to fully regenerate and replenish, so these supplements were the short-term treatment. Getting B12 in my food was a part of the long-term treatment plan. Things eventually got back to normal, and I felt better after 1 week, 2 weeks, a month, and better after 2 months, and 3 months later I was completely fine and feeling strong!
Like a total goof, I quit taking the B12 supplements, thinking that I was probably getting enough (I mean, I only need 2.4 micrograms a day!) by eating fortified cereal and occasionally seafood. I'm not sure if that's the case, because - a full year later - I feel like I'm experiencing the same symptoms, all over again. Same shortness of breath, same extremely fatigued feeling. I'm really glad to catch it early this time around.
Almost a year ago I stumbled upon an intriguing article by someone whose opinion I highly value, Dr. Mark Cuccazella. I had the pleasure of meeting him, without knowing who he was, at the Newton Retail Summit the previous year and what he had to say helped me make better sense of the pros of barefoot-esque running (and living). He is a family doctor that has turned around the health of an entire community in Shepherdstown, West Virginia by helping them get out and become active through running. He has even opened a "minimalist" ONLY running shoe store where none of the "traditional" models are carried. Every year he puts together a race called the Freedoms Run and I was perusing the page when I found an interesting topic: The Aerobic Engine.
For the first time, "base" period of running made sense. And I've coached many levels of athletes, but until then I never got it. Sure, run easy(er), run more mileage, get in "shape," and don't get burned out... that stuff really has very little, if anything to do with it. I'll let you check out the "Aerobic Engine" page rather than explain it here... but it follows up the topic with links for how to heart rate train and the Maffetone Method - and yes, it can be VERY frustrating at first to keep your heart rate under the suggested limit. The hardest mental barrier for anyone to start training this way is the mindset of "the harder you work, the more benefit you get." This training method has a way of monitoring your progress called the "MAF Test" - Maximum Aerobic Function Test.
Last year we followed the heart rate training for 3 solid months and mostly the rest of the year. Steph PR'd in the 5k and altitude 10k without running a single step at "race pace" before the events. She also was able to run more than 100 miles/wk without injury, where 60 miles would sideline her in previous years. I saw measures of progress in endurance more than speed. I consistently ran 100+ miles a week (156 mile max), finished my first 50 mile race, and was able to run a 16 mile pace run at 5:50/mi pace - surely a PR in the marathon was to follow had I not decided to injure myself trail building (stupid!).
So, Steph and I decided to start off this year's "base" period with the MAF test as we enter the next few months of training with the Maffetone Method. Here's how it works:
Basically, you "warmup" 15 minutes VERY easy (not at HR limit), then run 5 miles straight (some do 3 or 4 miles) as close to prescribed HR limit as you can and mark the times... this should be done on an easy to repeat course so the data isn't skewed in subsequent tests (minimize variables!). Next time compare both the pace and the difference between your first to last mile, because the pace will slow down throughout the 5 miles... then 15min "cool down."
As an example, Saturday we were on the indoor track and I ran: Mile 1 - 7:39.9 @ 156 Mile 2 - 7:47.5 @ 156 Mile 3 - 7:54.7 @ 156 Mile 4 - 7:56.8 @ 156Mile 5 - 8:03.7 @ 156
Our puppy was born on January 19th, 2013. Ben's birthday! Puppy Bartley is a mini goldendoodle toy. He's an F1B, which means he's 75% poodle and 25% golden retriever. His dad, Chewie, is a toy poodle, and his mom, Kenzie, is a mini goldendoodle. He'll be about 20 pounds when he's full grown. And, he's Ted's* brother from the same parents! He might or might not be the one in the photo above.
Do NOT let the cute face fool you. He's trouble.
*Remember? Ted's the puppy we're fostering for a runner friend of ours while he's not allowed to have pets in his apartment. He lives in Bloomington and comes to see him every day. :)
We've had a good situation with Ted, because having him here allowed us to find out if Ben was really allergic to Ted (which he's not). Unlike most dogs and all cats, Ben has some really severe allergic reactions and respiratory issues when these pets are around. The poodle-ness of Ted makes him more allergy-friendly.
In addition to allergies, there are four of us who are available to take Ted out to play, walk, and go potty every day -- a really good situation that would be just as good and convenient if we had a puppy of our own. Ted's a really smart boy, but sometimes he gets bored. Sometimes he just needs someone to play with to let out all of that puppy energy! Poodles make great running dogs, and a mini/toy mix would make for the perfect size (read: one that won't knock me down when he gets going!).
So, after a lot of deliberation, we connected with Country Mini Goldendoodles in Tipton, IN and decided to bring home one of our own!
In two weeks, the entire litter will be 7 weeks old, and we'll get to take home our new puppy! Every week, the breeder family posts "Sunday Photos," photos of the litter of puppies. When they get old enough, they start numbering the puppies (boys and girls) so you can follow them as they get older each week. Check out the photo album of the puppies here.
For months, we've been saying we'll name our boy Fozzie (like Fozzie Bear), since I call Ted "Teddy Bear." Two bears! I'm really not into the names that are more appropriate for little dogs, like "Fluffy," "Fifi," "Precious".... nor ones that overcompensate, like "Killer," or anything vulgar. (As much fun as it would be, the name "Turd" is out.) Is the name "Fozzie" crossing into that too-cutesy territory?
Go on a waka waka waka?
I'm in favor of a person-name... I like pets with people names (i.e., TODD!). Or, maybe we could name him after a character on a TV show we like. Mosby? Flynn? Only rule: it has to be a name that sounds good/ok when yelled at the top of my lungs, sharply, with the word, "NO!" ... like, "Gus- NO!"
We haven't made any decisions yet, and maybe we'll even wait until after we've had Puppy for a few days. Do you have any name ideas we should consider?
Hello friends! Today I'm writing from a hotel in Fort Wayne! I had a nice long drive up here and plenty of "windshield time" to think. Sometimes it's about dumb stuff. Ok, usually it's about dumb stuff... today, I was inspired to write a new blog post about the music on my running playlist.
Back in the days when I was running 5 out of 5 runs per week on a treadmill (and averaging 40+ mile weeks!), my first-generation iPod nano was the ONLY reason I ever survived running! Remember these things? I mean, that little click/scroll wheel was cutting-edge technology!
Oh wait, no! It gets better! Before that, I had a pink iPod mini, too!
I used to listen to the same playlist on every single run, all five runs of the week. The other day, I revisited that very same "RunSteph" playlist and, darn it, it's still good! I love that there's so much randomness, and a bunch of punk in the mix with songs that were the Top 20 type at the time. In hindsight, punk makes for really good running cadence. The songs themselves are all kind of edgy, but maybe their appearance on my playlist is a reflection of my personal life at that point in time. Or maybe punk was still really big (how could we have known that LMFAO and Ke$ha would later come along!).
Check out the playlist...
How to Save A Life - The Fray
I Just Wanna Live - Good Charlotte (The only song in the playlist of my head during the 50 miler!)
Dance Floor Anthem - Good Charlotte
Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects
Swing, Swing - The All-American Rejects
Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
Stand - Rascal Flatts
The Ohio State Buckeye Marching Band (TBDBTL) - Le Regiment
The Ohio State Buckeye Marching Band (TBDBTL) - Fight Song
Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
Always - Blink 182
I Miss You - Blink 182
Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
Holiday From Real - Jack's Mannequin
Float On - Modest Mouse
Hey Ya! - Outkast
Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Love Today - Mika
Grace Kelly - Mika
The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
I'd Do Anything - Simple Plan
Stolen - Dashboard Confessional
Lately, every time I go on a long-ish car trip, I hear a song on XM Radio and think, "That would be a great song to run to!" (Sorry, Gangnam Style is definitely not one of those. Gag.) Sometimes the song gets me because the lyrics are inspirational, and other times it's just upbeat and energetic. So, I'd like to make "The Running Playlist" a regular theme for blog posts when the ideas come to me.
When I add songs to a playlist, they usually don't come off. The list just continues to grow.... so it's funny how music and my personal taste can change in a few years.
Without further ado, here are the latest additions to my "RunSteph" playlist since 2012! Although I didn't end up using my iPhone to listen to music during the ultra, you now have a glimpse of the songs I queued up - enjoy!
Just Dance - Lady Gaga
You're Beautiful - James Blunt
1973 - James Blunt
Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez
The Cave - Mumfort & Sons
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Hall of Fame - The Script <--- my favoritest song/band obsession. If you haven't listened, everything by The Script is amazing! Listen to the lyrics in this song.
Soldier - Gavin DeGraw
Uprising - Muse
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
Little Lion Man - Mumfort & Sons
Watch Me - Bella Thorne
Shake It Up - Selena Gomez (I watch that show and I love it. Don't judge.)
We Are Young - Fun.
Tonight Is The Night - Outasight
This City - Patrick Stump
Apologize - OneRepublic <--- another band obsession. Crazy good music.
Without You - David Guetta
What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
Madness - Muse
This is just a sampling of what gets me moving! Do you listen to music? Does your playlist continue to grow, or do you edit your songs once in a while?
The back story
A long, long time ago, Ben signed up for the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile with the intention of treating it as a prep/practice run for Western States later this year. Registration closed out quickly, and I like to tag along to races and do a shorter distance version "just to see" ... and kill time. Unfortunately, registration closed out months ago.
The trip & pre-race
The entire trip to Houston was almost a game-time decision, since Ben's knee had been bothering him for a few weeks. Fast-forward to our arrival in Texas. We made it down, narrowly escaped some snowy Indiana weather, and went to pick up Ben's race packet at the Huntsville State Park lodge. Walking through the door, I noticed a lonely table in the back of the space with a sign marked "Late Registration," and a stack of 2013 Rocky Raccoon paper entry forms next to it. Sure enough, they were allowing late registration to this filled-and-closed-out event! Cash or check only. Add one quick run (ok, not literally) to nearby town of Huntsville, TX, and we had enough cash to pay for me to sneak into the 50 miler the next day. Score*!
*Bonus: My assigned bib number was 884--- Obvious sign that it was going to be a good one.
The great part about heading to Houston for the weekend is that I got to see some of my favorite people!!!! We met up with Dave & Katie (who I have not seen in, oh, 3 long years) and had dinner at Maggiano's in Houston. This was a great idea, which turned into a potentially horrible idea after I chose to eat a whole plate of fried calamari and tons of linguine with clam sauce. (Darn you, bottomless Maggiano's entrees!) Nothing bad happened, but in hindsight that could have been the worst move ever. Food was good - and totally worth it for the company!! Unfortunately, we got to dinner so late, it was 11pm by the time we made the 45 minute drive back to Conroe (where we stayed). Ben spent the next 45 minutes packing his drop bag and making sure everything was ready to go. It was midnight by the time we went to sleep- so late, especially with an impending 5am wake-up!!
Race morning
We woke our butts up before the crack of dawn and made it to the park by 5:45am for the 6am 100 mile start time. I watched Ben take off into the darkness with his headlamp on, and although I lost him in the crowd, I watched the beginning of the 100 mile. Slowest race start ever! It was actually entertaining how slow it was. I tweeted a few things, took some photos, and checked out the start area after every one of the 100 milers had gone through.
I headed back to the car and tried to figure out what to wear. It was something like 48 degrees outside, which - I'm embarrassed to say - is still chilly enough for me to wear a long-sleeved shirt (and a short sleeved shirt, and my down jacket. True story). I fussed around with my shorts, shirts, put my Flip Belt on and filled it with Hammer gels, and tried to figure out how I'd stow my phone. After a while, I settled on my pink Indiana Running Company shirt and saucony tight shorts. Flip Belt, Garmin 610, and New Balance 1010.
I realized sometime after Ben's race start that I was, in fact, allowed to have a "drop bag" at the turnaround point (which was also the start line, though not one at the far part of the course). I threw pretty much everything I'd brought with me into a drawstring bag and called it my drop bag, you know -- just in case. I just had to label it with my race number and set it in the right area.
Back and forth - I took my water bottle to the start/turnaround area and filled it up. I stopped at the portajon. I went back to the car and fussed around again. It was kind of reminiscent of the I'm-a-lost-and lonely-puppy feeling I had during my first half iron distance triathlon! Finally, I decided to down a Vespa and take some multivitamins for the day. ....and here was my first mistake: the vitamins (6 of them) got stuck in my throat and I had to drink almost the entire bottle of water to wash them down and get rid of that uncomfortable feeling. I knew I was taking a risk with the Vespa -- not only was it the full-strength (not Junior) version, but it was the concentrated version in the tiny packets. I've had stomach issues before with Vespa, and I'm prone to stomach issues on a normal day anyway. And then, I realized that I had completely forgotten to eat breakfast in the rush to get to the park and get running. By this time, it was way too late to scarf something down, but it also wasn't a race-ending factor because I know I could rely on the closely-spaced aid stations. I sure loooooove to gamble on nutrition when it comes to racing!
Race Start
My race start seemed just as anti-climactic as Ben's did. It was slow, and I tucked in at the side-back of the pack of 50 milers behind the start line. Now, since I'm new to ultra running and trail running, I've always questioned my starting pace, because I always feel like I'm passing people. When this happens, it makes me wonder if the people who I've freshly passed are thinking, "Ha! Look at that jerk! She's going out like this is a 5k and is totally gonna pay for that later!" (a comment which, in a less exaggerated form, I overheard someone saying about me miles later on the trail)
So we started, the airhorn went off, and we walked for at least another 100 yards. Once we got to running, I continually passed people, and passed people, and passed people -- some who were starting off at a walk (which is totally ok!). If I were to do this race again, I would probably choose to start near the front of the pack so that I'm not getting in anyone's way or sitting on anyone's butt early on. Again - I'm not sure if this is normal, but I decided to run comfortably, I felt like I was going out at a conservative but sustainable pace, and I just thought it'd be smart to run how I felt without outside influences (for faster or slower).
Course Map
Course consisted of three 16.67-mile loops. Very flat (compared to other ultras), and no water crossings. 3 aid stations on each loop, each covered twice as the course doubles back on itself.
Loop 1 (Mile 0 - 16.67) Disclaimer: I'm about to be an over-sharer. You've been warned.
It hit me partway into mile 1: I. Have. To. Pee.
Thinking I was all smooth by foregoing the portajons at the first aid station, I figured I'd avoid restroom congestion -- just like in road races - by hitting the next one up at mile 6. (Aid stations were placed roughly 3 miles apart, which makes this a somewhat attractive race if you're mentally preparing to simply run from station to station.) WELL, that didn't happen. And FINALLY there was an aid station at ~mile 11. Honestly, the discomfort was getting so terrible that making it to this bank of portajohns was as triumphant a victory as finishing the entire race. I'm just saying... it was bad.
Early on, I appreciated the scenery and terrain (read: not covered with snow). This is a good trail!
The full bladder must've affected my ability to see tree roots, because I fell. Like, a lot. I fell so much that I lost count before the end of the first loop! There was even a stretch of a mile, around mile 9, where I tripped and fell 3 times. The third time I kind of laid there and had to chuckle a bit before getting up. Was this an indication that it was going to be a long day?! Fortunately, the majority of the terrain was mostly fine dirt (like sand) and dried pine needles, so at least I was falling (specifically, unable to tuck and roll, but just skidding along awkwardly post-fall) on a soft-ish surface. Unfortunately, I kept falling on the same spot on my knee.
Just after DamNation, near the middle of the loop, I passed Ben coming from the other direction and we high-fived. It gave me a little speed boost to see him! I'm telling you... it's all attitude -- good attitude, good running.
Some miles in, I started seeing 50 Mile runners coming back toward me - and then I started getting concerned that I was possibly going the wrong way. ...I never actually saw a course map, so I didn't know where I was and asked a few guys I was about to pass which event they were in. I panicked a little when they replied, "The hundred." Seeing my alarm, they told me that they believed the 100 and 50 courses converged and ran together for a while at the point where we were. Relief. Except the fact that all of those runners were heading back already indicated to me that I was really far behind them! The guys shouted something like, "Or maybe you're really far ahead!" ...but that made no sense at the time.
After that wonderful, fantastic, life-saving portajohn stop, I felt relieved, but didn't really feel any better. I had this air bubble-water slosh going on in my stomach, which started to become kind of uncomfortable in the miles following. It's always something!! I hoped that I could run through it or "run it away," seeing as not-continuing wasn't really a choice. It went away probably 4 miles later.
Since my race start was at 7am, it took me a little over 2.5 hours to finish the first 16.67 mile loop. Even halfway through the loop, I remember still feeling pretty chilly. Not to the point that I wished I had a jacket or a long-sleeved shirt, but only to the degree that I consciously thought about how I didn't feel like I'd warmed up much. The sun was just coming up and it was getting brighter out. I was really thankful I didn't need to start the race with a headlamp like the 100 milers did! (Otherwise we could've chalked up more trips and falls)
I reached the start line - the turnaround point - and stopped for a few minutes to grab some more food and water. Skipping breakfast before the start made me fearful that nutrition could be my downfall, so I did everything that I could to make sure I had enough gas in the tank by eating something substantial/digestible at every aid station.
Every single one of the volunteers at this race are SO FRIENDLY and HELPFUL. I felt completely fine, still relatively fresh, coming into the turnaround corral, but I was met with a gang of aid station volunteers who tried to do everything they possibly could to ensure I had everything I needed and was comfortable. It only took about 3 seconds of hesitating/standing still inside the tent for someone to ask, "What do you need? What can I get you? I'll get it for you!" The same thing happened less than 20 feet away when I went toward the drop bag area to get my other gel... A volunteer immediately flew over to me and tried to help me avoid something as simple as bending over or searching for my stuff. He retrieved my bag and even helped me open it! Very impressive.
Eats: I skipped the Mile 3 aid station altogether, and took a cup of water and a banana at the mile 6 aid station to call it breakfast. Somewhere along the way I also downed a gel that I'd brought from home a small cup of heed. At the turnaround, I grabbed a 1/4 of a PB&J. I knew I can stomach that, and I knew it'd be of good substance so I wouldn't feel hungry. Lots of water. One small cup of Gatorade.
Loop 2 (Miles 16.67 - 32.34ish)
More stomach slosh, more falls were the theme of Lap 2. Eventually I got through the stomach slosh, but I did have my worst fall of the day (which wasn't really all that bad) that resulted in some scrapes and bruises on my knees. On this lap, I realized that I fell in almost the exact same spot as I'd fallen on the first loop... chuckling again, I snow-angeled in the dirt before I got up. You know, keep things interesting.
This is the lap where I started getting kind of bored. The crowd had thinned out, and I was still passing people every few minutes, my mind just started to wander. I made it through the first loop without music, and I felt like I was ok enough to make it without for the rest of the run - plus, I didn't want to mess with the ear buds. I must've been listening to some of these songs the night before, because I literally had TWO songs playing in my head the entire length of the race: 1) I Just Wanna Live - Good Charlotte; 2) Gives You Hell - All-American Rejects.
Mostly, this part stayed on Loop Repeat... in my head: I rock a law suit when I'm goin' to court A white suit when I'm getting divorced A black suit at the funeral home And my birthday suit when I'm home alone Talking on the phone Got an interview with the Rolling Stone They're saying, "Now you're rich, now you're famous" Fake *** girls all know your name and Lifestyles of the rich and the famous Your first hit aren't you ashamed Of the life, of the life, of the life We're living
I just want to live I just want to live Don't really care about the things that they say Don't really care about what happens to me I just want to live
I mean, at least it was a good-ish song for running.
Not long into Loop 2, I started feeling like I was slowing down. It worried me a little, so I took another gel, and within about 5 minutes I started feeling better. I discovered partway into loop 2 that all of the aid stations had Hammer gel - Montana Huckleberry, my favorite! - for everyone to take too... so I started hoarding gels any time I could get my hands on some to make sure I'd never crash.
By this time, I also discovered that the PB&J I had was not only delicious, but that it made me feel full without feeling sick to my stomach or giving me a sidestitch! I started grabbing 2, then 3, then 4 quarters of cut-up PB&J sandwiches at each aid station. It took me probably ~1-2 minutes at each aid station before I downed the food I had in my hands and would take off running again.
Back to boredom. I got so bored during one of my loops that I pulled out my phone and made a vlog (video blog) for later. Apparently at the time the trail was notable and cool, but don't let the terrain you see in the video fool you into believing that's what the rest of the trail looks like. No sir! Roots. Everywhere. For some reason I felt like this back stretch reminded me of the Clear Creek Trail... except not-paved, with pine needles, different vegetation, and uphill. So maybe it wasn't like the CCT at all, but darn it- I thought so at the time! Please excuse any signs of crazy. Also note that the view of the trail started going down... and down... and down... and I tried to make sure not to trip on anything! Why do I sound so out of breath?!
Warning: don't watch if you get motion sick!
Ah yes, and less than 5 minutes after I took this video, I took a wrong turn and repeated a 2-2.5 mile section that I had *just* completed! It didn't destroy me mentally, but it was frustrating and I didn't know how much ground/time/distance I had lost... it was hard to know how much I had repeated. Of course, then I had to re-pass all of the same people I'd run by a little bit earlier. When I got to the turn and realized I'd gone the wrong way somehow, I exclaimed, "I'm so confused! I was just here 2 seconds ago!" to which another runner wittily replied, "I hope they don't charge you extra money for those bonus miles." It kind of made me laugh. (Had this conversation happened more loop later, I might have smacked him in the face. Truly crazy things happen when you're tired.)
A half mile from the time I took this photo, I checked my phone to see that Ben had tweeted that his knee wasn't doing so well after the first 20 mile loop. I wasn't sure how severe it was, but was kind of worried... and at the same time, had no clue what was going on with his run. There was really nothing I could do at the moment but continue running.
Here's a photo from near DamNation, one that I ended up seeing twice on that loop because of my mistake. Pretty.... this was the only area without tree cover (full out sun) during the race.
Despite all of this, I was running relatively fast on this loop and still feeling pretty good. Legs felt a little more beat up, but for good reason. I was still keeping pace, and besides aid stations, hadn't stopped to walk at all. Some of my miles went down as fast as 8:30s, and others were closer to 10 minutes. Either way, I felt strong, though less conservative than my start, and tried not to get into the mindset that I had to make up the time I'd lost from my repeating loop. I saw Ben about 2 miles from the finish of Loop 2, and he looked significantly more tired (while wearing his t-shirt as an infinity scarf around his neck), but he high-fived me and I think he said, "Love" as we passed. The stretch between the last aid station to the turnaround seemed to take forever. I specifically didn't ask anybody, nor did I want to know how long it was. I did remember that the race photographers were camped out near some water, and once I reached them it wasn't too long before the loop was over. ...kind of like the equivalent of running tree to tree, landmark to landmark. Little victories.
Somewhere near the turnaround point, I was getting antsy to reach it. I crossed a road and asked a spectator, "how far until the turnaround?" and he replied that it was about a half mile. Wrong - it was more like 3/4 of a mile.... every little bit counts!
That's all that was notable on this lap. It was definitely getting warmer outside, and by the time I reached the turnaround point, it was something like 12:30pm. At the turnaround, I had to gather up some will and motivation to head out for one more loop, and knowing I'd be done after the next lap was what got me to go back out again.
Eats: The usual PB&J at every aid station (increasingly more with each one) and 2 or 3 gels taken between aid stations. I drank tons of water since the temperature was rising and I was starting to sweat. Downed 2 Endurolytes capsules at the turnaround.
Loop 3 (Miles 33ish to 50+)
I always felt more refreshed and mentally in a better place after each aid station, and even more after heading out from the turnaround. I changed to a cooler tank top and left for my last loop feeling positive and excited in the fact that I'd be done the next time I was back!
I kept experience some intermittent tired (s)lows, which I solved easily with an energy gel once I realized I had reached that point (and my pace reflected it); one of the key giveaways that I was getting to the low were the moments in which I would get weary of telling people "good job," "nice work," "looking good!" as I passed them. [Not going to lie: I'd change it up so my comment didn't seem like an insincere "good job." haha.] Sometimes it came off as a mumble, and sometimes it was accompanied with a thumbs up, but I tried for every single person. Attitude! I mean, I'm convinced I have run some of the best races & times in my life purely because I was smiling. I remember getting a boost of confidence (and a reminder to check my running form) when someone I passed or who passed me oncoming commented, "You look really fresh!" so I'll have to remember that. Another friendly person I scooted around on the back stretch (where I took the video on the second loop) responded to my "Strong work!" comment with, "You're my hero! (Pressure's on!)" I hope I can have the power to say something as little as that to someone, in a future race, that'll give him/her a little help - a little boost. :)
Somewhere on this loop, I remember hearing a person tell a girl in front of me, "You're sixth right now," which led me to believe I was doing ok in the race! I passed her eventually, but with so many people on the course and two different race distances, it was impossible to tell who was running what. By this time, I'm sure people were also on different laps.
I finally got to DamNation again, and I did not make the same mistake twice! It was truly hot out by the time I got to the full-sun section, and I had to tell myself that I'd wanted to get sun while we were here, and boy was I getting it! It wasn't blazing hot, just uncomfortable enough that I was glad to be in the woods for the other 98% of the run.
What in DamNation...
You might think that my earlier video was a little cray, but it's not. Not compared to what I'm about to tell you. As Jeff described in his 24-hour race, in a long run, your mind can take you to a dark place. I was running on my own, and hadn't seen anyone in at least a mile. I started thinking about Todd and Ted, and about how we 'boop!' Ted on the head. Then I thought about how soft they both are. "Fuzzy..." slipped out of my mouth and I cheesed like a kindergartener on picture day. While I was running. By myself. At the time, I had an inkling that what just happened was kind of out of the ordinary, but now that I'm in a normal state of mind... that's completely NUTS! So I don't know if I actually reached that dark place, but I can tell you my brain was kind of cracking up on me. Temporarily. I think. I'm all better now!
No falls on this loop! I had a few close calls, but nothing significant, if I remember right.I saw a girl bite it pretty hard as she was coming off and down from a bridge, and that made me scared enough to pick up my feet. As I got toward the middle/end of this loop, I felt my energy levels dip down and would down another gel and feel ok again - rinse and repeat.
If you know me well, you know my brain doesn't work so well when I run (nay, it turns off...). I'm embarrassed to admit that it wasn't until early in the third lap that I figured out this was some kind of a lollipop-shaped course and that I had actually been visiting each aid station twice on a lap. And then I finally figured out that all of the 50-Milers that I'd seen running at me, oncoming, were likely behind me as I was headed back and they were heading out. I'm totally slow - this discovery took me a while.
I take pictures when I get bored
As I reached the second aid station and just past mile 40, I really started feeling anxious to be done. In my head, I told myself, "I've run 10 miles on a day I feel like crap, so I can surely do it now." I even flashed back to a class that I've been attending at Vibe Yoga (TNT with Kelly!), realizing that I've been able to "do ten reps... and then when you're tired, do 10 more!", and willed myself to channel that (mental/physical) strength to get to the finish. When I was feeling blah, I thought, "They [the people I'm catching up to] feel just as tired/achy as I do, keep going!" My IT band felt a bit tight, I'd been stubbing my toes at the fronts of my shoes from each fall, and I felt a slight twinge on the inside of my right leg. But mostly, my legs were just tired and not used to so much pounding! I started thinking thoughts like, "I never want to do this ever again!" and "I will never ever ever do 100," and "I wonder how much less my legs would ache if I'd been wearing Hokas?"
When I reached 7 miles to go, I considered that Paynetown could be as long as 7 miles (it's so not, but anything to get through), and again, I've finished that distance on days I felt horrible. Same with 6 - a big campus loop. Easier than Paynetown on this flat course! I hit the last aid station and refueled, asking some other runners how much farther the turnaround/finish would be. 4.4 miles! And then they flew by me effortlessly (which was really impressive, since they were running 100). I could hang on for 4.4.... at that point, my remaining distance came to be measured in campus loops. My Garmin had been beeping at me for a few miles, and finally died around mile 44/45. 4 miles = a short campus loop, and then 3 miles seemed to be the home stretch as 3 miles is the shortest and quickest of the campus loops. My attitude that the 3-mile campus loop is short and simple should definitely carry over the finishing the last 3 miles. At 2 miles, I looked for the photographers near the lake, and when I didn't see them, was questioning how far was left. Once I hit the 2 bridges in a row, I knew I was getting closer... and strange enough, my legs felt refreshed.
Eats: a handful of dry, dry goldfish. There's something about continuously eating sugary-sweet stuff while running that is really not appealing/appetizing to me. Probably 3-4 gels, about 4 PB&J quarters, and tons of water. Oh- and lots of Cheetos!
Finish
I made it to the road crossing where I'd asked the spectator earlier how far was left, signaling that I was less than a mile to go. I found it in my legs to take off and go like a middle school cross country runner who's just caught a glimpse of the finish line. I rounded the corner, saw my finish line, and sprang to the end of 50 (plus) miles.
Here's the finish line, with some pretty awesome spectators!
Post-Race
My chip didn't have my name associated with it, but when I was hunted down by one of the event managers/race timers, we got that straightened out quickly and efficiently. Then, they put an award in my hand - 3rd place overall female! - and gave me my finisher medal. They were even nice enough to look up when they last logged Ben's chip, and what distance that was.
How fun are these awards??
I hobbled over to the car and laid in the backseat for a few minutes, texting and posting twitter updates on Ben, and then changed shoes. Ben actually called me on his phone while I was laying there, saying that he'd just finished 60 and was wondering where I was. He was to the point where his knee (or compensation for it) was really bothering him and wasn't sure if he wanted to continue. There was no way he could be running again, though, since walking hurt terribly. I joined him for the next few miles as he decided to go to 100k, and walk at least to the first aid station on the loop. I grabbed m&ms, cheez-its, Cheetos, gummy bears, and all sorts of goodies in a bowl to take on our walk. (Earned!!)
We made it to 100k on the walk back to the turnaround via the roads. The aid station couldn't process drop-outs, so we had to make it to the start/finish/turnaround to do this. Ben was totally ok with this given the circumstances, and I know he took a lot lessons from this race and experience, even if it didn't end with a finish. Injury considered, no regrets!
Here's us on the road headed back - tired as ever. Ben hit 100k on this walk and I hit ~55 miles for the day.
End scene!
For you time- and split-loving people, here you go...
Weighing in on the Rocky Raccoon 50 and 100 Mile
I've never experienced any other events to compare this to, but here's why I liked the RR100/50:
Well marked course (I was just distracted and took a wrong turn!). The trails that are incorrect are actually flagged off and signage placed so that you know you're not going the right way.
Great volunteers and aid stations - one was fiesta-themed, the volunteers were ALL extremely helpful and cheerful
There were lots of people on the course, but no so many that it was overly crowded. Having a big field meant, to me, that I could use them to pull me along regardless of the distance I was running. Or, running from person to person.
Course is flat with some rollers. If you train in Bloomington, it's cake. (That's not to say that the hills seem to get bigger and bigger with each lap...)
Weather was nice. Starting temp was around 50 degrees, and the high on the day was 72. Sun! Low humidity (~50%) in Texas in the winter.
You're usually running no more than 3-4 miles between aid stations, which is a mentally easier task compared to the setup you get in other ultras.
This is one of the few ultra courses, as I overheard someone say, that doesn't take place on a mountain.
The 50 mile starts at dawn, and assuming you run relatively fast enough, you could finish before it gets dark. Running in the dark can get creepy, and carrying a headlamp can get annoying.
50 Milers have just 1 less hour to complete the race (29 hours) as 100 milers. That comes out to a >30-minute mile.
Having completed this race, the + and - of my experience... things I need to remember for next time.
Things that went well:
Went out conservatively and comfortably.
Stayed positive, came out still liking running
Ran the entire 50 miles (besides stopping at aid stations), no walk stops.
Chose shoes that I could keep on the entire race
Was pretty quick at the aid stations
Gel and food "kicked in" at the right times, didn't crash
No injury (kinda)! I've been working on strength training and form, but had some nagging twinges of plantar fasciitis and some foot irritation.
When I go in with no expectations, I always surprise myself.
Figured out how to maintain nutrition and its importance.
No blisters!
Heart rate training - with all the slow running I did, I built a pretty good aerobic base, which I think helped me get through this run and still gain speed at shorter (mile) distances.
To improve next time (next time?!)
I really should've eaten breakfast.
Drank WAY too much water before the race.
Ate too much fried food the night before. Solution: Buy or pre-select dinner plans.
Didn't get as much sleep as I wanted. Solution: Go to sleep earlier.
Any longer and I might've had some overuse injury issues - the twinge in my lower shin could've progressed to become worse.
Any longer and I might've had some shoe issues - my big toe was feeling cut up every time I fell, possibly from debris and sand in my shoe.
Links:
Garmin data - minus a few miles. Garmin battery died at mile 44.
Strava - fun side effect: winning the Strava February half marathon challenge!
So last summer after some extensive research, I decided to register for the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile as my first crack at the distance. Before this training, my only run over a marathon was the DWD Gnaw Bone 50mi. There were three primary reasons for choosing this event. First, it was flatter (as in, not a mountain 100). Second, it was in February, so ample time to recover and still have a good running year. Third was the withdrawal rule. I had until one month out to withdrawal from the event and only lose $15... and with all of the bumps in the road of training for an event like this, I felt that was a nice insurance policy.
So, I laid out my plan and subsequently found reasons to stray from it. Between opening a second store, icy-cold weather, and a surprise knee problem, I had found my bumps, but still decided to toe the line. After all, I did have a pleasant 30 mile run with my wife and a fast 47 mile run with Scott Breeden... what's another 53 miles, right?
The race itself and my memories during it are fairly uneventful, so I'll start with a "brief" summary and lean on a Pros and Cons chart to fill in my thoughts...
6am start, 7am EST... I started mid-pack and almost immediately realized my mistake. I would say about half of the first mile was walking in a long line of people on the trail. I didn't maneuver around the bulk of them until the first aid station at about 3 miles. At about 6 miles I met up with Paul and Hannon, also first-timers, and we chatted away and let time slip by for the next 9 or so miles. This was exactly what I'd hoped for, but instead more like a group of 5 for about 15-20 miles... oh well. From then on, I would say I was on my own. Not that I didn't see people, there was plenty of doubling-back and looping on the course to cut the feeling of complete solitude, but no real opportunities to take the mind off the task. Luckily, I had planned for such things and picked up my mp3 player after the first lap (Garmin says 19.5mi, supposed to be 20mi - in 3:00:43, plus 5 minutes at the drop bag for Vespa, Perpetuem, sunglasses, tweet, and my mp3 player).
Honestly, in reflection, I can't remember a single detail from lap 2. I listened to chapters 5-13 of Mockingjay and let time slide by. By this time it was getting pretty warm (about 70 degrees and sunny), luckily there was low humidity so I didn't feel overly affected by it. I know that I tripped on a root at some point, but I'm not sure if it was this lap or another. I'll take this opportunity to rant a little about the footing of the course. Rocky Raccoon... rocky? no. raccoons? no. roots? YES. sand? some. any animals? not that I saw. Back to the roots... I would guesstimate that about half of the loop included large outcrops of roots that required more than a little concentration. I would liken it to the Upper Griffey loop, if you know what I mean. Consolation prize? most everywhere there wasn't a root, there were pine needles... so, when you fell it was soft as long as you didn't fall on another root. Entertaining side note: it was dark at the start and everybody was bunched together, so there was quite a few people biting it. (Garmin says 39.1mi, supposed to be 40mi - in 6:10ish, plus 5 minutes at the drop bag for another Vespa, Perpetuem, tweet, and change of mp3 player to music).
The start of lap 3 I really found a nice groove (maybe my switch to music?) I started clicking off high 8, low 9 minute miles for about 6-10mi... I would describe this section as "comfortably numb." If the usual dull muscle aches that accompany endurance running were to remain like this the rest of the run, I would have rocked this race! Perhaps my fateful choice because by mile 50 I would describe it as "uncomfortably numb." I referenced a knee issue in the opening and this is where I'll come back to it. About 2 weeks prior to race on a 10 mile easy run, my knee began tightening up just above the kneecap to underneath and rendered me nearly immobile for about 24 hours. Obviously a concern, I worked on it with a foam roller for the days leading up and tested it through a few runs and even basketball. It had passed those tests, but I hadn't really had the opportunity to forecast what 100 miles would be like on it... ultimately I knew it probably wasn't good, but I had hope.
I first noticed it twinge once in a while when I was chatting with Paul and Hannon back on lap one and really felt it at about 15 miles. But by 20 (the end of lap 1), it wasn't bad enough to stop, so I forged on. I had started the race with kenesio tape and a knee band and opted to keep it on and forego the full knee sleeve. Up until about 50 miles I knew it was there, but it had become only somewhat noticeable... why? Turns out I was compensating more than I thought... by 50 miles my right quad was on the verge of cramping and as soon as I shifted some stress off of it my left knee got worse. I ran/walked from 50-57 miles still keeping up a 10-12min/mi pace (which I felt I could manage for the rest of the race), but it kept getting worse. I walked the final 2-3 miles to the end of the lap and spent about 15 minutes stretching assessing my options. Steph had just finished her 50 miles (and ROCKED IT!), so she was there to talk it through with me, which was comforting. I decided to switch shoes, start the next lap, and at least walk to 100k (62.1 miles) and see if anything loosened up or felt better. It didn't.
I could have walked the remaining 38 miles in about 11 hours for a ~22 hour finish, but I felt finishing wasn't as important as the potential further harm to my knee. Thus begins the debate (in my head)... am I just wimping out? It's easily admitted that the hardest part of a 100 mile race would be that final 40 miles, which I didn't experience... so who am I to say I could have finished in 22 hours walking? Will the lack of "experience" during that stretch impact my ability to prepare for / execute at Western States? Maybe everyone running 100 miles feels as bad or worse than I did and that is just part of it. As much of an excuse and cop-out as it sounds every time I talk through it, I want to think I made the right choice. There's always tomorrow (or June 29th), right? Let's let the pros/cons decide...
CONS:
- Didn't finish
- Didn't "experience" the last 40 miles
- Pretty intense knee pain later that night / next day; trouble sleeping
PROS:
- Ideal pre-race (nutrition, sleep, and timing)
- Another 50+ mile effort (mileage PR)
- "Felt" the atmosphere of a 100 mile race
- Ample supplies in drop-bags
- Really liked the ability to easily tuck my collapsible handheld
- Nutrition "schedule" seemed adequate for the circumstances
- Never in a mental "dark" spot
- Don't hate running (actually quite motivated)
- Got to see friends in Houston
- IU beat Michigan
- Coaxed Steph into her first 50 miler!
Looks like the pros outweigh the cons... so there you have it! I'll save the extensively long detailed race report for when I actually finish this next one... thanks for reading!
Yes. The answer is yes! Exactly one week ago, it was 4 degrees (F) outside. Today, it was 67 degrees and I ran In shorts and a tank top. Welcome to Indiana!!
I never experienced the precursors to a tornado, or even hail, before moving to Indiana. And now, I'm learning this is a regular occurrence. I'm writing this as 1:41am while I wait in our basement for the tornado warning to pass. (This warning - not watch- means that one has touched down nearby! Yikes!) Cue the hail...
So here we are. Antsy as usual.
What to do while trapped in the basement?
weather-stalking. catching up on our running logs. taking worthless cell phone pictures. foam rolling. Playing with Todd and Ted. Updating Facebook statuses. Writing a blog post.
So sorry for the lack of posts, but it's been a whirlwind around here since mid-October. Now that we've had a chance to relax a bit, see family, and watch tv for the first time in MONTHS, it's time to share what we did this week! (I won't bore you with the details of the past few months.)
Before we get too far though, forgive the organization of this post and picture placement. I'm writing this on my phone while we're on our way from Newark back to Indy, so this is a big experiment!
Ben and I worked on Christmas Eve, he at Arête and me at InRunCo. It was my first scheduled shift in over two years! We stayed extremely busy from 10am-3pm.
After work, we celebrated Christmas with Gma B, the Thompsons, and Uncle Bob/Aunt Patty. As usual.... Lots of food. Ben impressed everyone by downing about 1/4 of a super dense Bakehouse chocolate cake. Seriously. A brick of chocolate. He ate it. We took off and headed to see my mom in Newark, OH and arrived around 1am in time for the bet part of the day: bed!
Christmas Day, we spent with my mom and then went to celebrate in Cleveland with my sister and grandparents. As usual... More food. We did gifts and stuff too-- Megan's a ridiculously good gift giver, even though she doesn't think so. I'm always excited to be on the receiving end. Always some kind of cool surprise!! This year she got me a necklace she found on etsy- a pyrite necklace on a gold chain. Really cool statement necklace! I'm not sure if this had anything to so with the rock collections I had as a kid... 'Cause she doesn't even know about my recent geode discovery/obsession! Well played! I found/made/purchased some fun stuff for our families at Christmas this year... We haven't given them all out yet, but I'll share with you shortly for your future gifting ideas!
After Christmas we went shopping in Wrstlake while there was a blizzard going on. Do you know how awesome and not-crowded it is when you're at an outdoor mall during severe weather?? Even Ben got into a shopping mood! All in all, it was a weak blizzard- maybe 6 or 7 inches total, while Bloomington saw almost 12.
Later, we hung out with Ben, pretty much fave from high school, and went to Dave and Buster's for lack of anything more fun. D&B is one of those places that I won't go out of my way to visit but when I do it's always fun. We killed it at skeeball, football, and basketball. But not so much on the cyclone game. We both believe it's rigged!
We hung out at Megan's house and met Aaron's two dogs, making this a four-canine household. The dogs are enormous... And generally nice-ish, but neither ones I would want to meet in a dark or fenced alley. They are destroyers. (See exhibits a and b). In Newark, I got to spend some qiality time with my kitty, Nikki!! She's getting tiny- she only weighs 5 pounds now (less than Todd the bunny). Ben did surprisingly well in a cat house, allergies stayed mostly in check with the help!
It snowed a bit in Newark too, and lots of areas still haven't been cleared. We ran on a multipurpose path that was totally snow-covered. I grumped about that for a while... C'mon, give me some easy and mindless road running!
More shopping, this time at Easton (bought a new coat!!! Ahhhh!!!!!), with mom. If you're not familiar with Easton, just know that it is shopping Mecca. I mean, i miss college largely because I miss Easton. :) in Bloomington - and Indiana in general - shopping isn't quality enough to be a social activity like it is in old Columbus town!
And then mom took Ben and I to have our first experience with Jeni's Ice Cream at the North Market. Ho-ly ICE CREAMY GOODNESS!!!! The girl behind the counter didn't even get mad when I sampled almost 20 flavors... I settled on a scoop each of sweet corn & blackberry and the lime.
And that's the past week! It doesn't feel like we've been off of work for almost 5 days, and we are about to have more to report with our New Year's party and 5-hour running adventure tomorrow.
Until next time, friends!
I was fortunate that the B12 supplements worked. If it wasn't absorbed well enough or if my body couldn't process it properly, the only other alternative would have been B12 shots. Yeah - shots! The horror!
