Christmas

Missing spending Christmas day with your family can be a let down. Christmas miracle?

Well, I didn't win the game of Boggle we played.

Killer

Do you ever get the idea, what you are doing to your body is killing you?

Mine, I should suppose, is a fine line between killing and strengthening. 

Bad Sport Combo

Cold and darkness.

It is tough to run, jump, bike, swim, anything, in those conditions.

I'm struggling to think of one thing that is fun in that situation. Caroling?

The Why

NBC had a special on the 2008 Ford IRONMAN World Championship yesterday. The broadcast opened with voiceover that most clearly sums up the reason why my name is on a list.

"How many of us can truly treasure the experience of a single day, that didn't include a birth or a marriage, for the rest of your life?"

Every time the IRONMAN is mentioned, it becomes clearer that this is much more than just a race. I have 6 months.

Sunmart 50K Pics

It was a cold morning 7:45 AM and 35 degrees. Good for shorts and a shirt.

Looks like I am running pretty crazy here just trying to warm up.

Definitely, a tough photo. Don't let them see your eyes.

Pain is in these.

Coming in and back out for one last 12.5 mile loop. Just look at that ham bone working.

One of the best tips I was ever given:

At the end of a race don't look at your watch and stop it right when you cross the line.

Put your arms up, look for a camera and act like you just won the race.

You know what you are thinking after 6 hours of running?

I smell food. Where is the food. I must crawl to the food.

They had the best post race meal, everything.

Trot Shots

Everyone lines up, they release a wild turkey and runners dash to try and grab it. Not really.

Running at a brisk pace.

Down the final stretch as I begin to achieve breakneck speed.

I can really finish races. This at the end of a 6 mile run.

Must slow. Must hydrate.

Almost gotcha.

PFunk "Matador of Nog"

Merry Christmas Brad.

50K Breakdown

Have you ever seen Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed? It is a little bit how I feel detailing the race. I completed the 50K, no problem. But, here are the secrets...

First, I didn't run the entire 30 miles, few do, and those people are called the winners. I planned to be out there for 6 hours. I ran the first 2 hours (around 12 miles) with the knowledge I was going to knockout more than 1/3 of the race. If you have run a road race, but have never done a trail run, it is as different as badminton is to tennis. Trails are tiny (usually only two people can pass each other if both parties know it is happening), there are basically no straightaways and every step you take could be your last. Tree roots are like tripwires and wipeouts are frequent, as you can imagine they become more frequent the longer you are out there and the less you pick up your feet. But, trails are fun.

The beginning of the race is like a huge game of follow the leader running through the trails. I felt good, just cold. The only thing that hurt was my elbow (?). I ran for 2 hours as you know, but here is the secret...

I walked for 15 minutes and ran for 30 minutes and continued this the rest of the 4 hours and 17 minutes of the race. I came into the race with a walk 10, run 30 strategy, but the extra 5 minutes felt so good. I really wanted to see if I could stay fresh this way. It is basically the blueprint I was thinking about taking with me to the Ironman. It worked pretty well. The only real snag is running for only 30 minutes at a time makes it difficult to just go zonal and detach your mind from your body and become a running machine. And, starting up running again after walking is like needing a push on a sled down a snowy slope.

Here is another secret. I brought two old pairs of shoes with me (new shoes aren't as big of an impact on trails). About 3 hours and 30 minutes into the race, I switched out shoes. The first pair was working up some serious blisters. It felt unbelievable to switch. 

6 hours of doing any one thing is a lot. That is the main thing. Mentally, I was so sick of moving. I think the biggest challenge is what you do with yourself and what you think about in the time you are focusing on only one thing - just moving forward.

Ultra Marathon Man

Today I ran 30 miles.

31.06855 to be precise. I completed the Sunmart 50K in 6 hours, 16 minutes and 45 seconds.

Does anyone know of a good doctor in the Houston area?

Dear Amby

Yesterday, I ran with Amby. I got an email from Luke's Locker saying they were having an event but mainly the only thing I read was "Gatorade Goodie Bag."

About 125 people showed up but the thing is, I quite literally ran with Amby the 3+ miles. It just kind of happened as they sent people off with groups based on minute miles. I left with the 7-8 minute mile group and later saw Amby was running right behind me. It is tough to run with a group on sidewalks but the entire time I found myself focused on him. I had no idea who this guy was, other than the brief intro in the email I read, and all I knew was that if I was a runner this guy was cool.

First, Amby Burfoot is the Editor-at-Large for Runner's World magazine. So, if this was Project Runaway, he would be Nina Garcia, Bill Bowerman would be Michael Kors, and Hidei Klum would stay aboard.

Seriously, I had no idea who Amby Burfoot was. The situation makes me think of Mitch Hedberg's joke about meeting someone famous without knowing their body of work, "I did a movie with Peter Frampton. He's a musical genius, but I don't listen to his stuff. So I had to continuously try to draw attention away from the fact. Hey Frampton! Do you like toast too!? As do I. It is warm and crispy and the perfect place for jelly to lay. Now stay away from me Frampton, I ain't got nothing else to say to you!"

So, there I was running with a legend. I asked him if he had always been just a runner or if he had played other sports. The wiry 60+ year old scruffy bearded runner said he had enjoyed and been good at both baseball and basketball, but had had an accomplished running coach in high school who ultimately made a big impact on his life. We talked and eventually I asked him how good he was at his peak. "Well, I won the Boston Marathon," he said. To which I was thinking, "Wow. I should have just asked if he liked toast too."

The run became fascinating. He told me the story. He was running in the lead pack and about half way made a break for it. He said it was him and one other guy. He knew the guy, and the guy knew him. "And we both knew he was going to beat me," he said. They were running together and then after Heartbreak Hill the other guy started to cramp up and Amby Burfoot went on to win. The interesting part was he told the story like he always knew it was a second place medal. It would be difficult to have a victory where you felt like you were only the best by default, that you didn't 'win,' the other guy lost. Either way, still amazing. Later, after the run at Luke's Locker, in his address to the crowd he mentioned he was a former Boston Marathon winner, to which those, like me previously, were wowed. He didn't mention how the race went down and to those people he might seem less human as a runner.

I asked him if it felt fast, if running a 2:14 marathon felt like lightning. He said it really didn't because you are just running with the pack. The thing about that is the pack he ran with you really only see their backs, at the starting line. I talked about how I wanted to break a 4 hour marathon. He said he was in about 3:15 marathon shape and that I was barely breathing. Easy for him to say. I told him it was easier to run a 10 minute mile than a 6 minute mile. He later talked about when a researcher asked him to come into a lab and test out a product called "Gatorade." He said the original version, designed specifically for Florida's football program and "300 pound, out of shape football players," tasted like drinking the Pacific Ocean.

I asked him if he ever got into ultra marathons. He said a little and that people can really confuse an ultra as being just a couple miles more than a marathon. He said that is a mistake. And then I told him I was doing the Sunmart 50K this weekend. I wondered if he had somehow already known that and when he had said "people" I wondered if he meant ME.

Harvard Study

Thanks to Big Al, my eyes have seen a previously unknown to me, "TIME Best Invention of 2007."

This marks the second time I didn't get into Harvard University. Harvard and Vibram FiveFingers have teamed up for scientific research of barefoot and/or minimally shod running. This most recent rejection comes not at the culpability of my brain, but geographical location and physical issues. I do not live in the New England Area and have had a major lower limb injury in the last 12 months.

It is unbelievable to me I didn't know these foot gloves existed. It is also unbelievable to me that I need these as bad as I think I do. Paying to walk around barefoot? The sheer idea of this is probably the real reason this Indian is crying. Or, maybe it is because he saw bottled water for sale. Regardless, I should get a pair of these.

And, all that barefoot walking around will probably make me pretty thirsty for some liquid from a rare artesian aquifer.

Rafa "Matador of Spin"

I bought this outfit. I pretty much can't wait to play tennis now. And, I still sit in my sniper's nest on eBay waiting to find the old Agassi classic in a large that have the spandex built into the faded denim shorts. Sometimes, apparel plays an important role in workouts.

Turkey Trot

Today I ran in the Houston Turkey Trot. It is fun because you get to see humans dressed as turkeys.

I ran the 10K in 47 minutes. That is running a little faster than a 7:35 minute mile pace. I usually don't go that fast, but it is good to know I can.

The frustrating thing about time is that I can run 5 seconds faster on each mile, right? Felt fast and exhausting at the time, but seems like you can always give a little more.

8 (Teen) is Enough

Today we ran 18 miles. And, it is good that we are doing it in an effort to raise money to cure blood cancers, because...

I have run two marathons, an adventure race, and a half Ironman. This marks the furthest distance I have ever run in training.

Would You Rather

Would you rather swim 2.4, bike 112, or run 26.2 miles?

It is interesting how repetition and training influence preference. I would much rather swim 2.4 than any of the alternatives. It almost sounds easy.

Here are some good workouts for your brain:

Forget who you were or who everyone else was?

Meet an alien visitor or travel to outer space?

Have one finger made of peanut butter or a foot that detaches?

Hit every red light for the rest of your life or always be wrong?

Have the ability to swim like Phelps, bike like Armstrong or run like Bolt?