Bouncing back from Hernia Surgery

Hello all,

It's been about three years since I posted last.
Here is a photo of my participation in this year's Columbus Marathon.
I wore a Marine Flak Jacket and Loaded Marine Ruck (65 lbs.) and carried the American Flag as well as the Semper Fi Fund flag, whom I raised money for this year.

I am going to start things up again here and think now is a great time to do so.
I'll explain why; I am having Hernia surgery on Monday, November 28th.
I am kicking the blog back into gear because I want to share my experience with the surgery itself.
More importantly, I want to share my journey of rehabbing back from surgery to running and excelling and challenging myself physically.
Historically I am a person who does not do well if a few days pass and I have not run or exercised.
I am nervous that I will be a bear to live with for the next 6 weeks.
Here's how I'm feeling now:

• A little nervous for the surgery itself.
• Excited to get an issue taken care of.
• Anxious to get back to exercising after the surgery.
• A little nervous that I don't overdo it too fast too soon (I know me).

My plan is to work with my surgeon and doctor and work up a rehab plan and stick to it religiously.
I have always done well when I have stuck to a written plan in the past.
That's my plan this time.

Wish me luck in my surgery and I'll post again on Monday after my surgery.
Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving.

Oops.. Don't worry if you make a mistake

Hey all,
With the Fall Marathon Season upon us I wanted to give you just a little piece of advise.
Don't worry if something doesn't go exactly to plan.
Just go with it. You can never account for everything that might possibly go wrong.
Do only what you have done in training.
Don't wear brand new shoes on race day that you have never run in.
Don't eat anything you haven't eaten on race eve.
But most importantly, just have FUN and go with the flow.

You'll do GREAT.
Good Luck!

By the way, my next blog will be about my efforts at the Columbus Marathon to raise $ for the Wounded Warrior Project. 
But that's for tomorrow.

Hello Runner's (and runner's to be)!

I've been silent for too long.
I'm back now.
Dedicated to sharing my love of running with you and hopefully inspiring you to go run.
Here's my share for the day.

Go start now!

Steve

What are your goals this year?

Hey all,

I hope your year is going well so far. I am done with this winter thing. Although I htink we may be due for another snow before it's over, which is fine.

Today I want to talk about goals. What is your goal?

First, what IS a goal?

Here's what one internet dictionary says - "the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end."

I like to work toward a goal in all parts of my life, and certainly my running is no different. In fact, in my running is is probably easier than other parts of life. It's easy to define a goal and with a little research and hard effort, you can achieve that goal.

2011

In thinking about my goal for 2011 I first thought that I would like to finish two 100 mile races this year and one of them under 24 hours. Since I finished my first 100 mile event last year, The Burning River, I thought this might be a good next step.

Realization - I realized a few things in thinking about my goal for this year:

1. I love running

2. I have become much more skilled and experienced at learning to run faster. There is much more to it than just taking off and running fast.

3. I love running far. The 100 mile race was the toughest event I have ever done. I proved to myself that I could do it. The was my goal.

4. I am not getting younger. Oh how it would be nice to not grow old, that isn't how we are built. We have an expiration date. The goal is to have the best time and be the best person you can before you expire.

In thinking about all of these the last one kind of hit me. I realized that I have done the100 mile event. I loved it and I will do it again. I guarantee you that. But I realized that I only have so many fast years in me. I have learned how to train to be fast but that has taken years to get to that point and lots of trial and error.

I love running fast and being able to hold that speed for as long as I can.

In thinking about my fastest races two events stand out: my marathon PR (Personal Record) and my best 50 mile time.

So this year's goal for me is this:

Break my Marathon PR, which is 3:09:29.

Break 9 hours in the 50 mile race.

I ran my marathon PR in 1995 in Columbus, Ohio. The course has changed a bit since then. It is essentially quite similar. My goal is to beat my PR at this year's Columbus Marathon. I will do it. Even if I do it by one second, I will still do it.

The first 50 mile race I ran I ran in 9:22. I feel good about being able to break 9 hours in this event this year. I will attempt it at The North Face Mohican 50 mile trail race in Loudonville, Ohio.

So how about you? What is your goal this year?

Comment back to me your goal and let's keep track of training and progress and reach our goal together. I feel that by keeping tabs on training for each other that we can hit our goals together.

Come on people, let's do it!

Thanks and Happy Running!

Steve

Bobcat Trail Marathon - 2010

Hey all,
Last weekend I ran the second annual Bobcat Trail Marathon at Burr Oak State Park just north of Athens, Ohio. Athens is home to Ohio University and a big thanks goes to the OU students that came out to help at the aid stations. Without your help it would be a much tougher day. Thanks!
Race website:
http://www.oneworldtrailrunning.org/bobcat-trail-marathon/index.html

So, the race pretty much goes around Burr Oak Lake. Here is the course:


















I'm sure that looks a little small but trust me, it is long.
The race kicked off at 7 a.m. sharp. It was a clear morning but cold. I think it was around 28-30 F. It proved to be a sunny day so that helped a ton. As the race progressed the temp rose to about 48F. Perfect running weather.
I wanted to start out a try to stay near the front. I kept the front runners in sight for the first 4 miles or so. In fact, I think I was in 7th through the second mile and then moved up to 4th after three runners accidentally took a wrong turn. That happens. It's part of what makes trail running great. You actually have to pay attention to where you are going. The focus required for trail running I find more intense than road running. Not only do you have to really focus in front of you to keep from tripping and falling down (more on that later) but you have to pay attention to the course.
So, I was feeling good and stayed in 4th to 6th place for much of the next 10 miles or so. I was feeling good and going with it. There was a little voice in the back of my head saying that "Maybe you should ease off just a bit and save a big push for miles 20-23 or so". But I felt strong so I kept up that pace and was in 5th through mile 16.
This race has GREAT aid stations and the volunteers are some of the best I have ever run across. They asked what I needed as I approached. I would shout it out and by the time I got there 8 seconds later, there it was.
For a race this length I didn't need too much nutrition. I stuck to First Endurance EFS liquid shot. I really like the flavor and the electrolyte and energy boost I get. Check it out: http://www.firstendurance.com/efs-liquid-shot.html

I also used Hammer Endurolyte tablets. I swear by these electrolyte tabs and wouldn't run a race past a 10K without them. I take 1-2 every hour on the hour during an event and have yet to cramp, knock on my desk that looks like wood.
http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html?navcat=fuels-energy-drinks

So, off past mile 18 I go, thinking I only have 8 to go and feeling optimistic. My legs felt good and everything was right. I got to a decent descent that cut along a hillside. There was the uphill to my left and a ravine to my right. About half way down I caught my right foot on a root and went flying. I clearly remember thinking "This is really going to hurt because I am going through the air horizontally and heading for that ravine". Sure enough, I did. However, one of the forests' greatest assets intervened. That's right a little oak sapling was there to catch me and stop me before I went any further. I thought, "Oh wow, this little tree stopped me from experiencing a really horrible last 8 miles". I stood up, took stock of things noting only a few cuts on my right knee and a sore right side hip and arm. I was good to go though. I kissed that little sapling (I'm not kidding), thank it, and went on my way. Golden Rule and all.













At about mile 21 there was an uphill that caught me off guard and I walked up, as I did many of the hills from this point on. In a trail race it benefits me more later in a race to walk up hills and then pick up the pace as it flattens out at the top and then go faster on flat and downhill section. I love going downhill fast. There is an art to it and if you practice lots you can get really fast. At times it is a controlled crash. And sometimes you crash based on my last paragraph.
Mile 21-finish. I kept strong but was wavering a bit. I noticed that I got passed by probably 8 or so people since mile 18. I try not to think about that too much and try to tell myself to run within myself and only worry about me. I do find myself wondering how old the people that passed me are. If they look in my age group 40-44, then I give it a little extra.
I noticed that these miles seemed to go along rather quickly and I thought I am doing well on this section. As I approached what I remembered from last year to be the final hill, about 1 mile from the finish, I gave it the gas. My watch told me I had a good chance of breaking the 4 hour mark. Which would be awesome considering that I ran a 4:24 in 2009 and came in 4th.
Well, in that last little road section that led to the lodge, I gunned it. I was keeping about a 6:30 pace for the last 1/2 mile. It paid off and I finished in a time of 3:59:54! I broke 4 hours for this course and felt really proud.
As I was at the post race food and goodie table one of the race coordinators asked the guy I was talking to what the distance on his Garmin GPS watch said. He said 24.5 mile. What? How could this be? Well, come to find out after the fact, the course had been tampered with my someone or someones and the distance was shorter than 26.2. Oh well. I ran a sub 4 hour and I ran the same course that everyone else ran.
I came in 15th out of 175 people that started. I finished 5th in my age group, which tells you that there were lot's of fast old guys in this race.
To sum up, Great race, Beautiful day, Superb aid stations. Way to go Vince and Brandon.
I will certainly be back next year and many years to come.
Next up on the race calendar is my last one for the year. The Bigfoot 50K trail race at Salt Fork State Park.
Thanks to the Ohio State Parks Department for letting the boys host this race at our beautiful parks. Gotta love the State Park system.
By the way, that photo up there is NOT me but that was what was running through my mind as I was in mid-air. Yahoo!

Sorry it's been so long since my last blog. I have no excuse. Please keep coming back as I have lots to blog about.
RUN HAPPY!

Running far to fight cancer

Hey all!
I hope that the Summer is going good for everyone and that your running is going well. If you are training for a Fall Marathon or other event, stick to that plan. If you don't have a plan, contact me. I can help.
I want to let you know about a race that I ran in this past weekend and the fact that I am using this run to raise money for LIVESTRONG to fight cancer. The race was the Burning River 100 mile trail race. This was my first try (and finish) at the 100 mile distance. I have had great training leading up to the race, thank you Jim Smith, and I felt stoked and excited to toe the line at 5 a.m. on Saturday (Damn that was early).
I am happy to report that I FINISHED the race in 25:58 and came in 82nd place out of 270 that started the race.
Here is a link to the race website:
http://www.burningriver100.org/



LIVESTRONG
I am using this event to raise money for LIVESTRONG. You know, the yellow silicone bracelets that Lance Armstrong created and made famous. His foundation raises money to fight cancer and to fund research to find a cure. I feel deep in my bones that this is a great organization and I am passionate about raising money to fight this awful disease and to help those with it fight and survive.
My Aunt Sarah Handwerk died of cancer in 2007 after a long fight. She was a strong, courageous woman and I admire her greatly. I hope my daughter grows up to embody those traits. I ran this race in her honor and I thought about her all day. I ran this race in her honor because I want to celebrate her memory and I can't think of a better way than for me to carry her memory with me all day. She helped get me through this tough event. If she can fight cancer as hard as she did. If people who live courageously with cancer and fight it every day can do what they do, then I can run 100 miles in all of their honor and I did so proudly.
I would love to give you the opportunity to donate to my cause and to honor those that you know who may have been touched by cancer.
Please click on this link to go to my donation page:
http://fundraising.livestrong.org/grassroots2010/runningfartofightcancer
I greatly appreciate any donation.
Join me and donate today.
I will have a more detailed race report next week but I wanted to publish this blog first.
Thanks Aunt Sarah! I love you!

FORGET THE PR 25K - Race Report

Okay, it has been way too long since my last blog. New years' resolution to be consistent.
This is my race report for the Forget the PR 25K race at Mohican in Loudonville, Ohio. the race was held on . Jim Smith, my fixture of a running buddy, and I left Columbus early (5 a.m.) in the morning. We got to the race parking lot way early as there were only about 6 other cars in the lot. And that was even after we stopped at the local McDonald's in Loudonville, which is the swankiest McD's I have ever seen. There was marble and granite everywhere. Wood and even polished brass. Nothing says class like polished brass.
I digress. So we made our way over to the start area to get race numbers, sign-in, etc. It was chilly but partly sunny and probably 45 degrees or so. A perfect day for running. We went back to the car and got our race gear on and got prepared by listening to a little Girl Talk on the stereo. Very cool DJ from Pittsburgh that mixes 70-80's rock hits with Rap. It is a great combination and really fun to listen to pre-race.
We made our way to the line. Well, I should say Jim made his way to the line. You see Jim ran in the 50K and I in the 25K race. I got shut out of the 50K as it was full so I ran the 25K instead. The 50 started 30 minutes before we did. They rolled out at 8 a.m. and we started at 8:30. Jim looked good and I had the feeling that he was gonna have a good day but I wouldn't see him again until close to the end.
We started at 8:30 and when the gun went off we ran across a grass field about 200-300 yards and then turned left onto a road and ran back past the start line. I put myself in the lead as I wanted to get a good start and I was feeling strong that day (so far). As we got about another 1/4 of a mile we got to where the trail goes into the woods and begins to go uphill (already). Myself and Randy Wilson were up front and we had a great pace going. I had never met Randy before but when he told me he was a Cross Country coach from Pennsylvania I thought, Uh-Oh, this guy can hold a pace. Now, I am gonna get "off trail" for a second here and talk about one thing that I love the most about trail running, and running in general. I meet people that I do not know from all over the place. You just settle into a pace with someone and you start talking and it makes it that much more fun to run with a new running friend. Sounds a bit corny but I really enjoy that part of running. I have made many friends that way. Speedy runner extraordinaire Jay Smithberger from Granville for one.
So back to the race.
Randy and I started to pass some of the 50K runners at about the 4 mile mark or so. All of the runners were really good about letting us pass as we were keeping a much quicker pace. Makes sense, we were running half the distance they were so we could afford to go faster. Now something happened as we passed a few runners that I must stop and comment on. There were three runners that we passed and one, a guy that runs in the Northern and Central Ohio trail running community and owns his own screen printing business. He supplies many races with the shirts they give out. I won't name names but you get the idea. He said, and I quote, "Hey are you guys gonna run the REAL race next year"? Now Randy didn't take this too kindly and said a few choice expletives that I will not repeat here but I felt the same as he did. But Randy did say "we are just running fast because we can". Now the more I thought about this the more angry I got. I know for a fact that the gentleman was not kidding or "busting our balls" because neither one of us knew him. It's fine to say that kind of thing if you are friends with someone and you are jsut giving them a hard time as a friend. Neither one of us knew this joker. What right did he have to ask us if we were running the REAL race? Just because there is a longer race out there it doesn't mean that other races that day are not REAL. We all go to events with different goals and different agendas. My goal that day was to run the 25K as fast as I could as it was shorter than the 50K and I felt that my training would allow me to have a pretty fast time. Just because I was running faster and passed this fella on the trail he felt the only way to "shoot back" was to make a comment about running a shorter distance then he was that day. My ass. Any distance that anyone decides is fine for them on that, or any other day. I just ran the Mohican 50 mile trail race in preparation for the Burning River 100 later in July. Now the Mohican race also has a 100 mile race that all goes off at the same time. Now do you think that because 50 miles are less than 100 that 50 miles is a lesser event? Hell no! 50 miles is damn hard and there are people that start the race that never finish. So my point is now matter who is running what event it is exactly what they want to run that day and no one, except their ball busting buddies, should give them a hard time about it.
Okay, back to the race again.
Randy and I were going along at a good clip and I led us up to the first aid station. I thought "well, if he stops I will, if not I have enough water, etc. to get to the next station". Randy didn't stop so neither did I. We dashed into the woods and headed down a nice decent.
As soon as we got to the bottom of that decent I thought "I should not be a hog and let Randy lead for a while" be the kindhearted trail runner that I am. Well, when Randy took the lead he slowly hit the gas and I increased my pace to keep up. When I realized that it felt a bit fast for the pace I thought I could hold for the whole race I wished Randy luck and he slowly faded out of sight around the next corner. I felt good myself and just told myself to not worry about him anymore and just settle on a pace I felt good with. I did just that and was feeling really good. We came up to the Covered Bridge aid station, a staple of any trail running event at Mohican.

In fact, it's funny how many trail ultras have "Covered Bridges". The Burning River 100 in the Cleveland area in July (two days from now in fact) - you guessed it, Covered Bridge. I would love to find a race someday that is race from one Covered Bridge to the next. If anyone knows of an area with lots of Covered Bridges, let me know.

Back to the race. I got refueled at the aid station quickly and off I went again down a paved portion and into a small campground looking portion of the race. I could still not see Randy but I thought perhaps if I kept in my pace that I might see him again. The paved portion disappeared and turned into singletrack trail again. I love me some singletrack. It got to a portion where it wound very close to the Clearfork River and I really had to be careful. Lots of roots and rocks. This stuff is easy to trip on accidentally and I find myself at late stages of a trail race telling myself to "lift those knees" to avoid tripping.
Well, I avoided tripping during this race, which is usually not the case. Usually it's not an ultra unless you trip and fall. Not so this time, thankfully. I knew I was getting close to the finish and the adrenaline started pumping as I knew that I had not been passed by anyone and was still in 2nd place overall. I had never finished in 2nd place overall EVER in any race and I was getting excited but keeping focused on the trail. As I popped out of the woods where the singletrack ended I knew I only had a very little ways to go. But where were the trail markings? I looked for the telltale yellow flags stuck in the ground. Nothing. I was on a paved parking area and my eyes dashed back and forth as I frantically looked for the markings. Nothing. I ran slowly to the right after I asked two guys in a pickup if they saw any runners. They thought they saw some go right. So I ran about 1/4 mile to the right as I thought I saw a yellow flag. It turned out to be a daffodil and I was pissed. I quickly turned around and dashed back to where I popped out of the woods. As I kept running past that spot I spotted Randy cooling down. I asked him which direction to the finish and he said "Quick right this way" and pointed behind him. At this point I could see someone running in front of me. I knew it was the person who was behind me all race and was now in 2nd place. That was supposed to be my place. I tried in vain to catch him but we were way too close to the finish. I watched him finish and I finished about 10-15 seconds after him. As I crossed the finish line I tossed my waterbottle down in disgust and barked at the race director about the poorly marked porting right at the end and I why I was pissed because it caused me to finish 3rd rather than 2nd. He apologized profusely and quickly sent someone out to mark the course in that area and to make it painfully obvious where you were to go. I cooled down and apologized to him for losing my head and I told him how great the race was except for that little portion. I felt bad for over-reacting and apologized again. He was very gracious and I appreciate his kindness. Thanks Rob.
Here is me during the race:


My buddy Jim was running the 50K and after I got cleaned up and fueled up again I walked the course backward toward the Covered Bridge and met him about 1/2 from the Bridge. I ran back in with him to the finish for my cool down. He ran a great race and PR'ed at the "Forget the PR 50K" as did quite a few people that day. Rob has promised that in 2012 the race will be revised to live up to it's name. Bring it on Rob. Just make sure that hunting for the trail is not part of the race.
Thanks for reading and Happy Running!

WHY WE RUN

Okay, like we haven't seen this 1000 times and usually blow right past it. Typically, it is the headline of an article about challenging ones' self, setting goals and reaching them, or perhaps even for weight loss reasons as part of a new outlook on life. All very valid, respected answers that I have answered the same way depending on when you ask me. Today, however, I want to answer this question differently and make you think about running a bit differently.
"I run because I like to see with my own eyes what the world has to show me". That is my answer today with this post. By this I mean that I have always tried to run everywhere that I can. Anytime that I travel anywhere I get in a run anytime I can. Much of it has been on work/business trips. I have traveled to the following places on work trips and run at each one: Dusseldorf, Germany; Paris, France; London, England; Boulder, Colorado; San Diego, San Francisco, Miami, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Kansas City, Dallas, Seattle, Vancouver, Boston, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Portland, Little Rock, Houston, Providence, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Orlando, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Watsonville, CA, and others that I have forgotten to mention (sorry). On these trips I usually get up early in the morning and go on my run before the work day begins. I find it a great way to start my day.
Then there are the places that I have traveled to for personal vacations that I always get in runs: Isle of Palms, S.C.; Sanibel Island, FL; Los Angeles, Duck, N.C., Beijing, China; Guangzhaou, China; Changsha, China; Myrtle Beach, Outer Banks, N.C., and probably others that I have forgotten. On these runs I again usually always go in the morning as it is a more peaceful time to run, cooler in the summer, and then I have the remainder of the day to spend with the family.
I always try to run everywhere I go.

Why am I telling you this?
I want you to get out there and see all the cool things that I have seen and experienced through running. There are a lot of runs that come to mind. I ran in San Francisco one morning. I got an amazing hill work out in. I saw some amazing houses, ran past the LucasFilms Headquarters and saw the Yoda Fountain, and watched the sun come up on the East side of the Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge just to the left, very cool.























I ran in a park outside of Boulder one morning and thought I was going to die for the first few minutes of my run. Then I realized that the altitude was what was causing this. During that run I also saw a sign posted on that run that warned of mountain lions in the area. Suffice it to say that I was making all kinds of noise during that run and I was glad I had my "Bear Bells" on my shoes. You don't want your significant other getting a phone call "Mrs. Calhoun we are afraid to tell you that your husband is lost in the mountains and probably has been mauled by a mountain lion". Be safe when you run in an unfamiliar place.










I ran one morning when we were in Beijing and I saw the National Flag raising ceremony in Tienanmen Square. It was very cool to see the reverence that another country gives it's flag and the pageantry that goes along with it. If you are ever in Beijing you have to get up early and go see this. And there were lots of people there to see this and it was at sunrise.








I ran at Half-Moon Bay very early one morning and from the top of the hill I could see the moon hanging as big as life above the Pacific Ocean. Very beautiful. Although this photos happens to be in the morning, you get the idea.









Travel Locally
Now, you don't have to get on a plane, or even drive to see cool things when you run. This was taken here in Bexley after a recent Saturday morning run with the Bexley Running Group. This is Jody, Mike, and I in front of a house with our friend Frosty. It was an amazing site and when the girl that lives here and helped make the snowman saw us out front she came out and offered to take our picture with the three of us in it. She didn't even have any shoes on. Crazy! But not as crazy as the height of this thing. It was quite the sight.
I'm sharing these stories not to impress you with where I have been so fortunate to have traveled to but to encourage you to take your gear with you when you travel and go run. Get up early and go run before that morning meeting. You will have more energy than anyone in the room and you'll feel great. You will see some of the most amazing things and meet some great new people that you would not have otherwise met.
TIP #1 - Take a plastic bag with you, or use the plastic laundry bag from the hotel to put your sweaty clothes in.
TIP #2 - If you don't know a route, check out MapMyRun before you go and find one there. I can almost guarantee you that you will find a number of different runs that people have mapped out in a given area. I mean, there are lots of runs for the most obscure places you can go. I even use MapMyRun when I want to find a local route that I have never run before. Here is the link to that website:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/

I should probably add that I did not take these pictures above but found them on the web (except for Frosty, of course). That is one thing that I need to do more of is take a camera with me when I travel and take it on my runs.
Happy Running!
Steve

COOL RUNNING BLOG TO CHECK OUT

You can actually win something by following this link:
http://quadrathon.blogspot.com/2010/02/friday-freebies.html

It is something that all of us can use. It is a Moji icing product for back or knee. These babies work and you will love, love, love it if you win. Please do yourself a favor and enter. If you win, you will not be disappointed.

Okay, now that the "do this" portion of the blog is out of the way. Is anyone gearing up for a goal run this year? I would love to be your coach. I have over 17 years of running experience and I raced road bicycles for 10 years prior to that. I love to read everything I can get my hands on about every aspect of training and nutrition. I have a few runners that are gearing up for runs from 10K to half-marathon and a new triathlete that I am training for the Wendy's Triathlon. I have room in my schedule so if you have a goal and you want to reach it, contact me at stevecalhoun2003@yahoo.com or post a comment here and I will get right back with you.

Bexley Running Group - don't forget, we meet every Saturday at 10 a.m. in Bexley at the Jeni's Ice Cream at the corner of Parkview Ave. and Main St.. We usually run 4 miles as a group and some folks tack on miles afterward if you want a little more. We will not leave anyone behind and everyone can easily find a pace partner. It is snowing right now and calling for more snow through tomorrow morning, Saturday. It should be a great run tomorrow in the snow so PLEASE join us.
So, have a great weekend. Run carefully if you run outside. If you need motivation, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA
Now go Run!

SUNDAY RUN AT HIGHBANKS

Sunday, January 31st - 7:30 a.m.
My buddy, Jim Smith, and I ran 15 miles this morning at Highbanks Metropark here in Columbus, Ohio. It was 9 degrees F when we started. And that is F as in Fahrenheit and not an expletive. Although that would be warranted too. It was COLD but the sun stayed out the whole time. ALLELUIA! It really felt good when the sun would hit you as you could feel yourself warm up.
We started by doing one loop of the entire upper loop where we saw three deer. We joked that they said to themselves "What the hell are those furless idiots doing out here"? We then did two loops of the entire rest of the park. We did see more people than we thought we would, gladly. It's always comforting to know there are others out there with us.
The best part about running with someone that you are good friends with is that you can talk the whole way or choose to not talk at all. Jim and I have some great talks while we run. We come up with some great ideas, and some fun ones that might not make too much business sense but are fun none the less. We are working on a really good one right now so stayed tuned here for more details soon.

INSPIRATION
As we were running we talked about MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and the UFC (Ulitmate Fighting Championship) and some of the intense, insane workouts that some of it's fighters do. One in particular is B.J. Penn, who is the lightweight champion. He lives in Hawaii and is known for his amazing stamina and conditioning. One training technique that Jim told me about is that he and his training partners swim out in the ocean to where the bottom is about 12'-15' down and they swim down to the bottom. While there they roll or pick up and throw heavy rocks, swim back to the surface, and do it over again. I tried to find a video of this but could not. Anyway, it inspired me. We had to stop for a "pee break" and as Jim was finishing up I found a log about 4' long and about 10-12" in diameter. It weighted about 25-30 pounds. I picked it up, hoisted it over my right shoulder, and continued running. At first I thought, "I'll probably won't be able to keep this up too long". Well, I ran along and felt pretty good. I did switch shoulders once and as we got to an intersection that we would run past again, I put the log down. As we got back to that intersection about 1/2 mile later, I picked it up again and ran with it again for a while and dumped it off back close to where we parked. I have to say that it was not easy at times but I got a great workout. I probably ran with it for about 1 mile all together.
The reason I relay this is not to impress but to share with you the fun and challenge that I got from thinking outside of the training box that I find myself in sometimes. Challenge yourself. Do things differently. You never know when you will find something that works for you and that you really like doing. Jim challenged me to run the entire Burning River 100 mile race this July with that same log, carrying it the whole way. At first I thought, "You must be crazy". I'm re-thinking my position. Stay tuned...

Bexley Running Group

Hey all!
I wanted to let you, all how ever many of you, that I have gotten a running group going where I live here in Bexley, Ohio. It is just East of downtown Columbus by 3.5 miles.
We meet every Saturday morning at the Jeni's Ice Cream in Bexley at the corner of Parkview and Main Streets.
Here is a link to the location:

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=google%20maps&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl


We ran this morning and had a great run. It was a bit cold at the beginning but it was not as bad as I was expecting. We had 8 runners total.
Here we are:















I also to a picture of this flock of geese flying South that I took after our run. I tacked on a few miles at the end and heard this faint "Honk, Honk, Honk" and looked up and saw two groups, sorry flocks of geese about this size. I always think this is an impressive sight.
Do they take turns at the front like a cycling peloton performing an echelon in the wind? Is it the oldest one at the front? Is that the only one that knows the way or is that the one with the GPS? Inquiring minds want to know.















Please join us whenever you can. You don't have to live in Bexley to join us. Just come and have fun running with a group a people. We have all different paces so no one gets left behind.
Have a great day.
Get out there and RUN.

COLD AS A, ... WELL JUST REALLY COLD

Okay, this will be fairly short and sweet. I have not blogged in a while but this one will be short and then back to recap The Columbus Marathon and then pick up from there.
Dateline: Sunday, January 3rd
Columbus, Ohio
I went out for a run last Sunday morning. I got up early and left by 6:10 a.m.. Okay, so your saying no big deal, I do that all the time. True, but I'm just not used to it when it is 6 degrees F outside with a windchill of -6 degrees F. I have figured out that I absolutely love running in the snow but just aren't so fond of the sometimes bitter cold temperatures that can accompany. I checked the local weather radar before I left and I have run plenty in cold and snowy weather so I knew how to dress. Warmly and in layers. I had on a warm knit hat, a fleece neck gaiter that I could pull up to cover my nose. In fact, I could pull my hat down and the gaiter up so that only a slit for my eyes showed, which I did. I had on my Pearl Izumi jacket (love the Pearl), my Craft baselayer (love it more), a duofold heavy knit long sleeve top over that, my Brooks winter running pants, my asics knit running undies with a goretex wind-proof/water-proof panel to cover the twig and berries (I can't tell you how much I love these), wool Darn Tough socks, and my Pearl Izumi syncroguide II shoes. Oh, and my Pearl Izumi lobster gloves, with integrated terry backs for nose wiping. If you think I like Pearl Izumi gear you are right. I was introduced to their stuff back when I raced Road bicycles and they make great performance gear.
In fact, here is what I looked like after my run:

So, I left at 6:10 a.m. and when I first hit that outside air it literally took my breath away like I just got a light kick to the nads. Ouch! Kind of like that first time that one of your kids accidentally hits you there without knowing it and it not really being a hard knock. But a knock none the less.
Once I got used to that freshly kicked feeling I was fine, in the relative sense of the word. Fine as in "that set of thumbscrews fits me just fine". Find as in "I love creamed chicken casserole just fine" the first time you go to your would be mother-in-laws house. You get the picture. You are trying to convince yourself that it is not as bad as it feels but given the choice I would choose for it to be 60 degrees and sunny.

I always like that sound of my running shoes "crunching" through the snow. It seems like the colder it is the louder and crisper the "crunching" is. Well, it sounded like I was running through a field of freshly laid Frosted Flakes. The quiet of the morning combined with the apparent volume of the "crunching" made me think "If I was a hunter there is no way I could sneak up on any prey. They can hear me coming 1/2 mile away for Gods' sake". However, I discovered that there is something that is very peaceful about that scenario. It is quiet and actually hearing the sound of my contact with the frozen earth is kind of humbling. I didn't necessarily think that way at the time but now that I reflect on it, I really enjoyed that aspect of the run.
I ran from Bexley, just East of downtown Columbus, towards downtown and turned North on High St. and ran up High St. to the OSU campus, took a right on 17th ave. and up to touch Ohio Stadium (the Horseshoe) making that my turnaround and headed home.
As I was running back I encountered that thing that used to be a tailwind but was now a headwind blowing cold air right at me. WOW! Another kick to the nads.
My eyes watered, there was a little snow coming down, and my eyelashes were freezing to each other. Not fun, but easily remedied by rubbing them. I had been breathing through my mouth for some time now and the neck gaiter that I had pulled up to cover my nose had developed a frozen crust on the outside by this time. It made it easy to remove to take drinks from my semi-frozen water bottles as I could just grab the stiff cloth and pull down. I have to say that at this point the only part of me that was really cold was my hands and I had to keep moving my thumbs and fingers around to keep them warm. The rest of me was not too bad. As I was about 12 miles in to this 16 mile fridgefest I had to utilize a maneuver known as the "farmers' blow". Now, for those not familiar with this I will explain. Since ones nose can run more than usual when it's cold one has the need to blow ones nose. Since I don't have a hanky, I need to improvise. If you take your right thumb and cover your right nostril and blow, you will get "nasal stuff" shooting out of your left nostril and if you hold left thumb to left nostril you get the same from the right nostril. This is also know as the "snot rocket" as sometimes it can really move depending on the voracity at which one blows. Then you just take the back of your glove and wipe. Mission accomplished. When I completed this maneuver as I passed a car I swear I thought that I broke the side window of the car because I think from the time I blew to the time it accidentally hit the parked cars' side window, it froze. You get the picture.
And another really odd thing happened right about this same time. I was fairly close to CCAD, the Columbus College of Art and Design and I heard the strangest noise, blackbirds calling from a large tree. I don't mean one or two either, I mean many, many birds. I would guess that there were probably 15-20 or so. I found this odd because I have never experienced this in this dead of winter. I guess I always figured that most smart birds flew South for the winter. I guess not.

So, I continued my run back home, and was exhilirated yet quite glad when I finally got home. I felt really good but I can tell you that there is nothing better than the last mile or so of that run thinking about the nice, hot shower to come along with the warm breakfast.
Life is good.
Here are a few other photos that I took that morning as well:














This is called the frozen grimace!














I call this one Frozen Neck Gaiter!














I even found two cents during this run. Life is Good.
Now get out there and enjoy YOUR run.

2009 COLUMBUS MARATHON

This past Sunday, well okay MANY Sundays' ago, I ran in the 30th Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon with my friend Jim Smith. Yes, the same friend that I ran the Mohican 50 mile trail race with this past June.
My posting of the race and events:

6 a.m. -
I actually got up much earlier than 6 a.m.. In fact, I woke up at 4:45 a.m. to get some food in me to properly fuel and hydrate myself prior to the race. Had a bit of oatmeal, coffee, and lots of water.
I got my son, and many other Bexley Middle school cross country runners, up at 5:45 a.m. to go work at the Bexley aid station, which is right at about the 5 mile mark. I organized members of the team to work at the station with the help of Nicole Rehill and Carla Sokol, thanks ladies. When I dropped him off it was pitch dark and there were already volunteers setting up cups and filling them for impending throng of humanity that was about to descend upon those two long line of folding tables. This scene was playing out all over the 26.2 miles of the course and the race could not be run without the great help of all the volunteers that help so a big THANK YOU goes out to all them.
I dropped him off and headed down to park near the start line and meet Jim.
We met at the Marriott Residence Inn on Gay St. and discussed the days pending challenge. We met two ladies from Chicago, sorry I can't remember their names, and they walked to the start line with us. One woman was running the half and was up for a faster pace than we were hoping ot run so she was a bit closer to the front than we wanted to be. For those that don't know, when you line up at the start of most marathons there are pace signs or balloons that have a pace or goal time marked on it. You just find the one that corresponds to your goal pace and you start there. In theory, this works fine. However, the start of all of the marathons that I have run, except for trail marathons, is very chaotic. Fun and exciting, but chaotic. There are lots of people all running in the same direction and only so much space for everyone to be at a given time. After you run a few marathons you get the hang of the start but it is best to run with your hands at the ready so you can gently (or not so gently) nudge people or brace yourself if you think your going down. It is easy to clip legs or get your legs clipped so just be careful, that's all.
So we find our goal pace, 3:45, and we get in the starting chute. It was a bit on the cold side, I think 32 degrees, but very clear skies. A perfect day for running.

THE START

The starting gun went off at 7:30 a.m. and down Broad Street we went. It was a great start and everything went smoothly. Since it was a bit chilly at the start most people wear something that they don't mind donating to the homeless in Columbus. Lots of additional tops get jettisoned in the first few miles of the race as people warm up and begin to sweat. I wore a zip up nylon vest and Jim rocked an old school Pearl Izumi nylon running jacket with neon yellow sleeves. Those were our "shed layer". As we ran East on Broad St. and headed into Bexley we were right with our 3:45 group. We passed the Franklin Park Conservatory at about mile 2.5 and were feeling great. As we ran through Bexley the crowds were really good and loud. I love my neighbors. As we came up on the aid station (mile 5) that I dropped my son off at I could not tell which side he was on as fluids were given on both right and left. I did not get water from him but another runner on the middle school cross country team and that was a fun exchange. Next year I will have to coordinate better on location with him.
This area and as you turn right on Main St. is one of the loudest sections on the course. The crowd is outstanding. This is where my wife, Pam, was cheering with our daughter. Jim and I jettisoned our top layer of clothing as we heated up. Thanks honey! I love running through this area of town as this is where I live and I always see lots of friends here. Thanks for coming out to cheer all. It really helps propel you along the race.
So we then head West on Main St. and turn right on Nelson Rd. and head up to the backside of the Franklin Park Conservatory. Just as we turn left on Franklin Park S. there was a huge inflatable "Start" line that Brooks running shoe company put up to encourage runners to have a great race and start the rest of their race there. It was quite funny and there was even someone on a bullhorn shouting encouragement to everyone. Kudos to Brooks for that.
We ran around the backside of Franklin Park and then back to Broad St. to head back downtown. Nice crowds here around the park. This section is nice because of the park but the road surface and the large speed bumps can be a hazard so be careful here.
As we make our way back downtown down Bryden Rd. the crowds get thicker again and Bryden Rd. is very nice as there are many large trees and this area has been going through a long resurgence of folks buying these great old houses and restoring them.
As we get closer to the left turn down 3rd street you can hear the crowd from a few blocks away. It is quite load here (mile 9) and it is a great boost to the running ego that keeps you going. At this point we still have sight of the 3:45 pace group but we are hopeful to stay in touch and reel them back in.
We turn down 3rd street and head down into the great German Village area of Columbus. This is one of the prettiest parts of the course as the old houses and large trees make this area a treat to run through. The crowds here are normally large and loud. It seemed a bit smaller on the crowd size this year and not as loud as I remember it. We run down into German Village, around the beautiful Shiller Park, and then turn right on to High Street for the longest straight run on the course. It goes from mile 11 to about mile 15 and it has a few undulating hills on the course. As we approach Nationwide Blvd. (yes, named after the insurance company that also is the title sponsor of the marathon-thank you Nationwide) this is where the half-marathon people turn left on Nationwide and head down to their finish line. This is great for the marathoners as it is very loud and there is a lot to cheer about. Believe me, people cheering for you REALLY helps.
As we pass the half-way point in our marathon Jim is starting to slow a bit and his legs are beginning to feel it so we kick our pace back just a bit. We are heading through the Short North area of the course and the crowds here are not as big as I expected as there are a lot of people that live here. In fact, when I first moved to Columbus in 1989 in lived in the Short North right on High St. in the Greystone Building. Ah, the good old days when you could observe offers of solicitation directly from your very own fire escape. That was back before this area of Columbus was cleaned up. It is a great area of town now.
We take a short walking break at the water station at mile 14 or so. No big deal. Better to finish than push too hard and not finish at all.
As we continued up High St., turn right at Eddie Georges' #27 restaurant, then head North where we then turn left down Fraternity and Sorority Row. That would be at The Ohio State University in case you don't know. We then weave through campus and run past the hallowed grounds that is Ohio Stadium.
This is one of the most glorious college football stadiums in the country. It officially seats 102,329 but the largest crowd is 105,708 vs. Michigan in 2006. Just thought I would throw that in there.
We then head out through West campus and into Upper Arlington. This area has great crowds as it runs right through neighborhoods and past peoples' houses. Some folks actually still had their pajamas on and were cheering. How fun.

We then head South and go through Grandview. This is a great neighborhood in Columbus and this was the first year that the marathon ran through Grandview. The crowds were great and I think all the runners appreciated the enthusiasm. Thanks Grandview!
Here is a photo of my buddy Jim and myself running in the Grandview section.
Good times!












We then headed West from Grandview and ran onto Neiil Avenue, which has some great old houses that line both sides of the avenue. Lots of trees too which helps when it is sunny. We turned left from Neil and headed up a slight incline known as Buttles Ave, which is flanked by Goodale Park. At the top of that incline there was a spectacular treat. There were Buckeye candies passed out by Anthony Thomas Candy company. A Buckeye is a chocolate covered peanut butter ball that looks like a buckeye nut, or the eye of a male deer, take your pick. It was a glorious treat in the last mile which gave one a little boost of energy to hit the finish line smiling.
We finished in a time of 4:12 and felt good about doing so. It was a glorious day weather wise as you can see from the photos. The post race food tables were good, as always, the one thing that I saw missing were floating balloons with big letters on them so people could find their loved ones. It helps when these are floating above the crowd and easily seen above heads. Other than that little quib, the Marathon was great. I look forward to running it again this year, as always. This year I would like to qualify for Boston again so I'll need a 3:20 or faster. We'll see.
By the way, you can see that I was WAY late in posting this report but I guess better late than never, right?
Now get out there and run.

RUN 4 THE HEALTH OF IT!

Hello all,
I wanted to tell you all about a race that I did on Labor Day this year. It is the Central Ohio Primary Care Physicians Foundation "Run 4 the Health of It" 4 mile race in Westerville, Ohio. This is the second year for the event. Last year my wife, Pam, ran it with her friend Karen. They had a great race and really enjoyed the course. My son also ran last year as well but in the shorter kids race, probably 200 yards or so.
This year he wanted to step up to the actual 4 mile race. I was very proud of him for wanting to take on this challenge on his own. My wife had planned to run it with him but when the forecast called for Rain, Rain, and more Rain she decided against it. I did not marry a woman whom is fond on ANY inclement weather. So I decided to run it instead. My son is only 12 so couldn't drive himself and running there as a warm-up was probably not wise.
We left about 7 a.m. or so as the race was to start at 8:30 and we had to still register and get warmed up. We got there and got registered and then warmed up for a mile or so and did a few strides (short, quick little bursts of speed) to awaken the muscles. As we made our way to the start line the skies looked a bit ominous and I was sure we would get wet at some point.
I asked my son if he wanted me to run with him to pace him and he said "No thanks Dad, you run your pace and do your best and I will too". That made me a proud Dad. I was proud that he was taking this races' challenge on his own terms.

THE RACE
As we were called to the line I got my son settled in a place toward the middle of the pack and I then went up toward the front. I felt like I wanted to get a quick start and then maybe settle down a bit. The gun went off and so did we. There was an early, first 200 yards, pack of about 10-12 runners out front and then myself, Leslie Dorado (whose husband is a member of COPCPF and hosts the race), and Doug Bean. I tucked in behind Leslie and Doug. I think I may have pulled once (meaning that I took the lead of us three and tried to offer some minimal draft and some pace) and then hung on for the ride. Leslie was having a good day and I stayed behind her and Doug the rest of the race.

FINE FEATHERED FRIENDS
As this race is in Westerville on a bike/running path that is around soccer fields there are always geese present. I don't know if geese like soccer or what but they are always there. Oh wait, I guess they eat the large expanse of grass to get fat for flying South in the winter. My bad. So if you have been to your kids (or someone else's) soccer game you know that there is goose dooky everywhere. Half of the battle is just dodging the slick little piles of poop. Next to impossible when you are focused on just running fast. That's where the lovely rain comes in. At about mile 2.5 of the 4 mile race it began to rain. Not a hard driving rain but enough to nicely cool us off and rinse the goose dooky from our shoes.



WHAT IS THAT NOISE?
I was able to keep a good pace and finished 15th overall (2nd in my age group) in a time of 25:23.
I then cooled down and ran the course backwards to look for my son. As I was running along I heard a noise that I can only describe as sounding like a goose was having an asthma attack while getting beaten with a 9 iron. "HONK, GASP, WHEESE, WHACK!" all at once though. I could not figure out what it was or where it was coming from but it sounded like it was getting closer as I was running along the course. As the noise got closer I finally figured out that it was coming from a person. It was an African American gentleman who was probably 60 or so who was making that noise with every footstep. He seemed to be running along just fine though. I asked if he was okay and if he needed help as I came upon him but he said "No thanks" and just kept running. I have been running for a long time and I can tell you that I have never heard or seen anything like that. Goes to show you that everyone has there own style of doing everything. People find a way of figuring out what works for them and jsut going with it. He didn't care what anyone thought of his style, he was just running, and I appreciate that independence.
I came on my son right after that gentleman noisemaker and ran the rest of the race with him. He was chuckling only the way a 12 year old boy can about the gentleman noisemaker in front of him. I asked if he heard it the whole way and he said, "Yes, he's been honking the whole way". I let him totaly dictate his own pace. I just asked him how he was doing and told him that I was incredibly proud of his race and was excited to see him finish. As we approached the finish line with about 300 yards to go I encouraged him to find another gear and hit the gas to see if he could pass the guy in front of him. I split off to the side of the course and ran in behind him to watch him beat that guy at the line. I was one proud Daddy. He finished 136th overall but 2nd in his age group in a time of 39:12. Way to go son!!
I'm telling you this story to relate a story of pride sprinkled in with some humor about a great Monday (Labor Day) morning between my son and I. I hope you have fun stories of pride that you can share with your running friends too.
See you next time.


By the way, any idea where that good looking young man got his ears?

Middle School Cross Country

Hello all,

It's been a quick summer for me and I am sorry I haven't posted a new entry in a while. I have been up to some fun stuff lately.

My son is on the Middle School Cross Country team this year. It started out as him just wanting to run with the team in the summer for their conditioning. He wanted to get in shape for the soccer season. He found that he really likes running and let us know that he wanted to join the team.

I believe that we have close to 45 kids on the Middle School team. I say because I got involved with the team too. I work for myself so I have the luxury of being able to somewhat control my schedule. During the summer I ran with the kids in the mornings before I started my day. I really enjoyed running with them and watching the kids get stronger each week. My wife and I are friends with the Head Coach and his wife an

d I asked him if I could volunteer to assist him with the team. He said "Of course, I would love the help". So I help out any way I can. I try to go to most practices and run with the kids to keep them motivated and provide any assistance and help coaching I can. I also am at each meet since my son runs so I help out there too. I enjoy ge

tting the kids warmed up before their respective races and cheer them on wildly when there are competing. I help out getting their tags on their singlets too. They tear these off when the kids finish to keep the finish order of the runners.

Both our girls and boys teams are good and usually place very high in every competition we got to. Our girls team is especially strong and we stand a very good chance of doing quite well at our district meet in October.

Canal Winchester meet - First Place

Here is a fun picture of the start of the girls' race at Granville recently. We are the blue team, Bexley.

I can't tell you how much enjoyment I get out of helping with the team. I love passing on my running knowledge and the kids are like sponges that absorb everything you tell them. They are genuinely interested in learning more about running and hearing about the running that I have done. The satisfaction I get out of watching a group of kids participate in the sport I love and grow in that is HUGE.

THANKS!

I want to give a special thanks to Head Coach Dave Valentine, Coach Carla Barno, and Coach Jack Tapee. They have welcomed me as one of their own and I am just a volunteer. I truly appreciate them allowing me to help with the team and I have learned much from all of them as well.

Mostly, I want to say "Thank You" to the kids. I have learned so much from them and they have given me a chance to pass on my skill and knowledge of running. Thank you for putting up with my loud and enthusiastic cheering and blue and white flag waving.

I will post additional entries about the team soon but I wanted to get this out there.

If you have a child that is in Cross Country, get involved. If you don't, you can still get involved in helping your local Cross Country team. Contact the Coach or Athletic Director of the school and ask how you can help. Perhaps supply some fluid replacement such as Gatorade for the team or provide a bag or two of oranges for them to eat after they race. Nothing much tastes better than a fresh orange piece after a hard race. Perhaps you can even help out on a race day. They always need help directing cars to park, being stationed at the finish line to help with the finish order, being stationed at the mile markers to shout out times. Just get involved. The kids will appreciate it and you will feel great.

Thanks for reading and RUN ON!

MOHICAN 50 REPORT 2009

Day Before Race

Registration is the day before and I have to say that it is very well organized and run. The great thing about Trail and Ultrarunning is the cameraderie of the competitors. There is this great sense of togetherness that I love about these type of races that I don't find at Road Races. It is interesting that I found the same to be true when I raced bicycles. Road races were frequently very tense and combative affairs. Mountain bike races, on the other hand, were very friendly, laid back events. Everyone seemed to love the fact that we were all in nature together.

The friendly folks at IduTri http://www.idutri.com/ had their mobile running store set up and I purchased a camo Buff (as seen in Survivor) to wear around my neck. I had read a few other blog and reviews that folks mentioned that the evaporative effect really cools one off when it gets hot. And besides, you never know when you may need to rob a convenient store so you can just pull it up over your nose and away you go (most likely to prison).

Night Before

Spent the night at the nearby Landoll's Castle with good friend and running and all things sporting, Jim Smith. Landoll's Castle and the surrounding land is quite extraordinary.

http://landollsmohicancastle.com/

The room was a one bed room with a pull out couch. I slept on the couch and did not spoon with my friend Jim. I love him and all but not like that (his wife will appreciate that). Got a good nights' sleep despite some loud late night entry by our downstairs neighbor (or so Jim tells me, I slept through it). Got race gear on and headed for an early morning drive to the Start line.

Almost made a HUGE mistake

The race started at 5 a.m. at The Mohican Wilderness Campground. Well, it was supposed to but started a few minutes late. As we all were standing at the Start line I was doing a mental checklist to make sure I had everything and I realized that I forgot one of the most important piece of Ultra running equipment, Band-Aids for my nipples. Yes, after running countless races without forgetting anything, I toed the line for this one with no nipple protection. For those not familiar with this allow me to explain. The nipples can very easily get rubbed raw by the very subtle motion of your running shirt swaying back and forth or the damp or wet fabric rubbing against your protruding nips. If this happens it is very painful.

I wanted to avoid this at all costs. Especially in a 50 mile race. I probably would have no nipples left to speak of. Now, I could have waited until an Aid Station to get some and apply but by then they may have been damp and the Band-Aids might not stay on. I had a slight panic and jumped out of line to do something about it. I ran into the picnic shelter right next to the start line and looked around for some Band-Aids. No luck. Then my saviour, my angle appeared. I saw a woman standing with two children and she had a decent sized purse. I said to myself "if anyone here has Band-Aids it will be her". I asked if she did and lo and behold she produced a box of them from her purse. She said "Take as many as you need". I only have two nipples so only took two out of the box. I thanked the woman profusely and I unwrapped them both and they were Scooby-Doo and friends Band-Aids, I was in luck. I loved Scooby-Doo as a kid (still do) and thought these would be perfect. I applied them, threw my wrappers in the trash and made my way to the Start line with a few minutes to spare. Now, the only thing that was running through my mind at this point was that Scooby and friends would not possibly last the whole race (surely the adhesive is not as strong, right?) and that I was gonna have to reapply. Well, I am happy to report that Scooby-Doo and friends lasted as long as I did and would have had many more miles in them if I had been running the 100 (next year).

Okay, so it has been raining cats and dogs much of the night and it begins to taper off as we are making the short drive to the campground/start/finish line. We all line up in the start chute and the bullhorn goes off. Off we go.

The first 7-8 miles is on a combination of paved road and gravel road. Everyone is in a great "Good Morning" mood and we are loving life.

Green Section

We get to the first section of actual Trail (Green Section) at the Rock Point Aid station and it is a bit damp at first and then degrades into really sloppy. Many parts have good sized puddles in the middle of the trail. At one point, there is a bit of a traffic jam (yes, there are even traffic jams in trail races) and as we come up to the "problem area" we realize that there is a guy with his right shoe stuck in the Mud, Mud, Mud Pit and he is going back in to retrieve it. I remember thinking, I am quite glad that is not me. If you read my last post you'll know that I was wearing my Norht Face Rucky Chucky Gore-Tex trail shoes. Even though the outside of the shoes was getting quite wet and muddy, my feet were dry and feeling good. The nice thing is that the trail is soft and easy on the joints. Here is a photo of Jim on the Green section between aid stations South Park (hey Kenny) and the Fire Tower.

This section of the trail is beautiful, as is all of Mohican. The ferns are gigantic, as you can see, and everything was very lush. The trail conditions were wet but runable. The trail marking here was very good and I don't think anyone got lost here. We continued on to the Fire Tower.

Here is a shot of me at the Fire Tower right after the aid station.

There are some runners that run up to the top of the fire tower each year. I was not one of them this year but I would like to try it. It was built in 1934 and renovated in 2005. It is 80' high and has 106 steps to the top. I just didn't feel like adding an extra 212 steps to our race.

We continued on the Green section through the woods to the Covered Bridge.

The Covered Bridge is the busiest aid station at this race. It is a crossroads for the Green, Purple, Red, and Orange sections.

Purple Section

We ran off to the left here and started our Purple loop, which goes from mile 21 to mile 25. The Purple loop goes up to Little Lyon falls, past Pleasant Hill Dam, and then back into the woods down Big Lyon Falls and back on the trail to the Covered Bridge. The trip up to Little Lyon Falls was beautiful. Lots of cool flora to be seen...

As we ran (climbed hand over hand in one part) up Little Lyon Falls and then onto the road and past Pleasant Hill Dam, it started to get hot. The sun was out at this point and there was not much breeze on this part of the course. We ran (walked up hill) about a mile or so and then back into the woods. This part was well marked and as we progressed down the trail, the markings eroded and it was kind of a crap shoot for us. We found our way okay and there were 4 of us together at this point. We met up with others right after the Big Lyon Falls that had gotten lost to the tune of about 2 miles. Ouch! The trail not being very well marked here was very unfortunate. The rains had washed away all of the lyme that they use to mark this section of the trail. Some runners laid out sticks in the shape of arrows to show the way but from talking to people, that happened after we passed through. Luckily both the 50 and the 100 mile race only pass the Purple section once so when you did this section you were done with it. It would be very dangerous to run this section at night.

Done with the Purple loop we are back at the Covered Bridge Aid station for some Aid. Here is Jim changing socks, I think, and trying to feel better.

He didn't tell me until later in the race but he said that he did not feel well at all for most of the Purple loop. He hid his discomfort well and soldiered on.

Orange Section

We cross the Covered Bridge, on the road not down in the river, and go into the woods for the Orange Section. The Orange Section goes from mile 25 to mile 37 with an aid station at mile 31. So it was 6 miles from the covered bridge to the Hickory ridge aid station. I have to say that this was a VERY long 6 miles. It just seemed like a long time to both Jim and I. It didn't help that at about 3 miles into it we ran around a corner that looked like the part right near the aid station (or so I thought) so I blurted out "It's just around the corner". Of course, I was wrong. It is weird how the trail can play tricks on what you remember. I guess that's what happens with a living course. Much of this first part of the Orange section we walked due to steep hills and Jim trying to shake that crappy nausea feeling. Once in a while Mother Nature would throw us a bone and let a wonderful breeze into the woods. I would keep walking or running with my hands stretched out as if to take in as much wind as I could. It seemed to help. We got to the Hickory Ridge aid station, finally. Jim visited the Port-a-John, I filled up water bottles, and grabbed something to eat, banana, PBJ sandwich, pretzles, a few M&M's, and a Hammer Gel. I love me some Hammer Gel. In fact, Hammer Nutrition provided all the carbo gel and electrolyte/energy replacement drink. If you have used their HEED product you know how good it is. If you haven't, then you need to do yourself a favor, try it. It works and that is no bull. Here is their website:http://www.hammernutrition.com/?gclid=CJGpnZCXt5sCFRBM5QodLmy0BQ

Search for the HEED page and read on. In fact, their website has a veritable cornucopia of athletic nutrition knowledge. It is backed by scientific research and I have found to work very well for me. Their stuff is the best.

We rested here for a few minutes, I hit the Port-a-John, felt better, and on we went. Back on to the trials. There are lots of roots on this Orange section and it is only a matter of time before you trip on one and either stumble or actually roll to the ground, as in my case. I was quite graceful and didn't get hurt but fell nonetheless. I have fallen at every trail race that I have run thus far and probably would have been disappointed if I didn't "hit the deck".

Now, the Orange loop is also a Mountain Bike Trail and is marked with mile markers. Well, when we got to the one that had a "1" on it I said "I don't think that is right for us, I think we have more of the singletrack trail to go". Of course, I was wrong again. We popped out of the woods in 1 mile and made our way across what is ostensibly the front yard of the Mohican Campground, went underneath the Route 3 bridge, and came out on the other side to run South on Route 3 to the ever glorious Grist Mill Aid station.

Grist Mill Aid Station

This aid station is at mile 37, only a half marathon to go (roughly). This aid station rocks. The others are great as well in their own ways but this one is located at a place in the 50 where changing shoes and really topping off the tank is a very welcome experience. We got into our drop-bags and began the process of continuing. I checked Scooby-Doo and Friends and they were fine, woohoo. I changed my shirt (very welcome as my other was soaked), socks, shoes, and hat (that was equally soaked). I have never felt so good. My toes and feet were fine thanks to great socks, Darn Tough and Balega trail socks. I also smear my feet with Desitin to seal out the moisture. I read about this trick a while ago I it really works. Plus it acts as a lubricant and your feet are lubed up inside your socks, quite nice. I topped off the tank with half a banana, half a PBJ, some pretzles and a Hammer Gel. I was good to go.

Jim had some foot blister issues on his little toe that the podiatrists on site at the Aid Station took care of for him. I suggested that they amputate and we continue but they felt their industry standard of triage was superior to my idea. What do I know. Jim finished up that, changed his socks and shirt (I think), topped off his tank and we were off again.

Blue Section

This was our last section to run but it is 13 miles and change long. Coming out of the Grist Mill aid station we are back heading South bound on Route 3 (paved asphalt) running on the left side of the road so we can see cars (that are about to kill us). Now this is the longest hill in the race. This road section is probably a 2 mile stretch of a long uphill sweeping to the right slightly hill. We both walked and ran up it. When we got near the top we turned around to look back. It's only then that you really realize how steep that son of a bitch is. Next year I will take a picture from that point but I still don't think you'll be able to "read" how steep and long it is. So we then turn left off Route 3 and are on a paved road for a while. This section is rolling hills and is quite pretty. As we continued on we got to a part at the top of one hill and I said to Jim "I think the Landoll's Castle aid station is just up here after we turn left" Well, of course, I was wrong again. But I was only wrong in the "just up here" part. Somehow at this point in the race your "distance meter" gets really thrown off. You think that 1/4 mile is 2 miles so some sections seem very long. There was an older gentleman there with a Mohican 1000 mile buckle on. Meaning that he had run the Mohican 100 a total of 10 times to get that buckle. I am sorry that I did not get his name but he was helping at the aid station and was one of the most helpful aid station workers of the day. He gave us a great mental boost of confidence by telling us that we had plenty of time left and if we only ran 2 miles an hour we would still finish with plenty of time before the official cut off time. We left that aid station and continued. This section has gravel roads but they are mostly surrounded on both sides with tall trees, which is great as it shades us as we run. By this point the sun was fully out and blazing down. It was probably only 75-80 degrees but all that sun made it feel hotter. Then the roads switched back to paved

Here is a shot of Jim running on this section. In the background in that field you can see one of Ohio's most beloved sights, the large roll of straw. Well, I can never remember if it is hay or straw. I know that animals eat one and sleep on the other but can't remember which one of these they roll up like this. In the country in this time of year in Ohio you see these all over he place. I love them.

You'll notice I said running because on this whole blue section we tackled it with a combination of running and walking. I let Jim dictate the pace here and he did a terrific job of reading his body and adjusting when he felt necessary. This is one of the keys to running these kind of distances. This is a race to finish for most of us and being able to read the signs and adjust is the key to finishing.

As we continued we got to a left hand turn and I said that "I think the last aid station is right up here after another left hand turn. Well of course in keeping with the theme of the day, I WAS WRONG AGAIN. We continued.

The heat kept building here and as you can see, no tree cover. I noticed that Jim was not drinking and that he was out of water. I gave him one of my little Fuel Belt bottles and that got helped. As we hung a left and ran up a hill we approached a farm house on the left. I noticed two young people sitting on the porch out back and asked Jim if he wanted me to ask them for water. He declined as we thought we were close to the last aid station. As we rounded a slight hill that turned to the right we saw the steeple to the church that is the last aid staiton.

Last Gasp Aid Station

I wish I would have taken a picture of this as it was the second most glorious sight of the day. There were two young people running this aid station and they were incredibly helpful and caring. Giving ice in water bottles, ice in cups with Coke, and ibuprofen. The Coke really hit the spot here. Jim sat down briefly to recover. He had some Coke as well, topped off with HEED, and off we were on the last part until the finish. We head up the road and turn left onto a gravel road. This section is very beautiful as there are big trees on both sides of the road for shade and the road surface is pretty forgiving. As we got to the top of a hill we noticed this sign in front of a nice house on the left.

Now, it probably tough to read but that yellow sign with the person icon that looks like he is dancing says "Drunken Pedestrian Crossing". We laughed our asses off at this. Were there enough drunken people at this house that were getting hit by cars that they had to erect a sign?Is it the same person that keeps getting drunk and wandering around un-teathered and getting hit by drivers? Apparently, there is enough of an issue here somehow that others needed to be warned. We finished laughing, took this photo, and continued. That laugh really helped us at this point in the race.

We kept going on one of the best running surfaces ever, packed sand. This section of road had long stretches of packed sand which made for a great, soft running surface. We ran past one little open vista that was the place I would love to build my dream house someday. Perfect setting but of course I forgot to take a picture. We got to the top and turned left on to Big Hill Road. Now, that name is no shit. This gravel road is actually closed in the winter. It is very steep and the fact that it is right at the end of the race and you are running downhill is someone's idea of a sick joke. Now I know why it hurts so much to walk down stairs for a few days after the race. This hill is basically a controlled crash. You pray to God that you don't fall because you would just keep rolling down the hill and crash into whatever got in your way to stop your progress and I think it would probably not be until the little white restored school house at the bottom of the hill.

We turn left onto paved road and this is the last little section to the finish. Shade trees on both sides make it pleasant. We continued until we saw the Mohican Wilderness Campground in sight. This is where the Finish Line is. On the side of the road near the campground we saw two folding camp chairs and Jim said "Those look like our chairs". Sure enough they were as Jim's wife Mary and their two children Avery and Carson came up to watch their dad finish. They ran up to run with us for the last 100 yards or so to the finish line. My kids did the same thing last year and it really made my day. They were so proud and thrilled to just run with their daddy. We ran into the finishing chute and under the glorious FINISH banner. We had done it. WE FINISHED THE 50 in 13:37! Awesome. The feeling is one of utter jubilation, exhaustion, relief, and sense of accomplishment.

Here is a picture of Jim and I at the finish.

We had finished something that most of all of our friends and family (all of us) think is insane.

I do it because I love to run and I love being outdoors. I love to spend time with my good friend Jim. We have the best conversations (and sometimes no conversations) and come up with the best ideas when we run. The thing that I love the most about running ultras is finding out what my boundaries are and pushing through them to keep on. I guess it is kind of a very long embodiment of the human spirit. Things get tough. Things suck sometimes. But since we run this race we keep on. That's what we do. We keep going.

This is my second 50 miler and I am really excited and anxious to run the 100 miler next year.

I want to personally thank all of the race organizers and volunteers that make this race possible. Without you and your giving spirit we would not have this great race. Thank you to my family for allowing me the training time to complete this race. I could not have done it without your support and love. To my sponsors HeadBlade and FrontRunner.

http://headblade.com/

http://www.frcols.com/Index.html

And a huge thank you to Jim Smith. We could not have done this without each other and you made it the most enjoyable 50 mile torturepalooza ever. Thanks for your friendship.

Congratulations to the 50 mile winner: Dale Holdaway in 8:27.

Congratulations to big 100 mile winner: Wyatt Hornsby in 19:52

You guys are studs.

Thanks for reading this entry. Sorry it's a bit long but an event this epic deserves a blog entry this long.

I am looking forward to Mohican again next year.