looking forward

have you mapped out your next years racing plans? i sorta have. the races are just penciled in mind you. some will close fast and i have to remember to be on the ball and sign up as soon as the application comes on line. look at Cool, closed in 11 minutes 19 seconds for 400+ runners. (slow this year as it closed in 7 minutes 33 seconds last year)

not running much. since i have a june 100 that i want to do, my plan is to not ramp up too quickly. yea, i know some can bang out 80-100 mile weeks all year long but not me. right now i am just enjoying the mental break because once the ball gets going things will get very busy.

now it is time to have fun runs this next month. first the purge and splurge. started by kyly, ellie, and alan 14 years ago. planning on running 20-30.11 miles of the wildwood trail in forest park on december 31st.

then in janurary there are four fat ass 50k's-34 mile runs on each weekend here in oregon. not sure if te MLK run will happen. hope it does then we will have the FATSO award this year. the one with the slowest cumulative time of all four runs.

i won't be able to do the run in badass run in bend with sean meissner and jeff browning. but i sould be able to do a the others, i hope. (sean in white, Jeff in yellow)

dang, i would be in the running for the fatso award. you see i was dfl at the madass run in madras two years ago. and i have a streak of two years in a row as dfl at the MLK run!!!

dang my only way of winning a race... by coming in DFL!!! oh, maybe i should have ran the Poker run. nahhhh, i have the worst luck in the world, my poker hand would probably be a pair at best like in the past.

(the fast guys were kind enough to wait for me on the first turnaround at last years MLK)(they would have froze to death if they waited at the second turnaround waiting for me)(brother in orange, Craig in red vest, kelly woodke in green coat, Sean in blue, all will be at States)(brother jeff, single digit, M9!)

the one thing i like about these runs is being with friends. ok, i'm only with them for a short bit as i seem to be stuck in first gear all day long. but it is fun none the less.

looking forward to a new year. ready to ramp up and train and hurt like i have never before. just really looking forward to running one maybe two 100's next year. it is going to be fun. looking forward to doing the june 100 first. it is going to be a blast.

as for the 100 in june........

yes, i have already been working through the splits i want to hit and visualizing sections on the course. everything now is focused just for that race.

i may do other races but they are only building blocks for the june race.

nice to have a plan unlike last year i made decisions to do races way late and i was always a little under trained for races. not planning on taking this approach this year. look forward to the new year. oh and yes i am like many others, i need to drop a few pounds.

being on this heartstrong program at work that shouldn't be a problem. they only allow 10% fat in the daily intake of food. i have to admit after a month i get tired of eating cardbaord.

since event the heartstrong program couldn't control my blood pressure, i am now in blood pressure medication. a super low dose of an ACE inhibitor, just glad i'm not taking a beta blocker. that would suck.

stay tuned speedracers, i'll chime in once in a while now. i'm going to actually start running again.

happy new year, tom

i could be on the wizard of oz!

yes, i have a heart. see, i have proof.

get this, i am part of a high risk group for potential heart disease at the hospital that work for, go figure.

maybe i should exercise more???

yup i am in the top 30 of all 500 or so employees. how about them apples???

let me set a little background information for you...

you see there was some program that was done a few years ago that some doctor (i forget all the names) that took an agressive non-invasive approach to reduce the risk factors for patients that could possible be approaching a potential heart attack.

these patients did things like changing their diet, set up an exercise program, did yoga, and became educated in reducing stress managment. the result of the study was fantastic. a huge percentage of the patients reduced their risk without surgical intervention.

so, our hospital is doing the same thing except we were also put through the CT scanner to do a Cardiac Scoring to actually look at the major arteries on the heart. oh, we got blood work also obviously. oh, there is no cost to me. we are the test group. if i had to pay for this 12 week program it would run close to $10,000.

why am i one of the lucky few??? well my blood pressure for one, borderline high. i have watched it creep up as i have gotten older. second my overall chlorestoral... through the fricken' roof. 319 (high is considered anything above 200). but what 4 cardiologists and my primary don't understand is my HDL. (the good chlorestoral) is 215 mm/dl. normal range is 40-89 mm/dl. my LDL is within normal limits, 87 mm/dl (range 60-129 mm/dl). oh, the triglycerides was 83 mm/dl (range 35-150 mm/dl)

the doctor that is heading the program called me a freak. literally, a freak. he wouldn't say that normally, i just work for the hospital that is all.

the risk ratio has a range of 4.0-6.7, mine 1.5, low risk.

so i went to the first session tonight. got a huge three ring binder with stuff like diet change ideas. arrrrrgghhhhhh, what??? NO CAFFINE!!! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME. other stuff like no eggs, butter, red meat, you got it, all the good stuff (sorry Michelle, i know you already do this). and for you ladies, NO CHOCOLATE. sorry had to throw that out there. let me see, i bought a chocolate bar about a month ago, still sitting in the cupboard. it will just have to sit there a bit longer.

we get to exercise too. you would be proud of me, i learned how to walk on the treadmill today.

so anyway, the 1st picture is of my heart and one of the major arteries, the LAD. (left anterior decending) and the really small pictrues are of axial images in one millimeter increments above and below the little blue tick mark. (you would have to mag the image to see the blue tick mark). of course there are other pictures of the RCA, Ramus, PDA, Circ, AM, D1, etc.

the below pictures are of the left ventricle. one in the relaxed state and one after contraction. the difference between the two is the Ejection Fraction. normal range is 55%. mine was 73%.

oh, i had a stress test also. i had one done about two months ago also at a major hospital near me. both times i went longer than anybody previously to reach 95% of maximum heart rate.

oh, the best score of all was my cardiac calcium score was Zero. that's right yellow brick road travelers, no calcium buildup in the arteries that feed the heart.

if you click on the above pictures, look in the bottom right to see what artery is being looked at.

so there it is boys and girls of kansas. non-caffinated tom signing out.

16.1

you got it, that is what somebody figured out on the Listserv of the chances of getting in states. i knew it would be low, figured around 20%. but no, 16.1% is what they figured out. yikes. oh well, it is fun to go watch. have a good weekend running.
















oh, AJW said it best about the men's competition, check it out here . now i have to look at the womens race...

blog slacker...

borrowed the title from another blog.

that's me, a real slacker.

have written a couple of posts but never posted them. but i did stay at a holiday inn express last weekend. no, didn't do that either. i did volunteer at a race though. really i did. don't have proof, you're just going to have to believe me on that one.

helped out a bit at autumn leaves 50k/50mile/10k. really though this race is pretty easy to help at. it is only 15 minutes from where i live so i have no excuse to either run or help out here.

it is easy for the volunteers here. i would say a large portion of the runners don't even use the aid stations. i always park my truck a by the pioneer house a few hundred meters from the start and use my tailgate as an aid station. in the past i have filled 10 bottles and just grab a new one on each lap. but this year i had a few duties instead of running.

the best part is i got to pace a friend the last 10 miles of his 50 mile run. then i helped clean up.

brad putnam below

got to take a few pictures too.

it was just a good day. no rain this year too!

washington gang chugging along

i think it was a good day for all.

25 days to see if you get your name drawn????????

rio del lago 100, race report

Hope not to bore you, this is LOOOOONNNNNGGGG.


(pre race, Norm Klein in blue)

















Well, picked rio for a couple of reasons. I was eyeing three 100's during the month of September. I was only going to choose one to do. Picked this, finacially, it was only $140 to fly to sacramento for this one. Originally it was $350 to fly to san diego. This was perfect timing after Waldo.

(pre race toes... Night Life color with little flower stickers)

I ran this race last year so I knew what to expect from the race. Gu2o for part of the schwag but Gatraide out one the course, what's up with that??? 15 gu's in the same bag but none on the course??? Now this makes complete sence. And of course half the entrants from the double marathon and 100 miler not starting off with tourches slowing up everybody for the first 40 minutes in the dark.


(Helen Klein and Dr. Lind) (Helen holds 75 world age group records)















So, the day looked pretty epic in terms of weather, highs around 70, lows 55 and maybe a sprinkle or two. Starting at 6am was good. Yes, I had my torch on my noggin. We start off and of course everybody that didn't have a light would stop at every rock, ditch, etc. All I wanted to do was just run, not stopping every 25 feet. I would work my way around anybody without a light finally ending up in the front third of the pack.


I start off carrying very little for the first 10 miles. As I have to drop my torch off there and at the same time I would pick up my race belt and use it for the next 20 miles. I am running with effort here but not too hard I thought. But at mile 17 I start CRAMPING!!! Oh, this is wayyyyyy to early for this to happen. I follow with two S-caps and continue this on cue taking at least one every 45 minutes the rest of the race.


Running along I see Julie Fingar ahead, and Scott Dunlap (running the 53 mile race), is just behind me. I now know that I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be running in this company. I back off a bit and think I need to run within my ability. So, it is time to cruise. I have a long way to go.


I leave No-Hands for the climb up K-2. Cool, I see 4 wild turkeys. (we don't have them where I live)


(coming into cool fire station)




I get into the Cool Fire Station at 5:22 hours of running. What am I doing??? I am one hour ahead of my 22 hour goal. Leave Cool to do the Omstead loop leaving one bottle, and my race belt as I will pick them up later. I grab my bottle of beans and head out following a guy that wants to run 18 today for his first 100!!! I have no intentions of running his splits.


I eat a few gulps of beans, run, walk. Continue this until the beans are gone. Good, 600 calories, 1000mg of sodium and some good staying power I figure. Finsh the Cool loop in 1:15. This is the last time I look at my watch. Grab my race belt, hand held and head out. Oh, leave with Mr. 18 but I have no intention of staying with him.


Here is the cool part of the race. I am 1-2 miles out from No-Hands. I hear a noice down the hill from the trail. It is a COUGAR!!! He hears me and now leaps and bounds away from me down towars the river. Not two minutes later I hear a noise above me. I keep going. I run another 50 yards and look back, two yearling dears. Was the cougar on their scent??? I hope it wasn't mine!!!




(looking back to No-Hands aid station)


All I could think was this was going to be a good day.







I catch up to Mr. 18 five miles down the trail. He runs everything!!! I do my normal run flats and downs, and hike the hills. He gaps me while I hike, I close it while running. Finally, I let him go for the last time.


Fast forward to mile 63. An aid station person tells me I'm in 6th. I really didn't want to know this. I tell him I have a long way to go. I think to myself, I am just going to enjoy this one and just try to finish upright.


Get back to the school and know that I will spend a little extra time taking care of myself. I switch belts, grab another bottle of beans and jam every pocket with my Crank gel. Oh, pick up my pacer here, i.e. I-pod!!! I talk to Mark Lantz (100k U.S. masters trail Champion) for a bit while doing this. We talk about how Jeff did this year and how great a race Waldo was. He was pacing Rena Schumman this day.


My next goal was to get the beans down as I know I don't have enough gel to finish without it. I take small gulps, run, let it get down. Continue this until the 12 ounces is gone. After this, I figure it is time to start racing.


Not one mile out of the aid station I find some more poor trail markings. I run up the road, back to the chalk markings and make the decision to follow the chalk. I run down five minutes and a man with his kids say I am on the Junior High course. Arrrrgghhh, not again. I turn around and head back. I find a ribbon on the road later on but it was no where near the intersection. Vandalism again this year??? Yes, but not here actually. Later down the trail.





(yup, you guessed it, more trail)



I get to mile 73 and now turn on my lights. Very nice. Last year I had to turn them on at mile 63. And this year the race was a week later, cool.




I can't remember where I see Jon Olsen on the way back but I know he is on course record pace. Sure enough, 15:31, 59 minutes ahead of last years course record, WOW!


(Mark Tanaka in green, Joh Olsen in white)















I come up on Mark Tanaka and he about runs into the skunk I had stopped for. The skunk takes aim but decided it wasn't worth it and leaves the trail. Mark and I echange greetings and he looks great.



(trail)





I am in 5th now??? How is that??? Julie Fingar is still ahead of me but where is Mr. 18??? Well, he got lost again. (Total of 2hrs off trail for the day)






I pick up one of Julie's pacers at mile 77. He wanted to run more. So, he takes me to the turn around and back.

When I get to the turn around I ask if they had milk shakes this year??? Bummer, no.


Well, at the turn around I noticed that I have gained at least 15 minutes on Julie. All I think about is it would be nice not to get chicked. To finish ahead of Julie, Rena, and Van would be pretty cool and they are well known in the ultra community. I knew I couldn't catch the 3rd male because he was gaining on Mark and staying even with Jon.


I catch up with Julie in the next seven miles, making up the 15 minute gap. My pacer says he has to let me go. He says he isn't in enough shape to finish with me the last 10 miles. I get my next pacer, I-pod. And the pressure is on...


I know Julie is stuggling but when I saw Rena she looked strong. Mr. 18 was just behind her and I knew he would be finishing strong. Game on.


I run through the next aid station. I have enough fluids.


I just run everything possible. I am not in pain so I figure just keep running. There is no reason why not too. I have been working my ass off for the last 25+ miles.


I get to the last two aid stations and they both say I look better than anybody else. That is encouraging. I thank them for being here.


Last aid station, 3.1 miles left. I really don't want to be caught now. I run the mile trail and then pop out onto the dike road. I run for a bit and then it's lights out. Look back and nobody. Run for a bit more, still nobody. Turn the corner and look back the 3/4-1 mile, nobody. Very good. After making the corner, lights back on, and only a mile or so to go.


Make the turn off the dike road to the school with only a 1/4 of a mile to go. This is good.


Come into the finsh, say "runner" as I know the last runner was here long ago.


Look at the clock with 50 feet to go, hey sub 20, how is that???


19:58:48, it couldn't have been better. A 2.5 hour PR!!! This is sweet.


After getting weighed I go for the shower right away. Now the pain has officially set in. I haven't hurt like this since my first Waldo. I lay on a wrestling mat with my legs on a box. I can't bear it. Finally, I go to the meds. Ibuprofen and Tylenol. The Tylenol kicks in 20 minutes later. That was the trick. Couldn't sleep until 11am for an hour. Awards at noon.


By the numbers...


Run: 100.28 miles (officially that is)


Crank gels eaten: 30

gu gels: 6

S-caps: 34

cans of beans: 2

bottles of gatoraide: didn't want to think of it, hate the stuff

chaffing spots: 4, still bleeding from two spots

blisters: yea, got some, big deal

toe nails lost: 4

times hurled: 1, the best ever during a 100

falls: 1, can live with that

beers after run: 1/2, just enough to help with nap

placing: 4th, sawwwweeeett

PR: 2 hours 35 minutes

chicked: not today baby cakes

happy points: about a cazillion

That is all. Sorry for so long. But this is kinda a journal for me too. Something to look back on for planning for future races.

mckenzie river 50k

last weekend there was a whole bunch of races... Superior, Wasatch, Mckenzie, i think that 100 in Canada (Halburton 100), Plain 100 and of course a bunch others.

well, i chose mckenzie long ago. i think it was april 1st that i signed up. the first day of registration. and like many races now it fills. this one fills on the first day.

i ran it last year for the first time. this year was the 20th year of it's running. Phil Vaughn has been RD the whole time!!! incredible!!! there used to be a 50 miler and a marathon but now just the 50k. bummer, i wish i had known about ultra's long ago. i would have really loved doing the 50 miler.

this years race, one word, STRUGGLE. that's it, plain and simple.

started off my usual slow pace. but everything just seemed like so much work. frustrating. i was getting passed in the first 10 miles by a million people. and i was not passing anybody!!! arghhhh. working way too hard for how slow i was going.

skipped the first two aid stations as planned. fluids in the third and fifth aid station. oh fell, and got passed by five people and NEVER caught up to them. arggghhhhh.

finally, at the halfway it just said, "screw it". "i'm just going to run". put in the i-pod, saw jeff at an aid station, told him the story. he was nice, "it's all downhill to the finish except for the uphill sections." yea, thanks jeff. see you sunday at the invitational.

well, the second half went pretty well. i enjoyed the river and the running wasn't all that bad. did i pass anybody you ask, hell no. i was a slug. but the good thing i could at least count on one hand the people that passed me. didn't have to get out the abacus like in the first half of the race.



finished 4:55, 11 minutes slower than last year. oh, well. the protein drink tasted pretty good at the end.

now i get to have fun sunday watching the fast dudes run at the invitational. i took a bunch of pictures. it was fun. first time ultra runner dan olmsted from eugene held off the likes of hal koerner and lewis taylor all day. winning in 3:44, two minutes off course record.

dan olmsted

hal (winner of western states 100)

lewis (winner of way to cool 50k)

meghan arbogast got the course record for women in 3:58. very cool. what a year she is having. she won waldo outright!!!

now for rio. hope not to be too much of a slug on this one next week.

















4 month old alice taylor

Where's Waldo 100k

here is penny and i coming off the summit of maiden peak heading down the leap of faith trail

running with the big boys... well, starting with them at least...

Where's Waldo 100k

really, it is 100k this year.

my 4th waldo. looks like i'll be wearing #28 next year and moving up to the 45-49 age bracket.


this year it is also the USTAF masters national trail championship. pretty cool.

oh, i won't be in the mix by any means but i do like this race. this is my fourth time running here.

i had some goals that i wanted to meet. but my training has been mighty slack after kettle 100. but i was going to give it a shot.


i had written down my splits that i wanted to hit. and planned on not stopping at the first aid station. afterall, since the course was shorted from 66.36 miles to 62.5, the first aid station was only 7.4 miles out. not 10.4 like in years past.


starting at 5am we head up the ski slope more or less. actually off to the right is where we go in picture below.



start off on double track. really the only double track we will be on all day. that way i can let people pass without obstructing them.



i try to look ahead and see how much the leaders are running this but can't really tell even with the headlamps on for this first 35 minutes of climbing.


i knew that i would get to the first aid station in under 1:30 but i would just cruise through it just giving my bib # as i pass. no need to get fluids in this short of time. glad i planned this, there was no less than 10 people there, yikes.

you see i really try to be efficient in races. stopping at aid stations for 30 seconds, never changing shoes or socks, no sitting. just relentless forward motion in everything i do. i'm too slow to take breaks you see.

on the way up to mt. fuji aid station the plan was to run through and just drop one bottle off for a refill and then pick it up on the way back not getting anything else. i see jeff (brother) as he will be there and at the summit maiden peak to run the last runner in after probably 10pm that same day! he askes me if i need anything and i just hand him one bottle and ask for a fill of GU2O. and i will see him in less than 30 minutes, i hope.

upon summiting fuji craig is there, cheering everybody on. he offered me a hug but i was so sweaty he just shakes my hand. thanks craig. well, he was right. on the way up fuji i was asked if i was going for the wet waldo award because i was soaking wet. "no" i would reply, we haven't got to any lakes yet. "it is just a lot of work for me to climb."

run through fuji aid station again just grabbing my bottle and telling jeff i will see him later. arrrghhhh, one minute slower than last year on the fuji up and fuji down 2.5 mile section.

i know this next section will take about an hour running into the Mt. Ray aid station. Sure enough, 56 minutes. good, two minutes ahead of last year.





now Mt. Ray to the Twins is my very worst section. At Mt. Ray you are at the lowest point on the course. so, naturally it is nothing but climbing to the twins. one almost can't even call this a climb because it is so gradual. do i walk any of it? yes. should i? no.



dave stevenson is leading leif rustvold and i for a bit. we come to one of the few intersections on this course. i notice there are no signs here. only one ribbon on the trail. very unusual for this race!!! this course is impecably marked i think. what is up? we make the turn and come to bobby lake in about five minutes. WRONG!!! we shouldn't be here. arrrggghhh, we turn around and head back. now the ribbons are on the correct trail! man somebody is playing a dirty trick on us.

sure enough, i catch up with chris thornley... wayyyyy tooo early on the course. sure enough, he, Kyly McMurray, and Karen Gnass got lost for an hour! i catch up with Kyly and she says i win "the bet". Naaaa Kyly, i can't win on this given what happened.

as i look at my watch at he twins, 9 minutes slower than last year. dang, i didn't know i was this out of shape??? wait, i just got lost for 10, o.k., i am fine with that.

i know the next split into charlton will be less than an hour. only get one bottle filled at the twins to save time.

sure enough, 51 minutes. one minute off my goal split but 3 minutes faster than last year.

i grab my drop bag and exchange both bottles for full ones, switch race belts and grab my beans in a makeshift throw away bottle. i'm out of there.

i start eating the beans a quarter mile down the trail on a small climb. i want to run to rd #4290 in less than an hour. i catch up to tim barnes, whom i had met earlier at kettle 100. we run together into 4290. he actually is pushing me a bit here. this split is 59 minutes. good, 4 minutes better than last year. was it the beans??? i'm not tellin'. no, really it was tim kickin' my butt.

now onto the twins aid station again. i knew this was going to be a long haul. it always is. i top off even if we are not summiting the twins this year.

mark humphreys and his pacer, brad putnam catch up to me. i think am still running ok as mark was just behind me coming into charlton and now it is 7 miles later. mark and brad pull me along. i fall behind on the climbs but catch up on the downs. they finally drop me getting into the twins five minutes ahead of me. this is as new split, we didn't climb the twins. all i knew is it better be less than 2 hours, it was, 1:44.

now it's off to the maiden peak aid station. i ran this in 1:06 last year, this year :59. I'll take it.

I look at my watch as i leave the aid station and i think, "o.k., i have 50 miles under my belt and it is time to go to work." this 2300ft climb in three miles isn't all that bad. it is just you have 50 miles of racing on your legs. oh, and the farther you get along, the dang thing gets steeper finally topping off at a 20% grade. well, this summit took me 1:17 last year. all i know is i wanted to do a little better. craig and jeff lolly gaged up here last year in 1:07. so, i plan on running anything that is flat. yes, even little 10 foot sections. it seemed to help. i do this 4 minutes faster than last year. still slow mind you. but i'll take it 1:13 to summit. tim barnes did this in :57, wowzzer.

steve smucker "stent" is there. we talk a bit. it is good to see him as i know this is about done. penny mcdermott passes me on the way to the summit. her husband mark is having a rough day but i know he will finish. i summit and get a hug from jeff. i look at my watch and it is 3:06. i think "crap" now i have to run hard to try to get under 13. dang, i just want to rest. really though, i don't know if i can get 13 as this last 10 miles took 2 hours last year.

i jam down the leap of faith passing penny, knowing she will catch me later.

barb ringstat washes my face at the last aid station. i leave after just one bottle is full. it's time to go. two years ago i ran this last 7.5 miles in 1:44. last year in 1:24. what will it be today???











i catch up to darla brader at the last rosery lake. oh, penny is just behind me again. she askes earlier on the climb up maiden if i'm doing the wet waldo. heck no penny, you don't want to see me try to swim. she's doing it except for found lake.



darla asks me to pull her in to get under 13. all i can think of is how much am i going to slow her down? we start running, it was helping. she was right there. we chatted a bit. but the chatter would be few and far between as we got closer to the finish. you see, this was work for me. talking was not a option now. penny passes us at a really good clip. i appologize to darla as i can't run that fast.

i mention to darla that it is going to be really close because i would have to run the exact last split i did the year before and i'm feeling it a bit today.

i keep running the numbers through the grey matter. gads, i can't think now. all i know is we can't let up. we run everything. at least we are giving it a good try.

we reach the last of the trail. We can see the finish line. Last year it took me five minutes to get there. I look at my watch and I think we can do it. I just try to pick out the best running surface and try to keep going. Darla is to my side now. But then her dog comes down the road and about jumps on her. I stop and wait. Good we both cross together. We thank each other for pushing each other.

wait, i don't know our time??? 12:56:51 sawwwweeeeettttt. that last split was only 3 minutes faster, but it got it done.

next year it will be my fifth Waldo. Already looking forward to it. Will Jeff run it? It will be his fifth along with Ed Willson and Chris Thornley. Only Mike Burke as done them all. What a stud.

craig and curt had an awesome plaque made commemorating the 100k Masters Championship.

Already running splits and times through my head for next year. I think I might train for this next year. What a novel idea.

more youTube stuff that smucker did (i'm in the one after burke, right behind penny)here



USTAF RESULTS HERE



RACE RESULTS HERE

my little science project...

Mmmmmm...

well it has been fun reading about everybodies races and such. i have been out running a bit. not as much lately. it shows in racing. crashed and burned at mt. hood pct 50 mile race. oh, still got a 2 minute PR. but it was quite ugly.

did a little experiment... see if i can run as hard as possible and hold on to the finish. well, for me it doesn't work. got to the lodge, (half way) 40 minutes faster than ever before. ran through every other aid station. that was fine. but obviously went out way too fast for my ability. started cramping at about 30 miles. how fun it is to run 20 miles cramping all the way.

i remember craig saying when he feels a cramp coming on he pops two S-caps. that usually works for me but not this day. went out way too "hot". no amount of salt could have stopped the cramping on this day. just tried to run way faster than my ability.

you see, one should do negative splits on this course. you do all the climbing in the first half (and there isn't much climbing mind you) this is a fast course. only a little over 5000 ft of gain!!! i didn't even come close to negative splits. last year i ran the second half 41 minutes faster than the first!!! that shows you how pathetic i was during the race this year.

will i run it next year??? dunno, maybe white river 50. maybe train for it too???

note to self... there is a reason why one should pace one's self in a race... one wants to finish in the upright postition!!!

4th

pictures from states

http://www.pbase.com/mtnrunr/jeffws1002007

m9 is very nice. single digit is very nice

see link for pictures from states. will post more from small camera later

Running a 100 in a Sauna

Yes, I'm half Finn. I love Sauna's but that doesn't mean I like running in one. No, I don't even do surface heat training in one for hot races. But last Saturday at Kettle it was just that to this Pacific Northwest resident. Oh, on a side note, nobody in the Northwest pronounces "Sauna" correctly, at least for this Finn.





I arrived in Whitewater, Wisconsin Thursday to have a rest day on Friday. It was not hot, only 82 degrees and the humidity was mild at 68%. I could deal with this. Drove around to find the start, checked out part of the trail but mostly just remained horizontal as I had the previous week.



This is run in the Kettle Moraine Forest and on much of the 1079 miles Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin.

I had looked forward to meeting Wynn Davis. He's blistering fast and previous winner of Trail Mix 50k. He was going to get after it in the 100k that same day. We were staying at the same hotel and we talked for over an hour. I look forward to watching him at Superior!

I was nervous going into the race. One, only my third 100. Two, I made a huge scheduling error in doing Silver State 50 mile only two weeks before. No, I didn't "race" it, but come on, it is still 50 miles and did have 10,000 feet of gain. What did I do???

(pre-race nails. the eugene gang does this at states but I didn't get into it. I can do this for my "100" right?)











I only "race" 2 to 3 races a year. This was on the radar to get after. I had come here for specific goals. I had made them public.

1. Run Hard
2. Start "racing" at mile 70
3. Finish in 22
4. Get Top 10

I had looked at previous races, entrants, etc. These were going to be lofty goals from my research.

Race morning... 60 degrees

100% humidity

It's a fricken Sauna! At least to me living out west.

First 62 mile out and back was way to "hot". Finished the first 50k in 5:15. More than an hour faster than my splits. It was here I decided I had to run my own race.













I decided at that point that I was going to hike anything that resembled a hill. I was already cramping. Start pounding the S-caps. Eat and drink on cue. I was passed by what seemed to be more than 20 people at that point coming back to Nordic. I cared, but I was sticking to my plan. (but some of the 20 were relay runners and 100k runners) I'm not racing until mile 70.

Make turnaround at Nordic and exchange race belts and grab my second bottle of beans. Walk and eat. Run, drink, eat more beans. I get to Tamarack at mile 67 and I see my pacer for the last 19 Brian Gains . I was lucky to have him offer to pace on the Kettle message board. He has a couple of pictures and a short video on his blog. Thanks Brain.

At mile 67 Brian says I am in 10th. I had taken note, I thought I was also. That's o.k., not racing yet. But I knew why I had picked mile 70 to start to get after it, it was a down. Not less than a half mile out of the Bluff aid station (mile 69.5) I had come up on a #9. The down came and I just accepted the "free speed". I had hammered it pretty good, I looked back when I got almost through the switch backs and he was 4 or 5 switch backs behind.

Then from mile 70-81 it was time to jam. I knew I would be picking up Brian in a bit. Just wanted to really push through this section and gap prev. #9 by 15 minutes. I enjoy the fireflys through this section as we don't have them out west. Got to Rice Lake turnarund and Brian wasn't there. I knew I was early and way ahead of goal time. I just hoped he was here somewhere and could catch up. I ask the volunteer if you see him "to catch up with my sorry ass down the trail".













Brian does just that within 5 minutes. I fill him in on how it's going. I tell him I'm trying to gap the last dude by 15 minutes. Not a minute later here he comes. Crap, only a 12 minute gap at best.





Brian takes over the driving. He doesn't let me do any extended walking periods. "We're running in 15 steps Tom", "We should be running this", are some of what I think he was saying. I try to follow suit.

By mile 75 I realize Brian is fricken killing my. Relentless, not letting up. I am just hoping my legs can hold it together. It will be tough to catch the two closest in front of me. I knew they were many minutes ahead of me on the turnaround.

Brian doesn't faulter. Keeps me eating and drinking. Running and more running.

We get to the Bluff aid station at mile 92.5. I hurl my last 6 of 12 times here. I come into the aid station grabbing two more gu's and head out. I make pit stop. Then it is time to run.

Brian keeps me on que. I'm not talking anymore. But I follow suit. Brian let's me know of the headlamps ahead. He keeps my moving.

Finally we come up on previous sub 21 here. Brian tells me to take him on a small climb. Brain, that is a fricken mountain I think. I obey. We take him. Still running I ask him to turn off the lamp and look back. 75-100 yards he says. Crap, I still have to run.

We come up on sub 24 at Leadville. This time I can do it. A slight down. I continue, ask him to "check the lamps", he turns his off and does. Still 75-100 yards. I can't run "stealth" here. I'm not picking my feet up enough. So, I just half to try to remain to get after it.

Brian clocks me at a 12 minute mile. Don't laugh, that is good for me in a 100. Brian keeps me on task. I was glad he didn't say anything at the last mile marker. I didn't need any incentive at that point. I ask him one more time to check for lamps. None, we're good.

I say my # as I cross so there is no question who this wreck is crossing the line.

The next thing I want to do is sit down. I have wanted this for 15 miles.

Brian and I had ran well the last 7.5 miles. We had gapped the last two by 12 and 15 minutes.

6th overall, mmmmm starting to like that #. Afterall, that is what I was at Rio.

Finishing time, a surprising 20:13.








Sorry folks, no carring a camera during this race. I had business to attend to. This race confirmed that I will not be running in a Sauna any time soon.

PCTR 50k, Forest Park 4/27/2007

here is a link to pictures of the PCTR 50k last weekend. (Bottom of page.)





There are some of the 20k, 30k also. No pictures of 10k runners. I did not have a bib #s list so many has no names on them




Picture of Cemetary on Skyline drive. We should all be thankful for all that we have here in this country.



Sarah looking great embarking on back to back 50k's in two weeks!!!

Pete helping out at Saltzman Aid station

Olga's last training run before bighorn?

Sean Meissner, one last training run before Bighorn 50.

John Timm doing his first Ultra, with son. He hasn't ran anything longer than a half I believe. He looked great in his first 50k!!!

http://www.pbase.com/mtnrunr/pctr_50k

ps I am having a terrible time posting pictures. I will try again later. But for now you can look at the zillion pictures with the link.

by the way. the new lens was put through the test. really low light all day and it performed like a trooper. no flash used. image stabalizaion used and not used. already looking to drop another $1000 on my next smaller lens. isn't spending money fun?