Last Minute Prep For 100 Miler

I got some great news in our preparations for the 100 miler coming up on Saturday. I was happy to find out that my sister Hollie will be joining Mel to help crew and pace! Hollie is one of the most supportive, enthusiastic, happy people I know. (Here is a picture with Hollie when we ran the Park City Marathon.)


Both Mel and Hollie will be pacers for me. Each will take turns joining me for 10-15 miles toward the end of the race. The job of a pacer is to 1) make sure the runner is eating and drinking, and 2) make sure to keep them focused when the runner starts going nuts and begins talking with Care Bears and unicorns.

I have written down certain words of wisdom they can remind me of during the 30 hours of the Javelina Jundred:
*** Embrace the suck.
*** Just make relentless forward progress.
*** Keep going, even if you have to walk.
*** It's not over 'till it's over.
*** Remember all your training and hard work.
*** You don't want a DNF next to your name.
*** Imagine how it's going to feel to cross the finish line.
*** Dig deep. Dig deep!
*** Don't talk to Care Bears.

Would you like to watch the Javelina Jundred unfold right before your eyes online? Here is info from their website:
The Javelina Jundred offers one of the most advanced webcasts available on the ultra circuit. As runners pass through the timing gateway, lap times are recorded from the timing chip and instantly displayed on the Ultracast web page on the Aravaipa Running website. Family & friends may access the Ultracast during the race by visiting www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/ultracast. A webcam of the finish line will be integrated into the Ultracast as well. Runners cross through this check point every 15 miles. (I got bib # 300.)

The race starts Saturday morning (November 12th) and the cutoff is 30 hours. Tune in for a good time.

Are there any other words of wisdom I should add to the list for this weekend?

My Record: 270 Miles This Month (+ Tooth Extraction)

"In an ultra you should eat like a horse, drink like a fish, and run like a turtle." ~ Unknown

Monday, October 31st 2011: 7 miles @ 10:39 minutes per mile pace. This was my last run for October and completed the most miles I have ever run in one month: 270 miles! This has been a big confidence boost in helping me feel prepared for the ultra. I had to take a picture after the run to celebrate my new record:


Tuesday, November 1st 2011: 2 miles @ 9:10 minutes per mile pace in the morning. And then in the afternoon..... I got a tooth extraction. My big tooth on the bottom went to meet it's maker. Hanging out with the oral surgeon was not on my "To Do" list the week before the 100 miler. It was highly un-awesome.


But I realized something when I went for the tooth extraction: I wasn't too worried. And I think it's because of running! I think running has taught me how to handle challenges by having the attitude that you just do what you have to do to get through hard times. Control what you can control and accept the rest. When the going gets tough, you just put on your big-boy pants, suck it up, and get it done. So good riddance you dumb tooth!

Wednesday, November 2nd 2011: Rest. Bring on the oatmeal, soup, and ice cream! (I realized that having a gaping hole in the back of your jaw is even less fun than it sounds.) Oral surgeon said I shouldn't run for a few days. How's that for a forced taper?

Thursday, November 3rd 2011: Rest.

Friday, November 4th 2011: Rest.

Saturday, November 5th 2011: 5 miles @ 12:26 minutes per mile pace. This is the first time Mel and I have run together for a while. It was really cold and even snowed on us for part of the run.


After about a half hour the snow stopped and the sky started to clear a little bit.


I must tell you - I am so thankful for Mel. She has been beyond supportive about this ultra. She has never said "I don't think this is a good idea." or "I'm not sure you can do it." She has never been doubtful or critical or questioning. She has only been 100% supportive and encouraging. That means a lot. I am so thankful for her.


I can not believe that my first 100 miler is less than ONE WEEK AWAY! I am so excited, I can't wait. I feel good, nothing is hurting, and I'm ready for the challenge. I'm ready for the sleep deprivation and the throwing up and the hallucinations and the belt buckle. Ah....the belt buckle. (For all 100 milers you don't get a medal at the finish line. You get a belt buckle!)

Stay tuned. In a few days I'll post some last minute preparations for the 100 as well as information on how you can watch the race live online. Let's get ready to rumble!

Fotography Friday - Fall Is In The Air

Last week I told you I was going to try to get back to Sheeps Bridge to take a few pictures of the autumn colors. Well....I made it back last night. Here is what I got. I edited them with Photomatix to make them look a little edgy:




This one's my fav:


I took my girls and their friend Navey with me. They were totally excited to try a jumping picture. (Note to self: getting four people in the air at the same time is slightly challenging.) We tried 5 times and this was the only shot where more than one person was in the air. We all had went home dirty and had a blast.

I Got A Nice Complement

I received a nice complement from my son a while ago. We were talking about how it's important to take care of our bodies and get some exercise. He said "Well, you hardly ever run."

He had no idea that I had run 60 miles that week.

I was so happy to hear his complement (which wasn't intended to be a complement). It meant that my training for a 100 miler hasn't taken away from family time. Ever since I started running I have really made an effort to not let this hobby have a negative impact on my family. Time with my family is so valuable and I want to take advantage of that.

This means making a few sacrifices.
Sacrifice #1: Sleep. I don't get quite as much sleep because almost all my running is done early in the morning or at night after kids have gone to bed. Most of the time I'm home from my run and showered before they even wake up. If it weren't for the races I do, they might not even know that I'm a runner.

Sacrifice #2: TV. Aside from watching some of the news each night I don't watch hardly any TV.

These really aren't too much of a sacrifice though. After some adjustment I can function just fine with a little less sleep. And there's not much worth watching on TV anyway.

I really believe that family should be my priority. There is no sense of accomplishment or finish line medal more important than my relationship with my wife and kids. I've found that it is possible to work a full time job, spend lots of quality time with my family, and still train for an ultramarathon.

Nathan HPL 20 Hydration Vest Review

I must tell you about the greatest hydration pack ever: the Nathan HPL 20 Hydration Vest. (They didn't sponsor or provide anything for this review by the way.)

This was the third hydration pack that I have used. The first was a Costco special that was fine for hiking but totally uncomfortable for running. The second was the Camelbak Rogue. It was more comfortable than the first but still not great. It rubbed against my lower neck and bounced around quite a bit. It's not a horrible pack, but not something I wanted to wear for tons of miles.

I noticed that in pictures from ultramarathons, many runners were wearing the Nathan hydration vest. I'm training for my first 100 miler so I figured I should go with the experts and try Nathan. Notice that they call it a hydration vest instead of a hydration pack. The vest wears differently. It's kind of like the vest is hugging your body instead of riding on your back.


This made it super, super comfortable. It doesn't bounce around even when it's filled to the 2-liter capacity. It has some storage on the back, but my favorite part is that it has two storage compartments in front for easy access. I keep my camera on one side and my gels in the other. It is SO nice to not have to take my pack off to reach my camera. My sister described the look perfectly: from a distance it looks like a saggy bra.


Pros
*Easy to refill
*2 liter capacity
*Storage compartment in the back
*Two storage pockets in front
*Very comfortable

Cons
*None (if you don't count that saggy bra look)

If you're in the market for a hydration pack (or vest) for long distance running, the Nathan HPL 20 is definitely the way to go.