If you're in Southern Utah, there is still time to register by visiting the city website HERE. It's a fun, casual race. I'm looking forward to running it this year. I hope to see some of you there!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Southern Utah Trail Race Next Week
My friend Tom Dansie is the race director of the 4 mile Hurricane Trails River Run coming up next Saturday, July 7th. We went out last night to prep the course and the trails were looking great. Here are a few shots I took from the trail:
If you're in Southern Utah, there is still time to register by visiting the city website HERE. It's a fun, casual race. I'm looking forward to running it this year. I hope to see some of you there!
If you're in Southern Utah, there is still time to register by visiting the city website HERE. It's a fun, casual race. I'm looking forward to running it this year. I hope to see some of you there!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Interview With 100 Mile Expert Susan Donnelly
During the Javelina Jundred I ran for a while with Susan Donnelly. I really enjoyed our conversation and didn't realize until later that she is a 100 mile expert, completing more than 40 100 milers! I recently interviewed her and am excited to share some of her wisdom.
What made you decide to run your first ultra marathon?
Way back in college, I saw an article about Western States 100 with a photo of Anne Trason, and something inside said "yes! I can do that. I want to do that!" I'd run in high school but gotten out of the habit in college, so I started running 5ks, then 10ks, then marathons. I ran maybe 30 or so marathons and lost interest in trying to chase seconds here or there in a setting that may or not have been interesting and was ready for the next thing when I saw an ad for Mountain Masochist, remembered the article on WS100 and how I loved playing in the woods as a kid, and knew it was time for ultras.
What does your typical training week look like?
First of all, there is no such thing as typical. At the moment, I work full-time with 10-hour days, my boyfriend lives 2 hours away and has kids, so my training is catch-as-catch can. That said, I manage to run 3-6 miles most mornings during a work week and race or work in some longer runs on the weekends. It definitely takes some creativity to get mileage in some weeks.
What does your peak week look like before a 100 miler?
Again, there's nothing typical but in general, the only thing that changes is the long run the weekend before. Sometimes I run back-back 100s, sometimes it's only 20 miles, sometimes, no long run. The weekly mileage stays as close to normal as I can keep it, but I always take the day before the race off, if only just to travel to the race.
What do you do when you reach that low point during a race when you are physically and/or mentally spent and you still have many more miles to run?
First, I remember the myriad of other times I've been in that situation or harder and pulled out of it. That usually puts in perspective. Then analyze the problem to figure out the cause - low on calories, off on hydration or electrolytes, pushing the pace more than I should for my ability that day...? In a way, it's a fun challenge, like solving a puzzle. Whatever the answer, fix it if and how I can and keep going. I've DNFed a few times and quickly learned to keep going until they pull me. And ultimately, I'd still rather be out on the trail dealing with that challenge and seeing the things I'm seeing than most other things I could be doing. You don't get to race every day, so enjoy it, however you can, when you get the chance.
What race strategy do you try to follow when going into a 100 miler?
Run comfortable.
With as many ultras as you run each year, you must be focused on smart recovery after a race. What works for you during the recovery process?
In order - initial compression and icing my legs below the knee to get rid of swelling, frequent walking breaks from the car or my desk, hydration, sleeping, stretching, eating right.
What keeps you coming back to ultra marathons?
Thank goodness I've been lucky enough to find a true passion in my life. I simply love it. I love trail running, exploring, the people that share that passion and the mental, physical, and spiritual joy I get from it. That's it. And I never take that for granted.
What tips do you have for someone interested in getting into ultra running?
Know yourself. Learn from others but always decide what works for you, and never, ever get discouraged or give up. Learn yourself, how a comfortable form feels, how different miles per hour paces feel, your body's early signs of dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, what that voice in your mind says when you're tired and still have miles to go. And learn from your mistakes - they're precious gifts and we've all made them. This is fun and there's no end to the things this sport will teach you about yourself and life.
You can check out Susan's website at www.susanruns100s.com .
I hope to have more upcoming interviews where we can learn from running and racing experts.
What made you decide to run your first ultra marathon?
Way back in college, I saw an article about Western States 100 with a photo of Anne Trason, and something inside said "yes! I can do that. I want to do that!" I'd run in high school but gotten out of the habit in college, so I started running 5ks, then 10ks, then marathons. I ran maybe 30 or so marathons and lost interest in trying to chase seconds here or there in a setting that may or not have been interesting and was ready for the next thing when I saw an ad for Mountain Masochist, remembered the article on WS100 and how I loved playing in the woods as a kid, and knew it was time for ultras.
What does your typical training week look like?
First of all, there is no such thing as typical. At the moment, I work full-time with 10-hour days, my boyfriend lives 2 hours away and has kids, so my training is catch-as-catch can. That said, I manage to run 3-6 miles most mornings during a work week and race or work in some longer runs on the weekends. It definitely takes some creativity to get mileage in some weeks.
What does your peak week look like before a 100 miler?
Again, there's nothing typical but in general, the only thing that changes is the long run the weekend before. Sometimes I run back-back 100s, sometimes it's only 20 miles, sometimes, no long run. The weekly mileage stays as close to normal as I can keep it, but I always take the day before the race off, if only just to travel to the race.
What do you do when you reach that low point during a race when you are physically and/or mentally spent and you still have many more miles to run?
First, I remember the myriad of other times I've been in that situation or harder and pulled out of it. That usually puts in perspective. Then analyze the problem to figure out the cause - low on calories, off on hydration or electrolytes, pushing the pace more than I should for my ability that day...? In a way, it's a fun challenge, like solving a puzzle. Whatever the answer, fix it if and how I can and keep going. I've DNFed a few times and quickly learned to keep going until they pull me. And ultimately, I'd still rather be out on the trail dealing with that challenge and seeing the things I'm seeing than most other things I could be doing. You don't get to race every day, so enjoy it, however you can, when you get the chance.
What race strategy do you try to follow when going into a 100 miler?
Run comfortable.
With as many ultras as you run each year, you must be focused on smart recovery after a race. What works for you during the recovery process?
In order - initial compression and icing my legs below the knee to get rid of swelling, frequent walking breaks from the car or my desk, hydration, sleeping, stretching, eating right.
What keeps you coming back to ultra marathons?
Thank goodness I've been lucky enough to find a true passion in my life. I simply love it. I love trail running, exploring, the people that share that passion and the mental, physical, and spiritual joy I get from it. That's it. And I never take that for granted.
What tips do you have for someone interested in getting into ultra running?
Know yourself. Learn from others but always decide what works for you, and never, ever get discouraged or give up. Learn yourself, how a comfortable form feels, how different miles per hour paces feel, your body's early signs of dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, what that voice in your mind says when you're tired and still have miles to go. And learn from your mistakes - they're precious gifts and we've all made them. This is fun and there's no end to the things this sport will teach you about yourself and life.
You can check out Susan's website at www.susanruns100s.com .
I hope to have more upcoming interviews where we can learn from running and racing experts.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Feeling Barf-tastic and Molly's Nipple
I was jealous of thought about all my fellow running friends who did the Western States 100 this past weekend. I love this funny quote by Mary Gorski: "I think the Western States trail is one of the most beautiful places that I have vomited."
Monday, June 18th 2012: 4 miles @ the track. This was the first real speed workout I've done in probably 8 months. (Anyone who has read this blog longer than a week is thinking "No duh", because my paces are less than Olympic caliber.) I brought my kids along with me and they joined in a bit of the running:
I actually don't mind the track. The 800s weren't too bad. We went in the evening so it was still pretty hot outside. By the time we left, I was just a little barf-tastic.
Wednesday, June 20th 2012: 18 miles @ 12:14 minutes per mile. I headed to the Diamond Ranch Academy dirt road for a long run. It's a great place to run on dirt that isn't overly technical.
A few days before, I had admired the cannon ball skills my kids had at the swimming pool. I thought to myself: "Self, maybe you could try a mid-run cannon ball." Here is what Self came up with:
(Dear Self: maybe you could be a little faster if you didn't stop along the way to take a canon ball picture.) The sun was throwing some pretty cool light as it started to come up:
I decided since I was in the area that I would run to the top of Molly's Nipple. The total run climbed 2,600 feet but most of it is pretty gradual. This is the area leading to the steeper climb up Molly's Nipple (pretty easy to see in the background):
The view from the top is incredible. One thing I noticed on this trip was the shadow of Molly's Nipple in the foreground:
I also found something that I hadn't seen during any of my previous trips: a geo cache capsule. I ended up spending about 20 minutes at the top reading through the log book which dated all the way back to 2001! This was one of my favorite entries (largely because it mentions Twinkies):
I wore some shorts that I got from the Dogtown Half Marathon last year. They are too short to wear around the neighborhood without feeling self-conscious, but they're perfect for secluded trails where you never see a solitary person:
It's pretty safe to say that nobody has ever looked at me and thought "Wow, he must be using steroids."
Friday, June 22nd 2012: 5 miles @ 10:22 minutes per mile. Boring, early morning pre-work run.
Saturday, June 23rd 2012: 20 mile bike ride with Mel. We plan to go on more of these dates together. Good times.
Speed workouts: Love them or hate them? Don't mind the track, hate tempo runs.
Twinkies: Great snack food or the greatest snack food? Great, right behind Donettes.
Upcoming Summer Olympics: Excited? Can. Not. Wait.
Monday, June 18th 2012: 4 miles @ the track. This was the first real speed workout I've done in probably 8 months. (Anyone who has read this blog longer than a week is thinking "No duh", because my paces are less than Olympic caliber.) I brought my kids along with me and they joined in a bit of the running:
I actually don't mind the track. The 800s weren't too bad. We went in the evening so it was still pretty hot outside. By the time we left, I was just a little barf-tastic.
Wednesday, June 20th 2012: 18 miles @ 12:14 minutes per mile. I headed to the Diamond Ranch Academy dirt road for a long run. It's a great place to run on dirt that isn't overly technical.
A few days before, I had admired the cannon ball skills my kids had at the swimming pool. I thought to myself: "Self, maybe you could try a mid-run cannon ball." Here is what Self came up with:
(Dear Self: maybe you could be a little faster if you didn't stop along the way to take a canon ball picture.) The sun was throwing some pretty cool light as it started to come up:
I decided since I was in the area that I would run to the top of Molly's Nipple. The total run climbed 2,600 feet but most of it is pretty gradual. This is the area leading to the steeper climb up Molly's Nipple (pretty easy to see in the background):
The view from the top is incredible. One thing I noticed on this trip was the shadow of Molly's Nipple in the foreground:
I also found something that I hadn't seen during any of my previous trips: a geo cache capsule. I ended up spending about 20 minutes at the top reading through the log book which dated all the way back to 2001! This was one of my favorite entries (largely because it mentions Twinkies):
I wore some shorts that I got from the Dogtown Half Marathon last year. They are too short to wear around the neighborhood without feeling self-conscious, but they're perfect for secluded trails where you never see a solitary person:
It's pretty safe to say that nobody has ever looked at me and thought "Wow, he must be using steroids."
Friday, June 22nd 2012: 5 miles @ 10:22 minutes per mile. Boring, early morning pre-work run.
Saturday, June 23rd 2012: 20 mile bike ride with Mel. We plan to go on more of these dates together. Good times.
Speed workouts: Love them or hate them? Don't mind the track, hate tempo runs.
Twinkies: Great snack food or the greatest snack food? Great, right behind Donettes.
Upcoming Summer Olympics: Excited? Can. Not. Wait.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
My Next 100 Miler - Javelina Jundred
It's official. I've signed up for my 3rd 100 miler.....the Javelina Jundred on October 27th 2012! I'm more than a little excited.
Last year I ran the Javelina Jundred as my first 100 miler and seriously loved every second of it. It has the feel of a party. The Zion 100 a few months ago was different. Zion was an adventure. And I love an adventure. Zion will undoubtedly be on my calendar next year. But Javelina is a party.
Javelina Jundred is held close to Jalloween so there are lots of costumes. The desert scenery is beautiful. It's cool to hear packs of coyotes howling in the distance throughout the night. The aid stations resemble a Costco.
The course consists of 15.4 mile loops run washing machine style and I loved watching the race unfold right in front of me. It's cool to see the elite runners coming back the opposite direction and cheer you on while you cheer them on. Since the loops were clockwise then counter-clockwise I never felt bored, and it was impossible to get lost.
I'm excited that my friends Ben and Travis who I ran most of Zion with will also be joining me at the race. Good times will be had by all. (Actually, I'm not sure "good times" is completely accurate for those last 40 miles.)
I think this race will always be special to me because it was my first 100. If you're ever looking to try to tackle the 100 mile beast, the Javelina Jundred would be a great option.
Last year I ran the Javelina Jundred as my first 100 miler and seriously loved every second of it. It has the feel of a party. The Zion 100 a few months ago was different. Zion was an adventure. And I love an adventure. Zion will undoubtedly be on my calendar next year. But Javelina is a party.
Javelina Jundred is held close to Jalloween so there are lots of costumes. The desert scenery is beautiful. It's cool to hear packs of coyotes howling in the distance throughout the night. The aid stations resemble a Costco.
The course consists of 15.4 mile loops run washing machine style and I loved watching the race unfold right in front of me. It's cool to see the elite runners coming back the opposite direction and cheer you on while you cheer them on. Since the loops were clockwise then counter-clockwise I never felt bored, and it was impossible to get lost.
I'm excited that my friends Ben and Travis who I ran most of Zion with will also be joining me at the race. Good times will be had by all. (Actually, I'm not sure "good times" is completely accurate for those last 40 miles.)
I think this race will always be special to me because it was my first 100. If you're ever looking to try to tackle the 100 mile beast, the Javelina Jundred would be a great option.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Must Read: This Guy Is Running Across America
I had an amazing opportunity this past weekend. I got to spend a few miles with a guy who is running ACROSS THE COUNTRY. But not only is Chris Praetzel running across the country, he is doing it totally self-supported. No crew. No support vehicle. Just Chris and a baby stroller of supplies:
Chris started in California and is heading to New Jersey, already covering more than 500 miles. I was blessed to spend a day with him. Since running through the Mojave and into southern Utah, temperatures are scorching so he has been running through the night. I met him at 8:00pm to start running and it was exactly 100 degrees outside. My friend Ryan joined us as well:
Chris is running to raise awareness of organ donation since his brother is alive thanks to a kidney transplant. This topic is close to my heart as well since I work in dialysis centers where people pray every night that a kidney will become available so they can get off dialysis. (Here is my favorite picture from our run.)
What I really admired was his determination and his humility and his kindness. Instead of seeing a cold, uncaring world, Chris sees the kindness and support of strangers. I ran around 8 miles then drove back to meet him along the way to drop off some food from In & Out Burger.
From there he ran a few more hours before reaching Hurricane, Utah. He said over the last 500 miles a few guys from Highway Patrol have stopped him saying they had reports of a crazy guy running through the desert with a baby in a stroller. But when they found out about his cause (and the fact that he didn't have a baby) they were totally supportive and even gave him a hat.
Since he was passing through my town I asked if he'd like to stay for the night and get a real bed, shower, and air conditioning. Our family was thrilled to spend the day with him on Sunday and the kids were so sad when it started to cool off and it was time for Chris to head out.
I found later that my daughter gave him a note before he left that said "Dear Chris, my name is Danica and I believe that you will be able to finish your race. I'm glad that you are able to stay with us. I am so sorry that you aren't able to sleep on a nice comfy bed like you did last night. Thank you so much for caring so much about your brother and running so long for him. I hope you will keep this note as long as you live. From Danica." Our family all stood in the yard watching as he ran down our street and onto the next step in his courageous journey.
Are you like me? Do you think this is the coolest thing EVER? Here's what you can do:
1) Please, please register to be an organ donor. Give the gift of life. Visit www.donatelife.net
2) You can visit Chris' website at www.brotherlyloverun.com
3) Check out the most updated info on Chris' run at his blog www.brotherlyloverun.blogspot.com
Chris started in California and is heading to New Jersey, already covering more than 500 miles. I was blessed to spend a day with him. Since running through the Mojave and into southern Utah, temperatures are scorching so he has been running through the night. I met him at 8:00pm to start running and it was exactly 100 degrees outside. My friend Ryan joined us as well:
Chris is running to raise awareness of organ donation since his brother is alive thanks to a kidney transplant. This topic is close to my heart as well since I work in dialysis centers where people pray every night that a kidney will become available so they can get off dialysis. (Here is my favorite picture from our run.)
What I really admired was his determination and his humility and his kindness. Instead of seeing a cold, uncaring world, Chris sees the kindness and support of strangers. I ran around 8 miles then drove back to meet him along the way to drop off some food from In & Out Burger.
From there he ran a few more hours before reaching Hurricane, Utah. He said over the last 500 miles a few guys from Highway Patrol have stopped him saying they had reports of a crazy guy running through the desert with a baby in a stroller. But when they found out about his cause (and the fact that he didn't have a baby) they were totally supportive and even gave him a hat.
Since he was passing through my town I asked if he'd like to stay for the night and get a real bed, shower, and air conditioning. Our family was thrilled to spend the day with him on Sunday and the kids were so sad when it started to cool off and it was time for Chris to head out.
I found later that my daughter gave him a note before he left that said "Dear Chris, my name is Danica and I believe that you will be able to finish your race. I'm glad that you are able to stay with us. I am so sorry that you aren't able to sleep on a nice comfy bed like you did last night. Thank you so much for caring so much about your brother and running so long for him. I hope you will keep this note as long as you live. From Danica." Our family all stood in the yard watching as he ran down our street and onto the next step in his courageous journey.
Are you like me? Do you think this is the coolest thing EVER? Here's what you can do:
1) Please, please register to be an organ donor. Give the gift of life. Visit www.donatelife.net
2) You can visit Chris' website at www.brotherlyloverun.com
3) Check out the most updated info on Chris' run at his blog www.brotherlyloverun.blogspot.com
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