the end is near?

Yes, I 'bout fell off the Earth. It's been a difficult few months since my last blog entry. Been depressed with the everyday coping with pain & nausea as the simple side pain I had in June steadily worsened to an unbearable point. I had my 3rd surgery Thursday & for the first time in a few months I have optimism that there can be an end to this misery. I'm hoping I can slowly start some hiking & then try running again. I know my leg muscles have atrophied as I learned several years ago that as I age, the longer the break in running I have, the higher the rate of muscle tone loss. A 2-3 week break is tough, a 2-3 month break (w/zero exercise) is very very tough. I seem to keep up on the aerobic side after a long break but I'm sure that is affected, though not as noticeable at first.

So once again, after signing up earlier in the year, I'm going to miss the 2nd annual OIL CREEK 100 next week (Oct 16) because of a health issue (swine flu last year). However, I just signed up for the Jan 2011 Mountain Mist 50k (because they fill up so quickly) -- so I am thinking positive!

No Mo

All week I've been flip-flopping (at least 3 times) on a decision to run Mohican 100 tomorrow. When there was no abdominal pain whatsoever, I'd feel like on cloud 9. I would then go over my race & course strategies and continue to prepare everything, including packing 7 drop bags. Each time the unpredictable pain returned, I had to re-evaluate my plans. Last night before I went to bed, I thought I had made the final decision to run -- everything was ready -- leave for Loudonville in the morning. In the very early morning hours though, I was awakened (for the 1st time) by side pain. That was the final straw. I can be really hard-headed, but common sense won this time.

I'm DEVASTATED! A year long wait has gotten a year longer. My legs are full of run -- all my training since McNaughton will do me little good when I return (body willing) to racing at the end of summer.

Going to see another specialist ASAP.

a diagnosis

After being continually prodded, stuck for blood, probed from within & zapped by ultrasound & x-rays, the latest diagnosis (or educated guess) is: an abdominal wall strain (slight hernia). Despite all the tenderness in my entire right side -- everything, including the liver, kidney, adrenal, stomach, colon & pancreas were deemed normal by the Drs. after looking at all the tests (that's good to know!).

At first, the most pain was generally where my gall bladder would be, but since that & my appendix were removed many years ago, it made it all that more perplexing. Secondly, it was thought it was my kidney since I have a horseshoe kidney; have had a history of stones & the 2 cysts in the right kidney that, according to the radiologist's report, had grown in size since my last scan 5 years ago. However the urologist said that my kidney did not appear to be the source of pain & that the cysts I have are very common & did not concern him (good!).


a late race report:

Initially the pain a couple weeks ago felt like a "side stitch" that would come & go, so I did make an attempt to run Another Dam 50k last Saturday. A couple miles after the start though, the pain came back, so I immediately slowed down (no choice really) & stopped after the 1st lap.

Of what I completed of the race, I liked the new course (with no sun). Several years ago when I ran this, the flood waters came up DURING the race & the course was altered "midstream" -- including some trail blazing for some on one lap. This new course was changed more this time -- more trail, but still a very, very fast course. The sun was intense back when on the old course, but not last Saturday. Instead, it was cloudy and the dew point was 70+ degrees -- extremely humid in my book. After a few miles, I was so soaked it looked liked I had just got out of a swimming pool! The temperature was already 77 at the start, 10 degrees warmer than forecast, but despite the humidity, I didn't feel hot like I usually do under the conditions -- I think my mind was pre-occupied with the pain. I don't believe it got into the 80's the rest of the day. Sure wish I could have found out if I would have handled the conditions the entire distance.

next:

I thought I really needed to finish Another Dam 50k to have enough heat training for the Mohican 100. And, of course, I did not foresee this side pain (which I still have). Also, since I will have not run whatsoever for 2 full weeks come race day next Saturday, Mohican is looking doubtful at the moment. If I don't run Mohican, the disappointment will almost rival missing the inaugural Oil Creek 100 race last Fall (because of the swine flu)!


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sidelined

Due to an unexplained pain, my activities are very limited at the moment. I'm awaiting the results of the latest tests/scan and a diagnosis.

Stone Steps 50k - FA

The FA run on the Stone Steps course this past Saturday officially kicked off my heat training that will hopefully prepare me for the Mohican 100 in 3 weeks. Every year in the cool Spring, I set goals for the summer, but always tone them down after my 1st encounter with an 80+ degree day. This year will not be any different.

With the forecast high of 83 in Cincinnati for this FA run, I was looking to get a gradual introduction to running in the heat. I really wasn't prepared for the actual weather I encountered: 90 degrees & high humidity!! The sun was intense & when out in the open, I had to run from shady spot to shady spot. The best thing about this was it felt "cool" once I got back into the woods, when actually it was still hot. Only about 2 to 3 miles of the 50k was out in the direct sun -- at Mohican, about 25 miles of the course will be on dirt, gravel or paved roads -- alot of sun exposure will be possible & most all of that portion of the race will be done in the afternoon.

As for my FA run, I arrived 30 minutes late due to a wreck on I-75 and did not start with the other runners. I set my own slow steady pace that I hoped would get me thru the day. That pace was almost 16'/mile -- which I was able to maintain for about 8 hours for the 50k, a PW (personal worst). Still, if I can keep that same pace up thru the heat of the day at Mohican, I would be in a good position to finish the race this year (as long as my back cooperates!).

I did get in a good chat with Dave Corfman, RD for Stone Steps 50k, who was taking it easy this day recovering from an injury. Got to hear about his upcoming Badwater adventure in mid-July -- talk about the need for heat training!! Also ran into Kyle Fahrenkamp this day, who was also getting in a heat work -- he'll need it as he's on Dave's crew! Good Luck you guys!

next:

I'm going to have one more long training run in the heat & humidity this coming Saturday: Another Dam 50k. The course has alot of road & wide trail that will be exposed to the sun. I could not handle that whatsoever last time I ran it a few years ago. I need the training, yet I don't want to get burnt out (literally) 2 weeks before Mohican. So will set the same goal as last Saturday -- finishing!


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2010 Dances w/Dirt Gnawbone 50M

Be warned, another long report:

Having skipped the John Bryan 50k 2 weeks after McNaughton this year, I felt fully recovered this time & prepared for DWD -- unlike last year. I had hopes of breaking 11 hours & chalking up another course PR. With rain in the days leading up to this race, I knew it would be muddy on the horse trails as I had run this race the last 3 years & pretty much knew what to expect. What I had learned & reinforced myself with each year too was that following course markings would be a top priority . . . well, I thought I had learned. That, plus an unlucky twist, made for an eventful race. The course studying & long thought out plans for hydration & fueling was all out the window starting an hour into the race . . .

prerace:

It was a cool, partly cloudy morning with heavy dew in the fields around the start area. I got there an hour early for the 6:15 start after a 2 hour drive. There were a couple ACRES of vacant parking when I arrived, so why does the next car arriving park so close to my car that I can't even open my door halfway? One of my pet peeves, I guess, so I just pull out & re-park. A sign of things to come?


start:

At the start line I position myself at the very back of the pack & notice Paul Owen, also from Louisville, standing right beside me. Hope you had a good run Paul!

Paul & I ran together for the 1st mile or so. According to my GPS, the first mile, mostly on gravel road was 11:33, much better than the 14 minute first mile of last year when I couldn't muster any leg turnover whatsoever. As expected, we ran into muck on the first hill, but after that it was mostly just wet ground with only a few real muddy sections (till it started raining).

aid station/drop bag blunder:

After we reached "Horse Trails", I was expecting an aid station, but never saw it. No problem though, my only drop bag (visited twice) was at the next scheduled aid station where the plan was to drink 20 oz & pick up 20 oz more in my water bottle & pick up some gels. I had not started the race with a water bottle as I knew I would pick it up at my drop bag at the 2nd aid station - WRONG! Arriving at the Raccoon Ridge aid station, there were NO drop bags to be found -- I was in a daze. I asked the volunteer where they were & she said they decided to move them to the next aid station & pointed down the road -- so I headed that way. I was so engrossed with the fact that the drop bag was not there that I failed to drink & fuel up!!! I didn't realize this till I was a half mile down the trail -- a HUGE blunder on my part, but felt like that blunder shouldn't have had the chance of happening in the first place . . .


back on track (for a while):

I tried to keep positive, even though my thoughts kept returning to the fact that I was burning up my energy reserves that I would need late in the race. The course was changed quite a bit thru here from last year, so I focused on that. There were numerous wide streams that kept your feet wet, but they were a good place to keep the mud washed off. The organizers also added probably the steepest hill on the course thru here & it would have to be done twice this day.

Finally arriving at the aid station at 9 miles, I got the first gels & drink at my drop bag. It wasn't hot & I wasn't dying of thirst, so I felt I wasn't set back too far . . . hydration wise at least. For the next 10 miles or so, my energy level felt OK & I was able to get all my mind into enjoying the run.


something is wrong here! :

Running on some real nice, well maintained bike trails coming up to the Hesitation Point aid station, I came even with a runner & he introduced himself as Rick Ferguson. I had passed by him on trails in Louisville but had never met him. He was running his first 50 miler, although at that point he was thinking about dropping down to 50k. We were having a good chat when all of a sudden we spot a gal with marking flags off trail to our right --- she says "You need to be over here!" What?? We get off the bike trail & head over to a lesser maintained trail that heads up the hill. I did not recognize this trail from previous years. On this trail, it was a straight shot (uphill) to the aid station & probably cut off at least one big switchback on the bike trail -- I knew something had to be wrong somewhere. I saw her continuing in a straight line down the hill behind us, bypassing all the bike trail we had just come up!! -- what gives??

Leaving the Hesitation Point aid station & the best scenic view on the course, I crossed the road & headed to the trailhead. I approached the end of a fence where some people were standing & I went on by them & down the trail. After a while I saw yellow flags but it didn't dawn on me I was on the wrong trail as my mind was still trying to figure out what had happened just before the last aid station. Then I heard the familiar "You're going the wrong way!" As I came back to the end of the fence, I realized there was also a trail on the other side of the fence! I was thinking the people standing there blocked the view of the pink flags, but when I came thru the 2nd time on the next loop, I could see that you had to really look to find the pink flagging on the other side of the fence. No big deal, it just reinforced the fact that I had to concentrate more on the task at hand.

Ogle Lake:

The rest of the loop was familiar to me & had not changed (it was run in the opposite direction only the 1st year). On the way down the trail to Ogle Lake I ran into a family trekking up the muddy trail. One adult was carrying a little girl & there was one small boy crying, obviously very tired, literally being pulled up the hill. Really felt sorry for him as he had at least another mile uphill to go! After passing them I could see the mischief that they had gotten into earlier: pulling flags down -- some scattered, some in neat piles. I knew the way so it wasn't a problem. What surprised me though as I reached the Lake was that I couldn't find the aid station!! I knew there was a last minute call for volunteers on the website -- maybe they ran short?! Was it one of the cars parked in the lot with the trunk open?


2nd loop:

Starting the 2nd loop, around the marathon distance, my legs started to give out. I stopped to take a stick out of the inside bottom of my shoe & wish I hadn't. The saturated shoe felt like 5 pounds in my hands! That probably worked on me mentally more than anything.

To keep everyone on their toes, or just keep it more interesting, the 2nd trip around the main loop had 2 major changes from the 1st time around. The loop would be 2 miles shorter, but they would also add an "off trail" section. Plenty of flags & signs thru these areas -- they did a great job marking here.

Part way thru this loop it started to rain. The forecast the entire week had NO mention of rain for the race -- even with the forecast as late as Friday night. It was a surprise to feel the 1st raindrops. When I heard thunder, I knew then we were in for a soaking. I didn't mind the rain itself at all, in fact it cooled me down. What had me thinking ahead though, was that I knew that the already mucky mud on the last few miles of horse trails on the course were going to be really nasty by the time I got there!

The bike trails were hardly affected by the rain, even when the rain became heavy. I could see where volunteers had opened up the sides of the trails so that all the puddles would drain. The trail itself had a good cross slope & was hard packed, so even at the wettest times, there were bikers on the course. One problem on the bike trails though, was amplified by the rain. It was impossible to hear the bikes approaching with the rain pelting the leaves.

something is wrong here! (part 2):

As I was heading up the bike trail up to Hesitation Point, I suddenly noticed a runner crossing the trail from left to right in front of me. It looked like a runner I had passed going thru the last aid station. I asked her if she was on the course. She said she's following the same trail she ran the 1st loop! Lo & behold I look directly to my left & then to the right & I see pink flags -- what's going on? Did I miss the turn twice now?! (I must have & so did others). Anyway, I made an abrupt right turn & headed up the hill after her & it led up to Hesitation Point quite quickly. I didn't realize how fortunate it was to see her at that one instant till I could see the GPS plot after I got home & see as to just what had happened. My GPS registered 50.83 miles for my race while the website said the course was 49.5 miles. My GPS always measures on the short side on courses, more so when the leaves are on the trees & there's loss of signal -- not sure how long the course actually was or how much I ran.



the final legs:

The horse trails didn't disappoint. Some of the mud pits were under water! Deep! Soup city! Fun?!

One of the last legs of the course was changed quite dramatically. I'm really surprised that DNR (Dept of Nat Resources) would approve off trail running in such wet conditions -- a big NO NO to get off trail anytime here in the Jefferson Memorial Forest. "Running" in a forested area across steep, slick cross slopes exposed alot of areas to erosion as runners battled to keep upright.

The snow ski slope at the end, well, that was a different story. It was already a developed, commercialized area, but the drainage was not being maintained. I guess I saw it at its worst, in the middle of a downpour. I had a choice of using my rear as a board & water skiing the stream right down the middle or sliding on the mud on either side or slipping on the flattened, soaked grass to the outside of that. I chose digging in my heels & zigzagging across these sections on the best path that would keep me upright -- succeeded!

At the finish, my timing chip didn't work, covered in mud. They really didn't have to show tenths of a second for my time when they guess-timated my finish time off their watch. 12:36.01.7


other notes:

The organizers really did improve on their course marking over previous years with lots of flagging & signs -- in fact I was giving them high praise . . . until I reached Hesitation Point. They also did a SUPER job in separating the relay runners from the ultra runners. Not once did I see a relay runner on the same trail this year.

The barbecued pork at the finish was not in short supply this year & was real tasty!

Although I've attended DWD the last 4 years, I'm considering running in the Massanutten 100 in 2011 which is on or about the same date as DWD each year . . . will see how the training goes & if I can get entry thru the December lottery.


next:

The race I'm training for right now is the Mohican 100 in mid June. The last 2 years there I've had trouble with the heat & had major problems with my back. I'm looking for a good prep race the 1st week of June. Another Dam 50k (AD50k) and the DINO 15k at Brown County appear as good options. I'm leaning towards AD50k at the moment. Although I wouldn't classify AD50k as a full trail race, it would help prepare me for all the sun & road that I'll be exposed to on the new Mohican course. The AD50k website says the course has been changed to provide more trail, but I don't see that on the park/course map & wouldn't expect anything different. The intense sun shut me down 4 years ago when I last run the race, so I know I have my work cut out for me if I choose the race.


final note:

If anyone can help me, I've been unable to hyperlink the main DWD web page on this blog: http://www.dwdgnawbone.com/. Maybe it's just the Firefox browser I'm using. Thanks!

2010 The Original McNaughton Park 100M

I hear people say that continuing after 50 miles to reach 100 miles that it's all mental. For me, that has never been the case. Maybe it's because of my own physical limitations that I feel it's the other way for me. At the McNaughton 100 this past Sat/Sun, it was no different. It was typical of a race that lasts over a day -- alot of things can happen -- and usually does. Instead of a lap by lap detail as I've done in the past for this race, I thought I'd list the physical challenges which I encountered (or did not encounter) & how I dealt with them:

a fickle backbone (Drs. have told me it's Degenerative Disk Disease):

My back going out is the reason or the major contributing factor in each of my previous 100 miler DNF's -- was not a factor in this race -- thank goodness! However, on Friday morning the day before this race, I thought for sure I was NOT even going to start. My back is fickle in that it can go out for no reason at any time. But this time, my middle back went out (popped) when I awkwardly tried to lift a drop bag from the backseat from the driver's seat. It had slipped so bad that the pain radiated thru my ribs/chest & felt like I was having a heart attack too! After a painful & most tense time at packet pickup, I debated whether to spend the night, head home or find out where the local hospital was located. After deciding to spend almost every single minute afterwards in a motel bed, I miraculously got up to a pain free back! I guess I don't always have anything but bad luck . . .

heat (I have an extremely high intolerance for this):

Most would say the weather on race day was nice -- 40's to the mid 70's, clear skies. For me, I look at it this way: the high temps would be 15 degrees above normal & my body had not adjusted to the change. Yes, it was lovely scenery with a beautiful blue sky which I thoroughly preferred over dreary, rainy skies of past years, but handling the heat has always been a problem for me. Fortunately, for this race, I only had a slight problem mid-afternoon Saturday when no matter how much I drank, I was still thirsty and fluids stayed sloshing in my stomach. This usually only happens to me when it reaches 80 or so, but fortunately there was a nice breeze in the afternoon & I was able to survive this day!


feet & ankles (sprains, blisters, etc.):

These are usually not a concern for me for races 50 miles or less, unless it's the occasional sprained ankle. For longer distances & for races where the feet stay wet, it's a big challenge to finish without any problems in this department for me. With 2 creek crossings & 1 unavoidable soupy mud pit each lap for 10 laps, I was going to have wet feet the entire race (after the 1st creek crossing 3 miles into the race). The course was unusually dry for "Muddy McNutty" this year as I think it's the 1st year in the last 4 that it didn't rain the day before or on race day. There were still muddy sections, but at most places there was a fairly dry runaround if you made the effort. My problem this year was the one soupy mud pit that had a stream running down the middle of it. The mud was easy to wash off when reaching the creek a couple miles later, but the washing did not remove the sand & grit left behind inside the shoes! I ended up having several blisters for the 1st time in over a year, but nothing serious. The heavy wet shoes & socks had a bigger effect on me than the blisters this day.

I also had one short-lived problem, thankfully, with my toes this race. Coming down a short steep hill (one of countless) too fast, I used my forefeet to slow myself down (you know, the loud flopping you hear of runners feet coming down a hill behind you). Anyway, I did it so hard that I thought I broke the toes on one foot! It was extreme, wincing pain for a minute & thoughts of a DNF quickly came to mind. After shifting all the weight to the other foot & hobbling down the trail, the pain slowly went away (whew!)-- learned quickly not to do that again!

chafing:

This seems to be a more of a recent problem as I've gained a little weight in the last couple years. Before, I had always put lubricant on prerace & that was all I needed. Now I've found it needs to be applied on a regular basis, but I still keep forgetting to re-apply it until chafing has started (by then it's too late). This race day, the bottom half of my running shorts had so much Hydropel & vaseline in them than they looked shiny wet! I've learned from experience that chafing can become extremely painful & can become a race ending factor.

other (hydration/electrolytes, swelling, nausea, stomach/intestinal issues, etc., etc.):

There are so many other things that can happen too -- too many to list. Like when I got some sweat/crud in my eyes early Sunday morning. Not wearing a shirt, I didn't have anything to wipe my eyes with. I was pretty much blinded until I shed enough tears to stop the stinging. With the help of the SUPER volunteers at the Heaven's Gate aid station, I was able to clear my eyes. This aid station, manned by the "Buffalo", is SECOND TO NONE in all the races I've ever entered. On this one day, I was helped by Bill Dey, Ellen Erhardt, Chris Migotsky, Brian Kuhn, Jeff Riddle & many others. And as it seems like every year, Ellen went way out of her way to help (chased me down after I had already left the aid station to give me a dry paper towel to use/carry -- just what I needed!).




the race in brief:

A dryer (less muddy) course than usual meant only a 50% DNF rate, much better than previous years. The course was still challenging, regardless, with its countless short steep hills & creek crossings. I was able to maintain a very steady pace, my best effort ever in that regard, & was able to crank out a course PR & finished 8th out of 44 runners. I was lapped twice by Zach Gingerich, winner of Umstead 100 (in a record 13:23 !! just 2 weeks previous). The 2nd time was at mile 44 (he was on mile 64), but apparently he dropped before he could lap me again. Chatted a little on the course with David C., Mike M., Nikki S., Juli A., Dan F., Roy H. & several others who I didn't get their name. It was a fun time on the trails!

My chart courtesy of McNaughton Park Trail Runs and RunRace.com:

I was happy to meet Rich & Eric too, the new Race Directors. They were really easy to talk to -- I think they did a GREAT job -- Thanks guys!


Next:

Not sure at this moment. I was planning on the John Bryan 50k as a recovery run before DWD at Gnawbone, but this race really took it out of me, so it looks doubtful right now. I'm about as sore as I've ever been, so will see how the recovery goes before making any plans.