Run Forever

Sometimes I feel Like I could run forever.
Late morning I left the house for a run of 2 hours. Hitting the street for one mile of road running on my way to nearby Leon Creek.
It was cool as "The Doors" played on my iPod. The deer were prancing through the woods. Allowing me to get near but never close. Most of my run was through the nature trails with short sprints on the paved path to get to other trails. On the pavement, other runners cheerfully smiled and said hello. The girl with the pink vibram five fingers said, "I like yours!" about my fluorescent green Newtons, after I pointed to her feet and told her "I like those"
The neighbor out for a walk, waved and said, "Hey Tony!"
Courteous mountain bikers slowed as they saw me coming. I moved off the trail and let them by. They thanked me as all five of them whizzed on by, one by one in their High tech garb and fancy glasses.
The Doors gave way to Steely Dan. The deer to the man with the Giant Schnauzers.
At the end of the trail, a young boy on a bike says Hi. I hit the road for the one mile back home.
A very nice run this morning. Sprinkled with very nice people. And animals too.
Sometimes I feel Like I want to keep running, forever.

What a drag it is getting old

I pride myself in being able to do things many my age cannot. Or will not. I feel young and try to act young but the fact is I am over the hill and fighting the slide. At 52 my body is starting to show signs of age. I am flattered at times by friends who say I look younger than my age but most of these friends are entering middle age. I don't want to be younger unless I can go back to 16. Not to change things but it was so much fun then! Although fun can be had throughout our lives.
Today's visit to the doctor was to address my Pterygiam :a fleshy mass of thickened conjunctiva that grows over part of the cornea usually from the inner side of the eyeball and causes a disturbance of vision--merriam-webster. I had been putting this off for years but now it has worsened.
Pterygiam is a result of excessive exposure to sun and wind. I have spent most of my life outdoors. I am like a caged animal indoors. Always have been. As a kid I was out the door before dawn. As I got older I wore sunglasses mostly to look cool. But with my large face I couldn't, and still have trouble, finding sunglasses that fit well and are comfortable enough. Thus, I would pull them off or simply not wear them. And this is also the case with clothing. Collars bother me. Sleeves bother me. I would much rather run around shirtless if I could. I understand Anton Krupicka running shirtless. I'd like to too. But I don't have the lean body he does.
Back to the Doctor visit. I am scheduled for surgery to remove the Pterygiam on my left eye first (the worst one), on Thursday of next week. I was told I could not lift anything over 10 Lbs for a week. "Can I run?" I asked. No was the answer. Walk, I was told. Oh well, it's only a week. I became frustrated a bit. Leaving the Doctor's office, I took out my frustrations with a run at Friedrich park.

Diet? Which one? When?

So what is the optimal diet for an athlete? And which athlete? A runner, Cyclist, mountain climber, etc? You? Me? The Olympians, the age groupers, the elite? There are countless books on nutrition, and training, for all of sports disciplines. I have bought and read many books on nutrition, and training. I've tried the Paleo diet, vegetarian, and vegan. In my opinion, there are some that clear thinking people should stay away from. Like the Atkins diet. I feel you just can't continue on such of a restrictive diet for a lifetime. And that's what we're looking for, Isn't it? A way of eating that will provide not only fuel for our athletic endeavors, but also will help us reproduce new and strong cells. I want to give my mitochondria a little of everything to make strong cells for me!
Some of these books on nutrition are written by athletes and nutritionist with good intentions and, let's face it, some that just want to make a buck. Nothing wrong with that, but "will it work for me?" I have gathered "vast knowledge" on what fuels our bodies by reading and trying various diets. And now will incorporate some of everyone of them in my daily diet. What I have learned is we all need to eat more fresh, raw, vegetables than any other food. Fruits and nuts are good, and I still believe red meat should be eaten rarely. Poultry and fish not too often either.
Throughout the ages, humans have eaten what is available. Hence there are many "Delicacies" that some people today frown on and would never touch or would pay an enormous amount of money for; Escargot, caviar, Bird nest soup, and the less expensive Menudo, Chitlins, squirrel (and this is just a sample of recent delicacies). The list goes on. The point is, we have survived for thousands of years on foods that were available to us. Now the world is flat and we have foods from all over the planet at our finger tips. I'll continue to take a "little of this and a little of that" Maybe a little more of "that" sometimes. And you know what? Next year, or next decade, my diet may change. Something else may work in the future, We should always be experimenting.

Taxed lungs

The past three days I've had a hacking cough. My lungs want to expel the cedar pollen they sucked in last Saturday. Usually the mountain cedar that dots the Texas Hill Country doesn't bother me much. This year though it was heavy during the 100K run last week. Although, I do remember previous years when I could see it floating in the air in the gleam of my headlamp at night. This year as I ran up the trail, I noticed what seemed like smoke coming from behind a tree. Who the heck would be smoking out here, I asked myself. Later as I mentioned to my pacer that I thought I was hearing a squeaky toy (my wheezing) as I ran, I realized it was cedar pollen I had seen. The rains this weekend should knock some of that pollen off the trees, I hope. The pollen was not as thick as this photo but this gives you an idea what I'm talking about. My lungs are hacking less now. Fortunately this stuff will be gone by mid February. I'm heading out for a short run this morning while the rain is light.

First post Bandera run.

My recovery has been going well. Sunday after the race, it was as though I couldn't get my fill of water! I must have downed ten 16 oz. bottles. Monday was the same, less a bottle or two. And, I brushed the Vegan diet aside, eating beef, chicken and a little cheese. Figured my body could use it. It was three days before my stiff legs loosened up completely.
Finally felt good yesterday (Wednesday) and great today! I went out for a two miler early this morning, in almost freezing temps. It felt good. Afterward, my thighs were tingling and I felt really tired, but am much better now after a 10 minute snooze.
Looking forward to this weekend. We're getting some of the group together for a run. Hmm, wonder how long we're running.
But before that, Freetail Brewery tonight for some post Bandera stories. Looking forward to hearing how everyone else is recovering.

Bandera 100K race report

I don't know what it was, but I was feeling very anxious in the days leading
into this race. Was it because so many in our group would be there? Or because I
was feeling pretty good physically? Or wanting to redeem myself for last years
DNF? Maybe I just wanted to spend time out on the trails all day. Saturday
morning as I prepared to leave for the race, I pulled a muscle in my neck/upper
back as I stretched. It hurt when I turned my head to the left. Just as I was
feeling the best I ever have going into a race I do a stupid thing and stretch
before warming up. I wouldn't let it bother me and put it out of my mind.
Meeting with many in the group at the Tigermart and driving up to the Exxon in
Bandera for a bathroom break was a good idea, It helps set me at ease.
At the start I told Diana H. I thought about her all through my training and
wondering at what point in the race she would pass me. It happens all the time.
I have vivid memories of her passing me in the late stages of many races. We
laughed and the race began. Less than a mile into the race Bridgett gently
bumped me and said hello. We talked awhile as she began to glide slowly ahead. I
was feeling good but tried not to push too hard, constantly reminding myself to
run easy. I was surprised how well I was moving. Arriving at Crossroads John
helped me with my bag and I was out of there quickly and on to climb the
sisters. Approaching the first climb I spotted Tom ahead as Chris was coming up
behind me. Tom looked tired and said he'd be OK. Descending the last sister
Chris and I see Brian who said he had no energy. It was not easy seeing my
friends struggle. I reached crossroads with Chris on my heels. Cindy was also
there and offered encouragement here and throughout the day at many of the aid
stations. John helped me in and out. Chris and I climbed lucky Peak together as
Amanda was hot on our heels on her way to the 50K finish. Somewhere between this
point and the lodge, Tanya caught up with me and we talked a little. It seems
Tanya doesn't suffer on these trails or hides it very well. She's always
smiling! I started to develop pain on the sole of my left foot. Every time I
placed it on a rock it hurt really bad. Arriving at the lodge (31 miles, half way point) I changed my socks in hopes that it would help ease the pain. Chris, Tanya, and I left the lodge to begin the second loop at the same time. I stopped half a mile ahead to readjust my shoelaces and get my iPod out (I later would put it away, too much trouble).
The climbs now were a bit more difficult. Climbing up to sky island I remember
saying to myself “ I don't remember this climb earlier”. Was I getting delirious
already? This climb always reminds me of the South Kaibab trail at the Grand
Canyon, with the logs laid across the trail to prevent premature erosion and
help in climbing this steep ascent. I was still feeling good but knew I had to
slow the pace so I'd be able to finish the race. Next big climb, Ice cream hill.
Here John K. from Austin came up behind me. We exchanged greetings and he
powered up ahead of me. On the other side a runner came up behind and we talked
as he asked if the next aid station was close because he needed water. He
carried only one bottle with Gatorade and he was tired of it. I offered water
from my bottle. I had two, one with pomegranate juice and the other with water
(¾ full). He took it and drank almost the whole thing. Nachos aid station was
about a mile up ahead where I filled up again. At this point I was struggling to
run and settled into power hiking. Going up trail 8 Brian came up behind me. He
found energy and was moving well. I started to feel light headed and knew this
wasn't good. I fell behind on my electrolyte intake. My legs felt heavy and
weak. “Relentless forward motion” I kept repeating to myself. About a mile
before Chapas aid station Diana came along side of me and smiled. She did it
again. We spoke and she surged ahead. Arriving at Chapas, John was there and
ready to pace me the rest of the way. Cindy asked how I was feeling. “My legs
are dead” I said. John fed me grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup.
This helped tremendously! No more chicken salad and whole grain fruit bars after
this. We were on our way donning our headlamps, the sun was setting. The
lightheaded feeling was gone, but I still could not run. I told John “It's
walking the rest of the way.” The pain on the sole of my left foot was getting
worse. John tried to get me to take advantage of this flat section of trail
leading to crossroads by running. I couldn't run. Jason came up behind us and
was moving well even though he said his IT band was hurting. He surged ahead.
Tom and a few drops of rain came up behind us arriving at Crossroads. It was
dark by now. I changed my shoes and stuffed some thick inserts in them. This was
a last minute addition to my drop bag. Thank God! They felt good! As did eating
the quesadillas and potato soup. I was re-energized and my feet felt good!
Leaving crossroads aid station I began shuffling and then running. We were passing people! We climbed the sisters (a set of three steep climbs), gazing at the orange glow on the horizon. Although we saw some stars in the sky, the clouds were thickening. We were back to crossroads quickly, I thought. Again, more potato soup and out of the aid station for the last 10 miles. I was still passing people! We came up behind Diana a mile up the trail. I complained to her (tongue in cheek) about John
making me work as we passed her. I was feeling it again. Although John was in
front of me, he felt when I was running and would move faster. I locked into the
movement of his stride and chugged along. We were Picking them off. Runner after
runner. I was even running up slight inclines. How long can this last? Then
Lucky peak was in front of us. I climbed it slowly but well. Over the other side
and down to where there is a huge rut on the trail, I fell. I sat there for a
minute. Then I recalled something Liza said to me during a race while I paced
her, “Let's get this thing over with.” This was my mantra for the rest of the
race. It began raining lightly and I hoped it wouldn't rain much harder. At Last
chance aid station I had more Potato soup. This stuff was a race saver for me.
One other runner I was leap frogging with during the race introduced himself and
said we've met at Eisenhower park. Allen and I spoke as the rain began pouring down
hard. John and I left for the last 4.9 miles and the rain let up. The rocks now
were very slippery. And over Cairns climb they are the most treacherous wet or
dry in my opinion. Gently making my way through I was soon over Boyles bump. The
last climb was over! All down hill now! Again I was running well and passing
other runners with ease. Never before had I felt so well in the late stages of a
race. Crossing the finish line felt so good! Redemption! As I write this I am
not sure of my official time, but it was about 15:18. A PR. At the finish tent
Cindy asked how my legs were. “They came back to life!” I said with a big smile.


. `

Success

I finished.15:18 My race was saved by my pacer John. I began a bit to fast, slowed at the start of the second half then John was there to save me by reminding me when to eat, drink and take it gels. Report to come soon.

Tomorrow's race

I can’t remember when I’ve felt as anxious about a race as I do about the Bandera 100K this Saturday. I’m ready to go. I hope I feel the same way Saturday morning. The weather forecast for Saturday has been changing all week, but now that we’re close, it seems rain will fall. Some reports say that it will not be an all day event or too heavy a rain event. That’s good news.
My brother was planning to help crew for me, but now he can’t make it! Oh well, I appreciated his willingness to come. And I am blessed with a great group of friends who will be out there. As well as John, who’ll pace me the last 20 miles. I’ve finally decided on my fueling strategy. At Last year’s Bandera 100K, I DNFed. I had no concrete plan, a big mistake. I can’t take things for granted anymore. When I mention to folks my upcoming race they say things like, “oh that should be easy for you” This is not the case. I explain to them that all races represent a challenge and must be taken seriously and respected.
I’m a middle to back of the packer for sure, but I still must do all I can to perform well and FINISH feeling well. All the while enjoying myself and when done, looking forward to the next trail race.
So, Although I continue to experiment, tomorrow I am going with what worked for me at the Cactus Rose 100 miler. GENR8-VITARGO carbohydrate mix, nuts, and Chicken salad sandwiches. Let’s hope it works again.

It was 20 years ago today

Jan. 1, 1991 I finally quit smoking after 16 years. I began smoking at age 16. Just to be cool I guess. My best buddy smoked, as did his big brother who we thought was the coolest. We'd even take cigarettes on our Boy Scout camping trips! I remember our summer week long camping trip when I took 3 packs and ran out before camp ended. My buddies brother had a carton. He had experience. A cigarette was needed on every trip to the latrine. We had a great idea and rolled cedar bark with toilet paper and lit that up in the latrine. I don't know how we got this past the scout leaders, but we did.
My Dad smoked too and I would steal some of his cigarettes. He bought cartons at a time and kept them in his car trunk so I figured he wouldn't miss a pack or two a week. My Dad finally quit after about 40 years of smoking due to an illness.
In my mid twenties I was smoking a pack a day. Even though I tried to convince my self otherwise, smoking is no fun and dangerous. Two times I almost burned the house down. One day I emptied ashtrays in the kitchen trash. A few minutes later the trash can was ablaze! Another time I finished smoking a cigarette, dropped the butt on the back door deck and stepped on it to make sure it was extinguished. It wasn't. Good thing I went back out a few minutes later. The Deck was smoldering.
I credit my brother for getting me to quit. A couple of years ago I found out my Mother was behind it too. She told my brother that he had to do something about my unhealthy lifestyle.
On a trip down from Kansas City, my brother gave me his old bicycle. It was December 1989 and he told me I'd better be ready for a 100K bike ride in May, when he was returning, or he'd kill me. I knew he wouldn't kill me, but I didn't want to let him down. He may beat me up!
I trained but continued smoking, albeit not as much. I had no choice but to cut down. I was running out of breath on my training rides. Giving up smoking is not easy. It takes work and will power. The morning cigarette with coffee and the after meal smokes were too good to let go. I hung on to these for a year. And sneaked in some others. Eventually it was down to two a day. The morning one and the after dinner smoke. Also, cigarettes were up to $1.50 a pack. Outrageous! I don't see how people pay $7.00 a pack today!
After a great 30 mile ride in the Texas Hill Country with a good friend of mine, I had trouble catching my breath. And I asked myself, "What do you enjoy most? Bike riding or smoking?" Bike riding won.
Thanks Mom, Thanks Andy.