INJURED!@#$*

PLANTAR FASCIITIS


Being extremely excited about my fitness level. I never took time to heal after my last 50 mile race... The result: INJURY.
For the last three weeks I haven't been running due to an extremely painful injury to my feet called Plantar Fasciitis. It is an overuse injury(Of Course) that deals with the ligament Fascai that connects the heel to the forefoot, and is being pulled away from the heel. Every footstrike the Fascia contracts to support the arch of your foot and also to take the energy displaced at impact and use it for toe-off.

Del Cerro Park: AFTER THE FIRES

3RD PLACE: North Country 50 mile Race

7:38:53...

I absolutely demolished this race! I set my PR in the 50 mile by over 2 hours, and my finishing time has me in the top 150 fastest 50 mile times of the year! All this with 13,000 ft. of elevation gain thrown in... I was in second throughout the entire race, but the duo of starting too fast (I wanted 3:35 for the first 25 miles, but posted 3:15) and falling 9 times, took its toll. I was eventually passed with 12 miles left. Disappointed and tired, I was beginning to fade, when I spotted the fourth and fifth place runners right behind me at mile 42. From that point I rationalized the pain and pushed through it, opening up a 22 minute gap between myself and fourth place in just 8 miles. I had conceded second place, but there was no chance I was going to give up third. During those final 3 miles something miraculous happened. Every twig that snapped, and any movement that rustled the bushes, I believed was fourth place bearing down, breathing fire, ready to run me over! That fear of losing created an entirely new pain threshold. I dropped the hammer and it didn't phase me. Crossing the finish line I still had enough left for another 25 miles. I felt solid. I felt strong. I felt ready for 100 miles!

Ultra Bio: KARL MELTZER

What can you say, Karl is a Beast, with an ego to match! He is undoubtedly one of the best ultra runners in the country and has dominated the scene for more than 10 years. Karl began running in the Wasatch Mountains in the summer of 1990 and ran his first ultra, the Wasatch 100, six years later. In 1998, he returned to the Wasatch 100 winning his first ultra and setting a new course record. Winning his first ultra at age 30, he set a goal to win 25 more ultras by the time he turned 40. Now Karl, at 40, has nearly doubled that goal having won 49 ultras in 99 starts. Of these, 25 were of the 100 mile distance including 6 wins at the Wasatch 100 and 4 Hardrock 100 wins (considered by many to be the world's most difficult 100 mile trail race).

Karl typically trains 60-80 miles a week. All miles are done on mountainous terrain and he incorporates tempo running into his trail running. He says that he bases most of his training runs on how he feels rather than following a particular training plan. He just simply likes to run.

Along with making his living as a professional ultrarunner, Karl provides ultrarunning coaching services (www.karlmeltzer.com), runs an ultrarunning training camp through the University of Utah, and serves as the race director for the Speedgoat 50K. The Speedgoat 50K is held at Snowbird, UT in July, and the course designed by Meltzer, is considered one of the toughest with over 10,000 feet of gain.

Time For an Upgrade!

Salomon S-Lab Wings XT

Salomon has come out with a racing version of my favorite trail running shoe the S-Lab Wings XT. This shoe has all the control of the original Wings XT, but they replaced the stability upper with a mesh that forms to your foot, but allows the shoe to be 3 oz. less. This shoe would worry me if I was running up mountain rocks, but since my next race is in Michigan, on flat wooded trails, these seem like the perfect shoe for the job. Salomon Has come through again!

My Weekly Mileage 125mi.

I really upped the mileage this week and my body responded very well to the added stress. I felt extremely strong, especially on Saturday. My goal was to figure out my pace for my next 50 mile race coming up in two weeks. I've decided on an 8:30 pace for the first 25 miles, and from there feel my way through. During my run on Saturday, the first 22 miles I ran at 8:29 pace, and the last 12 I ran at 8:17... I had a lot of energy when I was finished, and was able to run a solid 14 miles the next day. I feel that my training has me ready to PR at this race. I'm looking at coming in around 7:30;00 for the race, which shaves off 2 hours from my previous 50 mile record.

En Fuego! No More AC 100

Unfortunately the 2009 AC 100 has been canceled due to the devastating forest fires in the San Gabriel Mtns. I was extremely disappointed having spent the last 9 months training for the event. But, I allowed myself only 2 hours of pity before I looked for a new race. What do you know, I found one, the Javelina Jundred. Under a full moon on Halloween, 10/31/09, I can finally exorcise my demons in a 100 mile race. Keep your fingers crossed that it all works out! The third times the charm.

Oh No! AC 100 on Fire

Over the past four days over 85,000 acres have been scorched in the San Gabriel Mountains. Many areas, including famous Mt Wilson, are part of the AC 100 course. Runners were supposed to be there early Saturday morning and again on Sunday, but the Race director canceled the trail maintenance, and it was the right call. The fires have taken over La Canada, which was where we were supposed to be. I hope they are able to get this under control quickly and it doesn't effect the race, unfortunately its out of my hands.

For up-to-date maps of the fire and evacuations click here: Fire Map

My Weekly Mileage

Here's the workouts I did last week. Everything was easy with an emphasis on mileage. With the AC 100 only 3 weeks away, this upcoming week will prove crucial, in not only my physical preparation leading up to the race, but psychologically as well. Again keeping my daily mileage around 20, I'm hoping that mid-week I can do a 40+ run and and another long run the following day! If I can manage only 3/4ths of what I want to get done this week. I'll be ready....Bring it on!

Team Run Flagstaff win TransRockies Run!

One of the Run Smart Project coaches and friend Mike Smith, along with teammate Robert Krar, just won the Gore-Tex TransRockies 113 mile, 6 day stage race. Competing for team Run Flagstaff, they beat 2nd place team Nike by 20 minutes. Finishing first in 4 of the six stages with an overall time of 14:59:59, they managed to hold on through a tough 21.4 miles, with 4,607 feet of vertical gain on the last leg, to claim the Men's Open title! Well done Mike!

Technique for Uphill Running

Here is a video on proper uphill running technique by Scott Jurek, one of the top Ultra runners in the world. Proper form and technique will not only save more energy through better running economy, but it will also keep you from getting injured.

It's Official, I'm in! Grand Canyon Ultra 2010

Grand Canyon 24 Hour Ultra Marathon 2010

PRESS RELEASE

Across the Divide announces dates for NEW Grand Canyon

24 hour Ultra Marathon & Marathon

Challenge event specialist Across the Divide, has added a NEW event to its extreme overseas adventures – the Grand Canyon 24 hour Ultra Marathon – which will take place from 2-9 October 2010.

The race will be taking place across the Canyon’s Northern Rim – a vast, isolated area consisting of a forested plateau surrounded by miles of uninhabited desert that very few people attempt to visit.

Competitors will be expected to cover 126km. That’s the equivalent of three marathons over wild terrain, in just 24 hours. Endurance levels are pushed to the limit as runners will be faced with steep climbs up ancient rock layers, followed by difficult descents on loose rock. The isolated trails will uncover rare and spectacular scenery, as runners pass through the Kaibab National Forest in Northern Arizona – perched on a high plateau standing over eight thousand feet above sea level, before unveiling incredible views, stretching across the Canyon to the highest point in Arizona.

For the less ambitious still in search of a serious challenge, a marathon of 42km will be taking place at the same time as the 126km run. This marathon follows the same course as the longer run, but stops at the 42km rest station and must be completed in eight hours.

All contestants participating in the marathon will be completely self reliant from start to finish and will need to carry all food and equipment on their backs. Water stations and medical tents will be provided at 20km intervals along the route.

Operations and Development Director at Across the Divide, Steve Clark says, “Across the Divide is really pleased to be adding the Grand Canyon 24 hour Ultra Marathon to our list of events. It combines extreme endurance with some breath taking scenery and I’m sure will be a legendary race in the ultra-running calendar.”

The event can be run for a charity of choice, or simply for personal achievement.

Across The Divide has over 11 years experience of organising exceptional worldwide challenges and has helped to raise over £43 million pounds for worthy causes. Quality and safety is paramount to Across the Divide and all events are planned using highly qualified staff and experienced UK medical teams.

Bulldog 50k, 10th place 4:50:11

The Bulldog 50k is a real measure of where you stand in the trail running community of southern California. It is a 50k Regional championship, and Trail Runner Magazine -Trophy Series Race. I felt strong. I finished 10th overall and 2nd in the 30 and under age division. Here are some pics from the race. For complete results click here: Bulldog 50k results.

AC 100 Elevation Chart and Course Map

Here is a link to the Google Earth course file. AC 100 Course

AC 100

This is it!
Time is winding down. Let the countdown begin. 9/19/09. With a little more than 4 weeks to go I'm starting to feel the pressure, second guessing my training, and quick to snap at others. I'm pretty much zero fun to be around right now, and that's because I have tunnel vision. I'm wearing blinders and all I can see is the race. The support crew is coming together nicely, my girlfriend is here, and my family is flying out from Indiana. This really makes me nervous, 1) Ive always gone to a race by myself. 2) I'm not just running for myself, I have to make sure I do well for the people who come out to support me! I'm not quite sure i can handle this.

August Training Schedule

Here is my monthly running schedule as designed by Jack Daniels. I'm not gonna lie, I don't quite follow it exactly. True, he is one of the greatest running coaches in the world, but he also only coaches people for marathons, as you can tell by the workouts. Nothing is over 20 miles. That just doesn't cut it. How am I going to run 100 miles without ever running over 20 at one time? Do you think Ryan hall could do it, no. So why should i. So I make my long runs 35-40 miles. and my 2-a-days, become 3-a-days.

Granted, my speed has increased, which is excellent. I'm not trying to change his training for me. I just take the principles, tempo runs, lactate runs, long runs, etc. and formulate them to fit what I need to get out of it. I think its working so far. No athlete wants to rely on someone else to tell them what to do. Only I know my body and how it reacts to stress. I just need someone to point me in the right direction.

My Life as an Ultra Runner

My day is not measured by how many phone calls i make, or how many deals i close. It's how hard I ran. If I'm dead and keeled over, today was a good day. And as a runner, your only as good as your last run.

I used to hate running. It was boring, monotonous, and inglorious. Yet, one element of running appealed to me.... It was hard! I HURT when I finished running. I needed only one mile to feel sore for the next two days, and I liked that. This should have been a red flag, a warning to stay away, but I didn't. I really love pain. The sweat and emotions let out on each and every run becomes a daily cleansing of all negative energy. It is my version of yoga, except, I don't sit still very well. Instead, I run my ass off. The best part about running, it's quantitative. The more effort you put in the more results you see. Its all about the chase. The hope that once you have captured your goals you will be content. Truth being, most people spend so much time on the final outcome, they completely miss the experience that made the goal so worth while and important in the first place. The Sweat.

The effort you give, day in and day out, really begins to measure you up as a person. Its addicting. Once you prove to yourself you can run 30 miles. Why not 50? And once 50, 100 doesn't seem that incomprehensible. My theory is simple. If you can, Why not? True, this is irrational, illogical, and ill-advised by almost everyone, but for the select few whom withstood the onslaught and pressure of mediocrity, unadulterated bliss becomes a daily reward. I might be writing this specifically to rationalize my lifestyle, but you only live once. Life takes patience and perseverance, so does running 100 miles. That's my life as an ultra runner.

Valley of Fire

Technique Training: Palos Verdes