A Trailrat's adventures......

Bucket List

2012-01-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Something that is on the bucket list. One of these days.........

Kauai in Photos and Videos

2012-01-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Not going to write a big post on all the cool things we did, just thought I would hit the highlights with some photos and videos. This island is freakin awesome and the photos don't do it justice. These are some of my favorite photos out of the 600 plus photos that everyone took during the trip.

Thank you again Dad for having us!!! Enjoy!

Sunset

Trailrunning

Snorkeling

Food

Beaches

Luau

Ziplining

Waimea Canyon

Mahalo Nu'i Loa for reading!

Brett Farve in Heaven

2011-12-16T08:42:00.001-07:00

I mostly try to keep this blog just for running and outdoor adventures but this is to funny not to share. Happy Friday!

Brett Farve, after living a full life, died and went to heaven. When he arrived, God was showing him around. They came to a modest house that had a Green Bay flag in the window. God turned to Brett and said, “This is your house for all eternity, Brett. This is very special because most people don’t get to own their own home in Heaven.” Brett felt very special as he walked up to his house. On his way up the porch, he noticed another house around the corner. It was a HUGE 3-story mansion with orange and blue trim, a 50-foot flagpole with a Broncos flag flying high, a swimming pool with a Broncos logo embedded in concrete on the bottom, Broncos decals in every window and a Tim Tebow jersey on the front door. Brett looked at God and said, “God I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I was an all-pro quarterback, won multiple Super Bowls and even went to the Football Hall of Fame. Why does Tim Tebow get a better house than me?” God said, “Brett, that’s not Tim’s house…..it’s mine”

Books Read in 2011

2011-12-15T14:46:00.003-07:00

At the end of year I post my list of books that I read at year and link them to Amazon so you can check them out if interested. Here is my list for 2011. The ones that I put the number in bold are worth the read, the rest were either for work or just plan crap.

If you have any suggestions of books to check out for 2012 I am all ears. I try to read at least 12 a year but if I ever want to knock down my growing list I am going to have to read more than 25. I just don't see that happening.

1. K2: Life & Death on the Worlds most dangerous mountain
2. The Extra Mile- Pam Reed
3. In Defense of Food
4. Coaching for Performance
5. Food Rules
6. Eiger Dreams
7. Paleo Diet for Athletes
8. Relentless Forward Progress
9. Running on empty
10. Seal Team Six
11. Cycling home from Siberia
12. The Big Year
13. The Man Who Cycled the World
14. The Big Book of Endurance Training
15. And Then the Vulture Eats You
16. The Raw Truth
17. Now Discover Your Strengths
18. The Paleo Diet
19. Steve Jobs

Looking into 2012

2011-12-09T16:36:00.003-07:00

Been kind of lazy with my posting lately but not really a lot to talk about. Just been training hard for the Red Hot 55K in Feb. With the Hardrock lottery last weekend and not getting in again of course really got me thinking about races for next year. My wife and I need to sit down and figure out what will work before everything sells out. Guess I better quit dragging my feet. Here is what I am looking at for 2012 from April on, now I just need to make some decisions.

April
28th- Collegiate Peaks 25 or 50 was thinking the 25 then Greenland a week later but maybe the 50 would be best.

May
5th- Greenland 50K
6th- Fort Collins Marathon (still want to get that Boston qual time)
12th- Quad Rock 50miler
19th- Buena Vista Adventure Race

June
2nd- Dirty Thirty 50K
16th- Mount Evans (one of my favorite races, 2 close to Black Hills to do?)
17th- Estes Park Marathon (only consider if doing Leadville)
23rd- Lake City 50 (only consider if doing Leadville)
22-24th- Black Hills 100
30th- Leadville Marathon (only consider if doing Leadville)

July
8th- Pace at Hardrock again- 50 miles (not sure if I can do this if I do Blackhills 100)
15th- Leadville 50 (only consider if doing Leadville)
14th- Devils Backbone 50 (only consider if doing Leadville)
14th- Summit County Adventure race

Aug
18-19th- Leadville 100
18-19th- Pike Peak ascent and marathon double (if I do Blackhills)

One race that I am eyeing due to being by my dad’s in MT is

Oct
Le Grizz 50

Thoughts? Or other races I might be missing that are not far away? I use the shorter races as practice training runs for the 100.

Turkey Chase 10K

2011-11-24T23:31:00.003-07:00

I signed up for a 10K race today hoping to get a new PR, needless to say I did but it doesn't count because the course was short. Ran 35:53 for the 5.75 mile course according to my Garmin for 5th overall. Little disappointed that I paid $40 for a cluster fuck of a race. I would say that I wasted about 30 seconds at 3 junctions trying to figure out where to go. Who ever thought it was a good idea to do a race on the cart paths of a golf course without course markings is a dumbass, it was a maze. This course is not "flat" like the website said but had lots of small hills. That is ok, at least the money went to a great cause, The Denver Rescue Mission. Here are my splits according my watch.

Mile 1: 6:06 Ave HR 164
Mile 2: 6:33 Ave HR 176
Mile 3: 6:24 Ave HR 175
Mile 4: 6:11 Ave HR 174
Mile 5: 6:21 Ave HR 174
Last 0.75 mile: Not sure, watch includes cooldown for 0.25 of this mile.

I don't think this will be a race I do again next year. Think I will find one that is measured correctly.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Bear Creek 10Spot

2011-10-23T15:58:00.004-06:00

Ran a race this morning at Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood called Bear Creek 10Spot. It was 10.4 miles with about 1000ft of climbing. Not a lot of climbing but that last uphill at mile 8 hurt! Here is the elevation profile and map from Adam's website.

My plan was to use it as my long easy run this weekend keeping my heart rate under 150 but that did not happen. My average heart rate for the race was 175- OUCH!!! I finished th 10.4 mile course in 1:15:00 flat on my watch which gave 8th overall and 2nd in my age group. Here are my mile splits along with the average heart rate for that mile, can you guess where the hills are.

7:28- HR 170
7:00- HR 177
7:13- HR 173
7:29- HR 173
6:33- HR 170
7:40- HR 177
7:25- HR 174
6:56- HR 176
7:57- HR 179
6:48- HR 178
Last 0.4miles in 2:26- HR 184

This was a really fun low key event that could easily become a yearly affair to run. Great job Adam!!!!

For Sale: 2003 Quintana Roo Tequilo 57cm

2011-10-21T13:02:00.000-06:00

If you or some one you know is looking for a fast, kick ass tri bike I have one for sale. Please forward if you know someone who might be interested. I am also willing to trade for a 29er Mountain Bike.

I bought this bike for around $2000 back in 2004 and have only rode about 1800 miles on it. It has been sitting the garage for the past 4 years unused and now it is time to get rid of it to make room for new toys. There are some minor scratches on the paint from moving but that is it. Never been laid down or crashed. I am asking $1000 OR BEST OFFER.I am also willing to trade for a 29er Mountain Bike. Info on the bike is below, the photo above is from the web and is the same paint job as the bike for sale. I am also going to leave the Catseye cycling computer on it also. Let me know if you have any other questions. I am located in Broomfield/Westminster and willing to meet up with you so you can see the bike.

Bicycle Type Road race & triathlon

Sizes: 57cm

Frame & Fork
Frame Construction TIG-welded
Frame Tubing Material 6000 aluminum
Fork Brand & Model QR Carbon
Fork Material Carbon fiber composite w/carbon fiber steerer, aero crown

Components
Component Group Shimano Ultegra
Brakeset Tektro dual pivot brakes, Dia-Compe 188 TRI levers
Shift Levers Shimano Dura-Ace bar-end
Front Derailleur Shimano 105, bottom-pull/braze-on
Rear Derailleur Shimano Ultegra SS
Crankset TruVativ Elita Team, 39/53 teeth
Pedals Not included
Bottom Bracket TruVativ GIGA pipe SL
BB Shell Width 68mm English
Rear Cogs 9-speed, 11 - 23 teeth
Chain Shimano CN-HG73, 1/2 x 3/32"
Seatpost Aluminum micro-adjust, 27.2mm diameter
Saddle QR leather
Handlebar QR aluminum
Handlebar Extensions Profile Aerolite
Handlebar Stem QR aluminum
Headset 1 1/8" integrated Cane Creek IS-5 Integrated

Wheels
Hubs Formula XS1
Rims Formula XS1, 24-hole/28-hole
Tires 700 x 23c Continental Grand Prix
Spoke Brand Stainless steel, 15ga. (1.8mm) straight gauge
Spoke Nipples Brass nipples

Ramblings and Pranks

2011-10-21T08:32:00.002-06:00

Been pondering all week if last Saturday's effort at the 12 Hours of Boulder warrants a race report or not. Most likely not since I treated it as an easy long 6 hour jog and did not do the whole 12 Hours. Anyways props to GZ for finishing is 100!

This weekend I am going to race- strike that- run the Bear Creek 10Spot on Sunday. If I feel good (which has not been the case all week) then I will run hard, if I don't then it will be a fun jog. Could not beat the $20 sign up fee ($40 now for last minute people).

On a side note I had to share this. Now that is a PRANK!

Gemma

2011-10-11T07:44:00.004-06:00

So we have been having a lot of issues with our Malamute howling when left alone over the past 2 years since we got him, he gets lonely very easily. This past Saturday we came home from a hockey game to find a written warning on the door from the Westminster Animal Control for the noise after only being gone from 11am-2pm. One of my neighors had complained. DAMN IT!!!

We were at a loss on what to do. We have tried toys, me coming home at lunch, and even taken it to the point of a shock collar. All which have not seemed to work. We can not afford the ticket and possible court cost that this could bring.

My big boy TONKA:

So as a last ditch effort we got this sweet little girl to keep him company.

Meet Gemma-

She is a Black Mouth Cur. Very very sweet and all she wants to do is please everyone. She does have lots of energy because she is only 9 months old which makes Tonka put her in her place more than once.

Lets hope this works. Otherwise we will have to re-home Tonka to a place where the noise will not be an issue and I really don't want to lose my big boy.

Bear Chase 50K

2011-09-28T07:54:00.003-06:00

I finally got back on the horse this past weekend and ran my first ultra since last year's Leadville 100 by running the 50K version of the Bear Chase. I just have not had the interest this past year with everything going on in our family's life to do the long races. Anyways a super quick report and some pictures.

I signed up for this race without really putting in any long runs. I was running about 50-60 miles a week for a while just as a stress relieve but my longest run was only 14 miles every weekend doing the Dirty Bizmark loop. About 3 weeks out from the race a I did a 24.5 mile run in the Marshall Mesa/Dowdy Draw area in 3 hours and 45 mins at an easy pace. After that weekend I took the next 2 weekends off due to family coming to visit, needless to say I was a little under trained.

I had 2 goals in mind for this race- A) break my PR at 50K distance which is 4 hours and 31 mins or B) Finish before noon which is 5 hours and 10 mins.

To keep this short I went out at a moderately hard pace but never close to the red line with the exceptions of the small hills on this course. I was able to finish the first 19 miles in about 2 and half hours or so. The third and final lap (12.4 miles) I was doing fine the first 5 miles of the loop then gradually got slower and slower until by mile 29 I was on my hands and knees with the puke fountain turned on in full force. My stomach just shut down again and my body quick absorbing what I was drinking and eating. I was able to walk it in losing about 4-5 places in the standings to finish in 4:50:22 for 14th male and 16th overall. At least I hit my B goal, got an ok time, and got back into ultras again.

What is next? I am pondering doing either the 6 hours or 12 hours of Boulder on Oct 15th. I am leaning towards the 6 hours so that I can go see Braden's hockey game that morning but I am unsure right now. I kind of want to go out for 50 miles which should be very doable on this course in 12 hours. We will see, here are some pictures from the race.

Longs Peak Run

2011-09-19T09:26:00.004-06:00

On Friday night I put out the word on Facebook to see if anyone was interested in doing a 14 mile trail run in the Boulder area. This lead to Donald inviting me to join him in trying to break 4 hours to the summit and back of Longs Peak on Sunday. Challenge accepted!

Due to the snow that we discovered from the Boulder Field up we did not summit. And the winds were outragous on the other side of the Keyhole as you can see in this video.

We turned around shortly after this at just over 2 hours. I think if we would have had our mountaineering gear it would have been game on but being in shorts in 30 degree weather with that wind just was not doable. We ended up with 12.5 miles/ ~4000ft of gain in 3 hours and 5 mins.

Phil Maffetone Interview

2011-09-13T08:38:00.005-06:00

I have really been trying to follow Phil Maffetone training principles lately and have been trying to absorb anything that I can find about it. It all came about reading Lucho's blog where he talks about it quite often.

This lead to reading this book which I really seemed to agree with what Phil has to say, it just makes sense in my mind. Since reading this book I started wearing a heart rate monitor and minding how my body feels when running. I started doing this about the beginning of July. Since then I have dropped my 145bpm heart rate pace on flat ground from 8 mins per mile to about 7:20 mins per mile. I am very interested to see where this goes.

Ben Greenfield just did a great interview of Phil. You can listen to it by clicking here.

Let me know your thoughts about this training philosophy. Here are a couple more links with more information.

Mark Allen on Heart Rate Training

Want speed? Slow down!

My Last Day Without a Jog: 1971

2011-08-30T09:23:00.003-06:00

Very interesting article on WSJ that you can find by clicking here or just read the text below.

And my wife thinks that I am crazy.......

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Scott Cacciola

On Tuesday, Jon Simpson, a retired dentist from Memphis, Tenn., will have run at least a mile every day for 40 years. He joins five other Americans who have accomplished the feat.

Barring a catastrophe on the order of the Earth spinning off its axis Tuesday, Jon Simpson will rise at dawn and do something he has done every single day since Aug. 30, 1971: He will go for a jog.

This will take place without fanfare at a quiet pumping station adjacent to Simpson's home in Memphis, where he lives with his wife Caroline. A retired dentist, Simpson will cover four loops in 33 minutes on the same well-worn path. When he's finished, he'll become only the sixth person in the U.S. who has ever jogged at least one mile, every day, for 40 years.

In a nation that likes to glorify sports benchmarks—3,000 hits, 1,000 yards, 56 games—it's hard to know what to make of Simpson. A soft-spoken septuagenarian with a bit of a paunch, he doesn't look like anyone's image of an elite athlete. He's not in this for the attention. "I live a pretty mundane life," he said.

The only thing dazzling about his achievement is the almost unfathomable force of discipline that has driven it. "I'm just glad to get my first 40 under my belt," he joked.

According to the U.S. Running Streak Association, which began to chart running streaks in 2001, there are 286 registrants on its books who have run every day for at least one year. But before Tuesday there were only five people, all men, who'd run every day for more than 40 years.

Mark Covert, a 60-year-old college track coach from Lancaster, Calif., owns the association's longest streak. He has run at least one mile "unaided," per the association's rules, since July 23, 1968.

To get there, Covert said he's dealt with a Dickensian list of obstacles. There was the day he got spooked by a rattlesnake, fell and broke his ankle (he spent the next few weeks jogging with a laced-up boot). There was the morning he underwent minor knee surgery and had to "hobble" around the next day—an experience he describes as "not too horrible." A congenital issue with flat feet has caused him severe back pain.

Mr. Simpson's plaque honors the daily run he has done without missing a day for more than 40 years.

After tearing his meniscus this summer, Covert does acknowledge having considered calling it quits, particularly when it has taken him 20 minutes to put on his socks. But he cannot stop, refuses to stop. "What we're doing is not a mark of intelligence," he said.

Steve DeBoer, another member of the club who has run every day for 14,694 straight days, said he's taken extreme measures to preserve his streak. When his family took a trip to Australia, he made sure to book a long enough layover in Los Angeles to squeeze in a jog along the Pacific. He was worried about the time change. "What these guys do…" said his wife, Gail, her voice trailing off.

"Most people just think you're crazy," said Jon Sutherland, a 60-year-old writer from West Hills, Calif., who ranks No. 2 behind Covert on the association's list. Sutherland, who once ran with a broken hip that took nine months to heal, keeps a list of his "50 dumbest runs," which he said is under constant revision. He still considers himself more sane than others. "One guy told me he once ran on the deck of a boat in the middle of a hurricane," he said.

Sutherland and Covert, former track teammates at Los Angeles Valley College, are the grand poobahs of streak running. Neither has missed his daily jog since the moon landing. In May 1969, after college, Covert told Sutherland he'd been so inspired by the British distance runner Ron Hill that he'd been running every day for about 10 months. Sutherland laced up his sneakers and followed suit. He's been running daily since, covering some 185,000 miles, which equates to roughly seven and a half circumnavigations of the globe. During one 28-year stretch, he averaged more than 100 miles a week. "I'm 300 days behind Mark," Sutherland said, "and I can never catch him."

If you're wondering how we know these men have run every single day without cheating, the answer is: We don't. The whole enterprise is based on the honor system. "You can't have a notary out there every day clocking you in and clocking you out," Simpson said.

That said, each member of the group knows what the others have endured over the decades. When Covert informed Sutherland, in 2008, that he didn't have any plans to commemorate his 40th anniversary, Sutherland drove out to run with him.

Covert said he's often heard people say they're going to try to join the club—but he knows they never will. If you're 30 years old and would like to equal what he's done, he noted, you'd have to run at least once a day until you're 73.

DeBoer, the dietician, started his streak June 7, 1971, which puts him fifth on the association's list. He often tackles the 11-mile roundtrip between his home and his job at the Mayo Clinic, where he works with patients who have problems such as diabetes and obesity.

He owns 30 pairs of running shoes, he said, including one from 1980 with 6,000 miles on them. When executives from the sneaker company Brooks heard about that, they sent him a free pair. "Of course, now I have about 2,000 miles on the free pair," he said. DeBoer estimates that he has accrued more than 135,000 miles since he began his streak—an estimate he recently had to adjust downward.

In December, DeBoer picked up a watch with GPS and discovered one of his favorite running routes was two-tenths of a mile shorter than he thought. "So I had to subtract 260 miles from my total," he said. "That was unfortunate."

Another member of the elite club is Ken Young, a 69-year-old software developer from Petrolia, Calif., who started his streak July 6, 1970. He said debilitating knots in his leg muscles once turned a 1-mile jog into a 40-minute ordeal. That was nothing, he said, compared to the day after taking a hard fall, when he defied doctor's orders and jogged 1.1 miles with new plates in his broken wrists.

Jim Pearson, a 67-year-old retired high school teacher from Bellingham, Wash., who has a 41-year streak, told of a scary episode with blood clots in his lungs. For him, "streaking" has been a family affair: His 25-year-old son Joel started his own current streak when he was 7 and now ranks as a favorite to someday supplant Covert.

All these men say running is simply something they enjoy. Sutherland said he loves to break a sweat and fill his lungs with fresh air. Covert is drawn to what he describes as the "discipline" of the pursuit.

DeBoer has heart disease in the family. Simpson began running to strengthen his legs after contracting polio as a teenager. Now 73, he still walks with a limp—a limp that is barely perceptible when he runs. He has never stopped.

Write to Scott Cacciola at Scott.Cacciola@wsj.com

UTMB -- PRE RACE 2011 Video

2011-08-26T08:22:00.004-06:00

Damn, now I want to head off to the mountains for a run. Great video.

Quick Pikes Report

2011-08-24T08:12:00.003-06:00

Well not a lot to say but that I guess I was sandbagging in my last post a little bit.

I went down the night before and stayed with the wife at the firehouse at the start line where she works. This is so nice to have this option. In the next few years I plan on doing the double and this will hopefully still be an option for free housing that weekend.

Anyways, I started in wave 2 and just cruised on a moderate hard pace up the hill. I did not want to put any real hard effort until after I broke treeline. I caught my first 1st Wave person about 3 miles up and for the next 10 miles to the finish it was 2 1/2 hours of saying "on your left", that got old real quick, especially the A-holes who thought because they were in the 1st wave that they did not have to share the trail or did not want to get passed by a second waver. There was a couple of times I had to elbow my way past someone.

Anyway ended with a 3:03:52 for 60th overall and 11th in my age group. I think that if I would not have had to pass so many people and if I would not have stopped for a beer 1/4 mile from the top of the mountain I would have broke 3 hours. There will always be a next time.

Results can be seen here.

Pikes Peak Ascent thoughts.

2011-08-17T14:18:00.005-06:00

Well this weekend will be a fun new adventure for me. I will be running the Pikes Peak Ascent on Saturday which is about 13.3miles and 7500ft of gain. This a major mountain race in the Colorado region and is what some dudes like this guy live for. My plan is to just go and have fun running it under 4:15 so that I have a Wave 1 qualifier for the next 3 years in case I decide to run this again. The reasoning behind my outlook of not really racing it hard is that I am stuck in Wave 2 behind about 1000 people due to the fact that I did not have a fast marathon or half marathon time in the last 3 years to put me in Wave 1 since I have only been running trails. I had to use a trail marathon as a qualifier and of course it was not fast enough for Wave 1, oh well. I think I am in 3:00-3:15 shape but I expect to run between 3:45-4:00 with all the passing I will have to do even when running at an easy pace.

Should be fun!

Weekend- Boulder Ironman 70.3

2011-08-08T08:49:00.002-06:00

I was planning on doing the Audubon Duathlon this weekend but the wisdom of my wife convinced me that I need to ride farther than 12 miles in a single sitting before attempting this huge climbing bike ride. So on Sunday I rode my mountain bike all loaded up with gear from the house out to the Boulder Rez to watch my buddy Neal finish his first Half Ironman. While waiting for him to come off the bike I was able to get in a good 12 mile run around the Rez. This gave me a good 45 miles on the mountain bike and 12 miles of running, not a bad slow endurance training day.

Here are some photos of the race that I took and a video.

Louis C.K. is one funny dude!

2011-07-29T07:59:00.004-06:00

I came across this on Gary Robbis blog. It is funny as hell. Just make sure that you watch who is around when watching this, lots of f-bombs ect... If you are looking at this in Facebook you will have to go to the blog to see the video, well worth the effort. Have a great weekend!

Rashad Evans

2011-07-28T07:28:00.002-06:00

For those who don't know this (I think only my wife Ashley really knows) I am a huge fan of UFC and MMA fighting. I may never have the guts to give it a shot myself I do enjoy watching and cheering on these great athletes. Here are some videos of one of my favorite athletes Rashad Evans who is just a stud.

Salomon Team Hardrock Video

2011-07-25T16:25:00.002-06:00

I know I have been real quite on here lately. Life has been getting in the way lately and I hope to make a better effort of updating this more often the rest of the year. Anyway I came across this today and had to share it. This is the #1 race on my life list of 100 milers. I have paced it twice and have seen 60 miles of the course. Maybe someday I will get picked in the lottery. Enjoy!

The Paleolithic Diet Infographic

2011-06-14T09:00:00.001-06:00

Very interesting to look over.

Learn more about the Paleo Diet.

Kilan's Quest

2011-04-28T07:13:00.001-06:00

This is just bad ass.... Wonder if his FKT of Mount Sanitas will be in it.

HAPPY EASTER!

2011-04-22T08:37:00.002-06:00

18:42! Ouch!

2011-04-13T07:53:00.003-06:00

That one really hurt! Last night I ran the first race in the Dash-n-Dine series that they hold out at the Boulder Rez after work on Tuesdays in the Spring. I think that the main purpose of this series is to get people qualified and ready for the Bolder Boulder.

Quick report:

Weather- perfect! It was cool and overcast

I did a 4.6 mile warmup jogging the course plus some extra around Coot Lake before the race. This is the first time that I have warmed up that much. I usually jog about a mile and just stretch. I felt loose and ready to race.

The actual race was all kind of a blur, it really hurt is about all I really remember. Especially that last 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. The split times below are what I remember when looking down at my watch, I may be way off with them.

Mile 1: 5:52
Mile 2: 12:00 (6:08 mile pace)
Mile 3: 18:02 (6:02 mile pace)
Mile 0.1: 18:42 (6:40 mile pace) for a 5K PR for me!

As you can see I really died that last bit but I still finished 5th overall and 3rd in my age group. The results can be found by clicking here.

Hopefully next week I can bring that number down a few more seconds and not be as sore as I am today. I am not use to that much lactic acid being in my system. I am a long slow hilly running type of guy. But it sure was fun to battle it out at the front of the pack.

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE PALEO DIET FOR ATHLETES

2011-03-29T08:09:00.003-06:00

I just finished reading Paleo Diet for Athletes and really liked what it had to say. I am going to make an effort to keep Paleo in my mind when I look at food for now on. Here is a short version of the book. You can go straight to the website on TrainingPeaks by clicking on the name of this post. Enjoy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A QUICK GUIDE TO
THE PALEO DIET FOR ATHLETES
© 2005 Loren Cordain, PhD and Joe Friel, MS

The Paleo Diet for Athletes was released in October, 2005 from Rodale Press. Written by Loren Cordain, Ph.D., author of The Paleo Diet, and JoeFriel, M.S., author of numerous bestselling books on training for endurance athletes, the book applies the concept of eating as our
Stone Age ancestors ate to the extraordinary demands of training for serious endurance sports. Although it is now the 21 st century, athletes still have Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) bodies. There has been no significant change in the human genome in the past 10,000 years. Physiologically speaking, we are still Paleolithic athletes.

THE PALEO DIET
The basic premise of Dr. Cordain’s research on paleolithic nutrition is that certain foods are optimal for humans and others are nonoptimal. The optimal foods are those that we have been eating for most of our time on Earth—more than 4 million years. Only in the last 10,000 years, a mere blink of the eye relative to our species’ existence, have we been eating nonoptimal foods. Unfortunately, these foods
comprise the bulk of what western society eats today and include such foods as grains, dairy and legumes. Given that our bodies have not changed, we are simply not welladapted to these nonoptimal
foods and they moderate health and peak performance.

On the other hand, we have been eating optimal foods – vegetables, fruits, and lean
animal protein – for hundreds of thousands of years and we are fully adapted to
them. Science tells us that these foods also best meet our nutritional needs. Eat
these and you will thrive. Avoid or strictly limit them and your health and performance
will be compromised.

PALEO FOR ATHLETES
Serious athletes, however, when it comes to immediately before, during, and directly
after workouts, need to bend the rules of the Paleo Diet a bit since we're placing
demands on the body that were not normal for our Stone Age ancestors. Hour after
hour of sustained high energy output and the need for quick recovery are the serious
athlete’s unique demands. This requires some latitude to use nonoptimal
foods on a limited basis. The exceptions may best be described by explaining the athlete’s 5
stages of daily eating relative to exercise.

Stage I: Eating Before Exercise
In brief, we recommend that athletes eat low to moderate glycemic index
carbohydrates at least two hours prior to a hard or long workout or race. There may
also be some fat and protein in this meal. All foods should be low in fiber. Take in 200
to 300 calories for every hour remaining until exercise begins. If eating two hours
prior is not possible, then take in 200 or so calories 10 minutes before the workout or
race begins.

Stage II: Eating During Exercise
During long or hard workouts and races you will need to take in high glycemic index
carbohydrates mostly in the form of fluids. Sports drinks are fine for this. Find one
that you like the taste of and will drink willingly. Realize that events lasting less than
about an hour (including warmup) don’t require any carbohydrate. Water will suffice
for these. A starting point for deciding how much to take in is 200 to 400 calories per
hour modified according to body size, experience and the nature of the exercise
(longer events require more calories than short).

Stage III: Eating Immediately After
In the first 30 minutes postworkout (but only after long and/or highly intense
exercise) and postrace use a recovery drink that contains both carbohydrate and
protein in a 45:1 ratio. You can buy a commercial product such as Ultrafit
Recovery™ (www.ultrafit.com) for this. Or you can make your own by blending 16
ounces of fruit juice with a banana, 3 to 5 tablespoons of glucose (such as CarboPro)
depending on body size, about 3 tablespoons of protein powder, especially from
egg or whey sources and two pinches of salt. This 30minute window is critical for
recovery. It should be your highest priority after a hard workout or race.

Stage IV: Eating for Extended Recovery
For the next few hours (as long as the preceding challenging exercise lasted)
continue to focus your diet on carbohydrates, especially moderate to high glycemic
load carbohydrates along with protein at a 45:1 carbprotein ratio. Now is the time to
eat nonoptimal foods such as pasta, bread, bagels, rice, corn and other foods rich in
glucose as they contribute to the necessary carbohydrate recovery process. Perhaps
the perfect Stage IV foods are raisins, potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams.

Stage V: Eating for LongTerm
Recovery For the remainder of your day, or until your next Stage I, return to eating a Paleo Diet
by focusing on optimal foods. For more information on the Paleo Diet go to
www.thepaleodiet.com or read The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN, CARB AND FAT SHOULD I EAT?
The macronutrient requirement changes with the demands of the training season and
so should be periodized along with training. We recommend that athletes maintain a
rather consistent protein intake year round. As a percentage of total calories this will
typically be in the range of 20-25% for athletes. This is on the low end of what our
Stone Age ancestors ate due to the athlete’s increased intake of carbohydrate in
Stages I to IV which dilutes protein as a percentage of daily calories.

On the other hand, periodization of diet produces significant and opposing swings in
the athlete’s fat and carbohydrate intake as the training seasons change. During the
base (general preparation) period the diet shifts toward an increased intake of fat
while carbohydrate intake decreases. At this time in the season when a purpose of
training is to promote the body’s use of fat for fuel, more healthy fat is consumed—in
the range of 30% of total calories—with carbohydrate intake at around 50%. During
the build and peak (specific preparation) periods the intensity of training increases
placing greater demands on the body for carbohydrate to fuel exercise. At this latter
time of the season Stages III and IV become increasingly critical to the athlete’s
recovery. Carbohydrate intake increases accordingly to around 60% of total calories
with fat intake dropping to around 20%.

During times of the year when training is greatly reduced (peaking/tapering and
transition periods) the athlete must limit caloric intake to prevent unwanted weight
gain.

WHY IS THE PALEO DIET BENEFICIAL?
Health and fitness are not synonymous. Unfortunately, many athletes are fit but
unhealthy. Frequent illness, injury and overtraining reduce performance potential.
The Paleo Diet for Athletes significantly improves health long term. Compared with
the commonly accepted athlete’s diet, the Paleo Diet:
● Increases intake of branched chain amino acids (BCAA). Benefits muscle
development and anabolic function. Also counteracts immunosuppression common
in endurance athletes following extensive exercise.
● Decreases omega-6: omega-3 ratio. Reduces tissue inflammations common to
athletes while promoting healing. This may include asthmatic conditions common in
athletes.
● Lowers body acidity. Reduces the catabolic effect of acidosis on bone and muscle
while stimulating muscle protein synthesis. This is increasingly important with
aging.
● Is high in trace nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for optimal health
and longterm recovery from exercise. The most nutrientdense foods are
vegetables and seafood. On average, vegetables have nearly twice the nutrient
density of grains.

EXCERPT FROM THE PALEO DIET FOR ATHLETES
Training for endurance sports such as running, cycling, triathlon, rowing, swimming,
and crosscountry skiing places great demands on the body, and the athlete is in
some stage of recovery almost continuously during periods of heavy training. The
keys to optimum recovery are sleep and diet. Even though we recommend that
everyone eat a diet similar to what our Stone Age ancestors ate, we realize that
nutritional concessions must be made for the athlete who is training at a high volume
in the range of 10 to 35 or more hours per week of rigorous exercise. Rapid recovery
is the biggest issue facing such an athlete. While it’s not impossible to recover from
such training loads on a strict Paleo Diet, it is somewhat more difficult to recover
quickly. By modifying the diet before, during, and immediately following challenging
workouts, the Paleo Diet provides two benefits sought by all athletes: quick recovery
for the next workout, and superior health for the rest of your life.

For more information on The Paleo Diet for Athletes go to…
www.thepaleodiet.com
www.trainingbible.com

Paleo Fitness

2011-02-28T13:17:00.003-07:00

This is an awesome read and kind of goes along with how I am trying to eat lately but failing at big time due to Girl Scout cookies. I copy and pasted the entire article here for my future reference but you can go to OutsideOnline.com article by clicking on the title of this post.

My wife as started getting into Crossfit and I have been reading articles about the Paleo diet and some about Crossfit here and there over the past month. She really enjoys it and gets me wondering how it would affect my ultra running and training for 100s. Would the benefit of spending the time doing Crossfit like workouts for example be greater than the benefit of using that time actually putting in more miles? I don't know.

Enjoy.
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The Workout that Time Forgot
Will caveman calisthenics be the next big thing for adventure athletes?
By Nick Heil

Erwan Le Corre seems to defy gravity—and not just because he's French.

I'm standing close by as the 39-year-old movement coach—shirtless, barefoot, and built like Mikhail Baryshnikov—hops up and grasps a wooden bar lashed eight feet off the ground between two stout maple trees. Le Corre dangles calmly from both arms for a moment before swinging one leg up to the side, hooking it over the beam, and—swoooop—crouching on top of it and looking down at us. The move is so swift and catlike that I'm not quite sure how he did it. A few minutes later, I attempt the same thing, legs scissoring awkwardly until my arms give out and I hit the dirt with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

This is day one—hour one, in fact—of caveman camp: July's weeklong MovNat Reawakening Workshop, at Summersville Lake Retreat, an RV resort in West Virginia. MovNat, an abbreviation of "Move Naturally," is the outdoor fitness-and-conditioning business that Le Corre founded in 2008. Our camp—modern dome tents, a fire ring, and a kitchen area covered by a canopy—is set up in a grassy clearing a couple of miles from the lake. Gyms are out; wilderness is in. Instead of weights, we lift rocks, logs, and one another. Hand-to-hand combat is as much a part of the regimen as lying in the grass and watching billowy clouds blow by.

"MovNat is a comprehensive lifestyle," Le Corre tells us. "It's about diet and nutrition. It's about exposure to sunlight and nature. It's about getting rest. It's about feeding the mind with healthy insights and positive thoughts." Le Corre, who relocated to the United States full-time in 2009, founded MovNat on the premise that humans once dashed around untamed landscapes with power and grace, gathering berries, toppling mastodons, and so forth—and that proficiency at such things will help reconnect us to the world in which we evolved. Not only were we born to run, he says, but also to jump, climb trees, swim deep underwater, slog through swamps, stalk prey, and fight off attackers.

"We live like zoo animals!" he continues that morning, pronouncing it "ah-nee-mahls." It's an idea Le Corre borrowed from the British zoologist Desmond Morris, author of the 1967 classic The Naked Ape, and it's central to his worldview: that we are essentially wild creatures ill-suited to desk jobs and processed foods. "We have become divorced from nature, trapped in colorless boxes," Le Corre says. "We have lost our adaptability, and it's threatening our health and longevity."

Clearly, the approach holds some appeal: all five of Le Corre's $1,700 summer workshops have sold out. I'd worried slightly about the freak factor before arriving, anticipating a clan of wayward hippies and hairy Luddites. But the group is surprisingly normal—and cosmopolitan. Among others, there's a corporate-recruitment manager from Osaka, Japan; a musician and his wife from London; a journalist from Zürich, Switzerland; two brothers from northern New Jersey; a Web designer from Brooklyn; and a computer programmer from Tallahassee, Florida. Everyone looks reasonably fit and is either barefoot or, like myself, shod in Vibram FiveFingers, the simian-looking foot-gloves.

"When I saw his promotional video, The Workout the World Forgot, I thought, This makes sense," Richard Carlow, the manager from Japan, tells me when I ask what inspired him to make such a long trip. "I wanted to learn it from the Source."

The Source is being assisted by Vic Verdier, a 42-year-old former French commando who currently lives in Thailand, where he teaches Krav Maga, the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces, and other martial arts. The only other staff is Allie Brodeur, 22, an accomplished acro-yogi and poi spinner—and our camp cook.

They make a colorful trio, but it's Brodeur's cooking that's the focus of most of our first day's conversation. That's because we're all being put on a strict version of the paleo diet, as in "Paleolithic," a pointedly unhedonistic approach to nutrition modeled after the eating habits of our hunter-gatherer forebears. Meat, fruits, veggies, nuts, and certain oils are OK, but grains, dairy, salt, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol are all verboten. Starbucks, I'm reminded on the first morning in camp, didn't materialize until the Late Neolithic.

By the time I turn in that night, after more exercises and a dinner of gravyless pork ribs and boiled carrots, I'm drained and swan-diving into full detox: woozy, wobbly-kneed, and worried that it's going to be a very, very long week. I do, at least, find a queen-size air mattress and cotton sheets in my tent. "This isn't survival school," Le Corre reassures me. "We want you to be comfortable here." One great thing about hunter-gatherers, apparently, is how much they love Bed Bath & Beyond.

MOVNAT DRAWS FROM some familiar sources—CrossFit, low-carb diets, barefoot running, martial arts, mud wrestling, Quest for Fire, etc.—but Le Corre's program occupies a space all its own. If anything, MovNat falls within the concept of "evolutionary fitness," an increasingly popular trend embraced by a loosely organized but fast-growing global community of health enthusiasts, medical professionals, and athletes. The movement is often lumped under the "paleo" rubric, but it's more than just a prehistoric way to eat and exercise.

The most fervent paleos prefer raw meat (thankfully, our workshop meals were always cooked), eschew footwear, fast periodically, and entertain themselves by dissing vegetarians—especially vegans, who they believe are misguided about human nutrition. But most paleos are more moderate, embracing the 80/20 rule: don't despair over the occasional bagel or sundae, as long as you adhere to the diet roughly 80 percent of the time.

The basic tenets of the paleo diet have been kicked around for years, but its watershed moment came in 1985, when an anthropology professor at Emory University named S. Boyd Eaton published "Paleolithic Nutrition: A Consideration of Its Nature and Current Implications" in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggesting that the paleo diet could be a public-health panacea. While the paper made a sizable splash, it wasn't until Loren Cordain, a professor of exercise science at Colorado State University, came across the piece a couple of years later that the idea began to reach a larger audience. Cordain eventually became the reigning authority on paleo nutrition and, in 2001, published The Paleo Diet.

Interest in the paleo lifestyle sputtered along for a few years, with help from flag bearers like Ray Audette, the author of NeanderThin, and Frank Forencich, author of Exuberant Animal, as well as a few primal-exercise proselytizers, like Art De Vany, a buff eptuagenarian and former economics professor from Los Angeles whom many credit with launching the evolutionary-fitness idea and whose latest book, The New Evolution Diet, is due out this month. But toward the end of the aughts, something curious happened: Cordain's royalty checks began to fatten up, and The Paleo Diet crept into Amazon.com's top 100. Cordain attributes much of the book's sleeper success to Robb Wolf, a former champion power lifter and biochemist who apprenticed with him in 2006.

In the late nineties, Wolf had suffered a series of health problems, including ulcerative colitis, high blood pressure, and depression. "I was augering into the mountainside," Wolf told me. Two years later, ailments cured by the paleo diet, Wolf discovered CrossFit, the popular strength-and-conditioning system that combines weight lifting, sprinting, and gymnastics. Eventually, Wolf took the paleo message to the greater CrossFit community, speaking often at gyms and events. Word spread with viral intensity, and as CrossFit mushroomed—the brand grew from 13 affiliated gyms in 2005 to 2,200 by 2010—so, too, did paleo's popularity.

These days, low-carb, high-protein diets are embraced by everyone from professional athletes to suburban moms. While the paleo approach is considerably more holistic than, say, the now disparaged Atkins diet, not everyone is buying it. The influential nutritionist Marion Nestle, for example, has questioned the wisdom of completely eliminating grains and dairy from our table. "It's never a good idea to restrict food groups unless you have to," Nestle says. "These foods have been eaten by humans for a long time with much pleasure as well as nutritional value." Others, like Katharine Milton, a respected anthropologist at UC–Berkeley, argue that paleos' fundamental presumption—that we have been unable to adapt to relatively new types of foods since the advent of agriculture and animal husbandry—is flawed. Humans, Milton argues, have always, even in Paleolithic times, adjusted to their changing environment, nutritional and otherwise, quite well.

Despite the lack of consensus, by the time I get to caveman camp, premodern diets and exercise are a small but growing phenomenon. NFL veteran John Welbourn preaches the paleo diet to his former teammates on the New England Patriots. Endurance gurus like Joe Friel, who, along with Cordain, co-authored The Paleo Diet for Athletes, urge triathletes to try it. Similarly, books like Christopher McDougal's Born to Run, about Mexico's Tarahumara tribe, are inspiring people to run barefoot or nearly barefoot, helping jack sales of Vibram FiveFingers by a factor of five in just the past year. Countless Web sites, books, and blogs have sprung up too, along with a handful of local paleo clubs across the country whose members gather to do things like learn archery and make grass-fed-beef jerky.

AT CAMP, WE FALL INTO a familiar pattern: up by seven, hearty breakfast, some warm-up drills, a skill-building session on barefoot running or proper log-lifting technique, lunch, siesta (or "MovNap"), a combo circuit, a swim in the lake, meaty dinner, and a lecture on topics such as lipid metabolism or the value of vitamin D.

So far, considering there was no fitness test required, attrition has been pretty minimal. A few of us have missed meals because we weren't feeling well, though some have been hit worse than others. There's a strict no-snacking policy, and Dave Csonka, the computer programmer from Florida, who's a buff six-five, has been begging for bananas because his blood sugar keeps crashing. Worse, his arms are covered in poison ivy. On one of our daily 40-minute barefoot hikes to the lake, Oswald Fombrun, one of the brothers from New Jersey, gets nailed just beneath the eye as we dash past a hornet's nest hidden in some rocks. The hikes have been a favorite part of my day, in which I imagine myself a wily hunter tracking down lunch, until I get stung twice on the arm.

Most of our training takes place in a shady grove near camp, where Verdier and Le Corre have built a temporary outdoor gym, with timbers lashed at different heights between trees, a complement of rocks and logs, several four-by-four balance beams, and a couple of picnic benches for high jumps. Verdier mostly hovers quietly in the background, while Brodeur keeps the food processor and blender humming back at camp.

On occasion, Le Corre will interrupt what we're doing to demonstrate proper technique or impress us with feats of skill and strength. After a few of us fail to move a massive log, he comes over, levers the tree trunk (which must weigh more than 300 pounds) onto his shoulder, and carries it the 100 yards to camp, where he plunks it by the campfire, dusting the bark off his arm with a theatrical flourish.

Le Corre is tall and tawny—the kind of physique you might expect to find if you waxed the hair off a Neanderthal. Still, for all the hard-bodied exterior and motivational speeches, he's no drill sergeant. His coaching is seasoned with quasi-mystical declarations, like "Oxygen is an accident, breath is intentional," and tips, like how listening to more reggae encourages rhythm and flow. At one point, I find him standing in the grass, performing some sort of sun prayer, head bowed, one arm raised to the sky. "I was just having a moment of gratitude," he says. He owns an iPhone, drives a Land Rover, and, perhaps due to his Frenchness, is comfortable wearing tight black briefs at the lake.

By the third morning, I'm filthy and sunburned and have acquired hundreds of tiny cuts and scratches that sizzle in a glaze of sweat. Even so, my body has (mostly) adjusted to the diet, and I'm feeling surprisingly good as we squirm around on crackling brown grass under a blistering sun, practicing an evasive move that might help us escape an attacker. Le Corre barks that we have become domesticated, that our sterilized and hermetically sealed lives have left us intolerant of nature. "But you can train dirt!" he exclaims, making an oblique reference to the fact that being exposed to grit and germs helps bolster our immune systems.

Not only does exercising outdoors make us more resilient, says Le Corre; it's also a better conduit for fitness than the typical cardio penance or preacher curls popular at big-box gyms, where waist trimming and biceps bulking are the main motivators. MovNat advances a concept that certain athletics coaches have pushed since the seventies, one that treats the body as a tool for dynamic movement, not a topiary sculpture.

Later that afternoon, after practicing more barefoot running ("Fall forward, catch yourself on the front of your feet"), Le Corre adds a twist to our trip to the lake. Along the way, we have to stop and carry a partner on our backs. I team up with Christoph Zürcher, 44, the journalist from Switzerland, who's six-two and has about 20 pounds on me. We're sweaty and shirtless, and I awkwardly hop on his back while he hooks his arms under my legs and starts lumbering forward. "Uuuuugghhhhh," he groans. "How far are we supposed to go?"

"Switch!" Le Corre shouts after about five minutes, and I stagger down the trail, bent under my crushing Swiss payload. At last we scramble over large rocks and emerge at the lake.

"The more we move, the smarter we become," Le Corre says as we sprawl on the rocks after our swim. "We're less stressed when we see green, like leaves and grass." A motorboat whizzes by, towing a water-skier. "I love technology," he continues. "I love all the modern conveniences that we have now, but we have to ask: When do we use it, and at what cost?"

LE CORRE GREW UP RUNNING around the fields and forests on the outskirts of Paris. He dabbled with ball sports—soccer, tennis—but hated the rules and boundary lines. At 15, he moved on to karate, quickly surpassing older, more experienced opponents. But he also found karate's formal protocols and tense competitions too staid and confining.

Then, at age 18, he happened to watch a television show about a 45-year-old Parisian stuntman named Jean Haberey. At one point, Haberey jumped out of a helicopter into an iceberg-strewn ocean wearing only swim trunks. It was the most outrageous thing Le Corre had ever seen—and he wanted to do it, too. A year later, he tracked Haberey down, and for the next seven years he followed him and his other disciples around the French metropolis, playing high-risk games: a "fight club of natural movement," as Le Corre puts it.

"He was the first guy to take people up onto the roofs of Paris," Le Corre said. "He also took us down into the underground, always barefoot, with no gear at all, to train people how to move silently like cats through urban obstacles … especially at night, when everyone was asleep."

Once, Haberey and Le Corre held a sit-up competition while dangling by their legs from a bridge over an eight-lane superhighway. Another time, Le Corre climbed along the transom of a tower crane, legs dangling in the void nearly a hundred feet above the ground. "It was crazy," Le Corre recalls, "but you just felt so alive."

Haberey's urban antics helped kick off the parkour craze, but Le Corre, like most of his followers, eventually grew disillusioned. "I supported him for a while," Le Corre says, "but it turned into a cult of his personality. It became too dark and underground, all about helping him, not others."

For a few years, Le Corre delved into endurance sports, competing in Ironman-distance triathlons while supporting himself with odd jobs, including making soap and men's jewelry. But turning himself into a perpetual-motion machine wasn't his raison d'être, either. Finally, in 2004, he stumbled upon an online comment about Methode Naturelle, an obscure training manual published in 1912 by Georges Hébert, a French naval officer. The book featured black-and-white photos of robust young men in briefs performing all kinds of primal-movement exercises: jumping, running, swimming, climbing, etc.

"I was like What?! This is exactly what I was doing before, but this guy had given it a name," says Le Corre. "He had systematized it, and I thought, That's the way to go."

Hébert's motto was "Being strong to be useful," a concept largely inspired by the defining event of his life. On May 8, 1902, Hébert was stationed on the Sughet, a naval ship just offshore of Saint-Pierre, on the island of Martinique, during the infamous eruption of Mount Pelée. In minutes, the blast flash-fried most of the town's 30,000 citizens, searing them with pyroclastic ash before burying them in tsunamis of mud. Amid the carnage, Hébert and his shipmates were credited with saving some 700 lives, pulling from the sea scalded men, women, and children, some of whom had been blown hundreds of feet through the air by the blast.

Preparing your body and mind for real-world, life-or-death applications is at the root of MovNat. Our workshop activities (throw a rock, climb a tree) may seem random, but they're intended to cultivate what Le Corre refers to as "selective tension," a kinetic reaction in which muscles relax and contract in patterns that help you move efficiently, especially in unpredictable situations. To underscore their practical value, Le Corre would often cite imagined modern-day scenarios during our training. "What if you had to pull someone from a burning building?" he asks one morning. "Or a flood," Verdier adds. "Sometimes survival comes down to who can run up a flight of stairs and who can't."

One afternoon, Le Corre shows me a video on his laptop, basically the director's cut of The Workout the World Forgot. I recognize a few scenes: Le Corre scrambling through brambles and running on the beach in Corsica. But there's other, more dramatic stuff in this version. "I can't put this online for liability reasons," he says as he appears onscreen jumping, from boulder to boulder, across a raging, flood-swollen river.

In the next scene, as a large wave subsides, Le Corre leaps from a cliff into a frothing sea; it looks as if he's about to be pulverized into human bouillabaisse. As the next wave arrives, he angles his body and kicks—a subtle, fishy move that lines him up in front of an impossibly narrow opening in the rocks. The wave breaks, but Le Corre rides it like driftwood into the small alcove. He vanishes briefly as the chaotic surf washes over the shore. The water retreats, and there he is, crouched on the rocks, unscathed.

"I'm not trying to show off," he says, perhaps sensing my disbelief. "I'm just showing you what's possible."

TOWARD THE END OF the week, Verdier finally takes center stage. It's combat time. "The best option is always to get away," Verdier says. He speaks with a measured calm that reminds me of David Carradine in Kung Fu, a TV series I loved as a kid. "But if we have to fight, we should be ready to fight to the end." Street battles are "total chaos," he says. "You're flooded with adrenaline, and most fights don't last more than a minute."

Verdier passes out muay Thai strike pads, and we take turns punching the pad as hard and fast as we can. I team with Fred Fombrun, 26, one of the brothers from New Jersey. Both Fombruns are serious amateur boxers, and Fred's first punch is so powerful I stagger backwards and almost fall over. It takes all my energy to keep my feet during his flurry. My own assault is considerably less impressive; at one point, I notice Fred checking messages on his iPhone while I hammer away at the pad.

After fight class, we adjourn to camp, where Brodeur has lunch waiting. Spaghetti! Oh. No. It's zucchini, shredded to look like spaghetti: zughetti! Still, the veggies are dressed with raw campari tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and cracked black pepper—and it's delicious. I'm famished, and I gulp it down like a starved coyote, shamelessly licking the sauce from the bottom of my plate.

Despite my frequent anti-paleo cravings (the movie version of which I'm calling Quest for Fritos), I feel great. My skin feels thicker, my sunburn has faded into a honey-wheat sheen that it hasn't sported in years, and the soreness in my back and arms has dissipated completely. Only Dave Csonka, the big dude from Florida, seems to still be in decline. In addition to the poison ivy and low-blood-sugar spells, he's also tweaked his neck. "I'll be fine," he says, gamely playing along even though he has to rotate his whole torso to address us individually.

One question we all seem to be pondering is finally asked out loud by Fred Fombrun: "What exactly am I supposed to do when I get back home?" he says. "There aren't a lotta parks where I live in northern New Jersey."

Le Corre is working on an answer. In 2009, he met Robb Wolf, the influential CrossFit instructor and The Paleo Solution author, through a mutual friend. Inspired by Wolf's story and the viral success of CrossFit, Le Corre began hammering out a business plan modeled on it: he hopes to train and certify instructors, who will license the brand for their own gyms or create grown-up outdoor playgrounds like ours. Or both.

I could see the appeal as a general fitness program, especially because Le Corre believes that, if the regimen is intelligently designed, you have to do only a few circuits a week—no more dailies or oppressive dates with the treadmill. "A specialized athlete can improve their game, because training like this helps prevent injury and improve balance," he says. I figure it will also translate to the things I like to do, like skiing and cycling, because it's helping my body move the way it was designed to. Best of all, it's way more fun than doing intervals with a heart-rate monitor.

In the meantime, Le Corre is writing a book about MovNat. He also continues to crisscross the country, hosting one-day clinics, seminars, and other events. In October, he was a VIP guest at New York City's first annual barefoot run. A few weeks later, he and Wolf traveled to the Johnson Space Center's Wyle Laboratories to introduce and discuss the benefits of paleo diets and MovNat with NASA.

WORKING OUT On an empty belly, in a "fasted state," paleos argue, increases production of human growth hormone. So on the last morning, Le Corre has us begin our final, skill-culminating circuit sans breakfast. We begin by walking around the grassy hill near camp, twisting and bending, followed by body-weight squats. Then we drop down and prowl around the hill on all fours. "Scan the horizon," Le Corre instructs. "Stay low! You don't want to be seen. Remember: in nature we are ever mindful. Always alert."

He ratchets up the intensity with push-ups and wheelbarrows, a partner holding your feet, and then tells us to drop to the ground and roll down the hill, like logs. I'm so dizzy by the bottom, I can't stand up. Nearby, our other Dave, Dave Beretta, a young kid from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, is doubled over, dry-heaving.

Le Corre keeps throttling. We stagger into the wooded training zone for log lifts and stone carrying. Next, it's balance-beam walking and high jumps. Le Corre throws in some mind games, telling us we're doing an exercise on a ten count but stopping at eight and then counting backwards or repeating a number over and over: "Seven, seven, seven, seven …"

"Do we function in sets of ten in the wilderness?" he asks. "How do we know how long we will have to do something?"

After more than an hour grinding through the drills, we step up to the high bar that we attempted on the first day. I jump up, hook my leg, and … burst out laughing when I monkey myself on top of the bar. One by one, nearly everyone else, so embarrassingly defeated at the beginning of the week, pulls off the same feat. "See?" Le Corre says, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Progress."

I leave West Virginia inspired. Back home, I invent circuits in a neighborhood park—sprint barefoot across a field, jump over a bench, crawl on all fours down some stairs—even though I notice dog walkers and parents with small children altering course to avoid me. In the evenings, I cook my girlfriend dinners of grass-fed beef and roasted vegetables, with sliced watermelon for dessert. But it requires a level of dedication, planning, and self-control that I can't sustain, and soon I'm caught in the undertow of enchiladas and triple cappuccinos and driving a few blocks to the grocery store. My training fades to once a week, then once a month, and finally to watching 10,000 BC on Netflix.

I might have anticipated this while sitting at my gate in the Charleston airport, glumly half-watching a chattering news anchor talk about the Gulf oil spill while pudgy kids trundled by, clutching waffle cones the size of their heads. It dawned on me how each day boils down to a series of decisions centered on convenience and comfort. As I slumped in my chair, sipping water, our final morning in camp already felt distant and dim.

After the last day's circuit ended, we followed Le Corre down a game trail, deep into the woods. We weren't allowed to talk and had to move as quickly and quietly as possible. It started to rain, and soon we were not only sweaty but soaked and spackled with forest grit. At one point, Le Corre dropped down on all fours, and we did the same. Crawling down the trail, I crunched over some thorns but didn't feel a thing.

Eventually, we came to a small, fecund amphitheater, at the center of which was a dark bog, maybe 20 feet in diameter. The air was ripe with the smell of moss and ammonia, and the foliage flicked and glistened neon green. For the first time in 20 minutes, Le Corre finally spoke. Wearing only shorts and a dark-green bandanna, and streaked with mud as if someone had outlined his muscles with a black magic marker, he looked downright feral. "Adaptability is the holy grail of MovNat," he told us. "This is what we have done throughout human history. But we have lost touch with the world that created us."

With that, he charged across the swampy black hole, sinking instantly up to his waist but diving his arms and chest into the muck and thrashing his way to the other side in one sustained, growling effort.

The rest of us stood there dumbstruck, a couple of people shaking their heads while Le Corre beckoned from the other side. Finally, one by one, we splashed across to join him. And then, as if to underscore the fact that, yes, we had at last reawakened and it wasn't so bad, we slogged across the bog again—not once, but twice.

One man to run two marathons per day for eleven months

2011-02-15T16:54:00.002-07:00

Came across this story and had to share it, 13,000 miles in 11 months. Impressive!!!

PS- If you are viewing this in Facebook or Google Reader, ect you will have to come over to the blog to see the video as a FYI. I just noticed it does not show up in Google Reader.

No Hardrock in 2011 for Shad

2011-02-07T10:54:00.003-07:00

I was not lucky enough to have my name drawn this past weekend for the Hardrock 100. I was really hoping that I would get lucky. Now it is time to either come up with a plan B or not run a 100 this year which I am also considering.

Here are some Plan Bs that I am mauling over:

1. Grand Mesa 100 7/22
2. Leadville 100 8/20
3. Grand Teton 100 9/3
4. Swan Crest 100 -July last year. Don't know if they are having it or not.
5. The Bear 100 9/23
6. Pony Express 100 10/21

Any others out there that I might be missing? I really don't want to drive more than 8-10 hours from Denver/Boulder area which is why you will not see anything in California on the list.

I am also toying with the idea of just doing a bunch of 50 milers and shorter races. It might just be nice to not have to worry about all the training and planning that goes into a 100 miler. I don't know, it is something my wife Ashley and I will hopefully figure out over the next few weeks.

I am also looking at doing a non-race 100 and have a few ideas that I am talking over with some buddies. Not quite ready to share those thoughts out in internet world yet.

Shad

Top 4 ultra runners in the Boulder area

2011-01-18T08:13:00.003-07:00

Last week at the BTR (Boulder Trail Runners) talk they had the top 4 ultra runners in the US. I was not able to go but did find this blog giving us the low down on the talk.

You can find it by clicking below.

http://www.activeataltitude.com/blog/?p=121

And of course the video!!!!

Boulder Trail Runners - Q&A with Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Dave Mackey and Geoff Roes from Alpine Works on Vimeo.

Enjoy!!!

Grandma Headley

2011-01-04T08:25:00.004-07:00

Before 2011 had a chance to turn over the calendar I lost my second grandparent of 2010 the morning of Dec 31st. She was a very young 91. I have copied her obituary on my blog for my future view. You can see it here. I has been a tough year in 2010, here is to moving forward into 2011 with hope and love.

Peace,
Shad

CORRECTIONVILLE, Iowa -- Besse M. Headley, 91, of Correctionville, formerly of Sidney and Arnold, Neb., passed away Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, at Correctionville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Visitation will be 5 to 7:30 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m., at Grace United Methodist Church in Correctionville. The Nicklas D Jensen Funeral Home of Correctionville is in charge of the arrangements.

Besse was born to sandhill homesteader and rancher, Charles M. and O'Dilla (Fry) Fisher, on June 28, 1919, in Arnold, Neb. She graduated from Arnold High School with the class of 1937. After graduation, she entered normal training, but went to work as Arnold's citywide switchboard operator.

On April 13, 1943, she became a war bride, marrying Donzel "Jack" Headley in Washington D.C. After World War II, the couple purchased Central Grocery in Arnold. In 1952, they moved the business across the street, purchasing the Jack and Jill. In the 1950s, they started the Swirley Top, bringing soft serve ice cream to Arnold. In 1962, Jack and Besse moved to Sidney, Neb., buying the Jack and Jill Store which they successfully operated until they retired until 1984. Jack passed away in 1994. Besse moved to Correctionville in 2002.

Besse was a longtime volunteer at the Sidney and Correctionville nursing homes. She was affectionately known by the residents as the "juice lady" and the "popcorn lady." She was a member of Eastern Star for nearly 70 years. Besse loved to travel, knit, fish and eat ice cream. Most of all she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

She is survived by four children and their spouses, Joe Headley of Lodgepole, Neb., Charles (Jan) and Lisa Headley of Omaha, Tanja and Don Shever of Correctionville, and Jim Headley of Gering, Neb.; 10 grandchildren, Barbara "Buffy" and Dean Soucie, Joe and Kari Headley, Aree Ann Headley, Chuck and Theresa Headley, Marisa Headley, Kate Headley, Emma Headley, Shad and Ashley Mika, Jeni and Chris Schmidt, and Alex Haeberle; and 12 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; brother, Charles and wife, Lou Fisher; and two stillborn children, Mark and Mary.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Diabetes Association; the Alzheimer's Foundation, or the Correctionville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Books Read in 2010

2010-12-22T08:28:00.005-07:00

At the beginning of the year I decided that since I was unemployed and had lots of time on my hands with no cable TV to watch that I would try my hand in reading more. I set a goal of reading 12 books in 2010. Needless to say I surpassed that without a problem. I read 16 of these books before starting my new job in March. With working at a great new job my book reading goal in 2011 will be a more modest 12 books again or one a month. You can also look at some of my reviews for these books on my LinkedIn profile by clicking here. I keep a running list on this profile since LinkedIn offers this cool feature.

Below is my 2010 list along with a link to each on on Amazon.com.

2010 books read

1. Die Trying
2. Born to Run
3. 14er Distasters
4. Forever on the Mountain
5. Montana Mountain Goat (local Montana book, not on Amazon)
6. Pre
7. Above the Clouds
8. The Beckoning Silence
9. Running with the Buffaloes
10. The Long Walk by Rawicz
11. Fire on the Mountain
12. The Greatest- Haile Gebrselassie
13. Gold Hill and Back
14. Effective Project Management
15. Beyond the Mountain
16. Minus 148
17. Raising the Bar- Gary Erickson
18. No Shortcuts to the Top
19. Mountain Rescue Doctor
20. Once a Runner
21. Goal Setting (WorkSmart book)
22. Touching the Void
23. Dual in the Sun
24. Hyperfitness
25. Where Men Win Glory- Krakauer
26. Again to Carthage
27. Last Climb
28. What the CEO wants you to know

The Runner in Winter (Boulder Colorado)

2010-12-21T08:26:00.001-07:00

Here is a great video of the local trails that I run before work sometimes and on weekends. Thanks GZ and Brandon for pointing this out.

New Balance MT101 Give away

2010-12-17T07:26:00.001-07:00

Go over here and throw your name into the hat. This dude has been giving lots of stuff away this holiday season. All you have to do is comment on his blog.

http://www.runningandrambling.com/2010/12/new-balance-mt101-giveaway.html

Peace- Shad

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 10

2010-12-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.
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Maybe you saw me on TV. The Western States 100 was featured on NBC's World of Adventure Sports in July of 2007. I was interviewed the day before the race as well as at mile 56. You might have noted my deliberate and rational mental preparation during the former, and my almost complete mental breakdown during the latter. I was stopped. Though desperate for water, I could barely sip any fluid. Though desperate for calories, I could only nibble at food. Everything was making me sick. The run had already completely stripped me of all pretense and all hope of finishing competitively. When asked how I was doing, I could only respond: "I can't imagine going on."

I have only been able to muster the desire to run Western States on alternate years. I ran in 2005 until I dropped out at mile 78. At mile 20, my vision completely blurred in one eye, I collided with a sharp branch and gouged my right thigh. Over the next 50 miles, the inflammation grew intolerable. In 2009, I once again organized my training around preparation for this pre-eminent ultramarathon. I sprained my ankle at mile 12. Although I finished, I wasn't able to run again until late fall that year. When I did start training again, I developed chronic Achilles tendinitis that stayed with me through the five ultras I started in 2010. When I became simultaneously plagued by an acute hamstring pain, I stopped running. Instead, I began to saw and split large fallen trees for firewood. Seriously. I gave myself a hernia.

That was two and a half weeks ago. Last Thursday, I was scheduled for a follow-up exam with the surgeon. I jogged lightly in the morning. Knowing my propensities, he asked if I had been running since the surgery. He checked my incision, cut a suture and sent me out with a pass to ramp up training again at my discretion.

Early last spring, after months of trouble with my Achilles, I was told that recovery would likely depend on spending a year limited to very light running. I had reasons to try and run anyway. For several years I've enjoyed the benefits of competing with a sponsored ultrarunning team. I wanted to keep my place on the team. So, I ran even when I would have been better served by resting. Now I have given myself no real options.

That is the ultimate truth we have to contend with: Decision making, like politics, is local. Each depends on nearby factors. Appearances notwithstanding, choices aren't freely made. The decision to run depends on the rewards we get by doing it, offset by the costs we incur. So why are some people able to exercise moderation and work toward their long-term interest while others fall prey to temptation, overdo it and end up injured?

Freedom emerges where the person inserts long-term interests into near-term calculations. This doesn't involve magic, but it does involve reflection and effort. My purpose in the previous nine parts of this series has been to elucidate the kind of reflection and effort required. One pitfall we both face when I write about willpower is that we may both be convinced it is something I have and you need. So I keep reminding myself, and you, that willpower doesn’t work that way. We cultivate the freedom we desire. When we imagine that it is a gift that some just happen to have, it immediately evaporates.

Aligning short and long-term interests mostly requires a comfortable relationship with the passage of time. Yes, patience is a virtue, and your best ally in cultivating freedom. As I hope I’ve shown, I’m not particularly patient. When I start training after a layoff, my impulse is to see how far or how fast I can go. After a few weeks I feel good — I’ve readjusted to the immediate metabolic demands and my legs itch to move faster. The short-term gratification I get from running longer and faster does not align with the long-term benefits I’ll get from coming back slowly.

I’ll need to refer to my own playbook to manage. If you haven’t already read them, check out parts 1–9 in this series (see "related articles" below). At the core of developing willpower is one central tenet: feelings change. What feels good today may not feel good tomorrow and perhaps, more importantly, what feels painful today may not cause pain tomorrow. One of the greatest appeals of running ultramarathons is that we are forced to realize that it never always gets worse. That’s because you will have run into the wall. The race is so long, though, that you have time to come out on the other side. The most striking thing you find is that what had seemed hopeless can be recovered. You will rise and fly again and quite likely feel ecstatic for having transformed yourself.

If you did catch that episode of World of Adventure Sports, and stuck it out through the last commercial break, you saw the backside of a tall scrawny runner as he strode through the undergrowth en route to a respectable sub 24-hour finish at the Western States 100. I was conferred the Energizer Bunny award for getting back on the trail and finishing despite my near total collapse only a little over halfway through the run. The reward of finishing was reason enough for withstanding the trials of that day. The real value of the experience, however, was outlasting my impulse to stop. Nearly every bone in my body cried to be still and rest. A very subtle chord resonated through me that this too shall pass. So I hobbled out of the aid station, then walked, jogged and finally ran again. All it took was time.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

Runner Crawls to the finish

2010-12-03T08:38:00.001-07:00

Not sure what caused to to crash so hard but impressive none the less.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/runner-crawls-across-the-finish-line-23309759

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 9

2010-12-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.
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I'd like to challenge you to a race. If you accept, we'll meet at a time of my choosing, run a distance of my choosing along a course that, yes, I choose. I'll inform you of my choices only as you absolutely have to know them. I'll text you 15 minutes before the start so you can get your shoes on. I'll have the course marked clearly, but you will only be able to see markings as you approach them. You will not know how far you have to go, or what lies ahead. You won't know where the finish is until you get there.

You may want know my reasons for challenging you. OK, let's say that I just want to beat you. Suppose that you also want to beat me. Will you accept? If we have similar abilities, do I gain an advantage by knowing the parameters of the race? You probably feel that I do. I'll be able to plan, after all. I'll eat the optimal pre-race foods, ensure I get enough sleep and choose the best shoes and clothes for the distance and terrain. I would certainly understand any reluctance you might feel about racing me.

What if I told you that my purpose is actually to see how fast I can get you to run? I know how you are before races. You get all wound up. You obsess over race preparation, exhausting yourself before you even start. And the night before? You barely sleep. I'm offering you a way around all that tiresome hassle. I've got your best interest at heart, so will you accept my challenge now? I want you to imagine that you can actually run better by knowing less about the race, even as you run it. You can shut down your brain and just run, pleasantly unaware of your remaining mileage. I’ll do the thinking for you, and set a pace that I think will be optimal.

Those who compete in trail races, especially trail ultramarathons, get a small taste of how this kind of challenge plays out. Trail races are difficult to measure and mark, so there is an element of surprise, especially the first time runners compete on a given course. Most race directors do not post mile markers, and even posted mileages are notoriously inaccurate. The Hellgate 100K may be the most sinister ultramarathon you can run. It starts at midnight on a Friday night in December near Fincastle, Va. I was certainly in the dark the first year I ran it. Because of snow and ice, the crew assigned to mark the course fell behind, so I ended up in front of them. Not only was I unsure of mileage, but I was also unsure of the route. When I started climbing, I had no idea whether I was in for 100 or 1,000 vertical feet. There are nine aid stations where runners can grab food, refill bottles and try to regain sanity. If you are deliberate enough while you are there, you'll think to ask about the distance to the next aid station.

After running through the night and into the frigid dawn, stamping postholes into interminable stretches of snow and ice for over 50 miles, you will arrive at the eighth Hellgate aid station. If you are collected enough to ask, they'll tell you it is 6.6 miles to the ninth, and final, aid station (click here a complete course description). That doesn't sound too bad, so you stride out on the lengthy downhill section of gravel road, thinking that this second-to-last segment will pass quickly. When you turn onto meandering single track, you are slowed. You climb hills and go around corners, always thinking that just around the next turn you'll see some sign of the aid station. It doesn't come. You were thinking you'd finish that section in an hour. You are already at 1:20. Your suffering is protracted, but what happens to your performance? Did thinking you only had 6.6 miles until the next break cause you to run a little faster than you might have had you known the actual distance was at least 8 miles? How does your consideration of the distance to be run in any race affect your pace and your perception of effort?

When Jure Robic died in a collision with a car in September, he cut short a legacy of perhaps the greatest feats of endurance achieved by any person. He rode his bicycle an average of 28,000 miles every year. He holds the world record for a 24 hour ride: 518.7 miles. He has won the Race Across America an unparalleled five times. According to a New York Times story from 2006, Robic left decisions during events to his crew, termed his "second brain." Robic was allowed to choose the music he listened to, but all the other decisions, including speed, breaks and fueling, were left to his crew. Significantly, they kept him uninformed about remaining mileages. So was keeping Robic in the dark a good way to promote top performance? Perhaps my challenge to you was not so unfair after all!

The year after I graduated from college, I traveled to Japan with an invited group of athletes to compete alongside Japanese collegians in an Ekiden. I ran the final leg, some 21K, for our eight-person team. I was handed the team sash in the middle of the countryside en route to the holy city of Ise. I ran completely alone through a light drizzle all the way to the famous Shinto shrine, where the race finished. I had no feedback about pace or distance other than my watch and my own senses. I simply ran, unreflectively soaking up the sensations of a strange land while metering out my effort. Afterwards, I had to be shown how my split stacked up against those of my Japanese counterparts. I had the second-best time for that leg.

So maybe I can persuade you that a seemingly unthinking approach to running can yield good results. That isn’t my intention. Training and racing are ultimately exercises of your intelligence. What I want is for you to broaden your concept of running intelligence to include all the things you do with and without conscious awareness. Even if you don't offload training and racing decisions to a separate crew, you should still locate and use your own second brain. It extends through your body and into every extremity. It is your activity and your feedback. You can call it intuition, but it isn't mindless, and it requires honing just like any other intelligence.

It is me.

So what do you say? Let’s see how fast we can run this thing.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 8

2010-11-23T08:32:00.001-07:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.
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The energy in the dorm would just be ramping up when it was time for me to trek across campus to the Blue Room. Every Saturday night, I donned my apron and stood behind the counter, mixing frappes for the slow trickle of customers until close. I maintained this trade-off throughout college; I gave up socializing on Saturday nights. In exchange, I gained a small amount of money, but, more importantly, I was always up for the Sunday morning long run. To be fair, all of my teammates made the run as well. The difference was that, on occasion, some of them felt a lot worse than I did.

College students, even serious athletes, occasionally succumb to the temptations readily available on weekend nights. When I was in college, Saturday morning races meant we retired early on Friday night. Saturday nights were more negotiable. In the balance? We all knew about the workout for the next day: It would be the time honored Sunday morning over-distance run. Early on Saturday evening, a runner might well decide to lay off the alcohol and turn in before the wee hours of the morning, knowing that the quality of the next day's run would be higher. The calculus changes, however, with the developing circumstances of the evening: more friends arriving, better music playing, a girl lingering.

We attributed a weakness of willpower to those who fell prey to such temptations and would show up in less-than-optimal condition on Sunday morning. We imagined that temptation stood, like the devil, on one shoulder and outmaneuvered the angel on the opposite shoulder. “Poor sucker!” we'd think, “If only he had listened to the angel!” He could have been cruising through the relatively easy 6:30 per-mile pace. Instead, he’d grit his teeth and barely cling to the back of the group. He may have even expressed regret for his lack of restraint. If the run was bad enough, he may have remembered it well enough for his little angel to bring it up the next time. “Hey dummy,” the angel would say, “You remember what happened last time!”

This raises an important question: If the angel prevails the next time, will our runner be any less of a sucker? Isn’t he still just doing what he is told and obeying the immediate pros and cons as best presented to him? I want to convince you that responding to the angel takes no more strength of will than responding to the devil.

The bottom line is that any choice is ultimately a calculation that pits the pros and cons against each other. Every decision has its reasons. We may think a particular decision ill-considered, but who are we to say? If the Sunday run is important enough to trump Saturday night festivities, then it will. We let the angel and the devil duke it out, and side with the most convincing.

This dynamic implies an existential and practical problem for runners. Like G.W. Bush, we want to be “the decider.” We want credit for our accomplishments. Before the season, we want to set goals for what we can do and afterward, we want to reflect on what we did. If every decision was simply a cost-benefit analysis that depended only on the circumstances at the time, we really can't take credit for any of it. Worse, much of what we want to take credit for is our effort. If our decisions to exert ourselves are really out of our hands (and in the hands of talking critters) then how can we claim that effort as our own? Any autonomous motivation seems doomed to dry up before we even get started.

You may like to think that you really are like the president and can exercise veto power over your little critter advisers. Well, suppose that I grant you veto power? You get to decide now between that next drink and going home early. What sways you? Some reason, right? You didn’t just make the answer up, did you? In that case, you might just as well have rolled the dice or consulted a random answer generator. You can’t then turn around and claim credit for that decision! So while I don't think we can escape the immediate calculus that goes into our decisions, I would like to explore the sliver of light that gives us some leverage over our decisions.

We think of decisions like they happen on the spot, when we have to provide the answer to the perennial question: “Should I stay or should I go now?” This is thankfully false. Your ray of light is that you can make decisions over time that build a long perspective to deal with the question. The trick is to stack the negotiation so that the best answer is the one that is supplied by your critters.

There are a lot of ways to stack your decisions. I’ll provide three that I think provide potent examples:

1. Set the default to "run." Suppose the devil and the angel provide equally compelling cases. Instead of a “jump ball,” have a possession arrow and keep it pointed on the same team. The angel always wins the ball. So, the weather’s really bad, but you skipped the last one and you really need this workout. The scales are about even. Check the arrow: It says “run.”

2. Invert the incentives. Hard workouts can be uncomfortable. Your devil critter can use this against you. “You’ll suffer if you try these hill repeats,” he’ll say. You can, over time, make the discomfort its own reward, like training for a hot race by turning on the heat in the car during the summer. By continuously reprogramming your own responses to dreaded stimuli, you can make them feel positive. “Bring on the heat,” you’ll say. Likewise, late on Saturday night, you can embrace your monastic celibacy.

3. Raise the stakes. Think of the runner who stops at a port-a-potty, and, fiddling with his running shorts, accidentally drops his keys into the froth. He bangs open the door, takes off his wedding ring and throws it in after the keys. His buddy, waiting outside, exclaims “What are you doing?” to which the runner retorts, “You didn’t think I was going in just for the keys, did you?!” Similarly, you can give your runs epochal significance by making them seem disproportionately important. You can imagine that missing a run or even being less than ready to do one well, will set you back compared to your competition. While it may not, strictly speaking, be true, the motivation to put running first may indeed serve to keep you ahead of your nearest competitors. And that motivation is increased by stacking the negotiation.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

Red Bull Pony Express run

2010-11-17T15:24:00.001-07:00

I got this from GZ who got it from Scott.

Karl is a nut case! That is all I can say. Enjoy.

Tor des Geants

2010-11-17T08:16:00.002-07:00

I have never even heard of this race before today but this makes any race in the US look like child's play. HOLY CRAP!

The Tor des Geants, held this year from Sept. 12 to 19, is a 200-mile race through the Italian Alps, with a couple dozen passes, rough and rocky trails, and nearly 80,000 feet of climbing. Beat (guy in the video from CA) finished the race in 132 hours - more than five days - on less than five hours of sleep. He didn't intend to try to convey the entire experience of the Tor des Geants, just touch the surface of what it might be like to barely sleep for five days and cross 25 steep passes in the Italian Alps.

Freakin NUTS!! I think this one might have to go on the bucket list.

No sleep 'til Courmayeur from Jill Homer on Vimeo.

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 7

2010-11-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 6

2010-11-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.
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The buffer of warmth generated from running met the crisp autumn air. The countless tiny droplets from our quick breaths caught the faint glow from the distant street light. We celebrated the end of our season in a fitting way: We played chase. Jennifer Sinai invited the teams to a slumber party at her house, and we were loose on the fields of Sacred Heart Academy that abutted her backyard. Now that I was relieved of the pressure to perform, I became aware of the free flow of air in and out of my body.

That morning it had been a chore just to eat. I was completely congested. I sat across from my coach at Denny’s. I tried to blow my nose so that I could chew and breathe at the same time. He didn’t say anything at the time, but later he told me I had sounded like a fog horn, and knew we were in for a hard day.

Sure enough, I blew another state meet. For a high school athlete, the stakes don’t get any higher. Almost hourly since the previous Monday I was reminded — with an accompanying wave of anxiety — that this was what all the preparation had been about. I had deferred getting nervous about all the preceding meets by assuring myself that each was small potatoes compared to the state meet. Now I had to pay up.

I don’t remember much about the race other than that it was a slog. I had finished ahead of all the other runners in regular season races. Although I felt like I was yoked to my plow and breaking hard soil with every step, I stayed near the lead for the first mile. As runners started to pass me, I remember wishing Dave Lawhorn, my teammate and best friend, well. He went on to a great finish for him in seventh place. At least 20 runners finished ahead of me. My recollection of the run is hazy, but I remember that evening with crystal clarity.

I paused between flights in our game and hovered in the shadow of an old tree. My vaporous breath hinted at a lightness of being completely betrayed by my earth-bound performance that morning. I articulated the problem to myself and got an answer. The problem: Many things are out of our control. The five kilometer course for the state meet is set at the Kentucky Horse Park, on ground trounced by countless horses. There are other fast runners, many of whom prepare zealously to run as fast as possible. Even the things I might hope to control, like my own state of mind in the days before a big event, may well elude my efforts and manifest as illness. On any given day, and especially on a big day, I might do worse than expected.

I might do worse than expected. The sparkle of the street lamp was an angel with the divine revelation: You have a year to prepare so that on the first Saturday in November you may have a bad day … and still finish ahead of all the other runners. My path became clear. I began to plan for the training required to finish a minute or so faster than my nearest competitor.

If you have been around running for a while, none of what I did will come as a surprise. Every issue of Running Times will include some version of the training regimens that reliably yield improvement. I know that night I planned for the added mileage, mostly as additional morning runs and weekly long runs, that I would need.

You can find ways to improve.

We should not brush lightly over well-worn phrases like “set goals,” and “expect the unexpected.” Our ability to use these tools gives us leverage. The world hums along, obeying its own logic, indifferent to our appeals. When we are too proud, we expect that our efforts will be rewarded. When we are too humble, we give up on our projects as hopeless. When we engage with the world and learn from our efforts, we move forward. When we do the work to review our mistakes, we can figure out ways to avoid those same mistakes. When we set goals, we can devise means of reaching those goals based on our own experiences and the experiences of others who have set similar goals. Most importantly, when we take into account those things that used to seem outside of our control, we grow in stature. We assume responsibility for our “off days” and get credit when we succeed despite them.

It should be only slightly anticlimactic to reveal that I finished second at the state championship the following year. My relative performance suffered, as it had before. My time, however, was a minute and 20 seconds faster than the year before. Though my training didn’t put all of my competitors out of reach, I had finished ahead of every other runner in every one of my regular season meets. Rob Shoaf, the state champion both years, had made plans of his own. As competitors will, he took my performances into account and trained so that his fitness peaked just as mine declined. The friendly rivalry was good for both of us. I’m certain that he values the memories of high school competition as much as I do. Not because we can reminisce about our moments of glory, but because our recollections reinforce the nature of performance more generally: We can do better.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 5

2010-11-01T14:00:00.002-06:00

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 4

2010-10-29T09:07:00.001-06:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.
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One of my earliest crushes was a demure small-featured girl who visited my neighborhood each weekend. Whitney’s father shared custody of the children, including two younger brothers: Joel and Jamie. I imagine the quarters were small. In any case, we spent our time outside, where Joel and I had plenty of space to goof around. Our partnership worked well: He got to play with an older boy, and I could lose my inhibitions long enough to catch Whitney’s attention with our crazy antics.

I knew it was working when I ran continuous laps around the block with Joel riding piggyback. Each time I crossed in front of the house Whitney sang out from the porch: “I think you’re really loony but you’re really loony-toony.” We eventually established that we liked each other. I don’t remember if we ever defined our relationship, but I remember one summer that Whitney spent away. For a long time I kept a box of all the letters she wrote me during that time.

We had at least one date. Whitney went to Collegiate School in Louisville and she invited me to a school dance. It must have been semi-formal, because I remember being dropped off at the home of her mother and stepfather and waiting at the door feeling utterly self-conscious in my borrowed brown sport coat. Thank heavens for the beneficence of the older generation, who can casually intervene when middle school becomes unbearably awkward. Will, Whitney’s stepfather, opened the door, pipe in hand, and ushered me in. “Your outfit is a symphony of brown,” he stated. The ice broken, he kept up the cheery banter throughout our dinner.

Too bad he didn’t go to the dance with us. I won’t linger long on the gory details. Just picture a half-lit wall with a line-up of gangly overdressed preteens pressing backwards like they wish they could disappear and pop through to the other side. We wished we could cut loose. Someone had collected good dance tracks. “Rock Lobster” echoed across the empty dance floor. We were completely constrained by our self-consciousness. We needed a Joel to run across the floor and slide on his knees to seize the hand of a partner. He could have dragged her off the wall. When “No Parking on the Dance Floor” played, he would have the perfect excuse to pry the rest of us off.

That’s the lesson in motivation: When the music plays, you dance. There’s no room for reflecting on it. Think of how different the dance floor looks when you are on it, dancing, compared to when you stand pensively beside it. You stand by the dance floor because you don’t want others to see how silly you might look. Dancing from the middle of the floor, the music fills your body and you move with it and with the people around you. You stop thinking about how others will view you and you just are. You are less self-conscious and therefore more yourself.

Your continued motivation depends upon your ability to perform to your potential. High-level performance depends upon achieving the state of mind in which you are the performance and nothing else. To achieve this, you will need to have developed the habit of complete focus and engagement with the task at hand. This Holy Grail of sports psychology may be best known as “the zone.” When you are in the zone, you have a heightened awareness of salient sensory information (baseball pitchers, for example, see a larger strike zone), and you become less aware that time is passing. You move fluidly, without hesitation. You are “lost” in the moment, but, ironically, just when you stop thinking about yourself, the best you can perform.

You can find lots of prescriptions for reaching the zone. These are like diets. If they worked, we’d stop hearing about them. The problem is, we are working against antagonistic forces. In the case of diets, we are working against the biological imperatives to stock up and the environmental triggers to consume. In the case of reaching the zone, we are working against the biosocial need to fit in. With the exception of sociopaths, we have all been equipped with psychological mechanisms for alerting us to the potential scorn of our peers. How hard will you work to avoid embarrassment, shame and social exclusion? Your level of self-consciousness is a good measure. If everyone else is standing on the wall, you may do well to avoid potential embarrassment and stay put yourself.

So, like a lot of our less-than-optimal traits, self-consciousness is a trade-off worked out by our ancestors. You have inherited the mechanism and a fragile means of working around it. The means? Accept yourself. Let others see you, and let go of the worry over what they might think. The risk is that they will think about you in unflattering terms. The gain is nothing less than an open gateway to becoming better. That, and attracting the attention of yon fair maiden.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 3

2010-10-19T08:02:00.001-06:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.
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We got Without Limits via Netflix last night. Hate the title. At least I can't blame Pre for it in the same way that I can blame Phelps for the title of his book, No Limits. I much prefer Paul Tergat's approach with Running to the Limit. I don't go for mysterious or supernatural mumbo jumbo. Maybe athletes don't want you to think they have limits -— but of course they do. And, like Tergat, great ones have become very adept at approaching them.

A couple of months ago, I convinced my 10-year-old son to run a handful of 200s on the track. We had entered both kids in a mile race and I wanted them to get a sense of the pace for it beforehand. So, I lined them up and started my 8-year-old daughter first and, five seconds later, gave my son the signal. I told him just to approach, and not pass, his sister. So he did, and he ran very controlled. He also started to look like a lion pacing his cage. So on the fourth repeat, I told him to wait eight seconds after his sister started and then to run as fast as he wanted. I was watching from across the track and my mouth dropped. If I did believe in hocus pocus, I would say that Steve Prefontaine's spirit had found its way to the Abingdon High School track in Southwest Virginia! His strong arms swung low — almost 90 degrees at the elbow — and his legs extended surprisingly far behind him.

You probably know that two movies — just one year apart — came out about Pre. His is a compelling story partly because he competed at the top level, and partly because he died young, but mostly because of the way that he lived. You probably know his story: He was a frontrunner who couldn't stand to be boxed in; he felt that anything less than racing wide open from the start disgraced the sport. He lived full-throttle and partied hard. He bristled at any attempt to reign him in, including attempts from coaches working in his interest. Even if you don't know the two movies and even if you've never heard of Pre, you can get a sense of who he was just from my brief description.

People are master character and story builders, and not just the novelists among us. We have to participate in crafting our own stories in order to be anything. Let me explain.

When I was in high school, I drove a car. What car did I drive? Well, let's see, it was a yellow Volvo 240. At least it was yellow until I painted it blue. OK, so color notwithstanding, can I positively identify the exact car I drove in high school? I could start at the beginning and get an assembly record, conveniently shown on the door jamb as the VIN. But, my brother wrecked the car and the part showing the VIN was replaced. That's OK; it's probably also listed on the engine. Or it was. The engine had burned up and been replaced before we even got the car, so it shows a different VIN than the other parts (well, before the door jamb was replaced). So, should we go with the identity of the engine or with the identity of the pre-replacement part that used to have the VIN? Wait, you think, let's just use the identity of the majority of the car parts. Well TOO BAD because every single part of the car has been replaced at least once (that isn't actually true, but it could be). What is left to make the car I drove in high school a particular car? Answer: it's history.

This gets more serious with people, who are faced with the same problem. Our cells continuously replace themselves and die. In any given seven years, almost all of the cells in an adult human will have been replaced. Why don't we go ahead and change names and assume a new identity to match the whole new set of cells? Who should change the names? In my case, it's this overly analytical, philosophical type who spends too much time alone running on mountain trails.

Becoming a person is not a magic event that happens at conception; it's a process that happens as we grow and start to formulate, with the help of those around us, a story about who we are. Unless we are depressed, the story likely exaggerates the positive. And why not? We have to live the story, so shouldn't we shine it up a bit?

Here's the tricky part, and it will help explain the enormous appeal of sports. I can make up a character with far greater prowess than I actually possess. Sporting contests, however, are specifically designed to separate fact from fiction — they reveal the truth about what we were made of on that day (or days). Exaggerating my story will have at least two devastating results: I'll be revealed as a fraud and I'll misappropriate the resources that I have at my disposal. Conversely, if I am reasonably accurate about what I can do, I can use resources to improve myself and win the most respect possible.

The chances are good that as long as you are improving yourself and winning respect, you'll stay motivated. That works especially for young people who are working to establish themselves. You are telling the story of becoming a good runner. My story, for example, started with accidentally joining my high school cross country team when I got a "special" letter from the coach before my freshman year. Turns out he sent the same letter to all incoming freshman, but I didn't know that at the time. I liked to play soccer and ride my bike, but I had no concept of distance running. It turns out that I was good at it, so I trained harder and harder and eventually became a high school standout in Kentucky. I was recruited by an elite school and readily adapted to training at the collegiate level. I did not, however, adapt well to the way I was coached. Things eventually came to a head when I was denied an overseas travel opportunity offered to the rest of the team. I was ready to end the story line that had me running at that particular school. I called my high school coach to talk it over. He listened intently, as always, and responded that this was my chance to have a real impact right where I was. My perspective changed immediately. I didn't have to be the runner who was humiliated by being denied a team privilege. I could be the runner who took a hit and got back up, even stronger than before. And isn't that a motivating story?

You are going to get knocked around. Your story will have difficulty, strife, illness and injury. Your trials are that much more dramatic when compared to times when you performed well. To stay motivated, you will have to rework your story continuously to confront the reality of your situation and to remain aspirational. Lance Armstrong was a strong rider before cancer. As a cancer survivor, he became an endurance icon. Does he have human limits? Of course. We can all strive to push and even redefine those limits, though, and still live to tell the tale.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

Obituaries- Robert Andrew Mika

2010-10-18T15:49:00.003-06:00

I came across this today. I knew that it was out there on-line but never searched for it until today. Not sure how long the small newspaper in Sidney Nebraska is going to keep this up so I thought I would copy it on to here for my records.

I really miss talking to Grandpa 2-4 times a week as I drive home from work. Sometimes I still find myself dialing his cell phone before I catch myself. I know this will pass soon because it happens less and less as time passes.

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Robert Andrew Mika
1934 to 2010
Published: Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Robert Andrew Mika, 76, of Lodgepole, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, July 22, 2010. He was the son of Frank and Lula (Hein) Mika and was born on the family farm south of Lodgepole on Jan. 27, 1934.

Rosary Services will be at 9:30 a.m., Monday, July 26, with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 10:30 a.m. Both services will be at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Sidney with Father Art Faesser and Father Neal Nollette officiating. Burial will be in the Czech Cemetery south of Sunol.

Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m., with the family present from 2 to 5 p.m.

Bob was educated in the Lodgepole Schools. In 1955 he began employment at Cheyenne County Roads Department and worked there for 40 years before retiring.

He married his lifelong partner Elizabeth (Betty) Urban on May 30, 1956, in Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church at Julesburg, Colo. In this union six children were born, Rod (Sherry) Mika of Missoula, Mont., Tami (Dave) Trump of Lodgepole, Star (Scott) Smith of Sidney, Diane (Ryan) Block of Lodgepole, Julie (Mike) Miles of Sidney and Steve (Stephanie) Mika of Sidney. Robert and Betty have 14 grandchildren, Shad Mika of Boulder, Colo., Stacey Wilkins of Parker, Colo., Amber Wiegard of Lodgepole, Jennifer Schmitt of Lake Crystal, Minn., Chelsey Donaldson of Platteville, Wis., Jason Skovly of American Falls, Idaho, Michael Miles of Sidney, Austin Smith of Lincoln, Marcus Schilreff of Ogallala, BJ Block of Lodgepole, Nicole Walker of Sidney, Jordon Schilreff of Sidney, Kirsten Block of Lodgepole, Avery Mika of Sidney, Zach Mika of Sidney and Emily Mika of Sidney; twelve great-grandchildren, Bradley, Braden, Rylan, Alayna, Kai, Kolton, Makenah, Jaiden, Jeremiah, Shane, Connor and Caiden. Bob is also survived by one sister, Shirley (Robert) Richards of Longmont, Colo., and one brother, Dale Mika of Sidney.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Francis and Patrick Mika.

He belonged to the Knights of Columbus, Sidney Elks Club and was a current member of Saint Joseph’s Church Council in Chappell. He had many hobbies, such as attending auctions and garage sales to collect antiques, model toy cars, trucks and tractors. He enjoyed time on his computer and was skilled at many trades, including vehicle mechanic, household repairs, gardening and various electronics interests. This helped him as he became owner of several rental homes in the area.

He had a keen sense of humor and enjoyed all his grandchildren and the company of many friends.

Memorial contributions may be made to the donor’s choice.

Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service is in charge of Bob’s care and funeral arrangements.

Long distance swimming

2010-10-15T13:07:00.001-06:00

Think running 50 or a 100 miles is bad ass? Check out this 61 year old swimmer on CNN! Click here for the story.

Last Minutes with ODEN

2010-10-14T13:55:00.001-06:00

Got this video from Steve's blog and had to share, this is why it took me so long to get another dog after my Saint died a few years ago. Great video!

Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.

The Grossman Motivation Series Part 2

2010-10-12T13:44:00.000-06:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.

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On a warm spring afternoon in 1987, Sue and I were splayed across the bed in her dorm room, listening to The Eagles' greatest hits. She was trying to work. She gripped her pencil tightly, annotating the margins of her book, fighting to keep her attention fixed. I lay on my back, one leg crossed over the other, thumbing through the pages of my book. I was more interested in Sue than in my work. When I had gleaned what I needed from my reading I put the book down and pestered her. It didn't take long to distract her away from her toils. Her study sessions looked to me like open combat — an effort to willfully execute a despised command. I knew she would be up late, feeling guilty for having procrastinated, forcing herself to stay awake to continue her work. She was in difficult pre-med courses, but wondered aloud why I wasn't, considering that the work seemed to come so easily to me.

Sue ran track with the same intensity. It was always a struggle. She literally gritted her teeth through hard intervals. After practice, she'd be worn out. It'd be 5:30 p.m. and time to eat and she'd crash for a short nap. I warned her to no avail that napping would keep her from falling asleep at bedtime. Sue beat herself up for a lot of things. She'd eat tiny portions at mealtime, wanting to keep her weight down, and then scarf a pint of Ben & Jerry's before bed. She occasionally raged at me for making everything look easy. I don't remember if I understood this then, but I've gradually realized that I make things look easy because I've made a science of anticipating what I can and can't do.

Dan Challener, the men's distance coach, told us to run 20 minutes and meet him at the track. Brown's stadium is a 10-minute jog from campus, so we looped through the affluent neighborhoods on the hill just north of downtown Providence. We knew the workout would be different. We were left wondering what we were in for.

Head coach Bob Rothenberg (Berg) was there, along with Dan. He told us we would run the measured two-mile course on the road, finishing at the stadium, and, without pausing, we were to run a mile hard on the track. He told me, along with some teammates including our captain, Fergal Mullen, to run the two miles at 5:40 per mile pace and then the track mile at 4:45. We were to repeat this twice more, without pausing in between.

I told our coaches that I wasn't sure we could do that. Berg looked at the ground and gave me a well-worn shake of the head. Dan stared at me, his agitation visible. I knew what they wanted, and Fergal was quick to give it to them. "Ah, we can do that! Come on, guys, let's be positive!"

We hadn't done a workout like that before. We'd certainly done mile repeats, though, and doing a set of 4:45 miles was a tough effort. We'd also done plenty of tempo runs, and 5:40 pace was close to threshold. We were getting pretty fit, but I was apprehensive. The guys were starting to bounce, stretch or do strides. They may actually have thought that believing they could do it was enough. Or maybe they thought that whatever coach said they could do, they could do. Or maybe they just didn't think deeply about it. Most likely, I suppose, they had learned that expressing a "can do" attitude worked in getting along with other people. I took the task at face value and tried to get my head around it. It made my heart beat harder and my hands turn clammy.

I wanted to nail that tempo pace and maximize my running economy. It would devastate our chances to finish if we got carried away from the beginning. When we started, we stayed bunched together. When I stuck behind one of the guys, I could lower my arm just a bit so that it would swing just under his. My gait was low and quiet. We hummed through the splits right on pace. When we transitioned to the track, I kept in mind that the acceleration wouldn't feel so abrupt coming off the 5:40 pace. Starting an interval from a standstill gives the body a jolt that takes a little while to accommodate. Shifting gears, as we did in this workout, actually made the first mile interval feel comparatively easy.

We were doing the work, though, and it started to show on the second two miles on the road. The guys were having some trouble keeping pace. I clocked off the splits like a metronome, barely deviating even for the slight inclines. By the time we were back on the track the guys were starting to string out behind me. I nailed the second one-mile interval on the track. I transitioned slowly to try and let the other guys catch up for the final two miles on the road. They were coming apart. I went on to complete the workout as prescribed.

The surest path to a struggle, and an apparent lack of willpower, is to be either thoughtless or wrong about what you can do. I remember a runner named Mike Haggerty from Saint Xavier High School in Louisville. He was two years ahead of me, and I knew he was a fast half-miler, so I watched him during cross country season. He'd bolt to the lead in every race, stay there for up to a mile, and then fade and get passed by any decent runner who went out at a sustainable pace. In some important sense, he just never figured out that he could have run better over 5K if he went out slower. While it may have looked like a lack of motivation (to sustain that early pace), it really was Mike's inaccuracy about his abilities. Conversely, we look like iron-willed heroes when we "talk smack" and get it right. We may fool others, and even ourselves, when we decide to achieve a goal — say a sub-2:30 marathon — and then we just "make it happen." More likely, we accurately predicted that, with proper preparation, we would meet that goal. And we were right.

Motivation doesn't start with an ambitious goal. Once our minds are clear of distractions, the key step is an accurate appraisal of what we can do. I called my own attempt to know myself a science because, like science, this requires objective observation and data. Fortunately for us, every run, workout and race yields plenty of data. Use that data — not your perceptions of what you "could have" done — to guide your goal setting. You'll find it a lot easier to exert your will, meet your goals and stay motivated.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

The Grossman Motivation Series

2010-10-07T07:55:00.002-06:00

These are great motivation pieces written by a great runner, Eric Grossman. I had to copy these from Running Times just for my own record in case this is ever removed from the site. LOVE IT! You can find it by clicking here or just read below.

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I still remember one of my first conversations with “Berg.” That was our term of endearment for Bob Rothenberg, head track and cross country coach at Brown University. It was the fall of 1986 and I had just arrived on campus eager, like all of my teammates, to run. Berg said, for us, running was "like brushing your teeth." That made sense to me. We had developed a useful habit. No one had to wake up, scratch his head and ask himself: "Should I run today?" About a quarter century later, I still run with about the same regularity as I brush my teeth, but I think of the comparison differently.

What would it take to skip brushing your teeth for one day? Say something happens to your toothbrush -— the dog chews it or it falls in the toilet. Or you are separated from your toothbrush by a night away (at the home of an unexpected liaison, for example) or, more likely, shipwrecked and marooned on a deserted island. Sure, you would go to some amount of trouble to salvage your routine. You could root around for an unused toothbrush under the sink. You could run out to the corner mart for a replacement. In desperation, you might even rub your teeth with your finger (like that is going to help!).

In comparison, there are many things that can cause athletes to skip a run. There are all the other things you could do with that time and energy: school work, professional work, writing, visiting with family and friends, watching kids play soccer. And then there's injury, which I estimate to be the most likely cause for first skipping, and then stopping, your daily runs. Come to think of it, we are at the mercy of a lot of worldly forces, and many of them push directly against our efforts to run. You will find yourself distracted by these forces. How you respond will determine the value you place on the pursuit of running excellence. I suspect that if you are a runner, you will dismiss these distractions. I'll explain how:

You have to cause your run.

The problem, in case you avoided philosophy class in college, is the work of those pesky worldly forces. Think of them as sirens, calling out the runner in you to certain death; they sing to you to take it easy, relax, catch the show with your wife and kick back on the beach with a mixed drink. Or, more insidiously, they whisper for you to be more productive with your time, work extra hours for that promotion and maintain your home. They are likely real people. When I started running ultras, my grandmother sat me down and talked to me earnestly about how excessive running was harming my health.

You can't just hope to ignore the temptation of worldly forces, though. The well established running routine of the most dedicated athlete is caused by forces just as grounded. When training for high school cross country, I made sure to run through neighborhoods and past the homes of girls I liked. I lapped up their animated disbelief at my running prowess like a puppy dog. We may run for prestige, health or social reasons. And these are good reasons. They just aren't very reliable causes of your pursuit of running. The girls grow up and get married. Young guns emerge to steal your thunder. Your joints start to hurt because of running. Your new friends don't run. You've submitted to the natural forces around you, so you skip a run, then several runs in a row and then too many to get back into it easily. The habit has been broken.

If you want to avoid the inevitable ebb and flow of the currents in which you are buoyed, you will have to anchor yourself. You will have to determine your position, no matter what. Set a course from which you cannot be swayed. World be damned! It may sound extreme, but I believe we all employ this kind of willfulness in pursuit of our goals. Ironically, when we are most fixed in our trajectory, we are most free because we are beyond the influence of material forces. An inversion of perspective occurs in the minds of accomplished athletes. Negative forces become positive. We welcome the burn from intervals that used to make us wince and slow down. We took on the project of getting fit for the target races of that season and embraced the work without question.

One example: I don't like running long races in hot conditions. It makes me sick. I should be repelled from these races in the same way that we are repelled from a particular food that we associate with nausea and vomiting. Yet each of the three times I have registered for the Western States 100, I spend the month of May gleefully overheating myself. I drive with the heat on, run at midday with layers of clothing and seek out the sun whenever I can. The twisted thing is, it feels good! The normal linkage between worldly causes and my behavior had been broken and re-configured to suit my purpose. I caused my run.

The distractions will inevitably find you. They may creep up on you along with your family and professional responsibilities. If you value continued running, you will have to steel yourself with a conviction to pursue your course no matter, and in spite of, any adverse circumstances. Just don't forget to pack your toothbrush.

Eric Grossman is a member of the Montrail ultrarunning team. At age 40, Grossman won the 2008 USATF 50-mile national championship. Check back next week for more of Grossman's motivational tips.

Leadville 100 mile run- Race Report

2010-08-26T19:33:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday the last 2 years of training/racing finally came to age, I finally completed my goal of running 100 miles on my 3rd attempt. It was a good thing also because before the race I was telling myself that 3 strikes and I was out of this 100 mile thing and going back to shorter faster races which I seem to do good at if I train for them.

Leadville is a classic course that you have to give respect to, if you don't it will chew you up and spit you out. On paper when you compare the climbing with other hundred milers you may think that it really is not a big deal, the problem is that a large chunk of the climbing happens between miles 40-60. After all that climbing you still have 40 miles until the finish, this is where it becomes a huge challenge. With the average elevation at 11,000 feet above sea level it is one of the highest 100 milers in the US and below is my experience in 2010.

Race Website

Event Description:
50 miles out and back in the midst of the Colorado Rockies. Lowest point is 9,200 ft. and the highest point is Hope Pass, 12,600 ft. The majority is on forest trails with some mountain roads. Pacers allowed after the 50 mile point. 11 well-supplied aid stations with cut-offs; 5 are medical checks. (I only did 2 medical checks).

Here is the race Profile, you read the 1st 50 miles left to right then backwards for the second 50.

Course Map

View Leadville Trail 100 2009 map in a larger map

Weather:
The weather forecast for both Saturday the 21th and Sunday the 22th was a high of 71, low of 40 with a 0-10% chance of rain. It was perfect weather!

Race Report:

Some sections will be long and some parts will be short. It all comes down to if anything eventful happened in that section and to what I can really remember. 28 hours out on the trails and roads in the mountains kind of blend together in a lot of parts.

The first time in the header is the split for that section of trail and the second time is the total running time.

Pre-Race Meeting

Start to Mayqueen 2:24/2:24

The night before the race was really bad as far as trying to get some sleep. We decided to camp since we were taking the dog with us. So in the 6 person tent we had the 3 of us and the dog, needless to say the dog was climbing all over me driving me mad. It was a good thing that I was able to take out my hearing aid so I never heard the other campers that were up drinking just feet away well past midnight. That would explain why the dog would not lay still. Oh well….

The Family at the Starting Line

Got my butt out of bed around 2:30-2:35 just before the alarm was set to go off and we piled into the car for the drive into town. There was so many people at the start that I really did not know where I should line up at to start. My plan this first section was just to cruise nice and slow, if that meant I was in the back of the congo line then so be it. As I was walking up to the crowd I spotted an old frat brother from CSU Brian O’Malley who was also running. This would be his first attempt at the distance and he all sorts of questions. I lined up with O’Malley as the gun when off and spent the first 6ish miles jogging along with him catching up on the past 15 years since we have seen each other. It was great to see Brian and as we hit the single track around the lake he fell in behind me and that would be the last I would see of O’Malley. I was really bummed on Monday when I saw in the results that he dropped at 50. If anyone who is reading this has the contact info for Brain please let me know I would like to get a hold of him to hear his race story.

The rest of this section was pretty uneventful as I cruised into Mayqueen. I told my crew not to meet me here on the outbound due to the large amount of people running this year. It was just way to stressful for both the crew and myself to try and find each other in this crazy crowd.

I grabbed some food, refilled my bottles and hit the road, not spending more than 1-2 mins in this aid station.

Mayqueen to Fish 2:08/4:32

This section was even more uneventful. After leaving the cluster of an aid station I just fell into line on the single track and did the walk/jog up to Haggerman Pass road. The Colorado Trail up to the road is a nice mellow climb for the most part but there is no where to pass so it is best just to fall back into line and follow everyone.

Once on the dirt road we had to climb up to the top of the Powerlines at about 11,200ft. For being where I was among middle/back of the pack I was shocked to see how many people were trying to run this road to the top! There was no need to do this. I just power hiked up it without killing myself. There was this one dude who was trying to kill this road with all of his might, he was breathing super hard and looked like he was about to pass out. With all that effort he only beat to the top by a mere minute or so, I passed him heading down the other side. I memorized his race number and sure enough, he did not finish. One thing is that it sure was entertaining to watch how much people where trying to kill themselves on this climb. It helped pass the time.

This is the 1st place that I saw my crew, I passed off my night stuff, grabbed my sunglasses and hit the road.

Leaving Fish Hatchery

Fish to Halfmoon 1:32/6:05

Now it was time to roll for a little bit. This is a flat road section of about 8-9 miles with a mix of both asphalt and jeep road. About halfway across this section is a location called Treeline that I could meet my crew. I felt really good through this section and just cruised along catching and passing lots of people who had killed themselves climbing in the last section. I never felt like I was running hard but just out for a nice easy Saturday morning long run. This is a great section to make up a little bit of time without putting out a big effort to do so. I was just rolling through here and really don’t remember a lot from this section.

Meeting the Crew at Treeline

Halfmoon to Twin 1:42/7:47

This is another pretty uneventful section that I really don’t have a lot to write about. It is a great section of rolling Colorado Trail that is well shaded from the morning sun. My goal on this section was just to walk the uphills, run the downhills, and try to get some food into me for the upcoming big 3500 or so foot climb up Hope Pass in the next section of the race. As I was jogging the down the final ~1000ft into Twin Lakes I came across a guy limping along and as I slowed down to make sure he was ok I discovered it was Donald Beuke. His year long battle with a tight IT band was rearing its ugly head again. He said it is fine uphill and on flats but was killing him on the downhills. I was able to talking him into jogging down the road with me and we came into Twin Lakes at mile 40 together. I was just happy to have some company even if it was short lived. I left Twin Lakes before Donald and did not see him again which is a huge bummer. We did some training together this past spring and it would have been cool to run with him a little farther.

At the aid station I grabbed my coat, gloves, hat, and some food hitting the road eating as much as I could to ready myself for what I consider to be the heart of Leadville 100, the double crossing of Hope Pass.

Coming into Twin Lakes

Twin to Winfield 3:56/11:44

Now the fun really starts. I left Twin Lake eating a Mojo Bar trying to get as much energy as I could for the up coming climb of Hope Pass. You cross a flat 2 miles or so to get to the base of the 3 mile ~3000ft climb. On the way to the climb one has to do a river crossing. This year the cold water that came up to just below my knees felt great on the tired legs, but did cause a weird burning feeling in my feet which passed quickly.

The climb from this side of Hope was just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. I just put my head down and worked my way up to the aid station on the top of the pass trying not to work to hard because I do have to come back over this again. Once at the Hopeless aid station close to the top of the pass I took a 5 min breather and ate some soup. This was the first real break at any aid station all day and I could feel my stomach starting to get weak so I thought some soup would help calm it a little.

After a finishing my soup I got my butt up to finish the last ~500ft to the true top of the pass and jogged down the other side. This is a cool part of the race due to the out and back nature of the course. I was able to see all my buddies who were in front of me coming back over. I made pretty quick work of the downhill and the 2.5 mile road into the Winfield (halfway mark) to pick up my pacer Fred. Now the fun really begins.

Winfield to Twin 5:34/17:18

Before I start digging into the meat of this race I want to share some advice that 2 friends gave me before the race. There were many more responses to this list from Facebook but I took the top 15. Then reason that I bring them up is that I start breaking these rules in this section.

Gerber and Misti’s Tips for Leadville and other 100s.

1. YOU CAN NOT BANK TIME! Don’t do it or even think about it.
2. Don’t sit down ever, unless you are changing your shoes.
3. Don’t go anywhere NEAR the fire or propane heaters at the aid stations. The gravitational field of them is amazing.
4. EAT early, eat often, and as much as you can assimilate.
5. Take your electrolytes, even if you aren’t cramping. They help with digestion too.
6. Sometimes it feels better to just puke it up and get on with the show.
7. The fastest times on this course are out in 45% of total time and back in 55% of total time.
8. Training is over 2 weeks before the race. Nothing you do the week before will help you. Take an easy, relax, and eat some bacon.
9. Try to remember that “it never always gets worse.” Seriously, this is the miracle. You can trust it.
10. Red Bull is your friend.
11. For the 1st 50 miles listen to your body, for the second 50 stop listening.
12. If you don’t think you are going absurdly slow the first 50, you’re going to fast.
13. When gels start making you gag, try bacon. Seriously!
14. A cold beer at mile 70 is pretty darn good.
15. If you drop for some lame ass reason, it is going to stick with you for 364 days.

I was weighed in at Winfield and was up 2 pounds, that was good news. I found my crew, took a load off for a few minutes trying to eat some more for the big climb to come. After a few more minutes chatting with my wife I grabbed a cup of soup and my pacer Pastor Fred and hit the road back to the trail head to go back over the pass.

About 1.5 miles up the road from Winfield the trouble started, I suddenly had to poop-BAD! I grabbed some paper and ran into the woods, of course I did not grab enough paper so I had to run back out to the road to get some more from Fred. After getting cleaned up I was walking out of the woods when out of no where the puke just started flying everywhere. I spent the next few minutes on my hands and knees puking valuable calories and energy into the dirt. Darn it, I need those calories to get back over the freaking pass!

Fred and I just kept walking and started the climb back over. About every 10 minutes or so I would heel back over and throw down some more calories into the dirt. As this was going on my pace was getting slower and slower due to running out of energy. Just before tree line I saw a nice big rock on the side of the trail and took Fred’s suggestion, I curled up into a ball on top of the rock and took a 10 minute nap. The hope was to get my system to settle down a bit and it worked. From that point on I was able to keep a very very slow but steady pace the rest of the way up Hope Pass only puking a couple more times and taking a couple short breaks to catch my breath. At the top I kept up the hiking all the way to the aid station just ~500ft or so down the other side. It was time to problem solve and get this race going again, I was losing too much time if I wanted to finish this thing.

At the aid station we came across Gerber and his runner who started giving me a hard time about breaking the rules. I was sitting around the camp fire feeling sorry for myself trying to eat. After a few minutes of heckling from Fred (my pacer) and Gerber the four of us left and started a slow jog down the pass back to Twin Lakes. Slowly I was starting to get my stomach back, a gel here and Clif Block there. I was starting to rebuild the foundation to finish this thing. Before I knew it we were back in Twin Lakes (mile 60) and it was time to change my socks/shoes and get the heck out of there.

Breaking the Rules on top of Hope Pass

Twin to Halfmoon 2:49/20:08

Being silly at Twin Lakes

Last pose before leaving Twin Lakes

I really don’t remember a lot about this section. I do remember that Fred and I agreed just to take an easy on the uphill and recover as much as possible. We needed to keep building on that new foundation that we just started laying down. I spent most of this section walking all the uphills at an easy pace and slow jogging the downhills while trying to eat a Clif Block every 15-20 minutes. We kept this cycle up all the way into the aid station. I was starting to get sleepy but held off on taking anything. Fred wanted me to hold off from taking the No Doz as long as I could so that it would have a more dramatic effect in the early morning hours when I would need it most.

Halfmoon to Fish 2:32/22:41

At Halfmoon the lady in charge of the cut-offs came up to me and start questioning me. I must have looked like crap. At this point I don’t think I was much more than 30 mins ahead of the cut-offs. I started asking her questions like. “If the cut-off is 2:30am (don’t remember the real time) then that is how many hours from the start?”. I had a running hour total on my watch and I could not do the math, I was too tired. She just looked at me and said, “You ask way too many questions.” and walked away. Guess my mind was working a little.

We walked the jeep road all the way from Halfmoon to my crew car at Treeline. I was getting more and more tired. The stomach was not feeling that great either and the legs hurt like hell. I am running out of time and feeling really down on myself about it at this point.

At Treeline I broke the rules again. I sat down in a chair for no other reason than just to get off my feet. I was really pondering the thought of quitting. As I was sitting there feeling sorry for myself because I was hurting my mind drifted off to the last time I saw my grandfather who passed around the end of June. This was nothing compared to what I saw him go through as cancer was taking over his body! Between that thought about grandpa, the frustration in my wife’s voice, and the disappointed look on Fred’s face I asked my wife to fill my bottle with Ginger Ale, popped some No Doz and I kept walking. I did not care if we made the cut-offs or not, we were going to walk this whole thing even if it was unofficially.

We just kept walking all the way to the Fish Hatchery getting a little quicker with every step. By the time we got to the Fish Hatchery about an hour later we were power hiking and I had finished off both bottles containing ginger ale and water. I had also eaten a whole pack and a half of Clif Shots.

Fish to Mayqueen 2:45/25:26

At Fish Hatchery I had to run up and check in before meeting my crew. I was starting to cut it really close to the cut-off. After checking in I grabbed a turkey wrap and told Fred I was hitting the road all within about 30 seconds to a minute. He said back that he needed to stay behind and eat a little and will catch-up shortly. On the way out I stopped to kiss my wife aka my crew grabbing 2 new bottles of water and ginger ale along with a bunch of Clif Blocks. I asked to send some an extra bottle with Fred since we had about 11ish miles to Mayqueen with the last big climb.

Once on the road to the base of the Powerlines (last big climb) I decided since it was a rolling downhill that I would try jogging and see how that felt. I ended up running all the way to the base of the climb where I went into a quick strong power hike. There are 3 false summits on this climb, I was hiking so strong that my pacer (Fred) did not catch up to me until between the 1st and 2nd false summit. I was moving very strong and passing people like mad. I had no idea why I was moving so good but I went with it. Once on the top of the Powerlines at about 11,200ft above sea level we took a quick break to refill my bottles from Fred’s pack.

From this point on I just started rolling, Fred and I jogged down the Haggerman Pass road together to the start of the Colorado Trail single track that would take us to Mayqueen. Once on the single track I took off! I felt really really good! I ran every step from this point all the way to Mayqueen passing all kinds of people. As I was coming into Mayqueen I started looking for Ashley (crew/wife) so I could get an extra bottle to carry since I lost my pacer. I still had 13 miles to go to the finish and 2 bottles was not going to cut it. Not locating her anywhere I went into Mayqueen and sat down breaking the rules again. I had to wait for Fred to catch up so I had enough fluids to finish this thing.

About 5-8 minutes later he came rolling in and after a fluid top off in his backpack and some more food for both of us we hit the last section of trail without ever seeing Ashley.

Mayqueen to Finish 3:12/28:39

What to say about this section but I never would have believed that I could still run like this between miles 90 to100. Just shocking! I got rolling again and lost Fred again which had me freaked out about having enough fluids to finish this. I ran for the next 5 or so miles coming into Tabor Boat ramp to lots of cheering people and empty bottles. I asked a person camping right there off the trail if they could fill my bottles with water and they did! Awesome!! Lets Roll!!! As I got about 20 feet past the boat ramp I heard someone yelling my name, I turned around and my wife was running down the boat ramp. She found me!!!! She was just as shocked as I was on how good I was feeling. I dumped out one bottle of water and topped it off with ginger ale, kissed her, grabbed a hat and headed towards the finish. I was able to maintain a run all the way on the single track trail to the final road that would take me into town. The final 5 miles of road I did a run/walk cycle all the way to the finish coming across in 28:39, one hour and 21 minutes ahead of the cut-off! Awesome!!!!! I really had no real emotions as I ran up the red carpet with Braden who did the last ½ mile with me. I was just happy to be done. I never would have thought that it would hurt less to run than to walk the final miles of this thing.

Views from this section

Tabor Boat Ramp

Finishing it up with Braden

Some Happy Campers!

The Under 30 Hours Buckle

Final Thoughts:
I know that I am not a great writer but I hope that you enjoyed sharing this little story with me. I would like to thank Ashley who has been putting up with me and my training for the past 3 plus years we have been together, I love you babe. And of course a big shout out to Pastor Fred Ecks who delivered me from the gates of hell back into the Lands of the Holy Trails. Thanks for pushing me through the rough patches dude.

I learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of. There were only 5 people who left the mile 76 aid station Fish Hatchery later than me that finished and I ended up in front over 140 people by the time I hit the red carpet in Leadville, you can do the math to see how many people I passed the last 25 miles. You can recover from the deep dark places if you take the time to do some problem solving to why you are there in the first place and just walk it out. I also learned a great deal about the great people that I have surrounded myself with. Next time we will go even faster!

Here are some great videos that some friends made during their adventure at Leadville.

Olan's Video:

Leadville 100 Trail Run 2010 from Melissa Young on Vimeo.

Brandon's Video:

Leadville Trail 100 2010 from Brandon Fuller on Vimeo.

My Leadville Plan!!

2010-08-18T14:11:00.003-06:00

Figured since everyone else is blogging their race plans I better put mine out there also.

1. When I can I will run.

2. When I can't run I will walk.

3. I will eat as much as my glass stomach will allow me too.

4. I will hit Winfield when I get off of Hope Pass around the time I get there.

5. My goal finish time is when I cross the finish line.

Pretty simple, any questions?

13 weeks to My Leadville Build-Up

2010-08-09T18:17:00.000-06:00

Just because some day I hope to grow up and be fast runner like Nick. I thought I would do a breakdown just like he did before Western States in the post that I just linked to. Of course my goal at Leadville is just to finally finish this race not be competitive like Nick was at Western States. Nick, I hope that is OK that I copied your format, it makes for straight forward and non-confusing reading which is something I am not very good at doing.

So here we go, the dates are the end of that week. The numbers in the (') is the vertical gain for that week followed by a note or two.

1. 5/16- 72.4 miles (9,950'); 25 mile long run
2. 5/23- 38.85 miles (3,870'); Got married on Saturday so took the weekend off
3. 5/30- 80.25 miles (11,550'); 20 mile long run
4. 6/6- 82.45 miles (13,850'); 31 mile long run (Dirty Thirty 50K)
5. 6/13- 75.3 miles (9,400'); 3 days of over 15 miles each
6. 6/20- 70.6 miles (10,950'); 18 mile long run
7. 6/27- 64.3 miles (5,500'); 26 mile flat long run (sick 3 days this week)
8. 7/4- 62.3 miles (12,350'); 3 days over 15 miles each, went to Nebraska
9. 7/11- 74.1 miles (18,800'); 47.5 mile long run (Pacing Hardrock); mini-taper
10. 7/18- 76.5 miles (9,700'); 3 days of over 15 miles each
11. 7/25- 70.75 miles (13,350'); 35 mile long run and Grandpa passed missed 2 days.
12. 8/1- 71.35 miles (14,000'); 25.5 mile long run and 15.5 mile back to back
13. 8/8- 55.45 miles (8,150'); 15 mile long run- just a crazy busy week at work

I hope that I was able to put in enough long runs and time on my feet. As of this posting I have ran 1750 miles this year with 277,00 feet of vertical. By the time that the taper and Leadville is done I should only be about 500 miles shy of my total miles from last year. It would have been nice to be over 2000 miles on the year right now but that did not happen. Due to daily family obligations, the trips to Nebraska, and all the stress this year I have not gotten in as many long single runs as I would like but instead would run 2-3 times in a day to hit the mileage. There were many days where I would run 4-9 miles before work, 4-6 miles at lunch, then some nights do a track workout of 7ish miles after. I just had to fit it in where I could. I really wanted to do a week or two over 100 miles like I did in Feb but found it very hard to fit it all in. Would I have liked to do more? Yes of course. Was it feasible with family and the new job this year? No.

Another thing that I was trying to balance at the same time was dropping a few pounds but still eating enough calories that I could train worth a darn. By using the free website Livestrong.com (they have a great iPhone App that I used) to track all my calories in verses what I was burning I was able to drop about 15 pounds over the last 4 months. This takes me to the starting line at Leadville at the same weight that I was when I attempted it in 2008 at 173ish.

I also went back and compared the 13 weeks leading up to my last 2 attempts at running a 100 miles with this attempt and discovered that in fact I did cover more total miles leading up to the taper this year. Hopefully that pans out good in a few weeks at Leadville, only time will tell.

These last 2 weeks are going to be filled with a couple of morning runs up Green Mountain but mostly I will be sleeping in, with easy running at lunch during work week, and some hiking up high on a 14er next weekend. I was even thinking of backpacking up to 12K or higher during the week to sleep then getting up early to make it to work in time. Any thoughts on this? I can drive about 30 mins west of the house to Indian Peaks and get some high sleeping in. Is it worth it?

Hopefully this all takes me to the starting line ready for another grand adventure!

Wish me luck!

You most likely are lacking....

2010-07-29T07:16:00.004-06:00

Just get your butt out from in front of the TV and go outside! You can find the full article by clicking here.
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What Do You Lack? Probably Vitamin D
By JANE E. BRODY
Published: July 26, 2010

Vitamin D promises to be the most talked-about and written-about supplement of the decade. While studies continue to refine optimal blood levels and recommended dietary amounts, the fact remains that a huge part of the population — from robust newborns to the frail elderly, and many others in between — are deficient in this essential nutrient.

If the findings of existing clinical trials hold up in future research, the potential consequences of this deficiency are likely to go far beyond inadequate bone development and excessive bone loss that can result in falls and fractures. Every tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, muscles and immune system, has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that this nutrient is needed at proper levels for these tissues to function well.

Studies indicate that the effects of a vitamin D deficiency include an elevated risk of developing (and dying from) cancers of the colon, breast and prostate; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; osteoarthritis; and immune-system abnormalities that can result in infections and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Most people in the modern world have lifestyles that prevent them from acquiring the levels of vitamin D that evolution intended us to have. The sun’s ultraviolet-B rays absorbed through the skin are the body’s main source of this nutrient. Early humans evolved near the equator, where sun exposure is intense year round, and minimally clothed people spent most of the day outdoors.

“As a species, we do not get as much sun exposure as we used to, and dietary sources of vitamin D are minimal,” Dr. Edward Giovannucci, nutrition researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, wrote in The Archives of Internal Medicine. Previtamin D forms in sun-exposed skin, and 10 to 15 percent of the previtamin is immediately converted to vitamin D, the form found in supplements. Vitamin D, in turn, is changed in the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the main circulating form. Finally, the kidneys convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D into the nutrient’s biologically active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, also known as vitamin D hormone.

A person’s vitamin D level is measured in the blood as 25-hydroxyvitamin D, considered the best indicator of sufficiency. A recent study showed that maximum bone density is achieved when the blood serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D reaches 40 nanograms per milliliter or more.

“Throughout most of human evolution,” Dr. Giovannucci wrote, “when the vitamin D system was developing, the ‘natural’ level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was probably around 50 nanograms per milliliter or higher. In modern societies, few people attain such high levels.”

A Common Deficiency

Although more foods today are supplemented with vitamin D, experts say it is rarely possible to consume adequate amounts through foods. The main dietary sources are wild-caught oily fish (salmon, mackerel, bluefish, and canned tuna) and fortified milk and baby formula, cereal and orange juice.

People in colder regions form their year’s supply of natural vitamin D in summer, when ultraviolet-B rays are most direct. But the less sun exposure, the darker a person’s skin and the more sunscreen used, the less previtamin D is formed and the lower the serum levels of the vitamin. People who are sun-phobic, babies who are exclusively breast-fed, the elderly and those living in nursing homes are particularly at risk of a serious vitamin D deficiency.

Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University, a leading expert on vitamin D and author of “The Vitamin D Solution” (Hudson Street Press, 2010), said in an interview, “We want everyone to be above 30 nanograms per milliliter, but currently in the United States, Caucasians average 18 to 22 nanograms and African-Americans average 13 to 15 nanograms.” African-American women are 10 times as likely to have levels at or below 15 nanograms as white women, the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found.

Such low levels could account for the high incidence of several chronic diseases in this country, Dr. Holick maintains. For example, he said, in the Northeast, where sun exposure is reduced and vitamin D levels consequently are lower, cancer rates are higher than in the South. Likewise, rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, and prostate cancer are higher among dark-skinned Americans than among whites.

The rising incidence of Type 1 diabetes may be due, in part, to the current practice of protecting the young from sun exposure. When newborn infants in Finland were given 2,000 international units a day, Type 1 diabetes fell by 88 percent, Dr. Holick said.

The current recommended intake of vitamin D, established by the Institute of Medicine, is 200 I.U. a day from birth to age 50 (including pregnant women); 400 for adults aged 50 to 70; and 600 for those older than 70. While a revision upward of these amounts is in the works, most experts expect it will err on the low side. Dr. Holick, among others, recommends a daily supplement of 1,000 to 2,000 units for all sun-deprived individuals, pregnant and lactating women, and adults older than 50. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breast-fed infants receive a daily supplement of 400 units until they are weaned and consuming a quart or more each day of fortified milk or formula.

Given appropriate sun exposure in summer, it is possible to meet the body’s yearlong need for vitamin D. But so many factors influence the rate of vitamin D formation in skin that it is difficult to establish a universal public health recommendation. Asked for a general recommendation, Dr. Holick suggests going outside in summer unprotected by sunscreen (except for the face, which should always be protected) wearing minimal clothing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. two or three times a week for 5 to 10 minutes.

Slathering skin with sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will reduce exposure to ultraviolet-B rays by 95 to 98 percent. But if you make enough vitamin D in your skin in summer, it can meet the body’s needs for the rest of the year, Dr. Holick said.

Can You Get Too Much?

If acquired naturally through skin, the body’s supply of vitamin D has a built-in cutoff. When enough is made, further exposure to sunlight will destroy any excess. Not so when the source is an ingested supplement, which goes directly to the liver.

Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss, as well as dangerous amounts of calcium that can result in kidney stones, confusion and abnormal heart rhythms.

But both Dr. Giovannucci and Dr. Holick say it is very hard to reach such toxic levels. Healthy adults have taken 10,000 I.U. a day for six months or longer with no adverse effects. People with a serious vitamin D deficiency are often prescribed weekly doses of 50,000 units until the problem is corrected. To minimize the risk of any long-term toxicity, these experts recommend that adults take a daily supplement of 1,000 to 2,000 units.

Update from Eric #3

2010-07-27T14:13:00.001-06:00

As some of you may or may not know a good friend of Ashley and I is out exploring the world until Sept or so. As I receive emails from him I will post them on here because they are very interesting. Enjoy.
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Hello from Indonesia!

Selamat siang-

We’ll, Indonesia was a blast and if there is one word I would use to describe it, it would be “lush”. They say it is the “last great adventure on Earth” and I can certainly understand why. Here one can go in search of the orangutan, rhino or komodo dragon OR take in some amazing snorkeling and diving amongst it’s 17,000 islands OR visit places where they still hunt with bow and arrow and in some cases just stopped ‘taking heads’ a few decades ago OR ride some of the best waves on the planet. Adventure is here!

My first days here did not begin so well. Upon arriving in Bali I was questioned by the immigration officer as to why my ‘Arrival Card’ did not list my hotel. While not technically required, I understood and proceeded to open up my guide book so I could give him a name of a hotel in order to satisfy the ‘requirement’. Unsatisfied with this approach, the officer’s true intentions came about when he said with a smile “gimme $20 bucks”. I did, got my bags and then later got my $ back. Then I was kicked out of a cab after (rightfully) accusing a driver of going down wrong streets in order to jack up the meter and then was accused of not paying for a night at my first hotel when trying to check out (they later apologized). Good grief! I felt as though a black cloud loomed over my head. Obviously these things happen all the time when traveling, but when they all happen in a short amount of time it can be a real turnoff.

I didn’t get to see 17,000 islands, nor did I get to the remote region’s of Papua (although I’d love to), but I did have quite an adventure moving around this archipelago. I hit a few towns on the island of Bali, took in some R&R on the Gili Islands, checked out some ancient monuments on the island of Java and viewed the orangutans in their natural habitat at Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan. That was definitely the highlight.

I also acquired a taste for Gamelan, which is a style of music typically from Bali and Java. A gamelan is like an orchestra made up of instruments such as metallones, xylophones, gongs and drums. Its sound is described as hypnotic and dreamy. Check it out, it’s good stuff.

I’m actually in Bangkok and I’ll be here for a few more days as I arrange my visa for Myanmar. A famous writer wrote ‘Myanmar is quite unlike any land you know about’. While I don’t think it makes the itinerary for many traveling around Asia (I’ve only met a handful of folks who’ve been there), it does get rave reviews, so I’m pretty excited to see what it’s all about.

Also, while all good things must come to an end, I’m deciding to extend my ‘end’ to my trip by a month or so. After Myanmar I’ll be making a quick run of Laos and Cambodia.

Pics are out on FB. Enjoy!

Hope all is well with everybody back home. I hear it’s a scorcher. Stay cool!

Regards,
Eric

Barr Trail Race

2010-07-19T09:50:00.006-06:00

All I can say is that today I am hobbling around. I seem to always get more sore from the short stuff and more tired afterward from the long stuff. Today I am really sore in the calves and the feet from running my first race in the MT100's but the energy levels are good. Not sure if I will use these shoes again in a race. They seem to hurt my feet when trying to run fast down hill.

I really had no time goals or ideas for what to shoot for at this race since I have never ran it before. I figured I would just jog up and then try my best to bomb down somewhat hard, which is what I did. You can see in the pictures that I looked more worked heading down then up.

Heading up

Heading down

I hit the turn around which is about 6.3 miles and 3800ft higher than the start at over 10,000 feet above sea level around 1:23ish then bombed down in 44ish mins. I passed 6 people running down and was not passed by anyone which is great in my mind since I am not a strong downhill runner.

I finished the race in 2:07, not bad but not great. Now I have a time to shoot for next year, breaking 2 hours.

GZ has a great review of the race by clicking here.

Here is another great breakdown of the race by clicking here.

Hardrock video

2010-07-14T20:44:00.002-06:00

This is a great video that a Hardrocker made this year. You can see some of the crazy sh*t that I had to run with JT over. Oh yeah, JT is at the beginning of this video with the brimmed military style hat. Enjoy.

Pacing at Hardrock

2010-07-11T15:10:00.004-06:00

Not a lot to say but it was a kick ass time. I will wait until JT puts up his race report before I write one. In the mean time here are the photos that I took out on the 48 mile of the course that I was on. Enjoy!

Can neck measure indicate body fat better than BMI?

2010-07-08T07:06:00.002-06:00

This may or may not be much better than just BMI alone, only time will tell. You can read the story by clicking here, I also have copied it below for you.
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Can neck measure indicate body fat better than BMI?
By Madison Park, CNN
July 6, 2010 8:19 a.m. EDT

Taking neck measurements is inexpensive, easy to obtain and could indicate health problems like sleep apnea, says one study.

Taking neck measurements is inexpensive, easy to obtain and could indicate health problems like sleep apnea, says one study.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Body mass index widely criticized as being flawed and not measuring body fat
* New study suggests neck circumferences could be used to supplement BMI
* Wide neck circumference associated with obesity conditions such as diabetes

(CNN) -- Flawed, limited and inaccurate. The complaints against the body mass index are many.

Among them: The BMI, which measures weight relative to height, doesn't accurately calculate body fat. It deems athletes or muscular people to be obese and underestimates body fat in older people.

But it's inexpensive and simple, so the BMI continues to be the public health agencies' standard for assessing for obesity.

A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics suggests another simple, straightforward measurement could be used to supplement the BMI: neck circumference.

A wide neck circumference is associated with obesity-related conditions such as sleep apnea, diabetes and hypertension, according to research. Neck circumference has been explored in studies for potential obesity and heart problems in adults.

Lead author Dr. Olubukola Nafiu and his colleagues examined 1,102 children and recorded their heights, weights and neck circumferences to determine whether this measurement could be another way to assess obesity in children.

They measured necks using a flexible tape at the most prominent part of the neck. For older males, that area was the Adam's apple.

Fact Box
Based on age, a neck of this circumference or larger could indicate overweight or obesity, researchers say:
Boys
Age 6: 11.2 inches
Age 10: 12.6 inches
Age: 14: 14.2 inches
Age 18: 15.4 inches

Girls
Age 6: 10.6 inches
Age 10: 12 inches
Age 14: 12.6 inches
Age 18: 13.6 inches

Source: Pediatrics

The authors found that a 6-year-old boy with a neck circumference greater than 11.2 inches was 3.6 times more likely to be overweight or obese than a peer below that level. Using the data, they devised neck measurements at which children could be at higher association with overweight and obesity.

Taking such a measurement is inexpensive, easy and could be predictive of health problems such as sleep apnea, Nafiu wrote in the article. He's an assistant professor of pediatric anesthesia at the University of Michigan School of Medicine Health, Ann Arbor.

One of BMI's shortcomings is that it "does not accurately define central body fatness," Nafiu said. Neck circumference could give better clues to body fat composition, he said.

Studies have shown that regional adiposity, which is fat collected around the midsection, is often a good indicator for obesity-related complications, including hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. The correlation between regional adiposity and a high neck circumference is strong, said Nafiu. This could give doctors more information than BMI alone.

"We've been using BMI to advise parents and patients for making healthy choices," he said. "Unfortunately, often we tell someone their BMI is 27 or 30, most of the time it doesn't mean much. To tell you that your neck is wide, these are some of the risks associated to it -- that we feel people would be able to relate to it better than BMI."

The idea of using circumferences of various body parts has been around for awhile, said Jim Pivarnik, director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health at Michigan State University.

"It's not widely used," he said. "It doesn't mean it's not correct, but it's not widely used."

One of the challenges is the difficulty of accurate measurements. Waist circumference "is harder to measure than you might think," said Dr. Cora Lewis, a professor of medicine and public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

"There's the issue of figuring out where you measure," she said. "If someone is obese, should the waist measurement come under or over the fold?"

Despite its flaws, Lewis said the BMI still gives information.

"It's a good place to start," she said. "Lots of people bash it, but what else are we going to use?"

The alternatives, such as air chambers that measure a person's mass and volume to calculate the composition of muscle and fat and underwater scales, are expensive and impractical, Pivarnik said.

The neck circumference could an initial screening tool someday, Nafiu said. But he wrote additional studies are needed to evaluate how useful it is in detecting abdominal fat.

"If a neck circumference is above what you regularly see, that raises a red flag," he said. "You want to ask further questions, then see other indices of body fat -- BMI, abdominal circumference and other parameters."

Update from Eric #2

2010-06-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

As some of you may or may not know a good friend of Ashley and I is out exploring the world until Sept or so. As I receive emails from him I will post them on here because they are very interesting. Enjoy.
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Sawatdee krap!

Thailand-where the pace of life here is unhurried, people are kind hearted and the food is spicy! Traveling around this country has been such a pleasant experience. If you've never been, getting around Thailand is about as easy as it gets and with the exception of Bangkok, no one gives you any hassel. Beaches, climbing, delicious "thai style" ice tea and coffee, $5 massages, amazing cuisine, snorkeling, trekking...what is not to like. I will really miss this place.

I did a fairly decent job of taking in a bit of the country over the last thirty days, which is the allowance period for an on arrival tourist visa. From Kolkata (India) I flew into Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and after a short layover landed in Krabi (Thailand), a small city located along the Andaman Coast. I spent a few relaxing days there decompressing from India and rejoicing that I was back in a clean, calm and green environment. Thereafter, I spent a few days each on the islands of Ko Phi-Phi, Ko Lanta and Railay. The islands here are really nice, but you have to choose wisely which ones to visit. Some can be pretty touristy and have a "spring break" feel, while others can be remote and very quiet. Regardless, there is something for everyone along the Andaman. And just when you think your far away from home as you sit in a chair sipping a beer in a bar out in the island forest that you had to hike a mile to reach with a headlamp on, a reggae version of John Denver's "Country Roads" comes out of the speakers and you are reminded again of just how flat the world has become.

But, as it turned out, the weather was not on my side. After some wonderful days on Phi-Phi the rain came and hung around for days. And it really stinks to be on an island when it's raining, there's no movie theater and your book is not very enticing. I don't recommend Orwell for the beach. With that I headed back to Krabi and worked my way up to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. I really liked this city and actually spent a week there before heading north again and spending a couple days in the quaint mountain town of Pai, where I was happy again to rent a small motorcycle and cruise around the countryside saying hi to the local elephants.

I've spent the last couple days in Bangkok. Things have mellowed out here and it's back to business as usual. When you inquire with the locals you get the sense that these cyclical party demonstrations are par for the course and neither party represents the masses. While tourism is or will take a hit as a result of the recent violence it's hard to notice as it seems pretty busy here, which is a good thing.

I've loaded a good bit of pics on Facebook. I'll try to add more over the coming weeks. I took a lot.

Indonesia is up next. I leave tomorrow and will land in Bali, the "Island of the Gods". I am really excited. Get to go back to the beach, hike some volcanoes and check out the orangutans. If I like it as much as I think, I may just have to come back or extend the visa.

I hope everyone is watching World Cup. Go USA!!! It is literally on every TV here. I love it.

Cheers!
Eric

Talking Tonka

2010-06-18T20:14:00.004-06:00

Been playing around on the new PC and signed up for YouTube for the 1st time. I had to share one of my favorite videos that my wife took of our boy. Enjoy.

BMI Bullcrap!

2010-06-14T16:15:00.002-06:00

I just had to put this out there as a rant. I was playing around a little on the BMI calculator on the CDC website, you can find it by clicking here. This is what it said for me.

Height: 6 feet, 0.5 inches
Weight: 177 pounds

Your BMI is 23.7, indicating your weight is in the Normal category for adults of your height.For your height, a normal weight range would be from 138 to 186 pounds.

Maintaining a healthy weight may reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity.

There is a 50 pound range for me!!!! If I got down to 138lbs I would be in the hospital. What a bunch of BULLCRAP! How did yours turn out?

Wedding!!!

2010-06-09T08:29:00.002-06:00

Here are a lot of the photos from the wedding a few weeks ago in the Garden of the Gods down in the Springs. I just added a bunch that we just got yesterday.

If you click on the photo from my blog (not the Facebook feed) then it should take you straight to the album on-line.

Ryan Hall Rematch

2010-06-01T08:10:00.005-06:00

After getting passed by Ryan Hall on Saturday morning during my 20 mile trail run on the Mesa Trail, I decided that it was game on. I took him in the Bolder Boulder and taught him a lesson not to mess with the real runners, trail runners! That will send him back to California with his tail between his legs.

Dash-n-Dine #6

2010-05-26T07:48:00.003-06:00

Well last night's race just sucked. My time was respectable at 20:13 but once again I failed to break the 20 min mark that I set as a goal. What is funny is that I still ended up 16th in the series overall standings out of 100 people with only running 2 of the 6 races I paid for. If I wouldn't have gotten hurt and done all 6 races I would have been in the top 10 and I bet I would have broke my 20 minutes that I was shooting for. Oh well that is life.

Now it is time for my list of excuses.

1. No real speed work since running 20:10 6 weeks earlier due to cracking my ribs.
2. Mileage has been way down due to the ribs.
3. Took Saturday through Monday off due to the wedding and getting food poisoning. I lost 15 lbs in less than 24 hours. I had put all that water weight back on by Tuesday night but still felt run down.

Well considering my lack of big miles the last 6 weeks my race at Golden Gate 50K (31 miles) on June 5th should be interesting. I think I will be running this as a long easy run targeting to finish around 7 hours. There is no need to burn myself up with Leadville being the goal. I have to keep my eye on the ball as they say.

OK, enough whining. I the next post should be after the Bolder Boulder, hopefully with pictures because I will be just jogging it in a cool costume. Stay tuned.

Here is the link to the results

Dash-n-Dine #6

Series Standings

Books read in 2010 so far.

2010-05-18T10:18:00.002-06:00

I set a goal at the beginning of the year when I was unemployed to read at least 12 books in 2010 so I could average at least one a month. I will easily surpass this! My new goal is to read over 20 for the year.

Below is what I have read so far just finishing the last one a few days ago. I need some suggestions for more running books that I can hit up so I can take a break from all the mountaineering books. I think the next book that I will be picking up is "Once a Runner". Let me know if you have any suggestions, I am all ears.

2010 books read

1. Die Trying
2. Born to Run
3. 14er Distasters
4. Forever on the Mountain
5. Montana Mountain Goat
6. Pre
7. Above the Clouds
8. The Beckoning Silence
9. Running with the Buffaloes
10. The Long Walk by Rawicz
11. Fire on the Mountain
12. The Greatest- Haile Gebrselassie
13. Gold Hill and Back
14. Effective Project Management
15. Beyond the Mountain
16. Minus 148

Diet and Exercise to the Extremes

2010-05-13T09:30:00.003-06:00

I came across this article in the New York Times and thought I would share with everyone. You can get to the article by clicking here. I have also copied it below if you don't want to follow the link.
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Diet and Exercise to the Extremes
By MARK BITTMAN
Published: May 12, 2010

I went running with Scott Jurek on a clear, chilly morning last month, an easy four-mile loop in Central Park. He ran another few miles with 50 or so adoring fans, then another few by himself, for a total of about 15. After that he showered and came to my house to cook lunch before going for a late-afternoon jog of another 10 miles or so.

Scott Jurek ate cookie dough, canned vegetables and fast food as a youngster, but in college his diet began to improve. Eventually, he dropped dairy and other animal products entirely.

That’s an easy day for Jurek, 36, an accomplished ultramarathoner. But one might say he has been in a slump: he has not won a major race since the 2008 Spartathlon. On the other hand, he set a personal record there, it was his third consecutive victory on the 153-mile course between Athens and Sparta, and he holds the fifth-, sixth- and eighth-fastest times in race history.

If last year was a wash, this year he is fit and psyched for the 24-Hour Run world championship in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, on Thursday and Friday. It is a grueling race to determine how many miles runners can complete on a 1.4-kilometer road loop (about nine-tenths of a mile) in a 24-hour period.

Jurek says he can break the American record, 162 miles, held by Mark Godale. (The world record, 178 miles, and just about every ultramarathoning record from 100 to 1,000 miles, and from 24 hours to 10 days, are, Jurek said, “unassailably” held by Yiannis Kouros of Greece, who no longer competes.)

To win Brive, Jurek said, he must: “Get on it, crank around it, and get it done. It’s all in a day’s work.”

It’s a long day, and one that raises a particular aspect of Jurek’s training that makes him an especially interesting athlete: he is a vegan, consuming no animal products.

There are other professional athletes who do not eat meat: Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, a vegetarian, may be the best known, and Georges Laraque, who plays for the Montreal Canadiens, is also a vegan. But it is difficult for some to comprehend how this lifestyle is compatible with training weeks of 140 miles and more, “easy” runs of 40 miles and interval training that includes uphill three-mile repeats, all culminating in races that are often 100 miles or more, sometimes through deserts or frozen wastelands or up and down mountains.

Jurek certainly looks healthy enough. He is tall, dwarfing most competitive marathoners, not rail thin, with a quick smile and boundless energy. A few hours after our morning run, he showed up at my house and began pulling things out of the refrigerator and pantry with abandon: vegetables, greens, herbs, miso, tofu, olives, shallots, lemons, nut butter and more.

He displayed knife skills and good culinary judgment, preparing a meal for me and his girlfriend, Jenny Uehisa, a designer for Patagonia (he is sponsored by Brooks Sports). We ate a Greek salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, loads of olives and seaweed; a stir-fry of vegetables with tofu and a miso and cashew sauce; and a mound of quinoa.

Where did he learn to cook this way? And more to the point, how does he survive? After all, I said to him, none of my running buddies, a group of nonelite but defiantly dedicated marathoners who train in Central Park, maintain as rigorous a schedule as his, and many claim to have trouble consuming enough calories even while being omnivorous.

“The whole issue,” he said, “is exactly that: getting enough calories. The first thing to worry about isn’t so much what you eat, but how much you eat. You have to take the time to sit at the table and make sure your calorie count is high enough. And when you’re a vegan, to increase your calories as you increase training you need more food. This isn’t an elimination diet but an inclusion diet.”

Jurek grew up in Proctor, Minn., eating cookie dough, canned vegetables and his share of fast food. When his mother, Lynn, developed multiple sclerosis (she died this spring), he and his siblings began cooking, but the food was, he said, “very Midwest — meat and potatoes.” In college, his diet began to improve, and as he “saw how much disease is lifestyle related,” he began eating “real food, eating the way people have been eating for thousands of years.”

He made the transition to less meat and more fish, then eventually knocked out dairy and other animal products entirely.

“It’s really a mental barrier,” he said, and he obviously has experience overcoming those. He said he needed 5,000 to 8,000 calories a day, “and I get that all from plant sources. It’s not hard, either. I like to eat, and I don’t have to worry about weight management. All I need is a high-carbohydrate diet with enough protein and fat.”

He said he spent a great deal of time shopping, preparing and cooking food — and chewing. He is among the slowest and most deliberate eaters I know, and there is something about his determination at the table that is reminiscent of his determination on the road: he just doesn’t stop.

He focuses on three main meals. Breakfast is key: it might be a 1,000-calorie smoothie, with oil, almonds, bananas, blueberries, salt, vanilla, dried coconut, a few dates and maybe brown rice protein powder. Unless he is doing a long run, which for him is seven hours, or about 50 miles, he eats after his first workout. Lunch and dinner are huge salads, whole grains, potatoes and sweet potatoes, and usually beans of some sort or a tempeh-tofu combination.

“None of this is weird,” he said. “If you go back 300 or 400 years, meat was reserved for special occasions, and those people were working hard. Remember, almost every long-distance runner turns into a vegan while they’re racing, anyway — you can’t digest fat or protein very well.”

Jurek said he hated running when he was in high school, enduring it only to stay in shape for skiing. But when he was 20, a friend persuaded him to try a marathon. He finished in less than three hours, good for second place and astonishing for a novice. By 1999, he ran his first Western States 100. Formally called the Western States Endurance Run, this is an up-and-down course in the Sierra Nevada with a cutoff time of 30 hours. He set the course record in 2004, 15 hours 36 minutes; won the race seven consecutive times; and in 2005, two weeks after finishing, ran and won the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race that begins in Death Valley and ends halfway up Mount Whitney.

Looking back, he wondered, “Where was my mind?”

Which brings us to an obvious question: What is Scott Jurek trying to prove? Of the few thousand Americans who consider themselves ultramarathoners, most would be happy just qualifying for Western States, and most of those would be ecstatic to finish before the cutoff.

Jurek, having proved himself in dozens of off-road races, is focused on the 24-hour record and looking forward to the flat race, “an environment where it’s just me and the clock and the road under my feet.”

After that, he would like to run — and win — the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, an ultramarathon in the Alps at a distance of just over 100 miles; the record is a little more than 20 hours. His best finish was 18th, and he dropped out twice, so it’s a serious challenge.

“I haven’t had a great race there,” he said. “But though I want to win, the running is a vehicle for self-discovery. I’ve been racing for 15 years, but I feel like I’m still at my peak.”

Evidently, it isn’t his diet that’s slowing him down.

Mark Bittman, who is a vegan until 6 p.m. and a runner at various hours, writes The Minimalist column for The Times, and can be found at markbittman.com.

Update from Eric

2010-04-29T09:41:00.001-06:00

As some of you may or may not know a good friend of Ashley and I is out exploring the world until Sept or so. As I recieve emails from him I will post them on here because they are very interesting. Enjoy.
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Namaste Everyone –

The Himalayan mountains are magnificent!!! I think most of you know this already but I just finished a wonderful 19 day trek through the rural and Khumbu regions of Nepal. Before setting off I was fortunate enough to have a personal guided tour of Kathmandu with my guide Nawang Samden Sherpa. My dear friends Clay and Donna set us up and he was so kind as to let me stay with his wife and family in their home during my stay. Their hospitality was incredible and I miss their company (and endless supply of milk tea) already.

I basically completed what is called the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek. However, most folks typically fly into Lukula and begin their trek out of Namche Bazaar, but given that I’m flexible with time I decided to take an alternative route which started in Jiri. This adds about 6 days, but exposes one to rural Nepal where you can shake the crowds, find people farming rice and wheat in the terraced fields and walk through beautiful rhododendron forests. All in all, we covered about 75-85 miles, hiked nearly 100 hours and by the time we reached base camp we ascended almost 9,000 meters – the full height of Mt. Everest from sea level!

One particular night it got pretty chilly since we were at about 13,000 ft. Noticing I was cold, Nawang’s son Tsheringwangchu said “come sit by the fire”, which ended up being the ceramic oven of our lodge where a woman was cooking our dinners. At first I felt like an intruder but everyone seemed relaxed. Moments later I noticed a little girls head pop up from a bed, so not only was I in the kitchen but also their bedroom. Moments later the husband arrives and feeling uncomfortable I got up to leave, and noticing this the husband touches my shoulder and says “no..no, please sit”. It’s hard for me to describe, but this is what stands out about the people of Nepal for me – very, very kind, genuine, and hospitable.

The mountains are incredible. They are so huge it makes you laugh. And, if you’re like me and enjoy mountains, they can definitely raise some emotions. They certainly did mine. Eight out of ten of the worlds highest mountains are in Nepal and I got to see four ;>.

Also, cruising the streets of Kathmandu on the back of a motorcycle will make you feel pretty alive! It’s a developing city and while very crowded and polluted, it’s an interesting place with a lot of character.

Tomorrow I’m off to India with a stop in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddah. It’s gonna be soooo hot!!!

Thanks to my friends Clay and Donna for setting me up for much success in this first part of my trip.

I’m working on posting pics on FB, but I’ve encountered some technical difficulties which I hope can be repaired by finding a better cyber café.

Hope everyone is doing all well back home. Thanks for all the emails! Keep ‘em coming.

Miss ya'll,
Eric

Dine-n-Dash #1 5K

2010-04-14T07:39:00.004-06:00

Well ran my 1st non-snowshoe race of the year last night out at the Boulder Rez and it went a little better than I expected. I really did not know what to expect since my running volume had taken a hit from starting this new job while I am figuring out how to balance it all and the fact that I have only done one track workout about 2 weeks ago. The track workout was nothing intense at all, just some 10X100, 5X200, and 2X400 so I could work my way back into some sort of speed. With that I figured anything under 24 mins would be a good start to this 6 race series.

Got there about 5:50ish and after getting ready, I walked/jogged around Coot Lake with Neal for about 25 mins as a warmup. I wanted to run a little more than I did but I just was not feeling it.

The cowbell went off and I tucked behind two guys who were running side by side so they could do all the work going into the 20-30mph winds that were whipping off the water. I hit the 1st mile in 6:25ish and thought what the hell! With that I felt maybe I have a shot at breaking 20mins which is my goal to do in one of these 6 races. The 2 guys that were breaking the wind for me started to hurt and slow down from the wind so I passed them and I was on my own from there.

After the 180 degree turn around I started eyeballing people in front of me. First was a guy in a long sleeve black shirt that I passed shortly (within quarter mile), about here is when I saw Neal kicking some ass heading toward the turn around. My next target was a local named TK who I meet a few years ago before he got kicked out of the Boulder Trail Runners. He is pretty quick and I have never been able to beat him in a race or keep up with him when our paths cross.

Passed mile 2 in 13:03ish still keeping TK the same distance from me, I just could not close on him. The last 1/2 mile hurt as we went across the last dam straight into the wind. Sucking air big time and having a major side ache I crossed the finish line in 20:06 according to my watch, 20:10 according to the race watch. I finished the same distance from TK as when I started trying to catch him, just could not close it out.

That is a PR for me by over a minute and 45 seconds! Huge! Of course this is the first 5K race I have ran since 2006. I am sure if I would have ran one in 2007 or 2008 I could have easily broken 20 mins. Hopefully it lead to some better times over the next 6 weeks. I want to beat TK just one time during this series and break 20 mins for 3.1 miles.

Mental Health Providers Should Prescribe Exercise More Often for Depression, Anxiety, Research Suggests

2010-04-08T07:48:00.001-06:00

Keeping up with the trend this week of coming across articles that are related to exercise this one was sent to me by Neal. You can find the link here.
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ScienceDaily (Apr. 6, 2010) — Exercise is a magic drug for many people with depression and anxiety disorders, and it should be more widely prescribed by mental health care providers, according to researchers who analyzed the results of numerous published studies.

Exercise has been shown to have tremendous benefits for mental health," says Jasper Smits, director of the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "The more therapists who are trained in exercise therapy, the better off patients will be."

Smits and Michael Otto, psychology professor at Boston University, based their finding on an analysis of dozens of population-based studies, clinical studies and meta-analytic reviews related to exercise and mental health, including the authors' meta-analysis of exercise interventions for mental health and studies on reducing anxiety sensitivity with exercise. The researchers' review demonstrated the efficacy of exercise programs in reducing depression and anxiety.

The traditional treatments of cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy don't reach everyone who needs them, says Smits, an associate professor of psychology.

"Exercise can fill the gap for people who can't receive traditional therapies because of cost or lack of access, or who don't want to because of the perceived social stigma associated with these treatments," he says. "Exercise also can supplement traditional treatments, helping patients become more focused and engaged."

The researchers presented their findings March 6 in Baltimore at the annual conference of the Anxiety Disorder Association of America. Their workshop was based on their therapist guide "Exercise for Mood and Anxiety Disorders," with accompanying patient workbook (Oxford University Press, September 2009). For links to more information see www.smuresearch.com.

"Individuals who exercise report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of stress and anger," Smits says. "Exercise appears to affect, like an antidepressant, particular neurotransmitter systems in the brain, and it helps patients with depression re-establish positive behaviors. For patients with anxiety disorders, exercise reduces their fears of fear and related bodily sensations such as a racing heart and rapid breathing."

After patients have passed a health assessment, Smits says, they should work up to the public health dose, which is 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity. At a time when 40 percent of Americans are sedentary, he says, mental health care providers can serve as their patients' exercise guides and motivators.

"Rather than emphasize the long-term health benefits of an exercise program -- which can be difficult to sustain -- we urge providers to focus with their patients on the immediate benefits," he says. "After just 25 minutes, your mood improves, you are less stressed, you have more energy -- and you'll be motivated to exercise again tomorrow. A bad mood is no longer a barrier to exercise; it is the very reason to exercise."

Smits says health care providers who prescribe exercise also must give their patients the tools they need to succeed, such as the daily schedules, problem-solving strategies and goal-setting featured in his guide for therapists.

"Therapists can help their patients take specific, achievable steps," he says. "This isn't about working out five times a week for the next year. It's about exercising for 20 or 30 minutes and feeling better today."

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Southern Methodist University.

Exercise pain is a good thing

2010-04-07T08:12:00.001-06:00

I just keep coming across these article the past couple of days that are worth sharing. Here is another one, hope all is well from snowy Boulder Colorado. Here is the link for the article.
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Exercise pain is a good thing
Early exercise discomfort happens to everyone. But fear of those initial sensations can cause people to play it safe.

By Eric Heiden
Tribune Media Services
April 4, 2010

In the world of fitness, practice doesn't just make you perfect, it also makes you more comfortable.

As you first dig into a new fitness regimen, as many people do this time of year, the discomfort of exercise can be, well, uncomfortable. The burning muscles and gasping for breath can feel desperate.

It takes a minute to adjust

Experience at exercise will eventually transform these early trials into feel-good experiences, but at first your systems can't deliver what exercise demands of them. The sensations of breathlessness and burning muscles, for example, correlate with the intensity of your effort. When you're out of shape, numerous receptors all over your body beg your brain to slow down: I can't maintain this. As you beef up each system, however, fewer receptors holler for mercy because your systems are no longer working so close to their maximum capacity. Eventually, the number of receptors screaming at your brain will level off, and more pleasant sensations will be able to rise to a conscious level. The signal that was once an emergency siren will become just a familiar signpost: I've pushed this hard before. I can handle it. It'll be OK.

Unfortunately, folks often give up training before this happens because they believe that early discomfort is a signal that they are not cut out for exercise.

Don't give up

The truth is, everyone is cut out for exercise.

Early exercise discomfort is natural and universal — it happens to everyone. But fear of those initial sensations can cause people to play it safe. So they end up choosing activities that come easy to them and avoid new types of fitness training.

Ironically, the areas that challenge you are often the ones you need most to achieve balanced overall fitness, according to exercise performance physician Max Testa. He also points out that these areas hold the potential for the greatest leaps in benefit.

Some scientists now believe that your body signals you to stop exercise well before the point of exhaustion, to keep a little in reserve in case you need to run from that lion in your evolutionary past. But each time you can motivate yourself to push through that point, your body sets the limit a little higher. Continuing to exercise will actually "immunize" you against the discomfort you feel when you first start out.

Elite athletes

Until you reach the competitive level.

At elite levels, all of the athletes competing against one another possess very similar physical abilities. Testa contends that at this level, what determines the winner is who can take the most pain. The ones who can motivate themselves through progressively higher levels of discomfort end up at the top of their sport, says Testa. But, he adds, when they are competing, they are all in pain.

That was definitely true for me. When I was competing, I was nervous before races about how much suffering there was going to be — how much it was going to hurt. These days, things are different. I get to sample a number of sports and experience the various pleasures each has to offer — eventually.

Eric Heiden, M.D., a five-time Olympic gold medalist speed skater, is now an orthopedic surgeon in Utah. He co-wrote "Faster, Better, Stronger: Your Fitness Bible" (HarperCollins) with exercise performance physician Max Testa, M.D., and DeAnne Musolf. Visit http://www.fasterbetterstronger.com.

Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune

The cure of all common health ailments is vitamin D

2010-04-06T07:58:00.003-06:00

Get out from in front of your TV's and get OUTSIDE! Here is more on the benefits of just getting outside. You can find the link here.

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The cure of all common health ailments is vitamin D

Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, fibromyalgia and depression have one thing in common and it is vitamin D deficiency.

In a book authored by Dr. Michael F. Holick titled THE VITAMIN D SOLUTION: A 3-Step Strategy to Cure Our Most Common Health Problem, he identifies the causes of vitamin D deficiency, outlines the reasons why it is vital for our health and offers a 3-step program to achieve optimal levels of vitamin D in our bodies.

Dr. Holick, an international expert has studied vitamin D for more than 30 years. From his research, we know every cell in the body carries a receptor for vitamin D and it is not just for the purpose of bone health only.

Increasing vitamin D levels can treat, prevent and reverse a significant number of daily health ailments such as high blood pressure and back pain, reduce symptoms of chronic problems like diabetes and arthritis, and prevent infectious disease like H1N1, and cancer.

Dr Holick also recognizes vitamin D as being able to improve infertility, weight control, memory and mood.

Also know as the "Sunshine Vitamin," vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, but a hormone that is made in the skin, as a result of exposure to sunlight.

Milk and mushrooms can supply as the necessary vitamin D and Dr Holick advices people to take supplements in order to ensure optimal levels of the crucial vitamin in the body.

THE VITAMIN D SOLUTION provides latest research from all around the world, insightful historical background, a simple strategy for reconstructing and maintaining an optimal level of vitamin D that mixes a sensible amount of sun exposure, supplementation and foods loaded with vitamin D.

Colorado, California Cities Dominate Slimmest Cities List

2010-04-05T09:32:00.003-06:00

Like this is a big surprise. I got this article off the WebMD internal site here at work and thought I would share. Not a big fan of the BMI being all that useful for active people but it does give a picture of the general population. Enjoy.
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Colorado, California Cities Dominate Slimmest Cities List
Healthy Habits Abound in Top 10 Least Obese Cities

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News

March 5, 2010 -- Finally, a top 10 obese list American cities can be proud to be a part of.

A new ranking of America's least obese cities shows that healthy habits make for thinner residents in several Colorado and California cities, which dominate the top 10. Obesity rates in the top 10 least obese cities are an average of 15% lower than rates found in the nation's top 10 obese metropolitan areas and much lower than the national average of 26.5%.

Here are the top 10 least obese metro areas based on their percentage of obese residents.

1. Fort Collins/Loveland, Colo. (16%)
2. Boulder, Colo. (16.6%)
3. Barnstable, Mass. (16.9%)
4. Colorado Springs, Colo. (17.2%)
5. San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles, Calif. (17.6%)
6. Reno/Sparks, N.V. (17.7%)
7. Santa Cruz/Watsonville, Calif. (17.9%)
8. San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, Calif. (19%)
9. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, Calif. (19.2%)
10.Denver/Aurora, Colo.* (19.3%) and Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk, Conn.* (19.3)
*Tied

The list is based on a nationwide Gallup poll conducted in 187 metro areas in 2009. Researchers calculated the participants' body mass index (BMI) using their self-reported height and weight . A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese.

Healthy Habits the Norm in Skinny Cities

What's the secret to a skinny city? Healthy eating and exercise habits. The survey showed that nine out of the 10 least obese cities rank in the top third of the Gallup-Healthways Healthy Behavior Index. The index measures exercise, eating, and smoking habits.

Researchers found that most residents of the slimmest cities said they ate healthy "yesterday," frequently eat fruits and vegetables , and exercise regularly.

In fact, half or more of the residents in all of the least obese cities report exercising for at least 30 minutes three or more days a week. That's in sharp contrast to the nation's 10 most obese cities, where in all but one less than half of the residents report exercising that much.

Smoking rates were also lower than the national average in all of the least obese metropolitan areas.

Access Builds Healthier Cities

Although individual habits play a large role in keeping obesity rates low, the survey shows community conditions also play a part. Researchers found that residents in nearly all of the nation's least obese cities report above-average access to affordable fruits and vegetables, having a safe place to exercise, having enough money to buy food, and having health insurance.

Those conditions also foster healthier cities. All of the least obese cities have diabetes levels lower than the national average of 11% and heart attack rates below the national average of 4.6%.

Here's a snapshot of how the least obese cities fared in terms of physical health.

National Average
11 % Diabetes
30.6 % High Blood Pressure
27.5 % High Cholesterol
4.6 % Heart Attack

Boulder, CO
5.0 % Diabetes
20.1 % High Blood Pressure
25.8 % High Cholesterol
3.1 % Heart Attack

San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, CA
8.3 % Diabetes
24.7 % High Blood Pressure
24.4 % High Cholesterol
3.3 % Heart Attack

Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk, CT
9.3 % Diabetes
29.7 % High Blood Pressure
28.4 % High Cholesterol
3.4 % Heart Attack

Reno/Sparks, NV
8.1 % Diabetes
25.6 % High Blood Pressure
25.1 % High Cholesterol
3.7 % Heart Attack

San Francisco/Oakland/Freemont, CA
8.3 % Diabetes
27.7 % High Blood Pressure
24.8 % High Cholesterol
2.8 % Heart Attack

Santa Cruz/Watsonville, CA
8.5 % Diabetes
25.5 % High Blood Pressure
23.4 % High Cholesterol
2.2 % Heart Attack

Fort Collins/Loveland, CO
7.0 % Diabetes
22.8 % High Blood Pressure
19.7 % High Cholesterol
2.3 % Heart Attack

Barnstable, MA
7.1 % Diabetes
38.1 % High Blood Pressure
28.9 % High Cholesterol
4.4 % Heart Attack

Denver/Aurora, CO
7.5 % Diabetes
26.5 % High Blood Pressure
23.7 % High Cholesterol
3.0 % Heart Attack

Colorado Springs, CO
6.5 % Diabetes
22.9 % High Blood Pressure
21.7 % High Cholesterol
3.4 % Heart Attack

San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles, CA
8.9 % Diabetes
31.4 % High Blood Pressure
25.1 % High Cholesterol
3.9 % Heart Attack

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being report is based on telephone interviews with more than 353,000 adults 18 and over between Jan. 2, 2009, and Dec. 29, 2009. It has a margin of sampling error of 0.2 percentage points

Dash -n- Dine 5K series

2010-04-02T14:57:00.004-06:00

I have been thinking that this year I should do some shorter races to try and improve my speed a little. I think the year that I was was in the best shape I have ever been which was 2007, I did more shorter races.

So with that thought process I signed up for a series of six 5K's that are held out at the Boulder Rez every Tuesday night. My hope is that I will set a 5K PR over the series and get in one of the first 2 waves of the Bolder Boulder. Of course my 5K PR is not that great as you can see on the side of the webpage so I should be able to bring that down a little. I would be great to get it under 20 minutes.

So all you Boulder fast runners you better watch out! I am gunning for you.

Link to the race website: http://www.withoutlimits.com/detail.php?id=dnd#Scene_1

Being a Stressed Out Slacker

2010-03-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

I know that I have not posted on here in quite a while but I am still maintaining this site to a certain extent. I have been updating the race list on the side of the blog with new races that I have completed or signed up for but that is about it. You see it has been a challenging past 4 months or so.

In the middle of November 2009 I was informed by upper management at my job of 9.5 years that I was being laid off and my last day would be December 23rd. What a great Christmas present huh? Needless to say I kind of fell into a little bit of a depression and had a very hard time accepting the realty of the situation. I started working on my resume and applied for what I could that last month that I was in work without any real success. My hope was that after Christmas and the New Year the job searching would become a lot easier in Q1. With that I just took some real time off and enjoyed the holidays as much as I could.

Well anyway to make a long story short, I did not have internet at home and when at the coffee shop I was looking for a job not writing on my blog, hince the 2-3 months of silence. I spent those 8 weeks off work running, snowshoeing, and job searching. It was not bad now that I look back on the time while sitting at my new job that I started at the beginning of March. I am very, very thankful that I was able to find a new job in today’s environment so quickly but I do wish I could have had a longer period of time off. It was nice not to really have to plan my runs out but just go when I felt like it since I had all day. I guess it is time to come back to the real world.

Now I am finally looking forward and I am very excited for the future that I see for Ashley and myself. I think we are finally on the road that we have been working towards the past 2-3 years. We are happy where we are living in Boulder. Braden is in a great school with lots of friends and playing a wide range of different sports. Ashley is working for a fire department and I am working for a great Medical Device manufacture, Medtronic which is only a 6 mile drive from the house. Things are starting to look up a little for us. Now I think I can start picking my races for this year so stay tuned, and I promise I will do better with updating this every now and again.

Peace.

Shad

Are the Mountains Killing Your Brain?

2009-10-26T09:54:00.002-06:00

Article that a buddy sent to me. Now I know what is wrong with me. You can get to the story by clicking here. I have also copied and pasted it below for you to read. Have a great week!
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Are the Mountains Killing Your Brain?
Alarming new science shows that thin air can wreck brain cells—at lower altitudes than you'd think. Here's how to protect yourself.

"YOU HAVE TO BE poco loco to be a climber," says Dr. Nicholás Fayed. A neuroradiologist at the Clinica Quirón de Zaragoza, in northern Spain, Dr. Fayed leads me into his office and pulls out a collection of MRI images. They're brain scans, taken from amateur and professional mountain climbers after they came back from major expeditions, and the results aren't pretty.

"Atrophy of the frontal lobes," Fayed says, pointing to a black-and-white slice of brain on one MRI. The frontal cortex—the region just behind the forehead that handles higher-level mental functions—looks like a piece of dried fruit. This kind of damage can leave patients with an impaired ability to plan, focus, and make complex decisions. And it's permanent.

"Cortical atrophy, subcortical lesion..." Fayed continues, pointing to the scans of eight amateur climbers whose MRIs were taken in 1998, just after a trip up Argentina's 22,834-foot Aconcagua. "This guy suffered the most serious damage," he says. He hands me a picture of a robust young climber standing on the mountain's snowy slopes, looking fit and determined. "When he came back, he couldn't remember his own phone number. His wife would send him to the store for a loaf of bread and he would forget why he was there and come home without it."

Fayed is an internationally recognized scientist who studies abnormalities and damage in the brain caused by various health disorders. Since 1992, he and his colleagues, neurologist Dr. Pedro Modrego and neuroradiologist Dr. Humberto Morales, have been collecting these scans of 35 climbers returning from peaks like Aconcagua, Everest, Kilimanjaro, and Mont Blanc. The scans are giving us the clearest picture yet of what happens to the brain at altitude, and it's fair to say the results won't make you want to scamper off to Everest. But the good news for most climbers is that Fayed's studies also suggest that proper acclimatization can reduce the risk of brain damage a great deal.

SCIENTISTS HAVE long known that the brain can be harmed by extreme conditions such as high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), in which blood vessels leak fluid into surrounding tissue, causing the brain to swell and press against the skull wall. But Fayed's scans are the first to indicate that brain damage can show up even in people who displayed no symptoms of altitude sickness during their climbs, or had just the usual nausea and lethargy familiar to any hiker in the mountains. And, disturbingly, it seemed to happen to climbers going not much higher than 15,000 feet.

On 15,771-foot Mont Blanc, for example, seven trekkers reached the summit in 1998 without experiencing any symptoms of mountain sickness. When scanned a few days later, three showed major abnormalities. Two displayed enlargement of their brains' Virchow-Robin (VR) spaces, gaps in the brain matter surrounding blood vessels that look like white birdshot on MRIs. (Enlarged VR spaces are found in the elderly and in people with Alzheimer's disease, but they don't normally show up in people in their twenties and thirties, the age of these climbers.) One trekker had cortical atrophy—a permanent loss of gray matter that can cause "spaciness" and other problems—and one had a subcortical lesion, damage to the network of neural pathways in the white matter, which can cause any number of serious issues.

Similar effects were seen on Aconcagua. Most of the eight amateur climbers never got above 21,000 feet, and one reached only 18,000 feet. Still, none of the scans came back normal. Four of the climbers suffered multiple subcortical lesions, seven had widespread enlargement of their VR spaces, and all showed signs of cortical atrophy—even though half of the team displayed either no symptoms of mountain sickness or mild ones during the climb.

The risks at extreme altitudes are clear. A few studies have shown that climbers who spend years in the Himalayas without supplemental oxygen frequently have problems that can be seen on an MRI. But the effects found at moderate altitudes are much more disconcerting.

"It's easy to understand illness at 23,000 feet," says Dr. Gianni Losano, director of the Angelo Mosso Institute, one of the world's leading high-altitude-research laboratories, located in the Alps near Turin, Italy. "But on Mont Blanc?"

I READ ABOUT FAYED'S work in a 2006 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, and, being a climber and a neuroscientist, it disturbed me. I've never scaled anything like Aconcagua, but, at 56, I've spent 37 years tackling peaks around the U.S. and the Alps, all below 14,500 feet. Like most normal climbers, I've had my share of altitude sickness, so Fayed's work made me wonder: Had all that time in the mountains damaged my brain? To find out, I decided to use myself as a test subject, doing one popular climb—on Washington's Mount Rainier—and then flying to Spain to meet Fayed and have my brain scanned.

Rainier is a good place to court altitude sickness. The glacier-draped volcano rises steeply to 14,410 feet, and most of the hundreds of amateurs who attempt it each year start their trips by flying in to nearby Seattle, at sea level. Like Mont Blanc, Rainier is often attempted in a weekend push that happens too quickly for the body to acclimatize.

My 26-year-old son, Dylan, came with me, and on our first night out we slept at 3,180 feet, at a roadside campsite near the base of the mountain. The next day, we drove to a trailhead at 5,420 feet and started climbing in a whiteout. A storm forced us to bivy at 8,440 feet, where we waited out 50-mile-per-hour winds overnight.

The next morning, we followed our compass needle through the white blur to the public shelter at Camp Muir, where we found a few teams and four guides from International Mountain Guides, one of the commercial outfits on Rainier.

One guide, Karl Rigrish, estimated that about 40 percent of the company's clients suffer at least mild altitude illness on Rainier. The key to avoiding that, he and other guides said, is taking it slow. Gary Talcott, a guide with Rainier Mountaineering Inc., recommends doing no more than 2,000 feet per day and staying hydrated, which helps thin the blood by replacing lost fluids.

Medical texts are even more conservative, calling for an ascent rate of 1,000 feet per day above 5,000 feet to avoid acute mountain sickness, or AMS. But who has time for that? On Rainier, that would mean taking five days just to get to the mid-mountain camp, which most climbers do in a day and we did in two. Climbing services will gladly lead trips at a slower pace, but most clients push for cheaper, more rapid ascents, relying on the better-acclimatized guides to take care of them if they get into trouble.

Notably, the results of Fayed's study hinted that the brain damage from high-altitude climbing might be reduced or even eliminated through proper acclimatization, the kind that amateurs often don't perform very diligently. The amateur team on Mont Blanc took just two days to climb roughly 8,000 feet to the summit, and half the team showed clear signs of damage when scanned a few days later. The amateurs on Aconcagua gave themselves six days of acclimatizing for that 9,000-vertical-foot climb (as opposed to the two to three weeks taken by commercial teams), and every brain scan showed problems. (A second scan three years later showed no improvement.) Overall, five of the 23 amateurs the Spaniards studied had irreversible subcortical lesions—the most serious brain injury the team found. None of the 12 professionals had them.

The pros weren't biochemically gifted—their blood showed similar levels of oxygen-carrying red blood cells—but it appears that they acclimatized better through proper technique, while avoiding the kinds of amateur mistakes that stress the body.

"Amateurs have something to prove, so they kill themselves to get to base camp and they're predisposed to getting sick," says climber and photographer Jimmy Chin. "When we're hiking to base camp, a pro like Conrad Anker is in the back of the line, taking his time, smelling the flowers. I think that helps."

On our climb, the storm never let up, so we descended from Camp Muir, at 10,080 feet. During the trip down, we got a reminder that the mountains hold risks beyond thin air. About an hour after leaving camp, Dylan broke through a weak snow bridge over a crevasse. He slithered to safety as the crumbling block fell into the chasm below.

A few days later, I flew to Spain for my brain scan. The ceiling slipped away as my head slid into the chamber of an MRI machine in a Zaragoza hospital. When it was over, Fayed and Modrego scrolled through the slices of my brain, magically peeling away layers of undulating cortex. "A small VR space," Fayed said. Flipping through a few more, he said, "Another one."

"Perfectly normal," Modrego assured me. "For your age."

Fayed burned the 3-D images of my brain onto a CD and handed it to me with a smile. I was in the clear but somehow didn't feel at ease.

THIS IS SCIENCE that's still in its infancy. There haven't been many studies of brain changes in climbers at moderate altitudes, partly because it's difficult to get the required approvals for research on humans in a situation that puts them at risk for injury and partly because most climbers who return from such trips appear to be healthy, not in need of a $3,000 MRI. But the few high-altitude studies that have been done seem to bear out the Spanish team's findings.

What is still unclear is how high you have to go, or how fast, before your neurons start dying en masse. The greatest risk lies above 15,000 feet, but there's no reason to assume it can't happen lower. My normal scan is by no means the kind of data one can base a sweeping conclusion on, but to me it suggests that someone climbing mountains for years around the U.S. (outside of Alaska) should be fine, if he or she is careful to acclimatize well.

Still, it's also clear that one high-altitude climb can really hurt. Before the Kilimanjaro trip, all seven of the trekkers in Fayed's study had a brain scan to confirm they had no preexisting damage; afterwards, one hiker's scan revealed the white-birdshot look of enlarged VR spaces in his brain. And since the damage can occur without signs of altitude sickness, we can only assume that the worse you feel, the more at risk you are.

We're also learning that the older you are, the more susceptible you become to the effects of high-altitude hypoxia. According to Fayed's latest study, published online last May in the journal Neurological Research, the risks of altitude sickness and potential brain damage grow with age—climbers in their late thirties and early forties are more likely to have either AMS or brain damage than climbers in their late twenties and early thirties.

You'd think all of this might give pause to people whose passions take them into the highest mountains. But I asked Fayed if any of the climbers in his studies quit the sport after seeing the damage to their brains.

"They are all still climbing," he said. "Our purpose is not to convince anyone to stop climbing. It is to make people aware of the dangers and the need to acclimatize properly."

Most of the climbers I talked to seemed unfazed by the risks. Mountaineers are already undeterred by exposure to much more immediate and lethal hazards. And many have already suspected for years that high-altitude climbing has an effect on the brain.

"High-altitude mountaineering kills brain cells—no doubt," says RMI guide Melissa Arnot. "But this is what I do. It's my profession." One internationally known climber confided to me that he isn't sure whether his cognitive function recovers completely after big climbs, or if he just gets accustomed to the diminished capacity. Another, RMI guide Alex Van Steen, once told me, "Sometimes you're never quite right afterwards."

I, for one, will not stop climbing. But Fayed's science is sound, and it's changed the way I'll go about it. I'm not going to be as tempted to push through the pain of altitude illness to try to reach the summit. Climbers are always looking for external warning signs that they should turn around: approaching weather, weakening teammates, unstable snow. It's clear now that mountain sickness is an internal warning that they should treat with just as much respect.

ENLARGED VIRCHOW-ROBIN (VR) SPACES
Widening of spaces surrounding blood vessels in the brain. They are caused by brain swelling or atrophy and are associated with age-related cognitive decline, dementia, and various brain diseases.

CORTICAL ATROPHY
Loss of neurons in the cerebral cortex—the surface layer of the brain, which carries out conscious thought, physical perception, and higher-level control of body movements.

SUBCORTICAL LESION
Damage to the white matter beneath the cerebral cortex. In a climber's brain, the damage is often caused by small strokes—clots that form in the thickened blood, starving the surrounding tissue of oxygen. White matter is the network that transfers signals between parts of the brain, so damage causes widespread and irreversible problems.

Protect Your Brain
Follow these steps to prevent high-altitude trouble in your head.

1. Coming from sea level? Spend night one at about 5,000 feet.

2. Ascend as slowly as possible. Medically speaking, the safest rate is 1,000 feet per day above 9,000 feet.

3. Minimize time above 19,500 feet.

4. Climb high, sleep low. The higher elevation will kick-start the acclimatization process, while descending at night allows the body to adapt at a safer elevation. Or build in a rest day every 2-3 days.

5. Listen to your body. Never ascend with obvious symptoms of altitude sickness; descend if symptoms worsen.

6. Stay hydrated, avoid excess salt, and eat foods rich in carbohydrates.

7. Don't drink alcohol—it's dehydrating and depresses breathing.

I'm Not Feeling So Good...

On Jimmy Chin's expeditions, he takes it easy at base camp. "Your body gets weakened with stress. Resting really well and getting acclimatized at a lower elevation is more important than getting fatigued from constantly trying to climb high and sleep low"

Altitude sickness can strike as low as 6,000 feet but more commonly occurs above 8,000 feet, usually in people who've reached that elevation rapidly. The first phase is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), which always involves mild brain swelling that, according to the Spanish study, can cause lasting damage. Symptoms include headache, nausea, and malaise; if these start, climbers should descend until they disappear. If the swelling continues to worsen, it can become High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), a very serious condition. Delusions, confusion, and emotional instability are early symptoms; it can progress to cause lack of coordination, unconsciousness, and death.

Here's what happens: At altitude, the lack of oxygen causes your heart and respiration rates to increase. This causes you to exhale too much carbon dioxide, which upsets the water and electrolyte balance in the blood. That, in turn, damages the walls of brain (and lung) capillaries, causing them to leak fluid into surrounding tissue and make the brain swell. The blood also becomes thicker as more red blood cells are produced to transport oxygen and as water is pulled out by dehydration. In the most serious cases, clots develop in the thickened blood, causing minor strokes.

The Results Are In (and Kinda Scary)

The Spanish report is not the only one to examine brain damage in otherwise healthy high-altitude climbers.

By comparing scans of nine climbers' brains before and after trips to K2 or Everest, Dr. Margherita Di Paola and her colleagues at the University of Rome found that the climbers lost both gray and white matter. The study also showed greater damage to the brain regions controlling the dominant side of the body—presumably from the greater oxygen demands in the parts controlling movement.

A 1996 study in the British journal Clinical Science compared brain scans of 21 elite climbers who had climbed above 26,000 feet and a control group of 21 people who had never been to high altitude. Sixty percent of the elite climbers showed signs of mild cortical atrophy or damage in the white matter deep in the brain. Notably, seven elite Sherpas who climbed that high but lived at high altitude were also studied. Only one showed similar effects. The authors recommended slower acclimatization.

Rattlesnake Rumble

2009-09-14T06:44:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a great little 4.5 mile local trail race in Eldo Canyon that brought out about 90 runners. It was my 1st race since Bighorn last June in which I actually gave an effort at it. I started out slow with no warm up but just built speed and kept trying to run faster as the race progressed. Even with my nasty crash I was able to finish 23rd overall Which is not to shabby considering the slow start, crashing, and the fact that it is Boulder (running capital of the world).

You can find the race website by clicking here.

Results are found by clicking here.

Race reports are found by clicking here and here.

And finally some photos I found.

Me trying to catch that one last guy. You can see the blood running down my leg from the crash just 1/2 mile earlier.

Fred coming into the finish

Views of what we got to look at during the run

You can view all the photos by clicking here.

Huarache Running Sandals

2009-09-02T07:19:00.003-06:00

So I have been slowly dipping my feet into the world of barefoot running since reading the book Born to Run. In the book there is a character named Barefoot Ted. I happened to come across his website yesterday. You can click here to view it.

He is currently making and selling huarache running sandals that the natives in the book wore for $56.95. If you feel like making them yourself he will also sell you a kit for $24.95. You can find those at http://barefootted.com/shop/. Not sure if I could run in these or not but they are cheaper than the $90 for Five Fingers.

Oh yeah, he also did the Leadville 100 2 weeks ago in Five Fingers in 25:54.

Another article about barefoot running

2009-08-31T07:01:00.003-06:00

Here is another article that I found about barefoot running. It seems to be becoming quite popular to talk about. As far as how my own barefoot running is coming along, I am still only doing it 2-3 times a week for only 5 minutes on the grass. I might start uping the time a little in Sept to 10 mins once a week and keep the other sessions at 5 mins.

You can click here for the article or I have copied the text below for you.
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Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants
By AMY CORTESE
Published: August 29, 2009

TODD BYERS was among more than 20,000 people running the San Francisco Marathon last month. Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, he might have blended in with the other runners, except for one glaring difference: he was barefoot.

Tony Post, chief of Vibram North America, in the company's thin rubber running shoes. He says the industry is due for a shake-up.
Even in anything-goes San Francisco, his lack of footwear prompted curious stares. His photo was snapped, and he heard one runner grumble, “I just don’t want the guy without shoes to beat me.”

Mr. Byers, 46, a running coach and event manager from Long Beach, Calif., who clocked in at 4 hours 48 minutes, has run 75 marathons since 2004 in bare feet. “People are kind of weird about it,” he shrugs.

Maybe they shouldn’t be. Recent research suggests that for all their high-tech features, modern running shoes may not actually do much to improve a runner’s performance or prevent injuries. Some runners are convinced that they are better off with shoes that are little more than thin gloves for the feet — or with no shoes at all.

Plenty of medical experts disagree with this notion. The result has been a raging debate in running circles, pitting a quirky band of barefoot runners and researchers against the running-shoe and sports-medicine establishments.

It has also inspired some innovative footwear. Upstart companies like Vibram, Feelmax and Terra Plana are challenging the running-shoe status quo with thin-sole designs meant to combine the benefits of going barefoot with a layer of protection. This move toward minimalism could have a significant impact on not only running shoes but also on the broader $17 billion sports shoe market.

The shoe industry giants defend their products, saying they help athletes perform better and protect feet from stress and strain — not to mention the modern world’s concrete and broken glass.

But for all the technological advances promoted by the industry — the roll bars, the computer chips and the memory foam — experts say the injury rate among runners is virtually unchanged since the 1970s, when the modern running shoe was introduced. Some ailments, like those involving the knee and Achilles’ tendon, have increased.

“There’s not a lot of evidence that running shoes have made people better off,” said Daniel E. Lieberman, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard, who has researched the role of running in human evolution.

Makers of athletic shoes have grown and prospered by selling a steady stream of new and improved models designed to cushion, coddle and correct the feet.

In October, for example, the Japanese athletic-shoe maker Asics will introduce the latest version of its Gel-Kinsei, a $180 marvel of engineering that boasts its “Impact Guidance System” and a heel unit with multiple shock absorbers. Already offered by Adidas is the Porsche Design Sport Bounce:S running shoe, with metallic springs inspired by a car’s suspension system. It costs as much as $500.

Some question the benefit of all that technology. Dr. Craig Richards, a researcher at the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle in Australia — and, it should be noted, a designer of minimalist shoes — surveyed the published literature and could not find a single clinical study showing that cushioned or corrective running shoes prevented injury or improved performance. His findings were published last year in The British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Other experts say that there is little research showing that the minimalist approach is any better, and some say it can be flat-out dangerous.

“In 95 percent of the population or higher, running barefoot will land you in my office,” said Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, medical director for the New York Road Runners, the group that organizes the New York City Marathon. “A very small number of people are biomechanically perfect,” he said, so most need some sort of supportive or corrective footwear.

Nevertheless, a growing number of people now believe in running as nature intended — and if not barefoot, then as close to it as possible. They remain a tiny segment of the population — some would say fringe. But popular training methods like ChiRunning and the Pose Method that promote a more “natural” gait, as well as “Born to Run,” a best-selling new book about long-distance running by Christopher McDougall, have helped spur interest.

Proponents of this approach contend that naked feet are perfectly capable of running long distances, and that encasing them in the fortress of modern footwear weakens foot muscles and ligaments and blocks vital sensory input about terrain.

“The shoe arguably got in the way of evolution,” said Galahad Clark, a seventh-generation shoemaker and chief executive of the shoemaker Terra Plana, based in London. “They’re like little foot coffins that stopped the foot from working the way it’s supposed to work.”

The big shoe companies are clearly paying attention to the trend. Nike was first to market with the Nike Free, a flexible shoe for “barefootlike running” with less padding than the company’s typical offerings. It was introduced in 2005 after Nike representatives discovered that a prominent track coach to whom they supplied shoes had his team train barefoot.

But some in the industry are critical of the barefoot push. Simon Bartold, an international research consultant for Asics, said advocates of barefoot running “are propagating a campaign of misinformation.”

SPEND some time in Concord, Mass., and you might catch a glimpse of a fit 51-year-old man in a pair of funny-looking socks running down the bucolic streets.

That would be Tony Post, the president and C.E.O. of Vibram USA, on a lunchtime run. And those socks? They’re actually thin rubber “shoes” with individual toe pockets. Called Vibram FiveFingers, they’ve been selling briskly to runners and athletes looking to strengthen their feet and sharpen their game.

When Vibram, an Italian company known for its rugged rubber soles, designed the FiveFingers a few years ago, company officials figured that they would appeal to boaters, kayakers and yogis. Instead, the shoes, which sell for $75 to $85, caught on with runners, fitness buffs and even professional athletes: David Diehl, the New York Giants tackle, trains in them.

Mr. Post, a shoe industry veteran, said he believed that the business was poised for a shakeup. “It used to be all about adding more,” he said. “Now, we’re trying to strip a lot of that away.”

Strange as they look, the FiveFingers shoes hark back to a simpler time. Humans have long run barefoot or in flat soles. Professor Lieberman’s research suggests that two million years ago, our ancestors’ ability to run long distances helped them outlast their prey, providing a steady diet of protein long before spears and arrows. More recently, at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Abebe Bikila, an Ethiopian runner, caused a stir when he ran the marathon barefoot and won.

Things changed in the early 1970s, when Bill Bowerman, a track coach turned entrepreneur, created a cushioned running shoe that allowed runners to take longer strides and land on their heels, rather than a more natural mid- or forefoot strike. Mr. Bowerman and his business partner, Phil Knight, marketed the new shoes under the Nike brand, and the rest is history.

At the same time, millions of Americans began taking up running as a pastime. Those twin trends ushered in a golden age of biomechanics research. “There was a lot of concern about injuries because of the boom,” said Trampas TenBroek, manager of sports research at New Balance. The logic, he said, was that “if you build a heel lift and make it thicker, you take stress off the Achilles’ tendon.”

Walk into a sports store today and you’ll see the results: shoes with inch-thick heels and orthotics designed to correct overpronation, supination and a host of other ills.

Mr. McDougall, the “Born to Run” author, ” said manufacturers, doctors and retailers were doing runners a disservice by pushing such shoes. “People are buying it thinking it’s going to do something for them, and it’s not,” he said.

Mr. McDougall’s book is centered on the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, known for epic 100-mile runs with nothing on their feet but strips of rubber. The book has become something of a manifesto for barefoot runners.

After suffering chronic foot pain and being advised by sports medicine doctors to give up running, Mr. McDougall tried thin-soled shoes. Now, he said, he runs long distances without shoes — or pain.

THAT seems to be a common experience among barefoot converts. “When people get it, it’s almost biblical,” said Mr. Clark at Terra Plana. His initial line of minimal shoes, the Vivo Barefoot, is intended for walking; a performance model, the $150 Evo, is due at year-end.

Sales of minimalist shoes, while still tiny, are growing at a rapid clip. Mr. Clark figures that he will sell 70,000 pairs of minimal shoes this year, double last year’s volume. The shoes have sold mostly online and through 10 Terra Plana stores worldwide.

Vibram says sales of its FiveFingers have tripled every year since they were introduced in 2006, and Mr. Post said he expects revenue of $10 million this year in North America alone.

Many professionals agree that while barefoot running may have some benefits, those who are tempted to try running barefoot — or nearly so — should proceed slowly, as they should with any other significant change to their running habits. They also say that more research is needed.

Sean Murphy, engineering manager for advanced products at New Balance, says that there have been many studies suggesting “that shoes can correct biomechanical abnormalities and risk factors, therefore minimizing the likelihood of injury.”

When asked for an example, Mr. Murphy pointed to a 2006 study by three doctoral students that found that wearing the appropriate type of running shoe for one’s foot could reduce the shock of impact or unwanted rotation of leg bones. The study did not address injury rates.

AMID all the controversy, barefoot running and natural gaits are the subject of intensive research across the shoe industry. Companies don’t want to miss out if it turns out to be more than just a fad.

At New Balance’s sports research lab in Lawrence, Mass., Mr. TenBroek and Mr. Murphy are studying the biomechanics of running barefoot and in soles of varying thickness, while designing a “lower profile” shoe.

Asics, too, sees promise in this area. “As technology improves, we will definitely go to a more minimal style,” Mr. Bartold said.

Those big companies could end up profiting from the movement — or they could have trouble getting on board.

Danny Dreyer, the founder of ChiRunning, which uses the tai chi principles of harnessing energy and core muscles to promote a more effortless way of running, said he had worked with a few shoe companies to help design minimalist shoes. In each case, he said, marketing and profit concerns trumped design: “Their profit and direction is based on ‘More shoe is better,’ ” said Mr. Dreyer, who is also a long-distance runner.

Mr. Bartold of Asics, which has not worked with Mr. Dreyer, said the industry had runners’ best interests in mind. “It’s all about trying to protect the athlete,” he said.

Nike describes the Free, its minimalist shoe, as a “training tool.” It offers models with varying degrees of cushioning; they are priced at $55 to $110.

“The key is to offer a range of options, because every runner has different needs,” said Derek Kent, a Nike spokesman. “If you want that sensation of barefoot running, there is the Free, but if you want a product with a little more cushioning and support, we have that, too.”

While Nike would not disclose detailed sales information, Mr. Kent said sales of the Free grew at double-digit rates in the last two fiscal years, with sales in Japan and China especially strong.

Curt Munson, co-owner of Playmakers, a running shop in Okemos, Mich., said that in his conversations with major shoe companies lately, “they see that they need to address this” but “they’re just not sure how much.” But, he said, they must be thinking, “If we say this is the best, then are we saying that what we’ve done before is not good?”

The back-to-basics movement is more than a fad, said Mr. Munson, who runs in FiveFingers. “Most people are not ready to run barefoot,” he said, “but I do think they are ready to go back to ‘less is more.’ ”

Hanging Lake/Sprouting Rock

2009-08-25T12:48:00.000-06:00

This past Friday and Saturday we were in Glenwood Springs for a wedding that Ashley was in. While she was helping the bride get ready all day on Saturday I was able to get in a short (5-6 mile) trailrun at Hanging Lake trailhead just east of Glenwood Springs right off I-70. Really neat area and worth checking out if you are looking for something to do. The steep trails with the rope installed are small side trails that I found that climb the mesa. To get to the lake and sprouting rock it is only about a 4 mile round trip hike on normal trails. The pictures are in the link, enjoy.

http://picasaweb.google.com/shadmika/HangingLakeSproutingRock

Barefoot Running

2009-08-10T07:51:00.002-06:00

Been really thinking of taking up some barefoot running since reading the book "Born to Run". My buddy Neal sent me this article with lots of valid points, basically I need to be careful with it. You can read the article by clicking here or I have copied it below for you.
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Barefoot running: enthusiasts swear by weird-looking shoes
Gotta be the (lack of) shoes
By Clay Evans
Friday, August 7, 2009

BOULDER, Colo. — Kristen Campbell spent most of her 20s wearing soft leather moccasins everywhere she went, even on extended backpacking trips. But when she “grew up,” she reluctantly moved on to “real” shoes.

“I had to move out of the hippie ranks,” says the avid, 39-year-old distance runner, perhaps a little ruefully. “I had to stop being a dirtbag.”

So she was intrigued when she learned of a small but growing movement that advocates running barefoot, or something close to it. In Boulder, following the publication of “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall this spring — which, among many other things, wages war against thick-soled modern running shoes — the trend of running in “barefoot” or “minimal” shoes has taken off as fast as Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

After reading the book, Campbell bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes mentioned by McDougall. The shoes have virtually no support, offering only a tough, thin sole and individual pockets for each toe.

“They are so much fun to wear,” she says. “I feel the ground more ... They make for a more intimate running experience.”

Wimpy feet

McDougall, who now runs exclusively in Five Fingers and other low-support shoes, shined a light on scientific research that, in his words, shows that “running shoes may be the most destructive force to ever hit the human foot.” In fact, he writes, modern running shoes actually cause all those persistent running injuries, from plantar fasciitis to bum knees. Essentially, they make wimps of runners’ feet.

“The puzzling conclusion (of the evidence): the more cushioned the shoe, the less protection it provides,” McDougall writes.

There are true, fanatical, evangelistic shoeless runners out there (Google “Barefoot Ted” or “Barefoot Ken Bob”) but on local trails, most “barefoot” aficionados find some protection is necessary for sole survival.

A painful trend?

But before you slap on some funky-looking shoes or all that “new” minimalist footgear now being hawked by major shoe companies desperate to keep up with the trend, former world-champion marathoner and physical therapist Mark Plaatjes says come talk to him.

“How many people do you know who live here who have grown up not wearing shoes?” asks Plaatjes, 48, co-owner of The Boulder Running Co. “You’ve got people who have lived on this planet 30, 40, 50, even 60 years wearing shoes, and now they are going to run barefoot?”

He agrees that running barefoot or in minimal-support shoes can strengthen foot muscles and even help heal certain types of injuries. But he’s already seeing the painful results of the trend in his practice.

“I say this not as a retailer, but as a physical therapist: Shoes protect feet when you run on concrete, pavement and rocks,” Plaatjes says. “If we ran marathons completely on grass, I’d say do it. If we had them on the beach or on soft dirt, I’d say absolutely do it. ... But the majority of people can’t do this. So they’re jumping in, but sooner or later they are coming to see me or a podiatrist or a doctor.”

Barefoot therapy

Benji Durden, long-time Boulder runner, coach and former Olympic marathoner, is one of those who has found that some barefoot running has helped him recover from injuries. But the operative word is “some.”

In the 1980s, he did often trained barefoot on grass “just because I felt like it,” accidentally discovering that it helped with an Achilles tendon injury. He forgot about the joy and utility of running sans shoes over the years, but this spring when he was having Achilles problems again, he ran into a friend wearing Five Fingers. So he started doing some workouts on grass in bare feet again.

“For me, running barefoot is the better solution than all that support,” says Durden, 57. “But I don’t know if that’s valid for the entire American running population.”

Boulder Running Co. has been selling minimalist shoes like the Nike Free and Adidas Echo. But Plaatjes and co-owner Johnny Halberstadt just last week decided to start carrying the Five Fingers, despite Plaatjes' concerns.

"We are just getting so many questions about them," Plaatjes says. "At least they provide some protection."

Ugly maybe, but still selling

But so far, the Pedestrian Shops in Boulder have had a monopoly on the curious-looking shoes. Lauren Polk, operations manager for the stores, says sales of Five Fingers have kicked into a sprint since McDougall's book hit the stands.

“Every week it’s fair to say we’re selling 40 to 50 pairs,” she says.

Polk is intrigued by the sudden popularity of what many see as ugly shoes (as one local Facebook poster wrote, “These are weird even by Boulder standards.”)

“They are sort of the opposite of everything that the running industry has been telling runners until now. I think it may be a turning point, the whole idea of training yourself to run on (the forefoot) as opposed to heel strikes,” she says.

That’s the concept behind Boulder-based startup Newton Running’s super-light shoes, low-support concept shoes, whose design virtually forces forefoot or mid-foot running instead of contacting the ground with a thick, padded heel.

American vs. African feet

But even Campbell, who loves her barefooting, has found that the technique and shoes have their limitations.

“I have a hard time keeping up with people. And I need all my mechanical advantages on gravelly, rocky stuff,” she says.

Like a patient parent, Plaatjes is willing to wait out the fad. He thinks it will fade quickly as more runners become injured and find themselves limping back to a pair of solid modern shoes.

“In Africa, where people run, walk and grow up not wearing shoes, they can do this,” says the South African native. “Still, how many Kenyans do you see racing marathons in bare feet?”

Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

2009-08-06T07:12:00.002-06:00

Very interesting article that I came across this morning that I thought I would share. You can find the article by clicking here. I have also copied the text below for you. Have a great week, the weekend is just around the corner!
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Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin
By John Cloud Thursday, Aug. 06, 2009

As I write this, tomorrow is Tuesday, which is a cardio day. I'll spend five minutes warming up on the VersaClimber, a towering machine that requires you to move your arms and legs simultaneously. Then I'll do 30 minutes on a stair mill. On Wednesday a personal trainer will work me like a farm animal for an hour, sometimes to the point that I am dizzy - an abuse for which I pay as much as I spend on groceries in a week. Thursday is "body wedge" class, which involves another exercise contraption, this one a large foam wedge from which I will push myself up in various hateful ways for an hour. Friday will bring a 5.5-mile run, the extra half-mile my grueling expiation of any gastronomical indulgences during the week.

I have exercised like this - obsessively, a bit grimly - for years, but recently I began to wonder: Why am I doing this? Except for a two-year period at the end of an unhappy relationship - a period when I self-medicated with lots of Italian desserts - I have never been overweight. One of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions in our culture is that if you exercise, you will lose weight. But I exercise all the time, and since I ended that relationship and cut most of those desserts, my weight has returned to the same 163 lb. it has been most of my adult life. I still have gut fat that hangs over my belt when I sit. Why isn't all the exercise wiping it out?

It's a question many of us could ask. More than 45 million Americans now belong to a health club, up from 23 million in 1993. We spend some $19 billion a year on gym memberships. Of course, some people join and never go. Still, as one major study - the Minnesota Heart Survey - found, more of us at least say we exercise regularly. The survey ran from 1980, when only 47% of respondents said they engaged in regular exercise, to 2000, when the figure had grown to 57%.

And yet obesity figures have risen dramatically in the same period: a third of Americans are obese, and another third count as overweight by the Federal Government's definition. Yes, it's entirely possible that those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less. But like many other people, I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don't. Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight?

The conventional wisdom that exercise is essential for shedding pounds is actually fairly new. As recently as the 1960s, doctors routinely advised against rigorous exercise, particularly for older adults who could injure themselves. Today doctors encourage even their oldest patients to exercise, which is sound advice for many reasons: People who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases - those of the heart in particular. They less often develop cancer, diabetes and many other illnesses. But the past few years of obesity research show that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. (Read "Losing Weight: Can Exercise Trump Genes?")

"In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," says Eric Ravussin, chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher. Many recent studies have found that exercise isn't as important in helping people lose weight as you hear so regularly in gym advertisements or on shows like The Biggest Loser - or, for that matter, from magazines like this one.

The basic problem is that while it's true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.

The Compensation Problem

Earlier this year, the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE - PLoS is the nonprofit Public Library of Science - published a remarkable study supervised by a colleague of Ravussin's, Dr. Timothy Church, who holds the rather grand title of chair in health wisdom at LSU. Church's team randomly assigned into four groups 464 overweight women who didn't regularly exercise. Women in three of the groups were asked to work out with a personal trainer for 72 min., 136 min., and 194 min. per week, respectively, for six months. Women in the fourth cluster, the control group, were told to maintain their usual physical-activity routines. All the women were asked not to change their dietary habits and to fill out monthly medical-symptom questionnaires.

The findings were surprising. On average, the women in all the groups, even the control group, lost weight, but the women who exercised - sweating it out with a trainer several days a week for six months - did not lose significantly more weight than the control subjects did. (The control-group women may have lost weight because they were filling out those regular health forms, which may have prompted them to consume fewer doughnuts.) Some of the women in each of the four groups actually gained weight, some more than 10 lb. each.

What's going on here? Church calls it compensation, but you and I might know it as the lip-licking anticipation of perfectly salted, golden-brown French fries after a hard trip to the gym. Whether because exercise made them hungry or because they wanted to reward themselves (or both), most of the women who exercised ate more than they did before they started the experiment. Or they compensated in another way, by moving around a lot less than usual after they got home. (Read "Run For Your Lives.")

The findings are important because the government and various medical organizations routinely prescribe more and more exercise for those who want to lose weight. In 2007 the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association issued new guidelines stating that "to lose weight ... 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary." That's 60 to 90 minutes on most days of the week, a level that not only is unrealistic for those of us trying to keep or find a job but also could easily produce, on the basis of Church's data, ravenous compensatory eating.

It's true that after six months of working out, most of the exercisers in Church's study were able to trim their waistlines slightly - by about an inch. Even so, they lost no more overall body fat than the control group did. Why not?

Church, who is 41 and has lived in Baton Rouge for nearly three years, has a theory. "I see this anecdotally amongst, like, my wife's friends," he says. "They're like, 'Ah, I'm running an hour a day, and I'm not losing any weight.'" He asks them, "What are you doing after you run?" It turns out one group of friends was stopping at Starbucks for muffins afterward. Says Church: "I don't think most people would appreciate that, wow, you only burned 200 or 300 calories, which you're going to neutralize with just half that muffin." (Read "Too Fat? Read Your E-mail.")

You might think half a muffin over an entire day wouldn't matter much, particularly if you exercise regularly. After all, doesn't exercise turn fat to muscle, and doesn't muscle process excess calories more efficiently than fat does?

Yes, although the muscle-fat relationship is often misunderstood. According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle - a major achievement - you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that.

Fundamentally, humans are not a species that evolved to dispose of many extra calories beyond what we need to live. Rats, among other species, have a far greater capacity to cope with excess calories than we do because they have more of a dark-colored tissue called brown fat. Brown fat helps produce a protein that switches off little cellular units called mitochondria, which are the cells' power plants: they help turn nutrients into energy. When they're switched off, animals don't get an energy boost. Instead, the animals literally get warmer. And as their temperature rises, calories burn effortlessly.

Because rodents have a lot of brown fat, it's very difficult to make them obese, even when you force-feed them in labs. But humans - we're pathetic. We have so little brown fat that researchers didn't even report its existence in adults until earlier this year. That's one reason humans can gain weight with just an extra half-muffin a day: we almost instantly store most of the calories we don't need in our regular ("white") fat cells.

All this helps explain why our herculean exercise over the past 30 years - all the personal trainers, StairMasters and VersaClimbers; all the Pilates classes and yoga retreats and fat camps - hasn't made us thinner. After we exercise, we often crave sugary calories like those in muffins or in "sports" drinks like Gatorade. A standard 20-oz. bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. If you're hot and thirsty after a 20-minute run in summer heat, it's easy to guzzle that bottle in 20 seconds, in which case the caloric expenditure and the caloric intake are probably a wash. From a weight-loss perspective, you would have been better off sitting on the sofa knitting.

Self-Control Is like a Muscle

Many people assume that weight is mostly a matter of willpower - that we can learn both to exercise and to avoid muffins and Gatorade. A few of us can, but evolution did not build us to do this for very long. In 2000 the journal Psychological Bulletin published a paper by psychologists Mark Muraven and Roy Baumeister in which they observed that self-control is like a muscle: it weakens each day after you use it. If you force yourself to jog for an hour, your self-regulatory capacity is proportionately enfeebled. Rather than lunching on a salad, you'll be more likely to opt for pizza.

Some of us can will ourselves to overcome our basic psychology, but most of us won't be very successful. "The most powerful determinant of your dietary intake is your energy expenditure," says Steven Gortmaker, who heads Harvard's Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity. "If you're more physically active, you're going to get hungry and eat more." Gortmaker, who has studied childhood obesity, is even suspicious of the playgrounds at fast-food restaurants. "Why would they build those?" he asks. "I know it sounds kind of like conspiracy theory, but you have to think, if a kid plays five minutes and burns 50 calories, he might then go inside and consume 500 calories or even 1,000." (Read "Why Kids' Exercise Matters Less Than We Think.")

Last year the International Journal of Obesity published a paper by Gortmaker and Kendrin Sonneville of Children's Hospital Boston noting that "there is a widespread assumption that increasing activity will result in a net reduction in any energy gap" - energy gap being the term scientists use for the difference between the number of calories you use and the number you consume. But Gortmaker and Sonneville found in their 18-month study of 538 students that when kids start to exercise, they end up eating more - not just a little more, but an average of 100 calories more than they had just burned.

If evolution didn't program us to lose weight through exercise, what did it program us to do? Doesn't exercise do anything?

Sure. It does plenty. In addition to enhancing heart health and helping prevent disease, exercise improves your mental health and cognitive ability. A study published in June in the journal Neurology found that older people who exercise at least once a week are 30% more likely to maintain cognitive function than those who exercise less. Another study, released by the University of Alberta a few weeks ago, found that people with chronic back pain who exercise four days a week have 36% less disability than those who exercise only two or three days a week.

But there's some confusion about whether it is exercise - sweaty, exhausting, hunger-producing bursts of activity done exclusively to benefit our health - that leads to all these benefits or something far simpler: regularly moving during our waking hours. We all need to move more - the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says our leisure-time physical activity (including things like golfing, gardening and walking) has decreased since the late 1980s, right around the time the gym boom really exploded. But do we need to stress our bodies at the gym?

Look at kids. In May a team of researchers at Peninsula Medical School in the U.K. traveled to Amsterdam to present some surprising findings to the European Congress on Obesity. The Peninsula scientists had studied 206 kids, ages 7 to 11, at three schools in and around Plymouth, a city of 250,000 on the southern coast of England. Kids at the first school, an expensive private academy, got an average of 9.2 hours per week of scheduled, usually rigorous physical education. Kids at the two other schools - one in a village near Plymouth and the other an urban school - got just 2.4 hours and 1.7 hours of PE per week, respectively.

To understand just how much physical activity the kids were getting, the Peninsula team had them wear ActiGraphs, light but sophisticated devices that measure not only the amount of physical movement the body engages in but also its intensity. During four one-week periods over consecutive school terms, the kids wore the ActiGraphs nearly every waking moment.

And no matter how much PE they got during school hours, when you look at the whole day, the kids from the three schools moved the same amount, at about the same intensity. The kids at the fancy private school underwent significantly more physical activity before 3 p.m., but overall they didn't move more. "Once they get home, if they are very active in school, they are probably staying still a bit more because they've already expended so much energy," says Alissa FrÉmeaux, a biostatistician who helped conduct the study. "The others are more likely to grab a bike and run around after school." (Read "Our Super-Sized Kids.")

Another British study, this one from the University of Exeter, found that kids who regularly move in short bursts - running to catch a ball, racing up and down stairs to collect toys - are just as healthy as kids who participate in sports that require vigorous, sustained exercise.

Could pushing people to exercise more actually be contributing to our obesity problem? In some respects, yes. Because exercise depletes not just the body's muscles but the brain's self-control "muscle" as well, many of us will feel greater entitlement to eat a bag of chips during that lazy time after we get back from the gym. This explains why exercise could make you heavier - or at least why even my wretched four hours of exercise a week aren't eliminating all my fat. It's likely that I am more sedentary during my nonexercise hours than I would be if I didn't exercise with such Puritan fury. If I exercised less, I might feel like walking more instead of hopping into a cab; I might have enough energy to shop for food, cook and then clean instead of ordering a satisfyingly greasy burrito.

Closing the Energy Gap

The problem ultimately is about not exercise itself but the way we've come to define it. Many obesity researchers now believe that very frequent, low-level physical activity - the kind humans did for tens of thousands of years before the leaf blower was invented - may actually work better for us than the occasional bouts of exercise you get as a gym rat. "You cannot sit still all day long and then have 30 minutes of exercise without producing stress on the muscles," says Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, a neurobiologist at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center who has studied nutrition for 20 years. "The muscles will ache, and you may not want to move after. But to burn calories, the muscle movements don't have to be extreme. It would be better to distribute the movements throughout the day."

For his part, Berthoud rises at 5 a.m. to walk around his neighborhood several times. He also takes the stairs when possible. "Even if people can get out of their offices, out from in front of their computers, they go someplace like the mall and then take the elevator," he says. "This is the real problem, not that we don't go to the gym enough." (Read "Is There a Laziness Gene?")

I was skeptical when Berthoud said this. Don't you need to raise your heart rate and sweat in order to strengthen your cardiovascular system? Don't you need to push your muscles to the max in order to build them?

Actually, it's not clear that vigorous exercise like running carries more benefits than a moderately strenuous activity like walking while carrying groceries. You regularly hear about the benefits of exercise in news stories, but if you read the academic papers on which these stories are based, you frequently see that the research subjects who were studied didn't clobber themselves on the elliptical machine. A routine example: in June the Association for Psychological Science issued a news release saying that "physical exercise ... may indeed preserve or enhance various aspects of cognitive functioning." But in fact, those who had better cognitive function merely walked more and climbed more stairs. They didn't even walk faster; walking speed wasn't correlated with cognitive ability.

There's also growing evidence that when it comes to preventing certain diseases, losing weight may be more important than improving cardiovascular health. In June, Northwestern University researchers released the results of the longest observational study ever to investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness and the development of diabetes. The results? Being aerobically fit was far less important than having a normal body mass index in preventing the disease. And as we have seen, exercise often does little to help heavy people reach a normal weight.

JT's Hardrock 100 Race Report

2009-08-04T09:30:00.000-06:00

I took awhile for it to get done since JT has been a lazy sh*t but as promised in my earlier post here is JT's race report for the Hardrock 100 mile trail run. He wrote in sections so I have linked each section below for you. Enjoy... Hopefully I can have the chance to run this race, there is nothing else like it.

Part 1: Silverton to Cunningham

Part 2: Cunningham Gulch to Maggie Gulch

Part 3: Maggie Gulch to Pole Creek

Part 4: Pole Creek to Sherman

Part 5: Sherman to Grouse Gulch

Part 6: Grouse Gulch to Ouray

Part 7: Ouray aid station

Part 8: Ouray to Governor Basin

Part 9: Gov Basin to Virginius Pass

Part 10: Kroger's to Telluride

Part 11: Telluride to Chapman Gulch

Part 12: Chapman Gulch to KT

Part 13: KT to Putnam

Part 14: Putnam to Silverton(Finish)

Solo fun on Mount Lindsey

2009-07-20T08:12:00.003-06:00

Friday after work I drove down to the Lily Lake trailhead with thought of climbing Mount Lindsey first thing Saturday morning. It took me 5 hours to drive from work which is located at the Longmont exit on I-25 to the trailhead, much farther than I was expecting. The main reason that it takes so long is the fact that this trailhead is way back there in the hills. It takes over an hour of dirt and 4x4 roads to reach the trailhead from Gardner Colorado. I arrived about 8pm on Friday and was asleep in the back of my 4runner by 9:30 or so.

Saturday morning about 4am a large group of 5-8 people started talking and making lots of noise at the trailhead waking me up. I laid there looking at the roof of the 4runner willing myself to move. I finally got out of my sleeping bag at around 4:45am to get ready and hit the trail about 5:10am after chugging an energy drink since I did not have any coffee and quickly eating a Clif Bar.

The first 2 miles can be confusing according to trip reports that I have read so I studied the hell out of the map in Roach's book and at the trailhead the night before. It was a good thing that I did because as you get into the thick trees the trail disappears then comes back only to disappear again. Basically after crossing the river (kept to my left to this point) I just angled to my about 50 degrees or so to my left (this is assuming 90 degrees is straight ahead)which is southeast and kept the stream to my right. I ended up picking up the trail again. After a short steep uphill I broke treeline and the rest of the route was laid out in front of me. I move pretty quickly in comparsion to most people so I was expecting to catch or at least be able to see the large group that started in front of me once I hit treeline but they were not in eye sight at this point which I thought was weird, were they that quick?

I pushed up the hill to gain the ridge between the Iron Nipple and Lindsey, what a site! This is a beautiful location. I just followed the standard trail up to the small notch at the top of the 1st gully. From here I got tired of dealing with the loose rock so I turned right and did some class 3/low 4 climbing to gain the ridge and followed the Northwest Ridge the rest of the way to the summit. By the point that I gained the ridge I was past crux wall on this route was able to easily follow the ridge to the summit never going above a class 2/3 climb.

I hit the summit 2 hours and 45 mins after leaving my car this morning. I only spent 15 mins on the top eating, drinking, and snapping pictures. I followed the standard route that I ditched on the way up heading down. This was a loose mess and was happy that I did ditch it going up, by doing that it made for a much more enjoyable climb. I saw the 1st people of the day heading up when I was coming down, I never did see that large group that left before me I have no idea what happened to them. I guess I was the 1st one on top today. On the way down I booked it and came across about 15-20 people total still heading up. Once I got below treeline back into the heavy trees where the trail was disappearing on the way up, I ended up using my GPS watch to follow my tracks back down to pick up the trail again. The trees in this valley are thick enough that I did lose signal a few times on my GPS watch. This valley is easy to get turned around in if you are not careful. It took me 2 hours to get back to my car for a round trip time of 5 hours on the dot car to car. 38 14er mountains down and 20 to go, getting there slowly but surely.

Here is a slide show of the photos that I took: