April 15, 2012... FINDING my PACE in Attitude AND @ Altitude ~
While altitude training in general is dependent on many factors such as if a person is a responder, I find that being in Flagstaff has been the most productive thing for my personal and athletic development. I have had so much fun focusing on the training and moving forward towards my dreams wholeheartedly. With this said, I must bow my head as I get close to departing for worlds. Without the great local ultra running support from the FUC, the wind that whistles through the pines, the red earth that seems to call my name, the full moon in New Mexico and the rise in spirit from being closer to the sky... I would be a lesser man toeing the start line in a week's time. To calculate the effect of altitude and how to apply training here, when I arrived I did some research... While running above 3400', the general rule is to adjust running pace to best correspond to the right sea level effort. Take your # of feet at altitude - 3,400 feet = A , then A x .026 / 1,000 feet = B. Then B x your sea-level pace in minutes = C... AND C + your sea-level pace in minutes = your new altitude pace in minutes. Finally multiplying decimal by 60 to get your seconds and you have your NEW altitude pace. From my workouts here in Flagstaff at 7000', an EASY PACE sea level 7min mile should equate to about a 8:04mile. OR another example is that the 2011 winning time (6:30:00 or so) on the same course as the 2012 World 100k is about a 6:19 sea level mile. This should equate to an effort at 7000' of about a 7:14 pace. STAY tuned for my next post when I share the breakdown of my key workouts leading to worlds and how they should equate when I return to the land with more air!
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April 14, 2012
The GRAND CANYON echoes it's wait... An attempt at the rim to rim to rim record is on hold. While racing the Cedro Peak 45 miler on April 7th, and feeling very strong despite some stomach issues coming up, I decided I needed to respect the World 100k race by holding off on the R2R2R attempt until later this year. Not sure when I will be back to do this but the intuition that upcoming racing will highlight the benefits that being in Flagstaff have had on my development as an athlete will mean it will be sooner rather than later. My heart pounds when I think of this future day and a tear almost wells. It all began with one drop after all!
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March 19, 2012
For the current adventures in Flagstaff altitude training information, check out the TRAINING link above.
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March 18, 2012
For Chuckanut 50k race report, check out RACING link above.
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March 11, 2012 ULTRA running lesson #3 - returning to efficiency through movement and breath
The child becomes free and deeper understandings are found in every step and breath for those runners that dig to the roots of their efficiency. Perhaps your new to running, a seasoned ass kicker or maybe your not even a runner but instead a professional crocheter. If you fumble during your task, it will undoubtedly be due to not focusing on simply breathing and staying within your targeted technique. Since breathing is always the catalyst for change, release and concentrating energy; you would think that focusing on it first even before technique would be key. That is wrong. The breathe must be allowed to come after the energy is put into practicing the most efficient movements needed. Within you is both the ability to breathe and have a running technique that is a smooth as you can fathom. These were with you when you were a child and, as such have never gone anywhere else. Simply letting that smoothness emerge becomes the entire summation of being efficient. Like the motion of your foot during footstrike, your development as a runner is often circular. Even the efficient midfoot and forefoot striker rocks back ever so slightly to the heel before plantar flexing off the toe. This reference is the same to use when both breathing and focusing on technique. For the goal of doing either in some way always involves a little of that circular stray from what appears to be the most efficient and the natural return to what is. The secret to efficiency isn't about just doing the act using the least amount of energy, it is about adapting the body to allow it to return to its set goal practice as the most natural act it knows. If you get to this point, the act actually becomes an energy generator. Sometimes even the forceful breath or foot plant can become key to maintaining or returning to efficiency during the run. Essentially even trying to be efficient will become separated from you doing so if you get there. The incorporation of breathing into the mix follows along the lines used by simple pilates and yoga principles. Natural breathing movements and rules that you need to allow float through your moments with understanding and control are: spinal extension on inhalation, flexion of exhalation, belly and nasal breathing for deeping your relaxation or tapping into your deeper power, rib caged breathing for incorporating upper body control and strength, using exhalation to assist muscular contraction, and using upper body motion to allow the breathe to come and and go. As an example, when I first started running in 1999 I found a local runner I looked up to and could go on weekly long runs with. I would mimic the high kneelift and quick steps of that runner to the point of being a mirror image without trying. I knew it was a base for being as efficient as possible in the running motion. It took years but doing this along with following his sage advice and not running too much for the first few years of training payed dividends. The old simple efficiency rules like keeping easy runs at conversational pace work amazing but like technique, if you only focus on running at a certain pace without considering the breathing and technique movements and interplay they have, the connection to your running will only be at the surface level. Those deeper understandings found in each breath and movement have always existed in you. Returning to them simply allows you to return to being the incredibly efficient entity that you are.
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March 6, 2012 ULTRA running lesson #2 - Krishnamurti and the mind
(Picture is from March 6th as well and in front of the Chief in Squamish)
OK. I ask you to read the following excerpt from a talk given by Jiddu Krishnamurti and allow your mind to creatively associate with what can happen when you are challenged in an ultra run, then if your up for bearing with my philosophical rambling read on. 8)
The Future of Humanity [excerpts]
KRISHNAMURTI: We are saying, let's be clear, that the evolution of consciousness is a fallacy... There is no psychological evolution, or the evolution of the psyche.
DAVID BOHM: Yes, and since the future of mankind depends on the psyche, it seems then that the future of mankind is not going to be determined through actions in time.
KRISHNAMURTI: Mind is universal, not polluted by thought. You only have your brain, which is conditioned. You can't say "It's my mind" ... What lies beyond thought when thought is silent is attention. Attention is without activity of thought ...Undirected attention of the mind contacts the brain as long as the brain is silent. Attention can only "be" when self is "not."
DAVID BOHM: But those cells that are conditioned, whatever they may be, evidently dominate consciousness now, right?
KRISHNAMURTI: Yes. Can those cells be changed? We are saying that they can through insight - insight being "out of time."
DAVID BOHM: This insight will be through the action of the mind, intelligence, and attention.
KRISHNAMURTI: Where there is that insight, intelligence wipes away suffering.
DAVID BOHM: ... there is contact from mind to matter which removes the whole physical chemical structure which keeps us going on with suffering.
KRISHNAMURTI: That's right. In that ending, there is a mutation in the brain cells.
DAVID BOHM: That mutation just wipes out the whole structure that makes you suffer...
KRISHNAMURTI: Matter is limited, thought is limited.
DAVID BOHM: But we are saying that "the pure energy of mind is able to reach into the limited energy of man."
KRISHNAMURTI: Yes, that's right and change the limitation.
OK... AGAIN if your up for it, here is a little philosophical rambling on my perspective towards ultra running as it associates with Krishnamurti:
Now if you haven't fallen on the floor with your mind going into hilarious laughter over the seemingly complex simplicity that is Krishnamurti then I betcha your simply shouting out 'what the heck did I just read!'. I liken Krishnamurti's interpretation of the nature of mind with the association of it's separate ability to influence and dramatically affect our potentials as ultra runners. I feel that it relates to the importance of our mind in that long run and that it is important to in a way go here first before getting caught up in all other things running related if you seek to become the best runner you can be. Even distance running in general shouldn't be caught up in the matters of thought or the thoughts of what matters. Smaller questions such as whether to be a barefoot runner or even how to train lay victim to the limitations or rather create a block for changing them. Treat the pursuit of running in a sacred way but as Krishnamurti would say 'the word is not the thing', so don't depend on this definition. Aesop would be Krishnamurti's ring man and whisper in his ear that you best 'beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow'. Find where it is between these lines that your self exists while running with the joy of life that defines you, then let that go too and simply run. Every now and then though do run with a smile for having had the insight that the ability to change your own limitations isn't beyond the potential of your own mind.
BACKground: I first started reading Krishnamurti over 20 years ago after finding out that Bruce Lee had him as 1 of the 3 most influential philosophies to him and his art. Many youtube videos exist of his talks that you will enjoy if you connected to any of the above.
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RTM Ultra Running Training Tip -The importance of space travel and the ultra runner.
The future of travelling long ways involves making sure that balanced points in space are used to ensure efficiency. This applies to both future space travel and ultra running. Lagrange points are balanced points in space between two celestial bodies that have a gravitational pull. By finding the exact point between the objects and existing in that space, a very minimal amount of energy is needed to travel to the next point. This is the secret to our future in travelling the longest distances! So your probably scratching your head now and asking what the heck does that have to do with my running. Well, I feel it goes well beyond a rational mediocre explanation of simply being efficient. This balance point not only represents so many facets of being an ultra runner, it also is the greatest key toward being the best one that you can. It is that tug-of-war rope at the 80 mile point between thoughts of total despair and annihilation, and feeling of grandeur. It needs to be found in the daily grind to train and all the questions that arise about how to. It is between the niggle tugging at your legs in the morning questioning if you should train and the use of all your experience in proprioception to heal yourself on the run. It is the point that you as an athlete have to find in your life where you will develop the easiest, recover the most and aim for the next point. It is not stagnancy and staying where your are at, unless that level of ability and performance has truly found it's Lagrange point between your talent and dreams as an athlete and runner. Ultimately, it is up to you to become part of the future of travelling the longest distances and use your energy in the most inspiring way to reach farther than you ever thought possible. Perhaps reaching and then aiming for your next Lagrange point might just be the ticket. Now get out there and run!
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Quick Facts and Funny Quirks - PART 2
Feb 26, 2012
FACT - New Favorite Shoe: The North Face Single-Track Hayasa. This shoe is even better for grip than the reg S-T, despite it being 30% lighter. Crossing over from mountains to road is also a perfect fit. I am so happy TNF has emerged into the lightweight category with what I truly feel is the best shoe I have ever used. Don't think it can stand up to an Ultra or high mileage training. 3 weeks and 435miles later, I feel blessed to be able to run in em!
FACT - New Favorite racing short: The North Face GTD short tight. Aside from TNF GTD Capri tights, mostly wear only these now.
FACT - Rarely does a run without wearing CompresSport compression wear.
FACT - Is a Metis athlete whose great grandfather was a famous Ultra runner who once beat a guy on horseback over 100 miles in 1904.
FACT - Didn't find out about the above fact until after the year 2000 and starting being a runner 1 year earlier.
FACT - New sunglasses sponsor and other equipment sponsor to be announced this week!
FACT - Cross training: Aside from my love of Bikram, getting into a steam room is key for both body and mind for me. 12 years of martial arts training often emerge through exercises. Although I miss the practice so much, running is now my martial art.
FACT - Motivational speaker: While developing as an athlete, have spoken to over 12,000 (aside from speeches made around entire world in 2007) about overcoming obstacles and the importance of the environment.
FACT - Coach: While developing as an athlete, have been the head coach for Team Diabetes and three marathons. Also was head coach for Team MB at NAIG 2002 and have also coached over 800 adults through key race training programs while presenting on running topics.
FUNNY QUIRK and FACT - Can carry everything I own on my back!
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Building a base for key spring and summer Ultras...
while dreaming about shooting for the Grand Canyon R2R2R record.
Feb 25, 2012
Well today is Feb 25 and for the past three weeks I have taken 1 day off each week as I have moved through building both my mileage and strength. Each week was about 17 hrs as even last week I had to fit in an evening run after posting the training. This week was no different with about 145 miles or the equivalent effort in 6 days of running. Difference with this week was knowing it is the 1 month to Chuckanut and 2 months to World 100k countdown. Targeting key races in April, June and August has me concentrated on building both my base through high mileage weeks and strength through embracing difficult terrain. Funny thing is that I throw in surges every now and then and find if anything my speed is increasing. Also did one 30 mile tempo run this week that went very well. With the World 100k within 8 weeks, I have made the decision to go to altitude for the month right up to Worlds. Previous experience with altitude has me inspired knowing that I am a responder to the effects. Getting sponsor support to get the trip is a very cool and fortunate thing. Still I will be with barely any travel funds and will have to free camp for 75% of my time. I will surely try to have it add to the focus on getting tougher, fitter and faster. The Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim run has caught my attention and will be attempted as I prepare for Worlds. Stay tuned for many training updates and if I can score a sponsor for a GoPro camera, many videos.
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HURT 2012: The journey of a 100 miler must involve some planning...
Jan 2012
Having to take a month off up to the HURT 100 was a bugger. Still though knowing the course and loving it was key. I took off to try to break Hal and a couple other racers. It could of been the factor as Hal got lost and I put a big spread on others. Still there was 80 miles to go! Without having some experience on planning aid station visits and equipment use, alot of time could of been wasted:
LIGHT - Petzl Tikka XP on the head or in the hand for the first hr of racing and I also added a Myo on the waist for the evening running starting 12 hours later.
SHOES - A firm believer in representing a company is using their products. While other TNF athletes use their clothing, most race in different shoes. I think thats wrong. It was tough but I wore the TNF Singletracks. I love the shoe so much but the tread is a bugger on slippy rocks. It just meant I had to really stay on top of proprioception for every single step. And yes I do challenge any other TNF athlete to do the same.
AID Stations - Using Vega Electrolyte Hydrator was started after 60 miles along with Gels. Some salt capsules and a hand full of salted chips and a hand full of potatoes were also taken. Plan was to get in, take 2 glasses of water, 2 sports drink and grab 3 gels every 7miles or so. I would also fill my 8oz bottle and sip it as I climbed up from the aid stations usually finishing it a little more than half way to the next aid station.
Clothing - Taking the liner from the TNF 2 in 1 shorts and adding 1 TNF arm warmer to wear around my waist was sweet. The arm warmer was tied so one end was open. I would simply stuff lights and gels in there and it was perfect! Compression socks from CompressSport also added to the mix.
All in all, being able to pull it off despite setting a loop speed record in the first 20 miles and not running much or at all for a month was a sign of some great things to come in 2012. Prep for this race involved many 6am Bikram Yoga sessions that surely played into being comfortable in the sun. As I get a handle on ultras and focus properly, I will only be that much more of a factor on who will be in the mix for the win and who is going to have a tremendous amount of fun meeting any challenge on who thinks they might be better prepared. For the rest of 2012 I will be ready and prepared, but if I get any question on not being, I know I can and will tough it out!
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May 31 - 2011 Calgary Marathon Race report
"The sun, my son and the messages" by Jason Loutitt
Maybe if I let the sun hit my eyes I would wake up a little. The thought ran through my mind while my legs felt far from running. The corner was just up ahead, the 32klm marker should be coming up and the leader has seemed to pull away a little more. 'Run within', the thought grabs hold. Much like some muscle tweak that slapped me at the 8k point to say, 'your not going to push or I'm going to jump!'. Ya, I had a hamstring issue fire up that was due to trying to get those last minute speed sessions in. Truth is I could of caught up to the leader around 25klm but knew it would then be about pushing and with some key summer/ fall racing coming up I couldn't risk it. '45 seconds!', the comment came from the side of the road. 'Just 1 klm at a time', ripped through my mind. The 37klm marker and another comment from the side. 40 seconds. 'He's slowing!', it rang like an alarm clock and I wanted to focus up ahead and watch the gap close but I had to return. Return to within. Can't push and just have to relax. Back to square one with focusing instead on cadence, breathing and only the next 20 steps. This lasted but then I had to growl. Had to allow myself to move beyond any resignation of going to finish second again. This lasted but for a few seconds then it was back to staying light. Then it wasn't the sun but my son that shined a light inside my heart. You see, he has this thing about digging deep and pushing while acting it all out like he is bearing down to do his best. He acts it out while pretending to start but the thought of him had me feeling a little lighter. Almost like the race didn't even matter. I ran under the last bridge and I glanced ahead, 'there he is!'. Trying just to stay on tempo, the pace quickened along with the pattering of my North Face SingleTrack TH trail shoes. They held up pretty fine on the roads and along with them, this trail runner also held on but not knowing if that runner was keeping up. 'You got it!', the shout came from the side just prior to the last two corners before the finish. I still didn't want to look and then the roar of the crowd just resounded louder and louder. Crossing that line, all those who falter, all the times I failed, all those out there watching, those that let me know; we broke that tape together and for that I thank you, the sun and my son.
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Squamish+wins+Calgary+Marathon+title/4861582/story.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lectio/5772864869/
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2011 - May 24
Thought I'd share a list of some odd facts:
Favorite shoe - The North Face Single Track.
Highest week of mileage my dog Nanew has ran - 105miles!
Can't understand race directors for - putting water stations half way up a hill.
Favorite type of coffee - Sumatra.
An interesting character to help you think straight - King Julian from Madagascar.
Favorite racing short - The North Face 'Better Than Naked'.
Airports I have slept in while traveling to compete on a national team - Barcelona, Turin and Calgary.
Favorite MMA athlete - GSP.
Places haven't been to yet and would like to race in - South America, Nepal.
Places have raced in and can't wait to return to race - Hawaii.
As of May 24, 2011 - number of racing miles completed this year is 216.
Favorite racing distance - 100 miles.
Believes the secret for staying young is - to run and race
If had to describe myself in one word - artist
Number of times have gone out at suicide pace in a race marathon distance or longer - 10+
Number of times have ran around Shawnigan Lake in BC - 100+
Number of times have ran up Sulphur mountain in Banff - 100+
Number of times ran into a Grizzly bear - 0
Number of times have ran into a mountain lion - 1
Number of times have raced in the dark in the past year - 2
Number of times have given advice I should of listened to - countless
Number of times have watched the movie Hero - 100+
... more funny facts to be posted again on a regular basis.
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2011 - April 4
I think this past week has been the highest week of mileage so far in my life. While I had quite a few 140 mile weeks in the summer of 09, at 144 I think it just topped it. For the most part doing them back to back was also an additional stressor used to simulate racing tired at the end of long races. The second back to back long run day usually is a little tough but add in having the first day be nothing but up and down, or like Sunday's run be a 9 mile ascent/descent in the middle of a 3hr run, and you sure get stimulation for practicing digging deep. Hope it helps on Sat in Bellingham!
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2011 - March 26
So the recent 50k fiascos have me focused like I haven't been before. I've resolved that this pain isn't worth letting 'like it says below' that it happened again.
I slept in like a Seinfield episode where the marathoner wakes up after the start of the New York Marathon. My ride had held out but left for the border. I still woke up 2 hrs before the start but buses and the train wouldn't arrive in Bellingham in time. The Chuckanut 50k was a DNS (did not start). Wow people think a DNF (did not finish) stings but a DNS is a bugga. Like the line above says, not going to happen again.
Extremely positive news is that I have since confirmed racing the Vancouver marathon on May 1 and also got all of The North Face gear I was waiting for. It is such incredible quality stuff and already has me out there ripping it up with multiple sessions. Thats just how good the stuff is, as it'll dry out for the few hours between using again and again. Quick wash at night and ready to go again.
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2011 - March 16
'Returning to the start.'
It happened again. I ended up taking the wrong path and returning to the start after about 30k of racing the Dirty Duo 50k. In retrospect, I felt I had to save my legs for the Chuckanut 50k the next Saturday against the top dogs but still feel a little peaved about my North Shore 50k experiences. Redemption will come but hopefully first at other race locals, then this spring back on the North Shore mountains. The week of training was comprised of a start up of speed work mixed with a triple and double Bikram session. The calves sure take an adjustment to the faster stuff but after confirming racing the Vancouver marathon again, I must start that work now. It should also help out for Chuckanut and even AR50.
My race gear finally showed up and I am so happy to now be outfitted in incredible gear from The North Face. The Single Track shoes are working out well with a couple of work outs already complete in them. The Better Than Naked series of clothing also is sweet for being very light. This stuff and my Petzl headlamp will have me out there more and more this spring.
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2011 - March 6
' Growth of an ultra runner!'
I finally sent out a personal update to those registered on my site mentioning my recent transition to racing ultras. Never mentioned my first ultra racing experiences though...
...my first ultra experience was actually in racing the 2008 Diez Vista 50k. Ended up being in front of course marshalls, taking a wrong turn and crossing the finish line after 30k. Ya...no way I could get back into the race so I jumped into a half marathon the next day and ran 1:07:00. Cool hey but tripple wammy, the next day I got an SI joint injury that kept me outta running for 3 weeks. Not good.
Next up was the 2009 Diamond Ultra in Yellowknife. For some reason I had to post hole it and not put on my snowshoes, had to push the pace and couldn't afford to stop for water. I had duck taped my face to prevent frostbite and it worked but I never wore goggles and so I ended up getting snowblindness and being pulled from the course after the first 40k. I paid the price and learnt another very painful lesson. When you knew all the fellow racers would be tenting it and sharing company talking about the race for the next 5 days, it leaves you pretty bummed. I think some of my favorite running pictures are from that race with being all iced up.
After this it was the 2010 The North Face 50mile Trail Championships and I took off like a banshee. Ended up both falling on the ashphalt path decent about 2 miles in and also running up a hill for a mile only to realize no one was following. By the time I turned around I went from 1st to 40th. Fought my way back up to Uli and Geoff, then died. I eagerly look forward to redeeming myself on this course in San Francisco one day... perhaps this year.
After these experiences there was a last minute (2 week) build up to the 2010 STORMY 100 and the 2011 HURT 100. On a two ultra race winning streak but more importantly, holding onto some of the experiences that got me where I am at today. Ya I'll still take off like a banshee, shout like a madman on descents and continue to do some things that no one else does to try to become what no one else can but racing these ultras are connecting me a little more to the character found in all of us as runners and to the lessons that have piled up from running and racing now for the past 12 years. Is there an end, a retirement or a moving on... if so, it is only to the next adventure, to the next lesson and to having so much fun out there running through those mountains.
The week of Feb 27-Mar 5 has had quite a few Bikram yoga sessions and double run days. I got my Petzl Tikka XP2 core headlamp and can now get out there for some night time adventures. Still waiting for my North Face gear and that will come this week. For my training, I will continue to write down some of the key sessions but I will most likely transition into blogging and sharing other aspects of my training such as the stories above. Stay tuned for more...
