To put it mildly, the last couple of weeks have been challenging.  I am about 10 weeks out from my 50 miler and 188 days (as of today) out from my 100 miler.  I have been sick and not been able to train with the exception of a run on Thursday that was excruciating.  I have missed three of my long runs, two due to illness, and the one today because there are 65 mile an hour winds going on outside and they are going to last until tomorrow.   I am feeling better, but maybe it is the type A in me that is worrying.  I am going to try and pick it back up on Monday, so hopefully it won't be too bad.  Has anyone dealt with this before and if so, any advice?  Should I be worried about missing almost two weeks and three long runs or just keep plugging away?  BTW, I am doing Eric's 50 Mile training plan.  Thanks 

It is interesting that Eric and others have started to talk about doubts and fear.  These are very real emotions for me at the moment as the registration for my Cool Impossible approaches on Feb 1.  Ever since I decided to do this race I have been racked with doubt: Am I too fat? Am I too slow? Am I strong enough? Am I just freaking crazy?  I have shared these doubts with my friends ad nauseam.  One of my friends who patiently listened and was supportive finally cracked and said "Just shut up and do it, at least then you will know if you can do it."  Truer words were never spoken.  

I am following Eric's plan fairly consistently.  I try to make sure I get out and do what I need to do.  However, today I had a Zone 3 Endurance Threshold run for 1:30 and only did 1:17.  While I didn't beat myself up over it, I did wonder if I should have done those last 13 minutes.  On an intellectual level I know that 13 minutes is not the difference between success and failure in a 100 mile race.  But emotionally I feel that I should have done it because that is what you do if you want one of those buckles.  Being 47 (I will actually turn 48 during the race.  Happy Birthday to me!!!!) I also take extra time off during the week to make sure my body doesn't break down and while I feel guilty about it, I know that at my age it is necessary, I am 47, not 27 and that makes a big difference.  When I feel indecisive about my runs I have started to repeat Eric's mantra "Satisfaction over Desire" and that keeps me going.  While I am religiously doing the slant board stuff, I really need to start doing the exercises, and I mean REALLY NEED to start.  If I fail I want to make sure it isn't because of lack of preparation or conditioning.  

On one level running 100 miles feels overwhelmingly impossible, but when I was looking at the race manual I realized something, I could run 3 miles or 7 miles or 12 miles and that is what I am going to do, it is just going to be back to back.   That is doable.  It is funny I want one of those buckles in the worst way.  I can't even articulate why I want one but I do.  I saw a quote that said if you want to truly find out about yourself do an ultra.  Maybe that is it, I am not sure.  There is a 100 mile race right up the road from my house I could have done but chose not to because they offer a 50 mile and 100 k option you could drop down into.  I wanted to make sure there were no consolation prizes so I chose Cascade Crest 100 since there is only one distance and there is no dropping down.  To paraphrase Yoda "Do or do not, there is no dropping down."  Will I finish? I don't know, what I do know is that I will give it my all and if I fail, then I have failed gloriously.  There is no shame in failure if you leave everything on the course.  

Hi All,

My name is Rich and I have been a part of Eric's site for a long time.  Recently I was having trouble with tightness at the front of my calf, just outside of my shin bone.  After trips to the doc etc, I am now doing physical therapy.  What is interesting is what the PT told me and what he is having me do.  He told me that strength and balance are two of the most important things that runners need and that proper form is crucial to running injury free.  To that end he is having me do foot strengthning exercises as well as balance work on balance disks and slant boards.  I am also doing core and strength work on a fit ball.  During our sessions he is also having me practice mimicking the running for while balancing on my forefoot.  This is more of a rhetorical question, but where have we seen this before? 

For those who haven't done one of Eric's training programs (I have only done the online programs since I can't afford Eric's personal services since I can barely afford to pay attention, much less pay for a coach), I can't recommend them enough.  When I was doing his programs I was running injury free, finishing races and feeling good.  When I thought I could do it on my own is when the injuries started.  First, the hip, then the knees and now this.  As soon as I am healthy I am going back on Eric's program since I know it works and I know I won't get injured if I do.  I haven't been able to run any sort of distance for almost 9 months and can't wait to get back out on the trails and pursue my goal of running the 2014 Cascade Crest 100. 

I will be providing a longer review of the Cool Impossible on Amazon as soon as I am finished with the book but I can tell you that so far it is Eric's common sense approach to training that has worked well for me and others in the past.  I may not be the skinniest guy or the fastest, but I can tell you that I will be the guy who finishes.  Remember, in most races the first place finisher gets the same medal or belt buckle as the guy who finishes last.   As soon as I am back running I will post a list of goals so I will be held accountable.  Good luck with races this summer and fall.

Rich

Well, it was bound to happen, didn't realize it was going to happen so soon.  I am changing part of my schedule for the 100 mile race.  I am changing the race itself, instead of the Cascade Crest 100 in August 2013, I am going to run the Lumberjack 100 in April 2013.  Yes, I know that only gives me 10 months to prepare instead of 14 months.  I talked to a couple of people who had run the race and they kept emphasizing how hard the Cascade Crest 100 was with its 20,000 feet of elevation gain.  In contrast the Lumberjack 100 has 12,000 feet with none of the steep climbs of the Cascade Crest.  However, it is a loop course with 8 loops of 12.5 miles each.  As one of them pointed out, I have run this course several times and that can be an advantage in a 100 mile race.   Interestingly enough none of them told me outright not to run the Cascade Crest, they just steered me away from it and all of them said that if I still decided to run the race they would have supported that as well.  Gotta love ultrarunners who will support you making huge mistakes.   They all did emphasize that this was a doable race for 10 months of training as long as I am disciplined about it.  However, with the Cascade Crest 100 out and the Lumberjack 100 in, I am not going to do a 50 mile race since there aren't any until April.  That means I will have to do a 50 mile run as a training run, which is eminently doable.  In some ways I feel better about doing the Lumberjack 100 since it takes place about half an hour from home.  So there you have it, revision #1 mostly likely many more.  Good luck in your races this year.   

That's right 100 miles, you weren't seeing things.  To quote my wonderful, supportive wife "I hope you are going to train for this!!!"  Yes dear I am going to train.  And in that spirit, here is my tenative race schedule leading up to my 100 mile race:

5 August 2012 Port Gamble Trail Half Marathon, Port Gamble, WA

13 October 2012 Defiance 50k, Tacoma, WA

April 2013 Lumberjack 50 Mile Race, Port Gamble WA

August 2013 Cascade Crest 100, Easton, WA

There might be a few more races here and there depending on finances, time etc.  I know the Cool Impossible is still in a state of uncertainty, so I decided to grab the bull by the horns and start now (I am 5'9" 223 lbs so I need to get into a somewhat svelte racing shape).  If I get into the Cool Impossible great, if not, then I still have a goal to work towards.  Also been reading Scott Jurek's, Rich Roll's books as well as "Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters With The Ultramarathon" for inspiration.  I will keep everyone updated on my training as well as I can.  I am currently working towards the Port Gamble Half and Defiance 50k using Eric's marathon training program.  If you dare to fail, fail gloriously!!!! 

Well, I entered my first ultra and dnf'd my first ultra.  Even with the DNF I wouldn't change anything as it was a great learning experience.   Here are some of the problems I encountered and lessons I learned while running the trails of the Capitol Forest on 30 April. 

1. Running an ultra is hard, I mean hard, I mean very hard.  My legs and feet took a beating on the trails.

2. I drank a lot (almost two gallons) and didn't pee the whole time out there, not sure if it was a problem, but it was a concern to me. 

3. If you are going to run on trails, practice on trails (see #1).  On the ride back to the start/finish a woman from a local running club was astonished that I had no trail running experience and was amazed that I made it 18 miles on such a tough course.  I think she secretly thought I was stupid but was just too nice to say so.   

4. Run hills, run more hills and run some more hills.  My quads started bothering me and when I compensated for them my IT band locked up.  I ended up walking most of the last 7 miles of the race and basically DNF'd because I was under the gun for time. 

5. Learn how to read a topographic map before signing up for a trail race.  Just because someone says the trail isn't too difficult or technical doesn't mean that it isn't.  That is a subjective call based on each person's experience.  If I had run some trails and knew how to read a topographic map I would have had a better idea how difficult the course was (I gained 1700' of elevation in the last seven miles and take my word for it, that is freaking steep with a lot of switchbacks). 

6. I had a nutrition plan in place, but I needed to have a hydration plan (see #2) and to learn to know my body.  While I wasn't dehydrated I was worried that I was since I wasn't peeing.   I also need a bigger hydration pack, 2 liters is not enough for me.  I ran out of fluids an hour before the aid station where I DNF'd.  I think maybe 3 liters should do it. 

7. Make my legs stronger (see #4). 

8. Coach E's plans are great, I actually believe that I got as far as I did because they prepared me for it.  I also credit not getting injured to him.  It is Monday and my legs are already feeling much better, so I know as far as training goes I am on the right track. 

I can say that this experience has been a good one overall.  The DNF wasn't as depressing as I thought it would be and while I have a lot of work to do, I also have a lot of positives to take away.  Thanks Coach E and everyone for their support I will be in my next 50k in September. Can't Wait!!!!

"If you wanna live life on your own terms you gotta be willing to crash and burn"

Motley Crue "Primal Scream"

It has been almost 2 years since I read "Born To Run" and 16 months since I started training.  When I started I had "delusions of grandeur" in which I would become an ultrarunner who would be svelte and fast.  In some respects I have succeeded, my time for the mile is down from around 18-20 min to 11-12 min range (it depends on whether I am running downhill with a tailwind or not).  I have lost a fair amount of weight, but according to my BMI I am still in the obese category (5'9" 225lb go ahead, look it up I will wait.  See? Who knew obese people ran?)  However I have become stronger.  How do I know this?  First, my legs look damn good in my running tights.  Second I can hold a plank for a minute (try it, it is really hard, even though two minutes makes you a stud according to Men's Health). Third, other than when my HR goes out of zone I can run and not get really tired, and I recover back to zone fairly quick, so I think I have fit into Eric's maxim of "get strong and then go long." 

Have I run an ultra? Not yet, I kept waiting to lose weight or to get faster and of course, neither of those things happened so I was content to run half-marathons until I got fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon in my age group (go ahead and laugh, i will wait, I did when I really thought about it).  Then I read another inspirational book by Steve Latour called "A Clydesdale Tale: How a Big Guy Trained for and Ran the Vermont 100."  In case you don't know what a Clydesdale is it is a runner who is over 200 lbs, though some would say 220 is closer to the mark.  Whichever definition you use I am definitely in the category.  Steve's story mirrors mine in some ways so I can identify with his struggles of being a back of the pack runner.  For us, the joy isn't in winning or setting a PR, it is in finishing and enjoying ourself along the course.  My best time so far for the half-marathon is 3:08.13 (yes, it is slow I will be the first one to admit it).  However I enjoyed the race since I ran it with a really great guy who was a much faster runner than me but stayed with me so we could talk baseball the whole time.  After reading Steve's story I decided to embrace being a Clydesdale.  Am I going to be fast? Probably not.  Am I going to be a svelte 130lbs? I doubt it, unless there is a famine in the near future.  Am I going to run races and finish them?  You bet your ass I am! 

After two half marathons the first half of this year (April and June) I am going to run a 50k.  Why not a marathon first you ask? Well, that is a good question.  Basically, there is a 50k on Labor Day weekend that is "easy" as 50k's go.  It is also only a half hour drive away.  There is a marathon in October that is closer, however it is freaking brutal, hilly as all get out and there is a time limit.  So, I am going to live life on my own terms and take a chance on crashing and burning (to paraphrase Vince and the boys).  Am I scared? No.  Am I nervous? Damn skippy!!! Taking any leap into the unknown is scary.  Even if I don't finish it is not the end of the world.  As Steve says in his book every ultrarunner needs to come to grips with a DNF.  If I DNF then at least I got it out of the way in the beginning and learn how to deal with the disappointment.  Am I planning to DNF?? Definitely not, but as we said in the military, you plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Everyone I have met in the trail-running and ultrarunning community has been awesome.  I hope to become a member of that group someday.  As Steve points out in his book only .0000024 percent of people on this planet have finished an ultra-marathon.  I wonder what the percentage is for PhDs?  It would be cool to be part of two groups that comprise less than 1% of the worlds population.

Anyway, enough rambling on my part.  From today and now on I Carpe Diem!!! Seeing Mark Lofquist, John Hudak and others on here work towards their goals has been very inspirational to me (especially Mark who answered a lot of dumb questions from me, I hope you are still walking around with your chest out over finishing the JFK 50).  However, I can't compare myself to them, Scott Jurek or Tony Krupicka.  I can only compare myself to me.  As Eric told Chris before the start of the race in Born to Run "you aren't going to win so you might as well enjoy yourself."  It was sage advice then and it is sage advice now.  Dreams are great only as long as they are rooted in an achievable reality.