American Odyssey Relay Race Report

A few months ago, there was some chatter amongst the lunchtime running group about running this race. This was primarily the result of the surprisingly fast sell-out of entries into the Broad Street Run. This is the quintessential road race in Philadelphia, drawing something like 30,000 entries this year. The Centocor Running Club always puts out a team, but I think with the quick deadline, it was impossible to organize everything and get the results submitted in time. So talk shifted away from the Broad Street Run to the American Odyssey Relay.

The AOR is a 200 mile relay from Gettysburg to Washington D.C., traversing over mountains, through small neighborhoods, and along trails and canals. The route makes its way through Pennsyvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, before finishing along the Potomac in Washington D.C. Our team was part of the Corporate Men division, even though we had several females on our team. With 12 people, we each had to run three separate legs along the way, totaling 15-21 miles. We took two vans with 6 people each and leap-frogged the route down to DC. I was in the first van (the first runner, actually) with Paul, Laura, Evan (from McNeil), Frank, and Brian. My first leg was a 5.8 mile route through Gettysburg. The start was anti-climatic: the race organizer said some muffled words through a faulty bull horn all of a sudden we were off. It was windy and cool, but the wind was either at my back or cooling me off and the temperature was perfect. The course was well marked, but I still carried the printout of the directions with me so I would know how far to run on a particular road. The rest of the field got off to a slow start with the exception of myself and another young-looking runner. I sized him up as maybe a local cross-country athlete, but after the first mile I thought differently. I haven't raced a strict road race since the 2010 Broad Street Run and had no idea what pace felt like. I told Paul my PR for the 10K was somewhere around 6:20 pace and he calculated my leg times accordingly. I kept a steady pace (or so I thought) threw the back neighborhoods of Gettysburg and was pleased that the road signs were clearly visible. It was a winding, twisting course, which eventually finished with a long, straight stretch through the middle of downtown Gettysburg. Luckily, the course description had this marked as exactly 1 mile, so I took note of the time on my watch as I started it. I had to dodge several tourists and Civil Was re-enactors, navigate around a roundabout, before straining up the slight incline towards the finish at 6:30 pace. I had no idea I was hoofing it at this pace, because it didn't seem as hard as I thought. I wanted to save some gas for the later legs and was pleased at this result. In the end, Paul told me I finished within 2 seconds of my target finishing time: 39:10 for 5.8 miles.

I had underestimated the time we would be spending in the van. We meandered through Pennsylvania for the next 5 legs before meeting up with the other van at the T5. They would take over at the next transition point, but some of us had never met before so it would be good to say hello and give any tips we had learned. I was feeling sort of sluggish at this point, but Paul looked ready for his leg, a long and tortuous 6.7 stretch up an 1100 foot mountain. I wish I could say he had the same fervor at the finish. We made a few pit stops at the top of some of his steeper climbs to give him some motivation, although I'm not really sure it did him any good. He finished strong, but I'm sure the effort took a toll on him and we all hoped it wouldn't have an overwhelmingly negative effect.

It was about 5-6PM when our van finished our first legs and we decided it was time for dinner. We drove around Smithsburg, Maryland for a while and all we could find was a run down biker bar called "Chocolate Park Tavern" and an American Legion. The pizza place we found on Google was shut down and some rusted over cars sat in the front yard. I think we left skid marks on the driveway as we peeled outta there. Paul opted to drive with his wife who had volunteered in the race earlier, which proved to be a problem as our van headed back towards civilization in search of some safer grub. There was some miscommunication about where exactly we were headed (Paul chose to follow his iPhone instead) and ended with Paul begrudgingly following us to an Applebee's, which luckily stood at T10. We each ordered a beer and got our booth. On any other day, Applebee's would have sounded terrible, but it was our first real meal of the day and nothing looked better. Chips and Queso, Spinach Dip, and pasta lined the table and I couldn't help but think about how this was going to turn into glue in my colon. It's one of those little things I think most runners think about during the day. I didn't really have a chance to crap earlier in the day and it pretty much stuck in the back of my mind throughout the rest of the day. It was impossible to take in enough water and green vegetables to keep things regular and it took a couple of failed attempts before I was finally successful the next morning. But that's another story... The second van made their way into the restaurant as they waited for Becky to finish her leg and their eyes became wide with jealousy as they stared at our finished plates.

From that point we headed to our next transition area. After Paul's grueling leg and his nagging back injury, he wanted to head over to Boonsboro high school, which was serving as an oasis for runner's to eat, shower, and sleep through the night. Laura stayed with me and soon the other van arrived and we waited for Jen to pass through. I guess she had grossly underestimated her finishing time, because I was just starting off on a short warmup jog when I heard the screams of Becky and Laura rushing me back. Thankfully, I had stopped just over a ridge to tinker with my headlamp and hadn't made it out of earshot. I slid down the hill and frantically ripped off my warmup pants. Luckily, I was ready to run and flew down the hill that lead up to the transition area. The run itself was really dark. The were a few street lights that lined the early part of the run, but soon I was running along a ridge with a great view of the horizon. The first part of the run was pretty steep, but after 1.5-2 miles, it was all downhill and I was flying. I had some concerns about sore quads for the third leg, but I was feeling good and just kept cruising. I wouldn't say I was red lining, but definitely putting in some effort. I passed 6-7 people on this stretch, all of whom were nursing the downhill portions. The only thing that broke me out of my zone was a telephone call about 0.5 miles from the finish. I almost answered, but thought better of it and figured I was almost finished anyway. Turns out it was my van, trying to find out where on the course I was and if I had finished. THEY WERE STILL DRIVING! I saw them pull into the lot as I was coming through the finish and Frank hopped out, grabbed the wrist band and was on his way. Couldn't have planned it any better than that.

The next few hours were pretty blurry. It was after 10PM when I finished my second leg, but I had to tough it out in the van for Frank and Laura's leg before I could get to the high school to sleep. When we finally did make it, I was concentrating on sleeping so hard that it consumed my thoughts and actually kept me awake. I'm sure the hardwood basketball courts played a role as well. Everyone in the gym was extremely considerate and it was much quieter in there than I had expected, but when you are trying to fall asleep, every little sound becomes deafening. It was an uphill battle against an orchestra of snores, sleeping bag zippers, and cell phones alarms. I didn't realize how many people out there have iPhones. Every ring, alarm, or text message jolted me awake, thinking it was my own time to get up. In the end, I think I ended up getting 2-3 hours of interrupted sleep, before Frank came along and woke me up for good. Later, we joked around about whether I set an alarm or not and I guess I had just counted on someone else waking me up. Pretty good for all of us that they did.

I was extremely groggy for this last leg. It started out with Jen crossing the Potomac into West Virginia where I was waiting. It was crisp, almost chilly outside and all I had was shorts and a Tshirt. In hindsight, I was under-prepared for this race, thinking all the while it was going to be warm and comfortable. I never anticipated nighttime lows in the low 40s. I waited with no intention of warming up, thinking I would get enough warmup on the first mile. Jen exceeded her goal pace anyway and made her way into Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. After a quick U-turn, she handed off the bracelet, I made my way back up to the U-turn (traffic law), back across the bridge, down some steps and onto a gravel tow path that would be my home for 8.2 miles. I wore the MT-101s, wanting to give them a try in racing conditions. It turned out to be a bad decision. The ground was very uneven, with larger rocks and roots strewn about the path. Even with a powerful headlamp (which was starting to flicker, giving warning that the battery was almost dead) it was tough to see the ground more than 10 feet ahead, making each step precarious. The ground was also much harder than expected and soon my joints were feeling the impact. It might have been the lack of sleep, water, and vision, but for the moment I was focusing all my frustration on the shoes. I still managed with pass several people, before running into a few runners trekking in the other direction. This brought temporary panic into my mind, but soon realized that they were looking for another lost runner. Coincidentally, the lost runner happened to be from another JNJ team, who had made a right, instead of a left at the bottom of the stairs onto the tow path and ran almost 8.2 miles in the wrong direction. At the time, this was the least of my worries, as my target finishing time came and went and the end was nowhere in sight. I kept hoping to hear faint cheers and car horns in the distance, but couldn't make out much over the sound of my labored breathing. Finally, I saw the headlights in the distance and pushed out just a little harder for the finish. Paul told me (although I'm not sure how truthful he way after seeing the disappointed look on my face) that the course was actually 8.7 miles instead of 8.2, meaning my 66 minute finishing time was still good enough for ~7:30 pace. Not what I was hoping for, but still decent considering the conditions. I made straight for the van where I passed out for about 30 minutes during frank and Laura's leg, cursing under my breath that they sun was coming up just as I was finishing my run.

Now that my contribution was over, I was feeling much more lighthearted, almost to the aggravation of the rest of my van. It had been a tough race mentally, always knowing that there was another run ahead of you. I brought along my compression socks, which I think helped pretty well, but I still did a pore job of rehydrating after each leg. We followed along until Paul finished his leg and then headed to a diner in Gaithersburg, Md, before finally making our way down to DC for Jen's final leg. All in all, we did a great job, exceeding our target finishing time as a team by almost 30 minutes, giving us 2nd place in our division and 11th overall. Pretty good considering there were over 150 teams in attendance. Things got pretty bumpy at times, personalities clashed here and there, but overall it was a good race. After a few beers and barbecue at the finish, we hit the road. Maybe in a few weeks we'll decide if we're looking forward to it next year.


The starting photo. Everyone is looking at me and laughing because the race director is giving the signal for my group to start running.


Waiting for somebody to finish...

Mean looking Centocor Track Suits.


Escorting Jen C. to the finish line...

The finishing photo

Told myself that 4-5 miles would be enough to get out the door, but turned that into a 7.5 mile Diamond Rock loop once I got the wheels going. It's always easier to persuade yourself out with an easy run. Grease the wheels and suddenly something longer doesn't seem out of the question. Storm clouds were looming all morning. In fact, the office area was dense with moisture... and the complaints of several coworkers. In timely fashion, the rain started with 10 minutes of the start of my run and soon turned into a heavy downpour. Thunder and lightning added to the ominous feeling of the run, but nothing would affect my slow and steady pace. I trudged up Howell Rd. with my eyes down to keep the rain out and slowly made it to the top. By the time I was out of the trails and on my way back down this same hill the sun was starting to peak out. It might seem weird to admit, but I'd prefer weather like this. I don't mind the wind and rain as it cools me off. And the sun shining at the finish of a decent run just compounds the high I already feel. Wouldn't have it any other way.

7.4 miles in 70 minutes

Heavy Legs=Time for a Break

Today had to have been one of the slowest runs in a while. I'm sure that the miles and workouts racking up, in addition to the little water and food I had this morning, and the sudden increase in temperature outside all had something to do with it. I wasn't trying to push either, so I ended up walking up many of the steep trails I would otherwise press up. It was fairly uneventful, but I did take notice of the nighttime presence in the area. At the top of the Cut is a huge bonfire pit with a multitude of beer cans around it. The kicker is the 1970s style that has obviously been hauled up to the top of the hill manually. Access to this location is too treacherous for even a four-wheeling SUV. There are bonfire pits strew about at other locations along this 2-3 mile trail as well, maybe from dirt-biking outcasts who were deemed not cool enough to be included in the party.

6.5 miles in 78 minutes

Late afternoon

I'll be out of town this weekend for the AOR race to DC, so I wouldn't be able to participate in the final scheduled WOD at CBCF. Tonight was pretty much my only free night. The WOD for this week was unveiled two weeks ago so people had plenty of time to practice or at least lament over it.

AMRAP 7 minutes

3 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
3 Chest to bar Pull-ups
6 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
6 Chest to bar Pull-ups
9 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
9 Chest to bar Pull-ups
12 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
12 Chest to bar Pull-ups
15 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
18 Barbell Thrusters (100lbs / 45kg)
18 Chest to bar Pull-ups
* If you finish the round of 18 pullups and thrusters, continue with 21, 24, etc.

Again, no idea how I would do it this workout. It was especially hard since there was no one else around performing it and I had no other benchmarks to go by. I finished with 82 total reps (ie. finished the round of 15 thrusters and did 7 C2B pullups). I would have liked to reach 18, but it felt pretty tough.

Mike asked me if I wanted to stick around for the daily WOD that they were performing that day:

Part I

For Time:

21 Deadlifts (225/150)

Run 4 CBCF laps (760 meters)

15 Deadlifts

Run 4 CBCF laps

9 Deadlifts

Run 4 CBCF laps

13:26

Part II

Tabata Hollow/Arch Holds

Was expecting to feel EXTREMELY wiped afterward, but I slept pretty well that night and didn't notice any lethargy. Tomorrow is a rest anyway.

Strength

Bench Press 5, 4, 2, 2, 1, 5X3
Load: 125, 155, 175, 185, 195, 210, 200, 200, 200, 200

Thrusters 3 x 5
Load: 120

Dips 3 X 10

Dumbbell curls 3 X 10
25lb

Chinups X 40

Workout comments: I'm pretty sore in the abs and hamstrings this morning. Walking around bit seems to loosen things up. I've fallen off my original intention of keeping my strength training up. I would normally have included squats today, but there is the final week of the Crossfit Open and the AOR this weekend. Honestly, I don't feel like being sore all week either, since it's going to be the highest volume of running to date as well. Plan for the week is to try and include as much protein as possible (both whey and natural) to keep muscle breakdown as minimal as possible. I will also attempt this weekend to see if it helps cut down on muscle soreness, both during and after the long run.

Another Long Run (sort of)

Brigid and I took her sister, Hannah, out for a longer run this afternoon. Brigid is helping her get ready for Broad Street this weekend. They were originally going to run the Kelly Drive loop, but I convinced them to join me on the trails. I was supposed to do 12 miles today, but thought if I did 8-9 miles on the trails, it would even out. As is always the case, the beginning was light and peppy, but I was surprised to find this was the case even for me. I was struggling last week on the Sunday run just moving along at a snail's pace on Forbidden Drive. The fact that I had some pop in my step was motivating.

We tried to take it easy on the steep uphills so as not to wear Hannah out, but she did surprisingly well. As we got further into the run, there were several opportunities to head back to the car on Forbidden Drive, but I kept pulling them back up into the trails. I remember how frustrating it can be to run tired and not know how much longer you have to go. I tried to give distance updates as best I could. One thing I did take away from the run is not to get between the arguments between two sisters. You'll never win.



8.5 miles. Untimed

Wissahickon four corners

The miles are starting to rack up. This would be my second attempt at the four corners run. I decided to run the southern loop first. I thought it might give me a mental edge to run this part after I felt so horrible after running it last week. Brigid ran this first loop with me and it was definitely a boost, but I wish I could have finished after that. I was feeling surprisingly good, but I knew after last week that this feeling was fleeting.

I brought water with me and was sipping during the entire first loop. At the midpoint, I downed some choco espresso beans, and half of a Clif Protein Bar. After about 5 minutes I started back out on the second loop. My energy kept up a little longer than the previous week, although it didn't take long for the soreness and fatigue to set it. The BIG positive this week was that it wasn't pouring rain. While it was still cloudy during the first loop, I emerged from a pretty dense section of the trail and almost felt the sun punch me in the face. But in a good way. I instantly felt a wave of energy, and I'm sure it was both physical and mental. It carried me for the rest of the run, however slow it may have been.

I finished the first loop about 5 minutes slower than the week before, and the second loop about 15 minutes slower. Might route on the second loop was not exactly the same, but I'm sure if it would account for much.

On a side note, my feet are definitely shrinking. I think this is mostly due to the Vibrams and the MT101 minimalist shoes I have been wearing. They must be tightening up my arches considerably, because my shoe size is decreasing at an exponential rate. I'm finding that the dress shoes I own once fit me, but now are causing me some pain. It's like walking around in clown shoes all day. Will have to look into this.

21 miles in 4:14

Crossfit Open 11.5

Only one more Crossfit Open workout after this. I have mixed feelings about my performance so far. On the one hand, I haven't really done many Crossfit-type workouts in the past few months. I don't have access to an Olympic-sized bar, rings, or many of the other pieces of equipment that made up the majority of these workouts. On the other hand, I've tried to keep strength training a regular part of the programming for this 50K. This might be an overstatement, as I've really only done these weekly metcons, and maybe a strength workout from strengthvillain.com. I tried to cut back on these workouts, since they've left me feeling so sore and my running workouts have really suffered as a result. Still, some strength is better than no strength and it might be the reason for my better-than-expected 800m times recently.

Crossfit Open 11.5 workout:

AMRAP 20 minutes

5 Power Cleans (145)
10 T2B
15 Wall Ball (20, 10ft)

I finished 8 full rounds and managed to squeeze in a power clean before the clock ran out. I went in the first wave, and honestly think I might have done better if I was going against one of the other guys. Hard to say for sure. Power cleans became tough in the end, and all wall balls were unbroken. What really got me was the T2B. I had no idea how to get a steady rhythm going, and every time I tried to kip, it threw off my body position and I had to start over. Very frustrating. Many other people had the same problem.

Miles

Lunch run today with Becky, Raph, and Paul. The American Odyssey Relay is looming next week and it falls right in the middle of my training calendar. I rationalized that 20 miles in 24 hours at a decent race pace is equivalent to 20 miles in a single shot. Raph is also training for a marathon in Pittsburgh in a few weeks, so we are in a similar boat. His training follows more of a Crossfit Endurance type plan, although I don't think that's his intention. Last year he ran the marathon on minimal training in just over three hours. This year, I think he intends on repeating his plan from last year, perhaps with slightly more volume. He doesn't really include long runs in his training, rather he incorporates moderate distance runs done at tempo pace (10-14 miles) with some hill repeats and 800m intervals sprinkled throughout the week.

He has some background as either a track/cross country runner in high school and college, so I'm sure his rules don't apply to many others, but still interesting to see that he has had some success with this type of training. He is still accumulating 50+ miles per week, however. I'd like to try this type of training plan in the future, since it seems these longs runs just leave me feeling incredibly sore for days on end.

The run today was a 5 mile loop through the quarry and the nature preserve with the three of them. Raph and I added on a 3 mile loop down Flat Rd. and onto Lapp Rd at the end. Good weather, good run, but I was feeling the heaviness in my legs towards the end. I also found myself lagging behind the rest of the group during the early trail portion of the run, but convinced myself that I was running my own pace. Seems to work more for my mental confidence.

Night Run

The weather today spiked 85 degrees, as recorded on the thermometer in my car on the way home from work. I had enough time to stare at it while sitting in grid lock traffic on my ride home, now taking twice as long. After a few errands I swung by the Wissahickon for an easy run. The sun was setting and I noticed a sign posted on the Northwestern parking lot. Park closes at 9PM. I had an hour and only intended on 3-4 miles anyway. I was hoping to get at least the first half the run done on trails with the waning light behind me. I had to take some ginger steps, since I didn't bring my head lamp with me. I came across a group of mountain bikers with those REALLY powerful lamps that can pretty much light up the whole forest. I tried not to startle them by calling ahead, but I'm not sure if it really worked. I made my way down the hill and across Rex Ave to Forbidden Dr. I glanced back up the hill and always thought it was cool to see the lights of the bikers trekking up the hill in near darkness.

Now I had a bunch of street lamps to light my path and I picked up the pace on the 1.5 miles back to the Tree House. Can't really say for sure what the pace was exactly, since I didn't have my watch, but I would guess it was around 7:00-7:30 pace. I barely made it back to the parking lot above the Tree House (which was MUCH more precarious now that all sunlight had receded) in time to hear the intermittent siren of the park ranger rushing me out of the parking lot before he/she closed up for the night. Seems they jumped the gun a bit, since it was only 8:40 and the park closes at 9PM. I wondered if I could 4-wheel it out of there if they locked the gates.

Amazing how the warm weather can change your mood. I have run consistently this cold winter, through deep snow, mud, and frozen ground. The warm weather revitalizes everything, making an afternoon run or bike more enticing. Of course, I'll probably be singing a different too once the typical 90+ temperature and humidity season rolls around. There will definitely be more night runs once that happens.

The triple incident

Today's workout called for eight miles. I brought my phone to gauge distance as best I could, but I still think it is falling a bit short. I don't really think I am running 11 minute miles. I mean c'mon. I'm not too familiar with the technology, but I'm pretty sure these phones and the Garmin devices use the same satellite. I don't know how one might get a better signal than the other, though. I guess it doesn't really matter. At this point a mile or two is just splitting hairs. I'm not really targeting any goal finishing time for this race anyway.

I was hoping for eight miles but it looks like I fell a mile short. Here is the summary. I was making my way through some overgrown trail that outlines the backyards of several homes, which on a route that is the prelude to the Cut. I had my headphones on and didn't notice the faint sound of danger until it was too late...dogs. A German Shepherd, and English Mastiff, and a pug. Despite the fear that was racing up my spine, I managed to let out a chuckle at this sight and told myself that there had to be some sort of invisible fence. In the back of my mind I kept thinking that German Shepherds don't have the best social personalities. I mean, they are trained to be police dogs and take down criminals...violently. I spotted the three of them from maybe a hundred yards away and kept up my pace, although keeping them in the corner of my eye. They kept advancing and I couldn't see anyone else in the backyard. Finally, they started crushing through the brush that made up the boundary between the yard and the trail. At this point, I think it's OK to admit that I $hit myself. I froze and the two bigger dogs circled me, barking and growling constantly, while the pug struggled to make it through the thick brush. The German Shepherd, while never making contact, was snapping at my wrist. After what seemed like forever, the owner finally came running out the back door, calling them all back and thankfully they obeyed. I didn't wait for any signal from her and took off down the remainder of the trail, unfortunately in the wrong direction I did miss the turn at the base of the cut and tried slogging through some marsh before giving up and turning around. I was a little hesitant to go back, but it was the only way and thankfully the dogs were back inside by now. The owner was standing out in the middle of the yard, staring at me and I wondered how many four-wheelers she has seen and cursed at while speeding by on this trail.

I took the long meandering route up the hill to add some miles onto the run. Lot of fallen logs to maneuver and I was rocking the Precisions, which have decent treads but not amazing ones. I nimbly bound over a waist-high log, planting one foot on top to carry me over, and the smooth bark-less trunk was too slick from the recent rain. It was like stepping on a sheet of ice. Luckily I had enough momentum carrying me forward so that I didn't land on the log and slow enough reaction time so that I didn't stick out my arm to brace my fall. I landed perfectly horizontal on the soft, rain-soaked ground-the remaining air in my lungs pushed out with a bellowing "Oooommf". I popped up, thankful that it hadn't turned out worse, and chuckled at the spill I had just taken.

I was dreading the notion that all bad things come in "3's," noticing the looming storm clouds over head I thought maybe this day would culminate in a lightning strike. Or at least a falling tree branch. The closest I came to fate was strong cloud of Christmas trees in the air. I thought maybe I had a brain tumor for a hot second, but rounded a corner and came across a few landscapers chugging a few beers next to recently fallen pine trees. Close call. I took Lapp Rd. home, up the hill on Tech Dr. and called it a day. Pretty good run.

Rest Day

I was hoping to get in some weight training but was feeling pretty trashed this morning when I woke up. Pile on some prep work for a presentation tonight in class and lab work after class and I was just not feeling any gym time today. I was hoping to get in at least two strength sessions per week, but it has been tough to get in at least one.

I have a rudimentary training plan for the 50K in May that I have been following. I log my miles when I can and don't make too big a deal of it when I miss a day or cut a run short. As long as I hammer out those long runs on the weekend, I think I'll be just fine. Well this week was the first week that I really kept track of everything and realized I fell just short of the 50 mile mark. Not a staggering total by elite standards, but certainly the most miles I have ever run in one week. At least that I can remember. Running seems to come fairly easy now. I remember the days when I first graduated from college and needed an outlet to stay in shape. I had spent years running to cut weight for the rowing team, so this seemed like the best option. I only had one route that took me from my house down the Main St. towpath, up Ridge, down Domino Lane and home again. I finally branched out, but many of my runs remained a solo effort.

Today I have the luxury of running with a fairly large group at lunch whenever I want. In addition, there is a vast network of trails surrounding my work place and several huge trail networks near my house. My wife has been great about training for races with me and just running with me in general, so there is rarely even the need to run solo or bring headphones.

I think there are many reasons to love running. Some people are lucky and truly appreciate the act of running. Living in a picturesque location probably doesn't hurt. But then there are those people who probably just like the camaraderie of the sport. People who like to compete, who like to challenge themselves. I think I probably fall into this category. If it helps me get out the door, can I really complain?

Secondary long run

The run today was a struggle. After finishing the long run yesterday, I was feeling pretty sore and lethargic for a few hours afterwards. I refrained from taking any Ibuprofen or an ice bath to give my body a chance to develop some sort of natural response to the stresses of long runs. Plus, I wanted to remain in as close a state as possible for the run today. All that went out the window when Brig mentioned we were going to dinner for dad's birthday. I slipped on some compression socks that have been sitting in my drawer for years, unused. They worked like magic, or did a pretty good job as a placebo. After a few hours, I did notice any soreness anywhere. I spent the night sleeping in them and I think they rolled down a bit, because the lethargy and tight muscles were back when I woke up. Nothing severe, but enough to make me want to stay away from my sneakers all day.

I finally got some motivation around 2PM and headed down to the park. I had no intentions of making my way up into the trails, as I didn't think my legs would carry me that far. The 50K isn't really much of a mountain marathon either, so I'll keep my hill training reserved for Saturdays. It was a good thing, too, because I couldn't get out of first gear for the entire run. I brought some tunes and podcasts with me to drown out the little voice in my head that kept telling me to turn around and go home. It might have actually been mentally easier to head for the trails, instead of the out and back route I did on Forbidden Drive.

All this combined with the fact that I was only wearing a T shirt in 60 degree weather. I wouldn't normally think this would be a problem, but for some reason today I was really chilly. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Dinner was pork tenderloin, Caesar salad and a baked potato with Brig. I promptly passed out on the couch afterwards.

10 miles in 1:31

Wissahickon Four Corners

For years I had heard of this run described as a milestone for many trial runners in the area. The route simply outlines the perimeter of the Wissahickon Park, from Northwestern Ave all the way down to Ridge in Manayunk. The link I attached is not my creation, but the only link I could find describing the route online. I'm pretty sure I stuck to the general route, although there were a few points I got lost or turned around. I hope to try it again this weekend and/or the following weekend, so I'll hopefully be a little more acclimated to the turns by then.

I started out the run with fresh legs and dry clothes, which is more than I can say for the finish. I had dry, windy conditions for the first half of the run, which added up to about 10 miles and approximately 1:38 on my watch. Not too bad. I didn't really have a time goal for the run, but I knew that Brigid and I ran the second half of this route (11 miles in about 2:09) a few weeks ago. Of course there were other factors at play on that run and I think we could have run it a bit faster. As I closed in on the first half of the route, the rain started at a pretty regular pace and since I was swinging by the car for food and fluids, I swapped the shirt for a dry jacket. Fuel was half a banana and some choco espresso beans with about 16 oz of water. I brought the chia/lime drink with me and Clif bar just in case.

The MT101s held out very nicely for the first half of the run, and I was surprised how quickly it went by. I had to take an offshoot of the trail that brought me up closer to Ridge and Northwestern, through an area that I think they are concentrating a revitalization project on. I had no idea there were so many trails legs up this far and made a mental note for future runs. After I left for the second half of the run, the soreness almost immediately started to settle in. Nothing unbearable or sudden, but a subtle, consistent soreness in my glutes and hamstrings. I've felt this in the past and was wondering if it had anything to do with the shoes, although I doubt it. Still, I plan on testing the Wave Precisions on the run next week and then making a decision after that.

As I've obviously delayed writing about the second half the run here, so did I delay actually running it. I lingered at the car for about 4 minutes by my watch, which was a little longer than I had planned. The rain got pretty heavy and I was alone with my thoughts for a few more hours. I did pass a girl running in the opposite direction as me once at the creek crossing near the horse stables and then again on the other side of the Wissy near the Walnut Lane Bridge. I was not mentally aware enough to ask if she was running the same route as me, but thought it would be funny if she was. Both times I saw her, we were south of the Valley Green Inn. It still gave me a little positive reinforcement.

Physically, I started to deteriorate during the last hour or so of the run. I could feel myself landing on my heels as I struggled to compensate for my sore calves. This probably led to the sore lower back I was feeling towards the end as well. The good thing is that soreness was the only limiting factor here. I thought it was interesting that at no point was I aerobically fatigued. In fact, I didn't ever really catch myself breathing hard. Hopefully by the time I finish my third or fourth long run of this sort, my muscles will have gotten strong enough to allow me to focus on speed and not just finishing.

I finished the route, which I think was about 21 miles in 3:48. I guess I was hoping to finish in 3:30 or better, but I'll take what I can get for the first run. A few wrong turns here and there might account for the difference. Hopefully next week I'll have some better weather.

Crossfit Open

A pretty disappointing showing today. The workout as prescribed was:

AMRAP in 10 minutes

60 Bar-facing burpees
30 Overhead squats (120)
10 Muscle-ups

Bar-facing burpees are done perpendicular to a loaded barbell. Instead of a vertical jump you had to jump (with both feet leaving and hitting the ground simultaneously) over the barbell and perform another burpee on the other side with your head always closest to the bar. I had never tried OHS with so much weight, but figured cleans with this weight were no problem. I warmed up with a weight of 95 pounds and it seemed OK.

It was anything but OK. I made it through the burpees in one of the fastest times in the group, but hit a wall as soon as I got to the OHS. I was anticipating the muscle-ups, although I have never really tried them before. I had mentioned this to a few of the guys and I guess the same philosophy should have applied to the OHS. I was a little cocky and they definitely put me in my place. I left feeling frustrated and angry that I couldn't complete this workout.

Total: 60 burpees and 10 OHS. No one at the affiliate completed the workout in the recommended time, but there were at least three other guys in my group that made it through the OHS.

Managing Fatigue

I headed out during lunch for the 7.4 miles up Diamond Rock with Becky and Raph. The past few times we've done this run it usually takes approx 64-70 minutes to finish. We did the reverse route, although it seems like it's become the normal route these days. It has a pretty decent hill about 15 minutes into the run, followed by a gradual downhill and then another challenging climb.

I got to thinking about runs that I really feel good about lately. Tuesday's interval workout, oddly, was one of those workouts. Other than that, I don't really seem to remember too many runs where I can feel a solid pop in my stride and really feel comfortable at a 7-8 minute pace. Granted, I've been putting in some hard strength work during the week. Granted, I don't have too many interval or tempo sessions under my belt during this training cycle. But I'm still logging 30-45 miles per week, which is more than I've accumulated in recent memory. Hopefully, when I start tapering I'll start to feel some of that fitness I've hopefully been building lately. I got a glimpse of it on Tuesday and I just want a little more.

7.4 miles in 64 minutes.

Strength, Run

Early afternoon

Strength

Deadlift 5, 4, 2, 2, 7 X 2
Load: 170, 210, 245, 280, 300X7

Pullups 5 X 10

Press 5 X 3
Load: 120, 140, 140, 150, 150

Dips 3 X 10

Late afternoon

Fell short on mileage yesterday so today was just an attempt to log some easy ones. I realized that I can stretch together a nice 2-3 miles on grass through Conshohocken, so long as I can slip past any police that might catch me trespassing on public property. I can always slip in a pair of ear buds and claim I didn't hear them yelling at me. There is a pretty challenging hill that runs underneath some power lines, steep enough that I had to walk near the stop. And not because I was winded but because I started spinning my wheels on the gravel and losing my footing.

4.5 miles in 46 minutes

Strength comments: The deadlifts felt heavy but not unbearable. First lift always felt tougher than the second lift, which is weird. I guess I let my hips settle in a bit more on the second lift and focus more on using my legs.

800m Repeats

Workout today called for eight miles, but a group of people were heading out for 800m repeats on Flat Rd. and I thought I might as well join. I haven't done any interval work in a few months and it might be good to see where I stand. After a mile warmup we started into a headwind which also carried rain with it. The turn comes in around 600m and the headwind dies, giving you plenty of opportunity to sprint to the finish. The second 800 doesn't match the first. A recovery job towards the FireGate entrance and the start is there. Again, there is a turn at approx 600 meters. The headwind doesn't really affect you on this portion, but it's always tough to say. Here's how they turned out:

3:08, 2:53, 2:51, 2:44, 2:47

We had originally thought of doing 4 repeats, but decided tacking on an extra after the workout was supposedly finished. I had emptied the tank on the fourth repeat and struggled to beat the time on the last. I'll attribute it to the headwind I had to suffer on the last repeat. I still think it was pretty fast.

I won't say these were easy, but they were definitely faster than I expected. Granted, I was really pushing for the last 200 meters of each repeat, but the first 600 felt sustainable. The only reference point I have is this same workout that was done on September 2nd in the heat. I was hovering just below 3 minutes and was lucky to get below that. My last rep for that workout was 3:06. This time around, I had some pop in my step and was glad to see how they turned out. The recovery portions were a little lengthy (~3:00) but that's just how the course goes.

About 6 miles in 47 minutes

Toughmudder Race Report

Way back in December, I signed up for this race and had a vague idea what it was about. My friend Devlin had done it last year and asked me to sign up on his team.

I woke up on Sunday morning around 6AM and downed some coffee, Gatorade, and a bagel on the drive up towards the race. I pulled into the lot and was surprised by the lack of crowds. I was expecting something along the lines of the Broad Street Run, with tens of thousands of people standing in line for registration, bathrooms, etc. There were approximately 5000 people racing today, and the race organizers thought it best to start people based on predicted finishing times, with waves starting every 20 minutes. I think this was a great way to approach the start, and with their attitude towards recording finishing times, it made sense to do it this way. I wandered over to the registration area, taking note of a few of the obstacles that were visible along the way. After meeting up with Devlin, we took a quick jog to warm up and then headed over to the start area.

Our race start time of 9AM put us in the first starting group, which obviously saw most of the serious athletes lining up. I made mental note of all the guys that had parked themselves in the front of the starting group: muscular guys with extra weight just looking to get themselves into the opening picture... The race organizer gave a few instructions and after the national anthem, it was time to go. I'll admit I was a bit nervous from the start. Devlin and I agreed to stick together for the race, as it would probably be a lot easier that way. He had volunteered the day before, and had a little insight as to how the race would go: badly. As it turned out, the race was 12 miles instead of 10, and there were 26 obstacles instead of 16. Even with most of the descriptions posted on the website, it was still hard to gauge what it be like to overcome them. I expected the worst.

The gun went off and Devlin and I did our best to keep from falling down the snow-covered ski slope. After about 200 yards, it was a 180 degree turn back up the face of the mountain. Only this time it was covered in mud, not snow. The climb seemed to last forever, but my legs seemed pretty fresh. After cresting the hill, it was a slide down a 20 foot mountain of snow/ice. This is where things started to get foggy. There were so many obstacles during the race that it was hard to keep track of what actually came first. I'll do my best...

Hill Climb Under a Cargo Net: pretty much what it sounds like.

Boa Constrictor: a tight crawl through a tiny pipe, similar to the escape of Andy in Shawshank Redemption. Instead of crawling through crap, it was freezing cold water and jagged rocks. There was a break in the pipe after about 50 feet, but that was filled with waist deep water. I tore up my arms and legs pretty good during this one.

Berlin Walls: These three walls were about 12 feet high with only a tiny foot hold about a foot above the ground. There was no way I was scaling these along and Devlin and I figured out an efficient system to tackle them. Of course they were built out of 2X4's and with thousands of people attempting to climb over them, multiple people at once, I was pretty nervous when the thing started rocking back and forth with me on the top. I'll admit that I'll attempt a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I don't get freaked out. Devlin had suggested bringing some sort of gloves, but I forgot them and was soon regretting it. It was a 12 foot drop to the ground on the other side and you had to maintain your grip, even though your hands an the wall were soaking wet.

Greased Lightning: Picture a 100 yard slip n' slide down a ski slope. Hoses were set up to keep the tarp wet. Of course everyone was diving down head first and landing in the puddle at the bottom. I would have thought they would have cleared out all the rocks and boulders out from under this, but apparently no one got that memo. I had been saying to Devlin that this was what I was looking forward to the most out of the race, which turned out to be pretty ironic since I landed on a rock that bruised my hip up pretty bad. It was very sore to run on during the rest of the race. It hadn't really started to bruise and I felt like I could keep going, but by the time I got home it looked like this:



Keep in mind this is about the size of a softball. It didn't hurt all that bad. I guess it could have been a lot worse.

Another crawl on all fours up a black diamond slope brought us to the first trail run portion of the race. This was like a walk in the park compared to the hills we just had to climb. As long as we kept a steady rhythm and didn't stop too often I figured we'd be in good shape.

Red Hot Blood Bath: Probably the most creative of the obstacles. We had to chomp down on a red hot cherry pepper and then jump into a dumpster filled with ice water. I went head first.

Another Berlin Wall: Probably more difficult than the first three combined since my hands and arms were starting to seize up from the jump into the ice water.

Hill Climb Under a Cargo Net: I started regaining some sensation in my arms and legs, but I was really starting to notice the burning feeling on my tongue and lips. I tried to avoid wiping my face so the pepper juice wouldn't get in my eyes. This took mental effort.

Greased Metal Pipe Wall Climb X 2: This one was tough for me personally. I was wearing my MT101's which had so far been great on all the hill climbs and mud romps we had been slogging through. But the treads on the shoes are more like spikes and the were slipping all over the place on the rungs of this metal ladder-like obstacle. Again, no gloves made for a difficult climb and if the crowd hadn't been standing right there, I probably would have been stuck at the top. Adrenaline took over and I trusted my grip not to fail as I swung off.

Walk the Plank: A climb up a near vertical tower with only a rope and a few poorly placed foot holds to help you. I remember thinking that it didn't seem so high from the ground, but looking down at the freezing cold water...it seemed like a mile. I brushed form to the side and just jumped in feet first. I can remember walking towards my car after finishing and hearing the crowds cheer for a girl who was having second thoughts about jumping. After about 30 seconds of cheering, she finally jumped and was rewarded with a roar of applause from the crowd.



Swim Under Submerged Obstacles: Just like it sounds. Mylar blankets offered after these series of water obstacles. I remember hearing the race organizer say that the lake temperature was 35 degrees F. My arms and legs were definitely losing sensation after I was finished this.

Ball Shrinker: Originally meant to walk across this tight-rope style obstacle, but all the volunteers were saying it was easier to dive in and pull yourself across. What the heck. We were already soaked through anyway.

Another Trail Run: This one was about 3 miles and trekked up and down the entire back side of the mountain. The feeling started coming back to my arms and legs, but some of the hills were tough. The terrain was extremely technical too. Lot of rocks, roots, and obstacles to trip over and I think Devlin and I both went down once or twice.

Funky Monkey: Devlin told me this obstacle had been closed the previous day because too many people were slipping off and falling into the shallow water below, some breaking ankles and legs. Sounded pretty gnarly to me. However, they had re-opened it for today. Again I had no gloves and felt my grip failing after three runs. I opted to just drop and crawl across the water below. I say crawl because there was a net and several layers of hay on the surface, making it impossible to swim or wade through. The water was pretty shallow and there was no notice of the huge rocks that were on the bottom. I could see how people could get pretty banged up here.

Swamp stomp and swim under submerged obstacles: Just a trudge through waist deep mud and eventually a swim under submerged logs...in the mud. I can say the water was cold because I started getting the "thousand knives stabbing me" feeling me in my legs.



Kiss of Mud: I don't see the rationale here. First, you had to crawl under barbed wire that was a mere 18 inches off the ground. But the real kicker was that the ground wasn't soft mud or earth. It was rocks, bricks, and other jagged objects. I couldn't crawl through without tearing up my knees and forearms, so I started to roll, but even this was excruciating. If the goal of certain obstacles was just to inflict as much pain as possible, it was a tie between this obstacle and the Boa Constrictor.

Firewalker: Run through a pre-determined path with burning hay bales on both sides. It was pretty hot and the smoke was thick. I guess if you weren't paying attention, you could easily misjudge your step.

Hills: Up and down. Up and down. We tried to run as much as we could, but they were too steep and snow covered. Had to walk up most of them.

Spider's Web: A climb up and over a cargo net. Pretty simple until you have four guys trying at once and it starts swinging like crazy. No problem.

Evil Knievel: A pyramid type obstacle. Little or no traction on the front side, only a tiny foot hold. The face was made of smooth aluminum, so you really needed someone pulling you or pushing you to make it to the top.

Hold Your Wood: A log carry up one of the steeper hills. Devlin and I grabbed the group log. It was damn heavy and I think we were regretting it from the start. A lot of people passed us here, but we got kudos from every one of them, including the Marine volunteer who told us we were the first of the day to grab the "group" log. I almost laughed when I saw the size of the logs some of the other guys grabbed.

Dragon Balls: Climb over several bails of steeply stacked hay. A running start and a prayer seemed to be enough to scale these on your own. No pun intended.

Electroshock Therapy: The culmination of the race. Hundreds of hanging positively and negatively charged wires administering 10,000V of electricity. I had no idea what to expect because I don't really know what 10,000V feels like. I think that was what made it easier for me. However, I did see one guy knocked off his feet just as I was beginning to go through, and another guy thought he would tough it out and walk through, only to topple over at the end. Can't be good for you. I sprinted through and got one good jolt towards the end. It felt like a loud pop in my ears and it knocked me to the right, but I didn't go down. Good enough.



Although I was thinking I would never do this race again while in the moment, I realized I probably say that about every race I've done at the time. A few days later and my bruises and cuts have started to heal and I'm actually feeling pretty good about the whole day. I got a few laughs afterwards while hosing off with a bunch of the other finishers. We all joked about the difficulty of what we had just done, and here we were squealing like kids while trying to rinse off with cold water.

Devlin had to peel out after the race to catch a flight to Chicago and I gladly took his drink ticket and watched a portion of the race from my car, conveniently within sight of the Red Hot Bloodbath and the Walk the Plank obstacles. I completely zoned out because I was so tired but had a few laughs watching some of the costumes and characters that scraped by.

Overall a good time and I would do it again.

Crossfit Open-Week 3

This was the third week of the Crossfit Open workout. The workout for the week is something I'm indifferent about:

AMRAP 5 minutes:
Clean and Jerk (165)

I feel comfortable doing clean and jerks. What I mean by that is that no part of the movement hurts any joints/muscles in an unnatural way. Simply accelerate the bar off the ground, catch it, stand, and jerk overhead. I thought I had fully recovered from the squat workout on Monday, but I guess my legs were still slightly fatigued. Consequently, I had the most trouble with the front squat portion of the exercise and several people commented on my lack of leg strength being my limiting factor. But they also mentioned that it's better to have to improve on leg strength, since they noted by presses/jerks were no problem. I had set a goal of 40 reps (clean + jerk=2 reps), but fell just short, only getting 17 total reps and I had to work for that. Maybe I could have beaten that if I came back on Saturday morning for another shot, but I wanted to rest up for the Toughmudder on Sunday. Not bad overall. I think it puts me in 4th place on the team.

Valley Forge Loop

Thought about stopping in Valley Forge since it's conveniently on the way home from work. I've gone through a few times months ago and found some decent single track which is also pretty good for mountain biking. It's a pretty huge park with lots of paved trails and grass fields everywhere. Throw in loads of rolling hills and you've got yourself a workout. I went to this site and found a nice 5-mile loop for starters. I'm fairly familiar with the area, so it wasn't a stretch to find the starting point and I could easily keep my bearings during the run.

It was an awesome afternoon. Mid 60s and the sun still hanging over the tops of the trees. No music for this workout, just my heavy breathing and clambering foot strikes. I remembered reading an article earlier about the push to change running form towards forefoot striking to achieve better economy. I also remember a separate article citing all the runners who seem to just float on past at blazing speeds, all while seemingly effortless. I came to the conclusion that, without a coach, I'll just end up doing more damage than good. So I'll try not to focus on it too much.

I ran past a picnic area where we've had our company outings for the past few years. I always find it funny re-visiting places that I've been to as a kid and then again as an adult. My parents used to take all of us here when I was younger (4 boys and a girl) and probably get a kick out of watching us run up and down the hills all day. Of course now I know they just wanted a little peace and quiet on the car ride home and for the rest of that day. We were out for the count...

Kept a fairly consistent pace throughout the run. Stopped a few times to look for road signs, but nothing else. I wore the MT-101 trail shoes and stuck mostly to the grass, but next time I'll definitely go barefoot. It's all smooth, soft grass here. Gotta give it a shot.

5.1 miles in 41 minutes.

Short run

Run today called for three easy miles. Took a route with some coworkers through a hay field that I'm sure was crawling with ticks. Add sinkholes and poison ivy and that equals me never running through here again. To top it off, I found the remains of a deer femur (at least I think it as a deer...). Pace was very slow to accommodate all of the newbies, and I was happy to oblige. At least the grace was easy on my legs and got the blood flowing.

About 3.5 miles in 40 minutes.

Solo Malvern Run

A solo run in the rain through the quarry and the nature preserve today. I can easily remember the days when I was missing turns left and right. Now the heavily traveled route seems like second nature to me. I still can't consider myself an expert back here, but it's good to know I can head out on my own and find my way around. Of course the rain brought lots of mud and bigger creeks, but the wind wasn't so bad once I reached the protection of the trees. I had anticipated 70 degree weather all week and didn't pack anything but shorts and a tee. I opted to take the Brokeback portion of the trail (the first time I realized where the turnoff was) and finished with a sprint up the final hill in the park before cooling down for the last 1/2 mile.

My legs still felt pretty heavy, but at least the stiffness dissipated after a few minutes of warmup. About 4.5 miles in 40 minutes.

Early evening

Loss to Zero Defects tonight. Didn't play as well as we did last week, although they hit a ton of three-pointers. I think this drops us to second place, but I guess it doesn't really matter in the end. We beat the first place team handily twice already this season. Hoping for the best.

Strength

Squat 5, 4, 2, 2, 2, 12X2
Load: 145, 175, 200, 230, 230, 245X2, 240X10
Chinups X 50

Bench: 5, 4, 2, 2, 1, 5X2
Load: 135, 145, 175, 185, 195, 210X5

Dips 3 X 10

Workout comments: My abs are definitely the most sore they have ever been today and yesterday. I could hardly stand up yesterday without wincing. What was it from the Open that did that to me? The workout today was brutal and I think I came to the realization that max gains in any weightlifting program will never coincide with endurance training. There is simply too much muscle soreness following these tougher weight sessions and it makes running miserable for days on end. I know took off last week from heavy weights, but that's just my opinion. I wanted to keep up with this program at least through the 50K and see how my body reacts to the longer distance, so maybe I'll keep it up at least for this cycle.

On the other hand, the bench press was equally as difficult, but I didn't detect any of the early symptoms of soreness as I did with my legs.

Crossfit Open

Week 2 of the Crossfit Open. I wish I could get more into this. I've been watching some interviews on the website and everyone seems to be attempting the weekly workouts multiple times in order to get the best score. I just don't have time for that. I think my ranking dropped a little after this workout, but I'll have to wait a few days to know for sure. I had been reading the rankings completely wrong. I originally thought that I was in first place on the Central Bucks team, but came to find out that a few guys beat me on one or both of the workouts. I don't know if I'll do too well on pure strength work, but I'm hoping pullups, running, and/or rowing will help bump up my scores.

15 Minute AMRAP

9 Deadlifts (155)
12 Pushups
15 Box Jumps

8 Rounds + 20 reps

Workout comments: I was pretty consistent on the deadlifts. I had to break only once or twice. Pushups killed me. But I was really surprised that I did so well on the box jumps. Granted, they weren't as quick as lightning, but I was still knocking out at least 10 at a stretch, with only a few seconds rest before continuing. Half of the rounds were unbroken as well. There were a couple of close calls when my foot didn't quite make it onto the box, but I recovered well without completely tearing my shin apart.

Recovery Run

The running program we're following for the 50K incorporate a second "long run" the day following the primary long run in order to acclimate the body to running while fatigued. I haven't been getting in these miles like I should, but I'm hoping that if I'm 1-2 miles short of the goal, I'll be OK. However, I just realized that the peak training weekend falls on the same weekend I'm registered to run in the American Odyssey Relay. I'll be racking up about 21 miles in a 24 hour period, but I don't know how that will play out with my scheduled 20 mile run for Saturday and 15 mile run on that Sunday. One of these times, I'm actually going to follow a training program.

The run today was fairly uneventful. I opted for a run in Conshy and almost immediately regretted it. My legs were still beat up from the previous day, and for some reason I just can't seem to stomach these streets anymore. I strung together a long run as best I could, but chose to head home rather than tack on the extra mile loop I had planned for the end. That's the danger of long runs in Conshy. You inevitable have to run within a mile of your house since it is geographically isolated on all sides by rivers, woods, or highways. It makes for an easy premature end to a run.

7.3 miles
61 minutes