Race Recap: 2013 Big Fish Triathlon

I have completed my next step towards my goal of completing a 70.3 triathlon in 2014. I have completed my first triathlon in over a decade. Back in 2003 I did the Ann Arbor triathlon and I was way under trained and under educated. Back then I felt so bad during the run leg that I had to walk most of it. It took me 10 years to redeem myself, but I finally did.

Going into the Big Fish Triathlon I was much better trained. I actually followed a training plan this time. I was also much better educated on proper fueling, proper gear, and the proper state of mind. It really paid off. I was very happy with my final result. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The day started off a little cloudy with a slight chill in the air. The very mild spring we've had so far made me worry about the temperature of the water. Two weeks before the race I went swimming in the channel by my friend's house that was about 65 degrees. Although I was wearing a wetsuit, the chill of the water shocked me. So when I heard that the water temp for the race was in the upper 60's I had expected to freeze once again. Then when I look out into the lake and see the buoys that I have to swim around my anxiety heightened.

But I knew that no matter what I was going to finish this swim so I tried to put all worry out of mind. It was a big help that my friend Julie was doing this race as well. She only had one triathlon under her race belt as well so we both in the same boat, only without a boat. So all decked out in our rented wetsuits we awaited our turn for the water.

Julie's wave started about 20 minutes ahead of mine so I made a little side challenge for myself when I decided to see if I could catch her before the end of the race. I wasn't trying to prove anything, I just thought it would be a good distraction from the nervousness of the race.

I watched Julie start her swim leg and 20 minutes later it was my turn to get in the water. I was pleasantly surprised when I set foot in the lake. It was much warmer than I was expecting and I openly expressed this fact, ignoring the sour looks from the guys shivering without wetsuits.

At the start of my wave, I stayed behind the fray for the count of 10 before I started swimming to calm my nerves and steer clear of the "washing machine" created by the faster swimmer in my wave. My goal was to just stay relaxed and get the swim out of the way I was not going for speed. I was very surprised how easy the swim was, I fast I completed it, and how many people I passed. Looking at my race results today I noticed I was the 10th fastest swimmer in my heat, finishing my 500M in 11:37.

After a short jog up to the transition area it was time to get ready for the bike. 

Although I streamlined my transition plan the night before the race, I probably could have been a little faster.

But I was still feeling good physically and mentally and remembered to get some fuel in me before I even started the bike.

The bike was a 20K out and back so once I was in the saddle and moving along I started to keep an eye out for Julie. The bike was quite hilly and challenging. Every time I passed someone on a mountain bike I tried to give them words of encouragement, but, at the same time, I was very happy that I purchased a road bike after my duathlon last month.

It was shortly after my first 5K when I say Julie on the other side of the road. I was not surprised to see a smile on her face. After hollering words of encouragement to her I started doing the math. I figured I was about 7K into the race which meant she was about 13K which put her 6K in front of me. If I average 18 MPH...ack...swallowed a big bug...where was I...to hell with it, just ride your bike.

I hit the turn around point and head back toward the park, with the clear knowledge that I had a huge hill to climb at the end. Trying to keep a balance between riding well and reserving something for the run I made my way toward the hill. When I finally got the hill, I think I may have cursed allowed as I shifted gears and plowed up it at a very slow speed. "Just keep peddling...just keep peddling..." was my mantra as I made my way up the brutal climb. Eventually I reached the top and was very happy to see the park entrance before me. My legs felt much better than at the end of the duathlon biking leg so now it was time to run. But not before making sure to get some fuel in my system. I finished the 20K bike leg in 44:41.

Now it was time for the run. Only 3.1 miles until I was done and I was still feeling good. I was about 500 yards into my run when I saw a girl with a pink hat about another 200 yards ahead of me. I had a strong feeling it was Juile, but I was not so caught up in passing her that I did something stupid like sprinting to catch her. Instead I just stayed at my current pace and ran my own race. I did eventually catch Julie around the 1 mile mark. I ran with her for a little while exchanging friendly banter before our different paces separated us.

During the last two mile of my run, I was passed by three guys in my age group. I won't lie and say that I wasn't upset by that. But I was wise enough to know they were just plain faster runners than me and that I would do myself no good if I tried to keep up with them.

Eventually I reached the finish make sure to take the time to give my sons a high five before crossing, finishing my 5K run in 26:31.

I had done it, I had completed step 2 in my triathlon venture, with an overall time of 1:25:59

Race Recap: 2013 3D Duathlon (previously Willow Run)

After taking a break from writing race recaps last year. I decided to start it back up again. Not because of pleas from adoring fans, but more from a desire to look back on these days when I'm too old to do any more races. Is there even such an age?

After sticking a 50 mile sticker on my bumper at the end of last year, I felt that a  70.3 would be the next logical challenge. So I bought some Speedo swim shorts and adjusted my training to included swimming and biking.

I came up with several steps (accomplishments if you will) that I need to do before attempting the Half Ironman. The first thing on that list was a duathlon, the 3D Du was a great place to start the foray into the triathlon world.

I liked the fact that it was a small venue (under 200 people) for it kept me from being overwhelmed by a large crowd of experienced triathletes staring at the newbie riding a mountain bike. In retrospect, I'm sure very few of the athletes paid me or my bike any mind but that is how I was feeling the morning of the race.

My training buddy Julie (you've read about her in previous posts) also competed in this race. She was also one of the very small minority riding a mountain bike that day. Coming off of several years of 5K's, marathons, and ultra's it felt very weird being in a race that took more prep than "show up and run". As Julie stated, we felt like runners crashing a biker party.

Regardless of newbie jitters and feeling out of place, we lined up at the starting line with the rest of the athletes and ran the first 5K together. Jittery about the transitions and about the biking leg, I decided to just take it easy the first running leg and did just that. Julie and I both finished the 5K in 28:51 (a relaxing 9:18 pace).

As I walked my mountain bike to the "mounting" line, a spectator yelled "nice bike". I'm still not sure if she meant it to mock or to support me, but my already fragile ego took it negatively and I decided there will be no relaxing on the biking leg. I decided that I was going to ride as hard as I could then deal with the pain on the run. Hell, I'm used to running in pain.

So I rode the 20K bike leg, fueled with equal parts anger, frustration, and shame (plus I had to pee). I was able to pass a few of the road bikes, and each time I did I was fueled on to pass another. To the two mountain bikers I passed I made sure my comments were supportive and could not be construed as mocking. I made it to the 10K turn around point and headed back to the transition area. As I passed by Julie she seemed to be taking it all in stride and just getting it done, regardless of who passed her.

With only a couple of miles left my legs started to hurt pretty bad. I knew I should have eased off to give my legs a break before the run, but I had a few more road bikes in my sights and my bull headed pride forced me to pass them; which I did, but at a price.

I arrived at the transition area in 41:45 (averaging 17.8 mph) and my legs were shot. It hurt to run a single step and I had thousands ahead of me.

Limbering along the best I could, I crossed paths with Julie once again and she still looked calm and collected. She finished her bike leg in 48:14

The final 5K was painful. Not so painful that I wanted to quit, but definitely painful enough to seriously slow me down. To add insult to injury, I recognized more than a few people I had passed on the bike, pass me on the run. I eventually made it to the finish line in 29:42 (pace of 9:34). Completing the entire race in 1:42:40

Julie ran a great final 5K in 26:55 (pace of 8:40) and ended up less than four minutes behind me with a time of 1:46:35.

I learned a great lesson from my fellow triathlon newbie that day. If you just take it easy and have fun all the way, you will have have great day overall.

Oh yeah, I learned something else that day. I don't like getting beat by people just because they have a better bike. So I got me a road bike!!!

Race Recap: 2011 Highland "Rugged Man" Trail Run

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I will be honest and say that it was the name of this race that grabbed my attention. Who doesn't want to be called "Rugged Man". I know I sure do. I was all signed up and ready to run when I drove to Highland, MI this morning.

The first thing I noticed while waiting for the start of the race was the caliber of runners lining up with me. Many of them were wearing shirts from previous races and I saw more than a dozen from some of the bigger local races. This was definitely not going to be a kids run. At this point I became "Intimidated Man".

The RD made a point to send an email out last night warning us that this was a tough trail littered with rocks, roots, and leaves. At the beginning of the race he warned us again to be careful. Regardless of these warnings about 1/4 mile into the race I rolled my ankle so bad I heard crunching. Granted, the noise was probably the leaves and rocks I slid on, but my ankle hurt so bad I thought for sure it was bone.

My initial thought was to turn around and hobble back to the starting line, but the stubbornness gene that is implanted in all Y chromosomes kept me from quitting. After limp-running for several paces the pain was reduced enough that I could run again. It was a slower pace, but at least I was running. This is when I became "Stupidly Tenacious Man".

Continuing on as STM, I ran up and down the many hills on this course. I would be surprised if there was a 100 yards of level ground throughout the whole race. Uphill and downhill I ran, eventually settling into a nice pace. I couldn't see any of the faster runners in front of me but there were several runners behind me. I found myself in my familiar place between the fast and the "not as fast".

Things began to change around 2.5 miles as I found myself turning into "Started Out Too Fast Man". Quickly running out of steam and starting to over heat I was also becoming "Wore Too Many Clothes Man." This combination was not only draining my energy but sapping my focus. Just past mile 3 I rolled my ankle again running down hill and became "Swearing Loudly in the Woods Man". I was forced to limp up the rest of hill. At the top, I ran a few painful steps but I could run. There was no way I was going to quit now.

The second twist made my ankle extremely tender so I once again reduced my speed. The "not as fast" runners quickly passed me and I found myself running alone. I could see one extremely bearded man in the distance in front of me and a couple of runners a ways behind me. My legs were sore, my energy waned and my ankle hurt it was time to become "Just Finish Man".

 I reached down deep and found what I needed to continue on.  Sharpening my focus and blocking out the pain and fatigue I ran on. Up the hills I ran. Down the hills I ran. It wasn't easy and it wasn't fast but I closed in on the the finish line until I crossed it. My time was not great but I didn't care, it was an awesome race and I was glad I did it. I have already decided to do the "Mountain Man" in April.

After I got home, my ankle started hurting pretty bad. With major prodding from my PT friend I went to Urgent Care to have some x-rays done. Luckily the X-rays were fine and it was just a sprain. When the doctor asked me how it happened I told him that I was trying to be a "Rugged Man". He looked at me inquisitively then shook his head and left the room.

Race Recap: 2011 Dances with Dirt - Hell

Welcome to Hell!

Why do I feel so at home here? 

Hell, Michigan that is. Of course the creators of the Dances With Dirt 100k relay race series do their best to make you feel like you are in the other Hell.

I have always been interested in the Dances with Dirt races, and I'm a big fan of Running Fit, the creators of this race and many other great ones. In fact they are the same people that put on the Run Woodstock 50k that I ran two weeks ago. So when Julie asked if I wanted to be on a team this year, I jumped at the chance.

Andrea and Julie, our wonderful captain.

 Since she had been on a team in the past we were able to get one of the coveted spots. Team "Who Has The Runs" was going to Hell.

Three other DWD newbies joined our team, Jerry, Andrea, and Mike.

They are smiling because they don't know what lies ahead.

On the morning of the race we all met up in the mall parking lot to pack up our vehicle. Its a good thing that the women made a last minute decision to change the team vehicle from an Escape to a mini van. The extra room came in very handy.

Dude, don't get your chocolate in my peanut butter.

We got to Half Moon Beach without any incidents and found a great parking spot. With only 20 minutes before the start of the race we decided to divide and conquer. Julie and I would head to registration.

Julie making friends where ever she goes.

Jerry would try to figure out how to get to Silver Moon Beach using our incredibly large map (Andrea stayed in the van to keep warm).

"I think we drive from my left nipple to my pancreas"

Mike, the runner of leg one, would head towards the starting line.

Mike is behind the guy wearing the tie and next to the Ninja Turtle Girl

Before we knew it the the race was under way. Mike was running " The Stampede" with everything he had. I'll let him tell you about it:

"Slow down your heart is going to explode - you cant run 8.5 mph (as I looked at my watch feeling my heart palpitating). NOT ANOTHER F@^*%G hill!!! (this ran through my mind about every 5 MINUTES) and since this was the first leg of the race, people could see what place you were in so when I couldn't see anyone behind me I kept thinking 'don't be last, don't be last, Damn you slow poke DON'T BE LAST!!' - and then when it was over 'try not to puke' (I pushed way too hard).

In a true running zone, Mike tagged Jerry for the exchange but kept on running. We eventually stopped him as Jerry sped off.

Mike and Jerry's first exchange.

Here is what Jerry has to say about his leg. "Buttslider"

'I was having a great time passing people and running through shoe sucking mud. I thought if I felt this good the whole day I was going to have a lot of fun doing the same in other legs and keep Scott from being a cheating bastard.'

Now it was my turn to get ready. I tried to get ready in private but somebody had to peek.

I think Mike may have liked what he saw because he was getting a little fresh as we waited for Jerry. 

Thankfully Jerry arrived quickly and I ran away as fast as I could.

Jerry and Scott's first exchange.

My first leg was called "Rave Run (Less)" and it was only 2.5 miles and supposed to be one of the easier legs to run. With this in mind and the excitement of the day, I took off way too fast. At first I thought everything was going be fine. I was passing people at a good pace and the heart rate wasn't too high. Then the hills came. Where in the hell did these come from? Nobody said anything about hills. As I was running down a particularly steep hill, I realized that this was a loop and I would have to run up the hill on my return. Son of B..! Eventually I made around the loop, back up the steep hill and back to Silver Moon Beach where Julie was waiting, at the top of another hill.

I ran up the hill and tagged her so she could start her first leg "Potto". Here is what she says about her run.

'This trail had beautiful scenery. The early morning fog drifted over the lakes as I passed. I crossed a few wooden bridges. It was very pretty!! I met a nice lady from Kentucky who's watch beeped every mile, letting me know my distance since I didn't have my ipod nike plus.'

When Julie finished her leg, her and Andrea hugged as their relay exchange. It was cute but I'm pretty sure none of us guys were going to hug each other.

Julie and Andrea's first exchange

Now it was Andrea's turn for her first leg "Purgatory". Here is what she had to say about it.

'Despite stepping on a bee hive and being stung in the first mile, Purgatory was my favorite leg. This run had an awesome mix of challenging hills (mostly long, steady increases versus steep stripper-pole types). Purgatory was also the most scenic of all three of my legs. This course took you through woods like the others but also took you out into the open, on bridges over wetlands, and up (up, up, up) the country roads of Pinckney. Since runners weren't constantly in danger of loosing life and limb, you could look up from the ground now and then and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.'

We should have taken her bee sting and losing a contact as an omen because that is when DWD started having its way with us.

This half dollar sized sting swells to baseball size the next day

The next victim was to be Mike as he started his second leg "This Sucks". Here are his words.

I love the runs that are not the norm. This was the dirtiest run I have ever done by far! Very challenging and I had to really push to get through it. I ran for about 2 miles through the woods/swamp, there was no real path just flags in the trees you had to follow. It was truly a rump through deep, smelly, disgusting soot, that in places was up to your waist. The thought that went through my head, "who the hell came up with this", You have got to be F#%@g kidding me", "I think I'm going to die in the swamp from hell", "why do I enjoy this so much, its so fun!"

Unfortunately the swamp slowed Mike down a little too much and Jerry had to take off before Mike could make the exchange due to the time cut off for some legs. So with a hearty "I'm a cheating bastard!" Jerry took off on his next leg.

Jerry "Cheating Bastard" Buffington

About 8 minutes later Mike showed up looking pretty nasty.

But after his beer and bath with a woman he never met. He was feeling a lot better.

While Mike was washing away his troubles, Jerry was having some of his own. Here is what he says about "Stripper Pole"

'I think this was the most challenging and therefore most interesting of my 3 legs because of all the steep inclines and declines. The steepest hill on the course for which I think the leg may have been named was like climbing a very steep stairway that burned your quads to no end. The ground was maybe only foot or less from my face. The declines were also fun. I found myself looking for every tree within reach to control my decent. My achilles and plantar fascia started getting sore which I've been having trouble with since July so I slowed down a bit. Still got back just in time so Scott didn’t have to be a cheating bastard so I was happy about that. He said he was all prepared with a crowd of people ready to send him off as a cheater.'

Jerry soaking his bothersome achilles.

He's right. I had a whole group of people all worked up and ready to yell, "WE ARE ALL CHEATING BASTARDS" but just two minutes before it was to occur I saw Jerry. "Sorry, guys" I said you'll have to cheat without me. And off I ran for my second leg "Styx, River of Death"

The first thought that came to mind as I started on these trails was. "These are the same trails I did during the 50k, this is pretty cool." Then things started to get messy and I thought "great they saved some mud from the 50k as well."  My spirits lifted when I saw the river. I love running in the water, so my enjoyment continued for the next several river crossings. After the last crossing the ground became extremely unfriendly. Fallen trees and black muck slowed me down considerably. Eventually I came to the end of the leg where I was to actually running in the river, against the current. I could have run in the shallower edges of the river but the the bridge above me was filled with people that would boo you unless you ran through the deepest part. My love for entertaining a crowd not only kept me in the middle of the river, but influenced me to actually dive under the water.

As I tried to get a hug from the devil, Julie started her second leg "Bad Out of Hell"

'Bat out of hell was a hard run!  It was so much harder than I was expecting. Roller coaster twists and turns threatened injury. There were times we were running a narrow trail along side of big hill. I knew that if I fell I was going to fall hard and far. I'm not sure what was at the bottom of the hill, I was too afraid to look.'

Unfortunately Julie was just mere minutes too late and Andrea had to be a "cheating bastard" as she took off for "Rave Redux".

'This run taught me that all 2.5 mile runs are not created equally. Rave offered runners endless steep inclines & treacherous descents, loose rocks, logs, roots and a very narrow path that made passing dangerous if possible at all. Definite danger of losing life or limb if you look up from the trail. I think my exact thoughts were "Don't fall. Watch the flags. Don't twist your ankle. Don't fall. Geez, how much farther........That was only 2.5 miles?"

Now our team was racing the clock and the clock was winning. Three minutes before Andrea finished Mike had become a cheating bastard as well as he headed out for "Xodus" his last leg.

'Most of this was leg of the race was on the same path as my first leg, so there was no surprises on what was coming up, which made the run a little boring since i basically just ran it earlier in the day.'

Mike rocked his last leg, finishing a lot faster than we were giving him credit for. Unfortunately he was not fast enough to keep the cheating bastard, Jerry, from becoming a repeat offender as he headed out on "Vertigo" with a tender tendon.

'Although this was listed as the most challenging leg of the race, I didn’t find it as interesting as the previous two. There were a couple of cool, steep declines but most of the inclines were long and gradual (gradual by DWD standards anyway). Nothing memorable like the stripper pole hill, buttslider decent or mud. It definitely would have been more challenging though if I were running a quicker pace. My heel was pretty sore and I had to basically just hobble through it. I was asking anyone near me with GPS how far we had to go yet since I just wanted it to be over with. Getting stung by a bee in the first 10 minutes didn’t help me like this leg any better. Actually, Andrea was nice enough to drive and I didn’t want her to be the only to get stung. Scott got to be a cheating bastard this time.'

I did get to be a cheating bastard this time, but it was bittersweet since it was caused by Jerry's injury. So without much fanfare I headed out for my final leg "The Stupid Lake"

This leg started out pretty nice with some decent trail running that was followed by nice dirt roads. My legs were pretty sore from the river run, but I felt I was running a good pace. Then I hit the stupid lake. It's impossible to run when going through a lake in water that averaged three feet in depth. Even though I was able to pass quite a few people in the lake, I did it at a very slow pace. After the lake was more trail and a little more road. According to the girl in front of me we only had a half mile left. "Was that the crowd I hear?."  My pace quickened, then greatly slowed when I saw I had to climb my biggest hill of the day before I could finish my leg. In my opinion this leg should be changed to "The Stupid Lake and F@*&%G Hill".

By the time I had finished my final leg, Julie had already become a cheating bastard and had been running "Don't Get No Better" for almost 10 minutes. Julie didn't have anything she wanted to say about his leg. She did tell us it was a pretty easy run, even on tired legs

Julie finishing her final leg. Is that guy checking her out? 

Andrea had no time to wait for Julie to complete her last leg. We were so far behind the clock that she had to hop out of the car and start running "Dirt's Revenge" right away.

'This run was high on roller coaster and treachery factors. You couldn't take your eyes off of the ground in front of your feet except to watch for the markers. It was much like the Rave Redux in intensity and difficulty but offered the promise of the finish line at the end. The last mile of this run consisted of running through sandy trail (difficult on weak legs) and possible confusion/disorientation when the course took you off of the trail/path. Participants were most friendly on this leg. The grassy downhill run to the finish line was awesome. What was I thinking? "I can do this...I can do this...seriously, another f**ing hill? I can do this.."

A happy Andrea finishes the race.

The whole team joined up with her, as we crossed the finish line together, got our medals, then sat in the parking lot enjoying what tasted like the best pizza ever.

I know the post was long, but I hope it was informational and entertaining. Team Who Has The Runs has more to say so look for a "DWD: After Thoughts" post coming soon.

Race Recap: 2011 Run Woodstock 50K

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I have become an official ultra runner by completing the Run Woodstock 50K race. Many people have asked me why I want to run a race longer than a marathon. My answer is simple, to see if I can. I am constantly pushing my body through grueling physical events to find my limit. When I reach my limit, I train harder so that I can push past it.

Great photo by Greg Sadler (sadlershots.com

That is what led me to Run Woodstock starting line on Saturday, September 10, 2011. I knew I could do a marathon (Flying Pig) and I have done a Tough Mudder so now it was time for an ultra.

For three days before the race, the trail was subjected to rain showers of differing magnitude. The night before my race I awoke to thunder and lightening. My thoughts went to those amazing people that were doing the 100M and 100K, they had been running for several hours already while I was cozy in bed, listening to the thunder, they were running through the storm. I admire those runners!

The rain continued through the night and into the morning. It was still raining when it was time to start my race.

As I lined up for my start I looked around me at the other 50K'ers and realized the first major difference between this race and others I have run. When I did the Flying Pig there were over 20,000 people at the starting line. Here, there was maybe 500 runners and most of them were running the half and full marathon. After receiving my race instructions (follow the pink markers) I was off.

The Strategy

My strategy for the race was pretty simple, duplicate what I did in training. That meant running the first four miles straight through then start the Jeff Galloway "Run/Walk/Run" method. For fuel I was to eat GU gels and drink water, Gatorade  and Recoverite.

The Race

Right away I saw what the continual rain had done to the trail. The first four miles were riddled with large puddles of muddy water. Many runners were trying to baby foot around the puddles but if you know me, you know I love running in the mud. I passed a few people as I charged through the middle of the puddles. Although my feet were muddy and the rain continued coming down, I was feeling pretty good. Focusing on a relaxed pace and ignoring the runners racing past me, I made it to the first aid station.

This was when I noticed another difference with ultra marathons, the spread. Along with the traditional wares (GU, Gatorade, and water) there was a wide variety of other foods (Oreos, Fig Newtons, brownies, potatoes, etc.) I have read about ultra runners eating cooked potatoes with salt, but I was going to stick with the plan, so I grabbed a GU and headed back on the trail.

For the next couple of miles I ran on dirt roads. The flat wide roads were a nice change from the muddy hills I had just run. I know my strategy called for switching to the run/walk/run method but I was feeling good and decided to continue running to the next aid station. Settling into a nice pace, I relaxed and ran. I passed some people and others passed me but I didn't care. I was just there to run my own race. If I recall correctly, the rain had stopped around this point.

When I got to the next aid station, which several runners were calling "The Yurt". I was amazed that the spread from the last aid station was nothing compared to what was being offered here.As the nice volunteer filled my bottle with Gatorade I looked at all the choices. In addition to what was at the other station, this one had chips, fruit, and soup. There was coke and sprite to drink as well. I have been to weddings with less food than this. With all these choices I just couldn't leave with only a GU in hand, so I tried a salted potato. OH MY GOD! It was delicious. I scarfed down a couple more pieces before heading out.

Eight miles behind me I was still feeling pretty good so I decided once again to keep running. About a mile past the aid station I hit a root hidden under the sand and crashed to the ground. Luckily nothing was hurt so I got up and continued running. Moments later I heard a "OMPH". I turned around and saw that another guy took a spill at the same spot. Our mutual mishap sparked up a conversation and for the next couple of miles on the trail. It turns out he was an Army guy from Virginia who had just weathered a hurricane and tropical storm. So today's rain was nothing for him.

Eventually the trail spilled out onto the road again. This is where I met the girl with the flower tattoo. She was an experienced ultra runner (having done over 50 events) with an orange and yellow flower tattoo on her right shoulder blade. She was second guessing the route she took to get to this point thinking she may have taken a wrong turn and done some extra miles. While talking and running with her, I noticed my pace had picked up. It was faster than I would have run alone but it wasn't painful, so I stuck with her for as long as I could and we talked about all the races she has done. After about two miles, I couldn't hang with her anymore and she slowly faded from view.

This is when I hit the next aid station, which was actually the same one I hit the first time. It was a nice surprise to see my wife and mother-in-law there. After a few words with them and grabbing more potato pieces I continued my run.

Leaving the aid station at mile 12.

Still feeling pretty decent, I postponed the walking again and decided to run to the next aid station, back at the starting line.

This was about the time I hit the mud again. But instead of fun puddles that I could run through, the constant foot traffic had turned the trail into mud soup. A thick, mucky, sole-sucking, soup that reduced my pace to an even slower jog. While trudging through shin deep muck, I met a girl from New Hampshire.

Me and the girl from New Hampshire

Her pace on mud free trails was a little faster than mine, but the mud proved to be a great equalizer. We ran together and chatted for the next few miles through the mud that had begun to get on my nerves. Eventually we were clear of the mud and made it to the aid station, where I had more potato pieces and this time grabbed some delicious, heavenly grapes.

At the aid station I met up with the girl with the flower tattoo again. Her, New Hampshire, and I headed out on our second loop together. However the two ladies were better runners than me and eventually pulled ahead. I wouldn't see either of them for the rest of the race.

My legs were getting tired but I still wanted to see how far I could go before starting the run/walk method. Someone once gave me the advice to "run until you can't, then walk" and I decided to do just that. After 18.5 miles, I hit that point. My legs were hurting pretty bad, the skies were darkening and my mood was starting to darken. It was time for a break. It was time to begin the Jeff Galloway method that has worked so well for me in the past. It didn't help that I was once again dealing with the mud, which was now pissing me off. It was so hard to get a good stride going when I had to deal with all the mud. The second loop was worse than the first. The mud was thicker and the puddles were deeper. There was even one stretch where the water was past my knees with ankle deep mud sucking at your shoes.

By the time I hit the aid station I was ready for the nice flat road. At this point my hip flexors were starting to hurt pretty bad. But I continued on with the run/walk/run method. I believe the Jeff Galloway works so well for me because of the mental factor. While running I am not thinking about how long I have until I finish. I am only focused on running for the next five minutes then I get to walk again. This seems to make a big difference for me and I'm so glad my friend introduced it to me earlier this year.

Running my five minute segments, I continued on. Constantly repeating the mantra "relentless forward progress". It didn't matter how slow I was going, as long as I was moving forward. Eventually I made it to "The Yurt" again. After clearing the plate of potatoes and grapes, I grabbed a dixie cup of M&M's and continued on. Only six miles to go. I could do this.

I want to take a moment here to do a special call out. All of the volunteers were wonderful, but there was a lady at this aid station offering to rub some of the knots out of our sweaty, muddy calves. Ma'am, you are a true angel!

Six miles to go. Only a 10k in front of me. Relentless forward progress, right? But my legs were so tired. Every time my watch told me it was time to run, I swore at it. I recalled another saying at this point: "If it hurts to walk and it hurts to run, you may as well run." So I ran.

My spirits were really low at this point. I think it was partly due to the fact that I hadn't seen any other runners for about a mile. I knew I was on the right course since it was marked so well. But I had the continual thought that everyone had finished the race and they were just waiting for me.

Luckily when I popped back out on the road, I saw several runners and my mood brightened. I still hurt but I could go on. I knew that my final aid station was at the end of this road run then it was only two miles to the finish. My hips were very grateful to be on flat ground again and didn't protest too much when I had to do my running segments. It still hurt to run, but I didn't stop; "relentless forward progress".

I made it to the final aid station, filled up my bottle, grabbed some more potatoes and M&M's and heading out for the home stretch. My mood was good, then I hit the mud. The GD, MF, soul-sucking mud. I was so tired of slipping and sliding in this mess. My body hurt, my shoes were heavy and now I was at my wits end. At this point I had to pull out the mantra that gets me through the toughest times, "just finish". I didn't worry about my time, my pace, or being passed. I had one goal only. JUST FINISH.

And I did. I made it through the last swampy mile, into the campground and across the finish line.

I was tired, hurting and dirty.

Not only did I finish,

But I placed 4th in my age group and got me a bus. Of course there were only 5 in my age group. Overall I was 42 out of 70. 

The Credit

I want to take the time to thank the people that have got me to this point and helped me finish the race. 

First I want to thank my wife Lisa, who may not encourage my extreme behavior but continually supports me through them. Next I want to thank Julie for being a good physical therapist and a great running buddy. Your advice and friendship has made this possible. Sherry and Mike, I thank you both for getting me back into running and joining me for some of my crazy adventures.

Thanks also goes to Jeff Galloway for publishing information on your Run/Walk/Run method, that has proven to get me through tough runs. To Bryon Powell for writing Relentless Forward Progress, not only a great book that has aided my training and my race day performance but has provided me with a mantra for running. To Kevin Green for creating the Just Finish community which helps anyone attempting something difficult to focus on two little words, "Just Finish".

And a big THANK YOU to the volunteers of Run Woodstock. If it weren't for all of you, nobody would be finishing their race.