The Ice Age humbles me-again!

Well, it's been a few days. Time for another race recap. Get ready, 'cause this one ain't pretty. 
I ran the Ice Age Trail 50K on May 10. I went in to this race with some pretty lofty goals. I was hoping to lop off a few more minutes from my previous years. I was hoping for somewhere close to five and a half hours! Now that it's all said and done, I'm glad I finished!
I had an entire week off of work leading up to the race. So I was fairly well rested. I didn't do any crazy runs or races. So I did learn from last years 5K six days before Ice Age! See, I do pay attention. 
I think my first down fall this year, and in previous years, is overestimating my fitness and underestimating the course. It has been described by 2013 50 mile winner David Riddle as "death by 1000 paper cuts".  While the 50K is obviously shorter, the hills wear you down just as quickly. To me they seem relentless. The 50K course is a 13 mile out and back and then two loops of 9 miles. So the hills you seem to think aren't so bad on the first loop seem cruel and unending on the second loop. And this year, they kicked my butt! 
Problem number two this year was not being able to take in enough fluid and energy. Not that I didn't have a plan or schedule set up, I just couldn't handle anything in my belly. It wasn't upset or queasy. It was more a bloated and full feeling. I've never experienced this before. I kept trying to take in some fluid and gel, but I felt like a balloon ready to pop! I may have any idea as to why I had this problem. I'll get to that in a bit.
I tried to "run" this year, instead of my run/walk strategy from last year. I felt really good the first 13 miles. Looking back at my splits, I may have started out just a little fast. Not much, but enough that it added up by the end. Maybe I need to revisit the run/walk idea. It really did seem to save my legs last year. By the end this year walking was not an option. It was a necessity. My quads and hips hurt. More than any other race I can remember. 
Getting back to the tummy trouble. Hindsight being 20/20, I think I can safely say I went in to this race with a bit of a bug. Not sure if it was something I ate, or a bit of a sinus infection, or ????? I felt a little sluggish and tired toward the end of the week. I just passed it off on my taper. I can't put my finger on it, but I just didn't feel "right". The day before the race I had no appetite. After running the 50K, I'm usually famished. This year, I ate a little bit because I knew I should. I spent Sunday feeling like I'd been beat with a lumpy lead pipe. Muscles ached, head banging, couldn't eat, what I did eat didn't stay with me very long. I felt crappy enough that I called in sick to work today ( the Monday after). That's enough of a hint about my run, because I rarely take a sick day. It's been years! Comparing my heart rate from last year to this year confirms my hunch. My average heart rate was 12 beats higher, and my max was 17 beats over last year. I think my body was trying to tell me something. Good thing I don't listen well. 
But, I finished! And for me, that is always my first goal. Everything above and beyond that is a bonus. The best part of the run? Running through the finish holding hands with my niece and granddaughter. 
Did I learn anything? You bet! I learned I can suffer and finish, even when I have seem inner doubts. I honestly thought about tossing in the towel before heading out on that last loop. Just for a second. But, I knew I could walk it in if I had to. I'm sure there were runners suffering just as bad as I was. I learned to listen to my body. If I had been smart and used some common sense, maybe I should have called it a day early. A DNF isn't always a failure. It can be a learning opportunity. Or maybe I should have not even left the start line. For me that's usually not an option. Between the trip down, hotel stay, getting to the race, I'll always at least start. But I need to put sense before pride. 
What's next? Not sure. I had a 100K in June in the back of my mind. But I think I need to rest and recover a bit. Maybe a road marathon at the end of June. And then there's Dances With Dirt at Devil's Lake in July. That course and I have a score to settle. 
Thanks for following along!

It's taper time again

It's a day off, sorta. 11pm-7am today. In my weird little world, I count that as a day off. Time to prattle on.
It's taper time, again. My first 50K of the year is on May 10. Today is supposed to be a rest day. And already I'm itchy to go out and put in some miles. Just a few. Honest. I'll do my best to relax and lie low. My training has been going really well. At least that's my biased, uneducated opinion. Although I don't have the miles behind me that I did at this time last year, the miles do seem easier. Effort seems easier. Pace is a bit quicker. I also don't have the long miles like last spring either. But, I was planning a spring 50 miler versus a 50K. I'm confident I can finish this one, and hopefully finish strong. I'm even entertaining a PR in the back of my mind. But that is not my number one goal. I want to finish and feel good as I cross the line. Anything else is just a bonus. Too many variables come in to play. Weather, a few little niggles I'm having. nutrition and hydration.
 I am feeling strong. I believe the miles I put in last year along with one marathon, three 50K and one 50 mile are starting to pay off. Hmmm, must be that specificity of training I keep trying to push. Run, and you might get the hang of running. I haven't had any really horrid outings this year. Even bad days are just kind of so-so. Hopefully this will lead to a strong year and some good results. If my work schedule cooperates, I am planning on an ambitious race schedule this year. I have some scores to settle with Dances With Dirt-Devil's Lake and North Face ECS Wisconsin!
The little pause I took seems to have jump started my running. I had a strong trail race at Iola on April 12. I worked 11-7 the night before. So, not much sleep the day before. Maybe a few hours Friday morning. 39°F and rain during the run. On muddy trails with patches of snow still hanging on for dear life! I felt good, paced myself well and finished strong. I even put on a bit of a kick through the last single track through icy, ankle deep water.
All in all, I'm as ready as I can be for this 50K. A few days of "graveyard shift" and then vacation. Easy miles and relaxing as much as I can. I may sneak in a 5K and/or a WORS mtn. bike race the weekend before the 50K. We'll see.

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K

Good day, all! I thought I would sit down and put thoughts to computer monitor while those thoughts are fresh in my head. It sure beats trying to recall things a week or more from now, especially with my scatter brain!
I wasn't really sure how the day was going to go in the week leading up to Saturday. I had some niggling aches and pains that always leave me wondering if they will affect me on race day. Add in a helluva cold/sinus infection and I really wasn't feeling 100%. I took it really easy during the week. Only a few days of really short and easy running. I resisted the urge to do more. I even passed on a local 5K the Saturday before the run. Hard to do, but I've learned my lesson in that regard!
My eating habits weren't the best all week either. Not bad, but not exactly healthy! A big club sandwich, french fries and a tall, cold ( and very tasty ) beer the night before aren't really my first choice for a pre-race meal. McDonald's for breakfast ain't very wise either!!
Race day started nice and early at 4:30 a.m. for me. It looked like it was going to be a perfect day, weather wise. 40ish at race time and warming in to the 60's. Some sun and a nice breeze were forecast for the day.  A quick banana and some chocolate drink before a warm shower to ease the kinks out of the muscles. A fitful night of sleep didn't seem to have me too tired as Tammy and I loaded up the car and headed out from our hotel to the race site.
I got to the event site with plenty of time to check things out, wander around, try to stay warm and try to settle some pre-race nerves. I met up with Joel, a friend who used to live near me. We were planning on running at least a few early miles together.
A few minutes before 7:00 a.m. we all lined up and got a pep talk from Dean Karnazes. Right on time the gun went off and away we all went. I have a nasty habit of starting off too fast. Definitely not a good thing in a long race! I kept towards the middle of the pack and wound my way down some pavement before hitting the trail.
Joel and I spent the first miles talking and keeping the pace easy-for him. I had a few splits under 10:00/mile, which had me a little concerned. I usually don't have a time goal for these 50Ks, but that pace is faster than what I have averaged in previous races. Joel and I hit the first aid station just before seven miles. I grabbed some water and topped off my bottles. I knew Joel was getting itchy to pick up the pace, so he peeled off his coat and sped off down the trail. I'm glad the pace was slightly faster than I planned for those first miles. I just didn't know it at the time.
I fell in with another runner, David, from the Chicago area, just after the first aid station. Our paces seemed to mesh perfectly, so we passed the next miles together. David was using this for a training run leading up to a 50 miler and wanted to hold a steady pace and just keep running. We yo-yoed up and down the rolling hills for a while, talking and making the miles disappear beneath our feet.
I was being very conscious of my hydration and fueling during the race. During my last 50K in mid July, I let this slide and paid for it dearly. I was stopping at every aid station and grabbing something-potatoes with salt, PB&J, Mtn. Dew. Top off my bottles and I was moving again. I was trying to get in a bit of electrolyte or water every 15 minutes and a gel every 45 minutes. Top it off with an S!Cap every hour. Lots for me try and remember and still keep pushing down the trail.
I was feeling really good as the day wore on. No unusual aches or pains. No falls, which is unusual for me! No cramps, no stomach issues. I know I was hydrating well, since I watered the trees quite a few times. My splits were all over, but I wasn't worried about it. I was settling in to a comfortable zone and putting one foot in front of the other.
As the miles started to add up, I found myself running solo more and more. I got at the end of one conga line for a while, but that didn't last too long. I just enjoyed the beautiful day and watched the scenery go by.
I wasn't sure what to expect about the terrain going in to this race. I ran with a friend a few weeks earlier who had done this race a few years ago. He warned me to take it easy on the hills. The elevation profile didn't look too friendly, but the hills weren't as bad as I feared. There was a long and steady climb around mile 6 and again between 20 and 21 miles. Nothing steep, but steady. The worst thing for me was the stretches of energy sucking sand! The section going out wasn't too bad, but coming back, it felt like quicksand. There wasn't a good way around it, so it was just plow ahead as best I could.
At mile 21 I told myself, "ten miles to go. You've got this. Take it easy. Relax and rein it in a little." I was feeling really good and getting a little worried for some reason. Just waiting for the wheels to come off. Not that I was flying by any stretch of the imagination. My pace was averaging right around 10:35ish. In the back of my mind I started telling myself that I might be able to hit a 5:30:00 finish time. I had entertained this thought leading in to the race, but that would be a 15 minutes PB.
The last 10 miles went by smoothly. I did a few strides to change up the pace and use some different muscles. I kept the walking to a minimum, mostly through aid stations and up the couple longer climbs. I was getting feedback from the app on my phone of splits in the mid 9:00/mile range. Other than aid stations and the longer climbs, I stayed in the mid 9's from mile 16 on!
I hit the last aid station with less than two miles to go. I grabbed a . Dew from the volunteer and slammed it down. She told me I had less than two miles and asked how I felt. I told her "no problem. I got this!"
Mtn
I pushed down the trail to the highway section we started on and headed the last mile to the finish. I felt great and kept trying to relax. No sense sprinting the last mile of a 50K.
I finished the race feeling great. A little sore, but come on, that's to be expected, right? Hydration and fueling went perfect. No major complaints anywhere. My pre-race goals were: A-to finish (of course) B-set a new PB for 50K and C-break 5:30:00. I nailed two of the three. My finish time was 5:30:45. Just over fifteen minutes faster than my previous best. And I felt great. Feet and legs were still pretty fresh. The Hoka Stinson Evo worked super. Yep, I'm a convert! I honestly had something left in the tank. Which begs to wonder, maybe I need to push a little harder and suffer a little more. A good subject for another day.
All in all a great day. I would like to think my easy (slow) pace to AS1 led Joel to his PB - 4:42:27. Can't even imagine that pace and effort! The course was excellent. The aid stations and volunteers were amazing. My thanks and appreciation to everyone who helped make this event and day flow so smoothly!
A bit long winded, I know. Thanks for checking this out. Now, to decide what's next. I might have one more race left in me! We'll see.

Pre-race count down

T-minus three days to The North Face Endurance Series Wisconsin 50K this Saturday (September 14). I hope I'm ready. I am currently suffering from the normal pre-race niggles. These aren't to be confused with muggles (for nerdy Harry Potter fans), the Wiggles or British Beatle mania. I have a bit of an achy back, sore right knee/hip and one helluva cold/sinus infection/??? Nothing serious, and not an excuse for any possible poor race results. I'm sure that on race day morning, all the aches and pains will go away after a few miles. And with a few miles to go, I'll have a whole new passel of aches and pains, none of which will keep me from the finish line.
I'm hoping that a larger field of runners will spur me to a new PB. The two other 50Ks I ran this summer had smaller fields. By the end of each, I was running solo. No one to push me or run with, so I generally slow down. I may even have a running partner, if he can run as slow as me.
I may squeak in one more post before the run. If not, I'll recap my adventure afterwards.
Thanks for taking time to read this.

Every little bit helps

Being on vacation this last week has given me extra time to think and reflect. Not always a good thing, considering how my crazy, mixed up mind works. Anyhoo.......I was thinking how lucky I am to have support. A lot, okay most of what I do (or try to do) is made so much easier with the support of my wife, Tammy. She will never admit it, but she gives up huge amounts of her time so I can run, bike, ski, ....or whatever strikes my fancy. And I fully appreciate it! She pushes me some days, tells me to suck it up and get out there. She rides along on her bike on long runs to keep me company and supply me with water and food. She is there at the start, in between and at the finish of my races. Rain, shine, snow, whatever Mother Nature dishes out. Patiently waiting, sometimes for hours! She volunteers at races and cheers on the other competitors. I think you get the picture. And this truly makes what I love to do so much easier. I rarely feel guilty putting in hours and hours a week. We still have "our time". The last thing she did really blew me away and made me realize how lucky I am and how much she does.

Dear Hoka One One Gods,

 

I'm writing on behalf of my husband.  He recently discovered your shoes.  The first pair was The Hoka One One Stinsons which he absolutely fell in love with.  He used them to run

Dances with Dir'ts 50K and actually took a 3rd in his age division.  That was a BIG jump from the 50K before (of course he wasn't wearing the Hoka's then!) LOL

 The second pair is the Hoka One One Bondi B, which again he absolutely loves!  These are fairly new so he hasn't had a chance to race in them yet.

 He is running the North Face Endurance 50K in Sept.  I'm not sure which shoe he will be using (of course it will be one of the Hoka's)  I don't think he will run in anything else now!

 I'm not writing to request anything free.  But I would really like to know how I could get him a Hoka t-shirt?  I've seen other racers with your shirt on and would love to surprise him

before his next race.

 Lastly...I'm sure the other races I saw with your advertising on their shirts are your sponsored runners.  What would he (Hubs) have to do to get your attention.  I think he would love 

to be a Hoka guy!  This year he is running 50k's, next year 50 milers and then...who knows!!! Even if you can't help me out...just know that your shoes are loved 

 

Thanks Much

 

Tammy VandeZande

Pretty nice! I really didn't expect much of a response. Maybe a form letter type reply. She received a personal reply from Eric Emerson of Hoka almost immediately. I was surprised when a week or so later a box arrived in the mail. Inside was a shirt for both of us and two pair of technical socks. To say the least, her support and Hoka's is greatly appreciated. 

I also received some great support from The NorthFace. I received an e-mail a couple months ago inquiring if I was doing the NorthFace Endurance Challenge Series race in Madison, WI. It was on my radar, but I hadn't committed yet. Dani Chandler of The NorthFace presented me with the opportunity of running my choice of distance and covering my entry fee! Sweet! Almost like being a sponsored runner!! What amazing support of just a normal, everyday, middle of the pack ultra runner! And again, the support is greatly appreciated. Want to run with me? There is still time. Use DVZ13 (case sensitive) for an entry discount. #ECSWisconsin

So that is why what I do is so easy. A little support goes a long way and makes the miles and hours fly by!

Thanks to all who support me, believe in me and push me to places I never believed I could go!!

And thanks to all of you (both of you) who read this!!

Sven