Push on or suck it up? (Pride or common sense)

I'm posting this while sipping a cup of hot tea and watching the occasional  snow squall from Ma Nature. On April 19!! What the ?!@$ The crappy and unseasonable weather isn't helping my mood or my training. I've got my ultra in less than a month, and I've been on the trail once. In the snow!!!
Which brings me to the thinking for this post. I'm not sure if it's all the road miles, or just all the miles, but my body is starting to rebel a bit. I guess I'm not the genetic freak some of my kids think I am. Nothing serious (I think) but my feet are starting to complain. Yes, I've seen a medical professional, so I'm not self-diagnosing!! It's mostly arch pain, sometimes in both feet. Now it's spread to the top of one foot. My original thought was plantar fasciitis. That doesn't seem to be it. It stays around constantly. Doesn't go away (usually) throughout the day. The ache on top of the foot can really get my attention if it tries!
So what does this have to do with pride or common sense? I'm signed up for the Ice Age Trail 50 on May 11. 50 miles. I'm beginning to think the feet aren't going to put up with the distance. I've notched a 50K on the road, plus a few more above 20 miles. Add in a handful in the teens. After my latest 27+ miles, my feet weren't happy with me at all. The rest of my body was fine with the miles. My feet and I are no longer on speaking terms. I've been icing, heating, rolling and talking nice to them. Apparently they are stubborn piggies! So, do I suck it up and press on regardless? I know, long miles hurt. It ain't a walk in the park.  Maybe take a chance and screw up the rest of the season. Or do I try and contact the RD and see if I can move to the 50K? I know I can do that. The prospect of starting the 50 miler and DNFing is a thought I don't like. I've been running, biking and xc skiing for 30+ years, and have 3 DNFs-all mechanicals. I like to think I'm tough and won't give up. But, I've realized I'm not in my 20's, or even my 40's, anymore. I want to push myself, but I need to be smart too. My job doesn't allow my to relax and put my feet up either. I need to get up and head to work six days a week. Time off due to injury isn't an option. It would add insult to injury if it was a case of hard headedness and self induced.
I need a few days to think and mull things over. I know the taper that is coming up will help. And I'm not even sure moving down is an option. If not, I give it my best and take the miles as they come! I'll let ya know what happens.
Thanks for visiting!
Sven

Too long, again

Well, if the road to hell is paved with good intentions, my road must be smooth as hell! I mean to update this much more often than I do, but life just seems to keep getting in the way.
Anyway....My training had been going very well. I feeling better about my upcoming 50 miler, but not over confident.
I had a really solid January. The snow wasn't really good enough for cross country skiing, so I piled on the running miles. I got in a couple outings on the skis, but it was a running month for me. I logged 230 miles, which is most likely a personal best for me. Long, slow miles, with some walk breaks, but still good miles. Lots of cold miles too. I guess if Mother Nature wouldn't give us snow, she made up for it with cold.
I eased up a little in February trying to get ready for the Birkie. Not enough skiing made for a long day come Birkie Saturday. I had my slowest Birkie in memory, maybe my slowest ever. But, I finished and had fun. Next year, my goal is to train hard, weather permitting, and have a strong and fast Birkie. We'll see!
March is going strong. At the pace I'm going, I just might surpass January's miles. I'm getting in good long runs. I'm working on hydration and fueling. I've got my walk/run ratio dialed in. I wish I could get on the trails, but the snow is hanging on for dear life. I've had fun running routes I usually cover on the bike. It's nice to slow down and enjoy the scenery. But I do get some odd looks from people in the cars as they pass by, like " what the hell is that guy doing running out here miles from anywhere?"
I haven't spent any time on the bike. I know I'll be paying for that come WORS season, but I guess I race myself in to shape...again!
Mostly, I'm kind of proud of the miles I'm getting in while working shift work six day a week. I've run 24 miles before going in to work my 3 pm to 11 pm shift. I've run 20+ miles during my 11-7 shift. Actually my top mileage week was while working "graveyard shift". I got an 18+ mile run after day shift this last week and followed that up with over 16 after work on Sunday. I realize everyone has busy lives these days, I just like to think I'm proving that if you want it bad enough, time isn't an excuse.
It's an easy week for me this week, at least in terms of work. VACATION! Not sure if I'll squeak in some extra miles or not. The schedule I've been following seems to be working, and I don't want to mess with it too much.
I'll try to babble more later this week. Thanks for checking this out. Comments are always welcome.

Wishing for snow-sorta!

Well, it has been a few weeks and it's time to check in. I'm just wrapping up week 7 of my 50 miler training. Week 6 was one of my best weeks since ???? Admittedly being on vacation helped! I ended up with just over 62 miles, one day on snowshoes, and a day at the gym. To bad work always has to interfere! Week 7 is going just as well. I ran a 20 miler on January 11 in the mist, fog and somewhat unseasonable (40°F) temps. This is my longest run since my 50K in May of 2012. These last two weeks have me feeling just a wee bit more confident about my 50 miler. I have been playing around with my walk/run plan on my long runs. I'm not foolish enough to think I can RUN 50 miles with out some walk breaks! So far I've tried 25/5 and 15/5. Maybe something in between for the next long run. I've also been very cognizant of my pace while running. I've been trying a different type of training after reading "Metabolic Efficiency Training: Teaching The Body To Burn More Fat" by Bob Seebohar. Basically, it calls for easier paces and teaching your body to burn more fat instead of carbohydrates. To do that, you slow your pace and/or effort. Plus you don't consume as many carbs. Ideally, I'd head off to a sports testing lab at a college or hospital and have my metabolic efficiency tested. Being to cheap, not having the time and finding a location to have it done, I'm counting on 35+ years of experience, for what that's worth! I've been trying to stay around 9:30-10:00 per mile, especially on longer runs.This isn't to say I'm totally neglecting speed. I've hit the treadmill for some intervals, just to remind the legs that they can go fast, if they have to! All in all, I think my training is going well. Time will tell!
So just what does this have to do with wishing for snow-sorta. Well, in the middle of all this ultra training, I'm planning on doing the Birke. That means some cross country skiing. How's that going. Not so good! We had some pretty decent snow here the beginning of January. Between work, holiday hoo-hah and trying to keep to a running plan, I've been out once! And it wasn't pretty. I felt slow, awkward and generally uncoordinated. Now we've had a mid-January thaw, with temps in the 40's and some rain. Bye bye snow! I'm fairly confident I'll have an endurance base that will allow me to complete the Birkie, without much more skiing. I managed a sub 4 hour Birkie - barely- in 2012, with only 3 days on snow and about 35 miles. Will it be pretty? Nope! But it isn't goal number one this year.
That's how my new year is going. I hope everyone else has started of 2013 with a bang and has big plans and lofty goals for the the coming months. I'll be back shortly to update you.
Thanks for checking this out. Feedback is always appreciated!
Sven 'o the North

2013 - Goal Number One

Believe it or not, time for another post! It's a rainy Saturday, and that seems to be the perfect time to relax and ruminate.
I have set my first "serious" goal for 2013! Look at me, planning ahead!! I am officially registered for the Ice Age Trail 50 miler. This is a 50 mile trail run in the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine Forest, near La Grange, WI. I ran the 50K event last May, and apparently that wasn't enough torture. Actually, it wasn't! I need to see how far I can push myself and what I'm made of. Hopefully I won't find out what's inside me!
Looking back at my training from last year, I definitely need to take this more seriously. I had a good time at the 50K and if memory serves, I ran the majority of it. I finished, but not necessarily as strong as I would have liked. But, if nothing else, I learned a lot! And I'm carrying that knowledge, or lack thereof, forward this year to the 50 miler.
I certainly need to run more. Last year was just kind of a jumble of ideas, plans and guesses. Not bragging, but I really feel my overall general fitness got me to the finish. This year, I have a schedule, plan, whatever you want to call it. It's a plan from "Relentless Forward Progress" by Bryon Powell adjusted to fit my crazy shift work schedule. It's three weeks of progressively longer weeks and then a recovery/easy week. I've almost finished my third week and I feel pretty good. I got my 16 miler in yesterday (Friday, December 14) and felt good for the entire distance. Now, that might not seem like much, but add in running it on 11-7 shift, after only 4 hours sleep, a very small breakfast, and only one water bottle and a couple electrolyte tabs. Nothing fancy, nothing fast, but solid miles (in my opinion). I'm trying a new nutrition approach, but I'll save that for another post.

So, that's goal number one for 2013. I am going to put in some honest and dedicated training. My goal for the run is to run strong, enjoy myself and finish feeling like I could run at least a little farther. I'm not calling this a race, because I'm not racing, at least not in my strictest definition of the word. Follow along and see if I can squeeze all this in on my crazy work schedule, without driving friends and family crazy! Trust me, it'll be an interesting journey.

My feet after last year's Ice Age 50K. Hope they fair better in this year's 50 miler!

I'm baaack!!

Damn! I'm back! Did ya miss me?? Did ya know I was gone? I just looked back and realized it's been over a year since I've rambled, ranted and mused here. I'll keep this short and add more in a few days. No really!!
The last year wasn't quite up to my usual lofty standards. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but I've had better, at least in the silent sports area. I guess we all have off years. 
I did have a great Birkie. No PR, but I had fun and felt great. That was my main goal. 
I did my first ultra trail run in May. The Ice Age Trail 50K. Again, nothing spectacular, but I had fun. And I learned a lot. It won't be my last. 
My WORS season was lackluster to say the least. I'm attributing that to not enough quality training. I never put the bike in the trainer all winter, instead focusing on ultra training and the occasional bike commute. Speaking of......
That is probably the thing I am most proud of over the course of the last year. I have managed to put in at least one bike commute every month of 2012. And I will get in one more in December to make it one per month for the year. Some of the early ones were cold, windy and a bit iffy on the icy/snowy back roads, but none were regretted. 
I snuck in a last minute half marathon in October. On minimal run training I had a strong, I think, race. Considering it was my longest run since the ultra in May, I was very pleased! 
Still fine tuning my goals and events for next year. I'll write about them in a few days. 
It's nice to be back!

Sven                                        Finishing the Ice Age Trail 50K

29er Hardtail vs. 26er Full Suspension

Since I haven't been doing much riding lately, I've been thinking. And that's usually dangerous. I have been considering getting rid of my trusty Specialized Epic Expert 26er full suspension bike and moving to a 29er hard tail.

I raced a 29er hard tail last year, although it was a single speed. I really liked how it handled. Maybe it was just the simplicity of no gears. Just pedal as fast and hard as you can and try to maintain that momentum.

This year I raced the Epic. And the ride was amazing. Gears, and lots of suspension. My old body really appreciated that after some of the tougher races.

Halfway through the year I picked up a 29er hard tail. But to make a long story very short, my wife seems to have made it her own. So, I'm back to the Epic.

So why the thoughts of switching? I'm not really sure. The Epic is going on five years old, so a new bike would be nice. But, there isn't anything wrong with it. It's a great set up. Not the flashiest or lightest, but then again, I'm not the flashiest or the speediest!

Truth be told, I'm leaning heavily towards keeping the Epic and upgrading to a 2x9 setup. I rarely use that small chainring anyway. Maybe 2x10, but the 2x9 would be a little easier on the wallet and probably easier to convince the wife.

So, any opinions or thoughts? Let me know. Or maybe you're interested in a well maintained Epic?

WORS wrap up

Finally, a long season done! And I'm already looking forward to next year. That my seem like contradictory statements, but that's how I feel.Overall, I had a great year. I had a goal of finishing the year on the podium again, and I met that with a 2nd in the Sport 50-54 category. While I'm pleased with how I did, there is definitely room for improvement.I had some great races, some good and a couple that I would like to have a "do over". I had races where I felt like my bike and I were one. The force must have been with me! I had races where I wanted to leave my bike out on the course somewhere. I raced in sun, rain, hot and cold. I raced ten out of the twelve races, plus the short track and super D at Subaru Cup. I brought home a medal in 6 of those races. First and second in my age group weren't decided until the last race. That's competitive!The main thing is that I had a blast! I made some new friends and totally enjoyed myself. I know where I need to focus my off season work to try and improve for next year.I want to thank everyone who raced the series this year. And everyone who is involved in keeping this going year after year. It makes for a very busy and tiring racing season, but I wouldn't change it for anything.Now, maybe for some 'cross before the end of the year.

Photo of Sport Male 50-54 That's me on the left, along with Todd Fletcher in first and Jim Feuerstein in third. Thanks to Melissa Kennedy for the photo!