The 2010 race schedule is in

So far it looks like the following;

Zumbro 100
Ice Age 50M
Kettle 100

I just can't resist going back to Ice Age and Kettle. Too many emails from the "Sconnies" egging me on.

Looks like I might be changing me training strategy significantly.

After Kettle I will evaluate the rest of the year.

Zumbro sounds like a good idea now, but at 12am on April 10th, it will probably fell like a real bad decision.

At least I will get my birthday miles at that race. More than double.

Lots to post, little desire to do so.

The cliche "Year in Review"

You might be a bad blogger if....
....... it has been so long since your last post, you have to sign in again because your computer does not recognize the website. :)

Yes, as cliche as it is, I am deciding to do the year in review for one reason, I actually had a good year!

And for the first time in almost 30 years of running, I actually achieved one of my "secret" goals.

In short, here it is

Ran my first 100K
PR'd my 50 Mile (Ice Age - Won my age group.... the Lapham gang are still wondering how I pulled that off with an 8:41)

And the big one.... Kettle 100.
-Beat my best 50K time
-Beat my 100K
-Ran my second fastest 50M
-Ran sub 20
-Got my first top 10 finish (in a race where there were more than 10 runners)

And then it was all downhill after that.

A killer Voyageur (glad to just finish it)

A DNF at Superior (yes, it still stings).

BUT..... I learned a ton about myself this year, and learned some key elements of training and racing.

Oh yeah.... I won my first race ever! The 10K the week after Kettle in the middle of North Dakota. The competition wasn't deep, but I will take it. 42:something won the race (it was like running with concrete shoes I was so sore).

So the down time of blogging is almost over. Training season about to start. Not sure what is in store, but I am grateful for:

- The health and well being to be able to show up to any race
- The great friends I have made on the trails (okay.... even you cool hand)
- People who are willing to read this

Merry New Year (It's happy new year, dimwit) Movie?

The last month in review

If 1 post per month becomes the pattern, I might just end this blog. It has been low priority on a list that has become challenging.

It has been a challenging month in my work life, so I have been able to put my ultra skills to work. What I am going through now is a lot like the second half of an ultra, minus the death march (I hope). If you know who I work for, Google news them and you will get it.

On the good side, I am back to a consistent schedule of 8M/day 5-6 times per week. Nice and easy.

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I was back in Wisconsin last week, and ended up participating in Jeff's "Funk Road 50". Celebrate someone's birthday by running a 50k on a week night. File it under "Sounded like a good idea at the time".

Somehow, I ended up running the first 8 miles or so with the fast boys and got pounded by them. On one of the out and backs, I decided to ease off and run with 2 women who started earlier and were running slower. They were Cathy Drexler and Christine Crawford.

Cathy is a hardcore volunteer at Superior, so it was to actually talk to her. Christine is a fellow beer snob, so she gets props for that. I don't know if she has a reputation as a sandbagger, but when we were finally about 2 miles from the 25k turnaround, she kept saying we were 6 miles out. I kept thinking, "Wow, I have really lost my conditioning and sense distance". She is recovering from an injury, and is used to running about 5 minutes faster for pace.

The two of them saved me from missing a turn (the whole race was in the dark, and well marked, but I missed a small arrow on a road).

At the turnaround I figured 25k was enough on a school night, and I got the "awww, come on"s. Sorry. Ron Bero had a similar case of the "I don't want tos".

Todd E and I raided Jeff's fridge back at his house looking for beer. Never found it. I find out later it was on the porch in a cooler.

Thanks Lapham gang.

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I spent some time in Kansas City and ran a short route with a few KC Trail Nerds. I don't think they were ready to go hammer out 3 hours of hills as I was that night. So we did about an hour at the Psycho Wyco Course. I also got a run in at Shawnee Mission Park.

I did get out to St. Louis, and Travis suggested I hit "Chubb". I got there 15 minutes before the sun went down, and got kind of lost. Luckily, I kept it close. It is one of those parks which closes "1/2 hour after sunset". I never know when that actually is. That is a bad ass course.

*****************

More to come

The Lapham Drinking Club

They call themselves the "Lapham Peak Trail Runners".

I saw Lapham Peak, I saw trails, I saw runners, but I saw a lot of drinking, eating and hanging out. This could be one of those drinking clubs with a running problem.

I was dumb enough to bring a decent stash of homebrew thinking "hmmm, this is more than enough". I returned with 1 or 2 of mine, and a case of 12 oz Blatz in cans. Blasphemy!

As with many trail running groups, these guys and gals are fun to be around and not at all pretentious. They have a lot to be pretentious about, if they chose to. I think 5 of the guys I was out there with ran Ice Age 50 in under 8 hours. Me, being the 8:40 runner felt rather inadequate. One of them won it outright last year. So these guys (and girls) can run.

Brad and Julie (I think at least one of them have been at every ultra I have run) were there tearing up the trail. They both had just run Wild Duluth 100K, and Glacial 50M, I believe (and were going to run the North Face races that weekend). They should go for Gnarly Bandit next year.

So I got to run the stairs, and that tower everybody has probably seen. It is on the Trailbreaker Marathon. Picture of it here.



I guess we did the "Black Looop", but I am not sure. All I know is that they ran all of the hills, and 1 hour was enough for me.

So then we hung out for a couple of hours doing what trail runners do best. Talk about boring stories of..... Glory Days. (you are supposed to sing that a la "The Boss").

Kevin Grabowski, the self appointed "Good Looking One", took these pictures.




That's the famous Dave Diehar on the right, Me, Brad Birkholz, and Julie Treder.

As you can see, a fine smorgasboard of trail runner fuel.

I might be back for the Funk Road 50, a race celebrating Jeff Mallach's 50th birthday (it starts at 6:03 PM on a Tuesday, 50K). I have a sales blitz that day and the next in WI. Not sure if I can do my job, sandwiching in a 50K at night, but might be fun to try. (although, might be tough to explain)

You might be an ultra runner if.....
.... You work all day, and then run a 50K at night, sleep for a few hours, and go back to work (I am no desk jockey).

So thank you to the Lapham gang.
Dave, Joel, Ron, Kevin, Brad, Todd, Angela, Deb?, Julie, Jeff, Craig, and I think a few others. They are a fun bunch. And they now how to "List Trash Talk". The MN Dead Runners used to be good at this, but I think the list got to big for constant back an forth smart ass remarks.

And.... this got me back to running again. Steady 8 mile runs daily again, but nice and slow.

Thoughts and ideas brewing for the winter. Will have some posted by the end of the week.

Good luck to all who are running Surf the Murph this weekend. I am opting out to spend time with the family (don't you hate that lame-ass cop out?).

Spoke too soon

As soon as I started to bask in my self pity and lameness, I looked at my schedule for the next 2 weeks.

Being in Wisconsin Wed-Fri, I thought I would give Kevin of the Lapham gang a shout to see if he was up for showing me the "Lapham Loop" on Wed. Turns out there is a group run there on Wed night.

Turns out he emailed the whole group saying I would be there. So, I offered to bring some brew, and now I am running again (tomorrow).

I think they are going to try and bury me, but Afton is my home course.... and I have many miles on the Superior trail. How hard could it be? (famous last words).

On a good note, I slept a full night 2 Nights in a row. No coughing! yeah!

Trying to get back on the wagon

I hit the perfect storm.

Lots of work, extensive travel, family stuff, eating like crap, and sick. Running is the last thing on my mind, and I don't care.

I need the time off. At least to rebuild mentally.

One of the harder things about training for ultras is not the long runs. It is the daily 8-10 milers at an easy pace. I made them a daily ritual, and it paid off.

I have basically been doing that for about 11 months now, and I am ready for a break.

I will probably start up with something November 1st. I have some ideas for competition between me and some of those of you who read this. All for fun, but more importantly to keep me going.

Stay tuned

Still Alive

Work has a funny way of putting a kink in the running schedule.

7 of the last 8 weeks I have been on the road for 1-5 nights per week. It is catching up to me. At least now I am on my own, and able to set my own schedule. Thus, when on the road, I can bail at 5pm and go run somewhere for a few hours (instead of joining others for dinner). I am sure I have packed on a few pounds.

Not sure if the race season is over for me, or if I will venture out and do Surf the Murph 50M. I would like to, but if I am low on desire/ambition, etc, it could turn ugly.

I will be out spectating at the Twin Cities Marathon tomorrow. Good luck to all who are running. I will be cheering at around mile 24.

I might be wearing a poncho in case Nic decides to yawn in technicolor as he goes by.

I am going for a run now.