50 Mile Weekend

Originally, I had 4 to 5 of these really big weekends planned, but somehow I managed to miss each and every one of them. Except for this past weekend. On my last high mileage weekend before beginning my taper, I got my 50.

I was thinking of 30 Saturday and 20 Sunday, but as I was running Saturday, I was thinking about the possible routes in Hinckley, and how they are all divisible by 3 not an even number. So because of that, I modified my mileage to 29 Saturday and 21 Sunday. A mile easier one day and a mile harder the other.

For Saturday's run, I wanted to get back down onto the course and run some sections that I haven't yet. I wanted to see what the trail conditions were like and begin to fine tune my race-day strategy. Parking at the Boston Store, I headed north on the Buckeye Trail, the reverse direction of the BR course. What I noticed immediately was how dry the trails were. Completely recovered from the sloppy mess I encountered on Mother's Day.

I made my way up to the Piano Keys and made a mental note that climbing these steps is going to really suck at nearly 50 miles into the run. At least there's a handrail!

The Buckeye Trail was a busy place early on in my run. Now, granted, I did get a late start and the folks I met had been out there for a while already. My 10:00-ish start time wasn't intentional, but it would put me out there in the heat of the day. Good training.

Blue Hen Falls was relatively quiet, with no one climbing around and getting in my photo for once. The lack of rain has caused the creeks to become tiny little things. I didn't encounter any difficulty at any of the water crossings and the muddy patches were merely soft spots. No trouble at all. I could go for some softer trails for race day, but I'll take them dry over wet.

The day was hot so I carried three 16 ounce bottles with me. I had a rough plan of where I wanted to run and the route I wanted to go. I knew where I could refill my bottles. My only regret is not carrying Gatorade mix with me. I took only Nuun tablets. They worked for hydration, but I could have used the extra calories. In the heat I didn't have much of an appetite for the Clif Bars I was carrying.

I followed the BT into the Brecksville Reservation, through Ottawa Point, eventually picking up the APT. Stopping at Oak Grove I refilled a bottle before continuing on my way. I jumped back onto the BT before the last big descent along the parkway and popped out of the woods at Riverview Rd.

Passing quickly through Station Road, I was on the Towpath still heading north. This section is race course, and will be hot on race day. Fortunately for me, it was hot this day too. At the Frazee House, I turned back onto Buckeye trail and had some real peace and quiet. I didn't take the trail all the way to the Bike and Hike, but for the time I was on it I didn't see another soul. I decided to turn around when I hit an overgrown field and I didn't feel like pushing through more leaves and grass.

Reversing course, I made my way back down to the Towpath and eventually back to Station Road. There I refilled more empty bottles and had something to eat. I had a few miles of hot Towpath ahead of me and I wanted to be prepared. It was hot. And crowded. The cyclists were out in force! For the second time this year, I couldn't help but wonder how many of those bikers weren't going to ride as far that day as I was going to run.

I stayed focused and survived the heat with no problems. I even managed to notice some of the sights along the way! As I was pushing through the heat, I had two things on my mind: 1) I would need to go back out for a little bit after getting back to the Boston Store in order to get my 29 and 2) I needed the can of Coke I had in my trunk! I could taste it and I intended to down it before finishing my run.

The Coke was one of those small cans and didn't take long to empty. Then I was off for a short mile and a half out-and-back. This time I went south along the Towpath, took the left where the Valley Bridle Trail veers off, and climbed back onto the Buckeye Trail. More uphill. This section was pretty quiet with only a few others out there with me.

It was just me and nature. And this little guy I managed to hear rather than see. I know one of these days I'm going to run into one a little larger. After what wasn't too long it was time to turn around and head back. I was very tired and dehydrated by the time I finished. And it was nearly 5:00. That's a long time in the woods. My complete run data can be found HERE.

Sunday's run was much less adventurous, was harder, and had more company. I met up with the Sunday morning Hinckley group at 7:00. I just wasn't going to make the 5:30 start. I had no soreness or foot problems so I started out with the hopes of having a decent run. It didn't take me long to realize though, that my legs were pretty shot and I wouldn't be able to maintain a very fast pace. But that's kind of what I was hoping for. That was one of the possibilities for Rite Aid: Run Saturday and then run the race tired. Not only would Sunday's run be a physically training run, but a mental one too.

The big 9 mile loop kicked my butt and I walked the major climbs, including Effie. I really didn't want to go back out on that loop again, so for the rest I stayed in the park. Ladd ran with me for the first of my four 3 mile loops, then I was on my own. Two more loops on the APT and then I switched to the Lake Trail. 21 miles done! All the Hinckley data can be found HERE.

A big weekend for a big race. I hope it will all be enough to get me to the finish line in under 30 hours. Tapering has begun. I'm reducing mileage but maintaining intensity. As an example, we were at the track last night running 800 meter repeats in the sun and heat. I pushed hard and managed to be only a little slower than what I would have liked.

Race day is getting close. Less than 2 1/2 weeks now.

2011 Twin Sizzler 5K and 10K

After running Friday night/Saturday morning, I didn't know if I would be capable of turning out a race-worthy performance for either of the pair of July 4th runs. I rested the entire day on Saturday and took Sunday off to recover as well. When we began making margaritas late in the day on the 3rd, I began to doubt if I would even be able to get up early the following morning. But while watching Medina's fireworks display from the sidewalk around our little development that night, I felt pretty good. Good enough to go straight to bed afterward, get up early, and give it a go.

I ran up to the Square from home with money to register because it was a nice morning and I didn't feel like driving such a short distance. The 1.8 miles made for a very nice warm-up and I was literally dripping sweat as I struggled to fill out the registration form. I must have looked quite the mess. Soon enough I was back outside to bide my time until the start of the 5K. I would be running both, with the 5K as another warm-up. I wanted my miles!

Rather than race all-out in the 5K, I started very slow and way in the back of the pack. The start was downhill and I wanted no temptation to go out too fast. My 10K PR was 20 years old and if I were going to make an attempt on one of the two times, it would be that one. Once the field spread out, I settled into a comfortable pace and concentrated on maintaining good form and breathing. It wasn't really hot out, and we had solid cloud cover, but the humidity made for harder breathing.

The race was uneventful and I saw a few people I knew. We wound our way back to the Square and had a nice uphill finish in front of the Courthouse. My official time was 23:46. Not horrible, but not that good either. But it didn't bother me as I wasn't running hard. Race data for the 5K can be found HERE.

After finishing, I had about a 45 minute wait until the start of the 10K. I took this time to rehydrate and consume an entire pack of Clif Shot Blocks, a gummy version of a sports drink. I also took a gel to help with calories. I found an empty park bench and relaxed for a while. Yes, I had a good shot at beating my 10K PR because it was so old, but I didn't want to dwell on it. No pressure. Just a 6.2 mile run with effort.

The start of the 10K was the same as the 5K only a little smaller. Fewer people wanted to run the longer distance. I also lined up further forward, but not far enough that I would get caught up with the fast guys. Downhill we went, turned, and the long climb up Rt. 57 began. I settled into a solid pace and found myself working my way up through the field. "Not too fast," I would think to myself. I wanted to save any speed for the second half.

I didn't know the course, so I was in for a treat when I saw that we would run up the big hill off of Lexington Ridge. It's a great training hill so racing it would be even better! Again, I just maintained a steady pace and climbed. Pretty soon it was over, we leveled out, and then it was time to descend. This was the first real downhill with open space, so I just let the legs spin. Not pushing, just cruising downhill. At the bottom would be a turn, followed by another large uphill. I knew there was another downhill coming so again, I pushed just hard enough going up. The rest of the race would continue like that: pushing conservatively on the uphills and nearly hammering the downhills. And my mile splits were getting faster!

Pretty soon we were at the bottom of the hill to the finish. Time for one final push, so I switched into a faster gear. I like to kick at the end, but I wasn't too worried about getting the best possible finish placement. If someone wanted to kick and pass me going uphill, they were going to have to hurt and earn it. I was catching up to two men ahead of me, but we were so close to the finish chute, only an all-out sprint on my part would have put me past them. I had it in me, but decided not to pull the trigger. We finished one behind the other going into the chute. It would turn out, the first fellow was in my age group and took 2nd. I took 3rd. I didn't find out until Tuesday about placing, and just today about the placing. Anything can happen in a race. For me, I am happy with my performance. I had a good, solid run and achieved a new PR at 45:39, but left TONS of room to beat it again in the future. 10K race data can be found HERE.

I am 23 days out from Burning River and I'm racing short stuff. And it was FUN! That's what I've been hoping to experience. 100 miles is a long way and needs to be taken seriously or it will mess someone up. But for me, it needs to be fun or it's not worth doing. I hope I can continue in this direction and show up ready to have a grand time for 100 miles!

Firecracker 40 FA

Big thanks to Cyrus for forwarding the info for this run to me a week ago. I was aware of it's existence, but didn't know it was going to be this weekend. What it is, is a loosely organized group night training run on the last 40 miles of the Burning River course. Was it something I needed to do? Yes!

I was familiar with the BR course from just past Shadow Lake to the Perkins Loop with just a random hole here or there. Now I'm familiar with the entire course with the exception of the road section at the start and the trails (which I've heard are mild) leading up to Shadow Lake. And not only that, I've done the night sections in the dark. And they weren't too bad! Granted, the Perkins Loop is much more scenic and enjoyable by day, but I was expecting it to be a nightmare in the dark. And although I had company for the entire run, my concerns about what I might run into in the CVNP at night have been allayed. If it came down to it, I could push on down the trail by myself without hesitation.

Most of us met down near the finish line in a parking lot across the street from the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls. Thanks to Zack for offering me a lift to the start at Lock 29 in Peninsula. We had a large group, well over the 43 that were definitely attending, which made for an almost party-like atmosphere. There were a few people I knew, many faces I recognized, but mainly lots of new people to meet. We must have been some sight running down the street to 303 while everyone else was trying to either get to the Winking Lizard or returning home from a day at the Boston Mills Artfest.

On race day, there will be an aid station at the Pine Lane Trailhead, so that's were we ran to get onto the course. We take an old brick street to get there, paralleling 303, up and out of the Valley. Eventually it narrows down to a single wide path through the brush as nature reclaims another section of abandoned road in that area. A photo of the street is HERE from a previous run. Now, I've been through Pine Lane quite a few times, and I've never known there is another trail there. It's a section of the Valley Bridle Trail and it was awesome! Hilly, scenic ravines. It was great to run it with the sun still breaking through in spots. I will return there again for photos.

We followed the bridle trail until we hit an old section of Akron Peninsula Rd. Then it was some road miles until we joined up with the Bike and Hike Trial. While on the road section, I met a fellow named Mike. Our paces were very similar so we decided to stick together. From the Bike and Hike, we took a short path to join up with the Boston Run Trail, which we almost missed. Once on the Boston Run Trail, we had a decision to make: right or left. As that trail is a loop, it didn't really matter which direction we chose. We would eventually end up in the same spot. I suggested left because I had studied the map section earlier in the day and I thought we ran for a bit along 303, which would put us running clockwise.

The Happy Days aid station would be in the parking lot on race day. This night Dan B. was crewing us and had a roving aid station waiting for us. I was carrying much of what I needed on me, not wanting to have to depend on anyone else. All I would technically need was water, but I couldn't pass up a cookie or two. After Happy Days we looped around the east side of the Ledges, where the shadows were long and deep. Bats were already out and about in the darkness and I considered turning on my headlamp. We both waited on the additional light and enjoyed running in the restricted light that is sunset under a heavy tree canopy. There was one fork in the path where the Pine Grove Trail loop splits from the connector trail. Both Mike and I thought the loop was part of the course so we ran it. I'm not sure if everyone else ran it though. Once we were done and back on the main course we had a groups of runners "materialize" both in front and behind us.

Crossing Truxel Rd., we made our way around Kendall Lake and onto the Cross Country trail. I think it was along this section that we met up with the four other runners we would spend nearly the rest of the night with: Kyle, Mikaila, Suzanne, and Tim. A great group of runners! Every one's lights were on as we climbed the Sound of Music Hill on our way to Pine Hollow. Dan was there waiting for us with food, water, and Gatoraid. Good Gatoraid too! I'm usually leery of drinking sports drink that I don't mix myself, having had bad experiences doing so, but Dan did a good job mixing up something that was more than tolerable.

The Salt Run Trail loop was next on our journey. It's a hilly, rooty course by day, with long sections of steps going both up and down. By night, it really slowed us down. I could really understand how it defeated people so badly during BR as it falls around mile 70. We all made it through just fine. The Cleveland Orchestra concert (I think) at Blossom was just finishing and their fireworks going off as we wound our way through Salt Run. I'm curious if anything could be seen from up above because we could barely see the headlights of cars driving by on Akron Peninsula or Quick Rd the foliage was so thick.

After re-fueling again, we were off to find the Wetmore Trail to make our way to the Covered Bridge. I've gotten turned around on this section by day and was worried we might have problems in the dark, but Tim and Suzanne were up front leading us forward. It looked like the Lagnes Run trail was closed for re-building so that helped us have fewer decisions to make. I couldn't help but let my imagination do it's thing as we made our way back down into the Valley. My thoughts would range from what I would like to be eating, to how nice a margarita would taste, to "when will I see some coyotes", to "I wonder what would happen if a minotaur popped up in front of us". I was getting mildly delirious due to the late hour and that was just fine with me.

We reached the Covered Bridge and Dan was there, all set up. I've been around the Perkins Loop many times. It was the location of my first 50K just two years ago at Bills' Bad Ass. This would be my first time around in the dark. Surprisingly, I could recognize most of where we were, only getting disoriented in a couple spots. It definitely took longer to run at night, but we all made it through OK. Stubbed toes on tree roots being the worst injuries. When we returned to the Covered Bridge we learned the "sweeper" group had bypassed Perkins and was ahead of us. This was for the best as it allowed Dan to move on sooner and get set up for more runners. This also meant we were now the sweeper group. We would need to pick up anyone we might come upon and make sure no one got left behind. Safety first.

As we made our way down Oak Hill Rd at 2:30 in the morning, I would be on all new terrain, except for a couple sections of Towpath Trail. The road was deserted so we spread out. Mike even took his shoes off and ran barefoot, as he had done a little earlier on Akron Peninsula and Bolanz Roads. As the night wore on we took more walking breaks. Not everyone was feeling good either, so our progress slowed. The section of Buckeye Trail into O'neil Woods took it's toll. From that point we did a lot of walking. Stomachs were acting up and blisters forming. Things were really beginning to hurt.

Dan was again waiting with aid at Botzum. I had to use the restroom here. It just wasn't going to wait. I felt better but not everyone else did, so we still made slow progress. There was much humorous speculation as to why the City of Akron needed to build a barbed-wire-topped-ten-foot-tall-concrete-wall around their composting facility. Was it to keep people out or to keep something in?

As we kept moving south on the Towpath the birds began singing. 4 AM already? Sure was. And with that the sound of something moving toward us through the heavy vegetation to the side of the Towpath. My brain slowly tried to think of what it could be and decided upon a deer. I hoped it wouldn't hit one of us as runners seldom come out on the winning side of human VS. deer collisions. Fortunately or unfortunately, it was no animal. It was the sound of big ole fat rain drops beginning to fall. Just lovely. They let up but the lightning and thunder began. Something was brewing and I really began hoping we would be done before it hit. The only problem was I didn't know the remainder of the course or exactly how much further we had to go.

It was light out as we left Dan's aid station for the final time at Memorial Parkway. This is where we left the Towpath, following some streets to Cascade Valley Metropark. As the rain returned I was glad to be in the trees and on a trail. We followed the trail along the banks of a still small Cuyahoga River, making mostly correct course decisions. By this point our group had split with Mike, Tim, and Suzanne going ahead and Mikaila, Kyle, and I bringing up the rear. We missed only one turn, having to double back when the trail we were on ended.

Through slow but relentless progress we eventually made our way back to the parking lot across from the Sheraton. We had been out there for over 12 hours. Slow? Yes. But it was good training to just be on our feet for that long. We covered 43 miles by my Garmin. Data HERE. This will be the hardest part of the course due to it being the second half of the run. Hopefully I will be able to run that section at Burning River.

I did learn some things while out there. Like, I can't wear compression tights or calf sleeves for long runs. The lower elastic band rests right on my retinaculum, causing me swelling and pain. This is probably what caused my left leg problems earlier this year. My right leg was aggravated during this run. I combined bottles of my Gatoraid/Nuun mixture with a bottle of just Nuun and my hydration was not a problem. No dehydration. I ate three Clif Bars and could have used some more. I need to learn to eat before I get hungry. I ate most of the energy chews I brought with me. Not only were they beneficial nutritionally, but they gave me something to snack on. I like to think of them as "Energy Candy"! I think I've made the decision that I can't run long in the Brooks Cascadias. I wore less constricting socks, but my feet still got beat up. I think multiple shoe changes, including road shoes, will be a necessity on race day. And I still have an unanswered question: How the hell did I get ants in my gaiters? I couldn't feel it at all, but when I changed into clean socks and shoes for the drive home I saw ants and that they had decided to bite me all over my ankles. Stupid ants.

So, a fun time and a great run. I'm glad I went as I got to meet some new people. And most everyone there will be running the race, so I will get to see them again. HUGE thanks to Dan B. for crewing everyone all night long and for his concern that every runner be accounted for. I don't know how he fit all that gear into his Honda Fit! We're less than a month out now and I think that will be my last super long training run. Now it's time to heal up and taper down.

Memorial Day 50K - 2011

Well, not quite on Memorial Day, but the day before. I wanted to get a long road run in and had an idea. I would park in Strongsville at Bonnie Park and run north through Berea to Rocky River along the All Purpose Trail. Basically out and back on the same path the Green Jewel is run on. How long I would run for would be determined by where I turned around at. The shortest I wanted to go before turning around was 10 miles. The furthest I thought I could go and make it back without major problems was 15 miles. I still felt pretty good when I hit the ten mile mark, so I just kept plugging away. By the time I hit mile 15, the clouds had gone away, the sun was out, the humidity was still there, and it was getting HOT. The trip back would be a long slow slog, as much a mental day as a physical one.

In the end, I made it back just fine. A little overheated and a little dehydrated, maybe, but otherwise just fine. It was nice to see all the groups and families out having cookouts along the way. Lots of walkers, runners, and cyclists were out and about on either on the path or the road too. I know I ran further than any other runner I saw that day, and I'm curious as to how many cyclists stopped short of 31 miles. Motivation!

Here are just a few photos from my trip. I really didn't take too many, and these are the best from the day.

The scenic overlook just north of Bagley Rd. Big difference from the raging rapids we had during the Green Jewel!

That spot at the Fairview Bridge where Aid Station #1 was located during the Green Jewel that was flooded... is still flooded.

The Rocky River was muddy and moving, but not too bad.

Some wild flowers along the way. These were in Rocky River.

A long hot run, but well worth it. I need to log some long hot runs and if I need to do them on the road because the trails are too muddy, so be it. Next up this weekend: The Yankee Springs Double Trail Marathon on Saturday. The weather forecast so far is for low 60's to low 80's and a chance of scattered thunderstorms. I'll take that forecast. I feel for the folks running Another Dam 50K near Dayton Saturday. They are supposed to top out in the mid 90's!

Judgement Day Trail Run - 5/21/11

According to Mr. Harold Camping, our self-appointed modern day prophet, yesterday was supposed to be Judgement Day, when the true believers would rise to Heaven, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves until the end of the world. The fact that I'm writing this (and YOU are reading this) on May 22 tells you that either A) I wasn't (we weren't) one of the chosen few, or B) Harold Camping is full of shit. I will let you decide for yourselves. May 21, to me, was a beautiful day to go for a run. We haven't had too many days like this so far this spring. My destination this week: Pine Hollow and the trails of the Fools 50K.

I really enjoy running the trails around Kendall Lake: Ledges, Haskell Run, the Cross Country Trail, Pine Grove, Salt Run, Boston Run, and the Lake Trail. They all basically loop out from wherever you parked so you don't get too far from aid, are scenic, and decidedly not easy. AND... they're all part of the Burning River course! So I set out from Pine Hollow and went wherever my feet led me.

Climbing up the Sound of Music hill after leaving Pine Hollow.

The view from the top of the Sound of Music Hill.

Looking toward Kendall Lake.

Looking back toward the Pine Hollow parking area, where the aid station will be located for BR.

On the Lake Trail.

On the way to the Ledges.

The Scenic Lookout at the Ledges.

See, I was actually there!

Heading around the east side of the Ledges.

Yes, this is really in Ohio!

Although it was still quiet, hikers were arriving to enjoy the nice weather.

Taking the east side of the Haskell Run Trail, I noticed a headstone to the side of the trail for the first time. More about this in a bit.

From the Boston Run Trail.

The steep hill climbing out of Boston Run if you're running it counter-clockwise.

Looking back down that hill.

Pedestrian tunnel underneath Route 303.

So, I found that headstone on the way out, but I found the rest of the graveyard on the way back. How could I never notice this before? It's right next to the Happy Days Visitor Center! Of course I had to take a stroll through it.

A graveyard would be the last place I would want to be if the Rapture were about to happen, what, with the possibilities of zombies and everything. But since the dates on the headstones were so old, I wasn't too worried.

Along the Haskell Run Trail on the way back.

It says Dana, not Dan. I didn't scrawl it on there. But it's along the west side of the Ledges.

The Ledges rock! I definitely need to run there more often. Or better, bring the family with me!

Along the Lake Trail, heading toward the Cross Country Trail.

I made it back to Pine Hollow with two empty bottles. The temperature was rising and the humidity had me sweating profusely. I refilled before setting out for Salt Run. My mistake was not eating anything and only bringing water and Nuun with me. I bonked pretty bad going through Salt Run and really could have used some calories.

Salt Run is literally either up or down. At mile 70 something during Burning River this section is going to be a slow one for me. It's only three miles, but it's going to take a while to complete it. I usually see deer through here, but none yesterday. Lots of chipmunks squeaking at me though. And an unseen bird chirping a call I've never heard before. It's really hard to explain, but it had a reverberation to it, like a delay. It was impressive.

Finally climbing out from Salt Run to the parking lot at Pine Hollow. The hills certainly were alive with the sounds of bumble bees, birds, and a hawk soaring high overhead. Although I will probably run the sections again before race day, it won't be long until I'm running those same trails in the dark with only my headlamp giving me illumination.

May 21, 2011: A great day for a run!