I haven't posted here since 2019.

The aging process continues!

To keep a long story short over the past six months the specter of Cancer has raised it's head and this time looks at me.

In a routine physical In October, in routine blood work on a routine day, I had an increased PSA level.

PSA or prostate specific antigen is a marker on the health of a man's prostate. When the number goes up it can be an indication of trouble.

Mine went from "Perfectly acceptable, thank you very much." to "Dude, you need more tests."

Another PSA and a K score blood test later and I'm scheduling a biopsy which I had in March.

The doctor biopsied my prostate and took 12 samples.

Four of the samples came back positive for cancer.

One of those cores samples ran smack into a tumor.

Cancer. Stage II.

I had no symptoms and they caught it early.

Motherfucker has to be dealt with.

After consultations with a number of doctors in which my options were discussed it was obvious decisions needed to be made.

1. Active Surveillance. Watch it. Test it. Biopsy it. Yearly. If my numbers go up it'll have to be handled more aggressively.

At this point you say "Well...it's a slow growing Cancer."

At this point the doctors say "On average, it's a slow growing Cancer."

Which means Half the people with it never have much of a problem and the other half die from it.

For me it was a can kicked down the road.

2. Radiation. "I can do your radiation in 5 sessions!" Says the Cyber Knife guy (Dr. Zappy). Except when he can't and it becomes 8 weeks of daily radiation treatments or radioactive pellets placed into the prostate which last months and raises the possibility of lead lined nappies.

There this thing called Second Cancer. Cancer of the bowls or bladder or rectum showing up 10 or 20 years from now as the result of having my prostate irradiated now.

3. Surgery. Cut the motherfucker out. Hopefully, don't cut too much other stuff out so I can still have a usable member in a years time. The short term is ugly but if they can get all of the Cancer then I don't have to worry about prostate cancer anymore.

I liked Dr. Snippy though Dr. Zappy was ok, too.

I'm relatively young. Very fit for my age and should handle the surgery well. I've been training for the last three months, running, weights, and cycling getting ready for the recovery process.

If I had been older then surgery would have been off the table.

Having been born with a host of physical problems that were corrected by surgery in my youth (I remember my last set of surgeries in the mid 1960's quite well) I'm comfortable with going under the knife and here is the best part:

ROBOTS! 

It will robotic surgery which allows Dr. Snippy to "Get Small!" and dig that bloody thing out of there.

Surgery on Monday, May 10.

I'll keep you posted... Weekly on Monday's for the next year.

This will be for you to learn, get information from, share even, regardless of whether you have Prostate  Cancer or are  taking care of someone who is.

Thanks to the NYT for the photo.

There are some great robotic surgery videos on Youtube. Check 'em out!

Strong, is your heart.

Since I don't want to type up a big missive on FB or some such, I thought this would be a good time to crank up the old Blog that I haven't been around for awhile.

Since this is Aging Superhero and this is definitely an aging matter, why not?

Thursday I had to have a trans-radial arterial catheterization to check out my heart.
Check out you-tube videos on it...it's pretty cool.

I've noticed a marked decrease in my running ability as of late with increasing chest pain with exercise.
Saw my doc, then the gastroenterologist as it was thought to be a acid reflux problem. That led to me having to be cleared by the cardiologist I see (for some genetic heart abnormalities) who did not like what he heard and had me come back for a nuclear stress test. Saw a shadow on my heart that he was not comfortable with, which then saw me on the table of an eminent Heart doc who specializes in Trans-radial caths.
With me so far?
So that's:
Monday: Gastro.
Tuesday: Cardiologist.
Wednesday: Cardiologist again.
Thursday: a Heart Yoda.

Friday, here at four o'clockish, I'm finally feeling better enough to stand up, and cognizant enough to type and make sense! (I think. Sorry for any mistakes.)

Lots of emotion involved.
Go for the  catheterization, though the arm, and here are the possible outcomes:
You're fine, go home.
You need meds and monitoring to keep partial blockages open.
You need a stent to prop open the blockages that they find in the heart arteries that are severe.
You get to come back for open heart surgery and a bi-pass operation.

Had to take time with Mary Lou (best wife of the world) and talk about insurance, living wills, and what happens if it all goes bad. Tough.

Tears before the procedure. Kisses. "I love yous'"

In and out in 30 minutes.
I remember snap shots of it all with the doc, a Yoda figure, directing his team, teaching, helping, joking.

Urging his cardiac padwans to great things.

In short?
"You have 100 more years on that heart. Go run. go bike. Keep doing what your doing!"
He repeated it again after the meds had worn off a bit as did the nurse later verbatim.

Heart is clear with "Minimal coronary heart disease". I'm 63 so some plaque is to be expected for crying out loud!

My right arm where they placed the port for the catheter is quite sore as is the whole arm. No lifting  for a week and use it as little as possible.

Follow up with the cardiologist ( a man I now trust with my life) this week and off to the gastroenterologist to see whats what with the stomach  and acid business.

"Want some humble pie with that run?

Just a long run today, easy, but working on some fueling options, (like…none).

Last week or so I was sort of humble-bragging about never having fallen in years and years ( 40, maybe) of trail running.

Today. Twice.

It's a good thing I don't believe in fate or kismet or superstitions or angels or demons or stuff like that.

(Karma might be a real thing but that's more psychological than theological)

Was trundling along in an un-fueled haze (water yes, but no gels or such) and switching back and forth between road and trail. Running in Seneca Creek State Park and zipping down the Old Bathtub trail cross into a clearing and see a fox! Stop to watch and then scoot on. Connect up with the Seneca Creek Greenway and feeling better coursing by the creek when I hear an owl. Seconds later, I see the owl flying low through the trees "Nice!" I say and then…

BAM! 

Stumble, stumble, roll left and kapow, on my left side into some soft earth and hummocks of grass.

Ugh.

Groan, roll over and do a quick check. All good! except my left collar bone, but while it's sore from the impact, I can wiggle my fingers and raise my arm so in my opinion, not broken. 

I laugh to myself and head off again…the soul of caution, I move along more carefully and ignore the owl who hoots and flits.

An hour later, running the same loop again, I'm being quite careful and…

POW!

Down again in an almost exact re-play of the earlier tumble.

I get up, shake myself off, wipe off the mud, check for damage and walk a bit just to make sure I'm ok.

The rest of the run I stick to the roads and less possibility of a face plant which I KNOW will be next of the dance card.

18 miles in 3:20. Stops, drops and rolls included.

Running un-fueled is a great way to teach the body to burn fat for fuel. It's intentional bonking and brings in mental toughness to the game. Do this once in awhile, and while it can suck you learn to run on less fuel and know how to gut it out if you do bonk. Caution! You can get yourself into a lot of trouble doing this so always have a plan "B".

For folks not in the know: Bonking, The Bonk: Running out of fuel and becoming so depleted that you sometimes literally sit on the side of the road and cry, stumble, slur your words, stop in the middle of the street and are unable to take another step and generally feel like death warmed over.

Bonking IS NOT "I'm tired but I can still walk." or you are forced to slow your pace because the old energy level is falling. i.e.: "I was running this half marathon and running 7:00 minute miles but I bonked and had to drop my pace to 7:10. 

That's not bonking.

There is another "bonking" but that usually involves someone you like… a lot.

Now is the winter...

Now is the winter of our discontent.

Especially if you try to get out and run a bunch or ride a bike or get in a good hike or heck, even get to work.

Ice 

Snow

Sleet

Frozen gack

Wind

Black ice

At least the days are getting longer.

The first real winter we've had in three years has caused havoc with the training schedule for Spring races. Havoc with the work schedule as we've been off enough days to make us have to flip schedules around. Not happy. 

Been spending time on the trainer in the Pit of Despair (the basement) spinning up the miles. Running three times a week. One noodle run, some speed and a long. Pushing metal around, juggling kettle bells and doing squats till the calves come home. Getting out for anything has been a battle. I should have joined a gym.

Been dealing with a cold/flu that won't go away. Picked it up after the Disney races. ML came down sick post race and me a few days later. I just can't shake it. Feeling better lately but still manky after a hard effort.

Have to get my business together if I am really going to get out to The Challenge Atlantic City race. 

(Iron distance race - 2.4 mile swim, 112 on the bike and a marathon) Have not been in the pool since last fall and then only for a few days. Heck the winter weather has me so discombobulated I had planned to do several indoor triathlons that are now only a few weeks away!

If I don't get in the pool soon, I'll end up under a car park.

                           

Best Speed

As most of my running friends know I eschew GPS running devices. Really, I think they are one of the worst things to happen to running. Folks relying on technology instead of themselves, their training and common sense…always striving for a number that's faster and farther than yesterday and it leads them down the road to injury and burnout. Now, mind you, if it works for you great! It's not for me and I think more folks should run naked. (Technology wise I mean)

I'm just back from running the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge Weekend…every year for nine years now Mary Lou and I skip down to see The Mouse, run a bit (or a lot) and decompress from life in general.

This year was the inaugural Dopey Challenge. Four

days of racing starting with the 5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, Half marathon on Saturday and Marathon on Sunday.

How do you do that? You can follow a GPS for pacing and speed which ignores the 100% humidity and warm temps and racing in the dark and the gobs of people or you can follow
Rate of Perceived Exertion or RPE.

You go at best speed. The best speed you can maintain and not blow up.
It's how I got through my four races. Running by feel, which is quickly becoming a lost art in running and other endurance sports.

The 5k started at 6:15 with my wave going off a bit after that. Now, I can run a 5k in 24 or 25 minutes now, OK for my age, but I knew there would be the devil to pay if I ran too hard. It went well and I finished in 27 running comfortably hard.
Comfortably hard? Yup. A pace where I was working' but not killing myself.

On Friday the 10k started at 5:30. I was in the second wave so we tooled off a few minutes after the first. A great course through Epcot for the Inaugural Minnie Mouse 10k. Lots of fun. Lots of characters  and a race done almost completely in the dark! Disney lights everywhere.
My PR for 10k is 42:20 but I'm not in that kind of shape right now. I'd be happy under and hour. 57 minutes. Again, running at best speed…comfortably hard, an eye to the half and marathon.

Saturday is tough. Not only does the 2am wake up call hurt, but the 100% humidity will cause all kinds of havoc. By Saturday morning the early wake ups are causing problems for some. Throw in the wetness and you have folks suffering with 100% humility. Lots of walking.
My 13.1 went well. Running at my best speed for the day I still made 2:10 which considering the situation was fine with me! ML finishes well although she suffers in the heat. This and all of her previous 7 WDW 1/2 marathon finishes are within 5 minutes of each other. Oh! I also negative split the race, running the second half faster then the first! Runners dig that.

By Sunday the early mornings are really the worst part. I feel good for the marathon…sort of. The odd hours and strange eating times leave my guts a little Grumpy.
To the race on WDW transportation, and to the start about 4:45 to wait for the fireworks. Thankfully Sunday is cooler and breezy with less humidity. While I do have to make a few bathroom stops because of Grumpy Colon (a new Disney character) I feel good and am moving at best speed! I make a few character stops. (I'll post those pics when I get them)  Tons of characters, great support and even greater volunteers make for a real good time! By mile 10 things are calming down in my stomach and I negative split the marathon! I couldn't do that if I tried and planned for it. Not looking for one it happens. Typical.

The Goofy Challenge continues with next year being the 10th year. I am hopeful to maintain my "Perfectly Goofy" status.

Will I be Dopey again? Maybe. Maybe not. It's hard doing four early mornings in a row even though THAT has to be good training for something.

Some rocks…some roll.

Got out the Swiffer and dusted off the blog for a spin.
Trying to blog a bit more this year for various reasons that are mine alone.

2014
I'll turn 60 effing years old. Can you believe that? I sure as hell can't. Creak a bit more, my bones rattle more than they used to, jeepers I've gotten slower but in my heart and in my head I'm, well, younger than I am now.

I never blog about work, because it's never been about work for me. It's about free time and adventure and testing limits and moving. Just moving. Work this fall has been drag and my heart isn't in it anymore. Time to move on. Goal Number One for the year. Find a different path.

Goal Number Two get out a bit more. Do more. See more. With my best girl by my side, floating down the rivers of…(I'm wearing a plaid flannel shirt RIGHT NOW!)

This year was ok in the movement area for me although I missed a month and a half of running early in the year recovering from a disc issue.
2,555 miles on the bike
1495 miles running
51 hours of weight training
Total hours: 490:45
So when you think "He looks good for 60!" now you know: It takes a lot of work.

This year I'd like to do 60 events to celebrate my 60th year. Runs, organized bike rides and races Triathlons, Duathlons, the odd swim (Yuck! I hate swimming and only do it to get to the bike and run)
Weird stuff off the grid too. Just me and SPOT.

I'll also hope to raise a little bit of money for ALS, the disease that killed my cousin Pete and now has grabbed a dear running friend of mine. I hate it, this disease.

France and Spain were great with the Señora. I could retire to our favorite pinxos bar…after a run on the beach.

Later younglings!
All the best  for a great 2014 for you!

Hill-acious

Remember this? I posted this a few weeks ago when the marathon I ran today had to change the route due to the government lock out. 

Freedoms Run Marathon normally ran from Harpers Ferry West Virginia, crossed into Mary Land and ended in Shepherdstown West Virginia.
Due to the nincompoops on "The Hill" all the parks are closed and while many races have been canceled the fine folks at Freeedoms found an alternate route. A two loop out and back.

Above is the map, a hammerhead out and back which is pretty rare. The red squiggly thing at the bottom is the elevation chart.

Ouch.

Probably the hilliest road marathon I've ever done. The hills weren't too long mind you, but many kicked back to 12% at least. I found many of the hills un-runnable. Oh, I could run them but the energy expenditure would be too great on the first lap and lead to a hellish second.  Now I can WALK. I was passing folks who were running...them gasping for air and me humming along up hill.

The real nasties showed up about mile 22.

I run a fair bit. I run down hills a lot, which all good runners should to help strengthen the quads. At mile 22 my quads were mush. Trying to keep an even effort down hills of steep grade trashed them. I feel like I've been carrying Mary Lou up and down flights of stairs all day.

Perfect weather but humid, so lots of sweating.
The aid stations could have spaced a bit better but big thanks to the high school kids who staffed them.

I'd really like to do the race when it's back on it's regular turf next year.

Freedoms Run Marathon
4:40
Half in 2:05 (my watch, they didn't have a timing mat at the turn)
This makes my 55th race of Marathon distance or greater and places my total race count close to 500.
Used the Hal Higdon Marathon 3 training program with special Anton tweaks.

Batter up!

Spring! Even with the "Snowquester" on the horizon for Wednesday, Spring is just around the corner.
Pfffffft.
About time. I don't want to admit this because we often didn't see eye to eye, but my mother told me when I was off on some winter lovin'- bring on the snow -where's my ice ax rant: "You just wait! One day you won't love the winter so much!
She was right dammit.
Now, I like a good snow, and a snow day from school is like a "Free Space" in bingo, but I am tired of trying to get out the door for a run in the blowing nasties. I'm done.
After an epic MCM and recovery and doctor's appointments and yet another total rebuild when it comes to running, things are heading up!
Milage has improved. Pace is just ok but I'll save improving that till after this Springs fun.
I blew off the Greenway 50k as work intervened.
Next up is the Hampton Roads Run shown above. A warm up and long catered training run for 3 Days at The Fair in May. I might jump in something for St. Patricks day because I need to shake the dust off the kilts.
I'll take a break after the 3 Days then come back for short stuff and a build to a fall marathon.

Spending a fair amount of time on the bike. Some summer and fall plans to play out on two wheels and many many miles.

Buds on the trees already and the crocus and snow drops have their heads up...Spring!
Shorts and no shirt....well, maybe a shirt below 60 degrees.

Don't try this at home.

Ya'all know the sob story. During MCM Something happened  to me that really brought me down like a house of cards in a gale.
Herniated Disc by the time I finally got it sorted out. Epidural injections, PT, Massage therapy, yoga, stretching, A couple of animal sacrifices and burning the yule log later and I'm at, maybe, seventy-five to eighty percent.
Looming ahead was Disney. Of course as many of you know Mary Lou and I go down every year for Marathon weekend...she does the half marathon on Saturday and I do both The half and the marathon on Sunday. It makes me Goofy.
Well, I'm Perfectly Goofy. I've done all eight so far and that was the goal of this trip, to head down and grab number eight...I just wasn't ready to end the streak at 7. Bad back aside I confronted (puns intended) the bottom line:
Would be going to Disney with almost no training. Yikes. Double yikes actually since I'd be doing two events.
 After getting my diagnosis, I was able to maintain my fitness on turbo trainer...riding the bike in the basement and keeping up my cardio vascular fitness. The best way to keep some semblance of leg and running fitness was to walk. which I did a lot of. About a month out from Disney I started adding in some running for short bits. Not much, but enough. Over did it and back slide some. Got back on it and was able to get in one 13 miler before race weekend a walk run split of maybe 60/40.
Don't try this at home.
I know what I'm capable of. I know my limits. Also, I had a plan. To basically walk the events ( Can walk a 14 minute mile) with running breaks and bail out if things got as painful as MCM. Wear my Hokas. ( running shoe with super cushioning that I've been using for Ultra marathons recently) As it turned out I ran a bit more than expected and was able to maintain 13 minute miles. Some time out for pictures with characters of course.
Just took a week completely off from running and cycling and now ready to crank it back up. My back gets cranky from time to time but it was a relief to hear from so many that discs heal and they have returned to running without a problem after suffering the same injury, which, by the way, is not running related but often caused by muscle imbalance. Working on it.
I guess the upshot of this is I took a risk in going to Disney and attempting the races. I got through it easily.
Runner, know thyself.
The picture is of the Goofy Challenge medal on the left and the 20th Anniversary marathon medal on the right.

Transformer

I've been off running for a few weeks with a hip/nerve/sciatica inflammation injury. I miss it but things are starting to work like normal so...forward!

It hit me this morning why I love to run. I was answering a friends post on FaceBook.  You spend hours thinking about why you run (usually while running)  and you can't quite pin it down. Now, in my 42nd year of running, it hit me while I was sitting and NOT thinking about it.

It's the transformation that takes place.
At the starting line I'm a chubby 10th grader in blue jean cutoffs and Chuck Taylor's. At the finish line, I'm Frank Shorter rounding that last turn in Munich.

"Well, Sir..."

This is not an actual photo of my ass, although the wife says I sort of look like that from the back.

Running is the great equalizer, the great egalitarian sport. It can lift you up and smack you down. It brings people together and it drives some apart. It inspires hope and fear. It brings smiles to many and at times tears to many more.

I ran my 7th Marine Corps  Marathon on Sunday and was very ready for this. Stood at the start line healthy and happy inspired by a student, a dead Marine, whose picture I wore. 

Waiting at the start with Mary Lou we chat and wait.  Time comes and the howitzer goes off and we start to move...I kiss my babe and wave goodbye for a bit.

The time has come in my life when I never go into a race anymore with a finish time in my head. After 52 races of Marathon distance or longer I know that no matter how much you prepare, how much you're spot on, it can all go wrong. I revel in the good races and accept the bad as part of the landscape.

Within a few miles of the start, I feel my left leg is tight with some pain in the lower left hip. It feels like sciatica...something I had on the right side years ago and haven't seen since. Never on my left side. I laugh to myself and think "You're not supposed to try anything new on race day."

I have THE bag of tricks when it comes to running. Reaching in I try to find some way to help ease the increasing pain. 

Move across the road to where the camber is different.

Change my gait, then change back.

Pull out a little packet of Bio-Freeze and try that.

Loosen a shoe.

Shorten my stride. 

Lengthen my stride.

Stretch.

Nothing works.

Now, I have the pain threshold of a stone but by mile 16 it hurts and is only getting worse. At mile 17 on the Mall near the Natural History Museum, I hear my baby call my name (she walked over from the start) and she comes out to greet me...

It's bad I say and I'm falling apart...I think about a DNF and then touch the picture of Lance Corporal James pinned to my chest and burst into tears...I can't do it. I can't stop.

From then on it's a WOG. A cross between a walk and a jog. Walking is ok, running is quite painful But my attitude has spun around. At mile 19 I know I'll finish but I know it'll hurt. And the day is decided. My energy is good and I have no fatigue, the mechanics just aren't workin' right. While it would be nice to be under 4:30 I know that's all gone...

Good patches come and go. Rough patches come but never quite leave.

On the 14th street bridge I stop for a few minutes and squat, holding onto the Jersey wall hoping to stretch and get a little relief.

Up comes a young Marine in fatigues and boots and carrying a big ruck sack wearing a number...he's doing the race:

"Sir? Are you OK?"

"Yeah. I'm just a little fucked right now."

"Well, Sir...Un-fuck yourself! The only way to the finish is forward!"

It makes me laugh and he laughs and helps me up and off we go together for a bit, before I actually leave him behind with nod and a wink and a warm spot in my heart.

Through Crystal City I feel blah until I come past the local Hash House Harriers...it is amazing what pretzels and beer can do to raise one's mood and set the stomach right.

The last few miles to the finish aren't bad and I can actually run some.

Before long the Iwo hill arrives and I go up, head held high. 

The finish and I burst into tears. Marines shake my hand. One reaches out and touches James picture.

My 53'rd race of Marathon distance or longer and my slowest, and physically my most painful marathon ever.

I couldn't be happier.

Why I have an IM tat.

 JUNE 16, 2009

Why I have an IM tat...Redux.

This is a post for 2006 when the topic came up on the Trifuel website.

I've added a few things and adjusted some of the writing. Maybe it's better, but really I don't GARA if it is or not:

After I did my first Ironman in 2003, I got an Ironman logo tattoo. The one you see here.

It was just a few days after the race and I fell asleep in the chair. Some folks thought I was bragging, self-focused and big headed to have that thing on my calf. "Oh! Look at me! I'm an IRONMAN!

They don't know me.

Getting the tat had NOTHING to do with finishing Ironman. It did have everything to do with getting to the start line in one piece and with some sanity. The previous ten years of my life had been tragic and I mean that in the classic sense.

Tragedy: Noun Dealing with a serious theme, typically that of a noble person whose character is flawed by a weakness which causes him to break moral precept and which inevitably leads to his downfall or destruction.

My Dad died and for awhile I lost my moral compass. My marriage shattered, I ended up in a relationship I should never have been in, lost everything including my self respect and almost didn't make it. There were days I wanted to jump off of something really high.

Little by little, I started to come back.

I started to train for Ironman Lake Placid in 2002, but my Mom became ill and died. My sisters and I cared for her. It was ugly. With the help of family and a good therapist I was able to leave a horrible relationship, get myself righted and see my situation for what it really was.

"Re-called to life" if you read Dickens.

I signed up for IMLP 2003 and, despite some brief mis-steps in my personal life, was able to get back what I had lost.

My dignity, self respect, and the goodness inside that had been lost too long under an bad influence.

Training was hard...there were days I didn't want to get out of bed, but did, because Ironman was the path back to myself.

Standing there on the shore on Mirror Lake the morning of Ironman I knew...the kid was alright.

The Tat was a symbol of all that, of being back among the living, of being whole again, of being better than the darker angels we all carry inside of us.

Things have come together, now, and as I prepare for Ironman Lake Placid on July 26th of this July, my fourth. I am back to who I always was.

Now what was I thinking...?

Ya just forget stuff sometimes. Well, at least I do. Maybe it's age. Maybe it's just that I've never been one of those tightly wrapped, detail type people.
Forget to drink enough on a summer 12 mile trail run and it will bite you.
Forget to drink enough BEFORE a summer trail run at it will bite you.
Forget that if you go run in the jungle without a shirt those big biting horse flies will nail you.
Forget that if you go out to fast things will really suck later in the run.
Forget that wearing newish shoes can beat your legs up on a long run if you haven't worn them much.
Forget to take enough snacks.
Forget to make sure your electrolytes are up on a day when it's 85 degrees and 80% humidity.
Forget to pick up your feet.

Things like that make you remember, even though folks say that "Running is supposed to be fun!", sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's just dirty and nasty and sweaty and it hurts.

THAT'S running! You need days like that to remind you not to make those mistakes again...or until you forget.

Went over to Mt. Airy Bicycles on Thursday to watch the Race Across America riders come through the time station. Ended up helping out. Great folks and a great bike shop. Inspiring riders, both group and solos who left California 8 days earlier. Powerful to watch them cruise by. Even more powerful to see a solo rider take a moment and stop and chat and thank us for being there. I always wanted to do RAAM but life went off in a different direction. Back in the Michael Shermer, John Howard, Lon Haldeman days I was a fan. Still am.
Wonder if it's too late? Maybe it always was. I'm not a detail type people.

Snack Time

Holy Jumpin' Pete you can spend a lot of money on Gels and bars and liquid electrolyte replacement and all the other engineered foods designed to keep you going for the time it takes you to get through an event...I've done it. Usually for things up to the Marathon I'm good on gels and water. Over that, and I need to eat food. Real food. Food like your momma made ya.
A few folks were curious about what I ate at a recent event where I went 130 miles in 60 hours. (A 72 hour event, I bailed early)
12 gels ( I usually eat 8 in a Marathon)
6 Honey Stinger Waffles (The movable treat!)

That's it for the "athlete" stuff

Hamburgers
Quesadillas
Cold Pickles
Wheat Crackers
Long grain white rice (Great carbs, low residue)
Boiled Potatoes
Cup o' Noodles
 Killer pancakes on Saturday morning
Anything that you could walk with and keep moving...since it's all about moving forward.

Coke or what I brought, Whole Foods Cola (Made with sugar, no HFCS)
Ginger ale (yum!)
tea
water
For Electrolytes: Succeed! Caps, 1 per hour, two per hour when it got hot and my sweat rate went up.

As for my time: The vent started at 9am on a Thursday. Every 4 hours I took twenty minute breaks, re- greased my feet, changed socks, dealt with blisters and relaxed. Kept that up for 26 hours. Went down for a few naps after that, especially when it got hot. and about 5 hours of sleep Saturday morning early. I guess-temate about 130 miles in about 48 hours of moving. The course was on the road, a loop of just less than one mile. Chip timed.
Had no crew and used this an an experiment as this was my first time at this distance. A good crew is good for another 6 or 7 miles in 24 hours since they take care of a lot of things for you. All you have to do is move. ie: "Cut the toes out of my second pair of shoes, please. I'll get them on the next lap." It would have been really great to have someone to recharge my iPod! (I never run with music, but having it here was brilliant!)
The experiment was a complete success and I learned tons to apply next year.

What a difference two years makes...

Two years ago this week, this is what my ankle looked like:

Broken Talus and three torn ligaments. It has been a long road to come back.

Below are my results from the 3 Days at the Fair...just this past week end:

16 Anton Struntz 152 130.39 60:20:57

Yes, that's 130 miles in 60 hours. I was one of the light weights.

I guess the ankle's good!
Thanks to all the support at home form Mary Lou and to Dr. Skippy who did the rebuild...

Pretty good company...

 I've decided I'm in pretty good company...

Fashion...

The question I always ask folks who say" I used to run..." is: Did you play ball sports?
The guy who rebuilt my ankle (rolled it running in a minimal shoe btw) and another Orthopod I run with from time to time both agree that pure runners aren't a problem. It's folks who played ball sports who are all trashed up as well as folks who simply aren't built to run long distances but insist on it. After 42 years of running and cycling and only running and biking I had some trauma to my left knee last year. ( was pushed down at a marathon and landed on the knee) My Dr. friend did the scope and came out and said I have the knees of a 15 year old and thought It was due to two factors. 1) I never played ball sports, 2) I have the genetics that have allowed me to go this long with no wear and tear on my meniscus which remains quite thick.
The question is: If Minimal shoes had been all there ever were, like my first real running Onitsuka Tigers and Nike Boston 73, would my knees still be as good? Did Cushioned shoes allow me to run this many years with little to no damage. ( I am a mid foot striker at speed and heel striker while noodling around)
Now I get minimal. I started in minimal (1970) and remember my first pair of cushioned shoes (Etonic Street Fighters). I have been playing with minimal drop (Montrail Bajada, PureFlow) and zero drop (Altras) both are nice and feel ok to run in. As I sit here I'm wearing a pair of Hoka Bondi B. 4 mm of drop and a huge cushion. My legs simply don't feel any shock in them, and I can come in from a run with no muscle soreness later on.
I've been running Mary's and Ultras lately. At Disney I see tons of folks in VFF. Running the road. After the races they walk around with big bags of Ice taped to their knees. At three recent Ultras I've seen plenty of minimal but only ONE pair of VFFs at each race. At a recent Ultra festival Hokas were everywhere and being worn by very experienced UR's. Folks who obsess about shoes as much as I do and probably have a closet full of minimal and low drop.
I think zero to minimal drop shoes that are well cushioned are coming down the pike.
It will be interesting to see what washes out and what lasts 5 years from now.
Like a hard core bike friend of mine says: "If Jan Ulrich had won 7 Tours we'd all be grinding out big gears at slow RPM. But he didn't. Lance did, so we spin at a high RPM."
There is a reason VFF can be had for 50% off at a lot of the stores I frequent.
A lot of it has to do with what's frosty.
A lot of this is fashion.

Subnoxious

I coined a new word today:
Subnoxious
When someones behavior goes right up to the line of being obnoxious, but doesn't cross it.

Time...

Every once in awhile a write about time.
There are two truths to time.
It is all we have. Time with loved ones. Time to work. Time to workout. Time to relax. Time to live.
The other truth is this. We have no time. There is no promise of tomorrow. If you wake in the morning on this side of the dirt it's a gift. There is no guarantee of time with family or for work or workouts or time to live.
I feel my time.
It presses on me. Will I have time for this or that?  Do I have time to reach my goals? Will I have enough time with my Mary Lou? Is there enough time or will the road run out before I'm ready?

This is my hundred mile Spring. I've done some 24 hour events and gotten close to running 100 miles. This year I decided to tackle the distance several times... then spend some time at the altar of long distance. Spend many hours at the Altar of Time. Is my training good enough to see me through the distance?  Since most long races have time cut offs (you have 24 or 30 or 36 hours to finish) will I have time? Fun things to think about for an old hippie who far from time obsessed. I often don't wear a watch when I race but just go with the flow of the good feelings all around. I'm looking for a good analog watch with a luminous dial.

In my youth my Appalachian Trail name was "The Master of Space and Time" I could cover great distances without much problem. Slow but steady.  In the Mountains, Spanky and I would hike 20 miles, do a long climb and hike out the 20 without much rest and no sleep...and no drugs. I never thought much of time then. It didn't press me.
Now, I crack and grind when I run. After what promised to be a career ending ankle break two years ago I am happy every time I slip on some running shoes or climb on a bike.
Looking forward to the challenge this Spring. Have been turning 60 mile + weeks of running with some bike time too. More time on the road and trails is in the offing. I'm tired at times but not worried about it.
I have all the Time I need...or maybe not.

This Blue Dog clock, by Georges Rodrigue, hangs on the office wall.

Stellar

On yet another training run getting ready for my spring Ultra runs I rolled out of the house and onto the Seneca Creek Greenway trail system. Goal for the day was thirty miles. on my way down to the Potomac River I ran into Ed, the RD for the Greenway 50k in March, which I'm doing. Ed let me know that the race course for this year has changed from the North to the South side of the Seneca Creek. So on the return trip I got off the Greenway and onto the Seneca Creek trail. While the North side is flat. the South side is...lumpy! Most of the work on the trail was done by MORE, the local Mountain Bike folks and they have done just a stellar job. as trails go it is just a work of art. As a trail volunteer for the system I've seen a lot of trail work. (and done a lot too!) This is brilliant. Can't wait to run down the puppy on race day. Got my 30 miles in.