Race Report: HUFF 50K Trail Race 2012

ORN; 50km (31.1 miles), 6:26:45, 12:47/mile, R/W 3/1 all the way

Quick Summary

Boy, was that fun!  The HUFF 50K was a treat of a trail run on Dec 29.  It was what a winter event should be...runnable, yet on snow pack, well organized and a fully fair ultramarathon.  The volunteers were terrific and it was a wonderful winter's day in the Indiana woods.

Not so Gory Details, with photos

In last year's HUFF 50K race report, I droned philosophically, trying to capture the lesson from such a hard day. Summed up, last year's race was not what I signed up for...the mud and water was so severe it was impossible to really run.

Relax, dear readers; this year's race WAS what I signed up for!  It quite simply represented a very good example of trail running.  So, I'll spare you lots of words and show the day via photos.

I drove up to the Chain O' Lakes park area on Friday afternoon and joined a lot of fellow runners and family at race check in and a pasta feed at the nearby Lutheran camp facility.

It was a great spread, enhanced by some nice conversation, always a treat.  I enjoyed meeting Mary and Jeff and their three boys...Mary is a fellow Marathon Maniac and that alone provides for plenty of grist for the conversational mill.  But we had a lot more in common as well.   I also jumped in and helped make a stack of pb&j sandwiches for the race aid stations to hand out...this is an ultra, after all.

Did I mention it was a church camp??  Just like last year, I booked a bunk bed in their facility upstairs, which worked well.  I met Brian and had some fun chats.  Plus, only one of the other guys snored, so it was a decent night's sleep.  

I was up at 5am, out the lodge door before 6am and drove the four  miles to the state park which hosts the course.  Scoring a primo parking spot just above the start/finish line, I utilized my 12V hot pot to prepare a hot oatmeal breakfast.  

In an example of kaizen applied to running this year, I've figured how a recycled fast-food Styrofoam works as the perfect vessel to make oatmeal on the road.  Add a Diet Coke and boom, the breakfast of champions appears.  

The starting gun was set for 8:00am, which is pretty much the same time as sunrise in late December here at the west end of the Eastern time zone.  With the temperature in the upper 20s and little wind, it wasn't bitterly cold but the camp fire someone started was still a nice treat before the start.  

Mary and her family walked up as well and it was good to greet them again.  

 

The one-loop and relay runners got started a bit after 8am and the  350 of us running 50K queued up.  It was great to see running buddies Walt and Brian, above in the back of the pack.  

And we were finally off.  It felt good to get going.

Snowfall for the week preceding the race was around 4-6".  So the trails were fully packed all day.  Most of the day was in the woods, but this is one of the few open areas.

Five miles in, I was still feeling OK.  I guess that SHOULD be the case in a 31 mile race, right?? 

A topic of conversation all day was how different the course was from a year ago.  For example, this section, below, was a sea of ankle-deep mud a year ago.  

This year, we got through it so quickly I didn't realize it was over during the first lap till it WAS over...so made a mental note to snap a photo the second time through.  Full, enjoyably, runnable.  

And more friends on the course.  Here's another Maniac from Indy...Elaine and I see each other at many Midwest races.  She's a gracious, friendly runner of continual good cheer. 

With a very runnable course, we could enjoy the views of the eponymous bodies of water which make up Chain O' Lakes State Park.  It was terrific...mere photographs don't do justice to the beauty of the day .

A fun moment came around mile 18.  A guy running next to me turned and said "Say, aren't you Joe?"  Amazing!  It was Robert, a guy I had met at this race a year ago when we shared the bunk room at the Lutheran camp.  He reminded me I had given him a plastic bowl for his oatmeal a year ago and he remembered it and remembered me!!  It was a treat to see him again!!!  Thanks, Robert!!

Doubly nice was the gentle snow which fell for the last 10 miles I was on the course.  It was almost poetic in the wind-free wafting of flakes through the woods.

The only fly in the trail-running ointment came around mile 25.

On a down-slope similar to this one, the slick surface plus sharp grade led to yours truly taking a very ungainly fall.  A real thud, nothing remotely graceful.  I jammed my left wrist and arm pretty good.  While I laid there, at least five other runners attempted to stop and help me get up yet slid on by, barely keeping their own balance so slick was the surface.  They barely stayed on their feet.  I sat there for a couple of minutes, inventoried the damage, realized I only has a sore wrist and collected my wits.  In the only break I took from my 3/1 run/walk cycle all day, I eased myself to the bottom of the hill, walked a couple more minutes, then resumed running.  

Just beyond the bottom of the hill, I saw Tom again, a course marshal directing runners at a four-way course junction.  Tom was at this same spot last year and we hit it off then.  

 

Tom obviously knows distance running.  I mentioned my fall and he mentioned a useful fix:  5/16" hex head sheet metal screws, 3/8" long, #6 thread.  Drive them into the bottom of your shoes and get grip on ice and snow.  Gonna try it this winter for training runs.  I could have used it this race, for sure.  I've never run on packed snow for this long...and this is the main lesson for me of the day.

I got back on track soon and the rhythm returned.  Around mile 26 or so, a professional photographer snapped our efforts.

Shoot, the form was still decent...and nearly airborne.  

From this point, it was just a few miles and one more lakeside trail to cover.  

The finish was well considered, improving on last year's plan.  We had a full sighting of the finish area for over a half mile.  The energy and music drew us in...I ran the last mile continuously and felt good at the finish.  I crossed the line in 6:36:49, almost an hour faster than last year.  I placed 234th of 342 overall, 11th of 16 in Men 55-59.  I didn't get a negative split, but I was still pleased to have the first of the two 25K laps in 3:10:14, the second in 3:26:45.  

I was done.  And thrilled with the event...not a trace of the ambiguity of last year's run.  

I crossed the finish line with Justin, from Cleveland.  

He and I ran the better part of Lap 2 together.  We offered each other encouragement when we each needed it.  Late in the run, he really picked it up, terming it a "third wind".  I guess it's a long race when the second wind isn't enough!  It was great to congratulate each other.  

Over the 17 years of the HUFF, the organizers have built a great system, including a heated tent and terrific opportunity to hang our with fellow runners.  I took full advantage of this post-race, meeting up with Brian again, seeing Mary's husband Jeff, plus a lot of the folks with whom I ran.  Robert and I talked further...he had struggled with cramps but persevered.  As did every one else.  Any ultra brings out perseverance.  

And did I mention soup?  A famous part of this race and wow, did they do a great job of keeping it hot all day in such cold weather.  

Friends met, race debriefed, dry clothes on, warm soup inside, I hopped in the car for the 2+ hour drive home. 

And made one more nostalgic stop.  

This is a McDonalds.  But not just any McDonalds.  It is a Micky D's in the town of Wabash, Indiana, just off of highway US24.  This store sponsored and served as the start/finish line of my first race ever.   The date was November 11, 1978, just over 34 years ago.  I had just started running and they hosted a 5 mile event which I ran in 35:32 (yes, I even kept records back then).  I still remember the T shirt, a baby-blue cotton number with a lithograph of an exerting runner on the front who appeared to be in great pain, which I wore and kept for years.  I was smitten by the   race experience.  

So, on my drive home from my 6th ultramarathon and 34th marathon and longer race, my 121st race I have records for, I had to pull in, take a photo and be thankful for the good health and opportunity to run for all these years.  I still relish race day.    

Hope you've enjoyed the photos of a fun race.  Persevere.  

.

Race Report: Fight Hunger 5K, Thanksgiving Day

ORN:  5K, 23:24, 7:33/mile; a new 5K PR

It was a fun Thanksgiving Morning.  Our local Fleet Feet store did a wonderful thing by sponsoring the Race Against Hunger 5K.  I liked the simplicity and sincerity of this race...I liked it a lot.  No entry fee.  No T shirts.  Asked folks to bring some non-perishable food for our local Food Finders Food Bank.  

And did people ever respond.  Exceeding the expectations of the organizers, I would guess 300ish people showed up on a beautiful Thanksgiving morning in Indiana to run, walk and see friends.  In the entry area was a huge mound of foodstuffs brought in and that didn't include the big pile the store collected the day before at their shop.  They ended up with four truckloads of food and $1,400 in cash donations...how cool is that??  

The race was fun too.  Our son Matt is home for Thanksgiving and he was keen on running.  So, we jogged over to the start line, less than a mile from our house, hung out a bit and saw friends, including a few folks Matt remembered from High School.  He then moved up in the start pack, as he wanted to run it hard.  

I fell in with Tim, Vicki and daughter Abbey who have been friends for many years.  

And Tim pulled me along wonderfully.  Miles were 7:31, 7:43, 7:32 and a 7:12 pace to the end, to finish with a 10 second PR of 23:24.  Amazingly, it didn't even seem that hard...nice to have a personal  rabbit like Tim!

Matt took off early and did well at 22:30.  His conditioning has really paid off for him.  

It was a great start to Thanksgiving, both personally and for our community.  Terrific to do this with Matt as well.  I hope you all have/had a good Thanksgiving as well.

Persevere.

.

Race Report: Chicamuaga Battlefield Marathon

ORN:   26.2 miles, 4:27:32, various ratios, 10:13/mile

Quick Summary:  It was great to be with running friends.  Icing on the marathoning cake was it becoming my 2nd fastest marathon.


Gory Details:

This whole race emerged as a possibility early in 2012 when Darrell starting hunting for the next additions to his trek towards marathons in all 50 States.  Both of you long-time blog readers will recall Darrell and I first met in December, 2006 when I hosted his Indiana race.  We hit it off and have run at least one marathon together each year since.  For our race together in 2007, fellow blogger Wes joined us in Huntsville, Alabama.  We'd talked about all meeting up again and it all lined up for the Chicamauga Battlefield Marathon on November 10 in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, about an hour north of Atlanta.  Darrell clocked his state #24, Wes and his wife DeeDee welcomed us to their home and I got to run in shorts in November.

Darrell, Joe, Wes--pre race

Logistics were fun.  Darrell priced all sorts of flights from Los Angeles, got a deal to fly into Nashville, which was on my way.  So I picked him up in Music City Friday afternoon, we drove on to Wes' house, started the conversations and were up at oh-dark-thirty on Saturday morning to get to the race site.  Wes had run this race several times and it is so good to have a local guide!  DeeDee joined us for the day with her keen photographic eye and thus all the pictures here are her high-resolution handiwork.  

The timing worked well...we got through packet pick up, necessary ablutions and  were in the pack of about 1,600 runners just a few minutes before the race started.  DeeDee knew what to expect at the start and positioned herself precisely to see the Civil War replica cannon blast to send us off.  No photoshoping here, folks...this is a great picture and done with perfect timing!!

New meaning to the term "starting gun"

The three of us discussed just what our race strategy was going to be.  Since we are all very polite guys, we all deferred to each other for the better part of the drive from Atlanta to the race site.  We settled on a rhythm of running to each mile marker, then walking 30 seconds.  With such a plan, we rumbled off into the woods through the beautiful National Park though which this race winds.  The day was sunny and crisp, temperatures around 40 at the start.  The course was all asphalt with just enough roll to make it interesting.  The conversation was great and we were enjoying it to the hilt.  The early miles clipped by in the 9:20s. 

At about mile 4.5, however, I began to sense in my breathing was quicker than I expect to see early in a marathon.  I mentioned this to Darrell and Wes; Darrell knows me well, took a quick look in my eye and realized I had settled the matter in my mind already.  We wished each other well and off they went.  I then settled into a 3/1 run/walk sequence and found my breathing back where I wanted it after a couple of cycles.  Of course, it meant the pace of 9:20ish for the first 4 miles was now to about 10:35 per mile.  But I sensed I was at a pace I could handle.  

Through it all, I was really enjoying the run through the historic Civil War battlefield setting.  The Park was full of markers commerating the units from both sides who fought on this ground.  DeeDee got a shot to honor my current home state here.  

Around mile 8, I saw DeeDee by the side of the road.  She asked where Darrell and Wes were.  They should have passed you already, I replied.  She was dissappointed to have missed them, yet perplexed, as the field was well spread out by this point.  Just then, behind me, I hear the two of them shouting "How did you get ahead of us??"  We were all befuddled, remembering a slight detour a mile or so previous to add a bit of distance for the half marathoners, who zigged while the marathon course zagged and then met up again.  Much to their dismay, the two of them took the wrong route and added about a third of a mile to their day.  It happens...so we commiserated a bit and off the two of them went again, DeeDee snapping a photo of our better angles as we ambled off.  

Mile 8--reunited briefly

I continued with my 3/1 pace, just enjoying the day and feeling good.  The course was scenic and varied between wooded areas and open fields.  The sun was brilliant, there was no wind and it seemed like things were lining up for a good race.  

Typical scene along the route

As I finished the first of the two grand laps through the park, I decided to see if I could accelerate a bit.  After hitting the 13.1 timing mat in 2:12:40 (itself encouraging), I bumped my run/walk pace to 4/1 and saw my mile times drop to nearer 10:25.  I hit a wonderful groove.  And isn't it so interesting in marathons how the deeper you go, the more quickly the miles seem to click by.  Before I knew it I was at mile 16, still feeling fine.  

About this time, I pulled out my universal pacing chart, did some math and realized I had a legitimate shot at going under four and a half hours for the marathon.  I had seriously wondered if I could ever get under 4:30 again...I'm not getting any younger and that usually means not any faster.  On reflection, I realized I'd need everything to line up well to get under that mark and today was the day; a friendly course on a cool day with fresh legs.  If I was to get it done, this was my shot.  The race quickly became competitive...with myself.  

I saw DeeDee once more, she handed me a timely banana and it was time to focus for an hour towards the finish line.  

Mile 19-mugging for the camera, asking for a banana

Fine tuning the math as I moved along, I realized a 4:30 finish simply required me to hold the current 10:20 pace to the finish line.  So I stayed with the 4/1, conserving energy, knowing the Wall might hit but also knowing it didn't have to.  I also decided, if I felt good at the time, to run the final 2.2 miles if I could and, gasp, get well under 4:30 on this day on which conditions were all favorable.  

And so it came about.  Miles 18-24 went smoothly.  I had only one twinge during this stretch in my left quad for about 30 seconds -- one walk cycle took care of that.  My last walk cycle came as I saw the mile 24 marker just ahead of me.  I turned off the beeper and leaned into the race, absorbing what was happening.  Mile 25 was fun, at 9:41, taking me to the point I could hear the loudspeaker from the finish line drawing us home.  I hit a little fatigue during mile 26 and it slowed me to a 9:52 but by that point I had only 385 yards to go, which clipped by at a 9:00 pace.  Marathon #33 was in the books.  

Done--first glimpse of finish time.

When I saw the time on my watch, it was a thrill. I appreciate DeeDee capturing my joy in this photo.  4:27:32.  Indeed, well under four and a half hours.  This was the second fastest marathon of this running era, bested only by the 4:21:01 in Portland in October, 2006.  And, I reminded myself, I ran continually in that race, wiped out my ITB and didn't run for nearly 4 months afterwards.  

I should add that I did feel some ill effects from the effort.  I had some cramping in my feet and calves post race, which I had to walk off.  They did fade, as water, electrolytes and food helped.  But I have not seen even minor cramping during recent marathons in the 4:40-4:50 range.  Yet the cramps were worth it...I got under 4:30, the target that became visible with 10 miles left in the race. 

We three amigos met up and basked in the now 60 degree sunshine.  There is something special about getting through such a physical task, sane, thankful for the privilege.  Even better to share it with friends.  

Darrell, Wes, Joe, post race, happy.

Thanks so much, Wes, for hosting us, DeeDee for tolerating these guys invading your life, and Darrell for being a pal.  It was terrific to be together.  

Persevere.  And if you can do it with friends, all the better.  

.

Race Report: Muncie Mini Marathon

ORN:  13.1 miles, 1:52:58, run, 8:38/mile

This half marathon was a bit of a quirk.  In a busy fall running schedule, I signed up to fit in some "speed work" in the midst of a series of marathons.  The race site was in scenic and famous Muncie, Indiana, about a two hour drive from home.  It was a small race, with marginal organization but it accomplished what I had hoped.

No fancy strategy on this one...I wanted to do a 1:55 and pretty much ran an even pace.  The route was an out and back (mostly) along a terrific rail-trail.  Dead flat and smooth, it allowed us to run comfortably.   The small field of only 139 people spread out quickly.

From Running-General

Post race at Muncie Central HS.

And that was pretty much it...run hard, finish strong, get in 2 minutes ahead of plan, hop in the car and drive home.  A nice fall Saturday in Indiana.  I don't think I'll do this race again, but it worked well this year.

Persevere.

.

Race Report: Chicago Marathon 2012

ORN:  October 7: 4:48:28, 11:01/mile, R/W 3/1 thru 20, 4/1 thru 23, run the rest

Brief Summary:  How can I summarize the Chicago Marathon?  It's a massive event, a world-class event, a 26.2 mile street party, a mecca for the best, a magnet for first-time marathoners, a fund raiser for every cause knowable.  And in the midst of 40,000 of my closest friends, I managed to complete my second marathon in a week feeling very good at the end.

Gory Details:

Why the Chicago Marathon?  Why two marathons in a week?  My wife isn't the only one who asked this question.  When registration opened in February, I didn't even bother to mess with it.  I was put off by the high registration fees, the sheer size of it, the associated expense for housing and parking and just plain wasn't interested, even though it is only a little over 2 hours from my home.

But then I spent a weekend with Cory.

Long-time readers of this blog might remember my weekend to the Bayshore Marathon last May.  Cory, a very enthusiastic runner, mentioned he had run Chicago 14 straight  years and had figured out how to do it more efficiently.  Hmmm, I said to myself, if I ever do Chicago again, I'll do it that way.

Fast-forward to late August.  A runner who had registered for Chicago had an injury which made it impossible for him to train.  Did I want the bib, a mutual friend asked me?  Once more I went Hmmmm.    I was registered for the Wineglass Marathon in upstate New York just a week before Chicago.  Could I run two marathons in a week?  I wondered if I could tag along with Cory- could I tap into his logistic experience and cut the total cost of the experience?

The answers were "You'll never know till you try" and "Yes."  I was in.

Part one was Cory's pure enjoyment of going to the Expo on Friday every year, just to see what is available, especially the freebies.  He picked up my bib, saving me the trip and hassle of fighting my way through that mob in downtown Chicago.

Part two was doing the race inside a single day.

Race Day came early...I was up at 3:00am, in Cory's driveway at 3:30am, picked up an hour with the time change and were safely parked in the Millenium Parking Garage near the Start line by 4:40am Chicago time...nearly 3 hours before the Kenyans would cross the starting line.  Cory and I put the seats back and slept for an hour before starting pre-race prep.  After waking up, I fixed some hot oatmeal, using my mobile set up for race-morning eats.

From Running-General

The garage filled up and I guess neither Cory nor I looked like marathon rookies.  Total strangers kept walking up, knocking on the windows and asking us questions.  At the right time, though, we finalized the preparation, put on our throw-away sweats and headed for the starting corrals.

This race is so big, it has three entrances to the starting area.  Cory, a speed merchant, earned a spot in corral C, thus he got to go in entrance 1. We parted here, warmly wishing each other well.   My bib was for corral L, which was an appropriate spot for my expected pace, conveniently.  But that meant I walked over a quarter mile back to entrance 3.  Since all the corrals above "K" would not even be allowed to edge towards the start line until 8:00am, there wasn't a lot of rush.  I had a nice conversation with Bruce and we slowly made our way to the start line.  At about 8:16, I crossed the start line and my second marathon in a week was underway.

I truly didn't know what to expect, so my race plan was flexible.  The weather was wonderful, one of the best years in memory for this race, with the temp right at 40 at the start, not much wind and mostly cloudy skies.  This was a ton better than the 88 degree temps which I described in my Chicago 2010 race report.  So I settled on using a 3/1 run/walk ratio through mile 18 and then evaluating.  My deepest hope for this race was to make the turn onto Michigan Avenue (mile 23.5) and run with joy, enthusiasm and no pain to the finish line.

The race simply unfolded.  I found a rhythm earlier than I anticipated I would, feeling pretty comfortable by mile 3.  Periodic inventories of "how am I feeling?" from the feet up came back positive.  The fans in Chicago are huge; virtually continuous and 3-9 deep in many places near the heart of downtown.

What strategy there was to be in this race came "naturally".  Around mile 4, I really had to find a porta-pottie...no delay really possible.  Alas, others had similar needs and I stood in line a full 6 minutes, watching thousands pass a few feet away.  Once finishing, I pulled back into the stream of runners and was shocked to see I was just behind the 5:25 pacing group!!  Wowzers, that was no where near my 4:50 target!  How to recover, in the midst of the mobs of runners?

I ran through one walk break, passed the 5:25 group and assessed my plan.  I reminded myself I had run another marathon just a week before.  So, I chose to stick with the 3/1 ratio, be patient and enjoy the ride.

Which I did.  A funny moment occurred around mile 8 1/2.  Running through a row of bars and cafes, one was blaring the local TV broadcast of the race.  On the screen was a reporter interviewing the winner of the marathon, asking him about his strategy in the last 3 miles.  Wow...he's already done, breathing easily, giving an interview and I am a mere eight and a half miles into the race!!  Yeah, that's how big the race is, how fast a 2:04 marathon gets over and how far back in the back I was!

We got back downtown, made the turn west and hit the half-marathon mark.  I was very pleased to see my time of 2:28:27.  That meant I was picking up some time without expending too much effort.  I was pleased with how good I was feeling.

We got to the 15 mile mark, the spot when the wheels started to come off the wagon for me two years ago, and another conscious inventory came up positive.  I was feeling comfortable, gradually passing the 5:10 and then the 5:00 pace groups.    The miles kept clipping by, just under 11 minutes each.

At mile 18, I assessed whether or not to bump the ratio to 4/1.  I felt just a bit of fatigue in my quads, so opted not to change and reassess at mile 20.  We got to mile 20, where a bank thermometer stands guard (which showed 51F, a wonderful contrast to the 88F I hit at the same spot in 2010), and I decided now I could bump the pace a bit.  Remarkably, the 4/1 felt better than the 3/1 at this point.  I kept passing people.  We motored through Chinatown (always a fun point), headed out towards US Cellular Field.  In these miles, I was very happy the advertised banana handouts were available.  While I usually like to stash bananas along the course the night before a race, I opted not to try this on Chicago's South Side on Saturday :-).  The bananas were perfect...I ate four half-bananas between mile 17 and mile 23.

We crossed the Dan Ryan freeway, wound through ITT and, marvelously, there was the left turn onto Michigan Avenue.  I could not get the grin off my face as I approached the turn...my inventory was only positive and I realized my goal for the race was virtually in hand.  I made the left, gave a high five to a spectator, turned off my beeper and proceeded to run continuously the final 3 miles.

And what a run it was down Michigan.  It was everything I had hoped it would be. I was smiling, basking in the atmosphere of this world-class event.  Mile 24 clicked off at 10:16.  Around mile 25, I passed the 4:50 pace group--another milestone.  At the mile 25 marker, my watch showed a 9:30 mile...my fastest yet for the day.  I was passing many, many people, having to weave my way along.  Eventually, I could see the final right turn of the race, and I knew it was nearly over.  We turned on to "Mount Roosevelt" (as this, the sole hill of the race up Roosevelt Avenue, is humorously called) and midway up, I hit mile 26 with a 9:16 mile, the fastest mile of the day.  A left turn, a short downhill and the marathon was done.  4:48 and change...I beat my goal, felt terrific and finished marathon #32, my second in a week.

Post race was just fun, as it always is when you feel good at the end.  I grabbed some food, called my wife, shot off some texts and made my way back to the car.  Cory was waiting for me...he's so fast, he had a tight hammy and still ran a 3:44...man, he's good.  I pulled on some warm clothes, we walked to a pasta place on Michigan Avenue for a post-race-carbo-load and then drove home.  I took a shower and went out to dinner with my wife...wow, what a fun, full day.

The race was more than I could have hoped for.  The two races were astounding.  I was incredibly blessed to have nearly perfect weather on consecutive weekends, which certainly helped.  Amazingly, I had no blisters, no soreness, no pain, no physical problems at all in the days after Chicago.  I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to run.

There is more to add about run/walk and race plans but that will wait for another post.  Thanks for enjoying this with me.

Persevere.

.

Race Report: Circular Logic Marathon 2012

The inaugural Circular Logic Marathon happened!!  The germ of an idea which hit me during a cold, windy 20-mile run in January, 2011, took root, engaged a handful of others and bloomed on Saturday morning, March 31, 2012 as a full-fledged marathon.  Here's the essential story, with lots of photos and a couple of short videos.

Running during the winter in Indiana can be a miserable experience.  Cold, rain, slush, grey, wind.  On such a day over a year ago, I wondered how I could do something to both encourage my fellow midwesterners to run through the yuck AND how I might "give back" to the running community by organizing a race.  I run so many races...each one has an organizer and many volunteers...I needed to do my part as well.

My original effort was to organize an indoor marathon on the very nice 200m track at Purdue's Lambert Fieldhouse.  I got the support of our running club, made efforts from February through October of 2011 to gain Purdue's approval but, alas, could not gain any interest from the key university authorities.

Sensing the need for a Plan B during the summer of 2011, I wondered if we could do something outdoors.  I regularly run through a city park and realized one day certain trails could be connected to form a loop which, to my eye, measured about 1 mile.  I ran this loop with my GPS and, indeed, it was one mile.  I traced it carefully on Map My Run and found a way to make it exactly 1.0 miles.  Could we do it?

Late last fall, I proposed this idea to our running club's officers and got their backing; to the city Parks and Rec department and got their enthusiastic support; and to Jake Franklin, a local guy who owns a race timing company, whom I knew I'd need to have to count laps accurately.  It all fell together amazingly smoothly and quickly.  So, I cobbled together a race website, posted the date on marathonguide.com, Marathon Maniacs site and a few other Indiana sites, used a measuring wheel to get the course at 1.00 miles, sat back and wondered if I was truly crazy this time.  Seriously, Joe, would ANYONE actually sign up for a marathon consisting of 26 trips around a one-mile loop in late March in Indiana?

They would.

Race Day came at last.  We had 85 individuals sign up for the marathon, 75 of whom toed the line for our 9:00am start.  In addition, we had a free-form marathon relay which attracted 16 teams consisting of over 80 individuals.  Temperatures were in the upper 40s, with overcast skies and only a mild breeze on a flat course...ideal running conditions.


The wife of one of our relay captains sang the National Anthem, one of our original running club members rang her U of Wisconsin cowbell to start the race and off they went.



After the pack crossed the start line, I stood there for a moment with a buddy of mine who was helping with the timing.  "Mat, we are actually having a marathon!  It's really happening!"  It was quite a moment for me and it was cool to share with a friend.  Reality returned quickly though, and I headed backwards down the course to make sure we got the first lap done correctly.  We added the Point Two miles onto the first lap, involving a short out and back about 3/4 of the way around the park.  That all worked perfectly, thanks to some terrific volunteers at that key junction.

And so the race was started.  I was astounded how well it went.  Space won't allow all the observations but three things turned out to be very special to the runners.

Litter-free Hydration.  I wanted to try something only a loop race allows...having zero paper cups for water.  We asked all our runners to bring their own water bottles, marked with their bib number.  Then we put them in numerical order on a table where they could grab it each time round, if they wished.



And what a menagerie of bottles it was!!  Really beautiful, in an odd sort of way.  Every shape and size, all lined up.

When runners came past, our water station crew, about 8 people in all, would spot the number and hold out the runners own water bottle.




My son David, who helped at the table, captured it best when he said "Dad, it made every runner feel like an elite champion!"  Indeed it did.  The volunteers got to know the names of each runner.  So, each time past, the runner got some personal encouragement, as well as a custom refill of water or Gatorade.



About 30m down the course from the water station was the key to all this.  We stationed laundry baskets there, into which the runners threw their bottle.  Our crew then carried the baskets back, refilled the bottles getting low, and put them back in order.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Here's a 45 second video of the whole process, featuring several fellow Maniacs, to boot.



We got fantastic feedback on this system...it worked way better than I had imagined it would.  Runners just LOVED the personalized service and thought it was awesome we left no litter.  Indeed, cleanup was a breeze at the end.  Sara, who led the effort, and her team perfected the process continuously throughout the race and we have a whole list of things to do even better next year.  But I get ahead of myself.

Personalized Bibs.  The second thing that seemed to make the race go well was our bib system, another idea that hit me during one of my long runs last summer.  In races, we always wear bibs on the front of our shirts.  But, as runners, how often to we see the FRONT of another runners shirt?  We normally only see the back of shirts.  So, I thought, since we'll have more than normal back-seeing on this loop course, so why not make a second bib for each runner's back with their name and home town, so folks can get to know other a bit more easily?  I found a bib making company who was game for this and so we did it.  You can see this bib, along with our race medals in this short video I shot on my dining room table the afternoon before the race.



And some of the bib names were just plain funny:




Amazing what a simple thing like this brought to the race--it really made it personal and let people connect much better with each other.

Another thing we did with the bibs was allowing people to pick their own bib numbers.  That was a hoot...many people had special numbers they requested.  The most clever of all was the one selected by Bryce Carlson.



Bib #314...no problem there.  But look closely at the bib in the picture.  Right after he registered and picked 314, he emailed me and asked if I would take a marker and add a decimal point to the bib, which I did once they arrived.  Bryce correctly figured out he could be 3.14, the mathematical constant pi, the perfect number for someone running the Circular Logic Marathon (not to mention thrilling me, a Purdue engineer with clear nerdy tendencies).  And, the bib apparently was key...Bryce won the race, leading from wire to wire, nearly a mile ahead at the end!  Here I am presenting the trophy to him!!



Lap Counting Team.  The third thing that worked well and became personal was our chip timing system and people.  At the start/finish line, Jake had his RFID system set up to read the chips attached to the back of each person's front bib.  This eliminated the need for a timing mat, something which might prove a trip hazard after 26 trips across it.



At the finish complex, Jake had two flat-screen monitors set up and he programmed his system to put up, on each screen, the name of the runner detected along with the number of laps he/she had completed.  Our runners loved having this reliable count, every time around.  In addition, it told them the name of whoever was near them at the crossing, further enhancing getting to know people.

In addition to the electronic timing, we also had a back up...four folks with clipboards and pencils, whom you can see standing here as Deb Thomford, our women's winner, knocks off another lap.



Jake had this idea, knowing we needed a secondary way to reliably count laps.  He divvied the field up into quarters and each person had those numbers to keep track of.  Again, the counters got to know the runners and greeted them enthusiastically each time around.  It was a special part of the race for all our runners, they wrote and told us.

And, while all of these things made the race personal, the course itself helped.  Family and friends could see their runner every lap.  Many kids jumped in to run a time or two around the course.









I was personally honored that two of the most enduring names in marathoning joined us in our inagural race.  Jim Simpson, the legendary marathoner from Huntington Beach, CA and Larry Macon, the world-record holder for most marathons run in a year, both ran our race.  What incredible gentlemen!!  They were as encouraging and gracious as could be.  The two of them, along with veteran 50 state marathoner Russell Cheney walked the last 8 or so miles together and were the final of our 65 marathon finishers.  I was humbled to be able to give these terrific guys their medals at the end, as the sun finally came out on what became a beautiful spring day.  What a treat to meet them and be with them.

From Running-General

Russell not only ran the race but he and I have had a wonderful email conversation since on ways to further improve the event.  It was a terrific treat to have them with us.

If you'd like more race info, look at our YouTube Page, our photo/video page, and the race participants' comments on MarathonGuide.com.

It is quite an experience being a Race Director...very different from being a runner.  It is a lot of work, more than I expected, both before and after the event.  But, then again, I was hoping for 30 runners to show up...and we had over 160 participants.

The big question:  Will we do it again??  Yes we will.  Set the date:  Saturday, March 23, 2013.

Once more, a reason to train through the winter.  Once more, a chance for me and others to give back.

And a chance for all of us to persevere.


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Race Report: Kal-Haven 33.5 Mile Trail Race

ORN:  33.5 miles, 6:48:24, R/W 3/1 thru 28, then 2/2; 12:12/mile

Quick Summary

My second time running the longest event I've ever run went much better than my first crack.  Better preparation, better strategy both worked.  It was a wonderful day in the Michigan woods at a very well-planned and executed ultramarathon.

Gory Details

The KalHaven Trail Run has become a very popular event on the spring running calendar in Michigan.  Its appeal rests both in its solid organization and wonderful course on the eponymous Kal Haven trail, a rail trail connecting Kalmazoo with the Lake Michigan resort town of South Haven.   The surface is nearly perfect for running.  As wide as a railroad bed, the surface is smooth, well-packed gravel which is firm but not hard.  No roots, hardly any inclines up or down; as one veteran runner remarked to me "This is a very kind course."  Thus, it makes a perfect introduction to ultras, adding to the race's appeal.   The grade and gravel sheds water marvelously, as proven this year.  The area was deluged with heavy rains Friday afternoon and evening.  Saturday morning there was no standing water, no mud, no impediments of any kind.  Amazing.

But how do I explain this race to you??  I think it is best to try to contrast it to last year's effort .  (BTW, the photos are better on that report, if you want to see the trail).  I did two fundamentally different things going into the 2012 event.

First, I improved my training base.  Since early January, I've averaged much closer to 40 miles per week than the 25-27 I averaged last year.  To be sure, I would have been better off to have started this the middle of the fall.  But I did log quite a few long weeks with back to back long runs on Saturday and Sunday.

Secondly, I modified my race-day plan.  Last year, I did a 4/1 run/walk ratio from the start.  I was good early and then I fried at the end, making the last three miles truly unenjoyable and discouraging.  This year, I started with a slower 3/1 ratio, wanting to see just how long I could hold that pace.  I told myself I would be happy with mile splits anywhere in the 11-12 minute range, understanding I would hold back early and save some gas for the end.

I drove up Friday afternoon and took the early start at 7am, about a half hour before any pre-dawn light emerged through the overcast skies.  18 of us took off for our long jaunt; a dozen or so of them were pals, running together.  The chatter was steady, loud, nervous and typical of folks on an adventure they didn't entirely understand.  It was kind of fun to be around.

The early-start pack moved ahead of me though and by mile 2 I was pretty much by myself.  I found my 3/1 groove, the sky was lightening, the temps were in the upper 50s and I was feeling pretty good.  And so it continued for the next 5+ hours.  My mile spits from the start through mile 27 were ALL in the 11s, ranging randomly from 11:03 to 11:53...remarkably consistent...I was pleased. Between miles 10 and 12, I reeled in the other early starters and was actually the first person on the course until mile 15 when the race winners blew past me. My main focus was not racing.  I tried to simply stay hydrated, downing plenty of my homemade energy gel , keeping my posture straight and not hunched and, generally, running in a relaxed manner.  I had stashed a banana, a reload of gel and some trail mix near mile 17; finding it intact under a pile of leaves behind a log was an encouragement.

Physically, I felt pretty good.  Around mile 8, I noticed a tightness in my right upper calf.  Where did that come from?  The right Achilles which had bugged me recently was fine and remained fine.  The calf just got a bit stiff, stayed stiff but never got worse.  I stretched it once which neither helped nor hurt, so I just took it as a calling card that goes with ultras.

I was interested in how I would pass the 26.2 mile mark.  GPS accuracy being what it is, I remembered the stretch of trail I had seen it last year and, sure enough, within 20m of the spot from last year I completed Phippide's distance.  The time this year was 5:06.  Last year, the same spot was 5:02.  So, even though I had modified my pace to be slower, I only lost 4 minutes over the course of a marathon.  That predicted a lot about the rest of the race.

As I said, the steady pace continued through the 28 mile mark.  At that point, the discomfort in my left IT Band was becoming more noticable and I felt I needed to make a switch.  I had noticed the most pain came when I switched from a walk to a run.  So, I flipped my timer from a 3/1 ratio to a 2/2 ratio...still on a 4 minute cycle time but half run half walk.  How long could I hold this, I wondered...a year ago, I was reduced to a slow walk by mile 30.

Remarkably, the adjustment worked.  It brought a smile to my face to run past the landmarks (read "smelly hog farm") which last year had me slowing down.  And so it continued to the end.  This year, my pace between mile 28 and 33.5 ranged between 12:28 and 13:55 (at mile 32). The same stretch in 2011 had miles at 20 minutes and painful those were.  My very last mile was at a 12:30 pace, with a peak pace in that mile of 9:10.   Paradoxically (to non-runners anyway, probably not so to other ultrarunners), my ITB hurt far less when I ran than when I walked, so I started running more and more, including the entire final half mile.  

From the marathon mark to the end took me 1:42 this year; the same distance a year ago was 2:06, with much more pain.  This validated the approach.

The last half mile was fun.  Part of the fun was knowing I'd soon be done, to be sure.  But it was satisfying to see the work had paid off...the goal in this race was to run across the finish line, something I did not do last year.  But another funny surprise happened at the end as well.  With a mere 100m to go, I could see the final turn, I could see the "Finish" sign, I could hear the people, the cowbells, the music.  And then I heard runners over my left shoulder.  I looked and, lo and behold, it was two young women from our initial starting group of 18.  Overtaking me at the end to "win" the early starters' sweepstakes.  This old guy had no response and I saluted them as they barreled by.  It was fun.

Post-race was truly enjoyable.   All of us solo runners were presented with our finisher T shirts.  (I wore my finisher shirt from 2011...the 2012 finisher shirt is on the table in front of me...orange you glad to know that?) The atmosphere was relaxed, friendly and most enjoyable.

From Running-General

The Race Directors, Julie and Terry, below, were wonderfully organized.  They both spent time with me before and after the race, chatting about my role this coming week as Race Director for our own club's marathon.  They offered a lot of input and encouragement.  A class operation!

I then completed a conversation I had had along the course with a lady who had offered me a ham sandwich at mile 29.  After the race, she saw me and offered me "the same ham sandwich".  It takes too long to explain, but that phrase is the punch line of a running gag my wife and I have enjoyed since the summer of 1972, two years before we ever started dating.  I include it here as photographic proof  "the same ham sandwich" is alive and well, reminding me a hilarious event we have enjoyed for years...rekindled, afresh, in a parking lot in South Haven, Michigan in 2012.

So what did I learn from this race?  Some overarching insight?  Deep philosophical principle, found anew?  

I'm getting there.  Kind of profound for me.  But it'll take longer to explain than you want to take here.  Stay tuned.  

So, for now, persevere.  And thanks for listening.

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