#43 and More

Last Sunday I ran the RI 6 hour Ultra in Warwick, Rhode Island. This race completes my 43rd state. The photo was me reaching the finish line near the end of 6 hours. Of course in a 6 hour event the finish line is relative to the number of loops one makes in the race.
The course was a 2.7 mile asphalt loop in Warwick City Park. The park was beautiful not counting the cloudiness of the day. So the goal was to make as many 2.7 mile loops before resorting to the 0.9 mile short loop when time is a factor and one can no longer make the long loop.
At 8:00 AM the gun goes off and the runners charge forward. There were 67 ultra runners and 29 relay teams. My concern was not the relays, but how do you know whose who. Who cares, my goal was to get to 50 km mark. Well actually my goal was to go 33-35 miles, but was modified after the first loop. It seems that the course was hilly after 1.25 miles. Not major hills but enough to add about 50 feet of climb per mile. So around and around I go, getting to talk with several 50 staters and then listening to my MP3 player. Time actually slipped by quickly and then I hit the marathon point with a time of 4:50:24, so at that point it was official, state #43. However I did pay for a full 6 hours of running so I wanted my monies worth, so onward I went. Upon finishing loop #11, I did not have enough time to do another big loop, so opted for two of the 0.9 mile small loops. Officially I finished with 31.495 (5:57:45) in 45th place.
The race was well run and the race organization is to be applauded.
The trip went pretty uneventful, other than all the rain on Saturday. If that rain would have been on race day, runners would have been slowed. As it was the winner completed 51.323 miles. That is amazing.
My next state will not be until June of 2010. My plan is to go west and knock off 5 states.
If I am able to pull this off I will run the following schedule: 6/11 - Bear Lake Marathon, ID; 6/12 - Bear Lake Marathon, UT; 6/13 - Estes Park Marathon, CO; 6/19 - Bighorn Mountain 50KM, WY; 6/26 - Pacific Crest Trail Marathon, OR. So that would be #44, 45, 46, 47, & 48. That would leave North Dakota and Washington. On On!

Triple Mudman

Cross Country - Districts

First of all both my boys and girls cross country teams are moving on to the region meet next week. The boys placed 3rd and the girls tied for 5th with us losing out on the tie breaker, so sixth.
I was pleased my #4 girl who was out with flu all last week was able to toe the line with her team. She said to me she would not be at top form and may not hit her normal times. You got to love them. My response was 'all you have to do is be in front of our #5 girl and we should move on. She did and the team did. She can show her stuff next week. Bryan Derr was 2nd and Jace Wolford was 8th to qualify as individuals for the boys. Hadley Greer was 13th and Andi Van Sickle was 22nd to move on as individuals. So fun for the coach who gets to torture at least one more week.

Triple Mudman:
1st race (Saturday, 10/24): Night Time Time Trail on a tough 5 km course.
This was a neat race with runners taking off every 10 seconds. My goal was to run like crazy and hold off any runners trying to pass me. 4 passed me in the 1st mile and I passed 3 in the final
2.1. This was an exhilarating run in the dark with just a head lamp. Wow.
I am glad I ran the 6 hour race several weeks ago. It was the same 5 km course. There are some tough sections and turns. Knowing the course aloud me to prevent any face plants, as some did. No one was injured or died during this run. I came in 44th, time was 29:42.

2nd race (Sunday 9:30 AM, 10/25): Steeplechase on log strewn, hale bale obstacles, and mud pits, and even ropes strewn across the trail. Different 5 km course and very challenging. I decided to go after this 5 km and try to do well. I came in 39th, 32:54. Don't laugh at the time unless you went through the course.

3rd race (Sunday 11:00 AM, 10/25): 10 Km Cross Country race. The first mile and half were the most challenging as it was in pasture that was muddy and ankle twisting. They mowed it, but I think they should have left it alone. The rest was trail. My legs were tired, but I pushed until the 4th mile when my gas tank ran a little low causing me to walk up the hills. I did not wait for the results of this race or the outcome of the Triple Mudman. They will be posted on the site: Mudman tomorrow.
I recommend this race as it was fun, friendly, and challenging. Be brave, be a Mudman!

Districts and the Mudman Triple

Low and behold I am writing a blog after too long an absence.
I have been running and training for the upcoming Rhode Island 6 Hour Ultra to be held on November 15th. This will be my 43 rd state and I am looking forward to the event and format.

Districts are tomorrow for my cross country teams. While injuries and sickness have plagued the teams all season we are hopeful they both can make it to the next dance, Regional s at Boardman.
If only my 3rd runner boy wasn't injured (not running) and my 4th girl wasn't sick (running) and 5th girl not injured (running) we would obviously do much better. We still should make a strong showing either way.

Mudman Triple will be run on trails and whatever else they can find to make a sloppy day of it.
The races are run at Kenyon College at the BFEC Education Center and the Observatory.
Saturday night there will be a 5 KM Time Trial in the dark on hilly trails. Headlamp is required.
I hope I make it in time from the district meet to be held at Malone College.
Sunday morning are two races.
The 1st is a Steeplechase 5 km. More mud and water and trail.
2nd a 10 KM trail race.
Do all three and your a MUDMAN.....not MADMAN!
Will report on all of the above.

Also, I thought I would put up a photo just for the heck of it. Mansfield Y Running Club, enjoy.

Clarence DeMar Marathon - #42

Well it is in the books.
Today I ran the Clarence De Mar Marathon that starts in Gilsum, NH and runs to Keene, NH.
I got up around 5 AM and headed to the finish line at Keene College to be bused to Gilsum.
The rain was coming down on my way over to Gilsum and continued all the way through the marathon.
This is a nice marathon that runs through some beautiful areas of New Hampshire. Along forested rivers and streams. Up and down hills, some large and real workers.
My plan was simple get to the finish line. I did!
Next was to run the first 16 miles in under 10 minute miles, I did !
The last I hoped to keep my remaining miles around 10:30 miles, I did!
My time was benefited by running sub 9 minute miles for the first 6 miles.
I felt great to around 18 miles when my current problem flared up (back). After suffering for a while I took a naproxen tablet at 21 miles. There is a long steep hill after 22 mile marker, so I was glad I took it.
I met some nice runners out on course. Lou and I ran in to the finish. We talked about many subjects including running, he's a teacher of middle school students, and of course finishing.
I would recommend this race as well run and a very nice act.
My finish time was 4:28:46 (not official).

Powder Mill Park

Made it to Rochester, NY for the night. Found a nice park with trails called Powder Mill Park.
Betty and I walked for about a mile, then I went out for a three plus mile run. Just ran time, but did not want to over do it.
Planned on 3 miles or around 30 minutes, but getting slightly off course added a little extra time. Tempts were 59 and a stiff breezes. Nice trails, and very few people out and about.
Tomorrow Keene, NH and Sunday run the Clarence DeMar Marathon. Later............................

15 miles and the back felt great.

I ran 15 miles at Kokosing Gap Trail near Gambier. I have been having lots of back pain of late, but today I did well and no problems. That's good news since I will be doing a marathon next week. Yes, the Clarence DeMar Marathon, Keene, New Hampshire.
On Sunday I did the Odyssey 6 Hour Run at Kenyon College. This race was off road, trail and cross country style course. A beautiful setting and a well run event.
The problem was I had major back pain within 5 miles. I trudged on and did a pitiful 24.8 miles. That gave me a nice 4th overall out of 42 entrants. However I was super chicked by Terri Lemke and Kim Boner who were 1st and 2nd. The 3rd place went to another male runner who ran the same distance as me, he just went home a few hours earlier than me.
Congratulations to Terri and Kim for a nice race as they never looked fatigued.

My cross country teams had a good day last Tuesday winning both boys and girls races at our home tri-meet. Bryan Derr performed well, as always with a new course record and an another win. Hadley Greer smoked the girls and is now finding her winning ways. She just a freshman, but acts like a junior high kid. So there is hope for her.

Ice Cream

Summer has been great for running and increasing the training, but the quality was not there. The other day a person close to me indicated that I may have gained some extra pounds. Low and behold the scale confirmed this outrageous fact.
While my training miles have increased so has my intake of ice cream. Summer is a time of ice cream and apparently I have partaken of one to many belly busters at Stake Shortstop.
So what to do......calorie count has begun again in earnest as I have a marathon in a little over 2 weeks. As anyone can figure this won't be a PR, but a completion for state #42. My focus race will be in November, the Rhodes Island 6 Hour Ultra. So I must lose 20 pounds by then and get much faster. No more ice cream, dam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday I plan on running the Kokosing Odyssey 6 Hour Run near Gambier, Ohio. It is all on cross country course so I will use it as a long training run with the 1st half marathon at a fast pace and survive the remaining distance from there on. I would like to go at least 27 miles.
Fact: 1 Belly Buster = 1200 calories; the same as 9 Sam Adams.

Cross Country has been going well, the boys won an invitational last week, the girls came in second. Since then my #3 runner got injured and is hurting the teams scoring. Hopefully he will be better and we can back to our winning ways. The girls are looking strong, so thing are looking up for the end of the season.