Today I take you with me on my first ultramarathon the STORMY 50 mile Trail Ultra. More to come later. Thanks for listening
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In the two remaining weeks before my race I had planned to run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, all about 3 to 4 miles each run. Then Saturday was to be a 7 miler. Sunday I would rest and then in the last week run the Monday, Tuesday Wednesday. Two days rest and then on Friday my family would drive up to Squamish we would check into the hotel room we had rented and have a good nights sleep. I would wake up around 4 am and grab a taxi out to Brennan Park. Do some light stretches, eat a banana and Powerbar with a cup of coffee and wait for the start. Jenny and the kids would wake up later and come out and cheer me on along the course somewhere at a pre-planned time. I would be charged up by my family cheering me on.
Today’s show I had a whole show planned out (as much as I ever plan out) about Dean Karnazes. Lately DK has been in the headlines a bit because of his new documentary about his 50/50 exploits. I, myself, have recently completed his first book Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner and I was going to give you my take on the whole Dean Karnazes show. In ultrarunning circles DK has been a bit of a point of contention. For the most part ultrarunners either love to hate him or remain somewhat neutral and letting the Dean bashing go on. I wanted delve into this world for a bit and try to figure out why.
Usually I kind of choreograph what I want to say while I’m running and the thoughts just kind of flow. Unfortunately the week has not gone as planned. It was Sunday the first day of my “Taper”. I can’t believe I named my last show My Taper begins Tomorrow. It was almost like a jinx or something (not that I’m superstitious). The very next day after my long run was my crew’s Duty Weekend. As a volunteer firefighter we rotate weekends as to who is going to do truck checks and equipment testing. This was our weekend!
There’s a couple of ventilation fans on engine 1 that are wedged into one compartment. Depending on who put them in there last getting them out of there can be easy or a nightmare. I had a nightmare! As I twisted and turned the fan to extract it from its tiny hovel, I felt a twinge in my lower back. Great!
In the minutes following I could feel my back start to tighten. By the evening I was full on crippled by it. I was walking like a Circus Muscleman me chest pressed out, arms back and my but was sticking back further. It was the only way I could walk without falling over.
Monday morning I couldn’t get out of bed. It was agony. I stretched and was pill popping all day long. I was putting heat packs on my lower back all day long. By evening I was loose enough that I thought I might be able to run Tuesday.
Tuesday I got in a four miler (I think) but it wasn’t easy. The run seemed to tighten everything back up again so by Wednesday I was the Circus Muscleman again. Thursday was no different from Wednesday.
To make a long story short, it is now Tuesday, nine days after hurting my back. My original taper plan was to cut my volume down by about half while maintaining my frequency. It hasn’t quite gone that way.
All my plans, all my training, all my hopes and aspirations are fading as I get closer to race day and I still can’t get out of bed without pain. At this point Wednesday (tomorrow) will be a decision day.
Tomorrow I’m going to get out of bed. That will be the first hurdle. Next I’m going to lace up the shoes (Hurdle two). Then I’m going to go out for a 4 mile run. On the last couple of runs I could feel my legs and back tighten up as I went along. I knew that by the end of the run and the hours that followed would be a battle against a stiffening body.
If this happens then I’m going to call it off. If I can’t run 4 on Wednesday I definitely won’t be able to complete 50 miles three days later. At least I could cancel the hotel room. The entry fee is non-refundable. But I digress.
I know everything will be okay. I know I’ve got all my training in the bank now. If I can just get past this I can run walk and crawl a 50 miler.
This will be my last recording before race day. I’ll be recording on Saturday whether I’m running or not.
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This week I talk about tapering. I mainly reference an article written by Wilson and Wilson. A Practical Approach to the Taper. Awesome article if you want to read it I can send it to you. Shoot me an email at ultradad.podcast@gmail.com and I’ll forward you the PDF with my gratitude for listening.
I joined Runnerplus.com. It’s pretty cool better graphics than Nike +. So I joined in on A Million Feet Running the challenge by Nik and Dan and their podcast Nik and Dan. Now I’m feeling that community thing that Steve Runner has been talkin’ about.
I’ve lost data somewhere I’ve got 44 miles on another sensor but can’t get it back. I would be ahead of you Trailblazer 
Shout Outs
Troy in Iowa. Thanks for the PDF Troy. Troy wants to do one of the North Face Endurance Ultras coming to Wisconsin. But he’s getting married in September. Congratulations on impending nuptial but family first. Hawaii is an awesome place to run. Check out http://hurthawaii.blogs.com .
That’s an acronym for Hawaiian Ultra Running Team
Apteryx in Singapore –I had to look up Apteryx in Wikipedia. Apteryx is a Kiwi a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand.Dirt Dawg – has a blog. He takes a lot of pictures of his feet. I like the sidebar where he tracks his miles and the money he spends on running and then does a quick dollars per mile calculation. He too has a minivan. http://www.dirtdawgramblingdiatribe.blogspot.com/
Allan and Jeff both wrote emails wishing me luck and enjoying my show. They have an awesome show called Running with the Pack that I highly recommend at http://www.parkedthoughts.com/blog/ also on iTunes.
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Today I explore my mind. It was pretty lonely in there! I discuss what an ultramarathon is and why I want to run one.
Todays Ultra News Express
Badwater 135
Links
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It’s time for another 30 miler. I give 30 tips for completing 30 miles along the way
PLUS:
An update from the Hardrock 100. The World’s Toughest 100 mile trail race.
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Today I tell about my experiences with bears. This past weekend a bear was spotted in our very residential neighborhood which made me recount the run ins I’ve had with bears in my running life. I’ve uploaded a couple of pictures of the beast as it lumbered past my neighbors house.
I also discuss product reviews and my apprehensions about the truth behind published product reviews. I have a solution!
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Podcasting is the new media. More clearly defined podcasting as a subset of the Internet is the newest medium for conveying information to the targeted masses. By ‘targeted’ masses I mean a specific listening audience that is intent on finding information about a topic. My podcast is about running more specific than that I key in on trail running and even more specific than that ultra distance trail running.
NUMBERS
I don’t know what the numbers are and I’m sure some company somewhere has been paid to keep tabs on the numbers but a lot of people are into fitness, whether it is diets and keeping the pounds off any way they can or activity based fitness. Of those people are born the runners which possible number into the hundreds of millions. In my own corner of the world the Vancouver Sun Run, a local 10K, had 50,000 participants this year. Of those people there are marathoners or aspiring marathoners. I’ve been told that marathoners constitute ½ of 1% of the world’s population. If that is even remotely close that may seem like a minority in the world but that translates to 5 million people worldwide. Add to that the aspiring and the number grows even more. Ultra distance runners are even fewer than that. But the aspiring from that are probably bordering on similar numbers to sum to the total population. In other words everyone who has run a step to classify themselves a runner probably has considered or is at least intrigued by a marathon so the numbers of aspiring plus actual marathoners borders on the total population of runners. A similar argument can be debated for ultra marathoners. So you see creating a podcast about trail running and ultra marathoning may not be as obscure as one would think.
THE WALTER MITTY FACTOR
My nine year old recently asked me what an alter ego was. He had heard the expression on a TV show that he had been watching, I tried as best I could in terms that a nine year old would understand that as alter ego is like a secret life or something you do that is different from your everyday life. Without waxing on the philosophical, I said it was like being a superhero and an everyday guy like Clark Kent and Superman. I remember reading the short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty a terrific story about a daydreamer who escapes into different worlds only to be brought back to reality by the circumstances that surround him. For that brief moment we are with him we are right there for those interludes those romantic escapes. And that in essence is my podcast.
MY APPROACH
My approach to podcasting is to be myself. I am one of you. I am you. I am a middle of the pack, working, mortgage paying, forty-something, father of three, happily married living in the suburbs and escaping to the trails every chance I get. My real escape is chasing my dream of running the ultra distances. The Walter Mitty in me escapes into a world some only daydream of and I take you with me. Whether you listen streaming online at your cubicle at work or you yourself are grinding out a workout of your own.
I think my appeal will be just that. As I get out there and record my podcast, it is for those of you who run or those of you who aspire will be able to relate or grab little tidbits of the experience of long run. My intent is to inspire and motivate, to educate and commiserate. You know its great to read the blogs of the ultra distance elite like Krupicka and Meltzer but they probably feel no pain. And if they do they don’t let on about it. My podcast is stream of consciousness, moment by moment as the run unfolds. It is for the most part unscripted but sometimes researched ahead of time.
IN SUMMARY
To paraphrase Steve Runner of the Phedippidations Podcast, Podcasting is about the community. It’s about expanding our own horizons and in the process expanding those of others. For me it is making the impossible seem possible, there are no boundaries just hurdles. I hope you enjoy my podcast and discover your dreams in the process.
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Today I am running my first 30 miler in preparation for for Ultramarathon in August. During my run I try out Nuun Hydration Tablets and take my Salomon XT Wings for their first long run. The temperature during todays run is suppose to reach into the 90’s so I discuss the methods I employ to beat the heat.
TUNE Notes: I discuss the cancellation of the Western States 100 due to forest fires. It’s the first time in 35 years this race did not run.
Links:
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My observations on the difference between Trails and Roads!
TUNE NOTES: Bighorn 100
Mohican Trail 100
So you wanna be a Trail Runner.
Here is what to expect. And this is what you’ll need.
I talk about the differences between trail shoes and road shoes. I also discuss the different muscles needed. The possible hazards out there. I hope you enjoy it.
Music on todays podcast
Only Want The Good Things-instrumental version - Sling
| The Running Man | Rebel With Creation |
Links
The Best Source for Trail Running Info Trail Runner Magazine
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Show notes:
Todays Ultra News Express
Pittsfield Peaks 50 Mile
Comrades Marathon
Mt Diablo 50K
Talk about Western States
Two Long Runs:
Long Run 1-Hayward Lake Trail
Long Run 2-Same Trail talking about Ultra List
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