If You Don’t Like the Heat, Just Finish Sooner

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice Issue #8 If You Don’t Like the Heat, Just Finish Sooner

I had a race this past weekend and after I finished, I had an apostrophe. Lightning struck my brain. I told Amy to text me so I wouldn’t forget it.

The race started at 6am in San Antonio. It was a cool mid-to-high 70s morning (cool for us at least). I had never been to this park so I took the first lap easy (6 laps of 5.4 miles each). Then, after I saw how much fun the course was in its entirety, I ran a bit harder the 2nd through 4th laps. The sun started getting higher and hotter during my 5th lap (10am) and a lot more during my 6th and final lap (11am). It was during my last lap that I realized how glad I was to not have to run any more laps. Not just because being finished is a great feeling, but because it was getting a lot warmer. I sort of felt bad that so many others running the 50k (31 miles) had to be out there all afternoon to complete the race while I had it easy finishing before noon.

I will also mention that this logic applies to the dreaded/awesome Habanero 100. It starts at noon and you must be finished by 6pm the next day (30 hours). You’re gonna have a lot of sun time no matter what the first day. But if you don’t want to be in the sun ALL day the next day, just finish as the sun is coming up and then you can skip the heat.

So, in conclusion, if you don’t like the heat, either you must run faster or move to some northern state that thinks 80 degrees is hot. Or just suffer through the heat and hate those jerks that finish early. Just understand that they know that the ones who endure the long hours of exposure are the real crazy tougher than nails runners.

Make Races a Family Event

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #7

Make Races a Family Event

When I was in high school running track and cross country, those sports were listed as team sports, and I loved my team, but it always felt like an individual sport and I helped contribute to a team. Now, when I have a race, it’s usually most of the day or all day or a few days of nothing but running (and walking and sometimes sleeping). And since I have a family, I don’t feel right about telling my wife to take care of the kids while I go off and party all weekend with a race. So, they come along.

From my first 100-miler when we only had two kids (4 and 2) and it was 30 degrees outside, my family has always come to my races. They cheer me on throughout the day and give me so much to look forward to when I start getting close to an aid station. I love their high fives and “Go dad” and trying to keep them out of the way of other incoming runners.

Now that my kids are getting older, my wife and kids will also sometimes run the shorter races. I love being able to see them on the course and give them high fives as we pass. It’s so fun hearing others tell me that they saw my kid out running and what an inspiration that was and how they need to get their kids (or grandkids) out on the trails.

One of my favorite parts of being on Team TROT is that I’m one of the few that has a family. I like showing that running isn’t just for singles. It’s totally a team sport. The team may consist of your actual team members, other runners you meet, or all the volunteers at aid stations. But my favorite part of running is my family team.

How Do You Get to Work?

A year ago I was kinda forced into a horrible situation. My wife was at work and wouldn't be able to take me to work in the morning. Here's the story and why I'm a better person because of it.

Back in my other life when I was a teacher, I biked to work. It was 10 miles round-trip and 6 miles round-trip for the two schools I worked for. It allowed us to have just one car. My students would ask why I didn't drive. Was it to save the planet? Get exercise? Save money on gas? My answer was always yes. But the real reason is because I'm cheap and I don't like being like everyone else. What family only has one car? It makes me different.

When I switched careers, Amy woke up early to take me to work and would then go back to bed. We did this for about six months. I really was wanting to up my mileage but sometimes (meaning always) I'd feel too lazy and would only end up doing much less than I felt like I should be doing. Last year I worked on July 4th. We were going to have our families up at the station and that involved Amy not working that night. She worked the night before instead. The dilemma arose as to how I was going to get to work. I could bike, but I always worried about getting flat tires. And then it hit me and the problem was solved.

I mapped out my course that I would follow to run to work. Almost 10 miles. Then to figure out my pace so I would know how early I'd need to leave. Then to add on my shaving and getting ready for the day. We got a plastic tote that I could leave my clothes and all inside so that I could shower when I got to work.

I have run 86 times to work (best schedule ever!) over the last year. Rain, windy, hurricane, thunderstorm, hot, cold, whatever. I wake up at 3:30 a.m. and leave my house at 4:00 to run 10 miles to work. I love it. It has made me more determined when the sucky moments arise in my races and the voices tell me to quit.

Thanks to my sponsors that provide my necessary gear. Nathan for the Peak waist pak that holds not only water (since it's nice and hot even at 4 am here) but also my phone and mp3 player. Also for my favorite handlight, the Zephyr Fire 300.   AfterShokz for the headphones that 1) don't block any outside noises so I can still hear cars and other stuff around me but also 2) have already survived many sweaty hours and still work great. Altra for my new favorite shoes. I've put tons of miles on them and they still feel wonderful. DryMax socks for some pretty cool foot protection. I haven't had blisters yet. Victory Sportdesign for bags to organize my extra clothes that I leave at work. And Trail Toes for anti chaffing cream to keep my thighs happy after running in the heat and humidity.

Tapering is a Sin

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #6

Tapering is a Sin

I always read people’s week-before-a-race comments about how they need to cut down the miles and make sure their body is all ready for the race. And I guess if you’re an elite pro, that might be kinda important. But for the rest of us, why are you killing yourself on all those other weeks? Enjoy your “training” (happy Marc?). Run nice and easy all the time and you have no need for prepping for a race because you’re already ready.

Here’s what I do the week before a race:

• Run every day- however much and for however long I feel is good
• Don’t eat anything new/weird that I don’t know how my body is going to respond to it
• Try to sleep a lot all week (especially if I know I’m gonna be up all night racing)
• Cut my toenails about a week before the race (so they’re not sore from cutting them too short)
• Make a list of the things I will/might need during the race and after the race (it sucks when you start freezing post-race due to calorie deficiencies and you only brought tank tops and shorts cause it’s hot outside)
• Charge all my head/hand lights (or bring spare batteries)
• Double check that I am bringing my water pack
• Make sure I have directions to the park
• Sleep in a tent at the park the night before the race so I don’t have far to go in the morning and can sleep all night
• Don’t get hurt (see Issue #4)
• Make sure your family comes to the race

Training Plans Are Dumb

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #5

Training Plans Are Dumb

A long time ago I was running a 100-miler, Rocky Raccoon, for my third time. Some university was doing a study and we could volunteer to be a part of it. They sent us some questions pre-race and videoed us running by the spot where they set up camp for two days. This spot was of course where you needed to run because you didn’t want to be the one they all secretly laughed at when they rewatched the films- “Hey look at this guy walking...again!” But the point of this is one of the pre-race questions they asked: “What do you do for training?” And that got me thinking. What do I do for training?

To me, training involves having a schedule of things you need to do beyond just going out and running. Monday- run 20 400s with 30 second walk breaks on the track. Tuesday is long run day- 8 miles at x:xx pace. Wednesday is a 5-mile tempo run- keep pace between x:xx and x:xx. Thursday is weights blah blah blah blah etc. etc. etc. Ever since I was helped into discovering how amazing running long distances is and found out how I could get my body to fairly efficiently do this, I never had a training plan. I just went out and ran. I simply liked running. It didn’t matter how long (as long as it was at least a mile) and it didn’t matter how fast (even if it was walking). I just had to go outside. If I felt good, I might pick up the pace a bit. Or not. If it was hot, let’s slow down so I don’t melt. Sure, I log all my miles, my pace, anyone I ran with, the weather, temperature, which shoes I wore, how I felt, the humidity, the loop- all that’s shown in the table below. (FYI-I almost always feel great. It’s easier to run when you don’t feel bad.) But all that information is for some future study that will need to know how I became the runner that I am. It’s my proof that what I do and say works. I don’t do much with the numbers.




So when I answered the researchers’ question about what I do for training, I replied with “I don’t consider anything I do as training. I just go out and run. If I feel good, I go faster or longer or just keep the same pace. If I feel bad, slow down. When I step out of the house, I think, today I’m gonna run 10 miles cause I feel this. Or I’m gonna just do this small 3 mile loop cause I feel that. Other than getting out of the house and running, I don’t have any other preconceived plan about what I’ll do.” That’s not exactly what I told them, but that’s the spirit of it.

A few other tidbits about my “training.” I run almost exclusively on the road or paved trails. The only time I get on non-paved surfaces is when I race. I live near Houston, and there are quite literally no hills. I might gain/lose 100 feet over 10 miles, and that’s if there’s an overpass I need to go up and over. The only hills/mountains I run on are when I race. My daily running is always done in road shoes. And unless it’s going to be raining, I wear my road shoes for race day too. I carry a watch that I got when I was in junior high so I can track total time while running. But I never look at it while I run until I’m back home and stop the timer. I don’t have a heart rate monitor. I don’t buy new shoes until they have a couple thousand miles on them. I never stretch or use a foam roller (wouldn’t even know how to use it correctly). I don’t do weightlifting (although I occasionally do this now--not for running but for my job as a firefighter). I don’t listen to music (although I do listen to books). When race weekend is coming up, I don’t do anything different in my “training” like tapering (which is also dumb). And in spite of all these things, I’ve never been injured and have had a rather successful (in my opinion) running career that is still in its infancy.

Don’t Get Hurt

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #4

Don’t Get Hurt

This seems to go without saying. But some people just go and do it anyway. And there are several aspects that go into making sure you don’t get hurt.*

1. Don’t go fast  When a course has some slightly to horrendously technical sections, going fast is the best way to go if you want to hurt yourself. You’ll move a loose rock you just stepped on more than at a slower pace; you’ll have too much momentum going when you hit that little divot that rolls your ankle; you'll be kissing rocks with your knees or your face when you trip and fly ten feet. Just don't go fast. Run slow. 
2. Choose the longest distance  If your race has multiple distances to choose from, choose the longest. That way you won’t be able to go fast. And if you do, you won’t for long. And if you don’t go fast, you won’t get hurt. I’m not saying you won’t trip and fall, but it won’t be as bad as that fast guy falling.
3. Drink lots of water  I once made the mistake of not taking water with me for the last 40 miles of a 100-mile race because the temperature was dropping that night. I would drink at the aid stations, but didn’t have my pack with me for continuous hydration. I finished with an amazing time and place. However, when I was done chatting with friends post-race, I was ready to go to bed and got up only to pass out. Then again. Then my wife took me to the emergency room to get some fluids put back in me. I wasn’t seriously hurt, but I wouldn’t ever recommend going long without having a good water supply with you. It’s not worth the risk.
4. Wear short shorts  Some people haven’t heard the secret of wearing shorty shorts. I won’t be the one to spill the beans, but you should definitely try it. It’s worth it.
5. Don’t follow a training plan  They’re dumb. That’s all I have to say about them for now.

*This is not an all-inclusive list. It also may be an over-inclusive list or insanely under-inclusive.

If Your Shoes Don't Have At Least 2,000 Miles On Them, You Don't Need New Ones

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #3

If Your Shoes Don't Have At Least 2,000 Miles On Them, You Don't Need New Ones

I should've bronzed these and put them on my buckle shelf

I’m cheap. I mean, really cheap. I don’t like buying stuff I don’t need (the kids make this a little bit of a grey area as we buy them lots of stuff they don’t need). I don’t like going out to eat at a restaurant. I don’t like buying new clothes. I don’t need a second car. I don’t have a flat screen TV. You get the idea. And I’ve been like this my whole life. Before I was part of Team TROT, I was a runner clothed in whatever was cheapest at Academy (sports store) or Ross. If it was over $40, I didn’t need it.

Running is the earliest sport and most inexpensive. It was one of the first things humans did (even if it wasn’t sport) and it required very little, if any, equipment. Just get out and go somewhere. This is one thing that appeals to me about running. And even now that I have sponsors for some of my equipment, it’s hard for me to let go of who I am.

The way I used to pick out running shoes was to go to Academy, find the section that had running shoes that were between $30-$50, and try them on. One shoe on one foot and a different one on the other. I’d run up and down the aisle, and the winner would go on to the next round. This would continue until I had found my shoe for the next year. I know that early humans couldn’t buy shoes, but at 11 cents per day, I could afford these shoes.
It didn’t matter if they were trail or road shoes. In fact, I didn’t know there were such differences when I started running ultras. I was at Cactus Rose 100 going up a hill, and a guy behind me asked if my shoes were road shoes. I didn’t know what to say. “I guess so.” They were road shoes (as I now know), but they worked fine and got me through that and several other trail races.

Anyway, back to the point of this. I never wanted my running habit (as I was running more and more and racing more too) to become expensive. I knew that running shoes were expensive. Companies tell you to replace your running shoes every 300-500 miles. But I couldn’t afford to buy a new pair of running shoes every month and a half. So I wouldn’t. And I found out that nothing happened. So I kept running in them. And running. And running, until they literally fell apart. I remember the first time that happened and I recalled a pair of running shoes that I used in high school. I had them from sophomore year until i graduated. All the rubber on the bottom was worn off, duct tape surrounded both toe boxes, and they were comfortable as hell.
For the last 3-4 years, Altra has been a sponsor for the team. And although it took me a little while to get onboard with running with these shoes, I really love them. They have a wide toe box, zero drop soles (heel and toe at same level), and a great selection of trail and road shoes with minimal to maximum cushioning levels.
Now, I don’t know if I have some perfect stride or the perfect foot strike or whatever and that this is the reason for me not getting hurt while putting a ton of miles on each pair of shoe that I own. But I can tell you that I’m never injured. I’ve been tracking my shoe miles since 2010 and the table shows when I purchased and retired the shoes with how many miles each have. Form your own opinions. Share them if you so choose. Experiment on your own. Just don’t get hurt.

#ZeroDrop

@altrarunning

Talk to Other Runners

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #2

Talk to Other Runners

I’m not a very outgoing person, especially if I don’t know you. I don’t typically like meeting new people and stepping out of my comfort zone. This very much includes talking to complete strangers. However, running ultras has sorta changed that part of me. I still don’t talk to lots of people, but I race-chat a lot more now than I ever did when I started this back in 2011. And I really enjoy it. The talking may be just for five minutes while our paces match or it may end up being 85 miles (a 15+ hour date!). There are so many different reasons for race-chatting. I’ll try to get all the angles on why you should talk to other runners while you run. They are in no particular order, except when I quiz you on them at the next race.

• Pass the time

    Talking to others will keep your mind off the pain, suffering, boredom, low points, etc. that you might be enduring. Before you know it, you’ve gone 10 miles and it happened so effortlessly.

• They feel better

I can’t confirm this one. And I know what assuming does, but I’m assuming that they feel good too since I do.

• You know you’re running the right pace

When you can carry a conversation without constantly losing your breath, you’re going at a pace that can be continued for a long time. One of my hugest advices is to run at conversation pace.

• You get to know someone new/make friends

Now that we’re adults, we kinda suck at making new friends. You may never hear from this person again. You may end up being bff’s. They may be a name you’ve heard of but now can put a face to (unless you’re a Facebook stalker). Maybe you already sorta know them, but now you can find out something more. And maybe you like them enough that you want to spend the rest of your life running with them and Rob Goyen marries the two of you after you finish your first 50-miler as a couple.

• Gives you a break/picks up your pace

Sometimes we’re silly and don’t correctly pace ourselves even though we know better. This can be your opportunity to slow down and give your muscles a chance to recharge. Or it might be that someone faster came by and you picked up your pace to run with them for 10 minutes and that got you out of your walking rut.

• You’re not gonna win anyway, so have some fun

With the exception of a few people in each race, none of us really expect to win. We’re out there to challenge ourselves. Going a little slower at one point isn’t going to ruin your race or be a pace killer. It might be just what you needed when you’re at a low point at your race and you reflect back on this fun memory that your new friend shared earlier that day.

• You get to see that your race/distance is not the only one out there

Races with varying distances usually have staggered start times so not everyone is crammed onto the narrow trails in one spot at one time. Maybe you never knew of 50-mile or 100-mile races. Talking to one of these “crazies” might spark your curiosity and cause you to discover what your real limits are and become one of these normal people.

• You feel better (aka-the selfish reason)

According to a show I used to watch, there is no such thing as a selfless act. The real reason why you are nice and talk to others while running (whether you think of this or not, but now you will) is because it makes you feel better. And races are so much easier to endure if you just feel good all the time.

I am certain that the coolest and most interesting people are found on the trails. You just have to talk to them to discover it for yourself (and help them to discover you).

Running and Ice Cream Will Solve All of Your Problems

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #1

Running and Ice Cream Will Solve All of Your Problems

After some races I get to talking with people and my goofy advice always comes out. And just recently, I decided that I would like to share why my advice isn’t as goofy as one might think.

But I feel like I should preface this and every article that I write with one my wife’s favorite sayings at races: “It’s not my fault if you choose to follow my husband’s advice.”

Feeling sick? Headache? Lonely? Depressed? Anxious? Tired? Hungry? Stressed out? Getting over a bad break up? Don’t want to get out of bed? Overworked and underappreciated? No coffee? Frustrated? Kids driving you crazy?

Whatever it is, running can solve it. You might not be at a time in your life when physical activity is as easy as it was when you were 15, but that’s ok. You gotta start somewhere. Go outside. Walk. Jog. Run. Whatever you want to call it is fine. Just go out and do it. You might only be able to go for 10 minutes before you call it quits. Maybe you can’t run 3 miles without walking. So what! Don’t make excuses. Just get outside and do what you can. Don’t hurt yourself by pushing yourself to limits that shouldn’t be explored for several months or years down the road. But go outside and do what you can. It doesn’t matter if it’s in some beautiful forest or your favorite hiking trail or on the sidewalk around your neighborhood block. Getting outside and running (or whatever) will help with the problem. I won’t tell you how. You get to figure that part out only if you make the commitment to yourself to consistently get outside and run. Don’t take any headphones or music. They won’t help you solve your problem. Go out and just run. Do it several times a week. Make it a priority. Find your answers. And since you’re out running, you might as well reward yourself with some ice cream. Don’t make it boring vanilla either, unless you’re having a rootbeer float. Try rocky road unless you’re allergic to nuts. Then just give it to me.

Here Comes The Sun (do do do do)

There are two things that bug the bejesus out of me while trail running. The first is seeing trash on the trail (or anywhere for that matter). Ask my kids what their new punishment is. The other is as follows:

While finishing the last 20 miles of my race, I had to bring out my light so I could see since the sun decided to go down before I could finish. My current location on the course contained two-way traffic. Over and over, as a fellow runner came toward me, this was my view (unless they had a pacer, then double the lights). Now, as fun as looking into the sun and then attempting to keep running while blind for a few seconds may sound, I really hate it. This caused me to reflect back to my early days of running ultras and the lights I used. My first headlamp was about $10, used one AA battery, had two itty bitty LED lights, and (now that I look at the output) I swear was only good for reading a book while not moving at all. I don't know how I could see the trail as I ran through rooty forests or up and down crazy rocky hills with that tiny little candle on my forehead. Fast-forward a couple years and I bought a brighter one which worked much better until it got too temperamental to be trusted anymore.

Zephyr Fire 300 (link to product)

What I currently use isn't a headlamp. It's a hand torch (flashlight) from Nathan (click for link to product). I have never liked having anything in my hands while I run. My hands are happiest when they're empty. So I was a little hesitant to get the hand torch. However, as you can see, it has a little wristlet doohickey that allows you to hold it without needing to really grasp it. (It's also great for when you trip over roots so you don't lose your light.) The light is already angled downwards. This allows you to see all that you need and allows oncoming traffic to not be blinded. I've used it through most of the night before, even though the webpage claims only 6 hours on low.

Now, I'm not saying you need this particular light. But please remember that when your mini sun on your forehead is fooling the squirrels into thinking it's morning, every oncoming runner you encounter is getting blinded because your light isn't angled properly. Please be courteous to your fellow trail nerds.