Keith takes the overall crown in overwhelming fashion clocking a 54:50 (3:30+ margin of victory).
WAY TO ROLL BIG GUY!!!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
FLASH: Keith wins Falls Road 15k
Keith takes the overall crown in overwhelming fashion clocking a 54:50 (3:30+ margin of victory).
WAY TO ROLL BIG GUY!!!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Striders in the Media
Cool article featuring a picture of Keith sporting is Striders gear at the Air Force Marathon a couple weeks ago. The article features an interview with Colonel Mark Wasson (USAF), who at age 46 finished in a stellar 2:39.
http://naturalrunningcenter.com/
What did I get from the article? Keith got toasted by a Master...j/k
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| Keith balling it up in front of Col. Mark Wasson (#4785) at the Air Force Marathon in Dayton, OH |
http://naturalrunningcenter.com/
What did I get from the article? Keith got toasted by a Master...j/k
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The Runaround
This was a rather quiet weekend of racing...but it's the calm before the storm I suppose!
Saturday morning kicked off with the Bagel 2 Beer Marathon, a low-key race which starts at the Columbia Swim Center and takes runners through and around Columbia before finishing at Rams Head Tavern in Savage. Adam Wytko claimed the win with a 2:58:16, while Jeremy Rea was only a few minutes behind; 3:01:09 for 2nd. Solid long runs for those dudes!
Meanwhile, in Northern VA, our Finnish Striders participated in the Clarendon 10k/5k, rumored to be fast and competitive. Sari Stenholm ran the 10k, crossing the finish line in 42:33 for 15th in the female race. The 5k gun went off after the 10k finished so Pekka was able to race as well and pass their son off to the tired mommy. His brief race report indicated a 2 mile split of 10:11, which resulted in him hitting the wall, as he finished in 16:41; good for 6th overall and 2nd in his AG. It's great to have these two back for a couple more weeks!!!
Sunday was the busier day. Kelly Westlake ran the Race For Our Kids 10k, a very competitive race in Baltimore, with a couple thousand $ in prize money. She continued to impress, claiming the Master's title while also winning some c@$h, clocking a 38:44 on the hilly course.
In Carroll County, Caroline ran the Bachman Valley Half Marathon, a low-key, but well organized and challenging course put on by the WRRC. She is training for the Chicago Marathon in a couple weeks and ran a 'marathon-ish' pace (her words, not mine) for 1:33:22, good for 2nd.
Last but certainly not least, our race horse was at it again. Keith told me about this crazy 10 mile trail races while in Leadville, CO: The Conestoga Trail 10 Miler. He indicated that nobody had ever broken 90 minutes, meaning it probably has parts that are not runable. So what does he do? Signs up for it of course. I'm assuming the course record was broken this year, as he ran 1:34:57 which was good for only 14th.
The next month has lots of big time races: Baltimore, Chicago, Army 10, Marine Corps. For the most part everyone seems healthy and very fit. I know the Bobby Gessler group is knocking back some quality tempo runs and track work. Can't wait to see what Fall brings!
Saturday morning kicked off with the Bagel 2 Beer Marathon, a low-key race which starts at the Columbia Swim Center and takes runners through and around Columbia before finishing at Rams Head Tavern in Savage. Adam Wytko claimed the win with a 2:58:16, while Jeremy Rea was only a few minutes behind; 3:01:09 for 2nd. Solid long runs for those dudes!
Meanwhile, in Northern VA, our Finnish Striders participated in the Clarendon 10k/5k, rumored to be fast and competitive. Sari Stenholm ran the 10k, crossing the finish line in 42:33 for 15th in the female race. The 5k gun went off after the 10k finished so Pekka was able to race as well and pass their son off to the tired mommy. His brief race report indicated a 2 mile split of 10:11, which resulted in him hitting the wall, as he finished in 16:41; good for 6th overall and 2nd in his AG. It's great to have these two back for a couple more weeks!!!
Sunday was the busier day. Kelly Westlake ran the Race For Our Kids 10k, a very competitive race in Baltimore, with a couple thousand $ in prize money. She continued to impress, claiming the Master's title while also winning some c@$h, clocking a 38:44 on the hilly course.
In Carroll County, Caroline ran the Bachman Valley Half Marathon, a low-key, but well organized and challenging course put on by the WRRC. She is training for the Chicago Marathon in a couple weeks and ran a 'marathon-ish' pace (her words, not mine) for 1:33:22, good for 2nd.
Last but certainly not least, our race horse was at it again. Keith told me about this crazy 10 mile trail races while in Leadville, CO: The Conestoga Trail 10 Miler. He indicated that nobody had ever broken 90 minutes, meaning it probably has parts that are not runable. So what does he do? Signs up for it of course. I'm assuming the course record was broken this year, as he ran 1:34:57 which was good for only 14th.
The next month has lots of big time races: Baltimore, Chicago, Army 10, Marine Corps. For the most part everyone seems healthy and very fit. I know the Bobby Gessler group is knocking back some quality tempo runs and track work. Can't wait to see what Fall brings!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Turn Up the Music...Let's Turn it Up LOUD!!!
Well, I haven't posted in a while so let me recap the past couple weekends:
Our ultra man, Keith Levasseur, competed in the Market Street Mile in Frederick on Saturday, 9/8. For this guy, it was a quick sprint. He crossed the finish line in 4:58, a new PR (his first sub 5:00 I believe) and 12th overall. Kevin Ford made a return to the racing scene, clocking a 1:17:56 at the Montour Trail Half, as he continues to prepare for Marine Corps in six weeks.
Sunday, 9/9 started off with the Parks Half Marathon, a low-key but very well run race MCRRC. What do you know, Keith was out there again, running 1:22:26. Tunde Morakinyo wasn't far behind with a 1:26:41 for 54th. THe race of the day went to Kelly Westlake, who won the Master's division, running a PR of 1:24:45. The Police Pace 5k also took place on Sunday. Conrad Orloff took the Master's crown, finishing 2nd overall in 17:00. John Chall ran a solid 19:34 for 22nd. On the ladies' side, Samantha Matthews and Robyn Humphrey went 1-2 in 19:48 and 19:56, respectively.
Now to this past weekend, Keith hopped into yet another marathon. He ran an impressive 2:41:42 at the Air Force Marathon in Dayton, OH. Good for 2nd in his AG and 9th overall. On Sunday, the Striders repped it hard at the Rock 'N Roll Philadelphia Half. Known to be one of the flatter courses, the weather was near ideal and the competition was fierce. Carlos, a married man for only 8 days, led the way, running a new PR with a 1:09:20 for 29th. Yours truly ran a 3:30 PR, crossing the finish line in 1:10:17. This race included a 10 mile PR (53:46) for me as well. Our favorite international Strider, Pekka Stenholm, visiting this month, met his goal and beat the Finnish National HM qualifying standard by one second, running a 1:16:59. Jason, after flying from NH to BWI and driving up to Philly the night before after participating in the 200 mile Reach the Beach relay, ran 1:23:20. Jorge Renjifo, a 4x week runner and certified P90X instructor, also ran a great time of 1:24:00.
Finally, the awesome weekend concluded with a pair of races in the Nation's Capital. In the Navy 5 Miler, Robyn Humphrey and Tacy Powers, swept the Master's titles, running 32:51 and 34:51, respectively. Conrad, also training for Marine Corps, opted out of the Erie Marathon and crushed the Navy-Air Force Half with a 1:17:35, the 2nd Master.
So who signed up for the 117th Boston Marathon??? I am not.
Our ultra man, Keith Levasseur, competed in the Market Street Mile in Frederick on Saturday, 9/8. For this guy, it was a quick sprint. He crossed the finish line in 4:58, a new PR (his first sub 5:00 I believe) and 12th overall. Kevin Ford made a return to the racing scene, clocking a 1:17:56 at the Montour Trail Half, as he continues to prepare for Marine Corps in six weeks.
Sunday, 9/9 started off with the Parks Half Marathon, a low-key but very well run race MCRRC. What do you know, Keith was out there again, running 1:22:26. Tunde Morakinyo wasn't far behind with a 1:26:41 for 54th. THe race of the day went to Kelly Westlake, who won the Master's division, running a PR of 1:24:45. The Police Pace 5k also took place on Sunday. Conrad Orloff took the Master's crown, finishing 2nd overall in 17:00. John Chall ran a solid 19:34 for 22nd. On the ladies' side, Samantha Matthews and Robyn Humphrey went 1-2 in 19:48 and 19:56, respectively.
Now to this past weekend, Keith hopped into yet another marathon. He ran an impressive 2:41:42 at the Air Force Marathon in Dayton, OH. Good for 2nd in his AG and 9th overall. On Sunday, the Striders repped it hard at the Rock 'N Roll Philadelphia Half. Known to be one of the flatter courses, the weather was near ideal and the competition was fierce. Carlos, a married man for only 8 days, led the way, running a new PR with a 1:09:20 for 29th. Yours truly ran a 3:30 PR, crossing the finish line in 1:10:17. This race included a 10 mile PR (53:46) for me as well. Our favorite international Strider, Pekka Stenholm, visiting this month, met his goal and beat the Finnish National HM qualifying standard by one second, running a 1:16:59. Jason, after flying from NH to BWI and driving up to Philly the night before after participating in the 200 mile Reach the Beach relay, ran 1:23:20. Jorge Renjifo, a 4x week runner and certified P90X instructor, also ran a great time of 1:24:00.
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| Postrace Rock 'N Roll Philly...Striders and Falls Road crews unite! |
Finally, the awesome weekend concluded with a pair of races in the Nation's Capital. In the Navy 5 Miler, Robyn Humphrey and Tacy Powers, swept the Master's titles, running 32:51 and 34:51, respectively. Conrad, also training for Marine Corps, opted out of the Erie Marathon and crushed the Navy-Air Force Half with a 1:17:35, the 2nd Master.
So who signed up for the 117th Boston Marathon??? I am not.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Leadville Trail 100 Race Report: From The Runner's Perspective
So after bugging him for weeks, I finally received Keith's race report for the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run on August 18-19. This is the shortened version. Very good read.
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“You need to hold me up!” I said to my pacer Donnie while on the Colorado Trail section following the return stop at the Twin Lakes aid station. “No, not just a hand on my back, I mean I’m going to fall unless you really hold me!” We were roughly at mile 60, I had just lost my stomach, was vomiting and dry heaving, and at this particular point in time, I was holding onto a tree along a narrow path with a 1,000 ft drop right in front of me. The good news is you couldn’t see the drop since it was dark. The bad news is that with it being dark already and the rough shape I was in, it was going to make finishing the final 40 miles within the 30-hour time limit a grueling trek of sheer willpower and determination…as well as the constant prodding by my pacer and crew.
That was in 2011; it was my first 100-miler and only my second ultramarathon. It was tough and took everything I had to finish. This year I was determined to do it differently and to have a good experience out there. I had significantly more experience in running ultramarathons and a bigger crew to help lighten the load, both figuratively in sharing crew duties amongst them, and literally when it comes to carrying my stuff during the second 50 miles. My crew consisted of Hafiz Shaikh, Caroline Bauer,and Mark Buschman. Additionally, to help with acclimatization, I purchased an altitude tent and arrived in Leadville a week prior to the race. Again, I was determined to have a better race experience.
Being in the area and getting to drive around before the race was a huge benefit. I was getting to know the area much better and felt more comfortable. The house that we rented was at Twin Lakes and roughly 9,500 ft. Nearly equal to the low point on the course,but still a good elevation to live at to try to get used to the reduced oxygen of the high mountains. The first thing I noticed was that my breathing was much better this year compared to last year. The altitude tent helped! That was very exciting and gave me a confidence boost. Not that I didn’tnotice the lack of oxygen at all, because I did, but it was very minimal. After spending a weekend in Leadville, Hafiz and Mark arrived and we set about getting things ready and trying to familiarize them with the area. Tuesday morning we set out to hike Hope Pass to see what we had in store and the first thought I remember having is how quickly I forgot how hard of a hike it is. Just a little over a mile into the climb and I was already gassed and questioning my training when it came to the big hikes. My legs were tired and my heart rate was way too high. No altitude tent was saving mehere…this was going to be tough. I knew I didn’t do enough big climbs as part of my training but I figured I could just push through it. This climb, which was supposed to be a confidence booster, had me second guessing that. As we continued up the mountain, the climb got easier and we made sure to take short rest breaks. That helped tremendously and before we knew it, the pace quickened and the summit was in sight. We spent some time at the top and even tried to climb one of the peaks next to Hope Pass. We talked with other runners that were also hiking the pass and then set off back down the mountain to Winfield, the halfway point of the race.
Caroline arrived on Wednesday and after a brief “tour" of Leadville we again hit the grocery store to get more supplies for the rest of the week. Following their early morning excursion up Mount Elbert, Colorado’s highest peak, and the second highest peak in the lower 48 states, we started race planning in earnest. Maps, crew strategies, pacer order / strategy, and nutrition planning. Running 100 miles obviously requires strength and fitness, but more importantly it required determination and the ability to continue digging deep no matter what negative thoughts run through your mind. However, in order for any of that to matter, running 100 miles requires eating. A lot. The number of calories is ridiculous and it was simply exhausting just trying to plan out what to eat and when. You never know how your stomach is going to react to the things you’re trying to consume and no matter how good of a plan you have, it’s probably going to fall apart at some point and then it’ll be a matter of doing the best you can with what you have available.
Based on advice and reading some blogs, my very high-level nutrition plan was to consume 10,000 calories. I figured that would be sufficient to get me through and feeling strong the entire time. As we started planning the aid station to aid station strategy, I started to realize just how much food that really was. To consume that many calories, it would require nearly continuous eating during each running leg and then consuming another couple hundred calories at each aid station. Going over all the food and trying to imagine how I might be feeling at 60 miles and what might work for nutrition and how my stomach might react was exhausting. Soon my default answer was “PowerGel.” I threw a few new foods in there (though they say you shouldn’t), like Hammerbars and even rice balls. The bars worked fine but the rice needed something else…plain sushi rice is just too bland. So with the nutrition plan set and all the gear organized, all we had left was the pre-race brief.
Due to the death in the family, Ken Chlouber, the race founder, was not able to be there. However, his son, Cody, filled in for him and did his best to talk about the need to dig deep and when you’ve dug as deep as you can, you still have to dig deeper. He had us all commit to not quit and urged us to finish at all costs because not finishing is something that will haunt you until you do – he knows because he dropped on his first attempt at the race. He finally indicated that last year as he crossed the finish line under 30 hours.
The “morning” came too early when at 2:00am alarms started sounding throughout the house. It was time to get moving and putting the plan into action. Coffee, oatmeal, a bagel, and a banana…nearly 600 calories consumed already. We loaded the minivan and made our way to the starting area. We beat most of the traffic in and found a great parking spot right on Harrison Blvd. At this point the nerves finally started to show up….here we go again. This course beat me up last year and now I was just about an hour away from trying it again. This time with a clearly laid out plan for nutrition, crewing, hydration, pacing, and muling but something was missing. I knew what it was, but Iwasn’t going to let it distract me – I couldn’t let it distract me. We set out to the start line and the nervousness turned to excitement. I was starting near the front and I was going to run this race solid – I was determined. People gathered, my crew moved out of the corral and to the side, the countdown was beginning and then suddenly Anton Krupica comes out of nowhere and plops himself about 5ft in front of me. I was wondering where he had been, as I had been toying with the idea of running with him for a bit. The gun goes off and the journey began!
"We'll tell you when you start and we'll tell you when to stop. In between, don't think. Just keep running.” – Ken Chlouber, Founder Leadville Trail 100
Running to Mayqueen is pretty easy since after a short downhill start it’s mostly flat with some very gentle rollers on the trail,just enough to keep it interesting. What made it more “exciting” for me is that even though I put brand new batteries in my headlamp when I got up, it was already dead. Not fading or less than super bright, but no light at all. Apparently there’s something wrong with it and the batteries were totally drained in a few short hours. Awesome. The trail isn’t hard, but when you can’t see it, suddenly it’s very hard. I was doing my best to use the light from others, but the lights behind me resulted in a shadow being cast, so neither those lights nor the ones in front were of any use. Luckily though, I ended up next to a guy that had two lights, one on this head and one around his waist. After running near him for a little while, he offered one of his lights. Trail runners are great people! Always willing to help out a fellow runner. We stopped so he could take the light off. I thanked him and said I’d get it back to him somehow.
Without a light, I’d spent so much time concentrating on the trail that I wasn’t able to eat any of the food I was supposed to be eating during this section. Now I had just about 3 miles before the aid station so I set about eating all the food I had in my hydration pack. I arrived at Mayqueen right about my predicted time and first thing I’m handed is Accelerade and a PB&J sandwich. Um, I was full since I just ate a few hundred calories in the last few minutes and I wasn’teven hungry when I ate that. But I had to eat anyway, so I did and after being stopped for much longer than last year it was time to move on toward Hagerman Pass and the climb up Sugarloaf. This section was uneventful and I only sought to try to remember what it was like so I would have a better idea of it on the return. Last year I had no recollection of this section. Matter of fact, last year I argued with my pacer that we were off course because I didn’t even remember being on a trail at all. Never mind the fact that other runners were passing us and the course was very clearly marked, I was convinced everyone was wrong. That’s how bad of shape I was in. Leaving the trail and heading up the dirt road, the views with the sun rising and the fog on Turquoise Lake were amazing. It reminded me of many other ultras I’d run earlier this year and late last year. These views are one of the things that makes ultra running so special and so majestic. The views suck you in and tempt you to ease up the pace and just enjoy the scenery. The views also remind you of the simple beauty that nature has to offer…and the beauty reminded me that something was still missing. As the road continued climbing up, I thought back to my first run on the Catoctin fire roads since this was so similar…though the cowbell was certainly missed. At that training run it was the first time Ihad ever used a mantra, so I turned to it now and settled in to a comfortable run – reciting the chorus “everything’s gonna be alright” from Bob Marley’sThree Little Birds.
As the road ended and the dreaded Powerline trail started, I resolved not to bomb down it like I did last year. I kept things very controlled and just tried to save the quads for the miles and miles remaining. As the trail flattened and the dirt turned to pavement, I knew I was just a couple miles from Fish Hatchery. Again, I forgot to eat earlier on the run, so I set about eating as much as I could while on the easy road section. Entering in Fish Hatchery everything was still going well. I felt good and after a brief pit stop at the aid station, I felt great. Part of my race strategy was to take as much time as I needed at each aid station, so I sat with the gang for a bit and had some more food. For the next section I decided to take a hand bottle instead of my hydration pack since it was only a few miles on the road. I set out on the road and they packed up and made their way to Treeline. The road was easy and I was thinking that this year I would actually be able to run this section on the return. I was tempted to push harder now, but resisted the urge and just kept it easy. Arriving at Treeline still feeling good, it was now time to really load up with calories, 1200 of them to be exact, since it was going to be the first significant section of trail without a crew access point.
The Colorado Trail in this section is beautiful. Nice trail for some of it and a very narrow and crumbly trail with a huge drop-off for other parts of it. My plan here was to still keep the pace steady but also to make mental notes so that I could break it into manageable sections on the return. One of the hardest parts last year was expecting to see my crew at a certain point, but then realizing it was a non-crew accessible aid station and the crew access point was still miles away. I had to mentally prepare for it this year, so I didn’t let my mind wander on the trail as much as I would have liked. Probably a good thing because there was something missing that kept diverting my thoughts, but I had a job to do and I needed to focus. I passed through Halfpipe and the “water only” stop on Mt Elbert, then 3 miles of downhill to Twin Lakes. The super steep descent from trail to road was just as fun this year (apparently few people actually run down it – but I did simply because it’s fun) as last year, and finally I arrived at Twin Lakes. I felt good, but a few miles earlier I started feeling a twinge in my left quad. Nothing serious, but enough to get my attention and actually say something about it. Just like the other crew access points, I was given an update on the race and who the leaders were, but nothing much beyond that. I wanted to know other things, but I didn’t want to ask. Something was missing, but I couldn’t dwell on that because Hope Pass awaited. The upcoming section really knocked me back last year. Hope Pass was daunting and last year Ididn’t have it in me to climb it. Idon’t know how I did it, but I did. It was all a blur, but this year would be different. My legs felt great, other than that twinge. My energy was good, though Ididn’t eat even half of the food they gave me to eat on the last section. I tried to eat some more at the aid station,but I don’t think I had very much. It was hot and I needed to press on. The river crossing awaited and Hope Pass was in sight. Time to go!
Moving along the grassy trail through the flood plain I kept a solid pace. Someone at a New Balance tent offered me a bandana to go with my NB101 trail shoes. I gladly took it since the sun was hot and I thought a bandana soaked in cold mountain water would do the trick in keeping me cool. Last year I walked this entire section and then I slowed down even more on the hike up. This year I was running solid and passing others that were hardly running or simply walking. So glad that wasn’t me this year! Entering the trail, I power hiked up most of it and only did a little hand-on-knee hiking. The higher up, the harder it got, but I was still moving strong. A few people passed me, but I didn’t let it bother me. I was running my race and pushing too hard on this climb made no sense. I kept it steady and before I knew it, the trees were few and far between and then they were gone altogether. The llamas were now in sight and so was the Hopeless aid station.
From the moment I signed up for the 2012 running of the Leadville Trail 100, I couldn’t wait to get to this aid station so I could once again have the wonderful combination of mashed potatoes and noodle soup – it’scalled suicide by the lady that makes it. I told her that getting up Hope and drinking/eating this concoction was the reason I signed up. She said she was glad to hear that and she’ll have some more for me when I get back. Moving onward up the mountain and the switchbacks that lead to the summit, I started thinking that the leaders would soon be cresting the top. My prediction was accurate as Anton and I crossed paths right at the timing mat (yeah, they had one up there!) on the summit. He was looking good and I was in awe that they are really that fast. He had nearly 10 miles on me and no easy 10miles either. We exchanged “good job”pleasantries and a low five and then I was down the backside to Winfield. I made a point to cheer on the race leaders as we crossed paths. They were all very encouraging in saying “good job” and “way to go” just as I was saying to them.
Nearing the bottom is when things took a noticeable turn for the worse. On Tuesday they finally announced that the runners would not be on the road with the cars, but instead on a trail that parallels the road. Ithought this would be a good thing, but turns out it added 1.6 miles in each direction. Not that big of a deal, but the fact that the trail climbed up nearly the entire section to Winfield was something I was not prepared for. I walked much of that section and the negative impact on my time was significant,but the shot to my confidence and mental state was much worse. This is when I feared things were going to really turn bad. I was getting so beat up mentally and just needed to get through this section. As I approached the end of the dirt road from the trail head, I saw Caroline standing there. I’m not sure what she thought when she saw me, but my guess is I looked like I was pretty beat up. I was getting fatigued, but I knew most of it was mental. I was looking forward to taking some time at the aid station and using that to recharge. It was here last year that I remarked that getting to the halfway point was the hardest thing I’dever done. I remembered that moment vividly and the emotions that started to flow back then, but this was not the time to dwell on the past, but to focus on what I still had left to do. The new trail posed a significant challenge,but I’d overcome more and I was really looking forward to running with someone. I figured with all the time Ia dded while walking much of the trail that a sub-25 finish was now a long shot,but it turned out it wasn’t, so long as we get moving and get back over Hope Pass before it gets dark.
“Thirsty?” asked Hafiz. “Yes.” “Okay, here.” I drank, three sips, and then gave my bottle back. Hafiz had the first leg and the responsibility for getting me back over Hope Pass. I didn’t know how to work with a pacer carrying my stuff and it’s not something we really rehearsed. I wanted to have my bottle so that I could drink when I wanted, because I didn’t want to have to ask for it. Since we didn’t rehearse this and I didn’thave my bottle in my hand it was making me nervous. The trail continued and we were setting a good pace and moving much more smoothly than I had been during the outward bound leg. I was getting thirsty again,but Hafiz was just far enough ahead to where it was tough to ask. His pace was solid and I was starting to fade a little. He turned and handed me the water with a terse command: “drink.” I grabbed the bottle, took three sips and handed it back, thanking him. That set the routine of every ten minutes being handed my bottle and being told to drink. Thirsty or not, I drank – three sips.
“Pain only hurts.” – Ken Chlouber
Then we started the tough part of the climb up Hope. It was steep and rocky. Hafiz, Mark, and I had hiked this section earlier in the week, so we knew what to expect. Roughly 2.5 miles up, with the first mile being about 28 minutes/mile and the second being about 24 minutes/mile, and that pace continuing until the top. I knew we weren’t going to manage that pace now, but it was reassuring knowing it could happen. Last year when climbing this side of Hope, I remember the watch chiming a mile and the time being 59:59. Meaning it likely took over an hour to travel one mile. It was brutal, but this year I felt much better. We cut the time in half and managed to average just over 30 min/mi during the hike, and that included stopping to put on a jacket due to the rain that started to fall and the plummeting temperatures from the storm that was rolling in. As we crested Hope, we started down the set of switchbacks leading to the Hopeless aid station and one of the highlights of this race – suicide. After a few minutes sitting there, it was time to press on. Hafiz set the pace on the down and I tried to keep up. We were passing runners and he wasn’t letting up. Onward we pressed and as the slope leveled out, we were to the open field and making the home stretch toward the Twin Lakes aid station. Hours ahead of 2011, but I still had doubts we had enough time for a sub 25-hour finish.
Once again, everything was organized and I just sat down,ate some food (mostly noodle soup), and told them how I was feeling. I tried to eat what I could, but it wasn’t as much as I’d hoped. My stomach had been really challenging me for the past few hours with nausea after I ate. Noodle soup and broth did the trick, as well as lots of ginger. I wanted to make it as far as I could in daylight and since Caroline was ready to go, off we went down the path where everything fell apart last year. The first three-mile hike was uneventful. We moved steadily up the hill and chatted some. She told me that people were asking how I was doing and sending along well wishes. She told me of people she spoke with and how they were tracking my progress. That really brightened my day since it had been on my mind continuously. Along the trail, I pointed out to Caroline the area was where Donnie was helping to hold me up and we continued to move along steadily. I tried to take good mental notes of this section during the outward bound leg because in 2011 I was taken by surprise how long it was. Iwanted to make sure I knew what we had left but was once again surprised…thistime by how quickly things came up. It’smuch different when you’re actually running most of the time! We hit the Elbert aid station and barely slowed down. Pressing on to Half Moon and continuing to pick people off, we had a nice rhythm going. Not like this is any sort of race at this point, but it’s always fun to pass people. Light was fading quickly, so we finally switched on our head lamps for the final few miles before the Treeline Crew Access Point.
Though still fairly early in the race, it was right around this area that the hallucinations started. I wasn’t nearly as fatigued as last year, but when you’re really tired and it’s getting dark, your eyes tend to play tricks on you. I have some experience with this from many days without sleeping in the Marines, but it’s always interesting when you are certain you see something that’s out of place. For example, it was along this stretch of trail that I noticed someone had hung laundry out to dry. We were in the middle of the woods and someone actually hung out their sheets and other laundry on a string between trees. Crazy, huh? Well, it wasn’treally there and I bit my tongue just long enough to realize it wasn’treal. I didn’t want Caroline or anyone to worry, so I kept these occasional visions to myself. If it was really there, I figured they would say something.
As we approached Treeline I was fading a bit and wanting to walk more than run. Eating had been difficult for the past 20-30 miles, so I wasn’t taking in enough calories. I knew my energy was depleting, but eating too much would cause whatever I ate to come back up. So I had to carefully balance calories and what my stomach could handle. Mark was up next and there was a good section of road ahead. Earlier in the day I toyed with the idea of trying to knock back 7:00 min/mi here, just to see if I could do it. Though we didn’t get close to that, it was some of the longest continual running I’ddone in quite a few hours. There were just very few spots worthy of walking, so when we did take walk breaks, they were relatively short. Mark’scompetitiveness was rubbing off on me and we kept targeting people and picking them off, one-by-one. With the lights visible in the distance, but the openness of the West, at times it felt like we were on a treadmill…moving but not getting any closer. We finally hit Fish Hatchery aid station,noodle soup was waiting for me (my go-to food at this point) and after a brief stay there, Mark and I were pressing forward to the part of the course I dreaded the most – the Powerline climb up Sugarloaf.
From the day I signed up for the 2012 edition of this race,I dreaded this climb. I still remember,so vividly, my 2011 slow walk up this hill. Looking up and seeing the headlamps blend in the with stars and once you make it to the top, all you see is another climb full of headlamps and they too blend with the stars. It’s physically tough but it’s mentally draining. I was determined not to let it get the best of me this year. Up, up, up we climbed. Not as many headlamps in front of me and only a handful behind. Many of those visible behind us caught and passed me and Mark, but we pressed on. Taking breaks when needed and pushing forward with steady momentum. I did my best to eat and drink, but still wasn’t able to run the plateaus or the few downs leading to the next climb. Fatigue was definitely setting in and it was at this point that I finally dared to mention something I was seeing…just ahead near one of the summits, I saw someone kind of standing there and then moving from right to left. He had a light and it just seemed odd that hewasn’t really running. I had no idea what he was doing, but I mentioned something to Mark about it. He didn’t respond to me, which I thoughto dd. I kept staring and trying to figure out what the heck this guy was doing…we got closer and closer and then I realized there wasn’t anyone there at all. The hallucinations had started much earlier when Caroline and I were on the Colorado Trail, but I was able to have a good gauge of what was real andwhat was imagined and I was careful not to say anything to my crew about it. This one though was so real that Iwas certain it was really there and that’s why I dared say something. Of course it wasn’t and that was yet another sign that the lack of sleep and extreme physical exertion was starting to take a bigger toll on my body…and I had to start pushing hard to finish, but first,I needed to get off this mountain and down to Mayqueen. The ups went on and on and I finally gave up counting the number of false summits, but when we finally reached the last one,I knew we were there. I wanted to run and I know Mark wanted to run, but we didn’t at first. We would jog little sections and then I would walk. I’m not really sure when it kicked in or how, but soon we were running and making a good pace too. We started passing people that had passed us on the climb. The gravel road seemed much longer on the down than I remember on the climb early on Saturday (I think it was after midnight by now), but Iwasn’t going to complain because we were holding a very steady pace. As we hit the trail, I took the lead because I was ready to get to the Mayqueen aid station. Besides the suicide broth on at Hopeless, pancakes at Mayqueen were the other food I was looking forward to. I’ve never had more delicious pancakes than the ones I had there in2011. I couldn’t wait to eat some again! The trail continued and we kept running. It was technical, we were using headlamps, and it was Mark’s first night trail run…we were having fun. Quick feet – steady effort. Press on. Pancakes await. Finally we hit the end of the trail. I slowed some just before that and my pace wasn’t as solid through the grass and on the road leading to the aid station. As I approached, I again let go the idea of beating 25 hours. I figured Powerline took too long and wedidn’t make up enough time on the trail. It was probably best anyway, that way I can just finish without any pressure. This was good.
Arriving at the tent, Caroline asked if I wanted pancakes. “Um, yeah!” As a bonus, she had coffee too…that was exactly what I needed. A couple pancakes with syrup and hot coffee, that is the ultra food of champions (at least for me) and it hit the spot. I knew itwouldn’t be enough to get me through the rest of the race, but it did the trick at the time and we had to press on because much to my excitement and dismay,sub-25 was still within reach. It was Hafiz again and then Caroline would switch out later – all we needed to do was average a 15:00 min/mi until the end and I would finish under 25 hours. Ithought the possibility was gone, but it was once again within reach. But we needed to go – so off we went. Along the road in the campground we (mostly Hafiz) helped guide others that somehow lost the trail. Admittedly it was very poorly marked with green glow sticks that were nearing the end of their life, but Hafiz and I managed to stay on course. We ran this part of the trail earlier in the week, so we knew there was some up and down to contend with, but I didn’t remember it being as bad as it was. I guess that’s what happens when you have nearly 90 miles on your legs. We would run for good stints and then walk some ups or technical downs. All I needed was 15 min/mi, but the miles were ticking off slowly and it seemed like we were only barely getting under 15sno matter how hard I would run. Longer periods of walking and shorter periods of running and suddenly our average pace was falling into the 15 flat or slightly over 15:00. Not good. I took a gel and that helped some. We came up on the boat ramp much sooner than we expected and then it wasCaroline’s turn. I was fading, so as Hafiz and Caroline switched over gear, I pressed on solo.
At this point no one was really sure how many miles we had left. The confusion meant the target pace was also unknown. Did we need 15sor did we need 12s? That’s a huge difference and since I was barely holding 15s, the thought of having to run 6-8miles at a 12:00 min/mi was too much for me mentally to deal with and likely too much for me to manage physically. Instead of thinking about all that, we just ran. I stopped worrying about average pace and finishing time and knew that if I just kept pressing forward as hard as I could, that I’ll either get the time I want or be able to say that I gave it all I had. I remembered this part from last year and the question of “are your eyes open?” That made me smile and this time around I answered the question in my head. “Yes!” My eyes were more open now than ever before and I was going to do the best I could and see what happens. That’s really all that can be done, no matterwhat’s missing or not. Pressing onward and doing your best.
Competitiveness is fun, but we hadn’t seen anyone in awhile. That worried me in a way but was also pretty neat since in 2011 there were always other runners around me(almost all of which were passing me). As Caroline and I pressed on, looking for and almost always finding the right trail, we somehow started knocking back 9:40s. It felt good to run and I was afraid to walk because starting again would be hard – so we just kept pushing even as the route started taking us uphill. Finally there were people in sight and we started passing them. It was a bit of a relief since I figured there would be a small pack of people trying to get in under 25 hours, so seeing others meant I was probably still close. Based on estimates, it was looking good. It was looking like I might actually do it. I was feeling good with energy and my spirits were oddly high. I took another gel even though I really didn’t want to. The closer we got to the end, the more people we’d see– whether along the road cheering (quietly since it was the middle of the night) or tucked away ins leeping bags. I estimated we had maybe3 miles, but probably only just over 2 miles. Caroline was in general agreement, though she was probably saying that for my benefit. Then we asked a guy and his response of “about 4 miles” not only shocked me, but really starting stressing me out. It knocked me back a bit. We had about 40 or so minutes remaining and with just under 3 or even 3 miles, that meant a comfortable run. With 4 miles remaining, that meant giving it everything I have without letting up for a moment. I was in disbelief. I told Caroline he was wrong. I sought reassurance. Reassurance that he was wrong, reassurance that we could make it, and reassurance that as hard as I’d been pushing for as long as I’d been pushing, it wouldn’t be for naught. I had given up on sub 25 a number of times,but it kept resurfacing and now that I’d finally set my sights on it for real,I couldn’t let it slip away. We pressed on. The section we had just passed was two really gnarly crumbly rocky downs that trashed my quads and knees (which had felt fine the whole time), followed by a gradual climb of what ended up being close to 2 miles. With my knees hurting after the down, the sub-10s weren’t an option. I did the best I could with running, but now periods of hiking were interspersed. Imust’ve asked a couple dozen times on that road what the time was looking like. I recognized things from 2011 (or at least I thought I did) and said we were about 2 miles out. I hoped I was right, but I wasn’t convinced. We pressed on and the hill continued. Last year I ran from shadow to shadow. This year those shadows weren’t present, but I pretended they were. This is the most difficult finish because it climbs nearly the entire final 4 miles of the course. As we neared a street light, Ihad a feeling that was the top of the hill. From there, we would be almost exactly 1 mileaway…and Hafiz and Mark would be waiting. Time check again. This time, we had about 30 minutes. As we started to crest the hill, we turned left on the street and saw Hafiz and Mark standing just down the road where we’d be making the turn on 6th street for the final stretch. I had 30 minutes to finish and it was at this moment that I knew we’d finish sub-25. My biggest fear was that I’d hit that point with 10 minutes remaining and have to do my best to pull together some Herculean effort. Instead, we got to take it in easy. Walking the up and running some of the down and flat and then running the final 1/8 mile to the red carpet and through the tape. Final time of 24:44:58. Shaved off nearly 5 hours on a course that,by some estimates, runs about 15-20 minutes longer than last year, and a total mileage of about 102 miles.
You’re stronger than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can do. That theme was true last year and was true this year. The challenges were many, but each was overcome even when the thoughts in my head pointed toward giving up and my body was screaming for reprieve. “Pain only hurts” kept playing through my head as well as the fact that one simply keeps going because one really is stronger than one thinks one is. When all odds seem overwhelming and the challenges are stacking up, you just push onward digging deep. When you’ve reach the bottom and you can’t dig any deeper – you do it again. There is more. There is an endless supply, even when you think there isn’t. I’m not sure now where it comes from, but it’s there. Maybe it’s found in what’s missing, as much of it was for me. It stuck with me the entire time and Icouldn’t shake it. When it came down to it though, I didn’t want to shake it because I knew what was missing and I was going to use that to drive me forward instead of knocking me back. I was going to channel my thoughts the best Icould to push me forward and focus on what needed to get done. Though I got to cross the finish line, it takes a team to accomplish anything like that. There is no way I could have finished, never mind finishing under 25hours, without the amazing crewing and pacing support from Mark, Hafiz, and Caroline. It’s a team effort and team accomplishment. I owe this to them. Besides support at the race, it’s the training and preparation months in advance…so to the Hero-Friends, I thank you as well for your support and well wishes.
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“You need to hold me up!” I said to my pacer Donnie while on the Colorado Trail section following the return stop at the Twin Lakes aid station. “No, not just a hand on my back, I mean I’m going to fall unless you really hold me!” We were roughly at mile 60, I had just lost my stomach, was vomiting and dry heaving, and at this particular point in time, I was holding onto a tree along a narrow path with a 1,000 ft drop right in front of me. The good news is you couldn’t see the drop since it was dark. The bad news is that with it being dark already and the rough shape I was in, it was going to make finishing the final 40 miles within the 30-hour time limit a grueling trek of sheer willpower and determination…as well as the constant prodding by my pacer and crew.
That was in 2011; it was my first 100-miler and only my second ultramarathon. It was tough and took everything I had to finish. This year I was determined to do it differently and to have a good experience out there. I had significantly more experience in running ultramarathons and a bigger crew to help lighten the load, both figuratively in sharing crew duties amongst them, and literally when it comes to carrying my stuff during the second 50 miles. My crew consisted of Hafiz Shaikh, Caroline Bauer,and Mark Buschman. Additionally, to help with acclimatization, I purchased an altitude tent and arrived in Leadville a week prior to the race. Again, I was determined to have a better race experience.
Being in the area and getting to drive around before the race was a huge benefit. I was getting to know the area much better and felt more comfortable. The house that we rented was at Twin Lakes and roughly 9,500 ft. Nearly equal to the low point on the course,but still a good elevation to live at to try to get used to the reduced oxygen of the high mountains. The first thing I noticed was that my breathing was much better this year compared to last year. The altitude tent helped! That was very exciting and gave me a confidence boost. Not that I didn’tnotice the lack of oxygen at all, because I did, but it was very minimal. After spending a weekend in Leadville, Hafiz and Mark arrived and we set about getting things ready and trying to familiarize them with the area. Tuesday morning we set out to hike Hope Pass to see what we had in store and the first thought I remember having is how quickly I forgot how hard of a hike it is. Just a little over a mile into the climb and I was already gassed and questioning my training when it came to the big hikes. My legs were tired and my heart rate was way too high. No altitude tent was saving mehere…this was going to be tough. I knew I didn’t do enough big climbs as part of my training but I figured I could just push through it. This climb, which was supposed to be a confidence booster, had me second guessing that. As we continued up the mountain, the climb got easier and we made sure to take short rest breaks. That helped tremendously and before we knew it, the pace quickened and the summit was in sight. We spent some time at the top and even tried to climb one of the peaks next to Hope Pass. We talked with other runners that were also hiking the pass and then set off back down the mountain to Winfield, the halfway point of the race.
Caroline arrived on Wednesday and after a brief “tour" of Leadville we again hit the grocery store to get more supplies for the rest of the week. Following their early morning excursion up Mount Elbert, Colorado’s highest peak, and the second highest peak in the lower 48 states, we started race planning in earnest. Maps, crew strategies, pacer order / strategy, and nutrition planning. Running 100 miles obviously requires strength and fitness, but more importantly it required determination and the ability to continue digging deep no matter what negative thoughts run through your mind. However, in order for any of that to matter, running 100 miles requires eating. A lot. The number of calories is ridiculous and it was simply exhausting just trying to plan out what to eat and when. You never know how your stomach is going to react to the things you’re trying to consume and no matter how good of a plan you have, it’s probably going to fall apart at some point and then it’ll be a matter of doing the best you can with what you have available.
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| The crew standing at the top of Colorado; Summit of Mount Elbert, 14,433 ft. |
Due to the death in the family, Ken Chlouber, the race founder, was not able to be there. However, his son, Cody, filled in for him and did his best to talk about the need to dig deep and when you’ve dug as deep as you can, you still have to dig deeper. He had us all commit to not quit and urged us to finish at all costs because not finishing is something that will haunt you until you do – he knows because he dropped on his first attempt at the race. He finally indicated that last year as he crossed the finish line under 30 hours.
The “morning” came too early when at 2:00am alarms started sounding throughout the house. It was time to get moving and putting the plan into action. Coffee, oatmeal, a bagel, and a banana…nearly 600 calories consumed already. We loaded the minivan and made our way to the starting area. We beat most of the traffic in and found a great parking spot right on Harrison Blvd. At this point the nerves finally started to show up….here we go again. This course beat me up last year and now I was just about an hour away from trying it again. This time with a clearly laid out plan for nutrition, crewing, hydration, pacing, and muling but something was missing. I knew what it was, but Iwasn’t going to let it distract me – I couldn’t let it distract me. We set out to the start line and the nervousness turned to excitement. I was starting near the front and I was going to run this race solid – I was determined. People gathered, my crew moved out of the corral and to the side, the countdown was beginning and then suddenly Anton Krupica comes out of nowhere and plops himself about 5ft in front of me. I was wondering where he had been, as I had been toying with the idea of running with him for a bit. The gun goes off and the journey began!
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| Group pre-race photo, circa 3:45am on Saturday, August 18th |
Running to Mayqueen is pretty easy since after a short downhill start it’s mostly flat with some very gentle rollers on the trail,just enough to keep it interesting. What made it more “exciting” for me is that even though I put brand new batteries in my headlamp when I got up, it was already dead. Not fading or less than super bright, but no light at all. Apparently there’s something wrong with it and the batteries were totally drained in a few short hours. Awesome. The trail isn’t hard, but when you can’t see it, suddenly it’s very hard. I was doing my best to use the light from others, but the lights behind me resulted in a shadow being cast, so neither those lights nor the ones in front were of any use. Luckily though, I ended up next to a guy that had two lights, one on this head and one around his waist. After running near him for a little while, he offered one of his lights. Trail runners are great people! Always willing to help out a fellow runner. We stopped so he could take the light off. I thanked him and said I’d get it back to him somehow.
Without a light, I’d spent so much time concentrating on the trail that I wasn’t able to eat any of the food I was supposed to be eating during this section. Now I had just about 3 miles before the aid station so I set about eating all the food I had in my hydration pack. I arrived at Mayqueen right about my predicted time and first thing I’m handed is Accelerade and a PB&J sandwich. Um, I was full since I just ate a few hundred calories in the last few minutes and I wasn’teven hungry when I ate that. But I had to eat anyway, so I did and after being stopped for much longer than last year it was time to move on toward Hagerman Pass and the climb up Sugarloaf. This section was uneventful and I only sought to try to remember what it was like so I would have a better idea of it on the return. Last year I had no recollection of this section. Matter of fact, last year I argued with my pacer that we were off course because I didn’t even remember being on a trail at all. Never mind the fact that other runners were passing us and the course was very clearly marked, I was convinced everyone was wrong. That’s how bad of shape I was in. Leaving the trail and heading up the dirt road, the views with the sun rising and the fog on Turquoise Lake were amazing. It reminded me of many other ultras I’d run earlier this year and late last year. These views are one of the things that makes ultra running so special and so majestic. The views suck you in and tempt you to ease up the pace and just enjoy the scenery. The views also remind you of the simple beauty that nature has to offer…and the beauty reminded me that something was still missing. As the road continued climbing up, I thought back to my first run on the Catoctin fire roads since this was so similar…though the cowbell was certainly missed. At that training run it was the first time Ihad ever used a mantra, so I turned to it now and settled in to a comfortable run – reciting the chorus “everything’s gonna be alright” from Bob Marley’sThree Little Birds.
As the road ended and the dreaded Powerline trail started, I resolved not to bomb down it like I did last year. I kept things very controlled and just tried to save the quads for the miles and miles remaining. As the trail flattened and the dirt turned to pavement, I knew I was just a couple miles from Fish Hatchery. Again, I forgot to eat earlier on the run, so I set about eating as much as I could while on the easy road section. Entering in Fish Hatchery everything was still going well. I felt good and after a brief pit stop at the aid station, I felt great. Part of my race strategy was to take as much time as I needed at each aid station, so I sat with the gang for a bit and had some more food. For the next section I decided to take a hand bottle instead of my hydration pack since it was only a few miles on the road. I set out on the road and they packed up and made their way to Treeline. The road was easy and I was thinking that this year I would actually be able to run this section on the return. I was tempted to push harder now, but resisted the urge and just kept it easy. Arriving at Treeline still feeling good, it was now time to really load up with calories, 1200 of them to be exact, since it was going to be the first significant section of trail without a crew access point.
The Colorado Trail in this section is beautiful. Nice trail for some of it and a very narrow and crumbly trail with a huge drop-off for other parts of it. My plan here was to still keep the pace steady but also to make mental notes so that I could break it into manageable sections on the return. One of the hardest parts last year was expecting to see my crew at a certain point, but then realizing it was a non-crew accessible aid station and the crew access point was still miles away. I had to mentally prepare for it this year, so I didn’t let my mind wander on the trail as much as I would have liked. Probably a good thing because there was something missing that kept diverting my thoughts, but I had a job to do and I needed to focus. I passed through Halfpipe and the “water only” stop on Mt Elbert, then 3 miles of downhill to Twin Lakes. The super steep descent from trail to road was just as fun this year (apparently few people actually run down it – but I did simply because it’s fun) as last year, and finally I arrived at Twin Lakes. I felt good, but a few miles earlier I started feeling a twinge in my left quad. Nothing serious, but enough to get my attention and actually say something about it. Just like the other crew access points, I was given an update on the race and who the leaders were, but nothing much beyond that. I wanted to know other things, but I didn’t want to ask. Something was missing, but I couldn’t dwell on that because Hope Pass awaited. The upcoming section really knocked me back last year. Hope Pass was daunting and last year Ididn’t have it in me to climb it. Idon’t know how I did it, but I did. It was all a blur, but this year would be different. My legs felt great, other than that twinge. My energy was good, though Ididn’t eat even half of the food they gave me to eat on the last section. I tried to eat some more at the aid station,but I don’t think I had very much. It was hot and I needed to press on. The river crossing awaited and Hope Pass was in sight. Time to go!
Moving along the grassy trail through the flood plain I kept a solid pace. Someone at a New Balance tent offered me a bandana to go with my NB101 trail shoes. I gladly took it since the sun was hot and I thought a bandana soaked in cold mountain water would do the trick in keeping me cool. Last year I walked this entire section and then I slowed down even more on the hike up. This year I was running solid and passing others that were hardly running or simply walking. So glad that wasn’t me this year! Entering the trail, I power hiked up most of it and only did a little hand-on-knee hiking. The higher up, the harder it got, but I was still moving strong. A few people passed me, but I didn’t let it bother me. I was running my race and pushing too hard on this climb made no sense. I kept it steady and before I knew it, the trees were few and far between and then they were gone altogether. The llamas were now in sight and so was the Hopeless aid station.
From the moment I signed up for the 2012 running of the Leadville Trail 100, I couldn’t wait to get to this aid station so I could once again have the wonderful combination of mashed potatoes and noodle soup – it’scalled suicide by the lady that makes it. I told her that getting up Hope and drinking/eating this concoction was the reason I signed up. She said she was glad to hear that and she’ll have some more for me when I get back. Moving onward up the mountain and the switchbacks that lead to the summit, I started thinking that the leaders would soon be cresting the top. My prediction was accurate as Anton and I crossed paths right at the timing mat (yeah, they had one up there!) on the summit. He was looking good and I was in awe that they are really that fast. He had nearly 10 miles on me and no easy 10miles either. We exchanged “good job”pleasantries and a low five and then I was down the backside to Winfield. I made a point to cheer on the race leaders as we crossed paths. They were all very encouraging in saying “good job” and “way to go” just as I was saying to them.
Nearing the bottom is when things took a noticeable turn for the worse. On Tuesday they finally announced that the runners would not be on the road with the cars, but instead on a trail that parallels the road. Ithought this would be a good thing, but turns out it added 1.6 miles in each direction. Not that big of a deal, but the fact that the trail climbed up nearly the entire section to Winfield was something I was not prepared for. I walked much of that section and the negative impact on my time was significant,but the shot to my confidence and mental state was much worse. This is when I feared things were going to really turn bad. I was getting so beat up mentally and just needed to get through this section. As I approached the end of the dirt road from the trail head, I saw Caroline standing there. I’m not sure what she thought when she saw me, but my guess is I looked like I was pretty beat up. I was getting fatigued, but I knew most of it was mental. I was looking forward to taking some time at the aid station and using that to recharge. It was here last year that I remarked that getting to the halfway point was the hardest thing I’dever done. I remembered that moment vividly and the emotions that started to flow back then, but this was not the time to dwell on the past, but to focus on what I still had left to do. The new trail posed a significant challenge,but I’d overcome more and I was really looking forward to running with someone. I figured with all the time Ia dded while walking much of the trail that a sub-25 finish was now a long shot,but it turned out it wasn’t, so long as we get moving and get back over Hope Pass before it gets dark.
“Thirsty?” asked Hafiz. “Yes.” “Okay, here.” I drank, three sips, and then gave my bottle back. Hafiz had the first leg and the responsibility for getting me back over Hope Pass. I didn’t know how to work with a pacer carrying my stuff and it’s not something we really rehearsed. I wanted to have my bottle so that I could drink when I wanted, because I didn’t want to have to ask for it. Since we didn’t rehearse this and I didn’thave my bottle in my hand it was making me nervous. The trail continued and we were setting a good pace and moving much more smoothly than I had been during the outward bound leg. I was getting thirsty again,but Hafiz was just far enough ahead to where it was tough to ask. His pace was solid and I was starting to fade a little. He turned and handed me the water with a terse command: “drink.” I grabbed the bottle, took three sips and handed it back, thanking him. That set the routine of every ten minutes being handed my bottle and being told to drink. Thirsty or not, I drank – three sips.
“Pain only hurts.” – Ken Chlouber
Then we started the tough part of the climb up Hope. It was steep and rocky. Hafiz, Mark, and I had hiked this section earlier in the week, so we knew what to expect. Roughly 2.5 miles up, with the first mile being about 28 minutes/mile and the second being about 24 minutes/mile, and that pace continuing until the top. I knew we weren’t going to manage that pace now, but it was reassuring knowing it could happen. Last year when climbing this side of Hope, I remember the watch chiming a mile and the time being 59:59. Meaning it likely took over an hour to travel one mile. It was brutal, but this year I felt much better. We cut the time in half and managed to average just over 30 min/mi during the hike, and that included stopping to put on a jacket due to the rain that started to fall and the plummeting temperatures from the storm that was rolling in. As we crested Hope, we started down the set of switchbacks leading to the Hopeless aid station and one of the highlights of this race – suicide. After a few minutes sitting there, it was time to press on. Hafiz set the pace on the down and I tried to keep up. We were passing runners and he wasn’t letting up. Onward we pressed and as the slope leveled out, we were to the open field and making the home stretch toward the Twin Lakes aid station. Hours ahead of 2011, but I still had doubts we had enough time for a sub 25-hour finish.
Once again, everything was organized and I just sat down,ate some food (mostly noodle soup), and told them how I was feeling. I tried to eat what I could, but it wasn’t as much as I’d hoped. My stomach had been really challenging me for the past few hours with nausea after I ate. Noodle soup and broth did the trick, as well as lots of ginger. I wanted to make it as far as I could in daylight and since Caroline was ready to go, off we went down the path where everything fell apart last year. The first three-mile hike was uneventful. We moved steadily up the hill and chatted some. She told me that people were asking how I was doing and sending along well wishes. She told me of people she spoke with and how they were tracking my progress. That really brightened my day since it had been on my mind continuously. Along the trail, I pointed out to Caroline the area was where Donnie was helping to hold me up and we continued to move along steadily. I tried to take good mental notes of this section during the outward bound leg because in 2011 I was taken by surprise how long it was. Iwanted to make sure I knew what we had left but was once again surprised…thistime by how quickly things came up. It’smuch different when you’re actually running most of the time! We hit the Elbert aid station and barely slowed down. Pressing on to Half Moon and continuing to pick people off, we had a nice rhythm going. Not like this is any sort of race at this point, but it’s always fun to pass people. Light was fading quickly, so we finally switched on our head lamps for the final few miles before the Treeline Crew Access Point.
Though still fairly early in the race, it was right around this area that the hallucinations started. I wasn’t nearly as fatigued as last year, but when you’re really tired and it’s getting dark, your eyes tend to play tricks on you. I have some experience with this from many days without sleeping in the Marines, but it’s always interesting when you are certain you see something that’s out of place. For example, it was along this stretch of trail that I noticed someone had hung laundry out to dry. We were in the middle of the woods and someone actually hung out their sheets and other laundry on a string between trees. Crazy, huh? Well, it wasn’treally there and I bit my tongue just long enough to realize it wasn’treal. I didn’t want Caroline or anyone to worry, so I kept these occasional visions to myself. If it was really there, I figured they would say something.
As we approached Treeline I was fading a bit and wanting to walk more than run. Eating had been difficult for the past 20-30 miles, so I wasn’t taking in enough calories. I knew my energy was depleting, but eating too much would cause whatever I ate to come back up. So I had to carefully balance calories and what my stomach could handle. Mark was up next and there was a good section of road ahead. Earlier in the day I toyed with the idea of trying to knock back 7:00 min/mi here, just to see if I could do it. Though we didn’t get close to that, it was some of the longest continual running I’ddone in quite a few hours. There were just very few spots worthy of walking, so when we did take walk breaks, they were relatively short. Mark’scompetitiveness was rubbing off on me and we kept targeting people and picking them off, one-by-one. With the lights visible in the distance, but the openness of the West, at times it felt like we were on a treadmill…moving but not getting any closer. We finally hit Fish Hatchery aid station,noodle soup was waiting for me (my go-to food at this point) and after a brief stay there, Mark and I were pressing forward to the part of the course I dreaded the most – the Powerline climb up Sugarloaf.
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| Picking up Keith at the Treeline Aid Station (Mile 72) |
From the day I signed up for the 2012 edition of this race,I dreaded this climb. I still remember,so vividly, my 2011 slow walk up this hill. Looking up and seeing the headlamps blend in the with stars and once you make it to the top, all you see is another climb full of headlamps and they too blend with the stars. It’s physically tough but it’s mentally draining. I was determined not to let it get the best of me this year. Up, up, up we climbed. Not as many headlamps in front of me and only a handful behind. Many of those visible behind us caught and passed me and Mark, but we pressed on. Taking breaks when needed and pushing forward with steady momentum. I did my best to eat and drink, but still wasn’t able to run the plateaus or the few downs leading to the next climb. Fatigue was definitely setting in and it was at this point that I finally dared to mention something I was seeing…just ahead near one of the summits, I saw someone kind of standing there and then moving from right to left. He had a light and it just seemed odd that hewasn’t really running. I had no idea what he was doing, but I mentioned something to Mark about it. He didn’t respond to me, which I thoughto dd. I kept staring and trying to figure out what the heck this guy was doing…we got closer and closer and then I realized there wasn’t anyone there at all. The hallucinations had started much earlier when Caroline and I were on the Colorado Trail, but I was able to have a good gauge of what was real andwhat was imagined and I was careful not to say anything to my crew about it. This one though was so real that Iwas certain it was really there and that’s why I dared say something. Of course it wasn’t and that was yet another sign that the lack of sleep and extreme physical exertion was starting to take a bigger toll on my body…and I had to start pushing hard to finish, but first,I needed to get off this mountain and down to Mayqueen. The ups went on and on and I finally gave up counting the number of false summits, but when we finally reached the last one,I knew we were there. I wanted to run and I know Mark wanted to run, but we didn’t at first. We would jog little sections and then I would walk. I’m not really sure when it kicked in or how, but soon we were running and making a good pace too. We started passing people that had passed us on the climb. The gravel road seemed much longer on the down than I remember on the climb early on Saturday (I think it was after midnight by now), but Iwasn’t going to complain because we were holding a very steady pace. As we hit the trail, I took the lead because I was ready to get to the Mayqueen aid station. Besides the suicide broth on at Hopeless, pancakes at Mayqueen were the other food I was looking forward to. I’ve never had more delicious pancakes than the ones I had there in2011. I couldn’t wait to eat some again! The trail continued and we kept running. It was technical, we were using headlamps, and it was Mark’s first night trail run…we were having fun. Quick feet – steady effort. Press on. Pancakes await. Finally we hit the end of the trail. I slowed some just before that and my pace wasn’t as solid through the grass and on the road leading to the aid station. As I approached, I again let go the idea of beating 25 hours. I figured Powerline took too long and wedidn’t make up enough time on the trail. It was probably best anyway, that way I can just finish without any pressure. This was good.
Arriving at the tent, Caroline asked if I wanted pancakes. “Um, yeah!” As a bonus, she had coffee too…that was exactly what I needed. A couple pancakes with syrup and hot coffee, that is the ultra food of champions (at least for me) and it hit the spot. I knew itwouldn’t be enough to get me through the rest of the race, but it did the trick at the time and we had to press on because much to my excitement and dismay,sub-25 was still within reach. It was Hafiz again and then Caroline would switch out later – all we needed to do was average a 15:00 min/mi until the end and I would finish under 25 hours. Ithought the possibility was gone, but it was once again within reach. But we needed to go – so off we went. Along the road in the campground we (mostly Hafiz) helped guide others that somehow lost the trail. Admittedly it was very poorly marked with green glow sticks that were nearing the end of their life, but Hafiz and I managed to stay on course. We ran this part of the trail earlier in the week, so we knew there was some up and down to contend with, but I didn’t remember it being as bad as it was. I guess that’s what happens when you have nearly 90 miles on your legs. We would run for good stints and then walk some ups or technical downs. All I needed was 15 min/mi, but the miles were ticking off slowly and it seemed like we were only barely getting under 15sno matter how hard I would run. Longer periods of walking and shorter periods of running and suddenly our average pace was falling into the 15 flat or slightly over 15:00. Not good. I took a gel and that helped some. We came up on the boat ramp much sooner than we expected and then it wasCaroline’s turn. I was fading, so as Hafiz and Caroline switched over gear, I pressed on solo.
At this point no one was really sure how many miles we had left. The confusion meant the target pace was also unknown. Did we need 15sor did we need 12s? That’s a huge difference and since I was barely holding 15s, the thought of having to run 6-8miles at a 12:00 min/mi was too much for me mentally to deal with and likely too much for me to manage physically. Instead of thinking about all that, we just ran. I stopped worrying about average pace and finishing time and knew that if I just kept pressing forward as hard as I could, that I’ll either get the time I want or be able to say that I gave it all I had. I remembered this part from last year and the question of “are your eyes open?” That made me smile and this time around I answered the question in my head. “Yes!” My eyes were more open now than ever before and I was going to do the best I could and see what happens. That’s really all that can be done, no matterwhat’s missing or not. Pressing onward and doing your best.
Competitiveness is fun, but we hadn’t seen anyone in awhile. That worried me in a way but was also pretty neat since in 2011 there were always other runners around me(almost all of which were passing me). As Caroline and I pressed on, looking for and almost always finding the right trail, we somehow started knocking back 9:40s. It felt good to run and I was afraid to walk because starting again would be hard – so we just kept pushing even as the route started taking us uphill. Finally there were people in sight and we started passing them. It was a bit of a relief since I figured there would be a small pack of people trying to get in under 25 hours, so seeing others meant I was probably still close. Based on estimates, it was looking good. It was looking like I might actually do it. I was feeling good with energy and my spirits were oddly high. I took another gel even though I really didn’t want to. The closer we got to the end, the more people we’d see– whether along the road cheering (quietly since it was the middle of the night) or tucked away ins leeping bags. I estimated we had maybe3 miles, but probably only just over 2 miles. Caroline was in general agreement, though she was probably saying that for my benefit. Then we asked a guy and his response of “about 4 miles” not only shocked me, but really starting stressing me out. It knocked me back a bit. We had about 40 or so minutes remaining and with just under 3 or even 3 miles, that meant a comfortable run. With 4 miles remaining, that meant giving it everything I have without letting up for a moment. I was in disbelief. I told Caroline he was wrong. I sought reassurance. Reassurance that he was wrong, reassurance that we could make it, and reassurance that as hard as I’d been pushing for as long as I’d been pushing, it wouldn’t be for naught. I had given up on sub 25 a number of times,but it kept resurfacing and now that I’d finally set my sights on it for real,I couldn’t let it slip away. We pressed on. The section we had just passed was two really gnarly crumbly rocky downs that trashed my quads and knees (which had felt fine the whole time), followed by a gradual climb of what ended up being close to 2 miles. With my knees hurting after the down, the sub-10s weren’t an option. I did the best I could with running, but now periods of hiking were interspersed. Imust’ve asked a couple dozen times on that road what the time was looking like. I recognized things from 2011 (or at least I thought I did) and said we were about 2 miles out. I hoped I was right, but I wasn’t convinced. We pressed on and the hill continued. Last year I ran from shadow to shadow. This year those shadows weren’t present, but I pretended they were. This is the most difficult finish because it climbs nearly the entire final 4 miles of the course. As we neared a street light, Ihad a feeling that was the top of the hill. From there, we would be almost exactly 1 mileaway…and Hafiz and Mark would be waiting. Time check again. This time, we had about 30 minutes. As we started to crest the hill, we turned left on the street and saw Hafiz and Mark standing just down the road where we’d be making the turn on 6th street for the final stretch. I had 30 minutes to finish and it was at this moment that I knew we’d finish sub-25. My biggest fear was that I’d hit that point with 10 minutes remaining and have to do my best to pull together some Herculean effort. Instead, we got to take it in easy. Walking the up and running some of the down and flat and then running the final 1/8 mile to the red carpet and through the tape. Final time of 24:44:58. Shaved off nearly 5 hours on a course that,by some estimates, runs about 15-20 minutes longer than last year, and a total mileage of about 102 miles.
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| Post-race, circa 4:45am on Sunday, August 19th |
You’re stronger than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can do. That theme was true last year and was true this year. The challenges were many, but each was overcome even when the thoughts in my head pointed toward giving up and my body was screaming for reprieve. “Pain only hurts” kept playing through my head as well as the fact that one simply keeps going because one really is stronger than one thinks one is. When all odds seem overwhelming and the challenges are stacking up, you just push onward digging deep. When you’ve reach the bottom and you can’t dig any deeper – you do it again. There is more. There is an endless supply, even when you think there isn’t. I’m not sure now where it comes from, but it’s there. Maybe it’s found in what’s missing, as much of it was for me. It stuck with me the entire time and Icouldn’t shake it. When it came down to it though, I didn’t want to shake it because I knew what was missing and I was going to use that to drive me forward instead of knocking me back. I was going to channel my thoughts the best Icould to push me forward and focus on what needed to get done. Though I got to cross the finish line, it takes a team to accomplish anything like that. There is no way I could have finished, never mind finishing under 25hours, without the amazing crewing and pacing support from Mark, Hafiz, and Caroline. It’s a team effort and team accomplishment. I owe this to them. Besides support at the race, it’s the training and preparation months in advance…so to the Hero-Friends, I thank you as well for your support and well wishes.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Who Wants to Play Battleship: A-10 Recap
This is long overdue....MY BAD!
It was a wet and gloomy morning for the 37th Annapolis 10 Mile Run. Contrary to previous years, the temperature was in the low 70s, but the sticky air made it feel warmer. Those who didn't bring an umbrella to get from their car to the packet pickup tent were in for a shower, courtesy of Mother Nature. Around 7:15am, people began emerging from their cars and doing a warmup run to get the blood flowing and the legs moving. Madison and I took off away from the Stadium and into the adjacent neighborhood. We both returned soaked to the bone. Fortunately, neither of us had worn our racing flats so we would be able to hit the start line with dry shoes. I noticed several other runners who didn't plan ahead quite as well.
As a team, I would say that this was argubly our strongest performance of 2012. Andrew Madison took off from the starting gun and never looked back, leading the race from start to finish. Everyone's favorite master, Jason Tripp, allegedly ran a good race, though he forgot to wear his timing chip and all evidence of his participation was erased. He will tell you that he ran 59:XX. Only 6 days after crossing the Leadville 100 finish line, Keith Levasseur ran an incredible 61:01, good for 3rd in his age group. Dr. Kent Werner made his return to the racing scene, clocking a 61:54. It's nice to know those 100 hour work weeks aren't killing him (literally). Weems McFadden also made his return. I believe this was his first race of 2012; he ran 68:09.
On the women's side, the theme was simple: AGE GROUP WINNERS. Kelly Westlake ran superb, finishing 3rd overall in 65:02. Not far behind, UnSong Ostrowski, battling an aching calf, finished 6th and 1st in her age group with a 65:31. Robyn Humphrey grabbed 1st Master honors, running 68:03 for 7th overall. Finally, Donna Wecker, also returning from a long layoff due to injury, broke 70 minutes, 69:51 to be exact, winning the 50-54 age group.
Great job to everyone! A summary of the results:
Andrew Madison 55:08 1st
Mark Buschman 55:15 2nd
Jason Tripp 59:XX ?
Keith Levasseur 1:01:01 19th
Kent Werner 1:01:54 27th
John Chall 1:06:25 70th
Weems McFadden 1:08:09 95th
Kelly Westlake 1:05:02 3rd
UnSong Ostrowski 1:05:31 6th
Robyn Humphrey 1:08:03 8th
Donna Wecker 1:09:51 17th
It was a wet and gloomy morning for the 37th Annapolis 10 Mile Run. Contrary to previous years, the temperature was in the low 70s, but the sticky air made it feel warmer. Those who didn't bring an umbrella to get from their car to the packet pickup tent were in for a shower, courtesy of Mother Nature. Around 7:15am, people began emerging from their cars and doing a warmup run to get the blood flowing and the legs moving. Madison and I took off away from the Stadium and into the adjacent neighborhood. We both returned soaked to the bone. Fortunately, neither of us had worn our racing flats so we would be able to hit the start line with dry shoes. I noticed several other runners who didn't plan ahead quite as well.
As a team, I would say that this was argubly our strongest performance of 2012. Andrew Madison took off from the starting gun and never looked back, leading the race from start to finish. Everyone's favorite master, Jason Tripp, allegedly ran a good race, though he forgot to wear his timing chip and all evidence of his participation was erased. He will tell you that he ran 59:XX. Only 6 days after crossing the Leadville 100 finish line, Keith Levasseur ran an incredible 61:01, good for 3rd in his age group. Dr. Kent Werner made his return to the racing scene, clocking a 61:54. It's nice to know those 100 hour work weeks aren't killing him (literally). Weems McFadden also made his return. I believe this was his first race of 2012; he ran 68:09.
On the women's side, the theme was simple: AGE GROUP WINNERS. Kelly Westlake ran superb, finishing 3rd overall in 65:02. Not far behind, UnSong Ostrowski, battling an aching calf, finished 6th and 1st in her age group with a 65:31. Robyn Humphrey grabbed 1st Master honors, running 68:03 for 7th overall. Finally, Donna Wecker, also returning from a long layoff due to injury, broke 70 minutes, 69:51 to be exact, winning the 50-54 age group.
Great job to everyone! A summary of the results:
Andrew Madison 55:08 1st
Mark Buschman 55:15 2nd
Jason Tripp 59:XX ?
Keith Levasseur 1:01:01 19th
Kent Werner 1:01:54 27th
John Chall 1:06:25 70th
Weems McFadden 1:08:09 95th
Kelly Westlake 1:05:02 3rd
UnSong Ostrowski 1:05:31 6th
Robyn Humphrey 1:08:03 8th
Donna Wecker 1:09:51 17th
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| Donna showing off her ship |
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Keith Completes His Second Leadville 100 Miler, Crushes PB
Keith had the support of two of his racing team-mates, Caroline Bauer and Mark Buschman, and fellow Strider Hafiz Shaikh, who paced him starting the 50 mile mark. Below are some posts that Mark published over the course of the race.
Pre-race (Friday Night): For those interested, the Leadville 100 starts at 6am EST. Keith is bib #644. Rumor has it there is runner tracking but I doubt it will work right. He'll have 3 of us supporting and pacing him in person but show your support by liking this or sending him a good luck text or call (within the next 3 hours or so, early bedtime). I've run some of the course and this will undoubtedly be the toughest thing I've ever witnessed! I will try to post updates and pics along the way. LET'S GO KEITH!!!!
10:13AM (MST): Keith at Mile 23.5 aid station in 3:50...looks great. Definitely learned his lesson from last year.
12:21PM (MST): Waiting for Keith at Twin Lakes (Mile 39.5) aid station. Check out the scenery!
6:05PM (MST): Had no cell reception at Mile 50 aid station. Keith came in around 10:33. Tightness in left quad but still in good spirits. Now he has a Pacer the rest of the way, starting with Hafiz. Sub 24 is definitely still in the cards!
7:48PM (MST): Ready and color coordinated for a 13.5 mile jaunt around the base of Mount Elbert
9:45PM (MST): Thru 60.5 mile aid station (Twin Lakes) in 14:35ish...it appears ramen noodles is the fueling source of choice from here on out.
7:30AM (MST): Keith crossed the finish line of the Leadville 100 in 24:45:02 to earn a sub 25-hour gold belt buckle!!! Ran an amazing last 27 miles in rough terrain, a sore stomach, tight legs, and a s*%tload of elevation gain. I ran from 72 to 86.5 and it was all up a %$^# mountain. Now we can all finally sleep for 5 hours then go to the awards ceremony!!!
Awards. That is one large belt buckle! I hope you plan to wear it around everywhere you go, Keith.
Keith crosses the finish line (credit: Hafiz Shaikh)
Full results are available here: Link
Congrats Keith on an amazing accomplishment. Get some rest, so we can see you out on the roads again soon!
Monday, July 23, 2012
The Twilight Zone
This past weekend featured the premier local race of the summer...ROCKVILLE TWILIGHTER 8k
This is easily one of the most competitive local races which includes many local elites, college runners, and several African-born speedsters. The pre-race warmup revealed cooler temperatures then normal due to a light drizzle and overcast but after we completed two miles on the course, it was apparent that the humidity was going to be a factor.
The race start got delayed about 10 minutes due to the police having trouble clearing the roads of traffic. In the men's race, team captain, Carlos Renjifo, led the way per the usual crossing the line in 19th place in 25:57. Mark Buschman and Andrew Madison followed in 26:40 and 27:00, respectively. Jason Tripp kept his age group winning streak alive barely losing to the first Master, but winning the 40-44 age group with a time of 28:20. He also earned a spot on the elite squad with this awesome performance!
Samantha Matthews led the way for the ladies, finishing in 22nd in 31:57. Vicki Lang continued her comeback coming in 3rd in the Master's division, running 34:31.
A summary of the results:
Carlos Renjifo 25:57 19th
Mark Buschman 26:40 29th PR
Andrew Madison 27:00 42nd
Kevin Ford 28:00 56th PR
Craig Lebro 28:14 59th
Jason Tripp 28:20 62nd (1st, M40-44)
Dave Berardi 29:13 80th (3rd, M50-54)
Phil Lang 30:11 104th
Tunde Morakinyo 31:01 127th
Chris Chattin 31:24 136th
John Chall 31:56 145th (2nd, M55-59)
Samantha Matthews 31:57 22nd
Vicki Lang 34:31 34th (3rd Master)
Janeth Scott 35:55 43rd (2nd, F50-54)
Meanwhile, out west in Garrett County, Bobby Gessler took part in the Salem Challenge 5k. He indicated that the course was long (3.4 miles) and quite hilly. However, he ran 22:04, good for 10th overall and first Master.
Sunday morning included the Rosaryville Trail Runs in Upper Marlboro. Keith Levasseur, training for the Leadville 100 in a few weeks, placed 2nd in the 50k, crossing the line in 3:56:27, winning the 30-39 age group.
With her fantastic performance, Vicki Lang joined the team! WAY TO GO VICKI!!!
This is easily one of the most competitive local races which includes many local elites, college runners, and several African-born speedsters. The pre-race warmup revealed cooler temperatures then normal due to a light drizzle and overcast but after we completed two miles on the course, it was apparent that the humidity was going to be a factor.
The race start got delayed about 10 minutes due to the police having trouble clearing the roads of traffic. In the men's race, team captain, Carlos Renjifo, led the way per the usual crossing the line in 19th place in 25:57. Mark Buschman and Andrew Madison followed in 26:40 and 27:00, respectively. Jason Tripp kept his age group winning streak alive barely losing to the first Master, but winning the 40-44 age group with a time of 28:20. He also earned a spot on the elite squad with this awesome performance!
Samantha Matthews led the way for the ladies, finishing in 22nd in 31:57. Vicki Lang continued her comeback coming in 3rd in the Master's division, running 34:31.
A summary of the results:
Carlos Renjifo 25:57 19th
Mark Buschman 26:40 29th PR
Andrew Madison 27:00 42nd
Kevin Ford 28:00 56th PR
Craig Lebro 28:14 59th
Jason Tripp 28:20 62nd (1st, M40-44)
Dave Berardi 29:13 80th (3rd, M50-54)
Phil Lang 30:11 104th
Tunde Morakinyo 31:01 127th
Chris Chattin 31:24 136th
John Chall 31:56 145th (2nd, M55-59)
Samantha Matthews 31:57 22nd
Vicki Lang 34:31 34th (3rd Master)
Janeth Scott 35:55 43rd (2nd, F50-54)
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| Nice hair Craig! |
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| Dave running with the young guns as always. I used to be that guy who would have to outrun him at the end of the race. |
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| Vicki battling the humidity... |
Meanwhile, out west in Garrett County, Bobby Gessler took part in the Salem Challenge 5k. He indicated that the course was long (3.4 miles) and quite hilly. However, he ran 22:04, good for 10th overall and first Master.
Sunday morning included the Rosaryville Trail Runs in Upper Marlboro. Keith Levasseur, training for the Leadville 100 in a few weeks, placed 2nd in the 50k, crossing the line in 3:56:27, winning the 30-39 age group.
With her fantastic performance, Vicki Lang joined the team! WAY TO GO VICKI!!!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Columbia Women's Distance Festival (WDF)
The conditions this morning were hot and humid, but that didn't deter some 400 women from taking on this year's edition of the Columbia Women's Distance Festival (WDF). What makes this number particularly impressive in my mind is that the no-show rate was less than 10% -- an impressive number when conditions are perfect for running. You ladies are tough! Hats off to all of you.
Times didn't seem to be affected too much by the heat, with the eventual winner, Anna Holt-Gosslin, taking a commanding victory in 17:45. Behind her was UnSong Ostrowski, who continues to run PRs, this time shaving an insane 20 seconds from her previous best and finishing in 18:26. Kelly Westlake also had an excellent race, finishing 4th overall (1st in the master's category) with a time 18:51 -- her fastest 5k this year. Samantha Matthews was next in 5th, equaling her time from the Baltimore Women's Classic (19:37) in tougher conditions. Samantha was followed closely by Robyn Humphrey (19:48, 6th, 2nd master). Closing out the list of performances was the dynamic trio of grand masters, who yet again achieved a 1-2-3 sweep for the 50+ age category: Pat Wilkerson (8th, 20:17), Janeth Scott (14th, 21:14), and Dorothy Beckett (17th, 21:22).
Full results are available here: http://striders.net/events/wdf/2012. Pictures will hopefully be posted soon.
Times didn't seem to be affected too much by the heat, with the eventual winner, Anna Holt-Gosslin, taking a commanding victory in 17:45. Behind her was UnSong Ostrowski, who continues to run PRs, this time shaving an insane 20 seconds from her previous best and finishing in 18:26. Kelly Westlake also had an excellent race, finishing 4th overall (1st in the master's category) with a time 18:51 -- her fastest 5k this year. Samantha Matthews was next in 5th, equaling her time from the Baltimore Women's Classic (19:37) in tougher conditions. Samantha was followed closely by Robyn Humphrey (19:48, 6th, 2nd master). Closing out the list of performances was the dynamic trio of grand masters, who yet again achieved a 1-2-3 sweep for the 50+ age category: Pat Wilkerson (8th, 20:17), Janeth Scott (14th, 21:14), and Dorothy Beckett (17th, 21:22).
Full results are available here: http://striders.net/events/wdf/2012. Pictures will hopefully be posted soon.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
A Great Weekend for Strider Women (and Keith as well!)
After a brutal week of temperatures in the high 90s, a slightly cooler weekend (particularly on Sunday) made for some great running.
To kick things off, Keith Levasseur took part in his first ever 100k, the Mason-Dixon Longest Day 100k Challenge, in Susquahanna State Park. The gun went off at 5AM to let runners take advantage of the 15+ hours of daylight. Keith had hopes of breaking the course record of 11 hours and change, setting a PR at the distance, and getting the HCS team record as well. Almost 50 miles into the race, it looked like he would get his way, as he was well ahead of pace. But unbeknownst to him, the last 12 miles of the course would have him essentially "rock climbing" up a side of a hill, just to come back down and repeat. The course record slipped away from him this time, but he still took the team record and set a PR in the process with a time of 13:06. Two out of three isn't shabby. He has already vowed to return next year to take another crack at the record.
A few hours later, Donna Wecker and Caroline Bauer took on the challenge extended by the "Dreaded Druid Hills" of Baltimore. Donna continued to impress, not only finishing as the first grand master, but also taking the award for top female overall with a time of 43:47! Caroline was not far back. taking third in a time of 44:27.
Sunday proved to be another showcase of Strider female talent, with the grandmaster women in particular putting on a "master class" for their competition. In her debut as a part of the elite women, Samantha Matthews finished in 19:37, good for 12th place. Samantha was followed by the ageless Pat Wilkerson, who continues to run blazing fast times year over year. Her 20:04 got her 15th overall and first grandmaster. After Pat was Janeth Scott, who just squeaked under 21 minutes (20:55) and took 1st in the 50-54 age group. Janeth was followed by Dorothy Beckett, whose 21:38 was good for 2nd in the 50-54 group. Finally, Tacy Powers rounded out the list of superb times by crossing the line in 22:23 (5th in 40-45).
Congrats to all! This coming weekend looks to be very hot and humid, so be careful if you are racing!
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| Tacy and Pat, after the race. |
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| Pat and Tacy with a fellow runner (left). I am told she is 76 years young! |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Where did summer go...???
Father's Day weekend was unseasonably cool by mid-June standards. Guess what that meant? PERFECT running conditions!
The weekend kicked off with the Baltimore 10 Miler. Keith Levasseur took top team honors, crossing the tape in 58:48 for 11th overall. Not far behind was the new Master, Jason Tripp, who paced the 40+ers, posting a 59:03 for 12th place. On the ladies side, Caroline Bauer kept up her kick-ass 2012 campaign finishing 9th with a 1:08:03. Solid times on a slow course!
On Sunday, runners gathered at the Gateway Overlook Shopping Center to take part in the 2nd Annual Father's Day 8k put on by Bullseye Running. There were not as many runners as I had anticipated (only about 120), but the times were blazing due to the prize money ($200, $100, $50). Falls Road's Dave Berdan (3rd, 25:49) and Tristram Thomas (4th, 26:42) ran well on the tougher than advertised course. Peter Keating led the way for the Strider men, finishing 5th in 28:04. He and his son, Joseph (15th, 31:12) took the Father/Son crown. Andrew Madison, who had to stop in the middle of the race due to stomach issues, still cracked the 30 minute mark, finishing 6th in 29:04. Other notable performances on the men's side included: Dave Berardi (7th, 29:12) and Chris Chattin (8th, 29:50).
Janeth Scott cruised to an easy Master's win on the women's side, with a time 34:02, good for 4th.
Donna Wecker continued her comeback taking part in the Mount Hebron 10k Trail Challenge, winning the race in 48:13. She loves running the trails, since Patapsco is literally across the street...
Finally on Sunday, Keith Levasseur and John Chall took part in the Dawson's Father's Day 10k hosted by the Annapolis Striders. Keith ran a PR of 35:39, finishing 2nd to Karsten. John took the GM title, crossing the line in 38:38 for 12th.
Also, we welcomed Samantha Matthews to the team late last week. Samantha is a recent graduate of Bloomsburg University and is a former product of the Junior Striders. She boast PRs of 18:03 for the 5k, 39:25 for the 10k. Looking forward to having her help the ladies team come late summer and into the fall!!!
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| Start of the B-10 |
On Sunday, runners gathered at the Gateway Overlook Shopping Center to take part in the 2nd Annual Father's Day 8k put on by Bullseye Running. There were not as many runners as I had anticipated (only about 120), but the times were blazing due to the prize money ($200, $100, $50). Falls Road's Dave Berdan (3rd, 25:49) and Tristram Thomas (4th, 26:42) ran well on the tougher than advertised course. Peter Keating led the way for the Strider men, finishing 5th in 28:04. He and his son, Joseph (15th, 31:12) took the Father/Son crown. Andrew Madison, who had to stop in the middle of the race due to stomach issues, still cracked the 30 minute mark, finishing 6th in 29:04. Other notable performances on the men's side included: Dave Berardi (7th, 29:12) and Chris Chattin (8th, 29:50).
Janeth Scott cruised to an easy Master's win on the women's side, with a time 34:02, good for 4th.
Donna Wecker continued her comeback taking part in the Mount Hebron 10k Trail Challenge, winning the race in 48:13. She loves running the trails, since Patapsco is literally across the street...
Finally on Sunday, Keith Levasseur and John Chall took part in the Dawson's Father's Day 10k hosted by the Annapolis Striders. Keith ran a PR of 35:39, finishing 2nd to Karsten. John took the GM title, crossing the line in 38:38 for 12th.
Also, we welcomed Samantha Matthews to the team late last week. Samantha is a recent graduate of Bloomsburg University and is a former product of the Junior Striders. She boast PRs of 18:03 for the 5k, 39:25 for the 10k. Looking forward to having her help the ladies team come late summer and into the fall!!!
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Summer is Definitely Here
At Damien's Run this past weekend, the line was filled with a number of "bounty hunters", aiming to score some prize money and potentially a $500 bonus for breaking the course records (Men - 14:32, Women - 16:37). Both races saw the records broken, with finishing times of 14:23 (Abiyot Endale) and 16:35 (Teszata Desalage).
Behind the leaders, there was a strong contingent of Striders, with some outstanding performances:
-- Jeremy Rea, who has just recently begun to do track work again, ran a solid race (16:56, 6th).
-- In his first race as a master, Jason Tripp (17:33) began his winning streak with a convincing victory over fellow Strider master runner, Mike Colaiacovo (10th, 18:23)
-- Craig Lebro made it under the 18-minute barrier (17:53)
-- UnSong Ostrowski, suffered her first defeat of the year to a record-breaking winner, but still ran a very strong 18:46, good for 2nd
-- Kelly Westlake ran a great race, finishing less than 10 seconds behind UnSong (18:56) and taking the award for first female master.
-- Robyn had a tough day, but still managed to run a 19:27, which is nothing to frown at
-- John Chall and Dorothy Beckett took the grand master awards, with times of 19:01 and 22:08, respectively
-- Bobby Gessler finished 2nd in the grandmaster category (19:46)
Photos from the race are available here and full results are available on the Striders website.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
A Weekend to Remember
As Memorial Day came and went, I'm reminded of how great of a country we live in. No matter of your political or ethnic background, America would not be the place it is today without the sacrifice of those who have and are currently fighting for the land of the free and the home of the brave...
The holiday weekend kicked off on Saturday in the Windy City of all places. Keith Levasseur and Caroline Bauer competed in the Soldier Field 10 Miler....Home of DA BEARS! The winning time was sub 50 minutes! Keith clocked a 1:00:17 for 36th and Caroline ran 1:09:50 for 41st on the women's side.
Phil Lang was our lone representative at the McVet's 5k in Baltimore on Sunday. He ran with the young guns, crossing the line in 6th overall with a time of 17:40. He still has some speed! In OC, Bobby Gessler and his girls led the way at the Seashore Strider's Masser 5 Miler. Bobby led the GM division with a 32:57. Julie was the 1st overall female in 34:13, Becky was 3rd in 35:21, Katie won the 20-24 AG with a 36:29, and Amy took the 14-19 AH crown with a 36:58. SSSWEEEPPP!!!
On Monday morning, Memorial Day, the humidity made it feel like a rainforest out there. That didn't keep our crew from partaking in the Rotary Remembrance Run 5k. In the men's race, Peter Keating led the way with a 17:26. Our newest lady member, UnSong Ostrowski, proved my hypothesis correct (see below), WINNING the women's race with a PR performance of 18:53. A summary of the results:
Peter Keating 17:26 6th
Steve Olenick 17:42 7th
Jason Tripp 18:04 11th
Phil Lang 18:40 13th
Jason Tripp 18:04 11th
Phil Lang 18:40 13th
Michael Mbugi 18:42 14th
Tunde Morakinyo 18:50 15th
John Chall 19:29 18th
Tunde Morakinyo 18:50 15th
John Chall 19:29 18th
UnSong Ostrowski 18:53 1st
Robyn Humphrey 20:00 3rd
Janeth Scott 21:39 9th
Dorothy Beckett 22:55 15th
Robyn Humphrey 20:00 3rd
Janeth Scott 21:39 9th
Dorothy Beckett 22:55 15th
Great performances in unseasonably warm conditions! Pictures from the race can be found here.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
An Endless weekend of first place finishes...
While it was a rather light weekend on the racing front, those who did venture out in the heat to tackle the competition produced well....
While many of us were running the bagel run, Keith Levasseur headed down to Annapolis to compete in the Endless Summer 6 Hour Run. The race started at 8am and forced runners to push through the heat and humidity. The goal of this race is to run the 3.4 mile loop as many times are you can in the 6 hour timeframe and the person with the most distance at the end wins. Well, Keith did just that, logging 45.1 miles and setting a new course record!!!
Sunday morning, Donna Wecker returned to the race scene after a long layoff due to multiple injuries at the BRRC Patapsco Trail Run. The exact course distance is unknown, but it's approximately 8 miles. She won the women's race in 1:04:20. She is looking forward to making a noisy return here soon... Peter Keating took part in the relay at the Columbia Triathlon on Sunday. He told me that their swimmer ended up choking big time in the water and put them pretty far back at T1. He ran hard (as the norm) and finished the 10k run in 36:36, good for an 8th place team finish.
Finally, John Chall took top honors at the Benfield Elementary School 5k in Severna Park, crossing the finish line in 19:02.
FLASH: After months of heckling, we finally got Unsong Ostrowski to cave and join the racing team!!! She is going to kick some @$$ this Fall! She already has 1st place finishes at Clyde's and the MD Half. I GUARANTEE she'll tack on a few more before 2013 gets here...Welcome Unsong!!!
While many of us were running the bagel run, Keith Levasseur headed down to Annapolis to compete in the Endless Summer 6 Hour Run. The race started at 8am and forced runners to push through the heat and humidity. The goal of this race is to run the 3.4 mile loop as many times are you can in the 6 hour timeframe and the person with the most distance at the end wins. Well, Keith did just that, logging 45.1 miles and setting a new course record!!!
Sunday morning, Donna Wecker returned to the race scene after a long layoff due to multiple injuries at the BRRC Patapsco Trail Run. The exact course distance is unknown, but it's approximately 8 miles. She won the women's race in 1:04:20. She is looking forward to making a noisy return here soon... Peter Keating took part in the relay at the Columbia Triathlon on Sunday. He told me that their swimmer ended up choking big time in the water and put them pretty far back at T1. He ran hard (as the norm) and finished the 10k run in 36:36, good for an 8th place team finish.
Finally, John Chall took top honors at the Benfield Elementary School 5k in Severna Park, crossing the finish line in 19:02.
FLASH: After months of heckling, we finally got Unsong Ostrowski to cave and join the racing team!!! She is going to kick some @$$ this Fall! She already has 1st place finishes at Clyde's and the MD Half. I GUARANTEE she'll tack on a few more before 2013 gets here...Welcome Unsong!!!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Rockville Twilighter 8k
THE BEST LOCAL RACE OF THE SUMMER! IT'S ALWAYS HOT AND HUMID BUT THE POST-RACE PARTY AND BEER ARE WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION!!!
Register NOW for the Rockville Rotary Twilight 8K on Saturday, July 21! The price
will increase on May 20! Fees are as follows:
$28 by May 20,
$32 May 21-July 1,
$37 July 2 - July 20,
$42 Race Day registration.
REGISTER HERE: http://www.imathlete.com/
Monday, May 14, 2012
Dance to the Music
The racing week kicked off on Friday with the Armed Services 5k+. This is a race for NSA employees and contractors who work down at Fort Meade. Not sure if the results are top secret classified, but in any case we got the inside scoop. The course was way long, somewhere between 3.35 and 3.4 miles. Keith Levasseur took 4th in 18:44 while John Chall took the GM crown, finishing 8th in 20:30.
Saturday morning presented the Musical Madness 5k, put on by the Reservoir High School band and directed by fellow Strider Greg Schuler. On the men's side, Tunde Morakinyo was the first master to cross the finish line, taking 6th in 18:27. Bobby Gessler was 9th in 19:54. The ladies race was swept by our speedy trio of Robyn Humphrey, Caroline Bauer, and Pat Wilkerson, who took 1st (19:27), 2nd (19:45), and 3rd (19:47) respectively. Way to go ladies!!!
Finally, Conrad Orloff was spotted in his first race since running a great race at Boston on Sunday. He won the Run for Coffee 5k in 16:47.
I also heard from Carlos late last week. He is in Sydney, Australia for vacation. His plane arrived Saturday night so when he woke up, it was Mother's Day. No surprise to me, he stumbled onto a race going on just a minute from his hotel. Here are some of his words about his experience:
"Got out the door this morning with no clue where I would be going. About a block from my house I noticed that there was a race going on for Mother's day. I had no clue what the distance was, but I ran alongside the group of people racing (on the sidewalks) and decided at that point that I would run a workout of sorts. I didn't go all out, but was running somewhere in the ballpark of 5:30 pace, avoiding spectators in the process. The route was very pretty. After I completed the 4k loop, I skipped the finish line and continued to run the second lap (it was a two-loop course). I didn't see anybody, which made me think I had run the wrong way, but I found out later that I had actually been running the 4k race and not the 8k, which would start a little later. I ran the second loop and then made the turn and crossed the finish line. My final time was about 29:15, but the effort was probably more like 28:00 to 28:30, because running on the sidewalks added about 0.15-0.2 miles and avoiding pedestrians was challenging. When I finished, I heard someone on an amplifier near the finish urging people running the 8k to rush to the start. At that point, I was feeling pretty good and figured I still wanted to run 5-7 more miles for the day, so I went back to the start, stretched for about 3 mins and started with the racers. The pace for this race was understandibly faster, but not that out of control. I found myself still running on the sidewalks, because I didn't want to disturb the runners that paid for the race (which it turns out was for Mother's Day). Like the previous race, I took very long routes to stay out of the way of the runners and had to contend with oblivious pedestrians, who were not expecting someone to be blazing at 5:20 pace along the sidewalk. After the first 4k loop (around the Botanical gardens), I think I was in the top 10 to 15, with the first female right on my heels. I picked it up a bit to keep picking people off, but it turned out that the crowds were much thicker in this race, so some spots I had to come to a complete stop to get past the crowds. At one point, I saw the leader crossing somewhere around 5k in about 15:59. I reached the same point about 1:50 later. The second loop was an absolute mess. The crowds were thick and to add to that, the slowest people were only 3k into the race when the leaders reached 7k. I had to almost stop on two more occasions and then I said "screw it" and jumped on the course to run last 2k. The first female had put on a surge and was about 15s ahead. I pushed to catch her and did somewhere around 1k to go. At that point, we were all weaving thick crowds of people. On the finishing stretch, I peeled off to the side and kicked it in on the grass. I could swear that the first female was still gunning for me, because I could hear her kicking about 10 feet to the left of me on the finishing road. I put on a final surge and crossed the (imaginary) finish line around 28:40. A quick compensation for extra distance run and stopping for pedestrains, put this effort around 26:50 or so. Felt really good overall. I was going to congratulate the first female runner, but it looks like she got swept away by reporters. I ran quick cool-down around a park and back to the hotel. Overall a great day for a tempo."
For those who are interested in running the Army Ten Miler (ATM) in October, open registration opens tomorrow (May 15th). Based on the website, the field is already half full from priority registration so sign up EARLY!!!
Saturday morning presented the Musical Madness 5k, put on by the Reservoir High School band and directed by fellow Strider Greg Schuler. On the men's side, Tunde Morakinyo was the first master to cross the finish line, taking 6th in 18:27. Bobby Gessler was 9th in 19:54. The ladies race was swept by our speedy trio of Robyn Humphrey, Caroline Bauer, and Pat Wilkerson, who took 1st (19:27), 2nd (19:45), and 3rd (19:47) respectively. Way to go ladies!!!
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| Top 3 overall: Robyn, Caroline, and Pat |
Finally, Conrad Orloff was spotted in his first race since running a great race at Boston on Sunday. He won the Run for Coffee 5k in 16:47.
I also heard from Carlos late last week. He is in Sydney, Australia for vacation. His plane arrived Saturday night so when he woke up, it was Mother's Day. No surprise to me, he stumbled onto a race going on just a minute from his hotel. Here are some of his words about his experience:
"Got out the door this morning with no clue where I would be going. About a block from my house I noticed that there was a race going on for Mother's day. I had no clue what the distance was, but I ran alongside the group of people racing (on the sidewalks) and decided at that point that I would run a workout of sorts. I didn't go all out, but was running somewhere in the ballpark of 5:30 pace, avoiding spectators in the process. The route was very pretty. After I completed the 4k loop, I skipped the finish line and continued to run the second lap (it was a two-loop course). I didn't see anybody, which made me think I had run the wrong way, but I found out later that I had actually been running the 4k race and not the 8k, which would start a little later. I ran the second loop and then made the turn and crossed the finish line. My final time was about 29:15, but the effort was probably more like 28:00 to 28:30, because running on the sidewalks added about 0.15-0.2 miles and avoiding pedestrians was challenging. When I finished, I heard someone on an amplifier near the finish urging people running the 8k to rush to the start. At that point, I was feeling pretty good and figured I still wanted to run 5-7 more miles for the day, so I went back to the start, stretched for about 3 mins and started with the racers. The pace for this race was understandibly faster, but not that out of control. I found myself still running on the sidewalks, because I didn't want to disturb the runners that paid for the race (which it turns out was for Mother's Day). Like the previous race, I took very long routes to stay out of the way of the runners and had to contend with oblivious pedestrians, who were not expecting someone to be blazing at 5:20 pace along the sidewalk. After the first 4k loop (around the Botanical gardens), I think I was in the top 10 to 15, with the first female right on my heels. I picked it up a bit to keep picking people off, but it turned out that the crowds were much thicker in this race, so some spots I had to come to a complete stop to get past the crowds. At one point, I saw the leader crossing somewhere around 5k in about 15:59. I reached the same point about 1:50 later. The second loop was an absolute mess. The crowds were thick and to add to that, the slowest people were only 3k into the race when the leaders reached 7k. I had to almost stop on two more occasions and then I said "screw it" and jumped on the course to run last 2k. The first female had put on a surge and was about 15s ahead. I pushed to catch her and did somewhere around 1k to go. At that point, we were all weaving thick crowds of people. On the finishing stretch, I peeled off to the side and kicked it in on the grass. I could swear that the first female was still gunning for me, because I could hear her kicking about 10 feet to the left of me on the finishing road. I put on a final surge and crossed the (imaginary) finish line around 28:40. A quick compensation for extra distance run and stopping for pedestrains, put this effort around 26:50 or so. Felt really good overall. I was going to congratulate the first female runner, but it looks like she got swept away by reporters. I ran quick cool-down around a park and back to the hotel. Overall a great day for a tempo."
For those who are interested in running the Army Ten Miler (ATM) in October, open registration opens tomorrow (May 15th). Based on the website, the field is already half full from priority registration so sign up EARLY!!!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Another busy weekend at the races...
Despite the heat, we had another busy weekend of racing, all on Sunday...
We'll start in Frederick where Caroline Bauer continued her 2012 rampage at the Frederick Half Marathon. She cruised across the finish line in 1:29:56, good for 5th overall and a spot on the Elite team! Awesome job Caroline!!!
We had a nice contingent at the Maryland Half Marathon in Maple Lawn. Keith Levasseur was the 2nd male to complete the hilly course in 1:20:09. Meanwhile, our female master's wrecking crew of Kelly Westlake and Robyn Humphrey found themselves running with the men, coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively, with times of 1:28:08 and 1:30:24. Also of note, another Strider, Unsong Ostrowski, finished 1st overall breaking 1:28!!!
Finally, yours truly, along with my boys, Kent Werner and Jason Tripp, road-tripped it to Pittsburgh so they could take on the Pittsburgh Marathon. While it was cloudy down in Maryland, it was HOT and humid in Pittsburgh, making for tough times. The course is quite hilly and there are no places to hide from the sun! I booked it 3 miles uptown from the start to just before Mile 12 where I was able to catch the fellas cross back from the North Side on the Birmingham Bridge. I hopped on the course with Jason and paced him through 25.2 miles. The heat forced several people to stop along our way, including a few Kenyans. Jason battled through sharp cramping in his right hamstring at Mile 24.5 but manned up and finished in 3:05:23. Kent echoed similar cramping issues. Rumor has it he walked about a mile and still ran a very respectable 2:50:04 for 39th. Great effort in far less than ideal day in the Steel City!!! Both are BQs!
Just a reminder that registration for Remembrance Run and Damien's has opened so if you're around, these are both good local races so try to make an appearance!
We had a nice contingent at the Maryland Half Marathon in Maple Lawn. Keith Levasseur was the 2nd male to complete the hilly course in 1:20:09. Meanwhile, our female master's wrecking crew of Kelly Westlake and Robyn Humphrey found themselves running with the men, coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively, with times of 1:28:08 and 1:30:24. Also of note, another Strider, Unsong Ostrowski, finished 1st overall breaking 1:28!!!
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| Post-MD Half Marathon (left to right): Keith, Jim, Robyn, Unsong, Lisa, Kelly |
Finally, yours truly, along with my boys, Kent Werner and Jason Tripp, road-tripped it to Pittsburgh so they could take on the Pittsburgh Marathon. While it was cloudy down in Maryland, it was HOT and humid in Pittsburgh, making for tough times. The course is quite hilly and there are no places to hide from the sun! I booked it 3 miles uptown from the start to just before Mile 12 where I was able to catch the fellas cross back from the North Side on the Birmingham Bridge. I hopped on the course with Jason and paced him through 25.2 miles. The heat forced several people to stop along our way, including a few Kenyans. Jason battled through sharp cramping in his right hamstring at Mile 24.5 but manned up and finished in 3:05:23. Kent echoed similar cramping issues. Rumor has it he walked about a mile and still ran a very respectable 2:50:04 for 39th. Great effort in far less than ideal day in the Steel City!!! Both are BQs!
Just a reminder that registration for Remembrance Run and Damien's has opened so if you're around, these are both good local races so try to make an appearance!
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