#73 A Compounding Interest: Nurture, Cultivate and Grow

I used to think I was born in the wrong era, that it might have been better if I was born in the time when people had to build their homes by hand, or manually plow fields or some other physical beat-down on a daily basis to sop up my energy…..Admittedly, I love the sense of giving everything I've got and then resting fully at the end of a hard day.  It's more like a "shutting down" than a slow relaxing ride into dreamland, but it's feeling of accomplishment. 

For a while, I almost believed that this "energy" was some sort of innate gift (or curse) that was bestowed on me….some type of genetic trait that was passed down…..certainly my maternal grandfather hustled most of his life (and continues today in his own right) and my mom's need to be doing something…..anything in some cases…..is apparent to most people that know her.  Every once in a while, when Lindsay would offer me the "you're just different" (the kinder-gentler version of the "face it, you're crazy") explanation when my frustration at the delays in life, would bubble over I'd actually buy into it a little……but then it started to change.

When I ran my first road race in Philadelphia in 2008 (marathon) and saw the literally thousands of people who committed to the same kind of energy-draining training I had done, and more so, the many racers who had strung years of base-building upon base-building to easily best my relative youth and "energy" that day, I knew it was far more nurture than nature.....they had cultivated energy and grew their success in a painstaking way over time.  

I think missing my goal that day, utter failure (in my own eyes), may well have been the best thing that could have happened to me, because, being a competitive sort, I wanted nothing more than to try again……and I did…….and I failed…..AGAIN 6 weeks later…..and it stung.

Is the most powerful force in the universe consistency? 

It was at that point that I realized that not unlike anything else in life, there was not going to be a quick and easy WAY to do this, and that simply applying my "natural" energy to running was not necessarily going to result in the personal achievement I was after……

• It was going to be more about what I could learn and apply consistently over time; what I would be willing to cultivate and how long I could train hard enough to keep improving but not so hard I'd injure myself; 
• it was going to be about focus and attention to detail coupled with enjoyment of "the pursuit" itself over the long term……
• about the effort itself and about appreciation of the small gains that only happen with steady forward progress.  
• Not unlike the guy who puts a little bit into his retirement plan EVERY week to find it worth millions at the end of his career, I would need to find a compounding strategy for my training.

Achievement in multisport, not unlike business or life, is not always about who can push harder (alone)…..but most often seems to be about the balance of working hard "enough" AND consistently "enough" all while minimizing the expense of fatigue (physical or mental or emotional) to get a compounding effect; and for me, this is much closer to a game of chess than a world's strongest man competition.  

Attempting to think two or three moves ahead and finding ways to be consistent with what's important and letting go what isn't has been great exercise for me……knowing when pushing hard will result in a benefit vs. when it will draw on my energy account and drain me too deeply for my next segment has been a hard thing to learn…….but such a great learning experience; finding a way to let the failures sting only long enough to keep me focused on finding a better plan has been powerful for me;  Getting excited about the little wins and building on them has too…..

This week I've been thinking a lot about how this applies to many of life's fronts which ultimately culminated in a late evening discussion w/Eric over a few glasses of wine the night before he headed north for his second running of the Boston Marathon……in a training season which seemed a little forced for him.  

The conversation was, as they often are, peppered with work-related as well as training-related as well as life-related components……and even though Eric is so focused that he sometimes struggles to take his foot off the accelerator, I was really happy to hear in his voice the sound of someone who was ready to let the day in Beantown unfold and enjoy a race that is soooo wildly popular and soooo difficult to get into by normal standards that it is historical each and every time it's run……and if it takes the reality of an unseasonably hot race day to force this "letting go", I so hope for him that he does…….I'm sure it'll have a compounding effect for him.

A solid week

From a training perspective, this week's was solid for me, with 11.5 hours in so far, and with any luck a short easy run this evening to bring me up to 12 hours which is just about where I wanted to be.

• +/- 70 miles in on the bike, 
• +/- 30 running (after all said/done) 
• +/- 12 using the Ellipti-GO (super cool, no impact, great for recovery, read about Eric's review of it HERE)
• 3x1 hour sessions in the water
• 2 strength & stretch sessions

Also got a chance to test myself on a 50+ mile bike course with a reasonable amount of wind and was excited to check on my data-points and find that even with more climbing than I'll see on Ironman US Championships course I was able to meet my "checkpoint" goal of >20 mph.  Solid progress.

Where from here?

This coming week needs to be a good training effort for me.  My main focus is to get at least 3 swims and 3 solid efforts on the bike (so far weather looks supportive)......even if this means I let the total run miles slip a little, it needs to be a big bike week and consistent swim week....the final step up before a recovery week and only 4 weeks out from the beginning of my racing season.  

Plenty of time to nurture....plenty of room to grow,

Mike E.

#71: slogans, mantras and baby steps....lots of baby steps

I'm a sucker for a good quote or slogan.....I don't really know why, but I really like reading them.....and when they resonate with me I often find myself thinking "yeah, you nailed it"....as if the person who thought of or said it was looking for my validation.  


Some of my favorites have become personal mantras of sorts, often representing the thoughts that push me through when I've hit a roadblock or dead-end.  This week I ran across a few of my old stand-bys and even though it was a down week for training volume (intentional and welcomed w/open arms) and I only needed them briefly here or there, I still appreciate seeing them to stay focused on the end goal:


"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE" (or Adidas' spin: "Impossible is Nothing")
This is part of the IronMan branding machine.....and I love it.  As far as I'm concerned it's something everyone should run their life by; the idea that if you're willing to do the work.....truly you can achieve ANYTHING you set out to.  Just enough optimism for my liking and they tie the slogan to all sorts of amazing video clips that get me all juiced up to work hard.




"WHETHER YOU THINK YOU CAN OR YOUR THINK YOU CAN'T.....YOU'RE RIGHT" (I like Apple's "Think Differently" here too)
- Henry Ford
This is an all time favorite in our house.....it's been read and re-read out loud by both me and Lindsay...to the kids and to ourselves.  No need for explanation....the ultimate "for good or for bad, it starts in your head".  Love it.


"THERE ARE NO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE, ONLY ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS"
Not really sure who this is attributed to....there are a few quotes out there that speak to this same theme and Jim Collins' book Good to Great speaks to it, but it's become part of our fabric at Pro-Activity and at BaseCamp31 and a personal mantra and part of the vision for my life.  I have a simple mission in life - to be a doer of amazing things - and yet I know that I am starting with a set of very ordinary skills and tools to do it.  So quotes like this fuel me and keep me pushing forward.  I saw a great blog post this week (text at bottom) that was a very practical view that to me continued to support the notion that extra effort is the pathway to the Red-iculous for me.  
_________________________


So this week, which has been a week with a (much needed) recovery emphasis and some checkpoints (testing) has done just that.....it has allowed me to take a step back from the physical aspects of training and work on the mental focus.  Exactly as it is supposed to.  It's helped me to recharge my mental batteries and again prove to myself that the extra effort is paying (not paid as in past tense by any stretch) off.  That I'm getting "there"......but I have a long way to go.


When I last reviewed my goals (HERE) 3 weeks ago, I said that within the next 30 days I felt I needed to:

• improve my next 1000m TT in the pool by 10%
• run x 15 miles below lactate threshold at a 7:35 pace
• continue to improve my bike splits to the point where I can cruise at 20mph x 50 miles

This week I tested all three disciplines and feel decent.....but never satisfied.

• Improved the swim TT by 2.5%: not the 10% I was hoping for, but real nonetheless. I'm continuing to realize how much concentration and how painfully slow improvements in the pool are going to be for me.  Perhaps 10% was aggressive.....not sure, but I'm still after it.  My over-the-top goal would be a 25% improvement from St. George last year.  My pace is currently around 20% faster....but of course there's no direct comparison to pool and race.  Verdict?  Keep working hard at least 3x/wk in the water, 4 where able.

• 15 mi TT on the run @ 7:14 pace and HR 163 (threshold +/- 165-170) on a course that had nearly (within 100ft) as much elevation as the marathon course in Aug: Success and perhaps I underestimated my fitness.  I think I could have done better too.  I didn't bring any fuel and only had some water at the 8mi mark.  Thought I could gut it out and ultimately it worked, but there was a DEFINITE decline in pace and equally notable increase in effort after mile 10 and then fatigue by 14.  Generally this was fine.....and it helps me to believe that I'm on track here.

• On the bike I wasn't able to get out and test a 50 mile course and I'm not really sure I'm ready for that yet anyway, so I decided to repeat the "hour of power" test that I did on Feb-14 (quite the Valentine's "gift" to myself).  This is arguably the worst test as far as I'm concerned b/c it is an all out effort for an hour that not only tests your aerobic power and muscle endurance but your will too.  I'm happy with the progress here +15.3% (average power) from the last test....but I always feel looking back "I could've pushed a little harder"...."mental will is as important as physical skill" (ME).

STATS for the week:

• +/- 6 hours of training when all done (one session left today)
• +/- 30 miles of running
• +/- 3300m in the pool
• 1 miserable bike session on the computrainer
• +/- 5000 extra calories burned

And so.....the down week is just about over and it's time to start ramping up the volume to somewhere b/t 12 and 15 hours this week; to get a couple of good long rides in and continue to move the run mileage back in line; to put the final touches on "the heel that's almost there" and to keep adding skill in the pool......

But before I do any of that....it's time to head out for the final run of the week.....as a little tribute to Caballo Blanco (Micah True) of "Born to Run" fame who's larger than life character in the book inspired many to get out there. Never met the guy.....but sometimes when you know their slogan.....you don't have to.  

I'm setting out to find a trail and do my best to RUN FREE!!

What's your slogan?

Mike E.

____________________________

HOW EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENS.

BY DAN WALDSCHMIDT

Doing something that is amazing isn’t an accident. Living an extraordinary life doesn’t come naturally. What comes naturally is for you to just be ordinary.

Which is how most of us stay.  That’s what is normal.

So we invented a new word to describe something that transcends mediocrity.  A word that communicates more than average. More amazing than everything else ahead of it. We simply call those “extra-ordinary.”  Not ordinary. Something extra. But even that begs explanation.  How does it happen? How can you manufacture something more than ordinary?

Extraordinary starts with you.

It starts with an ordinary person at an ordinary job doing ordinary things on an ordinary day. No special advantages.  No remarkable skills that can’t be duplicated.  No larger bank account. Just all-around “ordinary”. Then that ordinary person decides to do something extra. Something a lot-a-bit extra. And not just one time.

They do it day after day after day after day.

And then one day, all of us watching them notice that “ordinary” is no longer the accurate description for who that person has become. For what they have done. And all we can do is simply shake our heads and remark that what we have just seen is extraordinary. Because it was. And because they were. And that’s how extraordinary happens. By not being satisfied by what is ordinary.  By doing something extra.

#55 There's no time to slow down, it's Peak Phase

You gotta know when to hold 'em.....


To me, knowing the time to be patient and the time to push (and having the discipline to follow-through) are some of the key elements required for top-notch endurance racing.  It's so difficult to predict how much you'll have left "in the tank" and therefore how best to position yourself to peak at the right moment......


The bad news is, this is an antsy time for me......one which allows my relative inexperience as a racer shows through...I find this to be the confounding time when I start to question everything and try to put the final touches on many weeks of training in order to set myself up for that great racing experience so many go after and so few really obtain.  Lacking the experience to sit back and stay calm and not question every detail is a huge advantage, one I'm unfortunately not working with yet.....and so I press on.


The current status of things is good but not great.....I had a super busy work-week which really limited my training time and I only managed to get 3 workouts in.  After my 2-a-day session last Sunday, I decided (based on my trashed legs) to not recover on the roads, but rather to hit the pool......short swim did me wonders, I felt pretty good by Tuesday.  Tuesday evening, I did a 1200m repeat "ladder" workout (1 fast, 2 faster, 3 fastest, 4 faster, 5 fast) with a mile warm-up and mile cool down......and then nothing.....Wed and Thursday were super crazy days and with an only slightly less crazy day on Friday and my last "long" planned for Saturday AM, I just decided to go to bed early and be ready for "22" in the morning.


The 22 miler went fairly well......for the first 18.  I was just about where I wanted to on pacing and things were feeling pretty good.....and like clockwork, I started to get real tired.  I decided to allow myself to let my pace drop a bit (something I always regret a little b/c I wind up thinking I could-a, should-a) and finished up with some very very tired legs.....hmmm, enter the "questioning":  

• Did I push too hard in the early miles?  Possibly.  
• Should I have taken some different nutrition? Possibly.  
• Should I have taken in more fluid?  Likely.  
• Different clothes to adjust for a cold AM and then more warmth by the end?  Perhaps.  
• Was my pain appropriate for the distance and pace?  I guess.  
• Should I start slower and push harder later on?  Almost always.

Well, there's no changing it now....it is what it is....and now it's time to work toward a peak. So I've decided to really try to focus on this phase to make sure my legs are fresh and pain is controlled (the hip and R lower extremity were pretty tolerable, but not great on the 22) and my fitness level is at it's top.


3 Pronged Plan: Intensity, Nutrition, Recovery

In general this means crank up the intensity and down the volume, to give my legs some time to repair and "refresh" themselves, but at the same time work on that top gear a little......that's the theory anyway.  Most people look at this phase as a "taper", which sounds so much better b/c it implies a slow reduction.....however, I find that mentally, I do much better at staying focused in this part of the plan if I think of it as "peaking", which is a concept often used by triathlon coaches.  


This week I'll be trying to get in at least 4 and possibly 5 workouts, a couple of short-ones (30 minutes or less), a couple of pace sessions (speed work or the like but not more than 1 hour) and one tempo run (not more than 8 miles).

In case you're wondering, I'm NOT on his diet plan

On the nutrition front, I've been increasing my percentage of calories from protein, to help with the repair from the increased pounding.   I probably need to make sure my micro-nutrients are in check (vitamins & minerals) too. 

As the volume decreases, even with the increased intensity, I'll likely lower my caloric intake a bit to get toward race weight which translates to about a 3-5 lb weight loss over the next three weeks (doable).










In addition to speed work and nutrition, the final leg of my 3 pronged peaking plan will be REST.  I need to get some badly.  I can feel my semi-annual cold coming on (which says the seasons are officially changing and the air is drying out some) and, let's be honest, I'll be really pissed if I worked this hard to only be rundown walking to the starting line.


And on that note......there's a foam roller calling my name.


To the summit,


Mike E.


P.S.  Shout out to my PACER teammates who completed the Philly 1/2 and Full Marathon.  Chris, Gina, Linda and Wandy.....great job!  Glad the race went well.  Thoughts and prayers to the racers and families who suffered losses today.  Heard the unfortunate news that 2 men suffered fatal heart attacks at/near the finish line and as many as 10 others were taken to the hospital.

#54: Life on the run can't always be glamorous

What wild week it's been:  


It started on Monday with a visit by Marshall Ulrich, endurance machine, to BaseCamp31 to talk about some of his adventures, run with a few of us and sign some copies of his book "Running on Empty" for those in attendance.  For most folks running from coast to coast or achieving the "7 summits" (mountaineering) or competing in ALL of the eco-challenges just sounds crazy.....but to me it was inspiring.  The guy is not only a very accomplished athlete, he is a cool person, often raising money for good causes while fighting battles against personal demons on the adventure-trail.  It was a great connection for all of us.  I was able to sneak a 7 miler in before that event and then the 3-ish I ran with the team who went out with Marsh, I was happy to get in 10 on Monday......20+% done with my mileage goal for the week.....cool.


Tuesday was a bust from a training perspective.....too much going on work-wise to fit in any training......


Wednesday was....well.....an awakening, of the worst kind.  I was able to plan my day in such a way to line up my first "race-simulation", a 22-mile flat and (fingers crossed) fast, course.  There's a lot to tell....so here's the short short version:  It started with a little hitch in my step, the cranky R hip was there.....but (like an idiot) I was determined to ignore it and get my run in.  As I got to the 1/2 point, I was tired, but not more than I expected, and my pace was a little better than I expected.  Usually by now, the hip has loosened and "let go"....not this time.  Oh well.....if it hung on like this, I'd be stiff, but fine.....so on I pressed.  By mile 12, it was starting to hurt.....but hey, there's bound to be some pain involved right?  B/t mile 12 and 13 that pain went from there to stabbing and pretty much shutting me down.  It was intense and my entire R leg was feeling it somewhat.  I debated with myself and with 30 days out from race still, decided there was very little value in a "push-through" attempt and so I did the 3 mile walk of shame back to my car.  In general, I feel like this shouldn't happen to me.  I know enough to recognize body-issues arising (after all I do this for a living) and deal with them appropriately.  


So after limping back to the car, it was time to put my wife to work.  Must be that Northern European descent, b/c with a little coaching "Olga the masseur" was really able to find those tender points and "massage" (I use this term loosely b/c there are very few massage techniques that are designed to have lightning shoot from your eyes).....but who's complaining.....it worked like a charm...and it provide some entertainment for the evening (for Lindsay).  


After a little stretch & strength based-rehab session on Thursday, I was ready to roll.  The pain btw was because I failed to take my own advice a few months back and maintain my flexibility......and I've not shut down long enough to heal......Dumb-ass.


Friday I gave the hip a test and did a +/- 6mile tempo run.  It was solid and I was glad to be back in the game.


Saturday I decided to head North to meet a few gents from a client site who had invited me to tag-along on their annual "Ride through the Catskills".  The title (they told me) was a misnomer b/c it was really a ride through the "foothills" of the Catskills.  Hmm.....a 40+ mile ride with a lot of climbing on a very cold part of the season......sounds dreadful....I'm in.  So with Lindsay handling kid coverage for the better part of the day, I went and rode the "foothills"......as it turned out, there were a few steep sections and on SERIOUS climb of about 1300 feet over 4.5 miles (in cycling they categorize their climbs with 4 being the easiest and 1 being the hardest, based on the definitions, this would have been either a LONG category 3 or a category 2)....it was the real deal and I had to work hard.  Since every major climb has a name and this one was without, I decided to name it "Gary's Scary Lung-buster".  My fitness was generally up to it (all the running was a bonus for sure), but not having done it before and therefore not quite knowing when it would end made it a challenge.....that and the 10-15 mph headwind.  A nice touch.....all-in-all it was a really fun ride with a good variety of athletes/ages/abilities, which to me always makes it fun.  There was a 15 year old who worked hard to claim the "finishers" title (I suspect he took a nap when he got home), the 50+ year old who calls the course "home" and organized and the 30-40 something stud who gave the rest of us a chance and road a fixed/single-speed (i.e. no gears, despite crazy hills) mountain bike.....and still out climbed the group.....impressive.  But the best part was it was a relaxed and humble group.....refreshing as there are so many snooty cyclists out there.....If I don't have any major conflicts next year, I'll be there again.


Which brings me to today:  In order to make my run-mile goal of minimum 45, (I was at 26, I would need 19 miles today).  Not that I get too caught up in having by-the-book training, especially getting the solid cross-training fitness-session on the bike, but I did want to get some add'l miles in to keep nudging the hip since I had to bag on Wed so badly.  The only trick was it was another kid-chasing weekend with my wife heading to a baby shower and me having to juggle a Chuck-E-Cheese birthday party (whoa buddy!) and a soccer game for kid #1.  I decided the only way to pull it off was to do a double session.  7 in the AM and up to 13 in the PM.  The 7 started a little stiff, but I loosened up and felt good.....no ill after-effects, a good sign.  Then after a crazy-exciting soccer game (I had NO IDEA U-10 soccer could be so exciting) that ended in a 1-1 draw, I geared back up (including goofy reflector vest, goofier headlamp and some goofiest? bright white compression socks) and hit the road.  I started (as planned) quite easy over the first 3 miles and slowly picked it up over the next 4.  The next 2 were quite hilly and then just kept my pace steady for 3 more and wrapped up at 12, pretty tired.


All-said, it was a solid training week and besides the little nagging thought in the back of my mind ("what if the hip doesn't hold up on race day?"), I'm feeling pretty good about things.  I got 45-ish running miles in and 45-ish cycling miles and as I sit here, the hip is sore but not terrible.  I'll stretch it before bed and tomorrow AM will tell me a lot. And so, I enter the last couple training weeks before taper/peak-weeks and then.....race.


But enough of this nonsense.....bring on the nonsense


OK....remember, you asked for it.  I think I would be remiss if I did not share two incredibly motivational quotes that found their way to me; one on the backside of my Magic Hat #9 bottlecap (and one from Linds' cap):


The first is something I think we can all agree on:  Sharp Cats Wear Cool Hats - There's so much truth there....they do.


The second I thought was pretty funny.....albeit a bit crude:  
Condoms prevent Mini-vans. OK, crude......but funny.


I think you've had enough for now.  Hoping for a pain free week around the bend,


Mike E.

#52b: the life of a pinball, part II

And now, page 2:


When I wrapped up the first half of #52, I was standing in the lobby at an internet kiosk in downtown DC as my weary post-marathon passengers patiently looked on.  Being the weekend's chauffeur they extended me a few minutes of extra patience as I finished typing......but I could tell they were ready to hit the road.


So where were we?


Friday after cutting out of BaseCamp31 a little early we packed the truckster and piled 4 adults and 2 kids in for the 4-5 hour trip to DC.  


It likely should have been 3 kids, but we left #1 home with the "grands" to support her team's bid at taking over sole possession of first place on the soccer front.  This was a really hard decision for her:  go watch Mom's big race vs. help my team.  I was glad to see her struggle with it a little.  Not because I like to see the 10-year-old wrestle with a very mature decision, but because she genuinely cared about both and could only pick one......maybe a bit mature for 10, but she's no average 10 year old (OK, that might be a bit of proud-Dad sentiment sneaking in).  


Anyway, we hit the road and the trip was, thankfully, mostly uneventful except for the weather reports that said a major storm system was heading toward home, with significant wet-heavy-snow and plummeting temps.


By Saturday AM (with soccer game 1 of 2 cancelled), I started to feel guilty about her being up there and started to trade emails to find out what the likelihood of game 2 (the more important of the 2) happening......and if not, I was seriously contemplating the 9 hours of a trip through sleet & snow to/from NJ to/from DC so she could be there for the race.  This would have been tough....but that's what pinball-dad's do right?

easy enough right?

We headed out to the race expo, and not knowing the DC roadway setup, we took an unofficial tour of Downtown.  Amazing how much more you appreciate it when you're an adult.  I think schools should nix field trips for kids......get them a bouncy house or those therapeutic foam things to beat each other with......let teachers and some UN-motivated parents stay home and "chaperon" the kids while the other parents board a bus and go to places like DC. More learning would take place.


The bridge toward Arlington Cemetery gave me goosebumps with the gold statues; we debated the Washington monument's purpose & design; we looked for Lincoln in his big chair and discussed why the Capitol building was "the hill".  Pretty educational actually.  No doubt, a royal city by world standards, and despite my general lack of respect for the poor job that seems to get done down there lately, I was inspired. 

Or something.

By the time we got to the expo, the weather was crappy.....cold rain that chills you to the bone.....and I watched Lindsay starting to doubt herself and whether she "really" wanted to do this.  We got through it and made our way through the rain (and now snow) a mile down the road for pre-race dinner.  The dynamic made me think of the history of marathons.....was the purpose of the pre-race dinner only to fuel the physical? Seemed to me more like a modernized version of "sending off the warriors".  Sort of festive, sort of nervous....after all, there was going to be pain in the morning.  We parted ways with the George Cole and family who joined us and wished them luck.


The evening went, and the AM came.  The racers were off early and after the breakfast buffet we layered up (it was COLD) and got our troop out to mile 5/8.5-ish to spot the racers.  


I'd give us a C- for the loud-mouthing effort.  For whatever reason, we had a very tough time spotting our racers. Eric had already gone by the 5mi mark when we got there, but we'd catch him at 8-ish; We saw Stephanie next who was in good spirits.  A short bit after Lindsay saw us....she yelled "Mike" and I looked across the road as she passed, the kids waved ferociously; then we waited.  Eric came around mile 8 and I even managed to snap a few pictures.......and we waited......and waited.....no sign of them......and we waited......people threw their gloves at our feet as they started to get warm......and we waited.  What the?  


Then another "Mike"......it was George Cole......I yelled some encouragement and got a few pictures (from the back)......and we waited.  Hmm, they should've been past by now......but to be sure we waited just a bit longer and then a final "Mike"....this time it was Cassy Bush, who was running for team-in-training and was in good spirits.  Again, I yelled some encouragement and we got back to the car (and eventually the hotel).  It was time to sprint-pack up our room and move our stuff down the hall (Eric finagled a later check out time) and then back to the finish line......more navigating DC, this time with multiple road closures......but we got to Arlington, somehow found a parking spot and made our way to the finish.  


We wandered through the sea of finishers and families, me constantly reminding Lissie and Andrew to hold my hand or coat (fighting my own ever-present-worry of having them wander off) until we got to the letter "P" (as in Pro-Activity) meeting area and found a shivering Eric and Julie (coach/pace-runner for the day) who were sharing a finishers foil......if that doesn't speak to the bond of a couple of running friends......sweaty, stinky and huddling among thousands of the other sweaty/stinky and now getting stiff, trying to stay warm.  I took off layer #1 and handed it to Julie, who with a little reverse-chivalry handed it to Eric (it was the warmer of the 2 fleeces I was wearing).  I then took off layer #2 and handed it to Julie who zipped up and headed for the Metro.  Eric fought his emotions as he told me about the race....I'm sure he'll recap for the rest of you HERE so I'll just say this.....the guy has an inner strength that is enviable.....and although he may not have met his ultimate goal on this particular day (still smashed his last personal best).....I'm sure if he decides it's worth it, he will.


We connected with Amy & family, I handed them over the now warming Eric and we (Me, Lissie, Andrew) made our way upstream through the crowd to find Lindsay who would be finishing soon.

yup, that's the pee-pee dance

We got to a reasonable spot and polled a few runners to see where they finished.....yikes....a full 30 minutes from finish to the end of the chute......worked out OK though, b/c that was just about the time Andrew informed me that he needed to use the bathroom.  CRAP!  Well, not actually, but we were pretty exposed so finding a tree was not an option.  We asked a Marine and he must have felt my pain, he gave me access through the roped off area to the back of the medic tent to use the porta-potties there for the now "dancing" 4-year old.  10 minutes later we made it back to our perch looking at the runners coming through the chute......had we missed her?  Would we again?  I was starting to doubt.  Then I saw her.  "Linds"....she turned and saw us.  She just about got the words "I'm so tired" out of her mouth when she choked up a little and I gave her a big hug and told her how proud of her I was.  A HUGE accomplishment....absolutely SMASHING her last effort, more than a decade ago....again, I'm certain there'll be a good recap HERE.  Of course this was followed closely by the post-marathoners mantra "I'm NEVER doing that again".....but I've heard (and said) those words before.


We reconnected with Eric/Amy, sent our regrets to Chris that we wouldn't be able to meet Cassy at the finish b/c we were already late for our extended hotel checkout and made our way back to the hotel.


The racers showered, the kids stayed (relatively) patient and I blogged.....we left the hotel and made our way to Georgetown, pretty fun looking place, where we found some crappy-food with too much salt and then washed it down with patriotism (Sam Adams is an American Hero right?).....we hit the road North and shortly thereafter the passengers.....all of them.....crashed and were asleep.


It was quiet and traffic flowed steadily....and although I was pretty tired by this point, it felt pretty darn good to decompress.  We eventually pulled back into BaseCamp31, saw a few of the big tree limbs downed by the storm and realized that even though this wave has crested, an equally crazy one is without-doubt starting to swell right behind it.....


Speaking of swelling, the knee is still not 100% (but it's getting close) and I now have some snow on the ground to contend with (PLEASE PLEASE melt and get warm again) as I move into my last 4 weeks of training before Rehoboth Beach Marathon......but this is the "down-1" week.....and so while one part of life goes into recover mode, I can keep pinging on the other areas.


This deaf-dumb and blind-kid, sure is a good pinball,


Mike E.

My inspiration, for your listening pleasure

#51: I've committed (no, not "been committed")

Last week I totally blew it.  I realized on Monday that the "thing I was forgetting to do" (don't you hate that feeling?) turned out to be my weekly blog.  Oops. So I'm going to condense 2 weeks into one here.  Soo much going on....so much to cover.....


3 down, 1 scheduled, 46 to go.....OK, this could take a while.

Will these guys be at the finish line?  I sure hope so.

I finally did it, I registered for my next race, the Rehoboth Beach Marathon in Delaware on 12-10-11.  I've been talking about doing it and been notching up the training a little to see how my body would respond and overall, I'm feeling pretty good.  So I decided enough talking about it....I've been loosely targeting a 50-in-50 (1 marathon in each state) and although not an aggressive target by any stretch, this gives me state number 4 (PA, FL, UT, DE).  Next year with Ironman US Championships (NYC) I'll pick up state 5 and be 10% of the way there.....clearly this is a slow-steady goal.


Training


The last couple of weeks have been about getting my running base up and stretching out my total weekly volume.  I'm using a up-3, down-1 plan, which is a bit more traditional to long-course triathlon (i.e. step up in volume or intensity each week for 3 weeks and then use week 4 as a recovery week) than marathon, but I find that I respond well to this type of training plan b/c I'm able to push a little harder in my build weeks....but the pushing has its price and I welcome the recovery week.  Two weeks ago I started to build and got 36 training miles in (including a 16 miler and a recovery swim); This past week I kept the overall miles about the same (37), but brought my long run up to +/- 19 and inched up the intensity with a hard 10 miler and 8 earlier today as part of a brick (i.e. immediately following an 19-ish mile bike ride).  The good news is, I felt really strong on most of the 19 miles; got tired and lost some pace near the end, but overall I felt solid.  I was pretty dead-legged on the 10 miler two days later, which is somewhat to be expected, but my pace didn't suffer too badly, a good sign; and my brick went surprisingly well......maintained a solid pace throughout the run and although I was working, I never felt like I was laboring.....this is great.


Fuel

I've continued to search for the right combination that's going to keep me strong and pushing without EVER running into the stomach debacle that occurred in St. George.  It is so important to have this right, it's literally the fourth discipline (Swim-Bike-Run-Fuel) b/c you can be great at all 3 and be completely derailed if the fueling is off.  So, not unlike the philosophy that got us to opening the Fuel Good Cafe' as part of BaseCamp31, I am actively searching and learning.  A few weeks back Eric turned me on to a product that he himself was turned onto by Julie who was turned onto it by another super-runner from the area (not sure he wants to be mentioned, so I'll leave him anonymous, but for now just know the guy is thoroughbred.....has placed top 10 American in the marathon)......it's a bit too early to mention the product quite yet, but I've now tested it x2 and I'm impressed.  The concept is slow release energy (as opposed to the fast-acting sugar based products) which means it can last longer before refueling and is liquid based which should help with stomach clearing.  So far I'm a fan.  I ran for 2 hours and 30 minutes last week without taking ANY supplemental calories or sugar.  If I tried this with my traditional fueling methods I'd be at minimum "bonking" and more likely a dazed and confused hypoglycemic mess......more to come as my n of 1 study results continue to come in.


Mindset
Been feeling pretty good lately.....my R-hip is still barking here and there, which is a bummer, but overall I'm not yet at the part in the training where I start questioning the value of this whole thing.  That's a good thing.  Workouts have been strong and the body is recovering well.  Would like to add more swimming and cycling when I can, but right now running is king.  Adding to my mental-fuel lately is without doubt the time of year and all the "amazing" that comes with it.  Whether it be Lindsay getting ready to do her first marathon in 10+ years, Eric making a serious claim for a sub-3 hour marathon, Nick completing his first "ultra" despite a few hiccups along the way, Michelle & Wandy doing the Koman 3-day 60 miler, the NJ-NYTC athletes training hard chasing their dreams, the great feedback we received on OhFar-2011 our corporate wellness screening team performing at a very high level, our clients & friends who are achieving or just the positive vibe that BaseCamp31 is starting to generate, it continues to be a wild, yet wildly-inspiring ride for me.  I know that I am lucky to be surrounded by so many passionate people and even when life is tough.....and it often is......there is so much energy to draw from.....mindset is frazzled now and again, but on the whole, good.


More inspiration on the menu

In addition to training ramping back up and committing to Rehoboth Beach, I'm really pumped about the event coming to BaseCamp31 on 11/7.  Marshall Ulrich, the ultra-endurance phenom is coming to run with a few of us, tell his story, sign (and hopefully sell a few)  books and put his mark on BaseCamp31.  In an effort to prepare I've started reading his book "Running on Empty".  I'm only 50 or so pages in so far, but this is a pretty amazing guy, literally fulfilling my personal mission: be a doer of extraordinary things and I can't wait to meet him and hear his story.


So until then......I leave you with a quote I was told by a guy who started as a client, but has become a friend......he is a passionate guy and someone who I think will do great things.....one day this quote just arrived as a text....he must have known I'd love it.  When I asked him about it, he simply said:  "This quote should be on the wall at BaseCamp".....and although he's never been in the place.....he was absolutely right.  Thanks Brian.


"Today I will do what others won't.......so that tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't" - Jerry Rice


Mike E.