5:18 Mile: How A Short Heavy Dude Smoked the Mile

     On Sunday I ran the Milsa Mile here in San Antonio.  (results)  Surprisingly I ran a 5:18 for the mile and felt like I had a bit left in the tank. I didn't really expect that I would be able to run sub 5:30.  My best mile a few years back was a 5:50 in training, with a Garmin.  On Saturday I ran the Dash for Downs 5K back home in 20:47 which equates to 6:41 pace which is not indicative of a sub 5:30 mile at least as far as I know. According to Run Bayou online VDOT tables, it would indicate a 6:10 mile and a VDOT value of 47ish.  VDOT is a pseudo-ish VO2 value which has been standardized over many years and tests by Coach Jack Daniels.   The 5:18 mile indicates a VDOT value of 56 and a 5K of 18:05.  Could I have run sub 20 - 5K on Saturday, I think so, but not a sub-19.
     Anyway. One may suggest that I probably ran lots of 200M, 400M and 800M track work to get ready for this mile.  However, as one would see from my training log, that was not the case.  I have basically been running at or below 80% max HR. For the last 15 weeks.  Early in the cycle in Feb, I did some mile repeats and a few tempo runs, but nothing recently.
    I basically train at 80% of max HR or less based on Maffetone 180 Formula.  This number for me is (180-37) + 5 = 148.  Surprisingly, when I had my VO2 test done with Amanda McIntosh it showed my VO2 max is 53.6 and the top of my Zone 1 is 150 beats, real close to 148 and if you take the standard MAX HR formula of  220 - AGE = 183 * .8 you get to 146.4 .  All of these numbers coalesce to 150 or less.
     About 3 weeks ago I did a test to see at what pace I could run and be @ exaclty 150 BPM. After a 20 min warm up I ran  4 miles @ 8 min pace @ 150 BPM exact.   This was quite a bit better than December, about 45 sec per mile better. However, the tests were not exact replicas. 
     My understanding of training at 80% or less and quite a bit of time treadmill walking at 70% or less is that what is happening is you are creating eccentric growth of your left ventricle.

     As you can see the ventricle get's larger and more voluminous.  If you look at the VO2max formula (HRmax x SVmax) x a-vO2diff max  you'll see that SV, stroke volume, is able to be manipulated.  It's call cardiac remodeling. Whenever I'm walking on the incline treadmill and not really pushing the pace, just 3MPH at 20% I imagine that my heart is growing.
     I will admit that tire pulling (mostly walking) and incline treadmill walking allowed me to get stronger while not doing any weights or core work during this last 16 weeks. And did I do a lot of running? Yea I sure did. In 15 weeks I ran 1257 miles which averages to 83 miles a week but with a max/min of 18/137. You could say it was LSD I guess.  I did quite a bit of walking, maybe 35 % to 40% of the total miles could be attributed to walking as opposed to running.
     I like the article by Steve Magness where he talks about the evolution of running.  I especially like the part where he bashes CrossFit Endurance. Cause it's bullshit. What is interesting to note, for a short heavy dude who ran lots of miles, I didn't get hurt (thankfully), I didn't really do any core training such as weights or situps, etc...  I definitely didn't do a bunch Olympic lifts and didn't run any sprints.  At 37 y/o @ 5'5 and 185lbs to be able to run a 5:18 mile without speed work, with out lifting weights (granted I have a lot of muscle left over from back in the day), and just doing LSD is probably not what CrossFit endurance or anyone would tell you is possible. I mean, I guess.  Hell I didn't think it was possible, but it happened.  Could I have run faster if say I didn't drink 6 or 8 beers the day before, if I was 165 lbs, and I had done some 400's and 800's, yea I prob could have went sub five minutes pretty easily. 
     With everything said, do I have a formula?  Yea and this is free.  Pull tires, walk up hill, spend 15+ hours a week training at 80% or less up to 25+ hours week.  Tell your mamma you love her, and pet your dogs. Have a beer now and again, move 6 days a week. Smile and tell jokes out there running. And be sure to piss off a few folks on Facebook. :)   #movementmatters 
   
Yesterday I saw where I put 10K in two places where I meant to say 5K, this has been updated. 

Prelude to Infinitus 888K: Forced Marches in the Arena

Teddy Roosevelt once gave a speech and mentioned this: 

     It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 

      What does the Infinitus 888K mean to me?  A number of things I suppose.  A word given. A challenge accepted. Training embarked upon. A life, or a subset thereof.  

     In Jan of 2014 the RD asked me to participate in the Peak 500, but I declined because of Hardrock 100.  I told him in 2015 I would come to his race.  And his race is the Infinitus 888K.   I don't know anyone who can answer true the question, "Why do you run Ultras?"  There is no answer for this question.  Well I guess there could be, but I haven't heard one that would satisfy the George Sheenan "runner philosopher" method of inquiry and is that really valid. George's "why we run?"  Find a better me, existentialism  etc... 
     Going back to a line from Teddy's speech, "who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst,if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat"  
     Spend myself in a worthy cause, knowing great achievement, failing or succeeding.  Accepting a challenge where I am not guaranteed success.  A challenge that asks for 240 hours of your commitment.  240 hours.  That is 10 days of a persons life.  No small ask in today's age.  Will you calm yourself enough to get in the minimum 15 hours a day of work?  Will you honor your commitment and your word?  Is your experience enough to know what to do when it's time to do it?  
     Anyone can struggle for 5 hours or 12 or 24, 240 hours is like a whole lifetime.  Truly it is.  Am I apprehensive?  Certainly.  Can I do it, I don't know.  Is it really even worth it?  I don't know that either.  
     I'm going because I don't know.  My greatest achievements have always been embarked upon with a sense, "IDK WTF is going to happen, but I'm saddling up, and I'll ride."  When I left for the Army that early June day of 1996, I didn't know that event and the numerous ones thereafter would bring me here.  I never knew the philosophical inquiry I started by reading Plato and Aristotle at 15 y/o would get me to Epictetus.  And embracing Stoicism.  And really wondering, "Are you committed?" 
     Are you committed like Marcus Aurelius was when he said, "Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also."
     The race starts on May 21.  It ends on May 31.  Those days in between, those are the days I want to live fully again.  Pressing on each day, with a sense of mission.  No cubicle, no emails, just me and my mind and my body, smiling away, suffering, being joyous, taking in the sunrise and sunset.  Moving, moving, moving.... 

    


 

 

A Tale of Two 100K

     December 27th, 2014 I ran my best race ever at 9:45:58 for 100Ks.  Thirty-one 2 mile loops on asphalt at a park in Houston. The Houston Running Festival.  On January 10th, 2015 I quit at mile 25 of the Bandera 100K. 
     Why did I do this?   I signed up for Bandera back in July with the intention of trying to run the best 100K I could run, to really train and race it. The 100K @ Houston Running Festival I signed up for in October.  My best shot at running a sub 10:30:00 100K was at the Houston Running Festival which is the minimum qualifying time to be able to register for the Spartathlon. 
     After running my race in Houston, I was ecstatic.  I could not believe that I did it.  My greatest ultra performance ever at this distance.  I had some lingering problems over the past two weeks, but I took it easy and figured, all would be well for Bandera.  The race started fine, but the crappy conditions and unrealistic goal of throwing down 11 hours, chewed me up and spit me out.
     I had no business trying to run hard at Bandera, or even running at all.  I mean come on.  What kind of dumbass does one have to be to think they could pull off two amazing runs, two weeks apart?  Maybe a 5K or 10K, but not 100K.

Every time you go for a run, you get to learn something new about yourself.

What did I learn.  I learned a valuable lesson in these four areas; patience, acceptance, humility, and respect. 

Patience - Plan your races/training properly so that there exists enough time for recovery/adaptation to run your best.  You don't have to run everything. 

Acceptance - Never lose sight of the runner you are on the day of the race.  You may be running well, but when course conditions warrant and lack of recovery dictate, you should adjust your expectations. 

Humility - Don't get greedy and think you should PR every race.

Respect -  Take care of your body.  Don't ask it to do more that it should.  My legs/lungs/heart just gave me a 9:45:58 100K two weeks ago and then I ask it to do it again?  That is not respectful.

     I enjoyed chatting with friends in the cold and watching the race by the start/finish line.  I was able to talk through some of my other goals and plans for the year.  Of course I'm still bummed about quitting, but I'm seeing more clearly now. 

2015 Race Schedule

     After careful culling, and some bad luck with lotteries and entries I have a 2015 race schedule.  Ultimately I have quite a bunch of bills to pay off from 2014 so this is driving some of my decisions.  I hope to see lots of friends out there!

RACE                      DATE              GOAL
BANDERA 100K    10-Jan              12:00:00
SCHERTZ 5K          17-Jan              19:15
RODEO 4 MILE      14-Feb              24:40
NUECES 50K          28-Feb              4:10:00
LST 96 MILE           14-Mar             24:00:00
TIR 200 SOLO*       28-Mar             48 HOURS
VERMONT 888K    23-May            164 HOURS
VOL STATE                9-Jul              100 HOURS
NOLANS 14              AUG*              57 HOURS
BIG BACKYARD    17-Oct               72 HOURS*

     There may be some other races that jump in there.  I've had to reconsider Ronda Dels Cims, Born To Run 50K, and Spartathlon.  Also, I may pass on a Grand Canyon trip this year.  But there may be an event I will put on in December 2015  -  El Camino de la Vaca.  Additionally the SnowDrop 55 hour would be a cool event for nex December as well.  Stay Tuned.

An Elliptical Revolution - 100K in 2 Mile Loops

     Vincent and I were out at the Houston Running Festival on Saturday.  This event has a half-marathon, marathon, 50K, 50M, 100K, 100M, 12HR, or 24HR categories.  I was signed up for the 100K and Vincent the 50K.  The course is a 2 mile loop in Bear Creek Park on the westside of Houston.  
      My goal last year in 2013 was to run this 100K in 10hrs30min so that I could qualify for Spartathlon.  However I ended up getting the flu on Christmas day and was unable to make it.  No so this year.  I've been training very consistently since August of 2013.  I have been averaging about 136 heart rate at a 8:49 pace so I thought if all went well, my chances for a qualifying time were pretty good. Based on the new qualifying standards, I just barely qualified.  I may have to wait through a lottery process.  Which is fine for me.  No worries.   
     This course is a two mile looped course.  Logistics are easy if you can get over the fact that you are spending nine to ten hours running around in circles and with very tight margins of time. There would be little to no walking for me.  I put about two and a half scoops of a mixture of tailwind/carbopro/skratch in my hand held bottles.  I had eight, sixteen ounce Ultimate direction bottles all lined up for nutrition, and also about 4 gels at the ready.  My plan was one bottle per hour.
      Nothing ever goes according to plan.  The day started overcast at 70 degress with 100% humidity.  What a bunch of bullshit.  That went on for 4 hours.  My water usage rate went up quite a bit, but was still manageable.  After four hours the cold front blew in and cooled things off but, it rained quite a bit as well.  So it got pretty dammed cold.  My 50K split was about 4:30, which I figured for me to make a nine hour 100K would be almost impossible.
     At mile 38 my Garmin died and you can see from my results, my pace immediately started slowing down and from mile 48/50 on I was averaging about 10 minute miles.  Oh well.  Isn't that how it goes some times?  I ended up running a 9:45:58 according to these results.  I was first in the 100K which was nice, but I do not think the other competitors were there to tear up the course.  This event was really low key. 
     Why a revolution?   This is huge advancement for me in terms of total running, blocking out boredom, the elements, and managing my race nutrition.  I've never actually run that many miles in a race, ever.  All total I ran at least 61 miles of the 62.  My energy levels felt great most of the race.  I didn't let the weather get to me, and generally ran my ass off.  What a huge confidence booster for me.  I really hit a tough spot between miles 40 to 50, but was able to push through that mental barrier.  The last 12 miles were basically run at a 10min pace.  I'll take that. 
     I have some pain on the inside of my left knee and my right achilles is a bit tight.  I've been icing the knee and did some foam rolling last night and this morning.  I should be good to go by Friday.  I even have very little muscle soreness, as compared to previous events.  I really do feel like I hit this one out of the park, even though I was 46 minutes over the time I was trying to run.
     If you are reading this, thanks for indulging me and allowing me to gloat.  Let's go for a run!!!

Barkley Fall Classic Poem

I put together a small poem in villanelle form to commemorate my experience at the Barkley Fall Classic back in September.  

A thousand yard stare, eyes with tears glare.
No labor hath Hercules known, no deed can atone.
Walk with wanton abandon in hopeless despair.

Victims of treachery have become our fate.
Without remorse, Sisyphus rolls his stone.
A thousand yard stare, eyes with tears glare.

Running the course in our minds a debate.
The briars we bemoan, but condone.
Walk with wanton abandon in hopeless despair.

Passing Rat Jaw straights, in shoes blood collates.
Many trips over stones, nary a talent shone.
A thousand yard stare, eyes with tears glare.

Please, please where is the nearest interstate?
It would be best to just leave this all alone.
Walk with wanton abandon in hopeless despair.

Please allow me to recriminate, desecrate.
The final reckoning shan’t be postponed.
A thousand yard stare, eyes with tears glare.
Walk with wanton abandon in hopeless despair.

Measured Indifference: A Backyard Odyssey

     What is an odyssey?  Webster's Online says: a series of experiences that give knowledge or understanding to someone.   The Big Backyard Ultra was such an experience.  The Ultrasign up description says, "The concept is brutally simple. Race until every runner, save one, surrenders." And you can click on the link above for the rest of the details.
     Even though Doug told me about the event back at Hardrock, I didn't sign up or make any plans for this event until the Barkley Fall Classic.  Gina and I were having a smoke with Gary after packet pickup closed and he mentioned it.  Once I got back home I signed up on the wait list and Gina and I made our flight arrangements.  We were not sure I'd be able to run, but figured if not, we'd get drunk and party. 
     Lo and behold, I made it off the wait list.  Yippie!  I get to run 4.166 mile loops till I die.  Great.  We arrived in Nashville the Friday before the race, picked up supplies, and headed to Bell Buckle.  The race venue was laid back.  We checked in with Laz and tried to make friends with Big.  Charlie Engle was there which was cool because I had seen his movie, Running the Sahara, and hoped I'd get a chance to meet him one day!  We talked a bit and headed back into town for some pizza and beer.
     At dinner we meet up with Mike, Kelly,  and also Joe Fejes the American 6 day record holder.  Stories were told and a few beers consumed in the typical ultrarunning fashion.  Always wanting one more, but knowing we have work in the AM, we paid the tab and headed back to our tent at Gary's house.
     We got off to an easy start at 7AM.  No worries, 4.16 miles and an hour to do it in. Listening to advice from Mike, Marcy, and Kelly I made a mental note of waypoints on the course and at what minute of the hour I hit them.  As we completed the first loop at about 55 minutes, I mentioned to Marcy how it seemed a bit stressful that at 57 minutes Laz blew the whistle 3 times, at 58 - 2 times, and at 59 minutes 1 time and at the top of the hour he rang the bell.  Marcy casually replied, "It's only stressful if you make it."  Great advice Marcy.
     Gina crewed the shit out of me.  She had all the right things I needed at all the right times.  She alleviated the boredom between loops by swapping stories and jokes with Mike, Mike, and Gary.   She had her bikini top on with her cowboy boots!  Of course!
     We went round-n-round every hour, on the hour.  At hour 12 it was the last loop on trail before we moved to the road, but you hit night time during this loop.  A few drops were expected.  I'm not sure how many there were.  However we hit the next 12 road loops with about 20 or so runners, maybe just 16 but I don't know for sure.  While some folks, mostly Kelly, said I was real talkative, I actually felt like I didn't talk much at all.  Her and I did talk on loop 2 and maybe 3.
     In the middle of the night, probably loop 20 I really wanted to quit.  Gina urged me to go on, and I kinda knew I would not quit at that time, but got dammed, I wanted too.  I kept saying, okay dammit one more loop.  And plus there were 16 people left on the course. Geeze, I can't quit now!  
     This is where the poker game started.  Okay, how many folks can drop before me.  :)  Each loop I was like, "Got dammit, I hope one of these fuckers quit!!!!"  But they just didn't quit.  On loop 25 we moved back onto the trail.  A few drops were expected on this loop and the odds makers were not let down.  At loop 27 there were 6 runners left.
     After loop 29 I dropped. Runner 6.  By loop 32 there were only 3 men standing.  Loop 37, 2 men remained, and after loop 48 the last two men both stopped.  What a chivalrous end too an epic adventure.
     I stopped after loop 29 for one reason.  I took the pain personal.  I ran the short road section, before we hit the trail portion of the loop and the pain really grabbed me.  I had been having this conversation over the last two loops as the pain would torment me, "Okay John, think about something else right now."  This strategy was effective.  I'd been using it since loop 20.  I even thought to myself. "Imagine this is the last loop, of the last race, you'd ever run in your life, would the pain be so personal then? Would it matter how bad it hurt if you knew in 10 minutes you'd never run again?"
     I knew the answer to the question already, "No, the pain would not matter."  However this still did not stop the pain from overwhelming my mental capacity to push it away. It's as if you need to view yourself at point A and the pain at point B.  You are not the pain and the pain is not you.  You exist and the pain exists, but the pain isn't taking this out on you like a school yard bully.  To love the pain or to hate the pain  is to acknowledge the pain and let it control you a bit.  If you consider the pain with a "measured indifference" then it becomes manageable, controllable. 
     So thank you to Laz and the volunteers and especially to my crew chief Gina for providing the venue and support that helped me learn this valuable lesson.  When Epictetus wrote his Enchridion, he could have just entitled it, "Measured Indifference" .  The path to realizing the principles of the chief philosophy which I espouse, has just become more clear.