Torey, Leslie, Bill, Tony, and Sarah

As I continue my build up for Javelina Jundred, my time become increasingly consumed by running.  Not all bad, in fact, mostly good but definitely a commitment.  This weekend I spent nearly 7 hours on Saturday and almost 4 hours on Sunday running.  My run on Saturday was 40 miles alone and along the lakefront, it went pretty well physically but was a real mental workout.  There was nothing to break up the run.  No meeting Paige for the last 10 miles.  No 16 miles with Jim.  Nothing to break it up.  I tried something different for my hydration/nutrition, I used a concentrated Perpetuem mix in one handheld bottle and a concentrated Gatorade in another bottle with a hydration pack for my water.  With each mouthful of Perpetuem/Gatorade, I would take a mouthful of water; it worked out well and allowed me to stop less often to fill water bottles.  I finished, took a quick shower, iced for 15 minutes and then Paige and I hit the road for the second annual Avey BBQ.  As much as I thought I wanted to just lay on the couch and relax, we really enjoyed the evening and were glad we went.

Sarah, Paige and Torey

Sunday morning, we met up with some fellow CHUGs at Palos Hills for a trail run.  We were doing 8 mile loops starting from 40 Acres Woods.  I’m partial to this spot because I met Paige for the first time on a group run here.  The first lap passed quickly with lots of chatter among the group.  Tony and Paige were pushing the pace up front while the rest of us tagged along.  Bill and Leslie are submitting beers in a homebrew competition on Thursday so we talked about the beers they were working on and Sarah had just run an awesome race at Rockcut 50K which needed to be discussed.  After the first loop, we tanked up and headed out again.  Part of the group pulled off relatively early in the second loop wanting to do 10 miles, so then there were 4 of us left.  Tony and Paige continued to lead the charge with Sarah and I following.  Sarah is awesome and it was easy to find things to talk about.  After finishing the second lap, Sarah decided to call it a day.  Tony, Paige and I set out on lap three.  We started out chatty enough but eventually, we all were just working through the lap and eager to get some lunch.  This was Paige’s longest run since VT100 and Tony and I had both done long runs on Saturday so by the end, we were all feeling pretty happy to be done.   It was Bill’s first 10 mile run - congrats my friend, that’s double digits!  Torey, Leslie and Sarah, it is always good to see you!  Tony, nice job on a big mileage weekend!  Paige, it was fun to do a long run with you and you looked strong out there!

After some Chipotle, we were feeling much better.  It was a great weekend with good weather and a lot of miles.  I love the sensation of running through tired legs and being able to come out the other side.  This week will be a step back week which I hope to take advantage of by sleeping a little more.

She Loves Her Sushi

Thursday was Paige’s birthday and all she wanted to do was go out for sushi.  She got a little more than she asked for but we certainly had sushi for dinner.  We started the day with coffee and a birthday run.  Then we walked to work together.  I left work early to pick up some cupcakes and was waiting for her when she got off work.  After she opened her presents, we headed off to a delicious dinner and then watched one of her favorite show’s season opener, Grey’s Anatomy.   Everyone deserves to be treated special on their birthday and hopefully that was accomplished.  Happy birthday Paige!

Kettle Moraine Camping

This past weekend was the second CHUG camping outing and like the first, it rocked.  We had much more mild weather this time with temps in the low 70’s during the afternoon and low 50’s during the evening - it was perfect for running and for hanging out by the campfire.  We had two sites reserved at the Pinewoods Campground in the Kettle Moraine State Park.  Paige and I got there just ahead of Brian and Kelly with Bill and Leslie soon to follow.  After getting the campsite in order, Bill set out to harvest some firewood.  He is an absolute champ when it comes to collecting and preparing firewood and then building a perfect fire.  Brian was his student but I was just lazy and enjoyed the fruits of their labors.  Soon Craig showed up with half  of their kids and Deb followed shortly thereafter with the other half.  Tony’s son decided to stay home on this trip but that didn’t deter Tony from making the trek and we were sure glad he did.

Tony, Me, Paige, Leslie, Bill and Kelly

After a few beers and some snacks around the fire, several of us laced ‘em up and headed out for some night running.  The trails were wonderful and we had access to them directly from our campsite - it was awesome.  As we began our first loop, we decided to take the green trail which was the longest and ran around the perimeter of the area.  It seemed like a perimeter trail would be easy enough to follow but as it turned out, we never did make it a full loop on this trail.  With six of us discussing all the clues we had available to us including two maps, we still could not figure out where the green trail went once we hit a certain point on the loop.  I was tired and I think I carried the grumpiness for the group but despite that, we still had a good time.  After the first 5 mile loop, Bill, Tony, and Kelly decided they would stay at camp and while the thought of having a fire cooked hot dog was appealing, I ended up accompanying Paige and Leslie for another lap.  The second lap was just as confusing as the first but we did eventually find our way back.

When we returned to camp, they had a fantastic fire going and various forms of meat were being cooked over the fire.  After a couple of hot dogs and a burger, I started on the cookies that Deb had brought - everything was delicious!  After more laughing and an impromptu burping contest (the winner shall remain unnamed), we called it a night.

Sitting around the fire in the morning, we were discussing something that led me to say “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” referencing the saying of the trademark chihuahua from the Taco Bell commercials.  Brian then says, “Yo quiero Ollie,” referencing Leslie’s beloved chihuahua Ollie who was sitting on her lap.  I’m not sure why but this absolutely made my morning.

After packing everything up, we headed to get some brunch in Eagle, WI at a place called the Hen House Cafe.  They were busy but worked our group into a table in short order.  The food was good, the coffee plentiful, and the service was outstanding!  Thanks to Paige for organizing the whole thing and to the CHUGs who spent their weekend with us!

The last few weeks have included some amazing runs but my mileage and the quality of miles hasn’t been as much or as good as I would have liked.  Work has been extremely busy and has been dipping into my time as well as energy levels.  I also took it very easy the week of Wasatch to make sure my legs were up for the task of pacing Gary.  The week after Wasatch, I was still in Salt Lake City and got some good running in but I also didn’t want to let my running schedule interfere with spending time with friends.  This most recent week included a decent day on Saturday but I felt I was fighting something most of the week so I didn’t push myself too hard during the week running fewer miles and fewer runs overall.  The next few weeks will be the final big push before Javelina and I am looking forward to putting a nice cap on my training.  I will be attempting mileage that I haven’t done before and while it seems doable, it is going to be a busy few weeks and its going to require that a few things go “as planned” to make my running schedule a reality.  Not the least of which is that my legs/body hold up okay.

Week Ending September 6 (Total - 92 Miles):

• Monday - 10 Tempo (AM), 6 Easy (PM)
• Tuesday - 6 Easy (AM), 6 Easy (PM)
• Wednesday - 10 Fartlek (7 X .75 mile)
• Thursday - 4 Easy (AM)
• Friday - 5 Easy
• Saturday - 35 LR
• Sunday - 10 Easy

Week Ending September 13 (Total - 55 Miles):

• Monday - 10 Easy
• Tuesday - 6 Easy
• Wednesday - 8 Easy
• Thursday - OFF
• Friday - 13 Easy (Pacing at Wasatch)
• Saturday - 18 Easy (Pacing at Wasatch)
• Sunday - OFF

Week Ending September 20 (Total - 65 Miles):

• Monday - 10 Easy
• Tuesday - OFF
• Wednesday - 11 Easy
• Thursday - 5 Tempo
• Friday - 5.5 Tempo
• Saturday - 24 LR (AM), 9.5 Easy (PM)
• Sunday - OFF

Rob And Ben Relaxing Before Dinner

After finishing our pacing/crewing duties, Paige and I were free to hang with the Salt Lake City crew!  Saturday night after Rob picked us up, we went to Park City to see Rob and Rina’s new condo.  This summer, they came across a really good deal on a ski in/ski out property in Park City.  They are currently in the process of updating the place but were excited to show us the place “mid-project” and I can see why, it was awesome!  Its a two bedroom/two bathroom plus a loft that sleeps two and a really cool patio.  After a quick shower, we headed to the Wasatch Brew Pub for some dinner and a beer.  It was great to see Rob and I was glad he and Paige were finally able to meet each other.  Rina had to work late but joined us later.  Sunday morning, we slept in a little and then went to brunch - it was delicious!  Paige had to get back to Chicago so we took her to the airport to catch her flight.

Rina’s phone had recently stopped working so we took advantage of the free afternoon to stop by the Apple store to look at iPhones.  Being an Apple guy myself, I’m always up for a trip to the land of innovation.  While she was buying her new phone, I played with a floor model - it won’t be long now and this Blackberry guy will be a convert, I love the iPhone!  We spent a lazy afternoon setting up and playing with Rina’s new phone.

Bethany

Ben and Bethany got back to town around 5:30PM so we all made plans to meet up for sushi.  I hadn’t seen Bethany in over a year and the last time I’d seen Ben was back in February for some skiing and Moab’s Red Hot 50K+.  As always, it was wonderful to see them and catch up on the latest happenings in their lives.  Lucky me, the four of them picked up my portion of the tab - thanks y’all!

Lucy Lovin'

Monday, everyone had to work so I took Lucy for a run up into Park City Ski Resort.  We left in the sun and came home in sun but during our run we encountered some rain, thunder and sleet.  Lucy is so funny with thunder, she gets all fired up and acts like it is her longtime nemesis and immediately starts racing around and barking at the thunder - it is pretty hilarious to watch.  When we were on our return trip down the mountain, we came upon a bull moose standing on across the field from us.  I stopped and Lucy immediately sat down but she and the moose had locked eyes.  After a brief stare down, he moved on and we were able to continue on our way.  Far enough away to not be a real threat and yet close enough to be exciting.

Our New Friend

Monday afternoon was spent in Park City.  Rob and I got some lunch and then met up with Tom who is going to do some fireplace work at their condo.  We talked rock and then decided to take a drive over to the stone yard to check out the options for building a fireplace.  We saw some good rock but no decision was going to be made without Rina’s input.  That evening, Ben and Bethany hosted us at their home.  They had whipped up one of their wonderfully eclectic dinners and it was delicious as always.  We ate, drank beer and laughed - it was wonderful.  Some friends of B&B dropped by with their dogs (who were awesome), we all sat around chatting it up until it was bedtime.  On our way home, Rob and I stopped to get us, or at least me, some ice cream.

Two Thumbs Up

Tuesday was a day of relaxation and play.  Rob fixed an awesome breakfast and then we headed up to Park City for a mountain bike ride.  Ben lent me his awesome duel-suspension trail master and it was deluxe.  When we left the house, they were promising thunderstorms but you wouldn’t have guessed it from the sunny skies.  We rode toward Park City Ski Resort to do a nice loop trail.  The three of us rode while Lucy kept pace along side, she is such a good dog.  It didn’t take long until the sky was dark and the threat of rain became very real.  Rob, our tour guide for the day, decided we’d keep going until it started raining and then we’d turn around.

Rina, Powering Up The Trail

Two minutes later, big heavy drops were falling and quickly soaked the trail.  We turned around and headed back toward town but the temps had dropped and our wet bodies began to chill quickly.  When we stopped for just a minute to regroup, Lucy took that as an opportunity to dig herself a little nest - it was hilarious to watch her get it just right and then plop down.  By the time we got home, the sun was peeking out again, what a weird couple of days.

Rob and Rina hosted dinner that night and I got to cook the quinoa - a small but important part (just kidding).  Ben and Bethany showed up and we sat down to a wonderful meal of farmer’s market veggies and perfectly marinated chicken.  We wasted no time after finishing our meal and headed over to the dollar theater where Ben and Bethany splurged and bought all of our tickets - all five of us went to see a movie for $5 - literally!

Wednesday morning, Ben picked me up at 6:45AM and we headed up to the Bonneville Shoreline trail where we did a two hour run along the northern edge of Salt Lake City.  It was fun to get some alone time with Ben and the trail was great, I’ve run here before and always enjoy it.  Ben had to work so he dropped me back at Rob and Rina’s house where I was lucky enough to witness the elusive “couch dweller” species.  Lucy has taken a liking to the new couch that Rob and Rina got but she isn’t supposed to be on there so it is a constant game of trying to catch her in the act so the behavior can be addressed - busted!  She knows its wrong and immediately gave me that look but I still gave her a little talking to.  Rob came and picked me up for the trip to the airport.  It is always hard to leave and this time was no exception thanks to my most excellent hosts!

At The Start - Paige, Gary, and Jen

Wasatch 100’s unofficial race motto is that it is “One Hundred Miles of Heaven and Hell” and while I only saw a little over 30 miles of the course, I saw enough to see where this motto came from.  The day started at 3AM, we packed up the car and were on the road by 4AM.  When we arrived at the race start, there were already several tough looking people milling around with headlamps on.  We walked with Gary to the start line and got him checked in.  As we were standing there waiting for the race to start, we spotted a couple ultrarunning icons - Karl Meltzer and Krissy Moehl.  Karl was lining up to race and Krissy, fresh off her record setting win at Tour de Mont Blanc, was here to support/pace her friend Darla Askew.

Paige, Krissy And Me

Gary seemed remarkably calm as the clock ticked down toward the start.  We joked and snapped a few pictures as he finalized his pre-race prep.  Wasatch 100 is an old school race and as such, the start was a very subdued event with a mass of runners slowly disappearing down the trail into the night.  With the race underway, the support crews were left with a few hours of time before we would see our runners again.  I really wanted to say hello to Krissy, who was mingling with a small group of friends and eventually, I convinced Paige to come with me.  Krissy is a true ambassador to the ultrarunning community and graciously chatted with us for a few minutes.  What other sport could a complete amateur approach such an elite athlete and have a conversation?  That is one of the great things about ultrarunning, everyone is out there for the same basic reason, they love to run long.  It was great to meet Krissy who was absolutely delightful, even at 5AM.

We went back to the hotel for a couple of hours for a nap and some breakfast.  As we were driving to meet up with Gary at the first crew aid station, we got a phone call from him saying he was already there - wow, he was making great time and on a 28 hour pace.  We got there several minutes after he did but he rolled with it and had made the most of it.  Soon he was back on the trail and we had several more hours before we’d see him again.

Spending The Day With The Guidi's Chasing Their Son All Over Utah

We headed into Salt Lake City as we were on our way to the next crew aid station and when we got close to the area where several of my friends live, I mentioned that we were close and how nice it would be if they were home and we could relax for a while before making our way to the aid station.  With a little encouragement from Gary’s mom, I called Rob just to see if he might have a key stashed somewhere that would allow us to camp out at his and Rina’s place for a while.  He answered his phone and said that he didn’t have to be to work for another hour and to just stop by - that was great news, not only did it mean that we had a comfy place to relax, it also meant bonus time with Rob!

We spent the next hour and a half chatting it up, having lunch and relaxing a bit, then we were off to the Big Mountain aid station where I would join Gary.  We waited near a local reservoir until we got close to the time we expected Gary to roll in and then we headed up to the actual aid station.  The race had a comprehensive radio communication network that tracked runners’ progress throughout the race which helped predict when he would arrive.

Heading Out From Big Mountain Aid Station

When he got there, we put on our headlamps, got him fueled up, and headed out.  The first stretch was all uphill and I was soon to learn that much (about half) of this course was uphill.  We got to the top and had an awesome view of the valley (including the reservoir) below.  We saw a beautiful sunset and then turned on our lamps as the night settled in.  The stars were bright and the temperatures were perfect for running.  Through the night we ran, passing and being passed by a familiar group of runners with their pacers.  After a nice long runnable downhill section, we pulled into the Lambs Canyon AS - what a welcome sight it was.  It was Jen’s turn to pace for a while, so after a quick turnaround, they headed off into the night.

Paige, the Guidis and I left the AS and started making our way toward the Mill Creek AS.  To get there, we had to pass through Salt Lake City.  We decided to stop at a grocery store to clean up and get some snacks.  I was growing weary of snacks at this point and really wanted a full sit down meal but knowing we would have to run later, we opted for snacks.  As we headed up Mill Creek, we eventually started seeing runners on the road, the course followed the road for over two miles.  It was fun to see them but I felt bad that they had to deal with the headlights of cars passing.  At the very end of the road, the Mill Creek AS was awaiting like a beacon in the night.  When we got out of the car to check on their progress, I was struck by how chilly it had gotten, 45 degrees was the reading on the thermometer.  We had some time, so we caught a little nap in the car before they arrived.  Paige readied herself to run through the remaining night with Gary.  When Gary and Jen rolled in, it was cold and Gary was having a hard time getting warm.  After several minutes by the stove and multiple cups of hot soup, he warmed up enough to keep going.

The Aid Station "Scene"

When we got to Brighton, we had some time to kill.  We tried sleeping in the car but had very little luck.  Soon, the sky started to lighten and we got up to prepare for Paige and Gary’s arrival.  When they walked into the lodge, Gary was definitely aware of the fact that he had run 75 miles and was thinking that staying right there in the warm lodge was a better idea than heading back out into the cold air to run another marathon.  With some progressively more assertive nudging, Gary was back on his feet and moving toward the door.  I believe the quote was, “I’m NOT happy about this.”  I was nearly in tears as we left the lodge heading out to finish what we came here to do.

We covered our first mile in 22 minutes, not bad considering it was straight up a ski slope.  By the time we reached the top, we were shedding our jackets.  We made good time over the next several miles and Gary was smiling again - I knew his smile was in there somewhere even though I hadn’t seen it in a while.  The final 25 miles were broken up by several aid stations but none had crew access, it was just the two of us from that point point forward.  Soon, Gary was feeling rough again, it happens.  We walked for a bit, running when he could but our time per mile was slowing and the chance of finishing before the cutoff was slipping away.  My purpose in life became very simple, keep Gary moving toward the finish line even if we got there past the cutoff.  Our routine was when we would get to an AS, I would take Gary’s hydration pack and top it off and then fill his handheld bottle while he would eat.  Then he would put the pack on and head out while I topped off my bottle and pack before catching up with him down the trail.  Somewhere around Pole Line Pass AS (mile 83), Gary found another gear.  We were cruising along the soft single-track at a respectable pace and our spirits were lifted by the thought that if we could continue at this pace, we would finish the race under the cutoff.

As with all good dramas, that wasn’t the end of the story.  Soon, the walking breaks became longer and Gary was dealing with bouts of feeling light-headed.  The combination of the slow pace and the physical exhaustion started to play havoc with his head and the idea of not finishing crept back into his mind.  The pace continued to slow as did our conversation.  I was torn between my duties to get him to the finish line at all cost and respect his increasing desire to end the pain.  Eventually, pain won out and two miles out from the Pot Bottom AS, we called Gary’s girlfriend Jen to organize “an extraction.”  We discussed the options and decided the only way out was to make it to Pot Bottom where Jen would meet us with the truck.  About that time, two of the AS workers showed up to check on Gary and another runner who they had heard was having a tough go of it.  After a GU and some water, we were back on the trail heading down to meet Jen.  Gary had run his race and on this particular day, that race was 93 miles long so with a signature on the DNF form, the day officially came to an end.  While I can logically recognize the limitations of the pacer’s role, I still couldn’t help feeling as though I’d let Gary down in some way.

The ride back to the finish line was a long one for me.  Gary was in much better spirits after seeing Jen and getting some Dingles cookies in his belly but I was struggling to process the emotions of the day.  Rob met us at the finish area and as Gary walked stiff legged into his hotel room, we loaded our stuff into Rob’s vehicle and headed for Park City.  Our Wasatch adventure was over, at least for this year.  My congrats to Gary for setting all sorts of personal bests achieved during the race.  I think Gary would attest to the fact that Wasatch is a taste of Heaven and Hell just like their unofficial moto states.

Part Of The Wasatch 100 (From Their Website)

Today we leave for Utah.  Gary, a fellow CHUG, is running Wasatch 100 this weekend and Paige and I are going out to crew and pace for him.  He has trained like a madman this summer and will do just great but as with any race of this magnitude, he has some pre-race “energy” - an understandable state of being considering he is about to embark on one of the toughest hundreds around.  I’m looking forward to being a part of his race and returning the favor of his awesome pacing me at Kettle Moraine 100 this past June.

The race starts on Friday morning and has a 36 hour cutoff.  Once Gary is triumphantly across the finish line and resting peacefully in bed, we are heading over to Park City to meet up with Rob and Rina.  In the morning, we’ll have brunch before Paige has to head back.  Lucky me, I get to linger for a few days to soak up some more mountain air, Lucy lovin’, and time with the Utah peeps.

Looking for a little motivation to run an ultra?  This video from Matt Hart is all it takes for me.  Make sure you turn your speakers up good and loud before hitting play… I think I’ll go out for a run now.