Possible MCL Sprain

I tried to run this AM before Church (.6 of a mile). Rather painful from beginning to end. I think I have a MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament Sprain) on my right leg. I am sure my BA in History and Political Science makes me fully qualified to make this diagnoses. LOL. As intense as the pain was this AM, I have conceded that I will need at least 3 to 4 weeks to let is heal. I believe running outside of my normal gate last Saturday caused this strain.

The downside is I will not be running Black Warrior 50K next month.
The upside is I can now walk without limping, ride a bike, and swim. I intend to to those activities and my normal strength and stretching exercises until I can start to try to run again. This is why I like triathlon training.

I plan to go out on Saturday mornings as usual at 5:30AM and walk the trail until I can run it again. At least I will still see my training partners on the trails. Not running is unbearable, but at least I have the other activities to stay fit and occupy my urge to train.

Done and Done In (Bonk the Sequel)

I chose to run Saturday on an ice rutted trail in Decatur. It had been packed and refrozen and rutted by 4 wheelers. I was due a long run so I chose to run. At 5:30 AM it was hard frozen (low 20s) and it was not to hard to traverse. (3 mile out and back 3 miles). As we ran several circuits it began to become slicker. The pace averaged 8:54 and it was draining. I can run 8:20 pace usually at distance and a 10:00 plus pace is OK and easy, but an 8:54 is just draining. Kind of a dead zone pace. Last time I ran that pace I bonked and that is what happened Saturday. It was draining and I settled for 17 miles instead of closer to 20.

There was a physical price for the choices I made. Bad choices have consequences and I now have a very sore knee. I think trying to run within the rutted ridges changed my gate and forced a normally slew footed runner to run with my feet turned in. Around 15 miles the right knee was starting to ache. We took the road back and I was done at 17 miles. Between the pain and the grueling pace I had to call it in and that spells "bonk" to me.

The knee has been sore ever since and the motion of walking has gotten easier with very little soreness. I tried to run this AM and was only able to run .28th of a mile. It seems that the bending motion of running is what brings on the pain. I will now have to back off and lose some valuable training time. I hope to get back to running soon. With Black Warrior and McKay Hollow coming up I cannot afford not to be running.

At least with a triathlon training routine I can swim and ride the stationary bike to keep from losing fitness. This situation would be very frustrating without the other forms of exercise.

Rocket City Recovery Week.

Laid off Sunday and was very sore. I figured I deserved a day off after the marathon.

Monday forced myself to run 4 miles (8:27 pace). Personally I found the soreness leaves as soon as I start running.

Tuesday swam a little over a mile. Really good swim and the soreness was much better.

Wednesday I ran my usually 7.3 mile tempo run (7:20 pace). Running was much easier, but the pace was still slower.

Thursday I rode the infernal stationary bike. I really do not like the stationary bike. Real bikes are much easier to ride.

Friday I was back to the pool for a swim. Had a really good swim and improved on my pace.

Saturday I ran the usual long run with friends. Trent, Dave, and Brad were there and Trent brought his girl friend who runs track in college. She set a pretty fast pace for the first 6 miles. After she left e settle into a more sustainable recovery pace. We picked up David Coon on the last 4 miles and Trent and I were able to finish with a pretty good pace.

Long run by the numbers:
8:32, 7:48, 7:50, 7:50, 7:48, 7:52, 9:31, 8:55, 8:58, 9:06, 9:09, 9:14, 9:08, 8:33, 8:31, 8:54, and Last .5 of a mile 4:35

I plan to build on my base mileage over the next few months. I will be adding some trail runs as preparation for Black Warrior 50K and McKay Hollow.

2010 Rocket City Marathon – Great Race and Great Day

Everything came together for me at this race and I had a great race and a great day.
Rocket City Marathon is a great race and the organizers and volunteers did an outstanding job.
Weather until lunch was great. Wind was at our backs on the last sections.
A sub 3:35:00 marathon was a best case goal and I was not sure I could obtain it. I had told others I would be happy with a Sub 4 hour race and I would have been happy with this.
Final gun time time was 3:33:56 and a 234th finish. This time will qualify me for the Boston Marathon.
Chip times: 1st 1:44:06 and 2nd 1:49:51, Overall Time 3:33:39

This was my first marathon length race (completed 2 ultras previously)
Preparation consisted of 20 mile long runs alternated with 16 mile long runs. I did a hill interval and a tempo also weekly. Running Dizzy 50K also helped (about 3 weeks out)
Friday evening I consumed my usual pre-race carb loading meal of a large peperoni pizza.
Had my pre-race hair cut on Friday. You can't run like Forrest Gump without the haircut.

I had decided to run in my old shoes. They just had 258 miles on them, but they had a considerably amount of wear on the tread. I received new shoes Tuesday and attempted to break them in with a 3 mile run, but they seemed to aggravate my mid foot. I decided I had to run in the shoes that brought me. It was a little chilly at the start and I wore my lucky orange toboggan. I chose to wear an under layer and my long sleeve Nike top. These proved to be very adequate for meeting my needs. My Nike shorts (actually a swim suit) had pockets which held my nutritional elements.

My nutritional needs during the race were met by 4 lime sublime GU Gels and 5 Ritz crackers. I ate a handful of Ritz as a pre-race snack. Wayne Heckler had given me some good advice about consuming the GU Gels. You usually need to wash them down with water or something. He told me he takes them out early and holds them. Aid stations can be on you and past pretty quickly, so I would take them out and hold them and even consume small amounts between aid stations. I alternated eating the Ritz crackers which provided some salt and prevented the GU Gel from upsetting my stomach. Eric Schotz had also advised me to try to drink some at all the aid stations which I did.

I printed out a pacing schedule for a 3:35:00 pace, but was unsure I would be able to finish the race anywhere near that pace. I considered several options at the beginning of the race. The guys I trained with were planning to run faster paces than a 3:35:00. I ran into a another friend who planned to run around a 3:40:00 pace. By the start of the race I decided to try to start with the 3:30:00 Nike pacer. I typically run faster at the start and bank time, so I was going to try to start at a 3:30:00 pace.

The race started and it took over 15 seconds to reach the starting line. I stayed with the pacer for a few miles, but it was to easy at this point to run faster than his pace. I just tried to keep the pace around 8:00 or better and followed the crowd. I knew with the 3:30:00 and 3:35:00 pacers chasing me I would know I was maintaining a good pace. The first 8 miles went well and I maintained a good pace. The outside of my left ankle ached a little during the first few miles and there was a little ache in my knee. These aches became less pronounced or were obscured later on by the white noise of my screaming calves and leg muscles.

The next 8 miles I was closer to the 8:12 per mile pace needed for a 3:35:00 race time. I ran with different people and just ran my race. I talked to a women from Birmingham who said she was shooting for a 3:35:00 finish. She and I stayed close until around the 12th mile. The bottom of my right foot was beginning to feel sore. I was afraid the worn shoes were going to be my undoing. As the race progressed the soreness seemed to abate. I was by myself at the halfway point and the wind was in my face. I new when we turned north it would be at my back and would provide some help in the latter parts of the race.

Around 17 miles the 3 hour 30 minute pacer passed me. Mile 17 was a slow mile, but I overtook one of my faster friends. He was having some leg pain. Passing him helped me mentally and I picked up my pace. The next 7 miles were hard and I was having some soreness and pain in my legs. Around mile 20 I past the second of my fast friends he also had some cramps. Again I was buoyed by overtaking him and picked up my speed. Around mile 21 I lost my lucky orange toboggan which I had tucked into my shorts. I had to run back about 25 yards to get it. A waste of time, but it was my luck toboggan. I was running slower now and the pain was a constant reminder that I may of run the first miles too fast. I developed a chant that seemed to help. I started vocalizing “Drive through the pain” over and over. When I did this I was able to maintain my pace and not slow down.

I was still within my pacing, but I had lost several of my banked minutes. The last several miles I was able to pick up my pace and even gain a little time back. The last 3.2 miles were a blur. I constantly chanted the phrase “drive through the pain”. I also utilized some advise that Wayne Heckler had given me. Try to reel in the runners ahead of you. This helped and I was running a good pace. The closer I got to the finish the faster I ran. The 3:35:00 pacer had gotten around me earlier, but I had him in my sites. I knew I was still within my pacing, so I was not worried. I passed the 3:20:00 pacer who had been slowed by cramping. I knew I was close to a sub 3:35:00 finish and I was not going to let it get away. That fact drove me to run faster and I felt like I was flying. Finally I made the last turn and I was able to overtake one more runner. I was able to sprint and end with a strong finish. (see Gamin data below)

Last 2 tenths data by Garmin satellite hits (last turn sprint to finish)
8:18, 6:38, 7:11, 6:03, 6:50, 6:38, 6:30, 5:46, 6:21, 6:20, 6:06, 6:53, 6:43, 6:30, 6:40, 6:27, 5:03, 5:15, 5:11

Great advice and preparation made this possible for me. This is my last race for 2010 and I cannot imagine a better end to this year's racing.

Garmin Auto Laps (the Garmin was generous and ended up .3 miles over)
Mile Laps:Garmin
1.7:51
2.7:30
3.7:29
4.7:38
5.7:37
6.7:49
7.7:34
8.8:01
9.7:52
10.8:03
11.7:51
12.8:03
13.7:59
14.8:09
15.8:08
16.8:16
17.8:21
18.7:38
19.8:11
20.8:34
21.8:13
22.8:36
23.8:56
24.8:44
25.8:27
26.8:14

Looking forward to the next few months and hopefully Black Warrior 50K and McKay Hollow will be my next races.

Frosty Freeze 5K

No PR but a good effort. I had hoped to do a sub-20 at some point this year, but it was not to be. Matt Hames was going to help me pace the race and I seemed healthy and recovered from Dizzy 50.

First Mile
I started out pretty fast and as usual banked some time. I had told Matt I might start out fast and then settle in to a sustainable pace. Matt dropped back, but caught me at the half a mile. This kept me from settling into to slow of a pace. Pacing with Matt forced me to maintain a pace around 6:33. I stayed with Matt until the mid race aid station. I eased ahead of him and he dropped back. I did not find out until the end of the race he had some issues with his hip and had to walk some. He still placed 3rd in his age group.

Mid Race
I paced off those ahead of me and was able to maintain a good pace. I may of slowed a little, but still managed to pass some runners. There was a pretty good uphill grade and it was tiring. I could tell I had lost some zing from the Dizzy 50K. I was also looking for the 2 mile split which never came. Mentally it was taking a toll on me because I thought I was pretty tired not to be at 2 miles yet. I finally looked at my Garmin and to my relief it read 2.45 miles and this gave me a mental lift. I was now headed into the teeth of the wind and it was nullifying the benefit of a gentle downhill grade. I was looking forward to making a turn to the west and then north putting the wind at my back.

Last Half Mile
The end would soon be in sight and I was able to run this at a pretty good pace. The course straightened out and went up the last uphill grade. I managed to over take a runner and then he passed me and then I started pushing it and sprinting the last .30 of the race. I passed that runner and my pace at this point ranged from low 6 minute pace to eventually a mid 5 min pace. After cresting the hill all I could think of was the finish. No sub 20 but I felt I had finished strong.

I finished with a 20:22 overall time for a 6:34 min/mile average pace. I finished 11th overall and first in my age group. It was a hilly course on a blustery day. All things considered I was pleased with the effort. I would like to thank Matt for the early pacing without him I would of slowed down to much and not finished as well.

Rocket City Marathon next week. I will run my usual tempo and hill runs and swim or bike the rest of the week. I believe I am ready for this marathon. I am hoping to do a sub 4 hour marathon and we will see.

The Garmin elevation graph of the Frosty Freeze.

Hill Run Intervals

Hill intervals are the closest thing I do to speed work. I do repeats on the steepest parts and this simulates speed work without risking injury. I try to do this workout once a week. It is the hardest and most intense workout I do. I tend to walk down the steepest slope then run up it as fast as I can. The repeats consist of approximately 100 yards of a very steep climb then a level ridge out and back to the steep part. I walk down and then run up it again.

This routine generally helps with hills and general speed work. Since I only run 3 days a week I have to combine workouts. I run a tempo on the roads and a long run on crushed gravel trails.

Dizzy 50 Elevations - Garmin

Dizzy50 Elevations from my Garmin in jpg format and Strava

Dizzy Fifties Race Review - By Brad White

Brad White's race review was so much better then mine I had to post it. Brad has been there every step of the way in my odyssey with ultra trail running. He Drove me to my first one and worked the aid station. I probably would not be at the level I am now without Brad's help and support. Good job and thanks Brad.

Dizzy Fifties Race Review by Brad White

Since working the aid station at the Black Warrior 50K last year in support of Dan I wanted to run a 50K trail run. Dan mentioned the Dizzy Fifties as a good ultra to run for first timers, so I set that as a goal sometime around this past March. But in the short term I took on the challenge of the McKay Hollow trail run and hurt my Achilles in the process of training. Every since last March I’ve battled some kind of injury related to that Achilles injury. This really hampered my training for Dizzy. I had almost given up that goal but I started feeling 100% around a month and half ago and said to myself, “What the heck, let’s do it!” I know now that’s not nearly enough time to prepare for a 50K trail run.

Friday:

I tried to eat and drink all the right things in preparation for the race. But I knew that would only help a little. There is no substitute for putting in the miles and I knew I was severely under trained for the upcoming race. I didn’t sleep very well and was wide awake at 3:00 AM.

Saturday, Race Day:

I left the house to pick up Dan and was extremely excited about the race. My stomach was not feeling real good but other than that I felt like I could run 31 miles. Dan and I got to the race about 1 hour to 45 minutes early, picked up our race packets and got our gear ready to go. The race director gave brief instructions on the course (none of which I paid any attention to) and off we went.

I started the race out running in my old Mizuno Cabrakan trail shoes and the single bottle race belt. During the first 2.3 mile loop I could tell right away that the belt was not going to cut it. It was simply bouncing up and down on my back, no matter how tight I got the belt. The shoes felt OK and I thought maybe I made a wise move running in my old shoes as opposed to my new, New Balance MT101 shoes.

I stayed with Dan during the first 2.3 mile loop and was intent on staying with him as long as I could. Everything felt pretty good. The pace felt good and I enjoyed talking with the other runners. After we finished up the 2.3 mile loop I discarded my jacket and headed to the north 4 mile loop. I was still running with Dan and I felt really good. I knew Dan would pull away on the hills and I was going to let him run the hills while I power walked them. But I still had him in sight as we finished up the north loop and proceeded to the south loop.

Before I started the south 5.59 mile loop I decided to get rid of the water belt and go with my hand-held bottle I had packed in my bag. I ate a Gu gel and a salt tablet and headed for the south loop. I still felt strong and was running a good pace. Dan wasn’t too far out in front of me but he was starting to pull away. During this part of the race I took a wrong turn momentarily but quickly realized my mistake and got back on course. It was also during this portion of the race I could feel a hot spot developing on my right big toe. I realized why I hated these shoes and decided when I got back to the aid station I would change into my new trail shoes. After I finished up the south loop and got to the aid station I quickly changed shoes, ate a clif bar and some pretzels. Took a couple more salt tablets and refilled my bottle and it was off to the north loop again.

Miles 11.89 – 15.89:

As I started the north loop I could feel my calves were extremely fatigued and tight. I knew this wasn’t a good sign this early in the race. I took another Gu gel and a salt tablet, hoping to ward off the inevitable onset of cramps. I still felt strong and other than the fatigue in my calves I had no pain. I felt like changing shoes was a good move and one of the factors in how good I felt. I was pretty optimistic about finishing with a respectable time. As I came into the aid station I tried to really drink a lot of water and eat some salty pretzels and a couple of banana slices. I saw Kathy Youngren and she asked me how I was feeling, I told her my calves were not doing real good and that I was fearful I may start cramping at any minute. She told me not to worry about it and that the feeling in my calves would go away. I took a lot of encouragement from her advice, considering she is a world class runner.

Miles 15.89 – 21.48:

Being rejuvenated from the words of encouragement from Kathy and the nutrition I started the south loop at a pretty good clip. I was feeling really strong, until I tripped on a root and both calves locked up. I knew then I would have to battle cramps the rest of the race. I started eating salt tablets like candy and eating Gu gels about every 30 minutes. But I knew that the cramps were from being under conditioned and it wasn’t going to matter what I did the cramps were not going away. I still managed to run the entire loop as long as I was careful how I placed my feet on the ground and I didn’t trip over another root.

Miles 21.48 – 25.48

I was completely alone on the entire north loop. This was when I started having to battle my mind. The cramps were getting worse and I found myself walking much of the loop. I could run down the hills fine but when I started up any sort of incline my calves were trying to lock up. I knew I was not going to DNF but I still wanted to finish up respectably. Other than the cramps I felt good. That last hill out of the north loop seemed endless. I was by myself and if there had been anyone around they would have thought I was crazy. I was cussing that hill like a sailor. When I got to the aid station I saw Trent Dean and Matt Hames which was very encouraging. I knew then I would finish the race. I drank as much as I could hold, refilled my bottle and headed to the easier south loop for the final time.

Miles 25.48 – 31.07

I started out running the south loop but it was in the early portion of this loop that the pain started getting bad. My hips were aching and now my quads and hamstrings were trying to cramp up on me. This was also the longest distance I had ever run in my life. Not only was the distance long but the terrain was much different than the Point Mallard trails. I was using muscles I hadn’t used since high school football. Somehow I overtook two ladies on the trail. I ran by them at a pretty good pace and wouldn’t you know it if one of the ladies started running with me. I was thinking, “Dang, I wish she would have let me pass her, now I’ve got the added pressure to keep running and hold her off.” But it wasn’t long before I caught another root hidden under the pine straw and almost did a nose dive into the woods. Both legs completely locked up and the pain was mind numbing from the cramps. The lady asked me if I was alright and I told her I was fine except for the cramps and she took off like a shot. It was from that point until the finish line that I walked and ran, but mostly walked the last mile or two. I’ve never been so happy to be finished with something in all my life. I finished in a time of 5:57:15 in 36th place.

Although the race was difficult it was also a blast. The woods were beautiful, the weather was beautiful and the company was enjoyable. I got home the night of the race and couldn’t really eat anything. I felt miserable and could barely get up to go the bathroom. My stomach was completely messed up. The weird thing is I can’t wait to run again! I’ll be much better prepared for the Black Warrior 50K and I hope to improve on my performance. I’ll take a couple of lessons away from the Dizzy Fifties; there is no substitute for trail running and don’t attempt another 50K under-prepared. Put the miles in!

I’m definitely running this race again next year.

Posted by Dan Burleson for Brad White.