In Ultra Running...When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Kombucha.

Endurance sports tests the mind as well as the body.   These tests are what makes the sport appealing to me and drives my willingness to continue to push the bounds of what I feel is possible and the real threat of failure.  The vast majority of the time I am successful and the needle moves to the right.  With the Umstead 100 Endurance Run I was unsuccessful in completing the entire event, but in the end the needle still moved to the right.

For all of 2016 the Umstead 100 was my "A" race and what I was training for.  I started the year hurt and spent a lot of time working through plantar fasciitis (the devil) and severe lower back pain.  It took months of slow work, physical therapy, chiropractic care and dry needling to get to a point where I could run relatively pain free to start legitimate training.  With the help of my coach I was able to string together a good amount of training and a solid race plan.

My awesome wife, Penny, volunteered to crew my event.  The night leading up to the event we talked over and over again about the key particulars of the race and what and when I would need certain food and gear.  We also discussed when I would transition from my handheld water bottle to my race vest and when and what I would eat at each HQ aid station turn around.  She had the plan down and did everything perfectly. 

The race started out at 0600 and I felt pretty good despite not sleeping well the night before.  We had a cabin and I figured since we were in the woods it would be quiet.  Nope…Umstead is right next to Raleigh Durham airport and it sounded like I was on the flight line.  Engine runs… Max power take offs….  Short field landings.  Yes, I heard them all.  Okay, now back to the story. 

My goal from the start was to come out slow and methodically check off the 8 laps until the finish.  The first three laps went really well with each of them under 3 hours.  On the fourth lap is when the fatigue started to set in and I began slowing down.  The great thing about finishing this lap was that it was now 6:00 PM and I could now have my pacer.  Greg was to be my only pacer and the goal was for him to run the remaining 50 miles with me.  He is a gifted runner (don’t tell him I said that…he already has a big head.  Shhhhh) and this would not be a problem.  He set a good pace and pushed me through lap 5.  When I got into the HQ aid station I was not feeling well and ditched my nutrition plan because it was not working.  Greg grabbed a bag of grapes, chocolate, PB& J sandwiches, and bananas and doled them out to me like an Egyptian slave from the old movies.  I started to perk up and felt decent through the rest of the lap.  It was during lap 6 that things really started to get wobbly.

I was nauseous again coming out of the HQ aid station but with constant feeding I again felt much better.  My blisters were starting to hurt and my legs were stiffening up.  On the back half of the lap are where the hills are and it was becoming more and more challenging to get up and down them.  At the turn to head into the aid station I felt okay and was moving forward.  During the half-mile jaunt to the check-in and where Penny was with the gear I slowed down and then my legs started to buckle.  I stopped and then got really cold.  With the cold came really bad shaking and in my brain I could not figure out how to get moving.  Penny and Greg carried me into the big meeting hall where the med folks put me on a cot in front of the fire, shoved a warm water bottle into my jacket and placed a blanket on me.  My night was over.

Over the past couple of days I have spent a ton of time talking to different folks as well as second-guessing every decision I made.   I could have been fitter, skinnier, drank less beer, been nicer to cats, not have gotten the flu, etc…  In the end, my race just didn’t come together for me.  I learned a ton of very valuable lessons and now looking forward to the next one. 

I am extremely thankful to Penny and Greg for supporting my event.  When you crew athletes for significant challenges you often get to see a lot of highs…but you also get to see a lot of lows.   I am also thankful for Josh who has joined in for every big challenge up to this point and was successful in his 100-mile journey.  Also, a  sincere thank you to Kat, Chuck, Jay, and Ron for their support as well.  It truly takes a team to run one of these races. 

Umstead and I have a date for 2018.

Fitness is Health and Health is Fitness

The purpose of this article is to put all my thoughts regarding fitness and training onto a single document for ease of reference and future editing.  Disclaimer up front…  I am not a scientific researcher and I do not own a lab. Instead I spend a ton of time reading and listening to fitness professionals.  None of the data I present here is original to me, but is pulled from many sources.  I will cite as much as I can to the original source of the data.

My training philosophy is my basic living philosophy.  There is no doubt that I am passionate about fitness and the expression of fitness (sport).  Sometimes it can be quite overwhelming and this has forced me on several occasions to take a step back and really look at what I am trying to accomplish.  During one of those breaks I took the time to drill down why fitness, and ultimately healthy living, is important to me.  Over the course of my lifetime I have watched poor health habits impact the people I care the most for.  Some of these habits were from ignorance and being the victim of relentless societal pressures and others were purely from severely poor choices.  In the end, both have taken their toll and have influenced my current thoughts on the subject. 

I take the fitness is health and health is fitness approach to training.  There is no doubt that fitness can be counter-productive to health and thus needs to be snapped back to center.  There are definite times when it is okay for fitness to come at the expense of health but that is for the purpose of an event and not where the average person needs to stay.  For instance, it is a fact that participating in a full Ironman distance race is bad for your health.  There have been documented studies of blood work post race that shows elevated markers comparable to a heart attack.  Does this mean you should not participate in an Ironman?  Absolutely not!  It just means that you need be aware of this and balance your training. 

An event is nothing more than an expression of your fitness.  This expression is not exclusively reserved to paying $80 to run a road race.  Your fitness can be expressed by a hike with your family, an outdoor challenge you have always wanted to do, or even a day kicking a soccer ball with your kids.  You define what that expression looks like.

My daily goal is to find balance in what I do.  No, it doesn’t always happen but it is what I am aiming for.  Brooks Pritchett, dietician and owner of LegitFit Nutrition, LLC, strives to have her clients follow an 80/20 rule.  80% of the time you should eat very clean, but you need the 20% to keep your sanity.  Fitness has to fit into a holistic approach to health and cannot be the dominant domain. I am of the opinion that everyone needs a coach...here is mine.  You need someone to help you navigate the pitfalls of endurance sports and life.  

Why should you listen to me?  Well, the beauty of it is that you don’t have to.   I am “bigger” guy that runs kinda slow and will probably never be on the podium at a race finish.   Definitely not the ideal image of a coach that you would see on the front of I Am Super Coach magazine, but what it means is that I also struggle to keeps things in balance and truly understand the needs/wants/desires of the average age group athlete. 

Okay…. let’s get to it.

Food and Nutrition

Food is what affects us the most.   In Matt Fitzgerald book, Diet Cults, he discusses the pros and cons of different “cultic” methods of eating.  Cultic thinking is defining how we eat and it is just not working.  In the media you often hear labels like, Paleo, Vegan, Ancestral, Raw Food, etc.…  In reality, we should just eat a balanced diet based upon sound principles.  In Michael Greger’s book, How Not To Die, he uses scientific data to come up with a “Daily Dozen” list of food we should eat on an everyday bases.  The key point is that it is plant based and diverse.  Yes, you can eat meat but the vast majority of your daily calories should come from whole food and plant-based sources.  Also, eating probiotic rich food or taking a daily over the counter probiotic is a great way to keep the pipes in good repair.  This is the sauerkraut recipe I use.  

The other key to successful eating is to keep in mind what you are eating for and the quality of your food.  The food you eat is for fueling your body for activity.  If you are exercising then you need to eat more.  If you are not exercising then you need to eat less.  We live in a culture that celebrates excess and this has taken its toll.  Also, you should eat the highest quality food you can afford.  Ultimately, if you can afford eating 100% organic food with grass fed beef, free-range poultry, and wild caught fish then that would be the gold standard.  Not all of us can afford that and we have to work with what we have.   Dr. Andrew Weil has a list titled “DirtyDozen Plus.”  In his opinion these are the foods that you should always buy organic due to the high amount of pesticide used on them. 

In theory, if you eat a plant based/whole foods diet that is balanced then your need for supplements is pretty low.  I do recommend taking a daily vitamin to round things out.  I like MegaFood vitamins .   I use a high quality fish oil to aid with general cardiovascular health and inflammation.  There is evidence on both sides of the aisle.  I just listened to Rich Roll’s interview with Darin Olien.  I found it absolutely fascinating and plan to incorporate some of the superfoods he talked about into my recovery protocol. Bottom line is that you have to find what works for you and what your body can tolerate.

Fitness

If you are a triathlete then you need to exercise across all three systems.  If you are runner then the majority of your training has to be running.  If you are the average age group athlete that works, has 2.5 kids, is involved with the PTA, etc.… then you can benefit from a balanced training regime that looks very much like how a triathlete trains.  In my opinion, cross training provides balance and can be a successful in minimizing injury.  Another type of training is using the MAF method to build an aerobic base.   The current fitness trend is to blast yourself with the hardest workout possible on as many days as possible.  This may be sustainable for the professional athlete but if you resemble the person described earlier in this paragraph then this will not work for you.  You will eventually become hurt, bored, burnt out, etc.…  Instead, slow it down.  Matt Fitzgerald in his book 80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Fasterby Training Slower states that we should be running about 80% of our efforts at a slower more sustainable pace.  In fact, Phil Maffetone, creator of the MAF method, uses a heart rate formula of 180-your age to come up with a maximum training HR.  Bottom line is you need to slow down to get stronger.

 I like CrossFit….CrossFit doesn’t like me.  I spent a lot of time training at a CrossFit gym and was hurt for most of it.  Yes, I did get fitter…just not as fit as I wanted to be.   I wanted to use CrossFit to become a better endurance athlete.  I was searching for the fitness hack of training with intensity for a shorter period to reduce the overall training amount.   It just didn’t work for me.  In my humble opinion if you want to be an endurance athlete then you have to do endurance athlete stuff.    I too am a believer in the power of community and I argue that this is one of the main attractors to CrossFit.   If that is your thing then join a CrossFit gym.   If you want to be an endurance athlete and also be a part of a community then join a endurance group or create your own.

I will say that lifting weights definitely has a place in your training.  Being stronger for doing human stuff should be a part of your holistic training approach.   I like this Elite FTS article as basic approach to strength training for endurance.  There are many out there just like it and you have to pick what is right for you.

I spend a lot of time traveling and in international hotels that may or may not have a fitness center or even a place to run.  This requires thinking outside the box and working with what is available.   Here is a list of workouts that you can do with little or no equipment.  Yes, they are labeled “CrossFit” but they mostly all use your bodyweight and are a ton safer than throwing a bunch of weight around for time.   

One of the most influential articles I have come across was this article about daily habits for a CrossFit athlete.  Yes, again we are talking about CrossFit.  This article could easily be substituted with 50 ways to become a better endurance athlete.  A lot of the suggestions cross over into what we do, but really the bottom line (and reason I like the article) is that it boils down to discipline.  It takes discipline to work on the things you suck at in order to get better.  It takes discipline to eat to fuel your workouts when you are out on the town with your friends.  It takes discipline to be the person and athlete you want to be.  

Life

Drinking enough water and getting 8-10 hours of sleep every single day are two of the most important hacks to your training/recovery.   It is important to build a strategy to ensure you do both.  Drinking enough water has to be something you think about throughout the day.  Getting enough sleep needs to become a ritual.  Without either you are just spinning your wheels and will not achieve your potential. 

Speaking of water, you need to drink the cleanest water you can.  I personally use a Berkey water filter with an attached fluoride filter.  I just want to drink water without all the extra chemicals. 

For the average athlete, and especially the aging athlete, recovery is of critical importance.  Sleep has to be a priority!  I measure my sleep with my Garmin watch and also use a HRV app with heart rate strap first thing in the morning to measure my resting HR, HRV, and Stress.  These numbers give me a peek into how my body is feeling and I can use this data to tailor my workouts.  One bad day of numbers isn’t the end of the world, but if I see multiple days then I know something is awry.  I can often tell if I am coming down with a cold by my HRV numbers. 

There are many recovery techniques out there.   I like Mark Sisson’s article and believe he hits the target right on.   Active recovery, mobility work, proper nutrition, and sleep need to be the pillars of your recovery.

In reading Mark Twight’s book, Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast and High, he recommends the use of contrasting showers to hasten recovery.  They are a dreadful as it sounds but I have noticed a marked improvement in recovery.  I use the 2.5 minutes of hot and then 30 seconds of cold X a couple of times.  At first it is miserable but now it really is no big deal and actually helps to reinvigorate me after a hard session.   

Mobility work is all the rage these days.  Practicing yoga has incredible benefits for both strength and flexibility.  If you like yoga then make it a part of your training week.  1 to 2 times a week should do the trick and won’t over tax your rapidly shrinking free time.  If you do not like mobility then take the time to work on your hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, back and shoulders.   A coach of mine told me I should sit in a full squat for 10 minutes everyday to open up my hip flexors.   With commuting an hour to work each way every day this has impacted my flexibility and has caused lower back issues.  When I stay on top of my mobility work everything becomes a lot more manageable. 

 Finally, you own your health.   You have to take control of your well-being and manage where you want to be.  No one else can do this.  Allopathic Medicine (modern Western medicine) has a place in a holistic system but should not be the basis for it.  Allopathic doctors are great at fixing things that are broke, but not so good at managing your health.  There are absolutely some things that must be treated with medicine by a doctor.  I offer up that there are other options worth looking into.  Medicine has been around for thousands of years and there are truths in different cultures.  Look around and find what works for you.  (Disclaimer**** I am not a doctor).  Here is a podcast by Rich Roll that has three different practitioners describing the system they use. 

Project Life: 2017...Here we come!

Another year has come and gone.  It seems the older I get the faster they tick on by and more importance is placed on planning and making the next one even better.  There have been many years of success as well as several really dark years.  It is a pattern many of us have gone through and doesn’t make me unique.  In fact, it makes me quite human.  There are times I wish I had achieved more or wish I had seized an opportunity that in hindsight was clear as day.  In the end, I am extremely happy for where I am and the path I am travelling. 

I use New Years Day as an opportunity to reflect upon the past year and start the planning process for the next.  The formulating of new resolutions has never been my thing as it has often proven to be unsustainable.  Blayne and Jeni Smith on their recent AppleBell radio podcast talk about writing realistic goals that ultimately are something you will stick with.  I personally believe self-reflection is the key to charting the next leg in your journey.

Here are my thoughts on this past year.  From a sports perspective I am displeased how the year started but really happy on where it ended.  I started the year with a severe case of plantar fasciitis and a really sore lower back from compensating my gait.  In the sport cycle that started in 2011 this was probably my lowest point.  The pain was so severe that I couldn’t even walk and it put a dark cloud over my person.   Patience is what solved it.  I had to be patient enough to slow down and rest.  It was not my preferred way of starting off the year, but it was a lesson I had to learn.

With 2016 came a different philosophy in managing movement.  I hired a multisport coach to help me get fitter and healthier.  These two things are not necessarily the same.  People show up in your life at the right time to make a difference.  I am extremely thankful for Mark and his guidance as a sport and life coach.  He built a plan for me that took me from being barely able to walk to completing a double-crossing of the Grand Canyon.  I know I am not where I need to be but I also know I am on the right path for getting there. 

This year I attended Team Red, White, and Blue’s National Triathlon camp in Austin, Texas and met some of the most inspiring athletes and leaders I have ever come across.  They are just humble members of our community looking to build better lives and connect with each other.  They have inspired me to be better!  I am extremely thankful for what Team RWB has done for me and my family and the continuing enrichment of our lives.

Using the data from my Strava account:  I ran 750 miles, biked 981 miles, completed 3 triathlons and 2 duathlons, ran the 2016 Marine Corps Marathon, ran the Phunt 25K, and completed a double crossing of the Grand Canyon in under 24 hours.

All of the above was done while completing GV initial qualification training, starting a new job in another squadron, standing up the Team RWB Southern Maryland Chapter, finishing a Project Management certification from Syracuse University, starting G550 training and completing US Masters Swimming Coaching Level I & II certifications.   Yes…it has been a busy year.

Last year I made a serious effort to reconnect with people who have meant a lot to me over the years.  I have been terrible at keeping up and wanted to change that.   This year I am going to continue with this.  

We are a family in transition as my military career is starting to come to a close.  It is now time to really put thought in moving forward and what the next chapter is going to look like.   This will require the building and honing of new skills.   It will also require the reevaluation of what it truly important.   I can say with certainty that family, friendship, and service are the cornerstones of what I hold most dear.  I have no sweeping resolutions for the New Year, I just know that Project Life: 2017 has now started.

Pssst! It's half the distance....don't worry about it. MCM 2016

What do you do after R2R2R?  The obvious answer is to sit back and rest.  Well, so much for the obvious, I decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon.  The obvious question that comes to mind is why?   The obvious answer is… duh!  It’s the Marine Corps Marathon.  This event has been on my bucket list for several years because it is such an iconic race and up to that point I had never participated in something so big.

Josh and I often come up with these half cocked race schedules because a lot of the events we want to do all seem to cluster together on the calendar.  With these two particular events it seemed logical that we would already have the fitness from the Grand Canyon run and the MCM was roughly half the distance.  It should be a piece of cake. 

I almost didn’t make the race due to being broke with an airplane in Alaska.  Josh was flying in…I was going to be home two days prior…everything was on plan….what could possibly go wrong????  Well…the secondary locking mechanism for the crew door is what went wrong.  Can’t lock the door equals not being able to fly.  After a very nervous 3 days of freezing in the Great White north we were fixed and headed home. 

Josh arrived before me and drank the beer and ate the food before my 0500  show back at the house (see above picture for proof).  We met up and on Saturday headed to DC for the day and over to a friend’s house for the evening.  Had a great time at the Team RWB pasta dinner with 350 fellow Eagles and a fantastic guest speaker. We don’t need to rest, the race is half the distance of the last one.  Geez…come on now!  Went to bed at 2300 and was up at 0245 Sunday morning.  Who needs breakfast?  This is a training run.  Who needs to be hydrated?  Man, we just ran the Grand Canyon.

Made it to the race by 0545 with no issues and just waited for the start.  It was a bit chilly but all was going well.  My plan was to run by feel and use nutrition on the course.  Seemed reasonable for this easy race.  With the flyover of the CV-22s the event started.  I couldn’t believe I was running with 30,000 runners and well over 400 Team RWB Eagles.  If you didn’t see an RWB shirt then you were obviously not at the 2016 MCM.  They were everywhere!!!!

At about mile 3 is when all my bad living caught up to me and I said to myself, “self, you really underestimated this race, made some really dumb rookie moves, and overestimated your ability to do this well.”   My biggest rookie move was not carrying any nutrition and not carrying any pain reliever.  DUMB!  By mile 5 my lower back was tied in knots.  By the grace of all that is holy in this world a lady had a box of hammer gels and was passing them out.  I am sure she was surprised when I took a handful.  I needed the sugar!!!!  Up until that point I was fueling with snicker bars (it was Halloween weekend).   Did I say DUMB?

 

Just before we entered the mall there was an aid station that I ducked into.  A couple Tylenol did the trick and it was off to finish.  We just kept trudging along until we “Beat the Bridge” and knew we were home free.  The climb up to the finish was incredible and I couldn’t think of a more fitting ending then finishing at the Marine Corps Memorial.  It was not the fastest I have ever run but I felt a significant sense of accomplishment.  The on course support was awesome and the energy surrounding the event is something that needs to be experienced.

 

Josh and I hobbled to the shuttle…hobbled to the car….hobbled to get some food and then I dropped him off at the airport.  All in all…too easy!  It was really about half of our previous event, just another training run for what is coming up next.