Oh what a year!

This time of year it's hard not to reflect back on what is, what has-been and what is still yet to come. While I'll post more on what's-to-come, this post is all about What Has Been in 2011.

In the back of my mind, I want to compare my accomplishments from 2010 to those of the past year but in some ways, it's apples to oranges and not really a fair comparison. 2010 was the 'Year of the Triathlon' - multiple disciplines, more gear and fewer races all culminating with Ironman Arizona. This year's focus was about distilling my focus to a single thing - running. And not just running, but Forrest Gump-like running.

The passion for trail running took me by surprise early in 2011. Combined with inspiration from people like Dean Karnazes, I've been all about pushing the boundaries with my new-found passion and earning my ultra-marathon badge.

So if you've been following these posts at all, you'll know that the "What's Yet to Come" category for 2012 is only going to get bigger and better!

With that, my year in review. Cheers!

PF Chang Marathon

Coming off Ironman Arizona in November 2010, I was fully focused on running. I was in no mood for cycling and the chlorine from the gym pool had eaten holes in all my trunks. My goal for this race was to be under 4 hours. Call it redemption. Call it unfinished business. My only other marathon was back in 2007 (Portland). I had 4 hours in me but just couldn't execute.

I had managed to talk my buddy Erik into running it as well. He's a speedster and a fiercely competitive athletic junkie as well so there was plenty of smack-talking going on prior to the race.

This is the one race I broke the cardinal rule - NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY. I was swept up in the glamour and hype around compression socks early in the year. So of course I had to wear my new CEP socks on race day and at least look the part of a sub-4 hour marathoner, right?!

As you can imagine, this was a bad idea. Rubbing and blisters ensued and what could have been closer to 3:30 ended up being a 3:50 time. Damn socks.

I had still achieved my goal and was happy with my performance.

Am I satisfied? No.

Could I do better? Yes.

Will I try it again? Damn right.

Ragnar Relay

It's funny how things work. I got recruited through the 'friend-of-a-friend's-friend' network. And so glad that I did. I had done a smaller relay back in the day but never something on this scale and I was intrigued. How could you not be?

12 people. Packed in 2 vans. 36 hours. 200 miles? Sold.

I met some great people as part of this event and and happy that I took the plunge. I honestly think that the hardest part about this race wasn't he actual running but rather all the logistics, planning and driving from point to point. My hat is off to April (the biggest "Fool" of them all) for organizing this for the Ragnar Del Sol class of 2011.

There are too many great memories about this race to re-write them so check out my previous posts if you need the trip down memory lane.

Ragnar Del Sol, Part I

Ragnar, Del Sol, Part II

San Tan Mountain 50k

After PF Chang's, I got this crazy notion that if I could run 26.2 miles, I certainly could handle a few more miles and summarily add the title of "Ultra marathoner" to my resume. How hard could it be?

Knowing that this race would take me off the road, I started investing time down at San Tan park to ensure I was getting hill-work, elevation and the general feel for running on trails instead of concrete. How was I to know that in those few short weeks of training, my world would change.

I L-O-V-E trail running. I love the calm. I love the scenery. I love the smell.

This was a great inaugural 50k run and would prove to be only the beginning of a passion that would carry me through the entire year and beyond.

Black Hills 100 (50 mile race)

So it would only make sense that after running 50 kilometers, the next logical step is to run 50 miles right? Right.

I freely admit that I did not do the proper research on the Black Hills 100 before signing up and look back on that as a learning experience that I will carry with me for a very long time. In comparison, the San Tan 50k had almost 4,300 feet of elevation change - by far the toughest challenge of the entire race. So when I realized that that BH100 had almost 18,000 feet of elevation change, I about blew a gasket. I'm sure I shouted some choice words but after a few days, shrugged it off and resolved to deal with it.

Without going into a ton of details about this day, I can honestly say that this was the most awe-inspiring event I have ever done. Route 89 through the Black Hills of South Dakota is truly a beautiful course and the people, volunteers and aid stations were fantastic. We had a great day to run (though all the creeks were full and swollen).

I did not imagine that the elevation would be that difficult but that's the deceiving part of the Black Hills - there is a gradual elevation that slowly eats away your endurance. Sure, there are some challenging climbs and steep downhill portions but there are so many up-and-downs that over time, your mind and legs become dull and numb from the slow ascent/descents.

I've never been as happy to finish a race than I was this day. The last mile to the finish line felt like an eternity (more so than the previous 5). With friends and family there are the finish line, I was overwhelmed to finish this race just under 14 hours.

My previous race report is here.

Cave Creek Thriller 50k

This race was painful in a different way - I never made it to the finish line due to illness. This was my first race ever that I DNS'ed (did not start).

Pass Mountain 50k

This race was particularly hard given that I was still very under-trained for the distance and still battling some sinus and ear problems. I guess I am just stubborn that way when it comes to making the most of my pre-paid dollars :) I honestly didn't want to piss away another $50 for a race by sitting on my butt at home...so I did the race anyway.

This was the same weekend as the 2011 Ironman Arizona so my buddy Erik (registered for IMAZ) and my family came out to the park to see me finish.

This course has some decent climbs and fairly technical sections that slowed me down pretty significantly. I was cursing the climbs and yelling at the downhills - my legs were screaming enough for both of us too.

This wasn't my best race according to the clock (close to 8 hours) but overall, I had a really good experience with my feet/shoes and my nutrition. Those have historically been problems for me that typically cascade into other problems.

McDowell Mountain 50k

Just this past weekend, I had a great time at this race. The course and the weather were great and while I was definitely in better shape, I was still not feeling like I was completely prepared for this distance. I was resolved to give it my all this day however no matter what.

I ran as much as I could. I forced myself to keep going through all the times I wanted to stop and walk. That doesn't mean I didn't walk - just not as much as the last race :)

The last 5 miles were painful. As in, want-to-stop-and-fall-on-the-ground-like-a-little-baby painful. I had nothing left. But I kept going.

I set a personal best this day - 6 hours and 32 minutes. And had fun doing it.

So what's next?

I'll round out the Aravaipa Trail Series in March - I have the PF Chang marathon and Coldwater Rumble 50k in January followed by the San Tan Scramble 50k again in February. Beyond that, I have yet to sign up for something.

Let's just say, there are plans. Crazy plans. I've yet to pull the trigger but keep coming back and I'm sure I'll be writing more about them soon.

Here's to a great 2011 and an even better 2012. Have a happy, healthy and active 2012!

Trevor

Decisions, decisions

Hard to believe it's only been about 3 weeks since the inaugural running of the Black Hills 100 (50-mile race for me). For those of you who did not check the results, I came in 11th out of 13 in my age group and 24th out of 33 runners overall. I've always maintained that the results are not what matter - only that I finish...and that's exactly what I did.

Over the last couple weeks, I've been somewhat underwhelmed with the notion of running - our schedule has been super-busy these last couple weeks visiting with friends at the Mall of America, driving to North Dakota to see my family and generally just keeping up with the kids. To be honest, I just haven't been able to find the time.

Over the weekend however, I read Run! by Dean Karnazes. There is something about that dude that just lights a fire inside me. I'd like to think there is a mini-Karno inside of me always looking for that next wild and crazy adventure. While I love the notion of being that nutso guy who attempts endurance events that other people just shake their heads at and call 'crazy', I also love the sense of accomplishment that comes with these unique adventures.

For a while now, I've been thinking that the Portland Marathon was in my future - I really enjoyed the venue and energy back in 2007 (my first marathon ever!). That was until I saw the price of it. $145 bucks for 26.2 miles (that's $5.53 a mile). Yikes. Why exactly was I running this event? Oh yeah, Boston qualifying. The reality of training through the Arizona summer probably makes the chances of that pretty slim. Verdict - undecided.

There is this nagging desire to take on another 50-miler in August. The Lean Horse 100 in Hot Springs, SD is calling out to me...with only 2,000' of elevation gain and a super-simple flat run on the Mickelson Trail, I'm extra-tempted to see how well I can do with more of the pure distance rather than the distance AND  9,000'+ of elevation gain from the Black Hills 100. Verdict - undecided.

Decided. I've already signed up for the PF Chang Marathon in January of 2012 (@ $70, how could you not sign up for a that?!?).

As you can see, there isn't much on the horizon right now but that could change very easily. Clearly, I have some decisions to make.

In the meantime, maybe I'll write Dean Karnazes and tell him his book would be better if he included $150 in the back to help you register for a marathon :)

Life without a (race) plan

In the last couple weeks since Ragnar, I've come to realize that without a race plan or future race goals, I'm one of the least-motivated people on the planet when it comes to a traditional gym-rat routine. I can understand how people get burned out doing the same 'ole thing at the gym week after week. Though I'm probably not the only person in the world paying for a gym-membership and NOT using it (which annoys the hell out of me that I'm wasting money), I just can't seem to commit myself to going there and finding anything useful or fun to do.

I'm struggling with this overall idea of being a triathlete as well - am I or aren't I? While I enjoy the disciplines, I feel like I'm past the novelty of the sport, distance and training. It's still enjoyable for me but I think the real challenge will be taking the last couple years and using them as a baseline to improve.

Relative to endurance racing, I've discovered that I just can't let the sleeping dog lie either. These past couple years have been an ever-expanding-non-stop-achievement-of-bigger-and-bigger-things...something I didn't think was a part of my persona. The "problem" is, I can't seem to stop.

I'm clearly not the first person out there to push and push to see what I'm capable of (think, Dean Karnazes). But it's different when the fight is personal. I have no special story - no ABC After School Special of any kind. Just a dude trying to stay in shape and have some fun. What can't I do? I'm not sure I will ever stop asking that question. At the same time, I kind of like being that 'crazy guy' everyone's friends know who did something that is unimaginable to a large percentage of the world.

So back to this notion of a race plan. I wanted this year to be full of new and exciting things...so far, it has not been a disappointment. I'm getting antsy without anything on the (race) calendar though. I'm sure that will change soon - scheduling and $$$ are under review. Hopefully, I'll be able to share more concrete plans here in the near future.

The push is coming.

What's Next?

It's been a week now since the SanTan Scramble 50K and I'm feeling pretty good. I basically took the week off from running - the combination of work stuff and post-race recovery made it a pretty easy decision to just relax, get a massage and recover. I've been feeling pretty good this week - clearly my IT band and knees took more of a beating this time around but I've been stretching and icing every night.

I set out yesterday for a 5-mile run only to discover that i was pretty tired still. Even after a week of semi-sleeping in (up at 5 am is considered sleeping in for me), my body has not forgiven me for the punishment I put it through last weekend. I bagged it at three and a half miles.

Over the week however, I got a chance to read Dean Karnaze's book, "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an all-night runner". It was a recommended read from my buddy and it truly did not disappoint.

Dean recounts how running and the outdoor lifestyle became a fixture in his life while incorporating his family and loss of a sibling into the story. It draws you into the more 'human' side of his tales and adventures while making you believe that this is some larger purpose for his running and seemingly crazy attempts at the 'inhuman' distances he runs.

The great thing is that you don't have to be a runner to appreciate his seemingly tall tales of adventure. They are filled with colorful and exciting drama that can make anyone appreciate the challenges, issues and mental barriers one faces while attempting any sort of obstacle.

If you are a runner, the pure introspective nature of Dean's journey tries to answer the questions that many of us face from our neighbors and friends...Why do you run? Why would you want to run a 50K? Are you crazy? The revelation he makes is that there is no single answer to this - it is a combination of fun, fitness and challenging ones self to do more.

"There is magic in misery" he says. I'm sure there is some truth to that.

In general, this book spoke to me. Throughout my journey, I've never been satisfied with just the accomplishments...there is always something more I'm compelled to do. Something bigger. Something longer. Something tougher. I'm enamored with the idea of pushing myself harder and harder to know what I can or cannot do.

I spent most of this week researching events to see what my next ultra-distance will be. There is a short-list but it involves several races that are 50 km and even 50 miles. I can honestly say that I never imagined I'd be able to call myself an utramarathoner myself...but now that I can, I definitely want to do more.

I can only imagine what's next on my journey.