21 Down 79 To Go

When Cindy and I got up this morning at 5 A.M. I started wondering WHY again......

This morning we headed up to Wrightwood (about an hour drive) for me to run part of the AC course. When we got near to our destination we drove down Route 2 to see how far we could make it by car, as Dan and Christina had warned me that the road had been closed for quite a while due to landslides. They were correct and we could only get as far as Vincent Gap, about half the distance I wanted to run . Instead of driving back to Wrightwood we decided to send me on my way and I would run the trail backwards back to the starting point of the AC in Wrightwood (about a 13 mile run) with one place along the way where Cindy could meet me at Inspiration Point to refill my water.

<---- Ready to head up the trail from Vincent Gap. (sorry mom... still have the beard)

The run to Inspiration Point went great and my estimated time I gave Cindy was 1.5 hrs. but I was there in 1 hour. Cindy was not there yet, I later learned some mountain bikers and hikers had come through and she stayed and chatted.

The next section had some good climbs and eventually I arrived at the top of Moutain High Ski Resort, and to my surprise the Pacific Crest Trail wound through a few of the ski slopes. Again the run was going smoothly, but according to my crude map I needed to spot Acorn Trail that took a 90 degree turn off the Pacific Crest Trail and headed down to Wrightwood. I didn't know if there would be a sign and when I saw a trail heading down the hill to the left I figured there was a 50/50 chance, I decided to take it. After traversing the hill steeply for about a mile and seeing the trail come to an end, I realized this one of those times in life where I picked the wrong 50. The hike back up to the trail put me behind my 10:00 arrival time in Wrightwood, but I knew Cindy had a good book and would find a nice cup of coffee in town. After another half mile I was pleased to see a big sign that said "Acorn Trail" and this time I was smart enough to pick the correct "50".

After a couple miles of downhill switchbacks I found Cindy drinking her coffee on an outdoor table in Wrightwood reading her book just as I pictured... I was only 30 minutes off my estimate. After a quick change of clothes, we went next door and had breakfast at a quaint small restaurant and while I was eating my omelette and drinking my coffee after a great run in the beautiful mountains, the WHY question was answered again.

10 Down 90 To Go - A Lull

After some nice fresh air in the mountains and some good runs around Pinecrest Lake in the mornings I have hit a lull. I don't know if it is the heat of Palmdale or my ankle pain that won't go away but I have been taking it easy. I think I will take it easy from posting for a little while as well... I had originally planned on posting every day during the 100 days, that didn't work out (both running and writing currently).

As much as it hurts mentally, I am going to try and rest my ankle for a while and get it as close as possible to 100% before running again.

4 Down 96 To Go - Why Do I Run?

Today's Mileage = 3 miles

I am on my way to the mountains for 4 days. I look forward to running around Pinecrest Lake (about 4.5 miles) in the fresh morning air as the sun rises and all the campers are asleep.

There are many reasons why I run and some of them are stronger than others on any given day. The paragraph above is often one of the major reasons why I run. Other times it is the feeling of being in better shape, watching the sun rise, feeling less guilty about eating that extra bowl of ice cream (I had three helpings last night), getting to feel the endorphins kick in when you least expect it, or sometimes it's just plain fun.

According to the August 2006 Runner's World (p. 48), "University of Michigan researchers found that women who work out to lose weight are less committed to exercise than those who do it for social benefits, stress reduction, or enjoyment of the activity". Since I run solo 99% of the time I probably don't do it for the social benefits, but the other two definitely fit.

I would not recommend running to someone trying to lose weight, rather I would recommend running to someone that wants to enjoy the fresh air and great feeling of getting a good workout at the same time. It just so happens that weight loss is a repercussion... as long as we stay away from that 3rd bowl of ice cream.

3 Down 97 To Go - Crewing

Today's Mileage = 8 miles. Put Electrolyte drink in my bottle instead of water. I seemed to feel more refreshed.

Since I have never run a 100 mile race before I have never had a crew before with the exception of Cindy being at an aid station along the way with supplies. I never have felt much of a need for the supplies since races are very good about food and water at aid stations. To my surprise the mental boost of seeing her has been very important.

At the moment my crew for the AC100 is Cindy and Teresa and I believe one or both (at different times) will be a pacer for me... I'll save "Pacers" for another post.

At this moment I am beginning to come up with what I will want different from the usual food at the aid stations that my crew will have for me.

Injinji socks - I get few to no blisters with these socks
Ensure - The drink gives plenty of calories and works well in my system. Some posts suggest 50% calories from food and 50% from liquid over the duration of the race. Some runners swear by only liquid... I don't think that is for the slow poke like me though.
Cliff Blocs - I prefer these over gels.
Also, Sunscreen, Heed, chapstick, shirt, mole skin... I am sure the list will grow...

Of course the crew will need good maps if they are not familiar with the course and Christina and Dan have informed me of a road closure... when they read this perhaps they can give me more specific details where the closure is at since I can't seem to find out much about it on the Internet.

2 Down 98 To Go - Hydration

Today's Run = 13 miles. (hills)

Most runners would probably agree hydration is the single most important thing to maintain in a race. Of course in a 100 mile race nutrition may be equally important and certainly more complex. These posts merely brush the basics and as I learn more I will update them and add links to more knowlegable information. Back to the topic of Hydration...

Staying hydrated is fairly simple drink plenty of water in a race, just not too much.
Too much intake of water can cause hypnatremia where one becomes too diluted with water and therefore the sodium levels drop, a good reason races have pretzels at their aid stations. Of Course too little water causes dehydration.

I have been fortunate to have always run in races with a good accompaniment of aid stations. Sometimes I carry my Nathan pack with two bottles and other times I carry my hand held bottle. Through trial and error I have found that as much as I crave Gatorade on a long race, it does not work well in my system and gives me cramps. The different electrolyte drinks that contain sucrose, fructose, and other sugars have to digest through the kidneys and make your already tired system work harder. I don't know if this is the scientific answer to my problems, I just know I don't like pains in my side. The last race I ran I only added a Heed mix that contains maltodextrin to my water and my system felt much better. This runners post has a good write up about the stuff. As I understand maltodextrin it is processed synthetically from a derivative of corn and rather than having to go through the kidneys it is absorbed directly into your system.

I don't know if the above is correct, I just know that my system felt better sticking to Heed and staying away from Gatorade in the last race. Unfortuately my legs hurt just as much, but I will work on that in the weeks to come, as well as continue to experiment with hydration. Gels work basically the same way and contain maltodextrin, I just find drinking a sugary water much more pleasurable than trying to choke down a gooey substance.

Also tried Nuun tablets put in my running bottle. Very convenient for electrolytes and my stomach seems to handle them well.

1 Down 99 To Go - The Journey

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
-Lao Tse

I began running in June of 2005. I am not sure exactly what the date was I just remember it was some time in the middle of the month and it was the same day I quit my job that I had done for the last 10 years. At that time I was about 30 pounds overweight and not quite able to run one mile. I also don't remember when I wanted to run a 100 mile run, but even though I was not very familiar with 100's it became more and more clear as "The Journey" began.

My training over the last 2 years has been inconsistent. I have run for 20 straight days but also due to injuries (knee, broken toe, ankle) have gone as much as 60 straight days without running. My hope for the next 100 days is to maximize mileage, and keep excuses and injuries to a minimum. I hope to cross train with biking and swimming as well. If my ankle is flaring up I will put in more mileage on the bike. Although I will do most of my running in the early morning hours and evening I will also run in the heat of the day to keep the body used to the heat I will experience at the AC 100.

There are many great sites like Stan Jensen's (no relation) run100s site with great info about runs and training. On my posts my training will speak for itself as I am not mapping anything specific out, rather I am looking forward to being creative in my training on this journey. Below is my first attempt at putting video on my blog from youtube, I don't know if I will use his method, but I like how this guy thinks.
My mom once gave me a shirt that says, "Those who wander are not necessarily lost". I am thankful my mom understands me.

Let the JOURNEY begin!

0 Down 100 To Go - Intro

Today is the Day I begin the countdown.

In the next 100 days I will research, train, and prepare for running the Angeles Crest 100 miler. I may edit/change various posts due to suggestions or later reflections so comments will be greatly appreciated. I am hopeful someone out there will find my journey helpful, interesting, or entertaining.

At the very least I hope to have searched within myself and come out a better prepared runner and perhaps person.

Chris

Goldilocks Runs Shadow of the Giants 50k

I realize I am putting myself out there, especially after I take enough ribbing from all of my "manly" buddies due to the fact I am a regular watcher of Oprah. Now I'm taking it to another level by calling myself Goldilocks... I hope none of those "manly" guys read this blog. I will get back to the part about Goldilocks in a little while.

Friday I departed from Palmdale for Fresno to stay the night with my parents. I grew up in Fresno and lived there until I was 18, my mom likes to say, if she knew I wasn't coming back when I went away to college she never would have let me leave.

Cindy was unable to come with me since she stayed home to dog sit a friend's dog.

<-------Daisy (our guest for the weekend)

Our friend helped us out many many times by watching our dogs (before they went to doggy heaven) when we went away and weren't able to take the dogs with us, and Cindy was happy to help repay the favor.

Ben and Maxine ----->

The run was in Fish Camp just below the entrance to Yosemite. I was out the door by 5:30 and arrived at Fish Camp just after 6:30 only to get a little lost trying to find the place. How anyone gets lost in a town with a population of 12 is beyond me, but I have some special abilities. My parents were going to arrive around noon in order to see me cross the finish line. I had the impression that my mom expected me to be crawling across the finish line gasping for air after 31 miles and I hoped I would be able to change that perception.

The reason Goldilocks came to mind was because I have run in 50k's that seemed too flat, and I have run in 50k's that seemed to steep, but like the bowl of porridge, this difficulty seemed just right. The course had plenty of climbs but most of the time it was a nice gradual ascent. There were still quad pounding descents and steep hills near the end that kept you plenty humble so that you would not forget that Papa Bear was still in charge.

Shadow of the Giants is a perfect name for the run as the giant sequoias are constantly protecting you from the sun. The volunteers at the aid stations were awesome, and Baz the race director was never without an ecouraging word. Near the end I thought the race would go on forever, and my time seemed a little too long for such nice day. I heard rumors after the race that the course is more like 33 miles than 31 and whether or not this is true, I am sticking with the 33 mile distance in my head.

It was nice to see my parents had driven up, and my mom was right on top of her job to snap a picture as I finished; after I crossed the line she was worried she missed the shot so she had me circle around and cross again... didn't she know I had just run 33 miles?

As always I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to run in such a beautiful place on a beautiful day. What a pleasure to have my parents there with me and then we went out for a lunch in the nearby town of Oakhust. I'm just glad I was able to get up from crawling on the ground and gasping for air just before getting to the finish line. :-)

The Road Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

~Robert Frost

This weekend I'm attending a family reunion in Fresno, and I headed out this morning on a 20 mile run along a new (new to me) bike trail along the San Juaquin River. I noticed a nice dirt trail leaving the asphalt so I decided to give it a try. After about a half mile the trail got smaller and smaller and smaller until there was no trail. I was determined to plod along hoping to be rewarded by my persistence with a nice meandering trail. The trail never came to fruition but the reward was the beautiful wildlife. Five deer, a bobcat and numerous birds all around. Yes, the road less traveled has a lot of rewards.... and, also a lot of stickers that get caught in your shoes and socks.

Trot, Smile, and Wave

Have you ever stopped at an intersection, crosswalk, or parking lot for a person to make their way across wherever they are crossing? It's what we should do when we are in our cars... stop for pedestrians. It gets a little annoying when someone is crossing where they shouldn't but you still wait and let them cross. With all the bad rap drivers get, in general I think most are pretty polite. For some odd reason I seem to be bothered by the unwritten rules out there; such as, why is it pedestrians seem to think it is okay to walk at a snails pace when a car is waiting? Have you heard the riddle? Why did the human cross the road? Answer: To take a long time getting to the other side.


Cindy and I live by the philosophy that when a car has stopped for us, we pick up the pace to a trot, flash a friendly smile and a wave of the hand, not only does it create better kharma, but burns a few more calories. We are not the only ones... other people do this and I am always aware and appreciative of these actions. Within those few seconds I always think, "that is someone I would like as my friend". Don't you think this world would be a better place if everyone always did at least one of the three (trot, smile, or wave) whenever they crossed the road?

Coyote Ugly.... Not

Running on the trails this evening I came over the top of a hill and was face to face with a coyote. What a great moment. For a split second the coyote and I were one, and I entered into a Vision Quest in which we could read each others thoughts. No, not really but it was pretty cool. Where is my camera when I need it?

Trail Work and Training Run For AC100

The weekend started at 7:00 A.M. in a parking lot at Hahamongna Park in Pasadena. Unfortunately I forgot the camera at home. From there we carpooled up to a section of the AC100 in the San Gabriel Mountains to work on improving a section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Still no camera. I enjoyed hearing about the eclectic backgrounds of a dozen or so people that had come to spend the day helping work on the trail, and fulfiling their 8 hours of trail work that is required to participate in the AC100. Still no camera. Not much else to say, hiking down a steep hill with heavy tools for 3 miles, stopping now and then working in the hot sun, pounding and scraping dirt is not a lot of fun. Only to hike back up the 3 miles carrying the same heavy tools. The day ended about 10 hours later at 5:00. My hat goes off to the guys that are regulars on this work.

The next day (Sunday) started at 7:00 as well. A couple dozen runners met at the Visitor Center at Chilao Flats and carpooled up to Islip Saddle for a 27 mile run along the AC course.

It wasn't a big surprise to me that I forgot my camera again, but fortunately there are people out there much smarter than myself. In this case a big thank you to Christina H. for ALL the pictures and helping at all the aid stations along with Hal Winton, one of the AC100 Race Directors.

--- Hal giving a pre-run briefing ------------>

Just before departing for 27 miles -------->

I was fortunate enough to run with Dan (married to the smart lady Christina) who was much more familiar with the AC trail.

Dan and I around mile 23 ------------>

Another guy that ran along with us part of the way was Barefoot Ted. Ted belongs to the ideology of running barefoot (or as close as possible) is much better for the body than man's oppressive shoes. Today he was running in a new sandal that he had made himself.

<------Imagine running 27 miles over rocks, dirt, etc. in these

Full shot of Barefoot Ted ----------------------->

After looking through Christina's pictures she had posted online I decided I needed a name like Ted has, and the best I could come up with was "Sitting Chris". I realized whenever I arrive at Aid Stations I immediately had a seat, and probably would never get up if it weren't for "Slavedriver Dan" getting me going.

<------------- Sitting Chris

Sitting Chris -->

Sitting Chris ------->

<--------Chris (only guy sitting)

What a great day in a beautiful place....

--------What's this????? -----Chris Standing?----------->

Are 2 PB&J's Better than 1?

Every day at work I eat the same thing.... one Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. I have noticed that every day I come home from work, rather than head out the door and go for a run (something I was planning on do a few hours earlier) I am hungry and therefore get something to eat and sit down and watch Oprah. This begins the vicious cycle of getting tired, which results in a nap, and if I'm lucky I eventually get out for a run much later than expected, followed by not getting as good of sleep at night.

Today, I decided I had it all figured out... the secret is to eat Two Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches! Therefore, I won't be hungry when I get home resulting in an energized run and renewed vigor. You'll never believe what happened ... having two sandwiches for lunch, I was just as hungry, but, instead of watching Oprah, I watched Ellen. I can't wait for tomorrow, I'm going to see what happens when I eat three PB&J's.

Slow Ride

It's great when pieces of a puzzle can come together.

My wonderful and beautiful wife Cindy had surgery yesterday, and a growth was removed. Everything went well, the tumor was benign and by 1:00 she was resting in her hospital bed. We passed the time talking about how well the surgery went, and all the things we were going to do this summer. Traveling to San Diego, Palm Springs, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, "the cabin", Bodie (ghost town), Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Arnold, etc. To have a growth removed in a hospital and actualy call it a good day is a very good thing. Now, I don't know if these are the exact sentiments of Cindy, seeing as she is the one operated on, but I would like to think she would at least partially agree.

This morning I didn't get up until 6:00 and I was feeling quite sluggish. Moving around slowly I got the newpaper and had a snack with my coffee. Since visiting hours aren't until 10:00, I knew I needed to get in a run no matter how sluggish I was feeling. Jogging out the driveway my legs were tired and stiff, moving slowly up the streets to get to the aqueduct. As I jogged along my mind was flooded with all the positive things to be thankful for... the successful surgery, all the travel plans, a day off of work :-), the sunrise, getting to see Cindy in a few hours, etc. Again, it's amazing when things start to come together. Running has done that for me, not only have I lost some weight, but I eat more healthy, think more positively, and make fewer excuses. Back to the run... just as great things are merging together in my mind it happened; "Slow Ride", by Foghat comes on my IPOD playing in my ears. My legs were energized, my mind was running on all cylinders, and all was right in the world. By the time I got to the top of Bunny Hill I had a new P.R. at 29:10 beating my best time by about 20 seconds.

Life's a big puzzle, and I hope I never feel like all the pieces come together otherwise slow or fast it wouldn't be much of a RIDE.

Mind of a Goldfish

Studies have shown that exercise helps the mind think more creatively and solve problems due to better blood flow in the brain. Tonights run is a perfect example, as I ran along the trails thinking about ideas to post on my blog the thoughts came pouring in to my consciousness far more rapidly than my 43 year old legs up Bunny Hill. The problem is all the things I think about are forgotten by the time I return. They say a goldfish can only remember for 3 seconds, I am pleased to say that is a myth, so it gives me hope that if a goldfish can remember longer than 3 seconds perhaps I can aspire to my bowl living friend.

I am trying to organize thoughts for my 100 days. Starting June 7th, when I plan on posting a new topic every day that will me help organize and prepare ideas for my run in September, and perhaps give some insight to others that may wish to try a similar endeavor.

Before continuing... a big thanks to my buddy Jeffo for leaving a comment the other day. Only time will tell if he ever checks back again. Perhaps one day I will have readers that number in the double digits, but for now I am thrilled to have peaked at two.

Here are a few ideas for some of my 100 posts when I start one a day June 7th. If anyone ever comes across this and has some suggestions for a short topic, I would appreciate hearing them.

*Drop Bags - Are they more hassle than they're worth
*Shoes - Can't live with 'em can't live without 'em
*Band Aids - Also known as your nipples best friend.
*Feet Protection - The smelly truth
*Poison Oak - Your friend and Mine
*Men in Tights - Why your non-running friends might get the wrong impression


Jeff, hopefully one of these days we can bike/hike/jog up Bunny Hill together . I'll leave the tights at home.

Parent Ratings

Recently I received an email from my mom (hi mom!) letting me know she enjoyed reading my blog. But, hearing about all of my injuries (i.e. broken toe, poison oak, swollen ankle, etc.) was difficult to take. I started wondering if I should post a rating system just like the movies do. The ironic thing that I am writing about my mom in the third person is, I think she is the only one that reads my blog. If someone is reading this and you didn't give birth to me leave a comment, I'd like to know you're out there.


How does this rating sound.


G = Content is GOOD, happy and pleasant.

PG = Content has POSSIBLE GIMPINESS like somethings broken, swollen, etc.

R = All parents RESTRICTED from reading. I may we writing about thinking of moving to Nepal, or a career change to become an Ultimate Fighter.


Todays rating G.

My day started at 4 a.m. I knew I would be going for a run today, but was not sure when. Sometimes I wake up early on a weekend and I am too impatient to fall back asleep, rather I am ready for this great day to start ASAP. The wind was howling a little but the moon was full with an eerie ring around it and that was all the motivation I needed. I strapped on my head light and before heading out the door by 4:30 a.m. I decided to take a self portrait before I left. Cindy is in Morro Bay on a girl weekend so I had to use the self timer on the camera. Don't worry I wouldn't have been foolishness enough to wake her up even if she had been here.





I took my favorite route up Bunny Hill on the backside of the California Aqueduct up the fire roads and single track trails. It is amazing how well one can see with no light except for a full moon and a head lamp. The air is so fresh and everything is at peace, although the cotton tailed bunnies (no relation to why they call it Bunny Hill... see earlier post) would disagree as they scurry to avoid this strange alien with a light on the top of his head.



After 7 or 8 miles I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise as I ran along the ridges of the Antelope Valley. I love sunsets just as much as anyone, but the freshness of a sunrise is difficult to beat, especially when you are out for a run.





By 7 a.m. I was done with a Double Bunny (up and over and then looping back around to traverse Bunny Hill one more time on my way back) and ready to start my day. The only downside was I had hoped to tack on a few more than the 13 miles I had run, but my swollen ankle was giving me trouble the last few miles. Uh oh, perhaps this post should have been rated P.G.

The Point of No Return

Barring a serious injury, there is no looking back. I have started putting together ideas for my plan of recording a training idea for each of the 100 days (which starts June 7th) leading up to my race in September at the AC100.

After completing my 50 mile qualifier and sending in my check, the only thing I have to do is fulfill my 8 hour trail maintenance service and run, run, and run.

I normally do not keep an accurate count of my weekly mileage, but I plan to start. If anyone who wants to run their first 100 mile race ever reads my 100 day countdown I want them to see what my weekly mileage is like in order to maintain a comparison. I ran for the first time yesterday evening for 8 miles (since my ankle injury at Leona) so I figure it is as good a time as any to start keeping track. Along with my ankle about healed, my poison oak is also healing up as well (I may not have mentioned that earlier).

The results were posted yesterday on the Leona Divide site and I came in 54th out of 137 finishers, with a time of 10:01:17. Although I had hoped to do better I think it is more of a motivator and will give me a little more push. I don't know if other middle of the pack runners like myself do this, but I was comparing times from people that ran in Leona and last year's AC100 to get a comparison of my time and proportional amount. Although the data I entered is minimal, I still think the results are interesting.

Data I Entered from Leona ('97) and AC100 ('96)

------Leona / AC100
KH 7:57:10 / 20:35:49
GM 7:35:22 / 21:05:25
BP 7:26:52 / 23:32:13
RM 9:57:23 / 25:14:47
DO 11:56:02 / 26:27:18
LC 10:29:53 / 28:20:51
AK 9:25:46 / 30:19:37
XW 11:14:05 / 31:03:45
LD 11:08:49 / 32:27:25
CJ 10:01:17 ----- ? ----

Running a Linear Regression (this is a mathematical estimate see line in graph above) the linear equation comes out to be y = 1.93x + 7.6 which projects me to have a time of 26:54. (it's what math teachers do for fun) . I have heard that a good estimate is to multiply your 50 mile time by 2.7 and that is a good estimate of your 100 mile time. Although variables of difficulty would definitely be a factor, it turns out that my estimate of 26:54 is pretty close to right on the 2.7 times mark.

This is in itself a motivator to me, since I perceive ultra running to be competition within myself and I now have a time I am racing to beat.

Grocery Shopping: A Microcosm of Society?

I am trying to make every post related to running in some way, so it begs the question... how does grocery shopping relate to running? Hopefully I will eventually get to some form of relationship.

When I go shopping there seems to be various characteristics which make me wonder if it contains a microcosm of society. To begin with, I may be the only one with this first issue as a pet peeve but personally I feel it a sign of something with deeper seeded meaning.

1) Grocery Carts - why can't they get delivered back to their designated corral in the parking lot or where they belong in the store? Many reasons I am sure would be given such as: I have kids with me. I am in a hurry. That's what they pay the employees to do, and so on. First, if you have kids, what a great lesson to teach them, to return things to their proper place. Make a game out it, etc. If you are in a hurry fine, then by the looks of some parking lots there sure are a lot of people in a hurry ( I say with sarcasm). Finally, maybe it is what they are paid to do, but we also pay police to catch the bad guys and that doesn't make it okay to rob a bank. We pay fireman to put out fires but it is still not okay to be an Arsonist. I realize I am going a little overboard... just trying to do my best to make a minor point that I don't appreciate having the parking lot be a littering ground for carts, and don't think just because you pop the wheels up on the curb it is okay.

2) Clickers that honk the horn when the door lock is pressed- When did it become okay to honk a horn when someone was walking right by the car? Again, I am sure

there are many good arguments like setting the alarm, and making sure the car is locked etc. I don't feel like explaining this one since I am probably in the minority here. I just know that many times I am startled by a honking horn (rude, rude, rude) and I don't believe the means justify the end. If you feel it is so important to honk your horn than at least have the courtesy to park you car far away... more on that later.

3) Paper or Plastic - Which is better paper or plastic. Answer is neither, Oprah last week said the same thing on her show which I already knew. To read some good ideas to think about go here and click through the 17 different topics. We are a dysfunctional society if we cannot inconvenience ourselves a little to make this world a little better. If you don't use reusable bags, hopefully you do other things and one day may work towards more ideas like reducing the amount of paper and plastic used. Cindy and I have been using the same bags for about a dozen years. They hold more, they don't break, and they do not use up our renewable sources.

It is estimated "12 million barrels of oil are required to make the 100 billion [?] plastic shopping bags Americans go through annually" and for the paper bags it is estimated "14 million trees were cut to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans" did you read the 14 million trees part?. I am not perfect... only trying to evolve. I have always pulled the plastic bags off the spindles in the produce section but realize now that is just as bad. I recently ordered more bags including reusable ones for produce at ecobags.com. We do not compost (and we should), our vehicles only get between 20 and 30 mpg, etc., etc., etc. But, pressure to keep evolving needs to be put on the human race and I fear society is heading backwards.

4) The need to park as close as possible to the entrance - This is where I get back to the topic of running. To try and counterbalance this issue, I park at the entrance to the parking lot about a quarter mile from the entrance (not always). Grab my reusable bags, and jog to the store. I have saved gas not driving a quarter mile further and driving around in stop and go traffic looking for a parking spot, if I want to honk my horn it will not disturb anyone, and I can drop off my cart at the entrance since my bags can carry plenty. All this and I get a little excercise carrying bags to and from the store. Ted Corbitt, an Ultrarunner would often jog to the subway each morning for some exercise and once overheard a guy say, "Man, that cats always late to work every morning". It's all about perception.

Does the grocery store really mirror as a microcosm of society?... probably not. But we do have an obesity problem, we are becoming less polite (a personal opininon), and we are the biggest polluters on the planet. Oh well, I'm guessing these problems aren't going away any time soon, but if you see some weirdo jogging across the parking lot from a far away parked car, please wait for me to go by before you lock your car. Beep Beep :-)

Commitment Day

I filled out my application for the Angeles Crest 100 miler today. The application has not gotten to the mail box yet with an entry fee for $215.00 though... it is hard to believe I am paying over $200 so that I can stay awake for over 30 hours straight, and run 100 miles through the forest in the heat of the day and cool of the night. To run in the AC100 a runner must complete a 50 mile race (accomplished last week at the Leona Divide) and perform 8 hours of trail maintenance. Performing a service is a great idea, but again hard to believe I am paying over $200 for all this "fun".

My recovery from last Saturday's 50 miles has been slow. The soreness in my legs healed up quickly within a day or two, but my sore ankle that caused me pain after about mile 25 continues to let me know it was more than a little soreness. In the mornings I can barely walk and throughout the day it gets a little better only to start the cycle again the next morning. I have thoughts of trying to go for a run and give it a try but I am trying to learn from my past mistakes such as my broken toe I re-injured foolishly due to impatiently attempting a run too soon causing me almost 2 more months without running. The first weekend of trail maintenance on part of the AC100 course was this weekend, but due to my ankle and some other factors I decided not to go. The next opportunity is May 19 and that happens to be my next planned run in Bishop. I hate to back out of the Bishop run, but since I haven't signed up yet I would like to complete my 8 hours of trail maintenance work ASAP, and my body will appreciate the rest along with more time to better prepare for my next run June 2nd at Fish Camp.

Again, why am I writing a check for $215?

Leona Divide 50 Miler

All week the weather for Saturday's Leona Divide race looked questionable. I am pleased to say the weather could not have been better. At 6 a.m. after the traditional saw blade was clanged the run started up a nice climb for a couple of miles. As we traversed up the wide fire road, the sun was just beginning to peak over the moutains creating a beautiful light across the surrounding mountains and glistening off of Lake Elizabeth. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. I regretfully did not have a camera... hopefully next time. The next 20 miles seemed to fly by with beautiful scenery, casual conversation, a mix of fire roads and single track Pacific Crest Trail, and my IPOD playing some Journey, Cold Play, ACDC, etc.

Cindy was waiting for me at the 20 mile Aide Station and I was upbeat, feeling good, and about 7 minutes ahead of finishing below my goal of under 10 hours. The "fun" was just about to begin! As runners (at this point walkers) were making their way up a 900 ft. climb in about a 1 to 2 mile span (click on picture to the left if you want to be able to read the elevation numbers and mileage), I began to realize I was undertrained for these kind of hills. My legs were becoming Jello and others were flying by me like a flash of light even though they were walking too. By the time I reached the next descent the damage had been done, I eased into a trot down the hill but my quads were not happy with the pounding and they let me know it with each step. When Cindy met me at Aide Station #5 I was 10 minutes behind meeting my goal of 10 hours with no hope in site. My enthusiasm was lacking and all I could think about was... boy oh boy, if I didn't love running, I sure would be miserable right now. I stopped and had a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup and chatted with Cindy for 5 minutes which helped me mentally before departing station #5. I left on my next climb at mile 28 and after about 30 seconds my mental boost was gone. The next 7 or miles are a blur, but after reaching the turnaround point at mile 35.5 I was offered a chair to sit in and have some homemade soup by the great volunteers at Aide Station #7. After chatting and having a leisure bowl of soup (anyone arriving would never have known I was in a race, rather it looked more like a social club and I was president) I decided to get going after about an 8 minute rest. I think the looks of "Is this guy ever going to leave?" helped give me strength to start the journey back. Somewhere around mile 40 to my surprise, my legs felt like they had new life. My energy was recharged (it must have been the spinach in the soup) and I began running like I was just starting out on a 10k race with fresh legs. For the first time in many miles I was passing other runners and singing to my IPOD songs. At Aide Station #9 I briefly said hello to Cindy and good friend Teresa letting them know I had no time to chat because my new mission was to make that 10 hour time. After a couple more miles of making progress, reality started to kick in and I slowed a little too much up the steep climb. By the time I caught my last bit of energy and began charging to make that 10 hour time I was just a little too late. After about 10:01:20 of running I was done, and happy with my accomplishment. I felt I had learned some things from my first 50 miler about better pacing myself, being better prepared for hills, and less social time with the nice wonderful volunteers. As the great golfer Bobby Jones once said, "I never learned anything from a match that I won" I think in the long run it will be better that I did not run as fast I hoped and the course was more unrelenting than I expected. I am happy I finished strong, and even happier I just plain finished!!!