Brooks ID 2013

First off, I have to give my most humble thanks to Brooks Running and Steve Dekoker for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Brooks ID program for another year.  2012 was my first year with the program, and it was an outstanding experience.

Secondly, I thought I'd try to explain exaclty what the ID program is about.  Not entirely performance based, this grassroots program of running enthusiasts ranging from race promoters, to inspiratioal stories to elite athletes, does reward those that lay it on the line and race to the best of their ability.  This is the description that's posted on the Brooks Running website and is what caught my eye last November and convinced me to apply:

Brooks I.D. (Inspire Daily) Program

Brooks I.D. stands for Inspire Daily. These two simple words guide the principles of the program. Brooks I.D. is made up of over 2,000 members who are active in their running communities and share a passion for the Brooks brand. They are runners who are winners in their own right: Winning their age divisions, accomplishing their personal goals, pushing their own limits, and, by extension, encouraging others to do the same. They are coaches, mentors, and leaders.

Click the link to the right and it'll take you to the online store for the best running gear on the planet.  Brooks - thanks again.

Otter Creek Trail Marathon

View of the Ohio River from the "OTC"

The race plan was pretty simple really - take into account that your race fitness has been dwindling recently - be careful because your nutrition / hydration were sub-par at best - see who's around after the first few miles and just take it easy early on. 

Then they said go.  And, I went.  So did the plan.  Plan? What plan? 

First of three laps - (1:04 after the aid station stop to get bottles and fuel - way too fast).  One of the single lappers, Murphy Sheets, had rocketed off the front from the gun and won handily.  But, I was in front of every other person doing one, two or three lap races.  I knew the guy that I had left just past the Blue Hole aid station was only going two laps, but right behind him were Ryan, Mike, and Heath (all super strong guys - Ryan was coming off an injury and unsure how far he'd go, Mike is a pro triathlete that I don't see that much on the trails but I know is crazy fast, and Heath is a pure ultra trail runner who is happy to hammer you the harder it gets and smiles all the time he's doing it).  I was thinking to myself "this might get ugly", but I just tried to put some more distance between me and them, abandoning the plan. 

Second lap - (2:11 after leaving the aid station - I set the course record at Otter Creek last year in 3:19  so seeing an average of just under 1:06 a lap on a slower course was a little scary).  Especially scary considering that it had already started raining and I had already started cramping. 

Finish - (2nd place 3:35)  What happened?  Coming off of the second lap I was experiencing some pretty significant cramping and the picture was getting a little dark around the corners.  But, I hadn't seen anyone behind me in a long time and just tried to maintain something that looked like running.  The rains had made the downhills almost impossible to stand on, let alone run safely down.  The flats and the climbing too slowed due to the mud I tried to tell myself, but in reality I knew I was just dying.  Still, I couldn't see anyone at the top of the descent into Otter Creek when I got to the bottom of what is a long section of trail full of switch backs - so I just kept telling myself that I had put on enough time and this was just a marathon.  "No big deal.  Mine to win".  And, as I had those fleeting thoughts, I was coming apart pretty badly and tightening up on a steep little rise when I heard "On your left!"  What?  It was Mike Hermanson and he was just scooting along with fluidity that I hadn't felt since an hour earlier.  I had no idea he was back there, and by the end, he put over seven minutes on me.  Well, I was right - it got ugly. 

But, it's not necessarily a bad way to end the year.  2011 ended with a win and a course record.  2012 ended with a 2nd and barely dragging my sorry carcass to the finish.  A little fire in the belly is a good thing with the long winter miles approaching.  Time to get ready for Lovin' the Hills - the toughest 50k around.  Can't wait.   

Rave(n) Run

Stolen from the pages of Running Times, the "Rave Run" that I went on today was at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary outside of Lexington KY.  My only knock on Lexington's park system has been a lack of really rugged natural lands with trails available.  I've been spoiled by the epic trails of Jefferson Memorial Forest in Louisville, Otter Creek in Brandenburg, and by living in the country where I can actually access the backside of Bernheim Forest Arboretum and research forest with some sleuth parking and a long fire road approach.

But, for me Lexington has always meant training on the roads and UK Arboretum's 2 mile loop, Henry Clay's track, or the very nice paved Legacy Trail (providing a 22+ mile day from my girlfriend's house).  Finally I made the short drive to Raven Run Nature Sanctuary to see what it had to offer.  Masters national records holder, Kevin Castille, told me that he does a lot of his long runs out there, so I figured it had to have some mileage to offer. Featuring over ten miles of foot-traffic-only trails, this hidden gem gave me all I wanted today.  Initially, the trail enters the woods and is wide and groomed.   Lucky for me, within a 1/2 mile I was skipping from rock to rock and grinning from ear to ear.  While a person moving faster than a walk will have to knock out multiple loops to get a decent day out of it, the trails are just technical enough to keep you paying attention and don't have any punishing vertical challenges so you can just roll and roll.   They also offer a spectacular visitor center with running water and restrooms.   Check out the link the below, or if you're in the area, pay Raven Run a visit.  It's worth the trip.

http://www.lexingtonky.gov/index.aspx?page=276

2012 - Gear In Review

This post highlights some of my favorite Brooks gear that I've been racing in this year (you'll probably notice I'm wearing the exact same outfit in every picture of me racing - the only thing that changes is my choice of shoes) -

The Launch - my all time favorite shoe.  My plan is buy up a few extra pairs before the year's end because they are unfortunately phasing it out.  It has been replaced by the sweet Brooks Pure line (see Pure Grit below).  But, I will be sad.  I've turned countless people on to this shoe.  It's the perfect blend of cushion and lightweight.  It's been my everyday trainer and long distance racer for years (did every road marathon and went 64 1/2 miles in 10 hours wearing these).  In my humble opinion, this is hands down the best running shoe ever.  There, I said it.

Fast, fast, fast.   At a scant 6.4 oz. the T7 is a smokin' racing flat.  For years I raced in the original Brooks Ghost and then the Launch which were both very light trainers so they worked well for me.  But, with the discount available, I couldn't resist the neon and treated myself to a pair of T7's.  My longest single race in them has been a 6 1/2 miler, but I did rock these for all three legs of the Bourbon Chase totalling 18+ miles and never wished for anything more.  Lacing them up just makes you feel faster.  You'll look faster anyway.

If you look closely at the pic of me running at Otter Creek last December, you'll notice that I've got Inov-8 X-Talons on my feet.  They are a very minimal trail runner that I had used up through 50k and loved them.  So, the Pure Grit had big shoes to fill (can you say that about shoes?).   The second I got approved for the ID program, I ordered up these svelt trail runners.  My feet thanked me right away.  They are the absolute perfect blend of cush and minimalist feel.  The have a soft and fairly protective, confidence-building feel while, at the same time, coming in under 9 oz.  These are my new favorite trail shoes.  I've run a leg-destroying 50K w/ 14,000 feet of elevation gain (yes gain) and they were perfect.  I may venture up to the Cascadia for my 286 mile trek across the Sheltowee Trace Trail this summer, but these trail runners are the perfect tool for any one-utra-trail-run that I can throw at them. 

While not exactly my kit (couldn't find a pic of the blue shorts), this is the Distance singlet and Infiniti III shorts that I have done almost all of my racing in.  The singlet was a little brighter than I anticipated, but that is my only gripe about either garment.  The cut of the singlet is great with the high'ish neckline and racer-type back with plenty of room at the under arm.  The Infiniti shorts also fit and feel perfect.  The hip pockets hold gels or 1/2 sleeves of blocks and the cut is exactly what the distance runner needs to run - well, infinitly. 

103rd Thanksgiving Day 10k and the Brooks ID Leader Board

Humbling to say the least, the 103rd running of the Thanksgiving Day 10k in Cincinnati OH gave me an opportunty for good hard effort on turkey day morning.  This event in my hometown draws upwards of 17,000 people and typically produces some fast times.  I've traditionally spent Thanksgiving at Lake Cumberland so this was my first time trying the annual 6.2 miler.  Prior to this year's 36:02 at Rodes City, my 36:10 would've been a 10k PR.  This day it was good enough for 68th place overall and 4th in my 35-39 age group.

The Brooks ID Leader Board is something that helps keep me motivated for some of these fast races.   While not at all my forte, the fast road courses produce much higher VDOT scores (*see VDOT explained below).  My rank on the Brooks ID leader board has become a favorite part of my racing.  While the trail marathons and ultra marathons don't score you much in points, the road races will rack up some valuable scores.  It's fun to get finished with a weekend competition and add my race data as soon as I can find some intraweb.  As of today, I'm hanging just inside the top 25 - right behind Shayna from AZ and just ahead of David from NE (he runs a sub-4 min. mile - just doesn't race too much, whereas Shayna has a little lower VDOT but has posted seven more races than I have).  It's just so fun.

From a Running Times article by Coach Jack Daniels PhD:

Instead of referring to this pseudo VO2 Max (the one based strictly on performance) as VO2 Max, we use the term "VDOT." VO2 Max is properly stated "V-dot-O2Max." By placing a dot over the V, we’re identifying the rate of oxygen uptake—that is, the volume of oxygen consumed per minute. We shortened V-dot-O2Max to VDOT. This way, each runner has a reference VDOT value: a single number that’s easy to work with when comparing performances. This system is also ideal for setting training intensities because intervals, threshold runs, and even easy long runs and marathon-pace runs are best performed at specific fractions (or percentages) of each runner’s VDOT.

Look what I found...

While building my race resume to re-apply for the Brooks ID program, I was searching for a photo from the Mike Hill Memorial Lakefest 10k that takes place every 4th of July weekend in Jamestown KY.   It's the pic of my son Lane and I seen above.  But, what else I found was a very nicely done video from the local telecom company down there in the Lake Cumberland area. So here it is - a nice wrap up to the little bit of blogging I've done, I thought you all would enjoy. 

Look at time :12 - :20 - Lane winning the kids race.
3:37 - 3:50 - me finishing.
6:23 - 8:34 - me being interviewed post-race.

Statebound

Good evening all.  I'm writing this post minus two wisdom teeth, following a quick trip to Lake Cumberland to deliver my mother from L'ville International to my grandparents' house at Lake Cumberland, and, what seems like so long ago, a Regional Championship weekend.  With a little time to reflect, the Regional Championship results have taken on even more meaning.  It's about what it means to the program as a whole, it's about what it means to each individual member of this team, and it's what it means to the TNHS community.  I witnessed a program ascend to prominence in its first year of competition much to the surprise of those that know high school running in Kentucky.  I had the opportunity to cheer on amazing triumphs and to share in some of the hardest heartaches.  And, I saw the TNHS community represented by 15 of the most amazing young people that I've ever had the opportunity to work with.  Special congrats to the boys team (who PR'd across the board - seven out of seven!) and ran 3rd (narrowly missing 2nd - 3 points!) and qualified for the State Championships.  And, to Sadie Middleton who laid it all on the line, suffered through a self-imposed blistering pace, and qualified herself for the State Championships with a huge PR - you rocked it!