I will start the sharing.

During the weekday, I am looking for a trail close to home that is runnable. Small requirements but not always easy to find in the burbs of north Dallas.

Fortunately over the past few months I have found an urban trail close to home, where I have created a 3.3 mile loop out at the Oak Point Nature Preserve. It is flat by most trail running standards but there is a hill that half of the route dances up, down, and around.

Here are some pics capturing my local run on the dirt.

Click on image to enlarge.

Photo Journey

Parking lot: Trailhead

Short section of concrete before hitting the trail.

Flowers along the route

Hop on Caddo Trail.

Early section along Caddo Trail.

One of a couple tree step-ups.

Close to the entire first mile wiggles along a creek.

Turn off Caddo Trail - onto Redbud Way

Then you hope out of the woods for a short concrete jaunt before entering the open field - High Meadow Trail.

High Meadow Trail - Working your way up the hill.

Open prairie view on the hill up on Blue-Eyed Trail

Exit Blue-Eyed Trail onto Old Morton Vale Road - Unused dirt road.

Just took the dogleg left on Old Morton. Follow within this tree enclosed section until the road ends. Then turn around and come back on the dirt road.

The biggest climb on the route. Up Old Morton road.

Up the small climb and continue cruising along Old Morton.

more flowers

At the end of Old Morton - A small section of concrete.

Then back on High Meadows Trail as we work our way back down the hill.

Cool tree at base of the hill.

Another short section of concrete.

...and more flowers

Back in the woods - Old Oaks Trail

Connection onto Sycamore Pass.

Finally, hook back on Caddo Trail to return to the place you entered the trail. A short run along the concrete back to the parking lot and the 3.3 mile journey is complete. Refill bottle and go again!

This is a close-to-home trail you will see me running on multiple times per week. What trail(s)s are you often playing on?

If you would like to share a pictorial or video highlighting your local go-to trail, simply send me a message through my Contact page and we will share your run on Endurance Buzz.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Wee-Chi-Tah Trail Run – 2010 Summer Results
• The Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl Trail Series – 30 km Superman Flyover
• The Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl Trail Series – 2010 Results
• New Texas Trail Running Club – Texas Trail Nerds
• McMillan Running – Interview with Texas Ultrarunner Meredith Terranova

Texas was stop number 23, which means Lisa had already ran/walked/whatever 1100 miles in less than one month’s time. Then live in an RV with four others while averaging four hours a sleep a night. Try to wrap your head around that.

Morning

At 5:30 am, a cozy group of us gathered in front of event headquarters for the day, local running store and project supporter Luke’s Locker, located in north Plano. Conditions were actually quite pleasant with clear skies and a hint of coolness in the air. You couldn’t help but be excited for the day.

Before we got started, Lisa was interviewed by a local news channel and then her and Sister Mary Beth walked around and gave all of us hugs. This was followed by a short prayer by Sister Mary Beth and then a “Where do we go?” from Lisa. The journey has started.

My original plan for the day was to run/walk two loops, hang out for the middle miles of the day, and then rejoin for the final miles. Notice, I did say “original”.

The course was about a 5.5 mile loop that took us around/through a couple scenic corporate campuses and back. The surface was both sidewalk/concrete and finely crushed gravel.

Lisa said she was feeling pretty rough and felt like the wicked witch from the west (her words), but she kept moving forward with smiles and kindness. The entire first loop everyone walked together.

Starting the second loop some people started doing their own running while in small groups or solo. Since it was a nice tight course, you would always see people going back-and-forth. Throughout the day, a few runners would leave and some new ones join in.

After loop two, I swapped shoes because I was feeling some hot spots on the back of my heel. Strange. Unfortunately the burn continued for the rest of the day and it wasn’t until I looked at the socks did I realize the cause. For some strange reason, the socks had some decorative stitching towards the back of the heel which made it a bit rough on the inside of the sock. 50 miles of rub, rub, rub, turned into two quarter sized blisters. Goodbye to those socks!

Wendy and Griffin joined in on loop three. We ran/walked some with both Sister Mary Beth and Lisa. Good stuff!

Sister Mary Beth kept ticking off the miles, in the full habit and all. While Lisa does the 50 miles, Sister Mary Beth will do 20-25 miles. Pretty cool!

Seeing the running shoes on Sister Mary Beth, it just plain cool. You can’t help but smile. She also has this great personality and humor…you couldn’t help but chuckle as she was telling us about the police officer that took about 12 double takes as she was running alongside the road.

After each completed loop, Lisa and Sister Mary Beth would regroup and rest for 10-15 minutes or so before starting another loop. Depending on what Lisa needed, she would change shoes/socks, ice her feet, massage, eat, or just plain rest.

Afternoon – The Hunt

As the day progressed those clear morning skies, led to a fairly warm afternoon.

Lisa would tell us that six cents would provide a meal for a child around the world. So what happened for a portion of the late afternoon? We all started looking for loose change on the ground as we jogged.

The final eight or so miles turned into this big scavenger hunt, in which we would run through giant parking lots or ramps and look for coins on the ground. Lisa was lovin’ the change of pace and a chance to get out of the sun and probably most importantly, get her mind away from running…we were all having fun with it. As long as her Garmin kept it’s satellite connection and ticked off the miles, we were golden.

Whenever someone would find a coin, there would be some hollerin’. It was pretty funny. I think the heat and miles were getting to all of us but we kept moving forward with this child-like enthusiasm.

Wendy and Griffin also joined in on some of the late afternoon fun as we worked the parking lots. Griffin was in the jogger and would say, “I am chasing you” to some of the other joggers as we scanned the lots. Eventually Wendy and Griffin stopped at a big water fountain and played for a while as we finished off the rest of the miles.

Then finally, it was time to head back to the start/finish area as mile 50 was fast approaching. The small group of us all started jogging towards the front of Luke’s Locker together as Lisa waved her white towel saying, “I surrender”, and then it was done. 50 miles! Woohoo!

After hugs, photos, and some banter, everyone started to head home.

Then I had to come to the realization that I moved my body 50 miles today and actually felt pretty good besides those darn blisters. This was truly an experience like no other running event I have ever done. The amazing people, the purpose, the fun. It had it all.

Lisa, Sister Mary Beth, and the entire Running Hope Through America team – simply amazing people.

If the project interests you, be sure to check out runhope.com where you can see her upcoming schedule and the tax deductible donation page. As noted above, every dollar actually does help and goes 100% to the charities defined.

Live a life of purpose. There is no other way.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Lisa Smith-Batchen Finishes Her 2500 Mile Run for Orphans
• Running Hope Through America – OK, TX, LA Updates
• Running Hope Through America – TALON Region Dates
• The Ultra Walk – How To Turn Up The Speed
• Luke’s Locker Running Store – Now In Allen Texas

Here is a wisdom packed short interview with Wayne Solinsky, father of competitive runner Chris Solinsky.

You may want to watch it a few times to catch all of the nuggets.

(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

Btw, on May 1, 2010 Chris Solinsky (6′1” / 165 lbs) broke the American 10 km record with a 26:59. Watch this inspiring run! The video captures the entire 10km run, so if you don’t want to watch it all, forward to the last mile or so.

I can’t stop thinking about the potential power of Belief, Passion, and Action.

BPA does not guarantee anything but opens up the door of potential for many things.  The personal decision to engage in life may be the gold treasure of it all.

Looking back on my life, I am not one that has that natural talent. I am not one that can try something for the first time and already appear as a skilled master. That didn’t stop me from going after the things I wanted to experience and develop a level of proficiency. I had to apply effort…significant effort…many may even call this work, but it never felt like work (most of the time). BPA was in action.

A few examples of BPA in my life:

• Painting landscape scenes.
• Playing guitar and being in a little band during college.
• Earn a EE degree.
• 200 lbs inactive/unhealthy adult to a much healthier active adult.
• Learning to swim 50 meters and then eventually 2.4 miles.
• Simply complete a sprint triathlon and then three time Ironman finisher.
• Deep internal development of who I am as a person. (on-going)
• Run 5 km to Boston marathon qualifier.
• Finish a 100 km trail run.

There are also plenty of unreached goals or desired life experiences such as qualifying for Kona or finishing my first 100 mile trail run (this chapter is still open). That is all really OK (after pouting for a couple days). BPA helped create the possibility, and oh, what a journey it has been.

BPA is applicable for sport, non sport – Life.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

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The fun run started at 5 pm and included two three mile loops with the aid-station/start/finish nicely positioned right in the center. The basic format was to have fun and run as many loops as you wanted until 10:59 pm or whenever everyone decided to leave.

(Charity run organizer Antje (left))

The front three contained some nice climbs and descents, while the back three was flatter and allowed one to open it up if desired. There was no speed in our legs so we just cruised along, chatted, and enjoyed the amazingly mild weather. It was a perfect day to be out on the trails.

We were five or so minutes late to the start so we missed the small group that had already started down the trail. David P. and I casually grabbed our stuff and began following the flour arrows leading the way.

(David P. leading us on the trail.)

The Front Three+

We worked our way up the first climb which brought us to the top of this hill overlooking the area. Sweet! We were loving it…while trying to relocate our lungs. There was a big wind farm close by which was pretty cool to see.

(wind turbines in the distance)

(David P. enjoying the view.)

(SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

As part of the trail running experience…we got lost for a half mile before retracing our route, picking up another lost soul, and getting back on track.

All three of us finished the first loop+ – lovin it!

The Back Three

The back loop took us along some nice single-track that guided us like a flowing stream as we wiggled our way through the trees, into the fields, and back into the trees. And then we came to a screeching halt…and the stare-down began.

(One BA Bull!)

This picture really doesn’t give it justice as this guy was huge. His head was about the size of my entire upper body and fangs the size…wait, no fangs but one tough lookin’ mofo. So the three of us stood there and looked at him. Mr. Bull ate some grass and looked at us but didn’t move a hoof.

As the three of us started to discuss who had the best insurance policy, we decided to do a little re-route which allowed us to get 15 meters on the back-side of Mr. Bull.

(David P. – Designated Bull Scout)

After completing the loop we relaxed a few minutes at the aid-station, refilled bottles, chatted a bit, and then decided to head out for another relaxed loop.

Here is a flyover video using the Garmin Forerunner 305 data for the 6-ish mile complete loop.

If you can’t see the flyover video, click here.)

Loop Two Fun

(David P. having too much fun as glucose levels began to drop.)

(My face the entire run – besides the Bull encounter.)

Nightfall

After making it back to fun-run headquarters, we were officially handed the locally handcrafted rocks especially made for the winners…yes, David P and I took home our first overall co-win! It was unbelievable, as tears streamed down my eyes. It was a moment, I am sure we both will never forget.

After some enjoyable banter among the few still hanging around, David and I decided to head out to run the front three to enjoy a few miles of night running. Everyone else packed up and left as we continued our journey.

(nice sunset)

(Now I am having too much fun – what glucose?!?)

We walked and talked much of this loop. We took a couple breaks as David P. shared insight from a second hobby, astronomy. Good stuff!

We ran the last half mile back to the car to finish our run with 16 total miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain/descent…about 10 more miles than we are both currently used to but smiles all the same.

(David P. smiling with his local award.)

(Life is good! These awards rock!)

A big thanks to Antje for organizing this charity fun run. It was a day that reminded me why trail running is so much dang fun.

…and then we packed up, turned off the lights, and headed home.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Wee-Chi-Tah Trail Run – 2010 Summer Results
• The Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl Trail Series – 30 km Superman Flyover
• The Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl Trail Series – 2010 Results
• New Texas Trail Running Club – Texas Trail Nerds
• McMillan Running – Interview with Texas Ultrarunner Meredith Terranova

My yearly running odometer just rolled over 300 miles and we are nearly four months into 2010.  I have to chuckle at the roughly 18 miles/ week average. The number drops quite a bit (to 10-ish) if you take out Bandera and Rocky. I am grateful it isn’t the big donut!

Since the knee tweak at Rocky Raccoon 100 in February, I have settled into an accepting recovery phase and have including various overall strength and stability work. Over the last few weeks I have been getting tossed around with Pilates, Yoga, and Boot camps at my local club. Who would have thought you could have streams of sweat coming down your face while standing on one leg. It happens…at least for me.

Progress

Over the last three weeks, the body has allowed me to move into an every-other-day running routine. It feels great to have some kind of consistency again. Most all the runs are in the 4-6 mile range.

Running miles in March – 38

Running miles so far in April – 48

Progress!

Local Dirt

To reduce some of the road pounding close to home, I created a fun 1.25 mile loop on some open prairie trails and an unused dirt road, out at Oak Point Nature Preserve. It is all very runnable with some nice grade changes (no big climbs) to work a whole variety of muscles. I will be able to expand the distance/route as the clay dries up a bit.

New Tread

I have been putting in a fair amount of miles on the Montrail Rockridge. The shoe is a little bit beefier than the Masochist and has a tread pattern that could be quite versatile in our region. More thoughts coming on these.

No races planned..yet.

The journey continues…

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

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It is now five weeks post-Rocky Raccoon and I am starting to get a bit annoyed with this recovery-mode crap.  I yearn for that breeze in my face as a bead of sweat rolls down my cheek, the sensation of roots and pebbles beneath my feet, and hearing that inner orchestra that only plays when the body is working together to create this melodic expression called running.

I am not the only one that hears this music, am I?

Passion can be a double-edged emotional sword at times but I will take passion over apathy any day.

The at times, mentally hard and physically slow journey continues. My running adventures will remain very low-key through the end of the month to let my body (especially knee and Achilles) heal up. A few three mile jogs, some weight/core work, and a couple elliptical sessions will continue to be my weekly staple of activity.

Over the weekend, I did enjoy 1.5 miles on a flat, local park trail…and it was good!

After another 2.5 weeks (body willing), I hope to begin another chapter of my endurance sports journey.

But until then…

(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Top 100 Times in 2009 – Melanie Fryar at Rocky Raccoon 100
• Top 100 Mile Times in 2009: Liza Howard at Cactus Rose 100
• Top 100 Mile Times in 2009: Peter Vrolijk at Rocky Raccoon 100
• Top 100 Mile Times in 2009: Veronica Battaglia at Rocky Raccoon
• The Journey Back to Ultrarunning

• 30 mile long runs
• 60 mile weeks
• Effortless Running
• Feel Like an Ultrarunning Warrior
• Race

Injury.

• 3 mile long runs
• 12 mile weeks
• Sluggish Running
• Feel Like an Ultrarunning Wuss

Me.

Since my knee issue at Rocky, I have been in serious healing/recovery mode and enjoying a few too many scoops of ice cream.

Oh how perspective can change. From a solid sweat building five hour trail run, to being grateful for a three mile continuous run without any knee discomfort. So abrupt. Little warning. Life.

As an ultra athlete that finds great pleasure and joy in the the long stuff, a three mile run is two miles short of a warm-up.

Recovering from an injury can be a hard pill to swallow. Recent running memories tease you with what use to be. Frustration and disappointment can control our mental states. But I want to be there. Sometimes it can be tough to get the mental focus out of our head.

To eliminate/reduce the mental madness and powerless victim role, I have tried to approach this situation with acceptance and active engagement in my recovery process.

Instead of concerning myself with where I have been, I focus on where I am at.

My focus is on:

• Pain-free running – This is currently 3 mile runs, every other day.
• A renewed focus on overall strength and core work – 4 days per week
• Flexibility
• Eating ice cream every day

Volunteering at Cross Timbers was another way to stay involved/connected to the sport and support others on their ultra journey.

The recovery continues…

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Top 100 Times in 2009 – Melanie Fryar at Rocky Raccoon 100
• Top 100 Mile Times in 2009: Liza Howard at Cactus Rose 100
• Top 100 Mile Times in 2009: Peter Vrolijk at Rocky Raccoon 100
• Top 100 Mile Times in 2009: Veronica Battaglia at Rocky Raccoon
• Patience

I helped at the mile 12.5 aid-station (PawPaw Point) as the time-split recorder. Here are some photos I took at the aid-station throughout the day. If you see a photo of yourself, be sure to download if you like it.

(If you can’t see the photos, click here.)

Volunteer Report

While still in recovery mode since my Rocky Raccoon 75, I thought Cross Timbers would be a great chance to help out and support other trail runners in getting it done.

My post for the day would be the PawPaw Point aid-station. It was located at mile 12.5-ish and was the turnaround spot for the 50 mile and marathon runners. After the initial buffet table setup, my main role for the day was to record the splits as athletes came through.

Observations from flip-side:

• 30 minutes – The 30 minute spread between the 50 mile and marathon start was great. This spread created no congestion at our aid-station and allowed us to provide almost individual service to each runner. Just about the time most of the 50 milers have come-and-gone, the marathoners started trickling in.
• Sweat rate - It was definitely apparent that all the runners had various sweat rates. Some runners were extremely wet when we saw them and others appeared completely dry. This seemed to highlight the individual nature of fluid/electrolyte requirements.
• Mud – Areas of the course had some mud so clean shoes no longer. Nobody appeared to take any diggers as the rest of the body appeared mud-free.
• Grateful – I think nearly every runner said “thank you” to us at the aid-station. That says a lot about the character of the runners. Hopefully we helped them a bit as well.
• Food – Further confirmation that race nutrition is individual. Most interesting fuel source I observed during the day – 8 ounces of milk with a slice of cheese. This person was a front runner as well.
• Spirit – It was fairly apparent who was still rippin’ it and who was having to dig deeper within themselves. It was kind of fascinating to watch the human spirit in action.

Volunteering at an event offers a new perspective on the sport we enjoy. You also get a slight taste of the time/energy/coordination that goes into putting on an event. This is much greater than one may realize.

It was a good day.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Cross Timbers Trail Run 2010 Results
• Wee-Chi-Tah Trail Run – 2010 Summer Results
• The Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl Trail Series – 30 km Superman Flyover
• The Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl Trail Series – 2010 Results
• New Texas Trail Running Club – Texas Trail Nerds

Welcome all DNF ultrarunners.

My name is David Hanenburg and I dropped at mile 75 of the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile trail run. The drop provided the unique participant label, the undesirable DNF (Did Not Finish). This was definitely not my goal, but was what I received.

Below you will see a six step process to DNF recovery.

1. Laughter – Laugh! Real, fake, whatever. Realize you are way more than any label.
2. Acceptance – Accept that you got tossed around and thrown by the side of the trail or road of the ultrarunning adventure. And albeit shortened, it was one heck of an experience.
3. Listen – Drink a glass or bottle of your refreshment of choice, sit down with the DNF, and listen to what it has to say. Yes, DNFs can talk especially after a couple choice drinks.
4. Assess – Take the time to reflect on what the DNF had to say.
5. Assimilate & Act – Let the DNF’s words inspire you to grow within your unique endurance sports journey.
6. Run – Then get back out on the trails or road and have some fun.

If the above six steps don’t help you, you can always erase the experience from memory.

What was the main emphasis during my DNF chat session? – Structural Strength and Support

I have known this for the last couple years but haven’t done much about it. Hearing it from someone else (the drink was good) has put new importance and energy behind this personal ultra growth opportunity.

I now see the sign clearly but don’t know where it will lead me and I am OK with that. Movement versus stagnation provides the only opportunity to grow. I am ready for the journey.

Please share any specific concepts and actions that you feel have helped your structural strength and support.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

(Photo: Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/monstermunch/ / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Related Articles:

• The Ultrarunner’s Heart
• Ultrarunning: Embrace the Nectar
• I Added To My Collection
• Texas Trail Running Race Profile: Palo Duro Trail Run
• Podcast: Joe Prusaitis Talks Ultrarunning

It has proved evident by the source video that managing a knee tweak during the event does not produce the somewhat smooth and non-chattery video one would like so…I ended up trying to remove some of the overcompensated jerkiness with some additional post-processing. It turned out smoother but less clear and with some distortions. (sigh)

Hopefully the video can still provide a taste of the Rocky experience.

Enjoy the Psychedelic Re-mix.

(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Rocky Raccoon 100 Trail Run Loop Flyover
• Rocky Raccoon 100 Winner Liza Howard – Endurance Planet Interview
• DNF At 75.6
• Rocky Raccoon 100 – Names and Faces of the Race
• Rocky Raccoon 100 – Numbers, Weather, and Reality