Well, this adds a wrinkle to things…

So for the next couple hours Griffin vomited what looked like mucus and water every 15 minutes or so. It didn’t take long to determine G-man, Wendy, and Ainsley were not heading up for the race. If Griffin’s condition didn’t improve dramatically throughout the morning, I would be staying home as well. The Go, No-Go time was pushed back to noon.

After a couple hours of concern, Griffin was feeling close to normal by 10 AM. No longer vegetating on the couch. Wanting to play. Wanting to eat…a lot. My little bro was basically back to himself by 11 AM. The Pumpkin Holler adventure was ON but Wendy, Griffin, and Ainsley would stay home…just to be safe. After the race we would hopefully all be healthy for the State Park adventure. Fingers crossed.

The Race

First, this race was extra special to me because I would finally be able to meet Ken Childress and Brian Hoover from the TATUR crew up in Tulsa. These guys have been a huge supporter of Endurance Buzz since the early, early days of this little site that had the big idea of being a resource that connects the amazing trail/ultra people and races within a five state area. It was so great to meet you both…and Thank You for all the support!

Now let’s get ready to race…

After an OK night sleep, race morning shared with us some crisp, cool, windless air as the sun rose into the cloudless sky. It was a utopic morning. After quickly getting my timing chip I headed back to the car in hopes of getting the USB modem working on my laptop to provide some race coverage after my 50 km adventure. It worked! Time to run!

A brief chat with some good friends Tim and Stephanie Jagoda, the gun was shot (literally) and we started as all ultras do – a slow shuffle out of the gates intermixed with lots of chatter between runners.

The course was simple – a 50 km clock-wise loop with 3,000 feet of climbing on rolling dirt roads within the J.T. Nickel Preserve that included one short out-and-back section.  Nearly everywhere you looked a deep, vibrant color of green was on display with periodic hints of Fall approaching. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace throughout the run. A few dog barks would turn on the spidey senses for a while but then you would blend back into the natural surroundings. Flowing with the terrain.

While I am a huge fan of technically challenging courses, there was something special about not having to be on high alert to prevent the foot from hitting the next root or boulder. You actually could look around…while running…and enjoy the landscape portrait environment you were running in.

I kept the effort very easy throughout the first seven miles. Chatted with Stephanie and other runners through mile six or so and then many began to dial into their own race pace.

Mile 7-10 contained the only out-and-back segment for the 50km runners, and you couldn’t help but feel a little spunky as runners were coming back and you were heading out. I was running nearly two minutes per mile faster in this section than the earlier miles. You couldn’t help it. The feedback from the other runners felt like a giant wave of running mojo was carrying you along the trail. Of course, the wave does eventually recede and it becomes you and the road/trail once again.

I passed through the first 10 miles in around 1:42.

The next 10 miles include a couple more nice climbs and plenty of nature to enjoy. I really felt good through this section and really just let the body run. The temps were starting to go up as the sun reached its mid-day location in the sky. These middle miles seemed to have the most exposure to the sun and I was starting to feel a bit dehydrated.

I scampered through mile 10-20 in 1:36. Twenty miles completed in 3:18.

Cruising into mile 22.2 aid-station, Hard Up Ahead, I was starting to feel the miles. I filled up my handheld, grabbed a high-octane caffeinated gel, and marched out onto the only brief pavement segment of the course.

The remaining nine miles to the finish were a run/walk, keep it movin’ kind of effort. I passed through the marathon mark in 4:31 while hiking up one of the remaining hills.

Mile 20-30 took 2:04. Yes, the pace was slowing and the discomfort continued to rise, but man, this was exactly where I wanted to be.

Crossing some rock formation.

Running back across the river into the park and heading down the finish chute I see and hear my buddy Tim (who finished second male in the 50k!) cheering at the finish. It felt great to cross that line in 5:36:33!

Then Tim looks back and sees his wife, Stephanie smiling her way to the finish line. This was her first 50k attempt and finish! A big congrats to her. She said she saw me over the last mile or so and was trying to catch me. I had no idea and would have been caught if the race was 31.5 miles.

Steph and Tim

Really, really a great race! Thank you Ken, Brian, and all the amazing volunteers!

Post Race Reflections

• Course – Due to its non-technical nature, a fast course. The many opportunities to open-it-up requires even more attention to pacing so as not to burn too many matches early on. Beautiful area!
• Gear – Nathan Quickdraw Plus Handheld and INOV-8 X-TALON 212 shoes – I would use them both again! Although the X-TALON’s have some beefy lugs, they integrated with the dirt roads without any issues. No blisters.
• Race execution – A little too much spice during the middle miles. May have burnt a few more matches than I realized.
• Training – I ran between 12-23 quality miles/week (avg 19 miles) in the eight weeks leading up to the race and included 3-4 days of strength training per week. Do you need to run high mileage to finish an ultra – I don’t think so! With this low training mileage, I do need to be extra sensitive to pacing throughout the first 3/4 of the race. Still workin’ on that.

EB Live!

After a bite to eat, chat with fellow runners, and a quick shower in the park, I pulled out the laptop, struggled with internet connectivity for a while, and finally started providing beta live coverage of the remainder of the 100 mile and 100 km race through Twitter and the EB Live! page. I also periodically got involved with timing and aid-station support. What a great day and night!

By 6AM on Sunday morning, I was unable to keep my eyes open any longer and jumped in my car and fell asleep for a couple hours. Woke up shortly before 8am, talked to Brian about the female 100 mile winners and posted that before closing the coverage and starting the 4.5 hour drive back home.

Candy and Beavers

Strangest experience on the drive home. While at a gas station filling my tank, a recording says something along the lines of, “Harvard says people that regularly eat candy, live longer”. What?!?

I arrived home around 12:30 pm. We packed up and were on our way to Beaver’s Bend State Park in south east Oklahoma by 1:45 pm. 3.5 hours later, we enjoyed a couple days of this…

What a trip!

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Lake McMurtry Trail Race – 2011 Results
• Turkey & Taturs Trail Run – 2011 Results
• Lori Enlow Challenges the Impossible and Wins 2011 Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd – Interview
• Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd Trail Run Course Flyover
• Pumpkin Holler 100 – 2011 Results

Baby EBA – Born

Earlier this week I launched a new project of mine – Endurance Buzz Adventures!

This little dirt lovin’ tribe will deliver trail running experiences on the sweetest trails in the north Texas area and increase the number of great races we have in this part of the state.

The mission:

• Dirty Fun! – Provide high-quality, challengingly fun, and memorable running adventures on the sweetest trails in the north Texas area.
• One Planet – Execute events with an environmentally aware mindset.
• Kids Rock! – Provide opportunities for our little ones to share in the active lifestyle experience.
• Support Positive Change - A portion of each event’s proceeds will help support a local non-profit transforming our world for the better.

Similar to nighttime trail running, as this journey progresses I can only see the next 10 feet in front of me. But when you keep moving forward, step by step, you see another 10 feet. Learning…growing…yes, indeed.

My first adventure is in-the-books for December 10th, 2011 on the sweet, varied, and periodically rocky technical (I think Joe P. would be proud) trails at Isle du Bois State Park (55 miles north of downtown Dallas). I will offer a 50 km and 10 mile scamper.

If any of this interests you, feel free to check out the site – Endurance Buzz Adventures.

Also, we currently have a EBA Facebook page and Twitter account. I will have RSS/email feed soon but that isn’t quite set up yet.

I also must say thank you to those that have privately and publicly supported my little project. The trail running community is a group I am honored, humbled, and inspired to be a part of.

Baby Walnut – Coming Oh So Soon

Our new addition to the family, baby girl Walnut, will be here any day…or even hour now. Wendy is ready. I am ready. Her room is ready (at least initially). Griffin is ready…as long as she won’t take his cars.

Her room!

One of the photos we took in the neighborhood a couple weeks back. Love it.

Life is good!

Oh yeah, I will be running the Pumpkin Holler (50k) with the TATURs in October! Then a possible 100 km scamper at Bandera. This quality over quantity training approach is going to come in handy.

Another cup of coffee please…

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Bandera Mileage Milestones – Those That Can’t Get Enough
• Bandera Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Bandera 100 km: TALON Athletes Ready for USATF National Championship – Plus Periodic Race Updates
• Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd – New 100 Mile Run in the TALON Region
• Athlete Completes First Marathon/Ultra at Bandera 50 km – Video Highlights

Pedernales State Park (Photo: Courtesy arsheffield @ http://flic.kr/p/6rSwbm)

The Drive

Tim and I departed the north Dallas burbs before 2:00 pm with expectations of arriving at Pedernales State Park (NW of Austin) around 6:00 pm. The Falls 30 km race start 7:15 pm. A simple, laid-back plan that got a bit more exciting before we were even able to get outside the Dallas city limits.

Time it should take to leave the burbs and be cruisin’ down the highway south of Dallas – 30 minutes.

Actual – 1 hour 20 minutes.

While the outside temps were in the low 100s, it apparently got even hotter for the folks in a big coach bus that caught on fire in the early miles of interstate 35E. Two fire trucks, a handful of police cars, and one lane open. It looked at though everyone got off the bus safely. We began to feel a different kind of heat…

As we finally exited the city and hooked up on the scenic Hill Country drive along highway 281, Tim’s portable GPS had an estimated arrival time of 7:05 pm. 250+ miles later we arrived at the start park entrance with four cars in front of us. Time – 7:00 pm. I jumped out of the car and dashed inside to present our State Park pass and get our entrance ticket/receipt, telling Tim to get in the driver’s seat. A few minutes later I flagged Tim to go around the cars still waiting and we drove the never-ending park road mile to the race parking area.

Parking was in a big field area that was full of cars at this point. We quickly scanned the area trying to determine where to park and in a gracious twist of fate, one car backed out right next to the start line (looked like Olga V. – not completely sure) and we glided on in.

Shoes, Garmin/HRM, visor, HEED, fill two handhelds, Hammer gel, electrolytes, one car key for each of us. BAM! Off to get our packets.

The 60 km runners had already left (7:00 pm start) yet there were still plenty of runners hanging about that created a forest-like feel and made it a challenge to find packet pickup. After asking a couple runners, we made it to the table. Timing chip – check. Bib – check.

“Two minutes till we start!” – Race director Joe Prusaitis

The Race

Not quite the pre-race plan but we made it and were ready for a 30 km adventure! A couple fist-bumps and man grunts then Tim moved up into the extra spicy section, I positioned myself in the jalapeno-free group.

My basic plan coming into the race was to keep the heart rate below 160 bpm as much as possible through the final significant climb (mile 12.7) and then see what I had left for the final push to the finish. And of course, enjoy the heck out of this trail running experience.

Start -> Fence aid station (mile 5-ish)

Within the first half mile, I enjoyed a brief chat with John Sharp. He looked ready to dominate and quickly disappeared off down the trail. I tried to settle into a cruise rhythm to get myself to mile 12.7 with some hops still left in my stride.

The initial 1.5 miles was fairly tame double wide trail / jeep roads that included a scattering of Hill Country rocks to keep you honest.

We then dropped down along the rock shores of the Pedernales River. Not sure if I even saw any water. It was a cool, yet strange running environment as you trot from rock slab to rock slab. A short, but steep climb out of the river bottom before running along a park boundary fence that included rolling, non-technical terrain that gradually took us upwards to the Fence aid station. I didn’t need anything and rolled on out as soon as I got to the table.

The effort felt easy but the heart rate ran a bit hot. Needed to slow it down a little.

Avg heart rate for this segment – 163 bpm

Clock time – 56:59

Fence aid station (mile 5) -> Pipe aid station (mile 8.4)

After some more running along the park boundary we danced along some varied single track. Plenty of little ups and down mixed in with a buffet of scattered rocks. The trail began to remind me of the Rockledge Rumble event up in Dallas. No huge climbs but the terrain is always changing which can provide its own unique challenge as you are always changing gears to maintain a consistent effort.

I arrived at Pipe aid station feeling pretty good and could tell that I had saved a few heart beats during this segment. Refilled both bottles and a quick “hey!” with Cheri Linwood workin’ the aid station and I was off.

Avg heart rate for this segment – 160 bpm

Clock time – 1:36:56

Time to turn on the headlamp!

Pipe aid station (mile 8.4) -> Pipe aid station (mile 11.81)

This segment is a counter clockwise loop that started with a downhill dirt road scamper before branching off and dancing along some singletrack. A few little rocky technical descents that would hurt if you caught a toe but all very runnable.

I caught up to a solo female runner that was glad to have some company as she thought she saw animals scurrying around. I didn’t notice anything and the conga line forming behind me mentioned the Blair Witch Project so I guess a few people caught sight of something.

Enjoyed a few glances at the stars and moon above. Gave thanks for this experience as the body was beginning to gradually feel the miles.

Off the single track back onto the dirt road and some double track trail before a nice little climb to test the gojo as you arrive back to the Pipe aid station.

Avg heart rate for this segment – 161 bpm

Clock time – 2:18:57

A quick bottle refill and I began a steady walk up the next little climb and determined my strategy for the remaining miles.

Pipe aid station (mile 11.81)  - > Drain aid station (mile 15.22)

I still felt like I had an extra gear so instead of a gradual consistent increase in effort, I dialed it up to 11. Obviously the carbs were not going to the brain. Looking back, not the smartest decision with 6.50-ish miles to go (ya think?!?) but try I did.

It was fun chasing the two-legged headlights along the varied single-track in front of me. Like a wild animal chasing his prey, I got excited when I saw an increase of dust particles floating in the air in front of me. I was closing in.

After 2.5 miles of pushing near the top of my tempo effort (175 bpm), the hunt turned into a night-time stroll. This extra push along with the warm temps at some point shut down my stomach. Argh!

I did prevent one dude from missing a turn a wondering off into neverland. He cruised 30 meters pass the left arrow, glow sticks, and wrong way sign. One good courtesy yell and he was back on track.

The Drain aid station had the coldest, most amazing water. The simple things. I could have stayed there the rest of the night sipping from these taps.

Avg heart rate for this segment – 168 bpm

Clock time – 3:02:30

Drain aid station (mile 15.22) ->  Finish

The remain 5 km turned into an interval session. Run steady until I hit that threshold that said walk. Walk for 60 seconds. Repeat. For whatever reason, I had no interest in digging extra deep and override the walk desires.

Finish clock in site. Up a short little hill and the 30 km journey was complete!

Avg heart rate for this segment – 163 bpm

Official finish time – 3:40:45

Tim knocked out a solid 3:01:22! Way to go bro!

A big thanks to Joe and all the volunteers!

Running hangover

I was looking forward to grabbing a burger and chatting with those I was unable to prior to the race start, but before that I gulped down two bottles of ice-cold gatorate/power-aid/lemon-aid (not sure which) that was sitting in a plastic pitcher at the finish. Tasted amazing but that was where the fun ended!

Talking to people didn’t happen.

Stomach still didn’t feel right. Couldn’t eat any food. Stomach still turned off.

Found an edge of the parking area/field that didn’t have people or vehicles around and emptied a couple gallons of fluid out of my belly. Unfortunately the place I chose was right next to the road out of the parking area. To those that saw a man hunched over pretending to look at some fallen trees as you left the park, that was me.

Felt much better after that but my head felt like I had been partying instead of running the last four hours. Fortunately Tim felt good and was willing to drive as I tried to regroup. Some ice, a little bit of coconut water, an ice cream sandwich, and 1-2 hours had me feeling mostly normal again.

We road tripped it all the way back to Dallas.

Rolled into bed at 5:00 am.

What a trip!

Post Race Reflections:

• Course – Fun! Technical moments (small and moderate sized loose and fixed rock) but mostly all runnable. The best way to train for this course would be on trail with constant short grade changes.
• Gear – The INOV-8 X-talon 212s were always smilin’ on this terrain. Using two handhelds worked great. Wish I would have carried a couple 100 calories of HEED with me for bottle refill.
• Race Execution – Positive-Split by 11-ish minutes. Was aiming for a negative-split. Looked like I may have burned a few matches in the first five miles with the heart rate dancing above 170 bpm for short segments of time. The middle miles fell more within my effort plan. As I began the “hunt” at mile 12.5, running at an effort above 170 bpm was rather silly. Five-plus miles of trail running is still a long way to go. A progressive effort build and heart rate cap until the final couple miles may have been a better choice.
• Training – Based on some previous training runs and having a basic idea of the course, I felt like a 3:30 finish would represent my current fitness. I still feel that is a pretty close woulda-shoulda-coulda estimation if I would have handled my effort a little better. Since Jemez 50 km (mid May), I ran between 6-25 miles/week with an average of 15 miles/week using a quality (w/ strength training) versus quantity training approach. I chuckled when I determined my average was only 15 miles per week.

What’s Next?

It’s nesting season!

Approximately four weeks until our little girl is welcomed into this world!

Wendy after winning...both games!

Griffin and I enjoying our usual swing-time after the midwife / birth center appointment Bag full of cars and Baba also made the trip.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Youthful Neal Lucas Raises the Trail Running Inspiration Bar – Interview
• the Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl’s Trail Series – 2011 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

Pedernales State Park (Photo: Courtesy dj @ oxherder arts @ http://flic.kr/p/6F4H3x)

Shortly after the race start, it will look like this! (Photo: Courtesy of dj @ oxherder arts @ http://flic.kr/p/6wxgCW

7:15 PM Start

Starting temperature ~100F

Finishing temperature ~90F

Control what you can to the best of your ability.

What does that mean for me?

• More fluids and electrolytes – Plan to carry two handhelds
• Run slower – Will wear a HRM to hold back the effort in the first half of the run.
• Smile!

The biggest challenge may be staying hydrated on the drive down as we bake inside the four-wheeled rotisserie oven…

Hope to see some of you at the race!

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• The Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl Trail Series – 2010 Results

Excited? Yeah baby!

The Jemez adventure is now just over a week away and has a few unique aspects for me:

• Jemez 50 km will be my first high-altitude mountain race. (course flyover)
• I will be running, hiking, and maybe crawling through this adventure with good friend and ultra newbie, David P. This will be his first run of any type above 30 km! The dude is going huge!  Stride for stride we will be.

Training Memories

The last couple months since the Grasslands half mary have really been filled with many special run experiences.

A crazy fun trail run with Hamlin J. and Patton G., followed by a dash into the ice cold lake.

David P. and I building some strength and endurance.

Enjoying the greening of Spring and some majestic images.

Being a part of Bill's 59 mile day.

Sitting in the back of Matt C.'s truck after finishing a great trail run at one of the highest locations in the Dallas area. As the storm continued to get closer the skies looked like this. It was time to roll! (Photo: courtesy of Esteban Glas http://flic.kr/p/3UNRqc)

Flatlander Altitude Training Hack

When you don’t live at altitude or own a bazillion dollar Altitude Tent, you have to get creative.

Those 20 mile runs were interesting...

Balance of Power – Another Princess in the Family

Within the last couple weeks, we found out Griffin is going to have a little sister! Excited family here…well….Griffin did say when we found out the sex, “but I want a boy!” He has recently been talking about our “little princess” so things are trending up.

Those feet look ready to keep up with her big brother!

Let the Experience Begin

Jemez 50 km will be my longest race in over a year. Crazy! My heart lives in the ultra distances so I am extremely grateful to have a body with the confidence to journey the distance and a rockstar family that supports my adventures.

Let’s play!

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• No Related Post

• Mild conditions
• Trail in great shape
• Great race support
• Family and friends abound

Plenty to be grateful for!

Team Hanenburg and special guest (and good friend) Tim Jagoda, cruised up to the southern shores of lake Texoma early Saturday morning for the local classic, the Cross Timbers Trail Run. Both Tim and I were running the half mary.

Strongest memories on the drive up:

• Griffin (nearly 4) expressed 10 or so times how he wanted to puke.  No puking occurred but G-man had a doozy of a poo a few hours later (in case you were curious).
• The huge moon shining in the western sky. Love it!

The course is a simple out and back that contains constantly varied and technical terrain (rock and root monsters) that requires fairly constant trail attention for most of the entire 13.5 miles. All climbs are under 100 feet but a few are steep enough to require both feet and hands to get to the top.

The half mary course. Click to enlarge.

Race Plan

For this type of course the plan was simple, hold something back for the back half and keep my heart rate under 175 bpm as much as possible.

The Loopy Start

After a couple fist bumps with Super-Dave Elliott, the first 3/4 mile consisted of 1/4 mile road running loops to help spread out the moderately sized group of runners before we dashed onto the single-track. Smart idea!

Garmin 305 – ON!

Heart rate monitor strap – oops! Forgot to put it on.

The start

During the road running section I quickly came up with plan B. On the way out, try and maintain a 3/3 breathing pattern. On the way back, transition to a 2/2. Hopefully this would prevent any excessive match burning during the first half of the race and leave a bit of jalapeño for the remaining miles.

Cool father moment – During each road loop Griffin would yell “hey daddy!” each time I passed. You couldn’t help but feel the love. I won’t forget that moment.

Waving to Wendy and G-man.

Run to the Far End (7.25-ish miles)

Tim was off running with the small lead pack and I entered the trail with the second wave of runners. It didn’t take long to be reminded of the fun, beautiful, and challenging course.

We started going up almost immediately. There should have been a sign at the top of the first climb – Welcome to Cross Timbers!

The course was in great shape and it just felt like you were in this private little trail running world. Various shades of green and brown were vibrantly on display everywhere. I flippin’ love the trails.

The two biggest memories of the initial out segment:

• Tim being the first person I saw coming back. The boy was leading the race and on a mission. He was rippin’ it! We slapped high-fives I was fired up.
• The rock stair climb right before the turnaround. On all fours baby!

Griffin enjoying some trail time as well.

The Return

I spent about 45 seconds at the turnaround aid-station to enjoy an extra cup of water and perform a quick stretch on my left hip to help keep things loose. I left the aid-station and walked the first 25 meters as I mentally focused for the return trip.

Again, there are really some beautiful sections of trail if you dare take a loop.

I transitioned into my 2/2 breathing pattern and pushed as much as I could. My legs still had life in them and I was feeling good. I ran everything but the steeper  segments and quickly passed a couple runners before going solo the final six miles.

The return trip felt like less climbing and after reviewing the data, the feeling was surprisingly accurate. The out portion had a net gain of 100 feet and the return had a net loss of 100 feet.

I came hopping down the final rock littered section of trail before crossing the finish line in 2:30:30 (per my Garmin).

Tim and I post race. Now let's find that beer.

A great, great morning on the trails!

Race execution thoughts:

• The breathing pattern throttle system worked great. I definitely had a few matches left to burn on the way back – and burn they did.
• My left knee held up to all the grade changes. Super fired up about this.
• Had a gel prior to the start and two during the race. Energy levels – good throughout.
• It was a good day. Nothing I would have changed (surprisingly).

Post Race

My buddy Tim, ended up winning the half marathon race (a couple minutes over two hours)! Huge congrats to him. Expect him to be mixing it up in more trail races this year.

We all enjoyed some post race food, a cold and tasty beer (nice work Tim!), hearty banter with Mr. Elliott, and the chillin’ post race vibe.

Slightly battered but not beaten. - Mr. Elliott post race. His humor still had a full tank of gas.

It was one of those days that you were in no rush for it to end…but a late afternoon birthday party was waiting so we eventually had to pack up and head south. Griffin was asleep within minutes of leaving the park.

Life was good.

Huge thanks to Teresa Estrada-McCoul and the entire support team for putting on a top-shelf event.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Cross Timbers Trail Run 2011 Course Flyover
• Cross Timbers Trail Run – 2011 Results
• Rebuilding the Support Frame and Visiting an Old Friend
• The Journey Back to Ultrarunning
• Cross Timbers Trail Run 2010 Results

As someone that really, really enjoys the ultra distance, it had been roller-coaster year of knee tweak management/recovery. After successfully testing the left knee (currently 90-95%) at the Bandera 25 km in early January, it is quite tempting to start cranking up the miles. Instead I have decided to journey down a different path and explore where this new trail leads.

Skill Building

In endurance sports we often hear about the engine. Build the engine. Build the engine. Well a powerful endurance engine is only as good as the frame supporting it. If the structural integrity goes to crap, that high powered efficient running motor can be quickly reduced to a clunker in need of a tow. My frame needs some work!

I would love to be able to simply run, run, run. This approach has yet to work for me. I breakdown. I become fragile. I get injured.

Instead of moving down a known path that has a fairly repeatable destination (tweakage), I have decided to take a right where I would normally go left. Over the past 6-ish weeks it has been plenty uncomfortable and awkward at times. A growth opportunity? Umm, yep…and that excites me (although it has taken a while).

I am currently doing various forms of strength work four times a week. Knocked out some squats for the first time in 7+ years. Now that’s a sight that may create a few giggles. I am embracing it and going after it…even if it is only the bar. Ya gotta start somewhere right?

My running has mainly consisted of shorter quality workouts done with emphasis on maintaining good (working on that) running form. This may include 200 meter repeats and 7-10 mile moderate effort runs. Mileage is currently under 20 miles per week.

And the truth is…I am really enjoying the process.

“Insanity: Doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results” – Albert Einstein

Will this new training approach create the structural integrity I desire? Honestly, I do not know yet…but I do know where I have been and that hasn’t work for me. It has taken me six months to truly commit to this new approach.  Somewhere in all this, FEAR has kept me from exploring, changing, growing.

“If you want to be rid of all anxiety, suppose that anything you are afraid of happening is going to happen in any case, then mentally calculate all the evil involved in it and appraise your own fear: you will undoubtedly come to realize that what you fear is either not great or not long lasting.” – Lucius Seneca

I’m in. I’m all in and committed to exploring the challenges, vistas, and growth opportunities of this new training path.

Biggest observations so far:

• Wake up call – I have found plenty of sleeping muscles that have been reawakened. It is kind of cool to have that “I can tell I worked those muscles” feel.
• 10k OK – In the past, the 10 km has been my least favorite distance due to the amount of  red-lining effort possible for most of it.  I have had a few hard 10 km efforts in my training and have developed an acceptance with the extended discomfort. This may be useful come ultra time.
• 175 bpm – A heart rate above 175 bpm means I better be close to the end of the run or I better not hold it for long else I begin to run backwards (not pretty but may be entertaining).

Back to Cross Timbers

This weekend, Team Hanenburg is heading up for the Cross Timbers trail run (half marathon). That last time I ran at this event was 2008 (race report – part 1, part 2).  I am stoked to get back on the varied rooty goodness along the southern shores of Lake Texoma.

Similar to 2008, it also looks like everyone is going to experience another spectacular sunrise early Saturday morning but this time temps are going to be 30 degree warmer.

Hope to see some of you there.

Let’s run!

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

(Photos: Courtesy of estimmel and anemoneprojectors)

Related Articles:

• Cross Timbers Trail Run 2011 Course Flyover
• Cross Timbers Trail Run – 2011 Results
• Cross Timbers Half Marathon Trail Run – 2011 Race Report
• The Journey Back to Ultrarunning
• Cross Timbers Trail Run 2010 Results

Here is the video capturing my adventure.

Enjoy!

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

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

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The Epic Drive

Thanks to a recommendation by good trail running buddy, Matt C., we explored the epic highway 281 drive from Dallas. Unlike Interstate 35, no 18 wheelers blowing you off the road every couple miles and it was rolling, rugged, Hill Country scenery nearly the entire trip down. You do end up driving through small, character rich towns to what felt like every 10 miles or so but we think our drive time was actually shorter than last year’s I35 route. Highly recommend!

We did encounter a few rather interesting observations along our 281 journey:

• Kill Country? – At times it felt more like the Kill Country instead of the Hill Country. We saw all kinds of signs welcoming hunters in all the small towns. Many deer stands were observed in the rugged terrain along the way.
• A store called Antiques and Old Stuff – Are there new Antiques?
• Interesting lawn ornament – A single prop plane painted in Texas state flag colors…located right in the middle of a small front yard. Interesting…

Use it or Lose it

It has been a while since I have gathered all my desired run stuff for a race. With the lack of trail race brain activity, my gathering skills came up a bit short.

We brought…

I forgot…

The 25 km Experience

With the star filled drive to the park…a mild 40 degrees in the pre-dawn hours…I knew it was going to be a special day on the trails.

Dude – I’m racing! So grateful…

Team Hanenburg gathered near the 25 km start line. Griffin shared some last minute strategy using two of his favorites – cars and dirt!

Does this guy look excited?!?

Final instructions for daddy. Turn here...then go fast.

“3…2…1…Go!”

course profile - click to enlarge

It didn’t take long before I settled into a rythmn that felt like a cruisin’-push. We ran along some nicely groomed trail before starting one of the handful of steep rock-littered hills this course is known for.

As I worked my way up the first climb, it felt… familiar. I reflected on how one year ago, I had my first encounter with the Bandera trails and ran each step with curious and anxious anticipation of what rocky challenge was coming up next.

This year was different. Similar to sharing a coffee with a special friend you haven’t seen in a year, yet able to pick up right where you last departed. That was Bandera this year. Although the physical separation has been significant (1 year), the spiritual or internal connection with the trail felt like we had never been apart.

It didn’t take long before I stopped to observe one of the magic moments that sustains life on our planet – the sunrise. I couldn’t help but say to myself, “Sh*t, this is cool!”.

Up, down, Up, down we go for most of this course. With acceptance and joy radiating through every cell in my body, I flowed with the ever changing trail.

Be Careful What You Wish For – You Just Might Get it!

“First trail race in 10 months this weekend. Excited, slightly nervous, and hopeful to stay up on two feet. Bandera, here we come!” – Facebook update a couple days before the race

I had to chuckle. Should have just kept my mouth shut!

At mile 5.50, on top of the third climb of the morning with camera firmly held in my left hand, my memory was briefly erased. How so? Apparently I shook hands with a rock that wouldn’t let go.

I really only have two still images from the digger experience:

• Spinning slowly like a rotisserie chicken four feet above the trail, parallel to the ground.
• The drop of the camera after hitting the rock littered ground.

A cool dude right behind me helped me up and in five seconds we were both back running. A quick audit had blood dripping along both palms, the rest of the body felt fine.

From mile nine onwards, I began to feel the effort. I had still only been drinking water from my pack (remember that HEED I forgot to bring) since I skipped aid-station #1, only water at aid-station #2, and aid-station #3 was at mile 11. Get me to 11! Plus Team Hanenburg will be there to add inspirational fuel for the final miles.

Entering the Cross Roads aid-station (mile 11), I immediately looked for some cals and grabbed a Huckleberry Hammer Gel. First time I actually have tried this flavor…d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. Of course, I probably would have enjoyed a handful of sand if I knew it would up my blood sugar levels.

After a quick chat with Wendy and Griffin shared that a 10 year old boy said, “Stupid”, I began to prepare myself for the final four miles to the finish.

4 more miles...

Mile 10.5 to 13 is a point in the course that actually stays fairly flat for an extended distance. This is a place you could knock out some fast mile splits…assuming you still had the mojo to get it done. My mojo was on low-jo. I had the mental energy to think about this opportunity but the physical remained a horse trot through the woods. I cracked the whip a couple times – no response.

One final short steep climb at mile 14 and then a gradual downhill, rock-free prance to the finish line.

I finished in 2:40 with a little blood on each hand but most importantly a knee that felt just as happy as when it started this journey over two hours ago…and for that I am most grateful.

Griffin and I sharing our scratch stories from the last couple hours.

A big thanks to Joe Prusaitis, the Tejas Trails crew, and all the various volunteers, that allow this event to happen. Also none of this would be possible or nearly as much fun without the support of my family and friends.

Gear from the day:

• INOV-8 Flyroc 310 – Handled the technical terrain (up/down) exceptionally well. Feet were still smiling post run.
• Thriv Energy Crew tech shirt – Louisiana company making some extremely comfy (soft) and technical fitness clothing made from natural materials. Great tech shirt.
• RaceReady Shorts – Great fit. Love the back bumper pockets. I purchase mine from Hammer Nutrition.
• Camelbak Octane LR Hydration pack – Enough water to hydrate the entire run and hold my camera. Full review coming shortly for this pack.
• Zensah calf sleeves – Had a great run in them before the race so decided to give them a race day test. Honestly, no idea if they helped or not during the race. I did wear them for the 6 hour drive down and back which seemed to reduce that heavy leg feeling I normally would have from such a long trip.

Bonus Bandera Insight

Best food we have had in town  - The Grotto Grill and Coffee Bar

Clean, fresh, tasty, and includes organic ingredients. Wendy and I both had a Greek salad with organic chicken – crazy good! There are very few restaurants where my body says high quality after the meal. Strangely enough, this is one of them.

Happy Running!

Related Articles:

• Bandera Trail Run 25 km 2011 Course Flyover
• Bandera Mileage Milestones – Those That Can’t Get Enough
• Bandera Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Bandera 100 km: TALON Athletes Ready for USATF National Championship – Plus Periodic Race Updates
• Twins – Endurance Buzz Adventures and our little Walnut

After 10 days of road trippin’ through the frozen north visiting family, eating a variety of calorically dense and tasty food items, and sneaking in a few sweaty treadmill runs, the fam is back at the Texas hive. The return to sunny skies and 60 degree days – it’s good to be back!

So what about that treadmill?

The treadmill death was an intense moment at the in-laws abode. The middle-aged treadmill had a max speed of 10 mph and I was interested in running some intervals at its limit. Within 30 seconds time I had killed it and had to act quickly to bring back the pulse (lights and power). I reached for the AED unit (power switch) and gave it a quick toggle zap as beads of sweat dripped down my forehead. Those electrolytic droplets were not from the internal heat generated during the previous three miles but from the terror of having to announce I killed the treadmill to my wife’s family.

Within a few seconds that felt like days, the pulse returned and full functionality resumed…but no more 10 mph intervals. Yes, I briefly killed the treadmill but was fortunate enough to help bring it back to life. It was a runner’s Christmas miracle.

Looking Back on 2010

2010 was one of those frustrating and insightful years for me in my running journey.

The year started off on a high note as I finished my first 100 km adventure at Bandera in January. Great race! Great times! Based on my goals for the day, it was a near perfect race besides not having enough warm clothing options for the last few hours of the race. Lesson learned – Fatigue and cold-to-the-core is not a good combination for me.

Nursing a slight knee tweak from Bandera, I held onto the thread of hope that I was ready for my first 100 mile attempt at Rocky Raccoon. After 76 miles of gradual physical breakdown, I was done. Mentally in great shape, the knee had other thoughts and I had to agree.

The southern blizzard run at Grasslands in March was an extreme volunteering experience. Wind, rain, sleet, nasty clay, and a group of smiling and inspiring runners getting it done.

I somehow was able to move (walk/jog) 50 miles in May when Lisa Smith-Batchen and team rolled into town for the inspiring Running Hope Through America adventure.

The remainder of the year was low mileage knee tweakage recovery as I ran 785 miles for 2010. My weekly mileage danced anywhere between 0 – 20 miles throughout most of the year after Rocky.

The biggest self-awareness lesson realized by the end of the year – Endurance capacity can be fully expressed only if you have the strength and structural integrity to support it.

Running my way into 2011

In six days I will run the trails that cracked through my strength and structural weaknesses one year ago – Bandera. The 25 km run will be the perfect adventure to kick-off my return to racing and test the knee.

The rest of the Spring season will be determined by the Bandera experience along with a month-by-month assessment until I can confidently say the knee is 100% (currently in the 90-ish range).

Training this year will be based on the lesson of 2010 and will turn my usual training schedule upside-down. To start off the year, my basic schedule will include:

• 3 days of running
• 4-6 days of cross training
• daily mobility work

Hopefully, this will create the overall strength and structural integrity to support my run. We shall see…

Regional Racing

The number of trail/ultra events in the TALON (TX, AR, LA, OK, NM) region continue to grow on a monthly bases. The current TALON Race Guide has 119 events inside!

Most of the regional races exist in the Fall/Winter/Spring months with a few available during the get-your-sweat-on months. Many of the summer events take place when the sun is sleeping so temps can cool down to 90 degrees or so.

If you are looking for a local race, be sure to check out the guide.

Have a Great Year

I want to wish you all a great 2011 filled with health, happiness, and many running adventures.

What are some of your fondest running memories of 2010 and what running goals/adventures do you have planned for the new year?

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

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