The hay is in the barn... Big Butts 50K is tomorrow~

The hay is in the barn and I’m finished with my training for the BIG BUTTS 50K!   I’ve done all the work, lost 15 lbs and I’m ready.  I’ve even run 28 of the 31 miles on the BIG BUTTS course.

My main concern now is not my body, but in my head.  I’ll need to run a smart race and not get caught up in the “stampeding crowd.”  By that I mean I should run the way I’ve trained and not let any competitor get inside my head and I choose to run faster. 

I’ve trained at around a 13:00/mile pace and that’s where I want to keep it!  If everything goes according to plan, I should finish in at 6 ½ hours or, with an 8:00 a.m. start time, around 2:30 p.m.

Today is a day of rest and preparation.

I think I’m ready.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Root hooks foot = face plant~

Big Butts 50K and I’m well into my taper.

Today’s final trail run of 9.5 miles was supposed to be an easy maintenance run.  For most of the run, it was just that.  However, with about half a mile left, my foot caught a root that been broken off and the raised sharp end faced in my direction. 

The root caught my right shoe and punctured the shoe’s top mesh and stayed.  I was literally hooked.  I went down without the root moving and my body briefly hung in mid air parallel to the ground just before as I bit the dirt.

The picture to the left shows my Brooks Cascadia shoes with the left shoe punctured near the little toe.  Fortunately, the root did not hit my foot and there was no scraping or injury.

It did however surprise and scare me.  I had to sit up and back the left foot out from the root to get free.  Although I had been running on the trail for over an hour and a half and my leg muscles were loose and warm, I knew my body would ache later.

I was lucky nothing else hurt and I had not injured myself here one week before BB50K! 

The remainder of my tapering will be run on paved roads to reduce any chance of injury from trail running.  My legs are conditioned for the 50K.  The next few days will be only maintained low mileage.

I think I’m ready.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Snake Jumping~

Recently, while running in the afternoon on the mountain bike trail, I was wondering how the run was going to go on a hot day.  I have been running on the dirt trail at least once a week as I train for the Big Butts 50K on July 28^th.

My theory is that if you train on the surface that the event is going to be run on, you’ll do better.  I think this theory is widely accepted as reasonable.  Especially on a dirt trail where there are rocks, roots, ditches, and gulleys on the trail.  In other words, an uneven ground with other variables makes for a very bumpy run.

The way the uneven ground makes the foot, ankle and leg muscles make constant adjustments and movements, the need to be flexible is important.  While training on these trails, the connective tissues and muscles slowly build up strength over time.

As you can tell, I really do like to run on dirt trails.  The animals are up close and there is something around every turn.  This brings me to the back to an experience I had this week running on the trail in the woods. Snakes.  Not just little bitties, I mean three to four foot snakes that were making their way across the trail when I came up on them.  There were three snakes, not at the same time.

I know that you are supposed to stop and back up whenever you see a snake.  That’s the safe thing to do.  But I was running along at a good clip.  When I saw each snake, I was already about to step on them.  All I could do was jump.  So, I hurdled each snake and high-stepped it down the trail, afraid that the snake would come after me.  This happened three times in one day. Maybe the snakes like the afternoon heat.  I’ll need to do some more research.

The trail offers up these kinds of adventures every time.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Testing (and tasting) sweat~

With summer now a week old, the Big Butts 50K a little over a month away, the next three weeks are going to be very intensive leading up to a two week taper beginning July 15^th.

The heat is definitely becoming a factor in my training as was evident in today’s run from 12 noon until about 2:30 in 93º heat.  The sun’s radiant heat is what zaps you and I was running the neighbor hood on asphalt with houses reflecting the heat as well.

The picture to the left says it all.  The sun was directly overhead and beating down on me!  I’ll have to admit that I only ran 10 miles instead of the planned 12 because it was just taking so long and my conditioning was lacking for that kind of radiant heat and little shade.

But, I guess that’s what the training and experimenting is all about.  I only took a 20oz. bottle with NUUN in it with me this time.  Bad idea.  I ran out of water within the first forty –five minutes.  From now on, I’ll be wearing my hydration vest with a 70 oz. bladder on ALL my training runs.

When I look at the pictures of all the runners in those 100 mile endurance races, they all have the little hand held 20 oz. bottles to carry and sip water.  I guess I’ll look like a newbie with my hydration vest on at the BB50K, but that’s ok.  It’s gonna be hot and I don’t want to run out of water.

The rest of the week looks like more of the same although I’ll be running in the morning on most of the other days.  48 miles to go for the week according to the training plan.

I’ll try to update this blog more often as the BB50K draws near.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

A month of running~

I’ve not written in the pages for over a month, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been running.  The weather here in June is beginning to heat up and my acclimation preparation has been paying off.

I’ve done several long runs on the mountain bike trail as well as the Butts Park., Big Butts 50k course.  The first time I ran on the Big Butts course was a few weeks back with Race Director/Owner, John Brower.  My goal was 22 miles, approximately 3 ½ loops on the 6 mile course. 

To get the full effect of the heat, we started out at noon with the temperature around

80.

As I started out on the first loop, I now realize that I started out too fast.  My goal was to run 12:00/mile to try to finish the event in a little over 6 hrs.  After the first two loops, my body was feeling pretty achy.  

That was all John wanted to run for that day because he had just finished a 100 miler a couple of weeks before and was just then getting back to running. 

So we finished two loops at 12 miles and I was to go on alone.  As I mentioned before, I could only go for another 6 miles. When I got back to my cooler at the start, I knew I was done for the day.  My body was feeling kind of sore and my lower legs were tightening up.  I was cooked.

Last week, my goal was to run the 4 loops on the Big Butts course in good form in the afternoon.  So I started out slow.  With all the acclimation, training and work I’ve been doing, it’s beginning to pay off.  I kept my pace around 13:00 and finished the 24 miles in 4:40.  That was better than I expected.

The next time run the BB course is in about a week.  I know it will be getting hotter because I’ll be running not only in June, but in the afternoon in June.  I know the acclimation is working because the heat isn’t bothering me so much.  Especially the humidity!  I’m just used to it, I guess.

Sprinkled in between these long runs have been my maintenance runs of 5, 8 and 10 mile runs.  The mileage will become longer as the event date approaches.  Right now, I’m feeling pretty good.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Monster 20.5 mile heat of the day run~

Today was a monster run.  Twenty miles on the trail.  Trail running is not road/street running.  As I have described before, there are hills, gulleys, roots, rocks and trees that you have to get over.  So much more of the body is used in balancing and striding.  It’s a little tougher on the body!

Today’s run started at 12 noon so that I would get the full impact of the heat of the day.  I had filled my hydration vest bladder with 70 oz. of water and NUUN, the electrolyte supplement and off I went.

To be on the safe side, I packed a small cooler with more water/NUUN and food and placed it at the trailhead as a back up.  It would be needed later.

I didn’t realize how much water I would suck down.  At the 13-mile mark, I ran out of water.  I couldn’t believe it.  With two more miles to go, I didn’t have enough water.  I began to get a little dehydrated as I continued, but I pushed on.

When I got back to the trailhead to begin the final 5 ½ mile loop, I filled the bladder with my last bottle of back up water.

As I sucked down more water, my stomach got a little queasy.  I ate a Honey Zinger waffle to get something in my stomach other than water/NUUN.  By that time, the bagel and peanut butter I had for breakfast had long been processed and used for energy.

I thought about stopping, but I knew that soon, the energy from the waffle and the water would soon settle my stomach and I’d be good.  I walked a lot during those miles, but began to feel better.  I started to half run, half walk.

Soon, my stride began to lengthen and I was feeling better, running.  I pushed on through the final few miles, but ran out water again within two miles of the finish.

I stayed with it and didn’t quit and completed my 20 ½ mile run for the day.

I started at 12 noon and finished at 4:15 p.m.  Good training for a heated race.

Luckily, I had the day off and was able to recover.

Long runs are part of the training.  Today’s run was epic.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Back in the running~

This week, I’ve worked my way back into the routine of running daily.  I feel like I’m back in the routine, now.

The problem I’m having these days is that I’m not loosing the amount of weight that I would like simply because I’m not paying any attention to what I’m eating.  That’s not good because I’ll eat until full.

The goal is now to structure my eating plan to get down to 150 lbs. by race day. That’s around a drop of 18 lbs. over the next two and a half months!  It will take a lot of study, but that’s the goal.  Now that I’ve written and published that goal in this blog, I have to do it! 

I will say that I Iove DORITOS!  It’s something that I have to give up, though!  Calorie counting, here I come!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

Wipeout~

Wipeout~

Unfortunately, I was not able to run any while at the book conference!  These conferences, where I speak often take so much energy out of me.  Just be “on” all the time to talk to folks who like my books and want to talk.  It’s exhausting. 

This morning, I drove home and was able to ease into the day, but I was still tired.  So, honoring the saying to listen to your body, I didn’t cross-train or exercise at all.

 

Tomorrow, I’ll get back to the running, but for today, I’ll rest.  Sometimes, I call this an emergency rest day!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Grinding it out~

This week has been several days of small mileage runs.  I did do a 10-mile run on the trail that went pretty well.

The next few days, I’m traveling to a book conference in Columbia, MS.  I’m taking my running gear with me and hope to get some runs in while I’m down there. 

So far, the training is going along pretty well.  However, the weather is beginning to heat up here in late April.  That means that the heat and the humidity will begin to be more of a part of the runs than before.

The simple fact is acclamation to the heat will help the situation and that mean running in the heat of the day just to get ready.

It’s going to get hot!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Soft path / hard path~

The difference in running on a hard asphalt road and a soft, pine straw dirt path is the difference between night and day.  Still, the different surfaces make for a different experience.

Running in my neighborhood, everything is organized in blocks and lines.  The houses are the blocks.  The lines are the curves of the edge of the street or sidewalk.  The trees are organized into landscaping themes that only the human mind could design. 

The street itself is, for the most part, a smooth platform that does not give at all when my feet hit the asphalt.  Only my shoes’ rubber heel gives a little bit to my weight. 

Above me, the sky is designed, too.  The trees don’t grow in the middle of the street, so the sky is open and the sun can shine down creating a heat strip along the street that radiates up.   When you see steam coming up off the pavement after a cool rain on a warm day, you get the same sensation of a steam bath.

The dirt trail is just the opposite.  The first thing is that the path is like a dangerous ribbon.  Roots, rocks and little ditches cross the path at uneven and haphazard intervals.  That’s why time is suspended along the dirt trail because you’re always looking 10 feet ahead to see where you’re going to place your next three steps.  Plenty of times toward the end of the run, I’ve caught a root or a rock and fallen and rolled.  You have to stay awake on the trail.

Overhead, the spring’s tree canopy is beginning to block out the light.  There is an eerie green tint to everything on the ground early in the morning when only the sky’s light is reflecting through the leaves.  Later in the day, when the sun is shining down on the trees, the light seems to warm up a bit.

Still, it’s get kind of spooky along the trail when you’re running along and the only thing you hear is your own breathing.  Then, a rustle of leaves or a twig snap not to far behind you sends your head around to see what made the sound.  That’s when you really trip over a root, when you’re distracted.

If it sounds like I enjoy the dirt trail more than the asphalt, I admit that I do.  There is a calming effect on my soul when I’m in the woods.  It’s nature’s balm on modern society where the path is in constant evolution.  A tree has fallen across the trail or water is rushing across the path after the rain the night before.  It’s constantly changing and demands attention.

Perhaps my weekly trek into the woods is a calming therapy to my busy work and family schedules.  It’s a little respite adventure that is never the same because the trail is constantly in motion and is ever changing.  Just to see what’s new along the path is fun.  Just trying to navigate your way around is also an adventure.  It’s never the same.

I like that.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

More miles~

The miles continue to pile up.  With today’s 8-miler completed, the total mileage for this week is 44.5 miles run.  This week was considered a hard week since my long trail run really pumped the mileage up.

I think I had some residual fatigue left over the days following that long trail run.  The day after, I had a scheduled rest day, but the following two days were a 6-mile and 8-mile run. 

This what is interesting about the body’s way of recovering from long runs and the training schedule.  Even though I was somewhat rested to run those 6 and 8 milers, my legs were still a bit sore.  Not hurt, but just sore.  So when I ran, the muscles were put under a bit of stress while running on a smooth, paved road, not the broken, rooted, uneven ground and rocky trail. 

This must have been a good way to do a recovery run because my legs do feel a bit stronger.  That’s a good thing.  Runner’s World just published a special issue on trail running.  This issue has cool myths to debunk and articles on exotic locals to run.

An interesting over all theme of the articles were the need for a strong core.  The core is the middle body area where the legs hang off of and the upper body sets on top of, the pelvic and abdominal area.

  

Tomorrow is a strength-training and swimming day.  I try to do this once a week just as a cross-training technique.

Then, I rest… sweet rest!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

18.5 miles, hydration vest= awesome~

Today, I had a day off from work.  I had scheduled an 18-mile trail run on my favorite dirt trail.  Here’s how it went down.

My new hydration vest would be tested today to see if it would be useful during the ultra marathon during July.  It was fully loaded with 70 oz. of NUUN flavored water in the bladder, two Honey Zinger energy wafers and two GU gels.

The extra weight of the 70 oz. of water didn’t affect the way the hydration vest rode on my back.  It felt comfortable and did not chafe.

NUUN is an electrolyte fizzy tablet that you drop into your water bottle/bladder.  It really does replace the electrolytes that you’re using up as you run. Then, your muscles won’t cramp.  The Honey Zinger wafers and GU gels were for nutrition.  I would be running approximately three and a half hours, so I would need to replenish my nourishment with these two nutrition sources.

For those of you who are confused about what an energy gel or wafer do, think of the cleanest burning energy source you can think of.  Maybe jet fuel is a good example.  Like a jet engine that needs pure fuel to burn clean, energy gels provide high sugar content with very little protein or fat in them.  Since I’m running, I’m burning more calories and need to replace that energy source with something else.  Energy gels provide that pure high calorie burn I’ll need to get me through today’s course.

The plan was to take zips of water as much as possible just to stay hydrated.  Then, I would “eat” a gel or wafer every forty-five minutes. 

The sun was just peaking through the trees as I started the run.  It was around 7:00 a.m.  The run started off as usual, alone.  The guy who said he might meet me didn’t show.  But that’s normal for younger men in their twenties who would rather sleep in and not have to get up.  That’s OK, I was like that at that age.

I made my way around the course, through mud, flooded trails and rocky climbs. It had rained the day before, so there was standing water in some places, streaming water in others.

The hydration pack worked as promised.  I was able to easily sip water through the straw as often as I wanted without taking my eyes off the trail.  You are always on the lookout for exposed roots and rocks that will send you for a face plant… a bad fall.

Also, as I ran and sipped water, the pack grew continually lighter.  Once, because the volume in the bladder had diminished, I had to cinch up the straps a bit to make the pack a little tighter on my back.

Every forty-five minutes, I took on something to eat, stuffing the GU or Honey Zinger package down into one of the vest’s pockets.  As it happened, I never ran out of energy or grew really tired.  Granted, the muscles grew a little fatigued, but they were warmed up and running. 

My leg muscles never cramped because of the continued sipping of the NUUN water.

I had heard from an ultra-marathon friend that if you power walked up the little hills or sharp inclines, that you could reduce the energy expended and save stress on the legs muscles and not to get tired too often.  This is a way to pace throughout the course.  Today, experimented with this technique.  Whenever a hill came along on the course, I slowed a bit and went into a fast walk with my arms pumping to help my body move along.  This really seemed to help because I did not tire as easily while going up the hill.

Up and down the hills, flats and gulley’s I ran and walked.  I finished the 18.5 miles in 3:27.  I wasn’t going for any time record, but I thought it was interesting that two weeks before, I had finished a 16-mile run in 3:20.  So, I think the power walking technique really worked.

The hydration vest was a huge success and a welcomed addition to my gear.  Of the 70 oz. of water that I had on board, I drank 50 oz. with 20 oz. to spare.  On a longer course, I’ll need to drink more water more often. 

The nutrition that I ate kept me going and tasted pretty good.

All in all, except for a couple of tired and sore legs, I think the day went well.  I’ve learned a lot about my body and mental state of mind while on the course.  Today’s run pushed me a great deal, but that is what training is all about.  My body will recover and grow stronger.

Tomorrow is a rest day, thankfully.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Cool new gear~

I wanted to share with you a piece of cool gear that I’m trying out as I train for my first ultra marathon, the Nathan HPL #020 Hydration Vest.  I ran in this vest today on a short little 5-miler just to test it out.  Here’s what I found out.

Pictured above, the vest has a 2 liter bladder (70 ounces) to fill up with water to keep hydrated while on the run.  You can see the drinking tube exiting the pack on the back and looping forward to clip onto the chest strap.  The nipple on the tube is a “bite tube” that releases the water when pressed down on with your teeth.  Then you suck the water out just like a straw in a soft drink.

The vest also features a zippered compartment on the back for extra stuff you may need on those long trail runs.  I’ve put a small first aid kit and a bandana in there as an emergency kit.

There are front pockets on the vest that hold gel packets, wafers or energy bars.  The pockets are easily opened by a press lock or zipper.  All of the pockets are easy to get to and have plenty of room for a iphone or an ipod.

The most unique thing about this little vest is the adjustment strap on the side of the vest.  There are two straps per side.  Each has its own adjustable buckle that lets you cinch up the strap to form fit on your body.  It’s a comfortable fit that works with the contours of the body.

As I ran, I felt the pack on me, but it did not move around.  That means no chafing!  The pack fit me like a glove and was in no way cumbersome.  I felt quite at ease with it on.  The back of the vest, the part that contains the water bladder, did not ride up on my shoulders nor did it pull down on my neck.  Granted, I only had 20 oz. of water in the bladder on this test run, but it did feel that the weight was evenly distributed along my shoulders and back.

It may be a different story when I put in the full 70 oz. this week for my long trail run, but I don’t think it will be any different.

This vest gives me the opportunity to take gear with me in a comfortable way that running short pockets and water bottle belt packs could not.  I’m beginning to feel a little more confident about going on long lonely runs now that I know I can take nutrition and hydration with me.

I’ll write more about this vest when I go on my long 18-mile trail run tomorrow.  But, for now, I’m thinking this vest is just what I needed to get me through the long miles ahead.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

A Creative Life

Jane Yolen is a veteran children’s book writer and is the 2012 recipient of the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion awarded annually for distinguished contributions in the field of children’s literature.  The medallion was the highlight of the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival that attended this past week.

All of this has much to do with running, so bare with me!

Her message to me in conversations and in her medallion acceptance address is to simply show up.  Put another way, sit down in the chair and write… or butt in chair- BIC! 

My interpretation of these words is that for a life of writing and running, there are times during the day for each.  Personally, I’m a morning person, so I have high levels of energy and focus at that time of the day.  Haggling with myself on whether or not to run in the cool of the morning or sitting down and throwing all that energy into my writing and illustrating projects is a personal struggle.

The choice is obvious- the morning time is gold for creativity, my stock in trade.  I’ll use running as a tool to clear my head and get the juices flowing again… later in the day, say early afternoon.

Now, back to Jane.  To write on a daily basis is her job.  For me, drawing and writing on a daily basis is my job.  To write and draw consistently is the challenge.  With all of life’s requirements with family, business and friends, the choice of how to prioritize them can be confusing.

As in planning a training schedule with a particular event in mind, a schedule of writing and drawing everyday is needed.  Put another way, simply plan and then show up.  It’s not always easy, but there it is.

Life lessons come at us in so many directions.  I’m happy to have been reminded of the hard work that goes into running and writing by a new friend, Jane Yolen.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

A runner's balanced life~

This week has been a travel week.  I took my running gear with me to the USM Children’s Book Festival to try to get in some running in between sessions or early in the morning.

Many of you know that when I’m not running, I’m a children’s picture book author / illustrator.   To be able to meet and network with so many authors, illustrators, publishers and librarians is such a rare, golden treat, I simply must make hay while the sun shines.  So, I spent most of my waking hours talking over breakfast, lunch and dinner, during the presentations and walking to the bookstore about e-books, library funding and hilarious children’s books.

This has absolutely nothing to do with running, except the fact that this travel and conference kept me from running and was a bit of a bump in the road to my training. 

However, one important fact stands out.  Balance.  When one takes on the three to four month training for these long distance endurance races, one must have balance in one’s life.  This week was balance time.  I had to mix (and balance) my work life and family life with my running life.  Don’t we have to do that every week, anyway?

To not run for three days is something of a blessing because it gave my body a chance to rest and repair.  I did a lot of walking while on the campus of USM, but it wasn’t running.  Still, I’m OK with that.  When I get back to my schedule tomorrow, I think I’ll feel a little stiff in the joints, but it will quickly come back to me.

To successfully balance a running life with the other facets of life is the true goal of the runner.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

A softer trail~

After a rest day on Sunday, I began this “easy” week with a run on the mountain bike trail, 9.5 miles.  I’m happy to say that I PR’d the trail… by 20 seconds!

How can one run for an 1:32 for almost two times in a row?  It was a great day to run.  Early in the morning and cool, the path had dried up to just soft dirt.  This was like running on marshmallows compared to the torrential rain and mud last week. 

It seemed eerily peaceful along the path this time.  All the fallen trees had been cleared away and the path was clean.  It ran fast.

The next day, I ran in the neighborhood.  A little short 5-miler that seemed much easier now than in the past.

I’m traveling to a book conference the remainder of the week, so it will get a little tougher to get a run in.  I’m taking my gear with me anyway.  Hopefully, I can carve out some time for a run.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Muddy trails~

This week’s running schedule has one glaring day of a very hard run.  A couple of days ago, I did a 16 mile run “double-loop” course through the mountain bike trail.  It had been raining for a whole day, but I thought I would go ahead and get the run in.

The trail was muddy, places in the low lying bottom land were flooded and the air was cold.  However, once I the path switch backed me up the hill, the water had drained off and the wind picked up.  The air was cooler and I shivered.

Three hours and change later, I emerged from the woods, exhausted, but happy!  I had completed my long run for the week.  The remaining days of the week would be easy by comparison.

And they were.  Easy days of running along sun lit neighborhood streets and the Ridgeland Recreational Trail were a welcome change.

The mountain bike trail continues to fascinate me.  That 16-mile run was the hardest one yet.  Who knows, the Big Butts 50k may be similar.  Better to train in bad conditions and get used to it that be surprised at the event itself.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Training program established

These past couple of days, I designed a training schedule based on research on RunnersWorld.com and some other internet ultra marathon training sites.  The training includes two days a week of rest separated by 3-4 days of running.

Here is how the 17 week schedule breaks down in abstract:

Day 1            5 miles

Day 2            7 miles

Day 3            5 miles

Day 4              Rest

Day 5            16 up to 24 miles

Day 6            10 miles

Day 7             Rest/Cross train; strength training and swimming

Whew!  This looks more like a lifestyle change than a training program!  There are “hard” weeks and there are “easy” weeks of effort thrown in the mix to make it interesting.

I’ll muddle through it all somehow…

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

More mileage down the road

The miles piled up this week!  Around 33 miles run on the trail or on paths or steets.  I ran in long sleeved cotton shirts every other day to get acclimated to the heat in July.

I can feel my legs getting stronger.  Since I’m not doing a speed component in this training, I’ll be running a 12-minute mile during the event, I think the conditioning and leg strength will be paramount.  I’ll try to design a program for the remainder of the training over the next couple of days.

The weather is beautiful this time of year in Mississippi.  I’m so happy to be outside, running.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.

Beyond the marathon, imitating July~

Anticipating running events is somewhat of an art form. First, comes the conditioning, of course.  Running all those long miles should count for something.  Then, there is the nutrition and hydration one must consider.  Taking on fluids during the long runs to replace electrolytes and keep the body hydrated are all issues one must contend with in training for a marathon length event.

However, beyond the marathon, there are other components one must consider.  If you’re running more than six hours, which I plan to do for this upcoming 50k, you have to consider something to eat. 

There is a reason why stage cycling races, those races that have a week’s worth of daily stages in them, one stage race per day, have feeding zones.  The feeding zone is a section of the race where the cycling team crews hand out the little canvas bags (called musette bags) with food in them.  These bags have energy bars, gels, fruit perhaps and maybe energy drinks.  The point is that on these long rides, the riders need to eat to keep up their strength.

So, I’m planning on a similar station on my six, 5-mile loops at the Big Butts 50k.  I’ve heard that many runners have little tents set up with all their gear in them.  Right now, I’m just thinking ice chest.  More on that later as planning continues.

But one of the most important aspects of running a 50k in Mississippi in July is the heat and humidity.  One MUST be acclimated to that kind of heat to run that long a distance and survive.  So, here it is March and I’m imitating July in my training.  I’m running in long sleeve cotton shirts with a short sleeve cotton shirt underneath it.

As you probably know, cotton absorbs water (perspiration) into its fiber and holds it there.  That’s why when you’re wearing a cotton sock on a hot day, your foot feels like it’s surrounded by a warm wet rag, your foot’s skin becomes very soft and wrinkly.  Kind of like when you’ve been in the bathtub or pool too long.

By running in cotton shirts, my body feels the heat and humidity of July.  At least that’s what it feels like.  Thus, I’m becoming a little better acclimated to a hotter weather condition early on.

You’re thinking I’m a fool for doing this, but my guess is you’re not running a 50k in Mississippi in July!  No disrespect to meant to you, of course, but I’m trying to prepare in every way I know how so that I can finish the 31 miles in good form.

Maybe that’s what I like about running long events, the preparation. 

Life is the journey (preparation) not the destination.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

My first 50k ultra-marathon~

As I’ve written in this blog over the past few days, I’m preparing for a 50k ultra-marathon.  That’s right at 31 miles, the longest I’ve ever run at one time in my life.  What’s worse is that it’s on July 28^th, the dog days of summer here in Mississippi.

I’m not going for any speed in this event.  As any long distance runner will tell you, the goal of your first long distance event is simply to finish.  I’ve now run 5 marathons with a best personal finishing time of 4:01.  Fortunately, I’ve finished them all.  And, I’ve learned a little something with each marathon and tweaked my training accordingly.

The main thing I’ve heard about running an ultra is not only the conditioning , but the acclimation to the heat.  As we all know, heat can take your strength, but throw in the humidity here in Mississippi and you’ve got yourself a real pot-boiler.

Anyway, that is my goal, simply to finish.  I estimate that I’ll set a goal of 12:00/mile and a finishing time around 6:15.  I hope that I’ll be ready.

After 30 miles this week, today is a rest day.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

The weekly mileage is piling up~

Today’s run on the dirt trail was much better.  I can feel that I’m getting a little stronger.  I didn’t have to walk any of the 9.5 mile course and that’s a good thing.

Whenever I felt a little out of breath or I was going up a hill, I closed my stride a little and “short stepped” through the difficulty.  This is something I’ve learned only through experience.  I don’t attack hills any more, I simply let them come to me as I jog in place, so to speak.  It’s a lot easier to manage a run that way!

I’ve done other runs this week, too.  All these runs are in the middle, the hottest, of the day to try to get acclimated to the heat as soon as possible.  The 50k I’m training for is July 28^th, probably the hottest time of the summer here in Mississippi.  I’ve run a 7 mile loop around the neighborhood and a 8.5 mile out-and-back to the reservoir along Ridgeland’s Recreation Trail.

The more I train and get acclimated, the better.  These runs aren’t about speed, I’ve kept a relative slow pace of around 9:45-10:00/mile just to get my legs back into some kind of condition.  They’re improving slowly.

The weekly miles will be increase over the next few weeks.  Right now, I’m at 30 miles for this week.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

A tiresome run~

Today, I ran the dirt trail for the first time in a month or there abouts.  It was brutal.  I could tell I am not very fit at all.  I had to stop and walk several times pushing my time out to almost 2 hours for the 9.5 mile course.  It was hot, too.

I’ve got a long way to go in preparation for the Big Butts 50k coming up in July.  A looong way to go.  However, I know that bit by bit I’ll get there.  If today’s trail run is any indication, I’ll be another week or two before I can manage it with any strength.  But today’s run is over and it’s under my belt, so I’ll be getting stronger because of it.

The rest of this week will be recreational (paved) trail and neighborhood street running.  Somehow, that seems easier than what I went through today.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

Recovery and moving forward~

This week, I’ve eased back into a running schedule.  A couple of runs in the neighborhood as well as the Ridgeland Multi-purpose Recreational Trail along the Natchez Trace is getting me back into form.

I can tell I’ve lost some fitness because of my heart rate.  My Garmin 410 has downloaded horribly high heart rates during these runs indicating that my heart has lost some of strength that I gained during the marathon training.

I guess my illness and business travel a couple of weeks ago took its toll and now I’m struggling to get back into form.  Still, it’s good to be back out on the road.

To me, that’s what happens sometimes in our daily struggles with family and jobs.  You have good days and you have not so good days.  You go to bed at night, hoping that tomorrow will be better.  You even try to plan on it as you leave the bad days behind and move forward.

One of my running buddies said about training for a long distance event, “You can’t cheat the marathon.”  You have to put in the time and effort just to try to do well.

With those thoughts, I’ll have to say that I’ve been challenged by another running buddy, John, who introduced me to the mountain bike dirt trail where I run.  He challenged me to enter his race called the Big Butts 50 & 100k… in July.

Butts Park is out near Clinton, MS and is a grassy cross-country trail often used by Miss. College and high school cross-country teams.  I have not run this trail yet, but John tells me it’s a lot easier than the 9.5 mile trail that I usually run. 

Anyway, I’ve accepted.  It means a slower pace for the 31 miles, somewhere around  12:00/mile pace.  Slow, but an intelligent way to run a small ultra-marathon. 

So, my training this spring and summer will not be a speed style training, only long runs to prepare will be in order.  The event will be in the dog days of late July.  This will take some getting used to. 

On the other side of the event is a little bit of pride that I’ve done something that not many people have done. 

Cool.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

I'm sick of being sick...

This picture tells it all.  I’ve been either sick or out of town these past two weeks and haven’t been able to run at all.  That’s two weeks without a single step out on the road or trail.  I’ll pay for it later!

Another run on the trail

Ran another 9.5 trail run yesterday.  Didn't run it hard, though.  I remember how tight my right leg was last week during the middle of the run.  I thought I had pulled that muscle.  So, I laid off running for a few days with some stretching and rolling my leg muscles out with The Stick.  It felt OK today.

Neighborhood running, dodging cars

This week was a neighborhood running kind of week.  There's an art to neighborhood running.  Run on the left, of course, facing traffic.  Wear plenty of reflective, high visibility clothes.

All the visibility in the world doesn't mean that drivers of cars and trucks will necessarily see you.  Here's the way to tell.  If the car or truck has not pulled over at least to the middle of the road at least 25 yards away from you, and there's no traffic behind you, they're texting or on the phone.  Step off into the yard and get out of the way.  Don't even try to play chicken with a car or truck.  You'll lose every time.

However, most of the time, cars do pull over.  Sometimes, they'll pull over all the way into the right lane just to give you extra room.  To these kind and respectful drivers, I always give them a "thank you wave."  That's good running karma!

If you run early in the mornings in the dark, not many folks are out on the streets in the neighborhood.  Except for.... newspaper carriers.  Here you have a driver that doesn't think anything else exists outside their front seat.  You know that they're definitely pre-occupied with rolling papers and trying to drive at the same time.  They-are-not-to-be-trusted!  Just go ahead and step off the street into a yard when you see car lights weaving to various sides of the street and throwing papers!

The best thing about running in the neighborhood is that at the end of the course is probably your own driveway.  Waiting for you is a great shower, a hot cup of coffee and the newspaper to relax while reading, knowing that you've done your exercise job for the day!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

Back on the trail

Two days ago, John and I met once again to run the trail.  Dirt trail.  The trail that I've grown to love.  I wondered why do I like running that awful trail with exposed roots, mud puddles and hills and switchbacks that rip your lungs out.

The rewards of a trail well run.  Now, I'll just take the 

garden hose to shoes to wash them off, then an air

dry. Easy enough.

Then it dawned on me.  In my boyhood days in Greenwood (Mississippi), my family lived on a street that ran along the Yazoo River.  Our house faced a levee with a quarter mile of land stretching out to the river banks.  On this land was a wooded area right by the river where we would play for hours on end.  When we were old enough, we rode our bikes through the woods and created wonderful bike trails with jumps and dips that would rival today's BMX competitions.

We would call it over the levee.

Similarly, the dirt trail I run today is a little smaller than my the trails of my youth but they are just like over the levee.  I think that's why I like the trail so much.

And, there's always something new to see out there on the trail.  This week's run was full of mud, pine cone needles and water puddles.  Just the right thing to run through and be a boy again.

And that's why I run... especially on dirt trails.... to be a boy again.

Gotta run,
Chuck
The Vagabond Runner

Happy Heart Day!

Earlier this month, my wife and I attended a cardiovascular screening at our local Baptist Health Systems Clinic.  This was just a screening, so I was curious what would go on.  After the requisite blood pressure and pulse taking, the nurse hooked me up to an EKG.

After a minute she looked at the print out, looked at me, and then looked back at the page.  She asked if I was some kind of athlete.  Of course, I said that I was a runner.  She said, "Well, that figures.  You have a resting hear rate of 42 beats per minute!"

42 bpm!

Thank you MS Blues Marathon Training!

No other abnormalities were found.

Gotta Run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

Running in the rain

Yesterday, I ran a five mile maintenance run in the cold rain. It was simply a wonderful experience. I find running in the rain to be an air conditioner when it could be a warm run. Throw a cold temperature in there and you have yourself running in a refrigerator.

Also, there is the water running off into the drains as you dodge cars every now and then. It's really not that dangerous if you wear a high visibility top and are watchful. Plus, it's just one more experience of running that you usually don't have the opportunity to do. It's an adventure.

If you're the kind of runner that only runs in good sunshine weather, that's ok, too! At least you're outside running. I just like the over all experience of all that running has to offer. I guess that's why I like running dirt trails every chance I can because it always has new experiences for me in different kinds of weather.

Now that I think about it, it's the experience of the unknown. Something like, "what will happen if I ran in this weather or that weather. What will it feel like?" I'm always looking for a new experience in running.

This week, I'll cross train, run the streets and run my favorite dirt trail. Good maintenance stuff!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner

The Vagabond Runner makes a move

Welcome to The Vagabond Runner new website and look! I've been working on this new site ... and running! I'm still working out some design issues with the template, but we'll go with this template for now. I hope you like the new look as we continue running!

Since the MS Blues Marathon, I have been cross training, swimming and doing strength training. I've still got that trail running bug in me, so I've run the dirt trail several times, once in the rain.

You never know what to expect when you're running in different weather conditions. During my trail running in the rain, the path became a stream of water as it ran downhill. Up at the top of the hill, the water drains off quickly so it isn't too muddy. But at the bottom of the hill, in the flat area, the water collects in pools. I had to be careful that day so as not to slip like I did two weeks before the marathon.


Running in all types of terrain is just fun!