Sue Johnston - John Muir Trail in 3 days, 20 hours

One of the great ultrarunning adventures in 2007 was Sue Johnston's record-setting run of the John Muir Trail in August. She wrote up a short report of her adventure, shortly after finishing, a longer report after having some time to absorb all that she had experienced, and a very cool list of her splits, gear, and nutrition. It sounds like it was an adventure of a lifetime.

Some day I hope to complete a supported run of the JMT. Certainly not with any intent of breaking any records. Just so I can cover the 200+ miles without having to lug around a big pack. It is majestically beautiful up in the Range of Light.

A belated congratulations Sue!

When Not Running - Deb Pero

An element of ultrarunning, or trail running in general, that outsiders wouldn't likely pick up without logging quite a few miles is that ultrarunners have an amazing array of occupations and hobbies. There are firemen, planetary physicists, nannies, bartenders, big animal veterinarians, kazoo players and painters - as in fine art painters.

Deb Pero, who lives in New Hampshire, has finished such gruelling races as the Bighorn 100, Massanutten 100, and Hardrock 100 and is a talented painter. Her website is a true feast for the eyes. I especially liked her Daily Painting Blog. The painting of the oranges below just made my mouth water.


Hat Tip: Sue Johnston

Why Do Muscles Fatigue?

Paint me a skeptic whenever the mainstream press cites findings of a scientific study. Today's New York Times Science Section has an article entitled Finding May Solve Riddle of Fatigue in Muscles.

Essentially the problem with muscle fatigue "is calcium flow inside muscle cells. Ordinarily, ebbs and flows of calcium in cells control muscle contractions. But when muscles grow tired, the investigators report, tiny channels in them start leaking calcium, and that weakens contractions. At the same time, the leaked calcium stimulates an enzyme that eats into muscle fibers, contributing to the muscle exhaustion."

After reading the article, which is fairly interesting, my eyebrows pulled a muscle (the frontalis) when I got to this part, "So the day may come when there is an anti-fatigue drug." Oh, please. This is where lifestyle/science reporters jump the shark to juice up science writing. The research was being done to study ways in which to better treat people with congestive heart failure.

Yet Dr. Steven Liggett, a heart-failure researcher (just in time for Valentine's Day) at the University of Maryland has the best quote. Wondering if the body's fatigue signals work as a "protective mechanism", he states, "maybe fatigue is saying that you are getting ready to go into a danger zone. So it is cutting you off. If you could will yourself to run as fast and as long as you could, some people would run until they keeled over and died."

Wait, I know these people. They don't keel over and die. They fill up their water bottles, grab a few cookies and set out for the next pass over yonder.

The Blog Picture

People have often asked where the picture in the blog title was taken. It's from an August 2006 trip on the JMT in northern Kings Canyon National Park. Right as you're ascending Evolution Basin there are a set of lakes. This picture is taken at Sapphire Lake. The picture at the beginning of this post is a meadow I came across in the early morning near the San Joaquin River.

Shortly after I took the Sapphire Lake photo, a ferocious hail and lightening storm burst out with the loudest thunder and closest lightening I had ever experienced. I found sanctuary in a tent with two serious mountain climbers who just happened to be camping up in the high country, riding out the sudden High Sierra storm. My destination was intended to be Muir Pass and Muir Hut, but I had to give up after hiking/running 33 miles since the morning. I came within about a 1/2 mile, then turned around given the time of day and conditions, and ran 35 miles through the night to get back to my car at Lake Florence. Here are two pictures taken just after the storm: the first is looking northwest, the second southeast toward Muir Pass.



Here is a short video, again taken with my digital camera, of a scene a bit lower in Evolution Valley.

AJW -- Erik Weihenmayer's Climb Up Everest

There are few people I admire in ultrarunning more than Andy Jones-Wilkins. He is a gracious athlete and competitor, a big 'ol little boy out playing on the trail, and a wonderful ambassador for the sport. He used to also live in Oakland. So he was a homie, too.

In 2005 I was at the finish line of Western States watching Andy circle the track in second place. He was really trucking, giving it his all, all the way around the track. I had never seen anyone so full of the moment. I always remember watching him, thinking "Remember this moment - this is how to run a 100 mile race."

I've had the opportunity to run with Andy out at Mt. Diablo. Yeah, he lost me on the way up to the summit. I've also had a gas of a time chatting with Shelly at Javelina Jundred and flying planes with his boys. What a great crew Andy has.

Andy has a blog which reflects his enthusiasm and love for the sport. Recently he posted about a friend of his, Erik Weihenmayer, and his ascent of Everest. The video of the conversation at Sun Valley is inspiring. Eric is blind. He is the only blind person to have ascended the Seven Summits.

I can't explain Andy's choice of sweaters on the video. Perhaps it's just the boyish enthusiasm we all love in Andy.

Running Through the Wall

Before I even set out to run my first ultramarathon, the Skyline 50k, I read Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon by Neil Jamison. It is a collection of stories by over three dozen ultrarunners, speedsters and back-of-the-packers, young turks and older legends.

What I remember most when I first read the stories was how generous and friendly all the authors were. I knew Tim Twietmeyer and Ann Trason from the A Race for the Soul production. These were world-class runners. To read their stories about overcoming the challenges during their races made it seem like a shared adventure. Only later would I learn and cherish the legendary sense of common-bond found in the ultrarunning community. What amazes me today when I look through the table of contents is how many of these storytellers I have met, spoken with, or shared a trail.

In the last few days Endurance Planet, presented by ZombieRunner, has launched a monthly Tales from the Trails program. The program is described as "an audio magazine for ultrarunners". In its first (free) edition it includes Joel Zucker's Hardrock 100 race report, Andy Jones-Wilkin's adventure in winning 2007's Vermont 100, and Carey Smith, whom I wrote about yesterday, and his story at Arkansas Traveler 100. These "tales" will surely be the start of some new runners' adventures in ultramarathons.

Carey Smith - Running Toward the Future

There are many stories about how people take up running or exercise, and transform their lives. Some even become ultrarunners. One extraordinary example is Carey Smith, who blogs at "Going the Distance!". He describes his recent past best himself:

In 1998, at the age of 24, I was 6 feet tall, weighed 230 lbs and was approaching a 40 inch waist. I knew that I needed to make some changes before my weight and health spiraled out of control. I lost about 35 lbs in 6 months due to following a strict diet and exercise routine. Throughout my 20's I maintained my weight but continued to lead an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. In September, 2005, I kicked many of my self-destructive habits and promptly signed up for the Memphis Marathon which I ran on December 3, 2005. Since then I have run 10 Marathons, 14 Ultra-Marathons and weigh in at 170 lbs.

What also makes Carey truly admirable is that he co-owns a program, created by co-owner Brad Holzworth, who finished his first 100 mile event at Rocky Raccoon, to help others realize the positive benefits running can have on your life. They call it Running 4 Recovery.

Here's a cool interview with Carey on Endurance Planet.

I've read his sites for awhile, and exchanged a few emails with Carey. He's a wonderful addition to our sport, an inspiring and positive influence on many others, and a great guy. Some day I hope to share a few miles of trail with him.

Recovering from a 100 Mile Race

Once you get to the finish line of a 100 mile race (or not, as the case may be), the beginning of recovery starts. Everyone goes through their trials on how to recover (Scott Dunlap has great interviews with various runners), and finds out what works for them and what doesn't. After four years I have my routine, and it seems to be working well for me. So here's what I do after a 100 mile run to assure my body can begin training again.

-- as quickly as possible eat/drink carbohydrates and protein, and as close to a 4:1 ratio as possible. Either I drink Odwalla's Super Protein drink or Endurox R4, or just eat and drink to my delight.

-- take an ice bath. As uncomfortable as this might be, it is the single best thing to get the inflammation down in my legs. I fill the bath with cold water while I'm sitting in it. When it gets up to my toes, I add one or two bags of ice. Sarah refers to me as the human cocktail.

-- speaking of cocktails, I try to relax at night with my feet up on the couch with a favorite Scotch or Whiskey. Seems like a good reward for all that running. In Hawaii it was Mai Tais in the Manao Surfrider patio overlooking Waikiki Beach with some other runners. When in Rome....

-- take post-race recovery vitamins to replenish/store up those micronutrients I either depleted or need for muscle repair.

-- don't run at all for two weeks. I believe I adopted this from something Garett Graubin mentioned on a run. As I'm a fairly older runner, it's worked well for me. I am always eager to get out and run again, but taking the rest makes it easier to regain mileage later on.

-- when I do get out for a run (this is the first week of running post-HURT) I go really slow to keep my heart-rate down. I'm really trying to gauge how my body is feeling, how my muscles are responding and where my tendons and ligaments are still tender. After HURT I noticed that my metatarsals are particularly tender given all the ankle-twisting roots and mud. This keeps me from pushing hard up hills or taking downhills too fast. The first week I run quite slow; the second week I'll pick up the tempo; and the third week I see how far I can push myself without any dashboard lights coming on. Then I'm done with the diagnostics and ready to start training again.

-- get two massages in the fourth and fifth weeks post-race. Don't get the massage too early or you'll be more sore from the massage than receiving any true benefit from it.

-- try to get lots of sleep, especially naps during the weekends. This goes on for about four weeks. Sleep, sleep, sleep.

Lastly, the weekend after the big race, I try to have a nice big dinner with friends - grass fed steak, spinach and potatoes. For no other reason than it's my favorite meal and it's a reward for all the effort and time I put in to train, run and recover from my adventure.

The last few times I've attempted long runs this routine seems to work well for me. Others have their more scientific routines. Mine takes about four or five weeks. Then I'm back to a new training regimen.

Update: Sometimes you read something timely on a completely different subject and realize how much it is in sychronicity with a recent post. Yesterday I read this about maintaining military equipment in developing countries:

"Maintenance --a dull, unpleasant, and yet necessary task--is an indication of discipline, esprit de corps, and faith in the future, because you maintain only what you plan to use for the long term."
-- Robert Kaplan, Imperial Grunts

Ready, Set, Stand Still -- A-Ultrarunning

I've never been one to sit still let alone stand still. Sometimes standing still is an arty-type of endurance event all its own.

This one in Grand Central Station was pretty cool.

Congratulations Jorge - Rocky Racoon 100 Winner

Jorge Pacheco, a quiet, gracious and thoroughly talented runner, again won the Rocky Racoon 100 Mile in Huntsville, Texas. This year Jorge clocked an honorable 14:12:20 to win by over one hour.

More race results here.