Introduction and About Me

If anyone is reading this, welcome! 

I had previously blogged for a short while and have grown to miss it.  Writing things down is quite therapeutic.  You'll notice that I am not the strongest writer, but you can never improve your weaknesses if you never work on them.  I have a beautiful wife of over 16 years and a 7 year-old baby girl.  My ladies are my world and the reason that I work so hard every day.  Having the ability to be active with them is PRICELESS. 

Photo courtesy of our friend Jenni at Jenni M. Photography

My personality:  I am sarcastic, cynical, a realist, my language could use some work, I like to laugh and make others laugh as well.  I prefer someone to be honest with me and piss me off than to blow smoke up my ass and question my intelligence.  I return that same honesty in kind -- this does not put me at the top of everyone's Christmas card mailing list and I'm not very popular.  I honestly don't care; I'm not on this Earth to impress anyone and I sleep perfectly fine at night.

I am an Electrical and Computer Engineer by education and a Software Engineer by..  well..  I pretty much got stuck there.  I have no complaints at all and I enjoy what I do for a living most days :).  I've spent several years designing and developing Modeling and Simulation software for new and existing systems as well as radar analysis software to verify proper functionality.    I would love to go back to college to finish my Master's Degree and PhD, but life happens, medical issues happen, and I am in no hurry to take time away from my family right now.  Family time is invaluable to me. 

I was a "military brat" and have lived in WAY too many places to list. I currently live and work in Huntsville, Alabama but I really miss living in several parts of Florida.  I despise racism, bigotry, and prejudice in all forms and have a zero tolerance policy for it.  This made me really unpopular going through high school in the small town of Cullman, Alabama :).  Good times.

** Caveat -- none of the information below is in any way seeking sympathy.  It is what it is and shit happens.  Most importantly, it's the truth.  Hopefully, my suck story can help someone who is having, or has had, a similar set of circumstances thrown at them.

While it may sound like everything is perfect in my little world, that hasn't always been the case.  My wife of 16 years is actually my second wife.  I was the idiot who got married directly out of high school when I thought that I knew everything.  That divorce not only cost me everything I owned, but it also cost me my college scholarship.  My career?  Well, that's a funny one.. depending on how you classify it, this is actually either my second or third career.  Life happens..  

My first career was building and installing chicken house equipment (cages, motors, plumbing, etc.) for the "family business".  I started working for my father when I was 10 years old.  We were not well off and needed the money.  If you want a REALLY hard and crappy job, look no further!  I have one for you!

In my previous (2nd) career, I was an auto and diesel mechanic for about 10 years:  eight years on passenger cars/trucks and the final two years on tractor-trailers and heavy equipment (industrial forklifts, tractors, etc.) while taking random college classes to eventually finish my degree.  During this time I was EXTREMELY active.  My work days were usually 10-12 hours and afterward, I would either go to the driving range and hit a few hundred golf balls or go to the gym and lift heavy.  Also, I usually ran (jogged) 5-6 miles per night.  I was always busy.  UNTIL..

One day at work (2004), I was installing a clutch kit in a Peterbilt (18-wheeler) and it slipped.  I had to twist and catch a 180 pound clutch assembly really quick or it would have landed on my leg, crushed my femur, and I probably would have bled out in the shop that day (I was alone).  The good news is that I'm alive to tell about it.  The bad news is that it cost me three discs in my back, damaged two others, and stole 10 years of my life.  Activity has officially reached a screeching halt.  It took four full months to re-learn to walk after this.  As a result of this injury, I had gained a lot of weight over the years due to immobility, medication, and several other related factors.  At its pinnacle, I had ballooned up to 295 pounds! 

Fast forward to 2009:  I was formally diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Osteoarthritis, and Degenerative Disc Disease.  The hits just keep on coming here at W-SUK -- home of Embracing the Suck!  Degenerative Disc Disease is fairly straight-forward, but if you are not familiar with the other three, let's just say that they are not very enticing.

Fast forward to 2011:  the pain became too unbearable to maintain sanity.  By this time, I had lost two inches in height.  Back rebuild #1 was inevitable.  For this procedure, my doctor went in through my stomach, pulled my insides out and put them on a tray like you would receive your food at Sonic, stretch me back to normal, and install two implants at L4 and L5 (with two plates and 5 screws).  Not only did this procedure SUCK, but I had to re-learn to walk AGAIN.  My wife took me outside every day to help me learn to walk 1/10th of a mile at a time with a walker halfway to the STOP sign and back incrementally adding more distance.

Fast forward 7 months:  my back was still not right.  After a MRI and CT scan, my doctor found that my fusions did not heal completely, my L3 disc was still bulging, and the S1 disc in my tailbone was not there.  At all.  Nothing.  Here comes back surgery #2, three discs repaired, one disc installed, two more rods, and six more screws.  Yay!  I'm bionic!  This procedure was also not desirable and my wife was once again helping me to re-learn to walk..  1/10th of a mile at a time with a walker.

Fast forward to March 2014:  I had already lost 60 pounds, but the pain in my back was still REALLY bad -- even with spinal epidurals every 3 months.  My doctor had found scar tissue and nerve damage from all the years of..  well..  everything.  Time for back surgery #3.  I requested that he remove the rods and screws installed with back surgery #2 if they were not longer needed and he had no problem with this.  After this surgery, the difference was between night and day.  I could move again!  This was when I started running -- I had missed it so much.  I honestly never appreciated mobility until I was immobile and/or intermittently bedridden for about 10 years. 

Running has revived me and has given me hope.  In my opinion, every run is a gift and I appreciate the hell out of it.  Due to the nature of my medical issues, I am ALWAYS in pain -- the only question is "how much"?  Despite this, I will continue to run and appreciate every moment of it.  I will never be the fastest, but I will continue to try.  I'm a glutton for punishment and I do not believe in the word "quit".  It's not in my nature.

Happy running everyone!  Enjoy and appreciate every opportunity you have to step out of the door and put one foot in front of the other -- it is a GIFT!

- Randall

Loss, Adversity, and Therapy

Hello everyone.  It has been quite crazy the past couple of weeks.

There has been so much going on lately that I really have no clue know where to start.  I guess it would make the most sense to begin in chronological order.

At the Huntsville XC races on 6/16, I suffered a moment of Busch-League stupidity.  During the three-mile race, I was pacing with racers ahead of me, zoned out mentally, and temporarily ignored rule number one of trail running:  don't get lazy with your stride.  My shoe caught a root and I went FLYING -- landing on my left quad, hip, and shoulder.  With my back issues, I've had to "learn" to fall this way to protect my back.  As a result, my left quad was toast.  The shoulder and hip soreness worked its way out a couple of days later, but my quad still is not right.  If you follow me on Strava or Garmin Connect, this is why my running numbers are so low.  For some reason, the quad does not bother me at all while cycling..  It's odd.

Fast forward almost a week and my back had been intermittently locking up on me.  I knew it was time for yet another epidural.  On June 23rd, my back finally went on full lock down and sentenced me to the bed all day.  

This wasn't "that" bad considering that my epidural was scheduled for the next day!  So, June 24th was the magic date for epidural #13.

June 25th hit me like a freight train.  I received news that my grandfather had passed away.  He lived outside of Gulfport, Mississippi -- the city where I was born.  Due to the distance between us, we were not able to see each other very often.  We always had a great time when we were able to arrange a visit.  

 Grandpa and my daughter shortly after her birth

Grandpa and my daughter shortly after her birth

Even though my Grandpa was a Type-I diabetic, nobody had a clue that he was "sick".  From my understanding, he had a touch of the flu, went to bed, and never woke up.  Even if he was really sick, most people would never know it -- Grandpa never was a complainer about how he felt.  It actually brings me peace to know that he went painlessly in his sleep and did not have to suffer.

My Grandpa was a good, kind-hearted man who loved kids, sailing his boat, playing golf, relaxing, and smiling; his smile was contagious.  My best memories with him are either when he took me out sailing on his boat when I was a kid or playing golf with him when I was an adult.  I will miss him dearly.

The Fayetteville Firecracker Chase 10.2 mile race on June 27th was supposed to be a goal race for me.  Between losing my Grandpa, the quad injury significantly impacting my training, my back lockdown, and spinal epidural, I had ZERO desire to even go.  To be honest, my wife had to kick me in the ass a few times to convince me to go race.  I cannot say that I am glad that I did, but I went and did the best that my body and mind would allow.

Fayetteville Firecracker Chase Elevation Map

I really wanted to quit after the first mile, but I had too many voices in my head screaming at me to keep going and not quit.  When my quad became too painful to run continuously about mile 5-6, I switched to the Galloway method and started doing intervals to finish up.  This was also when I made a conscious effort to stop, thank all of the volunteers, and shake their hands.  I'm not going to post my exact time -- it's indifferent.  My true time is on Strava and the most important thing that I finished the race despite all of the circumstances.

After all of the week's events, I needed to get lost for a little while on Sunday and take a ride to remember my Grandpa and incorporate his rules:  go out for a while, find somewhere scenic, relax, and take some time to smell the roses.  I decided on an 86 mile ride through several areas I had never ridden through.  It was a very therapeutic and relaxing, but it could not possibly replace a genuinely great man. 

View from Butler Mill 

Ten miles outside of Cathedral Caverns 

Entrance to Cathedral Caverns -- about 50 miles from Home 

Ride Elevation Map

At the Crossroads..

As the title suggests, I am at a training crossroads..

Since recovering from December's knee fracture, I have been working to get my running fitness and times back to normal while improving my cycling fitness in parallel.  Even after three months of training, I am still not "feeling it" with my longer distance running paces.  It is a very odd feeling..

For example:  at last year's Huntsville Half Marathon, I was comfortably and consistently holding a 7'20" to 7'30" per mile splits until a back flare-up (about mile 10) forced me to slow down and interval myself to the finish.  As of yesterday, the same 7'20" per mile pace has consistently been around the pace that I've held in my last few 5k races.  While this may be good enough for age group awards, it is not good enough for me.  I am a perfectionist..  I can't help it.

In parallel, I can seemingly run 9' to 9'30" miles perpetually with zero pain at all; which is a very respectable pace for ultra-marathons.  I love to run long, so this is a good sign!  Also, I have ZERO pain or issues when cycling regardless of distance or intensity -- this is also great news!

My in-between running paces are currently what is suffering.  When I try to hold my full race pace for distances longer than 5k, my back starts to give me trouble and flares up.  My only guess about why this happens is that my cadence is higher for a longer period of time -- forcing the quick-twitch muscles around my rebuilt spine to spasm.  Other than this, I have no explanation for what is happening.  My back and arthritis are very weird creatures and offer no explanation at all.

This has forced me to make a decision regarding my running regimen.  After next weekend's 10.2 mile race, I am going revamp my training plans for running while continuing my cycling routine.  My new running focus will be gaining speed for the 5km and shorter distance events while gaining endurance in preparation for ultra-marathon season.

After enough miles on this regimen, I think my other running paces will fall back into place.  I sure hope so..

Until next time, happy racing!

-Randall

My Improbable Return to Racing and 2015 Season Opener

My 2014 racing season ended rather abruptly in December after I fractured my right knee.  This was painful for multiple reasons.  First, it hurt!  Worse than this was that I could not race the rest of the season.  To add insult to injury, I would not be able to complete the Huntsville Grand Slam.  I had already finished the Dizzy 50's 50k, but the Rockey City Marathon, the Recover from the Holidays 50k, and the Mountain Mist 50k were out of reach for me to even walk them.  Walking the Mountain Mist is not even an option due to time cutoffs at select checkpoints.  I had trained to perform well in these events and all of this was being flushed down the drain.

Worst of all, my doctor told me at this time that I would not be able to run again.  My knees have been shot for over 10 years, but I am being told that I cannot run again now??  You.  Have.  Got.  To.  Be.  Kidding.  Me.  

This injury led to two months of almost zero activity; the third month, I began "kneehab" by cycling at the gym.  It was pretty amazing that my back could actually handle the saddle again, so I was stoked!  I am still stoked and I cycle as often as I can now (on road).

By March of this year, I had already decided that I would return to running or get knee replacements trying.  They have been shot for this long -- making them do their job a little longer isn't going to kill them.  What's the worst that could happen?  Knee replacements?  They already need to be replaced!  I am going to run until I can no longer do it (again).

By April, I was building my mileage base steadily and a little speed was starting to come back (fast for me).  I started scouting for an opening race and decided it would be..

The Kiwani's River Run 7km

A 7km race?  That's an odd distance..  Why not add one kilometer to make it a 5-Miler?  But, they never asked my opinion :).

This race is part of the Run Lincoln County Grand Prix series and the Race Director is a very nice, cool guy who hosts well organized events.  This is the main reason why I chose this event as my season opener.

The course itself was a mystery though.  I could never find a route or elevation map for the event - probably because it was being held on private property.  I knew that this was a hybrid style race on asphalt, pavement, and cobblestone sections -- that was about it.  My last speed workout before the race went really well:  1.5 miles x 1.0 mile x 0.5 mile fast finish instead of the normal 3 x 2 mile 10km workout.  I was able to split this workout at 6'42"/mile, 6'44"/mile, down to 6'29"/mile respectively without frying my system and this was actually pretty fast for me.  This workout gave me the confidence to believe that I could reasonably hold a 7'-7'05"/mile pace for the duration of 4.35 miles.

On race day, I remained true to my routine and did nothing different.  My lovely wife drove me to Fayetteville, TN to watch me race, we arrived early, and I got a two mile warmup in prior to the start.  I was feeling pretty good.  I still had NO CLUE what to expect from the course though!

We lined up for race start and were off shortly afterward.  I was using my normal strategy by trying to get out of the pack to choose my lines wisely.  Then, the race route was no longer a mystery!

As soon as we started climbing and I was able to see what I would be facing, I knew my 7'/mile plan was not realistic.  I normally LOVE to climb hills, but I hadn't been able to train enough of them by this time.  From the elevation graph below, you can probably understand why I had to change my pace plan for the race considering that I had only returned to running one month before.

I started to adjust accordingly and everything was going fine until a cobblestone section twisted my ankle about halfway in.  My ankle rolled and almost came out from under me!  This did not feel good!  From the pace chart below, you can see my pace slowing and eventually having to interval myself in.  My ankle was killing me!

The good news is that I finished pretty strong and my ankle did not take long to heal up afterward.  The bad news is that I missed out on my expectations for my opening race with respect to time.  Final results:

Kiwanis River Run 7km; Fayettevillle, TN

• Time:  32' 24"
• OA Placement: 12th of 106, Top 11.32%
• AG Placement:  4th of 8

I cannot really complain considering the circumstances.  You race and learn.  I learn something new from every race that I participate in and I believe that this will be the case for every race in the future.  You can always learn from the events, but you can never improve unless you go race again and implement the lessons learned from previous races.

Until next time, happy racing!

Race Report: The Dizzy Fifties 50k

Original posting date:  11/17/2014

I am FINALLY getting around to writing some type of race report..

Before I get into details, WTF happened to integrity?  I understand the *want* to win, but damn!  During Saturday's race, I saw one man and two women cut the course SIGNIFICANTLY short in two different places -- one turn alone shaved over 2km off of the total race distance.  There is no telling how many times theses "shortcuts" were taken and all three of these "racers" placed high in the standings.  Nothing can be done about it and shit happens I guess. 

Race Statistics

Instead of writing the normal verbose report, I thought a fairly straightforward highlight reel of the day's events would be more interesting.  I have already written a detailed report on the course itself in my previous post.

The official (but not entirely complete) results are in. As most all of you know, I had to finish my race at the 50k option and could not power up to the 40M or 50M.  This was due to an ankle injury that began at 16km and got EXPONENTIALLY worse at ~27km split.

Saturday's race by the numbers

• Total registered racers: 130 (last known count)
• 50K finishers: 86
• 40M finishers: 4
• 50M finishers: 3
• Number DNFs / DNS: 37
• Official time: 5:46:22
• OA Placement: 20 / 86
• I'll provide detailed statistics when UltraSignup has the official DNF/DNS numbers.  I like math.

Back Flare-Up Prevention

My "back flare-up prevention" theory proved to work for the second time in a row.  The idea was to keep the temperature around my back as constant as possible to avoid drastic temperature fluctuations. In theory, if the temperature/exposure conditions are constant, the arthritis flare up should not occur OR be greatly minimized. AND. IT. WORKED. AGAIN. BOOM!

Recipe

• Two coats of Icy Hot Arthritis rub (or anything that has both Camphor and Menthol), let dry between coats
• On coat Tiger Balm, let dry
• One ThermaCare heat wrap surgical taped to/around lumbar spine (the 16 hour wrap) underneath my tights. Change if needed. Use wide, waterproof surgical tape in as few places as possible (the heat pad is air activated) -- just to keep it in position.IMPORTANT: BODY GLIDE NON TAPED AREAS FIRST TO PREVENT CHAFING.

I changed my wrap one time -- it never moved and was not uncomfortable, cumbersome, and never chafed.  I only changed it because the first one became very saturated with sweat and I wanted to keep proactive heat on the area. I may test this with a back brace to help secure the heat wrap in position firmly to see what happens.

Weather

BRRRRR!!  Starting temperature: 23 deg F (-5 deg C) and didn't get much warmer.  No real direct sunlight on the trails, we were nice and sweaty, and there was a steady wind most of the day.  I would say that I froze my balls off, but my boys told me to go to hell and decided to stay in the car.

Pacing 

I settled into the second pack about 25 runners back and slipped into my groove -- planning to go ALL 50 miles. 

After losing my pacers at the 10-11km mark when they made drop bag/bathroom stops, I was caught in "no man's land" for over 90% of the remainder of the race.  That was actually mentally taxing.  I'm used to running alone, but when you race on the trails with THAT many runners and see NOBODY, you start to question your sanity and/or if you are on the right route..  I KNEW I was on route -- it was VERY well marked.  Very odd feeling.

Started with (and maintained) my pace strategy & felt great until..

About Mile 10: initial ankle injury (caught a hidden root underneath heavy leaves).  Slowed my pace to work it out and see how it felt. Started feeling better over time employing a run/walk strategy and keeping as much weight off of it as possible.  Worked my way back up to mostly running.  During this time, I actually had hopes of leveling up to at least the 40 mile race.

About Mile 16:  ankle was blindly caught between two rocks underneath heavy leaves and REALLY screwed it up.  I actually yelled "MOTHERFUCKER!" in pain and had to just stand for a bit.  Started slow walking and transitioning to jogging to keep going.  At this time, I knew that powering up is NOT an option, but I refused to quit.  I will finish at least 50k and keep my Grand Slam alive.

After mile 16-17:  bit the dust a few four more times trying to keep weight off of my ankle.  Bone bruised left hand/thumb and I think I dislocated my right pinkie finger.  It popped back into place pretty easy.  Hurt like hell, but not nearly as bad as breaking my collarbone or big toe.

Forced to change my stride to that of an overpronator to take the pressure off of the outside of my ankle and force the inner ankle to support and the muscles there fire more.  Both ankles are sore now because of this, but it did the trick.  I guess those muscles are not used to that!

Started getting very confused..  Not due to lack of nutrition, hypothermic, or being glazed over -- but because I'm wondering how in the fuck can people be beating me to the aid station (one man, two women) and NOT PASS ME on a SINGLE TRACK trail.  I witnessed their "shortcut" a little later (mentioned above) that reduced their out-and-back distance by approximately 2.1km.  

About 4 hours in: my ankle almost gave out on a very technical section directly in front of our resident racing photographer!  We both got a pretty good laugh out of that :).  It would have made for an interesting picture!

Shortly afterward:  I actually ran into two old friends that I hadn't seen in forever (husband & wife) while they were hiking out on the trails.  I knew I couldn't power up and that the top 10 was well out of reach, so I stopped for a few minutes to shoot the shit and catch up with them :).  That was very cool!  It's always good to see old friends!

Exactly 5:46:22 after the double barrel shotgun start, I crossed the 50k finish line!  I didn't give up!  I was somewhat deflated that I cold not power up, but I finished and my Grand Slam hopes are still alive!  Don't get me wrong, I would have preferred a better time, but considering the circumstances, I have ZERO complaints. 

The rest of the weekend:  recover, ice, hot Epsom salt soaks, compression, spend quality time with the family, and rest.  Live to fight and race another day!

So, what's next?  I will probably try to take a slow run either tonight or tomorrow and assess the ankle.  If it's not good, I'll hit the elliptical or bike at the gym and keep on moving until it is.  When it's ready, I have to start dialing in my target pace for the Rocket City Marathon on 12/13! 

Bring it!

Hope you enjoyed the highlight reel and happy racing!

-Randalll

Disgusted with the Huntsville Half Marathon: Race Report & Analysis

Original posting date:  11/10/2014

I decreased my high-volume training and tapered for this??  Just shoot me now.

READ THE CAVEATS! 

** Caveat #1:  if you are allergic or offended by language, I suggest that you quit reading now.  Otherwise, enjoy my tale of embracing of the suck that is my body.

** Caveat #2:  This is not a pity-party rant.  I am not looking for sympathy, atta-boys, etc.; I don't need them.  It is only the ugly truth and how/why it disgusts me.  You are more than welcome to leave a nice comment, but please know that it is NOT my intent to be an "attention whore".

** Caveat #3:  From this point forward, if I hear anyone tell me (I get this a LOT) "I'd like to run but, ..", mark my words:  I WILL immediately tell them to go fuck themselves.  The key to this is the "lame ass excuse" part.  Legitimate reason?  Yes, I can empathize and sympathize.  I'm tired of being PC when it comes to lame excuses.

If you've made it through these expletives, I hope you enjoy my suck story.  Again..

If my feelings about this past Saturday's race could be summed up in two words, they would be:  fucking disgusted. 

11/08/14:  The Huntsville Half Marathon, Huntsville, AL

• Realistic goal time:  Sub 1:40:00
• Personal target time:  1:38:30'ish
• Official Gun Time:  1:47:07 (Grr..)
• Official Chip Time:  N/A -- Chip timing system BROKE (WTF??  Grr..)
• OA Placement:  128 / 846 (Grr..)
• AG Placement:  15 / 50 (Grr.. you get the idea)

Official results (GUN time only): 

http://www.huntsvilletrackclub.org/results/HM14/HM14_OA.txt

Strava activity:  

http://www.strava.com/activities/216888239/overview

Lessons learned:

• My body never ceases to find new and improved ways to fuck me -- regardless of training, preparation, or best laid plans.
• Bring my own hand-held bottle next time.  Volunteers were nice, but the Gatorade to water ratio was 3:1 -- so I got no water on two stops and I cannot drink Gatorade at race pace.

This was a "goal" race for me.  At this time, running a 13.1 is just another day in the office in my training schedule.  This is no secret and is FAR from uncommon.  The difference is that I NEVER run for time on a training run.  Ever.  I may need to make an exception to this so I can assess what my realistic marathon pace for December will be.

Regardless, this half marathon was a goal race because it marked my official on-road HM debut.  My goals were to:

• Prove to my family that any time lost with them has not been in vain (I have not missed much time with them, but you understand my point)
• Prove to myself that all of my hard damn work has paid off
• Establish a good, respectable, and official HM PR after my return to running 8 months ago.
• Find my true potential to help me assemble a realistic 26.2 strategy for December

The TL;DR is that almost every goal pretty much went to hell.   

When I arrived at Hillwood Baptist church (the event host), I felt pretty good.  I got good sleep, my muscles were well rested, I was hydrated nicely, and had my normal breakfast; everything was prime for an awesome race day and kicking my goals in the balls.  It was 34 degrees outside and I had layered appropriately.  The projected temperature was not much higher at my anticipated finish time, but I layered for worst case scenario and would strip off layers pre-race as needed.

I started my normal warmup routine and was going through my final gear checks before tagging up with Stan and the opportunity to meet his wife Jenn for the first time.  It was cool to meet Jenn in person and she was very nice -- thank you again for holding on to my beanie for me!

Me and Stan before the race (we're actually the same height)

Waiting in the starting corral

I also ran into an old friend and coworker of mine (Dr. Ken) from my radar analysis days while keeping warm.  It was damn good to see him again.  At the call for line up, Stan and I started moving into position and to my surprise, Dr. Ken was directly to my left!  Cool!

Why was it so cool to see Dr. Ken again?  Because he is a 58 year old running veteran who has ran Boston more times than I could fathom.  When I asked him what his target was for the race, it was way too close to my 1:40 goal.  He wasn't worried about time at all because he's already earned his BQ this year.  And of course, he didn't have a problem with us running together and pacing each other :).

After the gun went off, Ken and I stuck together like glue having random conversation -- even at 7'30"ish pace.  We had decided to target sub 1:40 together and slowly negative-split the finish from the turnaround at mile 8.  Around the second mile, I looked to my right and saw Stan speeding up on a downhill section as he passed both of us.  I resisted the urge to speed up, stuck to my plan with Dr. Ken, and saved the energy for the last 5.  I felt great. Together, Ken and I split the first three miles at 7'24", 7'27", and 7'30".  Granted, it was a little faster than planned, but we were trying to get out of the pack.  This would allow us to choose our lines wisely and avoid lateral movement.

Mile 4 slowed us down a good bit between a botched water stop and and an uphill section on the route.  It wasn't too bad, but we split this mile at 7'42".  That's okay though..  this still isn't bad time and we could take advantage of an upcoming downhill section and conserve energy at the same time.  I wasn't worried too much about it.  This lead to us splitting miles 5 and 6 at 7'28" and 7'38" respectively.  We were still on track for our plan.

Mile 7 took us to the Aldridge Creek Greenway -- an nice flat out and back that would allow us to maintain a great pace and the optimal place to start our negative split on the way back.  On entering the Greenway, I still felt awesome and gave the photographer a nice thumbs up pose for the camera :).  Little did I know what was about to happen.

Close to the end of mile 7, I had to tell Ken to keep going without me.  The weather had already gotten much hotter than projected and it did it QUICKLY.  This is the worst thing for both my arthritis and my back.  It had been acting up slightly for a short time, but it wasn't that bad.  I knew enough by experience that if I didn't slow my pace a little, I would be in full lockdown.  Very soon.  Sonofabitch!!  My plan is most likely completely hosed now.  I ended up splitting the next three miles at 7'51", 7'53", and 7'53".  It is still nice and consistent enough..  I'll take it, I guess.  UNTIL..

About 100 meters later.  The lockdown process has begun.  You've GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME.

I would actually rather report that I had done something stupid and hit the wall or had an EPIC BONK.  But no -- that was not the case.  EVERY part of me felt great, fresh, and loose..  Except for my back.  If you look at the activity graph, you'll see that this is where I had to start intervaling myself back in.  My plan is officially hosed.  1:40 is impossible.  I tried every physical and mental trick I could, but my back laughed, bitch-slapped me again, and told me (even out loud a couple of times):  "Nah bitch!  You're walking!".  When this happens, there is literally no way I can continue running until my back lets me.

The only hope that I had left was that my back quit this and let up completely in time for me to turn on the kick of a lifetime. 

Any hope I had was completely shattered at the 11th mile.  At this point, my back was still hosed and I would have to run the final 2.1 miles in 13'30".  It could not possibly happen.  This moment has been the only time I have ever considered quitting a race and accepting a DNF.  This briefly subsided after I kicked my own ass for even thinking about it and I committed to finish the race -- even if I had to crawl to do it. 

I have no shame in saying that in the 11th mile, I was also glad that I wore sunglasses.  I can probably count on one hand how many times I've actually shed a tear about ANYTHING over the past 15+ years.  This disappointment actually added one to the list.  I know it seems stupid, but I couldn't help it.  I've worked my ass off to earn it and my chance is being taken away.

Mile 12, 13, and 13.1 brought insult to injury.  I got "old-guyed", "fatted", "chicked", you name it.  I didn't care about them passing me at all.  I was ecstatic for them.  But, every time someone passed, they were shouting "C'mon! C'mon! You can do it!" to me..  I know they had the best intentions and were trying to be encouraging, but it was more insulting to me at the time.  They have no clue about my medical issues, my pain levels, and what I was going through at that moment.  99% of the general population has no clue.  I wanted to tell them to go play "hide-and-go-fuck-yourself", but I refrained.  I simply told them thank you and wished them all luck..  I cannot take my disappointment out on everyone else. 

When I crossed the finish line, I started going through the motions so I could get the hell out of there as fast as I could.  I didn't want to stay.  I didn't want to see my time.  Or placement.  Or anything.  I already knew it sucked.  I just wanted to get the hell out of there.  The only reason I knew my time is because Stan texted it to me.

I got home (very slowly), soaked in a scalding hot bath for about 90 minutes to try and get the back loose and spent the rest of the day flat on my back in bed.  It sucked.  It wasn't until very late in the evening that I could move worth a damn.

Hopefully after reading this (or by reading my very first post), you will understand why I will start telling people to go fuck themselves if I hear some lame excuse.  I'm personally surprised that I haven't said it already.  A lot of people don't understand what they have.  What they're wasting.  Or that someone else would kill to have their abilities again.  Most people cannot appreciate it -- they haven't lost the ability to do something yet.  I admit it -- I *was* the same way 10 years ago.

All of that being said, this weekend is going to be interesting to say the least.  The Grand Slam begins this Saturday with a 50k/40M/50M trail race.  Between now and then, I have a few ideas to experiment with to try and prevent (or minimize) the flare ups, so we'll see how well they work.  I'm trying my best to be optimistic, but if you recall, I am not an optimist :).  We'll find out Saturday!

Until then, happy racing!

-Randall

Fleet Feet Spooktacular 5k Analysis and Report

Original posting date:  10/27/2014

Discipline, "official" PRs, lessons learned, and re-affirmation of theory.

Hello everyone!  Fair warning:  as usual, my analysis is in metric to prevent the impending doom of my colleagues learning of me using U.S. Standard Units.  Engineers and scientists have a severe problem speaking in Standard Units ;-).

First, I had no intention of running/racing this event.  Several of my friends were doing it, so I thought it would be a cool way for us to hang out for a while.  They are not running junkies like I am, but it was going to be a good time with the guys though!

If you have read any of my previous race reports, you'll notice that I try to learn new things with each race performance and apply them in future races.  This race is no exception.  The difference with this race is that my lessons learned are more positive and not based off a series of no-no's & screw ups.  Bear with me -- I'm still relatively new to the *racing* game.  I admit it.  You will NEVER hear me say that I "know it all"!

I honestly didn't know how to approach this event.  The past several months have pretty much sucked health wise.  I have had a fairly severe arthritis flare-up since about June/July.  August brought me a week-long hospital stay, two heart procedures to investigate an arrhythmia, and pace/workout restrictions from my cardiologist.  Needless to say, I have not been able to do hardly ANY speed work for the past several months and almost ZERO 5k specific training.  99.9% of my training has been specifically tailored toward distances ranging from the HM to ultramarathons. 

NOTE:  I set an end-of-year goal to race sub 21'30" in the 5k, which paces at 4'20"/km. BUT, I have a goal race coming up in two weeks.  I refuse to risk injury or layoff by pushing it too hard on an unplanned 5k.  The funny thing is that the course had changed at the last minute due to road construction.  We would now be racing on the same course that I raced during my last 5k (in June).  What better test and assess speed and running progress?!?

I decided to approach this race in one of three ways:

1.) If my back felt pretty good, start at my goal pace, try it for 1-2km, and decide whether to pull the trigger from there.  If it was good, go for it.  If not, slow to a comfortable threshold pace and negative split the rest. 

2.) If my back felt decent, start off at the upper end of my threshold pace (4'45"/km), treat it as a progression workout, and negative-split each 500 meters or kilometer (by feel). 

3.) If the back was no bueno, pace a friend and help them PR.  I can jog a PR for all three of them.  They're not running addicts like I am.

Option #3 was no longer on the table -- all three of my friends there made it abundantly clear that they didn't want a pacer.  Instead, they all encouraged me to go out and kick their asses (which was a positive thing).  Only two options remain now..

I gathered all of my lessons learned from previous races and applied them.  The starting line for this event is ~5km from my house, so I made sure to get a really good warm up by walking, jogging, and doing my normal drills (skips, high-knees, butt-kickers, grapevines, etc.) to the starting line and used this same practice on my way home as a cool down.  The only remote difference from my normal routine was that I decided to race in compression socks.  My right calf muscle was a little tender when I woke up Saturday.  But this is a non-issue; I have raced in my compression socks several times before with zero problems and knew that this would not hinder/impair my performance.

I also knew (from previous races) that I needed to line up as early as possible for this event.  Why, you may ask??  This race was a chip-timed FINISH ONLY.  Too far back at gun start means WAY too much lateral movement weaving through slower traffic to get to pace and chewing up precious clock time!  I was able to keep warm and line up as soon as they allowed -- directly behind our two local teams of elites.  I knew there was NO way I could hang with them (the winning time was 15'23"), but this gave me the ideal opportunity to hit my goal if my back would allow it.

At the starting line, I felt pretty damn good (surprisingly).   I decided to go with Option #1 and test the waters at my goal pace of 4'20"/km and hoping to be able to kick well.  We'll see what happens!

The gun went off and everything started exactly as planned.  Except there was something weird going on.. This is when I learned an important lesson..

LESSON LEARNED:  DON'T UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF

From the gun, I was pacing comfortably with two of our local awesome athletes (one female, one master's division).  To be honest, that was pretty damn intimidating!  These two racers are certified badasses and I'm pacing with them??  WOW.  What a reality check..

Just as planned, I was pacing exactly where I needed to be for the first 2km, splitting them at 4'19" and 4'18" respectively.  Around this point is where I felt my back start complaining..  DAMMIT!  Hitting my end of year goal isn't going to happen today, but that's perfectly fine.  I had a contingency plan if this happened.  I only needed to maintain enough discipline and execute it.

LESSON LEARNED:  DISCIPLINE PAYS OFF

Immediately when my back started complaining, I LISTENED.  I am not going to risk hosing a goal race over an unplanned 5k.  I slowed to the fastest, comfortable threshold pace I could maintain, kept racing, and split the 3rd kilometer at 4'39" -- 6 seconds faster than the upper end of my threshold pace.  The only task remaining is to negatively split the rest of the race without risking injury.

The master's racer I was pacing was only a short distance ahead of me, the female racer was still adjacent to me, and one of our local running group leaders (who is in my AG) had slowed and was now in my sights.  Slowing a little didn't really hurt me that much!  

I used the course itself as my "effort" gauge, shaved a few seconds when I could, slowed a touch when I knew I would lose a couple of seconds, and chose my lines as wisely as possible.  This paid off really well and I negative-split the 4th kilometer in 4'34".  One more kilometer and change (depending on GPS) to go!

I maintained the same strategy to finish up, negative-splitting the fifth kilometer in 4'23" and splitting the "bonus" kick at a comfortable (for a kick) 4'03"/km pace.  When the dust settled, my placement was only a couple of seconds behind our master's racer, I actually beat the female racer I was pacing, and the racer in my AG bested me by 13 seconds. 

This is also where discipline comes into play:  I battled myself the ENTIRE last kilometer.  HARD.  My pride wanted me to drop the hammer and fly past the other two so bad I could TASTE IT.  I knew I had it in me.  I had plenty of energy and plenty of HR reserved before red-lining.  But, I maintained discipline, checked my pride at the door, and RESISTED. 

Stick with the plan.  Don't risk injury before a goal race.  TRUST THE TRAINING. 

Official Race Splits (km):

• 1:  4'19" -- 1 second faster than planned
• 2:  4'18" -- 2 seconds faster than planned
• 3:  4'39" -- Back off throttle on back twinge (still within comfortable threshold pace) per strategy
• 4:  4'34" -- Negative split according to strategy
• 5:  4'23" -- Negative split according to strategy
• 6:  GPS Delta (Bonus):  4'03" Pace -- Negative split according to strategy

LESSON RE-AFFIRMED:  Long, slow miles PAY OFF.  KEEP RUNNING THEM.

Even without 5k specific speed work, this race reaffirmed that the long, slower miles continue to pay off without risking injury.  Maffetone's method proved this to me once before while I was building my mileage base to where I am now and is still paying off today :-). 

The plan was successful.  I felt great after the race.  I'm not injured.  I'm not flared up more than usual.  At the same time, I also set a new *official* 5k PR (I NEVER run for PRs in training) and raced this course 97 seconds faster than I did 4 months ago!  I'll take it! 

I know that I could have kicked the shit out of my goals if my flare-up had completely subsided.  As good as I felt for the first 2km, I would estimate that I would be either at the high 20' or very low 21' range.  My back will always be my limiting factor with short distance *speed* races and I have to deal with it.  Given all of the good news to report above, I can live with it and am pretty happy! 

YTD 5k Progress Report:

• March 2014:  34'xx"
• April 2014:  26'35" (official, but injured)
• April 2014:  23'53" (official)
• June 2014:  24'02" (official)
• October 2014:  22'25" (official)

Official Race Results:

• Official time:  22'25"
• OA Placement:  49 / 571
• AG Placement:  4 / 21

Happy racing!

- Randall

Another Outpatient Surgery and Embracing the Suck

Original posting date:  10/07/2014

Hello everyone..

I received an update from my cardiologist last week about my heart issue.  After wearing the portable EKG babysitter for over a month, they found a few arrhythmia incidents -- but have no clue what is causing them.  This is yet another reason I believe the words "practicing medicine" are used in reference to doctors. 

At the end of the month, I will be having another outpatient procedure to have a permanent EKG/recorder installed in my chest under the skin.  Yay!  Here at W-SUK, the hits just keep on coming without commercial interruption :).

The Good: 

• I am not having and am not at risk of having a heart attack.
• In my doctor's words, my heart "is that of a professional athlete".  I wasn't expecting this.  That was actually pretty flattering.
• No more wires or electrode pads to dress around and tangle up.
• Less shit to carry with me during the day.
• The battery lasts about two years before the unit has to be replaced.

The Bad:

• I have enough medical issues to deal with.  I don't need any more added to my list.
• Yet another outpatient surgery to get something *fixed*.
• I now technically have a "heart condition" -- which sucks for insurance purposes.
• The battery life is only two years -- meaning that, if further monitoring is required, I will have to have this son of a bitch replaced every two years or so.

It's bad enough that I cannot get my knees replaced because I am "too young".  It's worse that I cannot receive PRP therapy/treatments because they are a.) not approved by the FDA and b.) there is no medication for some pharma company to make billions of dollars as a result of it.  However, I can have a permanent heart monitoring device installed while I am still determined "too young" for this shit.  Good times.  /end rant

All of that said, I will continue to kick my own ass and I WILL achieve my goals.  Quitting is not in my nature.  If you also have medical issues, do not let them define you; let them fuel you to work harder.  Conversely, if you do not have medical issues, be appreciative of this and take full advantage of it while you can.  Nullam excusa!

Happy running!

- Randall

My First Official Ultra -- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Original posting date:  09/28/2014

09/27/14:  Race Around the World Endurance Race -- Lebanon, TN

 ** Caveat:  I say this is my first "official" ultra is because I am that guy (or idiot, your choice) who has actually ran marathon distance and up to 50km during training runs.  In my opinion, those count for training, but not as official results or PRs.

The reason that I chose this race was because I needed a qualifying race to be accepted into a 50km ultra (The Mountain Mist) that I want to race in January '15.  After I was hospitalized for a week with cardiac issues, I was forced to withdraw my registration to one HM and one marathon (which was going to be my qualifier).  I was under the gun to earn my qualifier before opening day of registration..  Registration fills quickly and I had to move fast. 

This event was suitable, on a flat-ish course, and fit my schedule.  The biggest problem I could foresee was keeping boredom at bay.  The race course was a one-mile figure eight and you just keep going, and going..  I knew that looking at the same terrain for six straight hours was going to be boring as hell, but the end justifies the means in this case.

My goal for the race was simple:  establish an official "good" 50km PR, target a minimum of 37 miles (which was easily achievable), and win the OA.  Historically speaking, 34 miles was the winning distance -- I know that I can top that..  If I won the OA, how could they possibly deny my application to the Mountain Mist?

Come race morning, I was READY.  But, I was not aware that I would be running multiple "races" on this day.  I over-packed as usual; I would rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.  Plus, I stick to only the food/drink supplies I use while training -- I don't need the trots in the middle of a race :).  I thought I had left my home in Huntsville with more than enough time to spare for a noon starting time.  Traffic congestion proved me WRONG.

Quick side note:  NOON STARTING TIMES CAN KISS MY ASS.

As I hit the Tennesse border, it was looking as if I was going to arrive in Lebanon at approximately 11:55 -- five minutes before race start.  OH SHIT!  Race #1 has officially begun!  Honda Civic don't fail me now!

After a series of spotting State Troopers, slowing down like I was "normal", hitting 90mph again, strings of overly creative expletives, and receiving the bird from a couple of older ladies (I still don't know why), I pulled into the designated parking area at 11:20.  Whew!  I made it!

Until..  I opened the door and got bitch slapped with a heat blanket!  WTF?  According to Weather Underground, the heat index was currently at 91 degrees with both the humidity & dew point over 70%..  SHIT.  Time to revamp my game plan.  I decided to base my pace from my heart rate and make sure that it remained in Zone 3 and no more than 170.  This would slow me down, but it would help ensure that I did not hit the wall early.  I have to race for six hours.  So be it..  Adjust, adapt, and overcome.

We all lined up for the starting countdown and we were off shortly afterward.  Race #2 has begun!  I established a comfortable Zone 3 pace of ~8'30"/mile (slower with the heat) and was feeling AWESOME.  My HM split was at about 1:55:00 including a stop to refill my water bottle and grab my Skratch bottle.  I was on pace to hit my personal goal of 40 miles in preparation for "Strolling Jim" next year!  Yay! 

By mile 15, I was feeling great, had a two mile lead on my closest competitor, and #3 was 3.5 miles behind me.  Running through the scenarios in my head, I would be in excellent shape even if I had to utilize a run/walk strategy after my marathon split.  It was a damn good feeling.  UNTIL..

After several weather fluctuations and zero shade, my back decided to flare up and give me the finger.  Big time.  DAMMIT.  I decided to start the run/walk strategy now, let my back loosen up, and it would be time to start hauling the bread again. 

I passed the marquee out front with the temperature on it -- 97 degrees.  I know the air quality hadn't improved, so I'm sure the heat index was well over 102.  No shade, no tree cover, no pacer to spritz me with a water bottle, no pool to jump in to cool me off, no Mariachi band to hand me a beer and help cheer me up.  This was going to be a LONG DAY.  Even though I was still flared up, I jogged when I could and walked when I had to.  There's no way in hell that I'm quitting.  It's just not going to happen.

Three hours in, race #3 begins:  the race against boredom.  This figure-8 loop was starting to drive me bat-shit crazy.  No scenery.  No trails.  Nothing.  It was actually mentally hellish.  Not because of difficulty, but lack of stimulus.  My back was REALLY killing me at this time and I was sticking with the walk/jog strategy.  It was all I could do.  I was then passed by my #2 competitor and race #4 begins:  the race to retain 1st place.  This race did not last long at all.  He was going REALLY slow, but he was not on intervals yet.  After he was about one mile ahead of me, I knew that I did not stand a chance to retain first place unless he quit or was injured.  Dammit.

Around the 4.5 hour mark, my back was starting to go on full lockdown.  After completing my lap, I had to stop where I dropped my aid bags and coolers, lay flat on my towel for about 20 minutes to stretch my back out so I could keep pushing.  It was during this time that competitor #3 was starting to gain ground..  DAMMIT.  Let race #4 begin:  the race to retain second place.  I'm not giving in!

After stretching for 20 minutes, I told my back to phuck off and got back up.  I'm going to finish and hold second.  That's it.  I was able to do a few more walk/jog intervals and retain second place for a little longer..

All that changed about 5:10:00 into the race.  I was walking as fast as I could to keep ground between me and #3 -- then my back went on full lockdown.  SHIT.  I had to find a curb to lay flat on for a LONG time to stretch it out so I could keep going.  I was determined to keep going and I'm sure as hell not quitting.  Phuck that.  

I finally get up and my walk turned into a slow hobble.  That's all my back would allow.  Then to my left, #3 passes me.  DAMMIT.  He is doing intervals too, but his walking intervals are normal speed -- mine are far from it.  I try to jog it out a little to keep him close, but that does not work at all.  There was no way I could catch him.

My last two, one-mile lap times were 26'20" and 35'15" (not including stretches).  The times sucked, but I made it and didn't quit after battling a 3.5 hour back flare up.

After the 35' lap, it was over.  There was only 5' left on the clock to accumulate more distance.  There's no chance I would get more in.

Final stats:

• Official time:  5:54:43
• Moving time: 5:04:24 
• Placement:   3rd OA

While these stats are far from impressive, I take a few positive notes from this experience.  The weather SUCKED out loud and if my back had not have flared up, I would have easily won the OA.  The overall winner beat me by a total of three miles and second place beat me by ONE mile.  Each of them needed to run all six hours to do it. I am by no means making excuses -- only analyzing the data that I've collected.

I would have preferred coming home with the win, but knowing this makes me feel a little better about my performance.  Yesterday wasn't my day.  But, there will be other races and I will continue to push.  I am sure this will not be the last time I battle flare-ups during a race and I will deal with them as they come.  

Until then, other racers may outrun me, but they will not "beat" me.  I will only be "beat" if I quit -- and this is NOT an option I am willing to accept.

Happy running!

-Randall