Thunder Rock 100 mile Trail Race 2016

I am officially a 100-mile runner! It wasn’t pretty, but I finished.

Chattanooga: Tiffany and I fell in love with the city during a training trip for Ironman Chattanooga. It has beautiful mountains, trails, and people that love the outdoors. It’s also a very drivable distant from Cincinnati. Once I decided to do a 100-mile race, Thunder Rock became the ideal choice. I know they say not to do a hilly ultra for your first 100, but I wanted beauty and challenge.

Water: The forecast called for rain throughout the race. Fortunately, the start was dry but after a few hours the rain began and continued until Saturday morning. It wasn’t a torrential down pour and I never had to use my rain jacket, but it was enough to keep me wet and create friction. Even without rain, there were roughly 10 streams and 1 river that would have soaked my feet.

Blisters: In all the books I read about ultra-running, the majority of runners said they just used one pair of shoes during a race. In previous races I’ve never had issues with blisters or chaffing. Around mile 40 I started to notice some rubbing in my arm pits. I used Vaseline at the aid stations and at mile 57 I switched shirts and socks. After a few miles, I stopped to shake out a pebble in my shoe only to realize it was a blister.     

Half-track: Long trail races consist of multiple surfaces to accomplish the distance. There’s single track (your typical trail), double track, gravel roads, and paved roads. In Tennessee, they also have half-track where you have to walk sideways along a 200 foot cliff. There was one section Saturday morning that was covered with leaves and particularly tricky. Every 3^rd or 4^th step my foot slipped. I don’t know how athletes did this at night.     

Companionship: Throughout the race I ran with several different athletes. For the first 17 miles, I ran with my companions from GDR and it was nice to reunite. After the river crossing, they stopped to change clothes and I was afraid to wait. For a brief period, I ran with the lead woman, but she gapped me on a decent. I also reunited with a gentleman I ran with the year before. He remembered me and was very encouraging. For the most part, I ran/walked by myself and preferred it. I could pretend I was going fast as well as go at my own pace.

Determination: Finishing the Georgia Death race was supposed to make Thunder Rock easy. It taught me that physical pain was inevitable, but if I just keep moving I will finish. However, I was not prepared for the blistered wet feet. Every step I took was painful. Somewhere between mile 80 and 85 I was limited to walking. I tried to estimate how long it would take to finish. Could I do 3 miles an hour? What if I could only do 1 or 2? I decided to focus on my hiking poles and kept moving forward.

Cruelty part 2: What is up with sadistic finishes. GDR had the waterfall climb and decent. TR had bushwhacking and two stream crossings. By this point in the race the rain had stopped, but the sun was starting to cause issues. My mind was in panic mode about getting burnt as well as possible permanent damage to my blistered feet. Luckily Tiffany ran out to join me and kept quiet about what was ahead.

Many thanks to the volunteers and the wonderful RN who cared for me. 

2016 Georgia Death Race

GDR definitely lived up to it’s name. Prior to the start, I thought about doing this race on an annual basis. It was only a 100K and in a great location. After the race, I never want to do it again. It takes as long as your typical 100 miler and beats you to a pulp within the first 20 miles.

Plan: My plan was to follow one of the two athletes I knew who had previously done the race. I was a little worried that one of them would be a lot faster than me, but I was confident/naïve to think I could keep up. I started with the faster athlete, but soon overheated and stopped to take off my raincoat. Ultimately it was for the best as he finished several hours ahead of me.

Punch in the Face: The first 40ish miles of the course were steep. There were no switchback. They just went straight up. Imagine hiking up and down Woodland Mound for 40 miles. On the one occasion were the trail leveled out, the race director deviated from that route and directed us up through the brush.

Overcooked: Ever since I returned from Cancun, I felt a little flat. I don’t think I accounted for all the walking we did each day. By mile 20 of GDR, I was fine aerobically, but my quads were throbbing and I still had roughly 52 miles to go. A small relief occurred as I witnessed a female runner use a tree branch as a hiking stick. From there on out, I climbed every hill with a stick. It helped me survive and stay upright. Around mile 40, I found two nice sticks and used them for the remainder of the race, on hills, flats, and descents. They alleviated the pressure on my legs and kept me from falling. I was even able to run a little at times by applying more pressure to the sticks.

Redemption: Around 8:30pm, I turned on my headlamp and delighted in my ability to see the course. It was such a blessing after my problems at the Thunder Rock 100 mile race. That DNF has irritated me for 10 months. I was determined to finish this race no matter what. A DNF was not an option. Having that mindset helped me through some low points. I even cried at an aid station pleading with another runner to keep racing. Eventually I joined a group of three athletes and stayed with them until the last few miles. We would run a little (20 seconds) then walk.

Rocket Fuel: My companions were great, but getting to the last aid station took forever. My legs and back felt like they were going to give out. I even needed assistance going under a metal gate. They had to push down and pull me forward. Once we reached the aid station, I desperately swallowed a 200 mg caffeine pill. A few minutes later I saw Tiffany and my spirits soared. We were on a gradual descent and I used my sticks to help me run. I was ready to be finished.

Cruelty: Unfortunately, I forgot about the 3.5 mile loop in the park which turned into a cruel joke. You go from a fairly smooth runnable dirt trail to a rocky technical path that forced me to walk. THEN when you get to the bottom of the valley and can hear the finish line, a volunteer tells you there’s “only” two miles left. Two miles with 175 steps and 729 feet to the top of the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. It was beautiful, but I could have seen it Sunday afternoon. From there we ran down a paved road and that’s how I thought we’d finish. But in another evil twist, the course entered a rocky technical trail with switchback after switchback to the valley floor.

I finished 72ish hilly miles in roughly 18 hours and 30 minutes. If I hadn’t DNF at Thunder Rock and struggled with that disappointment, I would not have completed this race.     

Bryan's 24 day Challenge

Here is my attempt to provide a healthy alternative to popular weight loss programs/cleanses. Most of these programs work because they're specific, social, and time limited. Unfortunately they're also usually expensive. My option minimizes costs while also reducing the time spent cooking and thinking. Try it for 3 weeks and see for yourself.

Breakfast

32oz of Kefir (yogurt smoothie)

Lunch

1/2 cup Almonds

Celery or Carrots

 

 

Dinner

4-6oz of protein

2-4 servings of non-starchy vegetables

1-2 tablespoons of butter, ghee, or coconut oil

Exercise
60 minutes a day Monday to Friday
Make it social and fun 

Running groups accommodate a wide variety of abilities 

Yoga 

Indoor rock climbing

Spinning

Walk through an interesting neighborhood

Supplements 

No need to spend a lot of money
Kefir - probiotics, protein, calcium, and vitamin D to cleanse your system and enhance your immune system 

1 cup of black coffee in the morning to stimulate metabolism and alertness
Caffeine free Tea or Hot water with lemon in afternoon or evening to help stay alert throughout the day
Too much caffeine increases our cravings for sweets

 

 

Protein

Chicken - breasts, thighs, drumsticks
Red meat - steaks, ground beef, roasts
Pork - chops, ribs, pulled pork
Fish - salmon, trout, tilapia, tuna, seabass
Eggs - scrambled, poached, souffle
Make it easy and designate specific proteins for each day of the week (e.g. Chicken on Mondays & Thursdays)

Vegetables

Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower Green Beans, Salad

Essential Fatty Acids

Butter, Ghee, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, or Avocados

Fixed vs Growth Mindset

Great book by Dr Carol Dweck. Are you born with Talent? Are you born with Passion? Are you born with Confidence? Are you born with Mental Toughness? Do you have Free Will?

Depends on your Mindset.  

Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Run

My First Ultra-Marathon

All Smiles Before The Start

Race Start

Still Early, Wearing Gloves

Foolishly Ran Hills

Lula Falls, Beautiful

Getting the Gravel Out

Steep Climb That We Went Up & Down

Finished

Joy
Gorgeous day with no rain. Forecast called for 80% chance earlier in the week.
Friendly competitors. People loved my pink Camelbak.
Shoes dried quickly after running through streams.
No stomach issues. Ironman training forces you to learn how to eat while exercising.
Time: 9 hr 41 min. Most people I ran with had a goal of sub 10 hr for this course.
Finished before sunset and didn't have to worry about using a light
Huge sense of accomplishment. Cried at finish.
Magnificent excursion with Tiffany, Allison, TJ, Harvey, Abbey, & Breaden

Less Than Joyful
No mile markers made it mentally challenging.
Briefly became lightheaded from not consuming enough water.
60-70% of course covered with rocks and roots.
Quadriceps destroyed after 30 miles making it difficult to walk or run downhill.

What I Learned
Walk the hills from the start.
Consume plenty of water. It's easy to refill the bladder.
Get in and get out of the aid stations. I passed a lot of people loitering.
Next up: May 15 ThunderRock 100 mile run.

Our 6 Person Yurt

The Gang

Cherokee Falls at Cloudland Canyon Campsite

Choices

"Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again." 

- Steve Jobs

Jobs was telling us we have options. We may not like the options and our options may be limited, but we always have a choice. In psychology, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) posits that our options include:

1. Solve the problem

2. Change how you feel about it

3. Accept it

4. Stay the same

5. Make the situation worse

Sometimes the situation can be solved by a simple action or plan. Other times, the situation is more complex and is not able to be solved in the moment. From there we can change how we feel about it. I didn't win the lottery. "Oh well at least I won't have people harassing me for money." Sometimes that's easier said than done. Another option is to accept the current situation. It's painful, but we realize we can't do anything this very second or today. We're not giving up, but rather acknowledging the current reality. Maybe our flight is delayed and we're going to be late. We look into other flights/mode of transportation, but can't find anything acceptable. Therefore our only option is to accept the current situation and wait for an opportunity to change. Staying the same or making the situation worse, both result in misery. We can continue to complain, yell, get drunk, blame ourselves, but nothing changes for the better. 

In my marriage, I encounter several choices each day. I can comfort & support Tiffany or I can push for my agenda. It's a balancing act I often fail. A wise counselor once told us, "If you both go to the well for support, neither one of you is going to get water."  

The secret I've found is to pause, breath, and allow myself time to think. Sometimes I still push for my agenda, but pausing at least allows for the opportunity to think rationally.

Reversible

A recent report in CNN revealed a link between divorce and the amount spent on one's wedding. The more a couple spends on their wedding, the more likely they will divorce.

In another study on marriage, the authors suggest that happiness is based on delusions. If one believes their spouse is smart, funny, attractive, or unique, they are going to have a happier marriage.

Similar results were found by Dan Gilbert, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He discovered that happiness was higher when individuals saw situations as non-reversible. In his study, participants ranked a series of paintings on a scale of 1-10. They were then presented with a free print of a painting they ranked as average. Awhile later they were asked to re-rank the paintings. During the second evaluation, they ranked their free print as above average. Here is a video link to his TED Talk.

It seems like when we are denied the opportunity to change a situation, we resolve this tension by adjusting our views. It's a common mechanism used when our thoughts and behaviors do not align. In psychology terms it is called resolving cognitive dissonance. We create delusions or change our opinions so that we can feel consistent.

The first study about marriage and divorce, highlights the challenges that comes with wealth. When we have monetary wealth or wealth of opportunities, we can delay emotions or distract ourselves. In the short term there is some benefit to distractions, but just like credit cards, bills must eventually be paid.  We must eventually deal with emotions to be truly happy.

The second study uses the word delusions, but I believe the participants actually saw their spouses through a wider lens. They saw the unique gifts and talents that may be missed by the casual observer.

Dan Gilbert's studies reveal that happiness is synthesized not found. If we see outcomes as non-reversible, we're forced to see the positives instead of looking for ways to change the past or recreate the past in the future. After a dissappointing race, athletes will typically rush to enter another one. If we lose money on a stock, we hurry to buy another stock. However, by failing to process the reality of the moment, we're suppressing our emotions and missing growth opportunities. Seeing outcomes as non-reversible has the potential to be a powerful tool. The initial sting of being in an undesirable situation is painful, but through the pain we are able to grow.

I wasn't happy with my last race and I can't change that. I really wanted to go out and do another race or sign up for the same event next year, but I didn't. I've accepted the reality and slowly learned to appreciate the gift of that result. If seeing outcomes as non-reversible is painful, know that there will always be another decision looming that can alter one's path.