Back of the pack

Did three slow treadmill miles on a slight incline. A little under 27 minutes. Stayed on for 8 more minutes, winding down for a total 3.72 miles. Got some sharp pains in my right knee around two miles, but they subsided after a little while. Not too worried. Aches and pains are the norm for running and old age.

Bumped the pushups back to 60, but the last five were really hard. Did 35 crunches. Total for the week, 13.72 miles, 110 pushups, 65 crunches. Am taking it slow. Confident I’ll get back up to snuff in time for Free State, April 25. Sent in my entry for the 100 K today.

Can’t make the run with the Saturday crew tomorrow because I have to take the dogs to the vet. Planning on a 10 – 15 miler at Clinton North Shore for Sunday, instead, and tomorrow a rest day.

Maybe I’ll finally get my Rocky Raccoon race report finished. Kind of long… 2,000 words already, and probably another thou to go. I like to write about everyone I met, and I meet a lot of people! Not as many as I’d like to, though.

Supposed to snow tomorrow. I’ll believe THAT when I see it. We hardly ever get any decent snow in Lawrence. Still, I’ll be grateful for anything we get. The woods around Clinton, always pretty, turn absolutely gorgeous in the snow. How nice would a snowy Sunday run be!

More later,

Gary

Planned a light workout today, since I’m just getting back after nearly a month with just a few runs. Of course, one was a hundred-miler. But other than that, I just did the 10.35-mile loop at Psycho Wyco a week after Rocky, then the 7-miler last night.

The tradeshow, the race recovery, the funeral trip — all combined to keep me off training for weeks at a time. So today I did my first pushups since the end of January — 50, down from my usual 60. Did my first crunches since I had the horrible back spasms end of December. 30, down from my usual 40 or 45.

Did 3.17 miles on the elliptical trainer in 30 minutes at Level 16, rolling hills program. 16 is the highest, and I probably shoud have gone down a few levels. But I worked hard to get to Level 16, and didn’t want to give it up. Vanity. I got to three miles in 27:15, and really worked to do it. Much slower than usual.

So I have a ways to go to get back in fighting trim. Fortunately, the next race, Rockin’ K trail marathon is still more than a month off, so I should be able to get my edge back.

The count for the week so far, then, is 10.17 miles, 50 pushups, 30 crunches.

More later,

gary

They say laughter is the best medicine, but I disagree. It’s pretty good, but I think trail running with friends is the best medicine!

Been fighting this cold. Stayed home from work yesterday — didn’t even do my blog, I felt so crummy. Went to work today, still feeling like 150 pounds of boiled inner tubes. Dragged myself off to the Wednesday night run, and within minutes of starting, felt like my old bony self again! First run since Psycho Wyco.

It didn’t hurt that temps were in the 60s. Yes, I know it’s February, but sometimes even the Kansas weather cuts you some slack. Afterward we went to Freestate, where I had the 2nd best medicine — beer — courtesy of Nick, who bought me a Wheat State Golden Ale. Then we had the third best medicine — now we’re talking laughter.

Had a few serious moments as we got word that Debbie “Webbie” Webster, who’s usually there with us leading the running and rioting, was home sick. Get well soon gal!

Run role call: Nick Lang, Laurie Euler, Sophia Spencer, Mary Ann McIntire and me. A few miles into the run, we hooked up with Mircea Sauciuc and Pat Robinson who had started about an hour earlier.

Dog role call: Nick’s Roxie and Sophia’s Puccini also ran with us.

Joining us for beer and laughter at Free State were Lisa Wright and my lovely spouse the Big K.

Ah, Wednesday nights. TGIWN!

More later,

gary

Got back from Virginia, family and funeral yesterday afternoon. First thing Karen and I did after the joyous dog-reunion was crash for about four hours. It was that kind of trip.

I fought a cold the whole time, and got it about whipped, so will be out on the trails Wednesday night! Will be my first run since Psycho Wyco, and the withdrawal is killing me.

Anyway, came home to cards and e-mails from the Trail Nerds, offering support and condolences — telling me to call if there’s anything I need. I realized that with this group, I HAVE everything I need.

You guys are a class act, all the way. I’m proud and grateful to run with you.

More later,

gary

I learned this morning that my Dad died. He was 80, in hospice, and had several serious conditions. It was not unexpected, but sad, still.

Marv had a great life though. In younger years, he was a stage and television actor in Hollywood. Then a disc jockey for a long time, then a radio and television voice actor. Made lots of $$, but loved the work so much, he probably would’ve paid the studio to do it, if they’d asked.

He was funny, charming and loved books, dogs and movies.

Karen and I are heading out Wednesday for the funeral and to visit with my Mom, Barbara. She’s 78, but in exceptionally good health, and good spirits, considering. She lives close to my older brother Ken and his family, plus gets lots of support from her neighbors in her upscale retirement community.

So the blog will be down until I get back, Monday.

More later,

Gary

Ran the 10-mile on the hills at Psycho Wyco this morning. Chilly start. About 23 degrees. First few miles felt great. After that, the legs let me know they were still tired from Rocky, so I slowed it down.

Took a bunch of photos on the course. Finished about 2:34. Compare that with my three steady 2:15 laps when I ran the 50k in ’07.

Shelter 10 Aid Station crew, about 7.5 miles into the 10-mile course. They treated everyone like stars.

This is the Kansas City Trail Nerds flagship race, so most everyone was on the course today, either running or volunteering. Volunteers included most of the Rocky runners and crew — Coleen, Debbie, Christy, James, Tony, Gabe, Tiffany. Laurie ran the 50k, though I don’t know results yet.

New Nerds Mircea and Lisa both had a good day in the 10-mile, with Mircea close to 90 minutes and Lisa nearly breaking 2 hours. If that seems slow for 10 miles, well, you have to see this trail course to believe it.

RD Bad Ben Holmes put on another great race — hundreds entered, and I think the 50k had to be capped. And Vicki Holmes, Ben’s spouse, made some veggie black bean soup that was out of this world. Psycho Wyco Trail Runs are really terrific races — 10mile, 20 mile or 50k — course, support and swag. Highly recommended.

Had to dash home right after I finished, around 10:30 a.m., and get things set up for a romantic Valentines Day evening for the Big K, who got in a little after 5 pm from a biz trip to Chicago. Very supportive of my running, so I wanted to show my appreciation. Evening went off great, but we’re both beat now.

Time for bed. Am sleeping in tomorrow — and hopefully, finally, getting that Rocky Raccoon race report done. And still have a bunch of Rocky photos to put up. No rest for the wicked.

More later.

gary

Getting up at O-dark-thirty tomorrow to run one 10.35-mile lap of the Psycho Wyco Trail Run, 5th annual, I believe. There’s also a 20 mile and a 50K going concurrently. I ran the 50K two years ago, and volunteered last year. Huge fun.

Hilly, technical course, that, in my experience is either frozen solid or knee-deep with mud. No telling what it’ll be like tomorrow. Planning for cold. Anyway, first run since Rocky. Time to get back to work, with Rockin’ K and Freestate coming up.

I’m doing the trail marathon at Rockin’ K this year for the first time. Since 2006, I’ve done the 50-mile, but this year I’m treating myself to the marathon, and will enjoy NOT going out or that second lap.

Will do the 100k at Freestate — unless Bad Ben decides to offer a 100-mile. Couldn’t resist an inaugural 100 mile on a hometown course.

Still posting Rocky Raccoon photos. Don’t have PhotoShop and DreamWeaver for posting big quantities, alas, so it take awhile. I must’ve taken several hundred at least. Got some caption info for some of the photos via e-mail from Jim O’Neill, who ran the 50. If you like mountains and mountain 100s, visit his and Sue Norwood’s site at www.runtrails.net

Lots of good info and great photos!

STILL got a race report to write, a race to run, a Valentine’s Day dinner to make, and more photos to post, so better go down while there’s still some night left.

More later.

Gary

Going through the hundreds of photos I took on my first three laps at Rocky. In nearly every photo, the runners have big grins. On that 2nd lap, and even more on the third, I know there was pain. But most everyone smiled like they were blissed out all the same. There is just nothing as cool as a hundred.

Here’s a pic Darin’s spouse Darcie (sp?) took of my finish. One of the rare shots without a grin, but I was smiling on the inside!

Got a lot posted, but still have more to do. Tomorrow night, though. Race report this weekend, hopefully. I was back of the pack in the run; now I’m back of the pack in getting my report written!

Now it’s bedtime for Mrs. Henry’s brown-eyed boy.

More later.

gary

Wednesday night but no run. . . feet still a little too sore after this weekend’s hundred-miler at Rocky Raccoon. Met the Lawrence Trail Nerds at Free State after their run however. Runner role call: Nick’s uncle Steve, out from Colorado; Mircea Saucic, Liz Smith, and KJ, a new runner, who is transitioning to trail running from rugby.

Also there, but didn’t run this evening — Lisa Wright, Nick Lang and Laurie Euler, Levi Bowles and spouse Christen (best guess at spelling). Too many of us to seat, so we went to Joe Shmo’s down the street. Liz bought congratulations-for-finishing-a-hundred beers for me and Nick. Big fuss was made and the crew treated me and Nick like heroes, which we aren’t, but it just shows how special our friends are.

Drank three beers — sure were good after all the weeks of abstinence as prep for Rocky. Back on the wagon soon enough!

In other news a story came out about us in Lawrence Magazine, written by local freelancer Becky Bridson, with some nice photos. Becky ran with us one Wednesday night as part of her research. Good story — Becky is a fine writer. I’m quoted as saying “If it wasn’t for trail running, I’d turn into tapioca,” which is true!

Hope to get the rest of the Rocky photos posted tomorrow and Friday. Report written over the weekend.

More later!

Gary

The short version is, I finished in 26:30:54 — with the help of my pacer Tony Clark; spouse Karen; Trail Nerds crew Christy Craig, Debbie Webster, Laurie Euler, Vicki Holmes and James Barker; and an army of fantastic, relentlessly positive and helpful volunteers.

It was a great outing with several first hundreds done. Coleen Voeks, Darin Schniedewind, Nick Lang and Danny Miller all got the job done, Coleen, Danny and Darin with spectacular times, and Nick in the face of adversity that would probably have made me drop.

Kearney Boy Gabe Bevans logged a sub-21 hour (by 3 minutes) finish — in spite of breaking the ultrarunning 101 basic rule of not doing new stuff in a race. Gabe did about 5 new things, according to reports, including taking a new, previously untried hydration pack, which eventually caused some back pain.

Didn’t do his best work in this race, I’m told — only finished 23 of 162!!

Bad Ben Holmes, with virtually no meaningful runs in several months, and a bad case of PF, logged 40 miles until his feet fell off, and he had to retire. He’s run the race 5 times in a row previously, so had nothing to prove except his good sense in not crippling himself. DNF also stands for “Did Nothing Fatal” after all.

Willie Lambert and John Flagler didn’t make the full distance, but piled up some incredible mileage nevertheless — 60 miles for Willie, and at least 80 for John, in his first attempt at triple digits — maybe more. Both were deep forays into the long blue, yet cruel distances that attract us so — like moths to flame.

Met long-time-no-see ultrarunner friends like Beth Simpson-Hall and Phil Rosenstein, and made new friends including Jennifer Chow, Tammy Semienowski and Jennifer Erickson.

Anyway, it was a great time, good weather, best friends, and another chance to run all day and night in the woods. I took several hundred photos which I’ve just started to post at ultrastory.com.

Hope to get my full lurid blood ‘n guts race report done posted this weekend.

More later!

gary