Gosh, I have so much to update....

Hard to believe how much as happened since my last posting.  Since then, I ran my first 50M at Ice Age Trail 2013 and 2014, Potawatomi 100 in 2013 (50 in 2014). Kettle Moraine 100K in 2013 and 100M in 2014, North Face 50M in 2013 where I set my 50M PR and Glacial Trail 50M (conquered on my second attempt!).  The past year has been a challenge.  My divorce, loss of my job, trying to start a new business and a bothersome lower back have limited my time on the trails.  God help me, I miss them.

My goal is to get back out and get in ultra shape for Spring.  My goal is to run the Earth Day 50K with my old MUDD friends in Illinois and then Ice Age Trail 50M.  I would like to run Kettle, perhaps the 100K again, and then perhaps in the Fall, the Driftless Trail Run and Wild Duluth 100K.  North Face or Glacial Trail would be fun, too.  I would like to go to the UP and do Marquette one of these days and I do need to try some of the Minnesota trail races, too.

Well, until I see you on the trails, best wishes and many dirty miles!

Review of the Hydraquiver by Orange Mud (originally published in the New Leaf Ultra Runners newsletter)

With Spring coming upon us, birds chirping, the Sun warming the trails, and the turning of the calendar towards Potowatomi, Ice Age Trail and Kettle Moraine, the thoughts of many ultra runners turn to “should I use a handheld or a hydration pack?”, “I hate my _______ pack, what do you think of those new ones by Ultimate Direction/Nathan/Ultra Aspire/Camelback?” and so forth.  Joining this battle between bottles and the bladders in hydration packs is a new company from Southern California by the name of Orange Mud (www.orangemud.com).  The company’s first product is the Hydraquiver, which fits between those who prefer bottles and those who wish to run hands free.

The Hydraquiver uses a 24 ounce bottle (it can hold a 21 to 26 ounce bottle) which fits in the “quiver” on the runners upper back.  On the runners shoulders are two pockets in which one can put Gu’s or similar items.  On the back, are two zippers allowing you to put small items, like a phone, iPod, keys, etc., in the back.  There is also a port through which your headphones can be routed from the internal storage. There are also attachments if you want to use a bungee cord to tie on a jacket , shirt, etc.  Under the bottle is a reflective strip and while the Hydraquiver may look heavy, with a lot of padding, that padding actually creates an air channel so in my use on the trails at Veterans Acres and during the Potawatomi 100 mile trail run, I didn’t find it to cause any uncomfortable hot spots.   Even with a full bottle, the Hydraquiver is remarkably light, weighing only 346 grams.

To put it on, simply put your arms through the straps and then pull them tight.  The extra inches of straps can be stuck under or can go through the hoops on the back of the pack.  I found that the manner in which the Hydraquiver fits, pulls back your shoulders and helps keep a good running form.  Probably, not intended, but, a good piece of accidental engineering.  I didn’t find the straps irritating at all.  The bottle also fits in the middle of the back which minimizes sloshing. 

Throughout my use, I found it easy to pull out the bottle and then to put it back into the quiver .  The only issue I had was at night when my cap was turned around, that the top of the bottle would sometimes hit my bill.  Not a huge issue.  For a woman, if her hair is in a pony tail, it shouldn’t pose a problem with the water bottle in my opinion.

I can honestly recommend this product over lumbar belts (which can be irritating to bad backs or just frustrating as they want to slide down) and unless you are going to run many, many miles and need a big bladder of water or much more storage, this is a good solution.  For example, at Veterans Acres, we normally run loops of 5 to 6 miles and can then refill.  Similarly, at races like Potawatomi, the Aid Stations were close enough together that a bottle worked fine.  For races in hotter climes or with Aid Stations more infrequent or longer apart, you might prefer a product with a bladder.  Or, just wait for Orange Mud’s next promised product, which will hold two bottles!

Bitterly Frozen 50K: Man, what hills!

On Saturday, February 23, 2013, I took a drive to Blue Mound State Park about 20 miles west of Madison to take part in the Bitterly Frozen 25/50K.  This was a Fat Ass event put together by Jason Penticoff of Madison and he found us an unforgettable road course.

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=465282

The 15.7 mile loop course began at the top of Blue Mound in the state park and it was about 20 degrees at the start.  Most of the runners wore trail shoes due to the recent snow that fell in the 36 hours before the race.  However, it turned out that after the first loop, road shoes would have been sufficient, as the Sun came out and by the end of the race, it was closer to 32 degrees.  Joining me from Chicago was fellow New Leaf Ultrarunner, Scott W. Kummer, and his canine friend, Dovi.  I also finally got to meet Craig Haynie, a Facebook friend, for the first time in person.  Scott and Dovi are on the right of the picture, I'm to the left of Scott in black with yellow mittens, Jason Penticoff is wearing the blue Cubs beanie in the middle, Brenda Bland (who ran 45K and took female honors) is between me and Jason.  Craig Haynie is wearing the yellow jacket in the back row.

The course began with a downhill out of the park and then leaving it, continued going largely downhill with some rolling hills in the meantime to the 7 mile or so point.  After going past the first unmanned Aid Station (water, gummy bears and pretzels), you began a fairly consistent up hill climb.  For most of the last two miles on the first loop and the final 3 on the second loop, it was a constant uphill.  All in all, 2,800 feet of elevation change which amazed me for a Midwestern course.   Most of the runners did one loop, Scott and Dovi got lost and did 21 miles or so.  There were only four male finishers of the 50K, and I was fourth (and last, too) in 6:21.  I was quite happy as this turned out to be great training for my upcoming races.

I am certainly hoping to visit Blue Mound State Park again this Summer to run the trails and hope to get more friends up for this Fat Ass next year.

As Jason kindly put it afterwards,

I want to thank everyone for coming. It was great to see you out there and run with everyone for a little bit. Please help spread the word. IMO this is one of the most challenging events in our area and I would love to see it grow! Congrats to Andrew Herberg for winning the event with a 4:35. Dwight Meyer finished right behind him and Kevin Radel finished in an astonishing 448. Keith Daniels showed a lot of guts out there finishing strong up the final climb! Thanks for coming out and can't wait to see you next year!

 

 

I officially become an Ultra Runner: Clinton Lake 30

 March 31, 2012 was a blustery, cloudy day with temps in the low 40's as Kamil Suran, Chuck Schultz, Holly Bochantin, and many others stood at the starting line in a parking lot, by a big white tent with La Sportiva signs adorning it.  Two people in front of Holly and I were wearing back packs and for the first 30 minutes of the race, I heard their continuous story of how the packs were filled with rocks in preparation for a Rim to Rim attempt at Grand Canyon the next month.  I will not name them to protect the innocent.  But, once I got a clear area, I burst around them and never let them catch up to me again on the 3 10 mile loops at Clinton Lake in downstate Illinois.

Illinois is supposed to be flat, but Clinton Lake's trail features continuous rolling inclines and declines with little flat stuff to run on.  The trail wasn't too technical but the hills get uglier each loop.  I went around the first loop in just over 2 hours and got with Steve R. from Park Ridge, IL.  Steve is an experienced ultra runner who told me of his preparing for the Potawatomi Trail Run two week's after Clinton Lake.  Steve was planning to run the 100 mile and I was planning on running 30 at Potawatomi.  I enjoyed chatting with Steve for the next 20 miles.  He helped keep me on pace and we had lots of laughs. 

The trail beat me up a bit, but I still finished strong and happy.  Overall, my Garmin showed total elevation change of 11,387 feet.  I maintained an average pace of 12:46 and finished in 6:23:53.  Holly finished behind me due to some health issues and Chuck and Kamil beat me by a good bit.  But, they should, after all they're triple ironmen!  The folks from the Lapham Peak Ultrarunners out of Milwaukee took most of the hardware.

The race is well organized and you get a good spread at the end to eat.  I was impressed by the volunteers.  For an award, you get bit of homemade pottery on a leather loop.  I gave mine to my daughter.  It felt good to drop my feet into the lakes cold water, but I wish I'd brought some flip flops to protect my bare feet from the rocks!  


Clinton Lake 30

Glacial Trail 50, North Kettle Moraine S. P., WI by oldaberunner at Garmin Connect - Details

Glacial Trail 50, North Kettle Moraine S. P., WI by oldaberunner at Garmin Connect - Details

Rookie Errors at Glacial Trail 50M

At the Mile 23 Aid Station

October 9, 2011, I entered my first ultramarathon.  Why not sign up for one of the toughest 50 mile courses in the Midwest?  Having just finished the Fox Valley Marathon, I was persuaded that "you can do an ultra."  Well, probably should have done the 50K. 

Anyway, after spending the night in Fond du Lac, WI, I made my way to the start in Greenbush where I made mistake #1.  I missed the turn in the dark and got lost.  As a result, by the time I made it to the Fire Station where the race began, I'd already missed the start of the 50M race.  I grabbed my registration materials, and headed out about 15 minutes late.  Then, mistake #2, I missed the turn onto the Ice Age Trail and almost did a circle back to the start before I realized my error.  That cost me about 2 miles or so.

I then went out to try to catch up and found the course to be very, very technical after leaving the pine tree area (really nice).  The trail in spots is very rocky and some of the rocks on the uphills were loose, as well as on the downs.  The temperature was climbing into the 80's as I made my way.  But, at about mile 10, I fell down a hill and after finding nothing broken, mistake, #3, somehow I got turned around and starting running backwards.  I didn't realize my mistake (all the while wondering why I was seeing all the 50K runners going the other way, until I got to AS1.  Then, I realized, oops, I've been here before.

As a result, by the time I got to the Mile 23 Aid Station, I was behind the cut off.  But, not by too much, I thought.  However, the heat was up and I saw evidence of many damaged runners stopping and collapsing at 23.  I was told if I didn't hurry, that I wouldn't make the turnaround AS and likely would be unsupported the rest of the way.  As I was still having fun, I decided to head out and got to about mile 27.  At the point, I realized my progress would not get me to the turnaround in time.  Thus, I did not make mistake #4, I called by friend Brandi Henry who was cheering many of us and arranged for a pick up.  Thus, I got my first DNF.  But, I learned a lot. 

First, I realized I could do it if I got there in time.  Second, I discovered that I enjoyed just making the effort.  Third, my friends and the people at the Aid Stations were super!

During the run, I wore Salomon XT 2's.  They held up great especially on the techical portions of the course.

Product Review: Merrell Mix Master 2's - Good shoes for trails and roads

Product Review:  Merrell Mix Master 2

By Keith Daniels

Built for a mix of terrains and tempos, light and nimble, with a wide forefoot and aborptive midsole, the Mix Master 2’s are Merrell’s response to those who want a shoe for the roads and trails.  The shoes contain a rock plate to protect from rock bruising, and a low 4mm heel to toe drop which makes these shoes a transitional shoe for those looking to move slowly to minimalist footwear.    Mix Master 2’s are recommended for those looking to move away from traditional more bulky trail shoes toward a lighter and quicker feeling shoe.  I think that these shoes are a great move toward lower drop shoes and provide a much quicker feel for faster paced runs.

Mix Master 2’s fit about a half size longer than standard running shoes.  A size 9 weighs 9 ounces.  For those who heel strike or do so occasionally (and who doesn’t), they have an air cushion for some shock absorption.  

The uppers are a synthetic leather/air mesh combination which provides breathable foot coverage.  I expect that they will drain and dry quickly if wet, but haven’t yet experienced them in wet or muddy use.  The TPU overlays lock the foot in place well.

The broad toe bumper protects your little piggies from rocks and roots.   As a frequent toe crasher, I have found them to be quite protective.  But, I have also noticed that I seem to find more roots and rocks than normal, I’m guessing that in my other slimmer shoes, I manage to step around things that the wider sole catches in the Mix Master 2’s.

The shoes have a removable foot bed that is made of an anti-microbial material designed to kill germs and keep the shoes smelling good.  The insole is 2mm EVA for added cushion.  

The soles are a sticky rubber compound with wide lugs.  The sole provides more than adequate traction for the ups and downs of our local trails, such as Veteran’s Acres in Crystal Lake, IL or the Kettle Moraine in Wisconsin.  On a dry hard packed trail, these shoes should cause you to feel like flying.  The shoes lack an aggressive tread which makes me cautious about using them on very technical and steep trails.   Not that we encounter many of those in the Midwest.

So far, I have run about 50 miles in the Mix Master 2’s.  I’m used to running trails in shoes from La Sportiva, Salomon and Brooks which have heal to toe drops from 8 to 12mm.  Thus, far, I’m quite happy with the lower drop of the Mix Master 2’s and have enjoyed them on a mix of gravel, single track and black top.  On pavement, they offer a much easier ride than most standard trail shoes which feel heavy and clunky on the hard stuff. 

The same shoe, with an upper featuring a closed-mesh lining and coated with a dirt- and water-resistant coasting is sold as the Mix Master Aeroblock (and for women as the Mix Master Glide).    The Aeroblock is rated the Editor’s Choice for Best Hybrid in the October 2012 Trail Runner Magazine.

In conclusion, the Merrell Mix Master 2’s are versatile, low profile shoes which perform well on non-technical trails and roads.  They provide the ability to move easily from a standard shoe into a lower drop shoe which is easier to run in using a mid or forefoot foot strike.  For heel strikers, they also offer adequate protection.