Fallsburg Marathon- the results

I finished in 4:40 and some change. Not my best marathon, but I am satisfied considering it was supposed to be a training run. I am awaiting the placing info. My idea to run the course before the start of the race was cut short... I only managed 14 miles. At that point, I was worried about not making it back to the start line in time. The course itself was a mixture of asphalt, gravel roads, and trails. There were numerous hills; more than other area marathons (or shorter road races). The temps were in the 80's with relatively high humidity. I ran the entire marathon barefoot without incident. I did get a small blood blister on my toe, probably the result of stepping on a rock.

Many people commented about my barefoot running; some asked questions. Overall, the response was very positive!

I briefly talked to one of the race organizers for the Woodstock race events. Apparently there are 13 people signed up for the 100 mile race. I was expecting at least 100. Thirteen people?!? That really adds the pressure to finish. Based on how I felt today, I have more confidence in my abilities this year than last year. I will be taking two days off to recover, then maybe two more higher mileage weeks. At that point, I will slowly drop my mileage in preparation for the 100 miler.

Fallsburg Marathon Update- My crazy-ass idea...

Tomorrow morning I will be running the Fallsburg Marathon in Lowell, MI. I had originally planned on running the Marquette 50 miler next weekend, but had to settle for the shorter, cheaper local race. While running a 10 1/2 mile run today, I decided to try running the course before the race. That will push my weekly miles to slightly above 90. This should be my most ambitious week. This is my plan:

• Leave my house around 12:15 am
• Arrive at the course around 12:45
• Start running around 1:00
• If all goes according to plan, I should finish around 6:30-7:00. That will give me some time before the actual race starts... just long enough to grab a quick in-car nap, down a few calories, and grab a quick change of clothes.
• I'm hoping for a finish time under six hours in the actual race. That will probably make me one of the last finishers. :-)

I will be carrying my Vibrams on at least the first running. The course includes a gravel road; it may not be runnable. It would have been smart to assess the course prior to running, but I tend to do dumb stuff...

Fallsburg Marathon

This Saturday, I will be running the Fallsburg Marathon in Lowell, MI. This marathon consists of approximately 50% roads (asphalt and gravel) and 50% trails with several good hills. It should be a very good training run for Hallucination 100 Sept. 26th. To get all my planned mileage in this week, I will have to do another run on Saturday. As of right now, I am leaning towards a shorter run before the race on Saturday. That will give me a little more time on the trails in the dark. I am confident about my night running at this point, but the extra practice can't hurt.

Along with the trail marathon, I am also planning on running the actual Hallucination 13 mile loop tomorrow. My plan is to drive to Pinckney (MI) early, getting there around 4a.m. This will give me a chance to run the loop in the dark. If I can maintain a decent pace, I would like to do two additional laps. At this point, a 39 mile run is significantly longer than my other long runs, but I should be prepared for it. Based on the advice of some more experienced ultra runners, I have started cutting my crosstraining back a bit. I am also consolidating my weekly runs to make fewer runs, but also longer runs. It will allow greater stressing of my body along with more recovery time. This week's mileage should be in the ballpark of 75-85 miles. This should be my highest total of this training cycle.

Learning from my 100 mile mistakes...

I've been reflecting on my 100 mile experience last year at Burning River. In an attempt to correct my mistakes, here's how I would grade my run last year:

• Training base (mileage): D+
• Crosstraining: A-
  
• Hydration: A
• Electrolytes: A
• Heat acclimation: B+
• Chafing prevention: C+
• Foot care: C-
  
• Caloric intake: D+
• Clothing: B+
• Gear: B
• Lighting: B+
• Pacing/ race strategy: C
• Drop bags: B-
• Mental toughness: D+

I think I will be better prepared this year. Failure can be a wonderful teacher.

Well, I'm not doing a very good job of keeping up with current posts. I'd like to say I'm busy with work, but I'm on summer vacation. Just lazy I guess...

Anyway, I finished the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival 10k in 42:21... good for 5th in my age group. I was generally satisfied with the finish. I would like to have broken 40 minutes, but I just felt a bit off the entire race. At least I didn't develop any blisters... a good indicator my form is finally adequate. It was my last road race before Hallucination in September.

The 100 miler training is going well. This week marks my first high mileage week (should be about 50-60). I am trying to accumulate as many trail miles as possible, many of which are night runs. My tentative plan is to run the 13 mile loop this Sunday. That should give me enough information about the terrain. I will be able to develop a race strategy (barefoot, Vibrams, etc.).