Running

Reasons I love to run.

1) If I had a choice to do anything, I would run because it's so simple.

2) When it seems easy, the motion is effortless.

3) When it seems hard, the reward of motivation lasts forever.

3) The act of running is so powerful, it can influence peoples' lives.

4) Running is a way to display athleticism in a really simple form.

5) I love running so much and it's so difficult sometimes, that I started triathlon since running after swimming and biking is at twice as difficult. This is the real reason I race triathlon and especially IM.

6) I like seeing flashing lights, reflective gear at dusk in the fall and winter time.

7) Duration, distance, and pace have an effect, but just getting in a 10 minute run will change my mood for the better

8) Putting on running shoes in the morning is really easy.

9) It's one of the first things we learn as children.

10) It allows me to unplug from a long day or it gets me ready for a busy day.

Surprises, virtual connections, and networking

I had some great surprises in October/November. I received an offer for rehire at my old position as a Senior Mechanical Engineer working for my old boss. I am designing a electronic control unit for transmissions in cars - the thing that makes your car drive itself. In modern cars, you step on the gas, you turn the wheel, and the car basically drives itself. No real effort or stress is involved. They have become so advanced, but I don't want anything new these days. They have made everything "cost-effective" that means cheaper. Yes, it's hard to imagine, your 40-50k car is extremely overpriced and doesn't really cost more to make than your 20-30k car. Sad but true. Now Ferarri and the exotics, now those are a different story.

Training has started up again. I'm planning on a long vacation in San Diego to get some good mileage in. Nothing too crazy, but I want to train in good weather. Since the GF, I have met some new connections at work and in the virtual world. I was contacted by a reader of my blog who I didn't know I had. She emailed me out of the blue and was very professional, so I knew it wasn't some random person. Jackie Clark had a purpose - I can see from the words she wrote. It took me a while to respond to her, maybe a week. We instantly had good rapport with each other. I was just happy to hear that she liked my blog, not that it's anything special. Just a place for my thoughts, whoever wants to listen.

More on Jackie. A research assistant who takes a new spin on outreach programs, she wanted me to reach out to my readers about healthy living and cancer. Since I have had a few people in my life close to me, who have battled, have lost, have lived with fighting cancer, I thought I should listen to what Jackie had to say. My cousin's husband just had surgery, then I lost a college friend who had Retinal, then liver, skin, brain cancer all within 8 months. I also have a few others who are going through cancer battles too. More and more, I am thinking that daily nutrition is more important than the training itself. If your body doesn't have or get what it needs for basic function, guess what, it won't perform and nasty stuff can happen. I can do much more to clean up my diet and having this article in my inbox really is telling me that I should for 2012. Now we have all heard this before, eat right, get vitamins, but it helps to hear it again, from a professional who writes for a living in a clear concise way.

Every Bite Counts for Each Step Forward

By: Jackie Clark

My mother always said, “Take care of your body and it will take care of you” and how right she was! What we eat is an important aspect of caring for our bodies, which rely on things like vitamins, minerals, building blocks like proteins and so on to function on a daily basis. But beyond providing our bodies with the fuel they need to work, we can ensure they function at their highest efficiency by eating the right snacks and meals. I learned this first-hand while training for a marathon to raise funds for research geared towards finding a cure for those living with mesothelioma. Sadly the mesothelioma survival rate is not good, but every step I and every other person at the marathon ran was one step closer to a hopeful future for those affected by this horrific disease.

In addition to the mental exhilaration of running for a worthy cause like a marathon that supports cancer, running has other tremendous benefits for our health which include lowering cholesterol, increasing muscle strength, reducing the risk of diseases like diabetes and heart-attacks, increasing metabolism, and so on. Yet if we don’t eat right, running can result in chronic fatigue and mental anguish because of its strain on our bodies.

When we don’t eat enough our body turns from using our natural energy reserves in the food we eat and in the fat, which is stored in our bodies, and starts to break down our muscle and other important tissue instead. Even though we might be eating a lot, we might still be undernourished. It’s not about quantity, but rather quality. For example, processed foods which are high in sugar, fat and empty calories, might fill us up, but do not provide our bodies with the essential nutrients they need and thus leave us feeling sluggish and down. Studies have proven that there is a correlation between unhealthy eating and depression in some cases because it affects important brain functions.

As I trained for my marathon I was aware of increased energy levels and elevated mood when I ate healthy balanced meals and snacks, drank enough water and slept enough hours in the day. By making sure I was taking care of my body, I felt it taking care of me and empowering me to live the life I wanted to live and do the things I wanted to do like achieving my goal of running in the marathon which I completed with success.

While training, each bite counts for each step towards a better future not only for us, but also for those living with cancer everywhere.

The second paragraph hits home with me. As IM athletes who run themselves into the ground week after week, getting through on just mental ability sometimes, the body is screaming for calories. I have a feeling most IM athletes who train for their first are under nourished. Marathoners too. She talks about the mental anguish of not eating a balanced meal. I know I turn into a jerk when I don't eat well. I feel the worst after eating highly refined sugar and high fat content foods after long bike rides. If you feel like you can't get up in the morning or feel tired after a training day - you didn't eat enough of the right foods.

Jackie's articles can be found on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog. Please check it out if you are interested in reading.

Rich K.

You are toast at camp buddy. Just wait, when we are done doing repeats up Mt. Lemmon, you will be walking your bike up past Windy Pt.

I'm selling...

For Sale: Kuota Kalibur Time Trial Bike

$1650 with training wheels, $2250 with

Carbon Tubular Race wheels

Details:

Frame: 2009 Kuota Kalibur, Size Small. Gloss black/white color.

Components:

New (takeoff): Profile Design T2 base bar with extensions (aluminum)

New (takeoff): Textro brake levers

New (takeoff): Kuota KO3 (mfg by SRAM) carbon crankset 52/39, 172.5 mm cranklength

Sram Red Front and Rear Shifters

Chain: Shimano Ultegra

Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra

Rear Derailleur: Sram Force

Front and Rear Brake Calipers: Sram Force

Cassette: 12-25 Shimano Ultegra

Seat: Adamo Road

Training Whe

els: Fulcrum Racing 5

$1650.

linbenja@gmail.com

Great Floridian Ultra Race Report, 3rd OVERALL!!

At the urgent request of my one reader of this blog, I decided to finally write my race report. It's been 9 days since I raced my 3rd IM, and 2nd this year. Doubling up was a wild experience. More on that later. On October 22, 2011 I raced the Great Floridian in Clermont, FL. Clermont is a growing suburb about 50 minutes from Orlando, the city of Disney. Going into this race, I had a friend, from IL join me at the last minute. Being an Ironman Veteran and having very good technique across all disciplines, he raced on limited bike training. Last minute in Ironman Preparation means making a decision to do the race, 4-5 weeks from race day. I must also add, he raced GFT two weeks after running a pretty quick Chicago Marathon.

Entering into my last month of training, I was reaching my mental capacity. Work was crazy (I was loving it though). Training was solid and I was uninjured, but after watching all my close friends race Ironman Wisconsin and being a volunteer, it's always a signal for me, that the race season in the Midwest should be drawing to a close. This was not the case, I still had two more races. I did an Olympic in Waterloo, IA, next to the middle of nowhere on the map. I placed 3rd in my Age Group. I wasn't fast, but I felt my form was good despite racing in 39 degree weather in a one zee (trisuit). I had a few solid weeks of training including a big weekend of 12 hours, then I had a two week taper that went decent. The taper was kept very simple, very very simple and I needed that. Thanks Coach Harrison!!!

Hearing that my friend was indeed joining me in Clermont and that wasn't some joke or ploy by my friend to get me through the training, I was PSYCHED. I had a friend to vacation with, and had it not been for the race, we would have ended up at the bar, then at the strip club, then maybe in a lot of trouble. It was Florida.

We arrived in FL, got our stuff together and I was noticing that everything so far, from waking up Thursday to fly down, to driving to the home stay (despite making 23 U-turns and getting lost), was going very smoothly. I was in an excellent state of mind and my mental preparation, which lasted from two weeks out to race morning was very sound. How's this for spending the day before off your feet. We soaked up sun rays on the beach for hours! The home stay was very very modest, checkout my youtube video here. I'll let you decide.

Race morning turned out to be windy, but would be a 72 degree high with lows in the 50s. Perfect for me. It was so casual at the race site, no M-dot hype, I was so relaxed and getting my wetsuit on I was pumped. We met Stacie at the swim start, she was doing her first IM (second attempt), I gave her a hug and gave her some positive energy. She was a little nervous, but I knew she could do it. Stacie is a trooper, but struggles in HOT weather, which is understandable. Honestly, seeing her do this race makes me reconnect with what IM really is. It's about FINISHING no matter what. Get your sorry ass to the finishing line, everyone is struggling, no one is special, just get to the line at all flipping costs. So I was busy fumbling with my new goggles and the gun goes off, whoops.

Time to swim. There seemed to be a drift current on the first loop and I found myself way the heck off the buoy line. I struggle with OW swimming, I always claw my way through the field and my strategy is to just survive. I stayed very relaxed, kept a good tempo and tried to reestablish a rhythm when it was disrupted by either getting cut off by swimmers or trying to correct my line after a site on the buoys. It was a 2 lapper, and I was much stronger on the second loop. I honestly didn't care about time at this point, I noticed 1:15, ok, that is fine. A quick wetsuit strip, a very quick T1 (second fastest), and I was on my bike, ready to rock. Looking at the standings, I was 99th out of the water out of 200 people. I really need to work on swimming haha.

Time to bike and eat and drink for 5.5+ hours. My race plan was simple. Mid to high zone 2 heart rate on the flats and cruising capped at 156, zone 3 on rollers, climbs and passing people. I can't say much for the bike, it was a 3 lap course, with the first lap having a climb called Sugarloaf MTN. It wasn't a mountain. It was a steep, one-mile hill. It wasn't anything to freak out on. It was over in a few minutes. First loop was done and I noticed it took me about 2 hours. The next two loops were shorter in mileage, but replacing a steep one-mile climb, were three, not as steep climbs. They were small chain ring, spin up these hills, and don't curse about anything type of hills, just get it done. I easily did these in zone 3, not working that hard. I noticed I was moving up the field too. I would site on people and just reel them in slowly, then pass, then just increase my tempo a bit then settle back into a zone 2 HR. I got passed on the the beginning of the third loop and I dropped a water bottle. I didn't have any liquids with me for 10 miles. Earlier, I was using two bottles between aid stations, keeping my core cool, my fluid intake high and taking 3-4 oz of First Endurance Liquid Shot every 20 minutes or so. I did one Salt Stick pill per hour on the top of the hour (could have been too much, more on that later). I finally caught my friend at mile 89 on a big hill. I said hello, and my HR was 170 after talking...whoops, get it down. He seemed to be riding steady, but was telling me his left leg didn't have the power he had hoped. I wished him well and continued my pacing. I finished the bike in 5:48, I was happy because it didn't seem like a fast course and there was some head and crosswinds, which I suck at.

T2. Dismounting my bike, I almost threw up. I realized that I didn't need that last salt pill 30 minutes from finishing. T2 was kinda low, but I got my shit together and got out. I had T2 to myself and thought about peeing in the tent, but realized that was gross...just keep peeing your pants dude you've been doing it all day. On the run, the sun was out and it always feels slow starting a Marathon after 112 miles of riding. I carried a disposable 20 oz bottle with NUUN. It worked ok, except it got annoying due to the stickiness. I pitched it at mile 0.5. I realized that I would have to choke down gels...uh oh, same shit as Ironman CDA this year - sloshy stomach. "Don't worry, just keep running, it always sucks the first mile". Get your legs back, they will come around." "Be Positive". I noticed before I got to the one mile out-and-back, that there were only a few people ahead of me. WTF, I am pretty damn near the front of this thing. Looking at the results, I exited T2 in 6th place. One of those two people that got into T2 right after I had left the tent would give me a battle...more on that later. I noticed my friend was running too at this point. I had less than a mile on him, and it seemed he was leading a shit load of people that were running VERY fast...faster than me. Oh Shit I said to myself, just get going. And like that, it was like my legs came right. I picked up my cadence, got that focused look on my face, the my friends always make fun of me for and I said, this is it. I thought, these people behind me, and a few ahead of me are running too fucking hard, they will blow. I noticed one guy leading and it would turn out he was a lap ahead of everyone. I reeled in one person pretty quickly. I didn't say much. I stopped at the port-o-let at mile 6. Quickly done, got ice in my singlet and tried to stay cool as possible. The first 7 miles of this marathon went by in a blink of an eye, it seemed like 30 minutes but that is what IM does, it plays tricks on you. I guess I was having good race. No one was catching me really and I was gaining on 4th place. I caught him at the first turn around and he accused me of not going up the big hill at the top and I told him politely, yes, I did. Asshole, why would I cheat?! That made me even more determined now to just rip it. I was getting a lot of compliments from the crowd, "nice pace, nice smile, looking good" That last one, looking good, was impossible. No one looks good, just save that comment haha. I got these funny comments from two teenage girls, saying how they liked how I matched. I was wearing an orange visor and white and orange socks with my green newtons...how dorky of ME. So at this point, from mile 9 to 19, I sat in 4th place and just ran solidly, eating at times, taking coke, drinking all I could. My stomach seemed to be content and I was mentally sound. I wasn't really gaining on 2nd place. At some point in those miles, someone passed me like I was standing still. He wasn't wearing normal clothes, he was clad in marathon gear and had the legs to back it up. He flew by me, doing sub 7:20s easily. I thought to myself, "must be doing the relay". Little did I know, he was not in the relay. He would go on to pass 3rd place and come across the line in 2nd...more on that later. So at mile 19, I noticed my stalker had reeled me in. I could tell he worked hard to catch me and at the aid station before mile 19, I deliberately stopped, drank some coke, and got my wits together. I began running again and he went by me, not saying anything. I let him go, he got 10 steps, then maybe 15 steps. We are talking maybe a few seconds here. I noticed he stopped his surge. OK, reset Ben. Stalk your prey. I picked up my turnover, ran directly behind him, ran up to him, paused for a few seconds, then pulled to his right and matched his pace. I wanted to see what I was dealing with. I finally broke the tension, "Hey man, how are you doing?" "Oh, I'm ok, not feeling that great, I think I'm falling apart". "you're doing fine man, just keep ticking the legs over." I said. I contemplated making a pact and saying let's run this together, but honestly that wasn't in my race plan. I wasn't making compromises, I was "racing". I knew he was struggling, but his running form was very sound. I knew he was a good runner, but either A) under fueled on the bike, or B) started running too fast. I knew that it could be a combination of the two since he was struggling mentally and not really physically. I thought he might be a better running than I was, but I didn't care at this point. 20 feet became 40 feet, and a half mile was the max. I knew at the top of the biggest hill I had to make a statement no matter how bad I wanted to quit. I had about 4k to go and I looked down and noticed 10:30. Then my mind was playing tricks on me about timing. I noticed that I wasn't that far behind 3rd place, but I couldn't see him ahead of me. I ran and just focused on getting to the line. Less than a mile to go, this guy on a bike says, your in 4th. I'm in 4th fucking place!!!! "how much further do I have?!" I yelled. "Less than an 1/8th of a mile." he replied. HOLY SHIT, I'm going to do this, and I'm in 4th!!!! I rounded the corner and got to the finishing chute and held up the banner and was so happy, so proud that I finished. I came in at 10:49, a 16-minute PR. I stopped and contemplated doing a blaze man roll, but then I figured I wouldn't be able to roll. I actually kinda fell over and right before I said to the volunteers, "I need a hospital." No, not a doctor, not a team of doctors, a whole hospital. I think I was being dramatic.

My friend came in at 11:18, very solid, he just had some issues the last part of the marathon and it was all good. He trained very little for IM, did 8 hours max and racing an 11:18, exceeded his weekly training duration since March. It was his 1st bike ride over 100 miles in 3 years. He's a stud, way more impressive than my performance. He could smoke me any day in any race, any workout.

So I went back to the home stay and literally couldn't eat or drink much. I struggled with anything solid. I called my coach, I told my friends, I was happy that I finished 4th and was fairly sure I won my age group. I struggled to go to the bathroom, I was so tired and noticed that I was bloated. My body was clinging to any liquid it could get. My post race recovery wasn't going so great. I went to bed and just sat there.

I woke up the next morning and texted Stacie asking if she wanted to get breakfast at none other than, GOLDEN CORRAL. I had heard stories of how unhealthy it was and I was in the mood for some greasy food. I told her about my finish, I asked her how she did. She was really happy and I was proud of her. She actually got on the podium! So we made a deal to go to checkout the race site. I was going to see if I could get my award if I won my age group, then would have to hustle to make my flight at 2pm. So I get to the race site and looked at the overall standings and noticed my name was 3rd OVERALL. What the shit?! How the hell did that happen?! I literally lost it. 30 seconds separated 3rd and 4th and I realized the guy who ran me down at mile 19 finished in 5th. I asked the race director what happened and it turned out that the runner dude in marathon gear was in the race, came across in second place, but got a penalty. I felt bad for him. He put in a really solid effort on that run, ran damn near close to the fastest run split. So I had to stay. I texted Coach and she was estatic! I took a picture of the final standings and posted it on Facebook. My wall literally exploded. I essentially became some young, pop star phenom for an hour or two. I got to stand up on stage in an IM podium! I was so HAPPY! Look at this photo you can see my grin from a mile away!! I'm on the far left, in jeans.

I was so exhausted the week after. I finally got my stomach to calm down. I don't think dessert every night served me right...too much stuff was going on in my stomach. Since I was eating cleanly going into the race, eating all this junk made me kinda crazy. So crazy, I went out and bought a single speed cross bike and am contemplating doing a few CX races this fall/winter.

Pending the outcome of actual race photos, if I feel the need for more embarrassment, I will post pictures of how bloated I look as a result of extreme dehydration during the race despite consuming 9 bottles on the bike.

Great Illini Half Race Report

The good:

1st 30-34 age group

The bad: 100 degree weather and humidity, no shade and minimal race support (they ran out of water). I guess I need to go faster haha.

Swim: no wetsuit, very pedestrian pace, 42

Bike: somewhat pedestrian in the first 10 miles: 2:35

Run: extremely pedestrian, 1:56, it was so hot I could feel my skin burning.

I came off the bike a few spots down but near the front and just kept to my race plan, which was all about the run today. I knew there would be tons of DNFs because the heat and humidity. I can say what the humidity was at 10am, but when I woke up, at 4am it was 75%. OK, so there was a slight breeze.

I didn't feel all that powerful on the bike, actually, just felt like there wasn't enough water and I couldn't drink enough. When I started the run, I planned to run no faster than my body would allow comfortably. One guy went past me like I was standing still, to stop 300 yards in front of me and stand at the first aid station...yea, that is what happens when it's hot out! Two more went by, seemed like they were working OK, but just fell apart at mile 3. I kept my wits about me, focused on a turnover and not forcing anything. ICE, water down in my singlet and as much as I could get at the aid station (2 cups), I was moving very well compared to the rest of the field.

It was the slowest half I have ever raced, and the swim is still my weakness. For instance, I lost 12' to 2nd overall male who swam a 31', slow for him but still, that puts me at an extreme disadvantage. It's really frustrating, and I am almost ready to quit the sport sometimes at how slow my swimming has gotten. But, I am happy at the result, I've never had a podium finish and today was extremely challenging due to the conditions over 70 miles.

Need to recenter

RIP my friend Jeremy Russel. You were too young and the wrong guy to be claimed by cancer. I can't imagine what your family is going through right now. I feel so insignificant compared to what you were facing. Going through this you really showed us how to be courageous. Doing an IM doesn't even compare to fighting a battle with 3 cancers. I hope to see you in the promised land my friend....