Month: December 2023

2023 Running Year In Review

2023 Running Year In Review

Walking saved my season.  Old me would have thrown in the towel if I had to resort to walking, but as I became a more experienced and seasoned ultra-distance runner, I found walking to be not only necessary but enjoyable.  This year though, without walking I might not have accomplished much.

In May I developed knee pain that would later turn out to be patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as “runner’s knee.”  This knee injury was a bear and the most difficult of running-related injuries I have ever had to get over.  It took rest and some physical therapy to get a handle on it.  But what salvaged my season was walking.  Walking wasn’t making my knee hurt, and when the plan called for miles of running I substituted walking.  Most walks were in the 4, 5, and 6-mile range, but I eventually reached 10 miles and more.  Time on my feet was important, whether I walked or ran.

May, June, and July took the biggest hits as far as running goes, but I was back to getting my training runs in by August.  A little knee brace I bought on Amazon was a gizmo that I thought was a waste of money, but whether it was a physical positive or a mental one, it seemed to help me run without hurting my knee.  I used it up through September and during the Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra, until I decided to take it off in the late portion of the race.  I stopped wearing it altogether after that.

By November and Tunnel Hill 100, I felt pretty good.  I amazed myself by getting through 76 miles of that run, knowing full well that walking was the reason I got that far.

So when I look at the total running mileage of 1214 for this year, I’m pretty surprised that I amassed that much.  Add in the 522 walking miles and it adds up (1736 miles!) to be a pretty good year!

2023 RACES

The racing season was held to just four events, which were eventful for sure.

First up was the Paleozoic Trail Runs – Devonian Spring II 25K, a local trail race that I’ve done twice and really enjoyed.  The 2022 race was a complete mud-fest, but 2023 would be bone-chilling cold.  I felt pretty good condition-wise for this race, but it really did paint a picture of what was to come for me.  Once the race started I felt sluggish and didn’t have any speed.  I tripped over a hidden tree root on the trail about halfway through and landed on my face.  I pushed on but finished missing out on the podium.  Race recap:  Paleozoic Trail Runs – Devonian Spring II – 25K Race Report

I think I immediately stopped bleeding when the blood flash-froze on my face.

Next up was a return to the WausaUltra Backyard Ultra in Wausau, Wisconsin.  I really enjoy the backyard/last runner standing format and WausaUltra really puts on a good event.  The weather was a little better this year and not as warm, but seeing how I tripped and fell at this highly technical trail course in 2022, I managed six 4.16-mile loops before I pulled the plug on it before I tripped on something significant – i.e. a jagged rock.  Of the backyarders I have done, this one is the most technical and toughest.  Race recap:  2023 WausaUltra Backyard Ultra Race Report

Totally beat after one loop. It’s a tough course.

After suffering through the knee pain earlier in the year and learning to train around it through walking, I was elated to even be able to show up for the BROKEN ANVIL BACKYARD ULTRA, in West Point, Iowa in September.  Another second year in a row race for me, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect or even if I would get more than a couple of loops run.  Kari joined me for this race and ran a personal best farthest distance, before dropping out to help crew me.  She’s the best crew/sherpa ever.  I managed to get through 9 yards and 37.5 miles before deciding that I had had enough.  I was tired, starting to chafe, and did not want to overdo it and jeopardize the looming third attempt at Tunnel Hill 100.  I could have run up to 50 miles, but I was being cautious.  I was also starting to have a Forrest Gump moment, that point when I was kind of sick of running.  Race recap:  2023 Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra Race Report

Kari and I wrapping up her last yard together.

I ended the year in Vienna, IL to attempt running the Tunnel Hill 100 for the third time.  Honestly, I couldn’t believe that I had gotten enough training done to even show up prepared to run.  The first 50 miles went pretty well, and I looked forward to pressing on for the second half.  Kari and Ben had joined me to crew and pace for me.  Kari joined me for the trip from Heron Pond to the turn-around, and back toward Vienna, slogging through 21 miles with me – a new personal best distance for her.  But as we pressed on, it was clear that I was starting to struggle, with cramps popping up here and there in my feet and calf muscles, as well as being just generally worn out.  For the second year in a row, I happily pulled the plug at 76 miles in Vienna, with no regrets at all.  I’m not sure a 100-mile finish is in the cards for me, but I won’t say I’m done trying.  I just need the perfect training season, and 2023 was not it.  Race recap:  2023 Tunnel Hill Race Report

Some day I hope to finish the race with this pose.

2024 GOALS

I’m not really sure about what to plan for 2024.  I decided after Tunnel Hill to put ultras on the shelf for a while and focus instead on rebuilding some speed and getting back to triathlon.  But I did something dumb and signed up for the Chicago Marathon, something I claimed that I would never do again.  And trying to reclaim some of the speed I have lost doing nothing but long, slow distance running is not going so well.  I may have to come to grips that I am an old guy and those days of running fast are fading behind me.  That’s okay, I’m really enjoying setting new distance records, running backyard races, and experiencing new types of events.  One on my radar is a trail race in June in Valparaiso, IN called Trail Golf Endurance Challenge.  It’s a trail run, covering nine “holes” of distances of about 3.5 miles each.  The faster you run, the lower your score.  I may have a conflict that weekend, but if not, I will show up and give it a go.  Here’s the link if you are interested:  Trail Golf Endurance Challenge

So there you have it.  A season that clearly had no business turning out the way it did, and I’m so glad that walking was an option to keep me moving forward.  On to 2024!

RUNNING STATS

  • JANUARY – 15 Runs / 96.5 Miles / 24 Miles per week
  • FEBRUARY – 13 Runs / 83 Miles / 21 Miles per week
  • MARCH – 15 Runs / 136 Miles / 34 Miles per week
  • APRIL – 14 Runs / 145 Miles / 36 Miles per week
  • MAY – 14 Runs / 114 Miles / 28 Miles per week
  • JUNE – 4 Runs / 28 Miles / 7 Miles per week (Injury impacted)
  • JULY – 6 Runs / 42 Miles / 10 Miles per week (Injury impacted)
  • AUGUST – 12 Runs / 111 Miles / 28 Miles per week
  • SEPTEMBER – 11 Runs / 151 Miles / 37 Miles per week
  • OCTOBER – 13 Runs / 141 Miles / 35 Miles per week
  • NOVEMBER – 6 Runs / 101 Miles / 25 Miles per week
  • DECEMBER –  16 Runs /  88 Miles /  22 Miles per week
  • 2023 TOTALS –  135 Runs /  1214 Miles /  23 Miles per week

LIFETIME RUNNING TOTAL

  • 31903 Total Lifetime Miles / 5522 Total Lifetime Runs / 35th Year of Running

Off-Season Thoughts

I shut myself down from running in mid-November, after attempting Tunnel Hill 100 for the third time, only running occasionally and only short-distance stuff.  Doing nothing but running long and slow had been a blessing initially because speed was causing me some issues.  But now, after three years, long and slow is wearing me down too.

I’ve spent some time this fall thinking about what I want to do next year.  I like to find races and set goals, and I really miss riding my bikes and doing triathlons.  I was pondering whether to keep running ultra-distance runs.  I have really grown to like the challenge, and the backyard/last runner standing events are so enjoyable to do.  I know one thing for certain – I’m done chasing the 100-mile finisher goal for a while.  I’ve had three shots at it, and I’m not sure that distance is for me, an aging runner who should have attempted that distance earlier in life.  I’m not saying I’m done, I just don’t want to put myself through that again right now.  I already have the Chicago Marathon on my calendar, and I believe that is more than I should tackle.

I recently came across a new race format that I found very interesting.  It’s an ultra-distance event (50K) that has an element of the backyard/last runner standing format to it but adds a speed challenge.  It’s called the “Trail Golf Endurance Challenge” and is local to me, located in Valparaiso, Indiana.  The format is runners will run nine “holes” starting on the hour.  The distance of each hole is a little under 4 miles of technical trail terrain.  If you can average an 8 min/mile or under for the hole, you get an “eagle,” worth two points.  A sub-1o min/mile is a birdie-3, a sub-12 min/mile is a par-4, a sub-15 min/mile is a bogey-5 and anything over a 15 min/mile is a double bogey-6.  So if you run an average of 10 min/miles for each of the nine holes, you will end up with a score of 27.  The runner with the lowest score will be the winner.  Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

But there are two things that stand in the way of me signing up for it.  First, my daughter will be starting a new job and may have to move to another area on that weekend, which will require dad to assist.  And secondly, I KEEP TRIPPING AND FALLING DOWN!

The crack, the shoe, and me wondering what the hell happened.

I really don’t understand how a simple trip to put the garbage bins to the curb and to grab the mail can be a tricky endeavor for me, but on this cold day I decided to pick up the pace a little to get back up the driveway and into the house and my foot got caught on the lowest of low trip hazards ever – the small little gap between sections of my concrete driveway.  It’s barely 2mm high!  My legs were doing a cartoon spin trying to catch myself, but I went down anyway.  Fortunately I had time to get my hands under me to prevent a face plant, but my shoe went flying and so did the mail.  Fortunately, my dog Murphy was the only witness to this craziness.

So, maybe I should stop thinking about trail running altogether because my past history has shown that a fall is certainly a high probability.

If you are less of a klutz and would like more info about the Trail Golf Endurance Challenge, here’s the link:  Trail Golf