Michael: It's Not Shoplifting Anymore

Warmly meditate;
Lie in the comfort of bed
Until we believe.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

I made one trip to the mall this year for Christmas, and as much as I hate going to the mall (I worked retail for 12 years first at Kmart then at May Co.), it was a very interesting experience and again one of those eye-openers telling me just how old I am.

In the good old days when I was a young skinny 20 year old stock boy everyone knew what role they played in the whole shoplifting scenario. The shoplifter ran. Our security gave pursuit. Sometimes they won. Sometimes people were handcuffed.

 At Kmart when someone tried to steal and tried to evade capture sometimes a code 2 was called and that meant all male employees were to head to the front of the store and assist in securing the criminal. I always, hesitantly, answered these calls and feel fortunate that I was never hurt.

Now last week Kimme and I were at a bookstore at the Grove and, although it sure sounded like someone was shoplifting, the store itself seemed to be much more lenient and accommodating in providing the suspicious person with an alibi or excuse as to what their true intent was.

As someone left the store this was the automatic voice response after the buzzers sounded, “You have activated our automatic inventory control system. Please see our concierge for assistance.” Or something pretty close to that.

Wow, if Kmart would’ve played that message by the time it was over the shoplifter would’ve had such a head start there never would’ve been a need to call for a code 2 and I would’ve never had to hang on to big old dude’s leg for dear life hoping that he wasn’t going to shake loose and kick me across Bristol street and through the goal post at Mater Dei high school.  

Michael: Christmas Karma

The Kwanza parade:
Low riders, Michael Jackson
And an old, small train.

Monday, December 24, 2018

Why I’m returning these shoes.

This has turned out to be my second worst Christmas package opening of my life. The worst was when I was about 10 and I set my brand new electric football game too close to the living room door causing my sister to trip and fall on it when she came in leaving the playing field badly mangled and me in a rage that I took out on my sister. So in a way I suppose I deserve this.

Today I opened a package from Competitivecyclist.com expecting to find a brand new pair of bike shoes. I should’ve been suspicious right off the bat when the box was a Backcountry/Competitivecyclist generic shoe box and not the manufacturer’s, but the glowing orange shoes and my boyish delight temporarily disoriented me from the truth; not only did I not receive new shoes, I did not even receive usable used shoes.

- The hardware in the zip lock is badly rusted and damaged.
- Some of the cleat hardware in the soles are broken and/or missing.
- the shoes are scuffed.

 I will at least give you credit for delivering this gag gift in the promised one day free delivery window and to the right address. Surprisingly, the shoes are also the right color and both are the same size.

I’m too old to cry and throw a fit now. And your not my sister, anyway. But when I see her tomorrow for Christmas, I’ll let her know how Twilight Zone bizarre the karma of this shipment was. It’s not the same as the whipping I deserved so long ago, but the $6.99 it’s costing for the return shipping I’m sure will give her a little bit of satisfaction.

Michael: Travel Time

When the sun is high
Is the time to move about
And enjoy the day.

Friday, December 21, 2018

One great thing about living in Southern California is the ability to race just about any distance any time of year. One of the perplexing things about living here is planning when to leave for a race, particularly if involves a drive of an hour or more.

Why is that? Because, paraphrasing Rudy Guiliani, miles are not miles. And nowhere is that more true than in Southern California.

Take my race in San Diego in a couple of weeks. It’s about 120 miles from where I live. It starts at 6:30 a.m. Let’s say I need an hour to do all the preliminary prep stuff before that. That would mean arriving at 5:30 and leaving home at 3:30. In order to get dressed and have breakfast before that I would need to get up at three. That’s damned early.

So what are my alternatives? I have two; One, stay at my sister’s in San Clemente which would leave me only an hour drive time to the race meaning I could get up at a more decent 4 a.m.

The trade-off would be driving there the day before, and that’s where the devil that’s SoCal traffic comes into play. I work until 1 p.m. and get home at about three. At that time of day the drive to San Clemente isn’t going to be pretty. But better to sit in a car the day before a race instead of the morning of.

Another alternative would be to stay at a hotel near the race sight. Then it would almost be liking sleeping in for me. But on a Friday afternoon that could prove to be a very tortuous sit in the car to get there. Also, races are expensive enough without adding any additional costs if they can be avoided.

So to my sister’s it is. It’s not ideal, but it’ll work.

Planning race travel is just about as arduous a task as any other aspect of ultra racing and almost as important to get both lucky and right as just about any other aspect of race preparation.

Michael: Keep it Simple

A dusting of snow
Covers the local mountains
At least through Christmas.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

I’ve always envied those racers who show up at long races with only a small bottle in their hand to meet the minimal race requirements for carrying fluids and who can rely on aid stations alone for all of their needs. On the other hand, I’ve always been a bit dismissive of people who show up with full packs as if they’re just going out for another training run.

Yes, I fall into that middle ground of racers who realize I’m racing and can rely on aid stations to carry some of the load, but am not confident or fast enough to just use whatever goo/junk/food they have at an aid station table and hit the ground running until I run into the next aid station where I’d  repeat that process.

I’m a bit nervous. And those nerves connect to my stomach, which if I worry too much I’m afraid may get upset with me; a scenario I’d like to avoid. So I’m going to use the Ultraspire Revolt pack and race belt to carry a few comfort items with me.

I’ve been debating on whether to use just one or the other at the upcoming San Diego 50 miler, but to cut down on time at the drop bag station, I’m going to use both. That way I can have a loaded belt waiting for me at the drop.

At certain 50ks I’ve had the guts (pun intended) to use shorts with a few pockets in them to carry a few hydration/sugar/caffeine goodies and just a bottle. And maybe one of these days I’ll be bold enough to just run naked with nothing but a bottle or nothing at all. But don’t encourage me. At this age, even in shape, it’s not a pretty sight.  

Michael: Devil Dog Dies

A squirrel dying
Staggers across the sidewalk
Near our restrained dog.

Monday, December 17, 2018

This weekend provided another one of those funny little coincidences that make life amusing.

I’ve been re-reading Jason Koop’s book on ultra-running to prepare myself for next month’s San Diego 50 and February’s Sycamore 100k. His advice is to seek out races that you have an emotional involvement in. That’s not very many races for me. In fact, now that I’m 60 I figure it’s time to seek out as many new challenges as I can.

There’s only a few races that I have a long history with and attachment to; Bull Dog, the State Street Mile, and the Devil Dog Duathlon. I had planned to do all three again next year, but unfortunately that option has been taken away from me. The Devil Dog Du, the race that I had the most fun at last year, and got me so excited about doing duathlons again, is going to be open to military personnel only.

I sure hope it doesn’t stay that way for long. One of my new challenges I’d like to give a go to is triathlons and I sure hope the Marines will see their way to opening back up Devil Dog in the near future so I can put that on my calendar as one of my first triathlon challenges.

Michael: Just a Spoonful of Sugar

Where there is still ash
Grass is growing on the hills
Early in winter.

Friday, December 14, 2018

While I’m still in the mood to do some math I might as well try and workout my hydration and nutrition plan for next month’s 50 miler. This usually involves taking terrain, weather, distance between aid stations, what’s at the aid stations, and change in taste preferences as the day progresses into account to come up with a general plan of action.

In training I try to stick to the general guidelines of 4-6 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes and about 100 calories of sugars every half hour. I race and train with a watch that beeps every 15 minutes to keep me on track.

Applying these guidelines to this race, given that it’s basically a flat course and if it doesn’t rain and the temperature stays in between 40-60 degrees throughout the race, planning, so long as I can maintain an even pace, becomes so much easier than any other ultra I’ve done. Really I ought to be able to stick to how I eat and drink in training.

There are a few caveats. One is the simple fact that I’ll be out there so much longer than I train. This means I’m going to throw in a variety of gels and solid foods just to add variety and to overcome any nauseousness due to consuming just one type of food for 8 hours. Usually, I’d just stick to a flask full of Hammer gel or Gu. I use a flask in training because Hammer and Gu sell large size containers that are more environmentally friendly than single serving packets.

The downside to using these products are that I don’t end up getting as much out of a flask as I would like. During three hour rides or runs I haven’t felt this has hurt me, but I’m worried that going longer without reliable doses of calories will hurt my performance. Therefore I’m occasionally training with single serving packets of gels. To aid in performance I’ve occasionally been using Accel gels. They’re less viscous than most gels and  contain 50 mg. of caffeine. And that’s another issue. I’m afraid relying too heavily on Accels would put me in an uncomfortable buzz zone in this race. Beside, I’ve been carrying Run Gum with me to take in the last part of a race to get a jolt from caffeine and if I use Accel all day, how could I get an extra boost if I’ve already O.Ded on Accel? So I’m going to cut my Accel use by alternating it with Gu, Untapped and Tailwind.

Untapped is pure maple syrup. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s sugar pure and simple and readily available through REI. I’ll pick up some this weekend so I can have a month’s use under my belt and be assured it sits well with me.

And Tailwind? Another product I haven’t used before and doubt will use much in the future. Why? Because it combines electrolytes and sugars, and I prefer to keep those separate. So why did I order some and am going to train with it for this race? Simple. It’ll be at every aid station. Again, if I can tolerate it in training, it’ll mean less I’ll have to carry during the race. I’ll take it at the aid stations and use my always reliable Skratch Lab electrolyte mix or water between stations and alternate gels. I’ll throw in a Lara Bar and a pack of Skratch Lab chews just to have some solid food as a change of pace.

Wow, for a plan that was suppose to be somewhat simple, this is already getting kind of complicated and I’m not even that deep into the math of the race yet.

So here are the numbers: The aid stations are at miles 5.75, 10, 15, 20, 24, 29, 36.25, 40 and 44.5. Drop bags are at miles 15 and 29. I’ll only utilize the drop at mile 29. These are spaced pretty evenly apart and I can’t foresee going more than an hour in between stations except perhaps the 7.25 gap after the drop bag station at mile 29. It’s kind of convenient that that’s the longest gap as I can make sure to load up there drinking Tailwind going in and plain water on the way out.

All right; given that the stations are about an hour apart and I’m going to get a 100 calories at every aid station, that means I’ll need to carry 100 calories for every hour out there. Since I’m going to pick up a drop bag at mile 29, up until that point I’ll carry 160 calorie packet of Skratch lab chews and 5 packets of gels; 3 Untapped and 2 Accels. That’ll give me 660 calories plus the 500 calories of Tailwind which adds up to about 1000 calories for the expected 5 hours I hope to take to reach that point. That’s 200 calories per, which is how I train.

After the aid station I’ll have 20 miles to go and about 3 hours of work. That means less to carry, Yeah! A flask of Gu (Salted Caramel; oooh…), one Lara Bar, one packet of Run Gum and the Tailwind at the aid stations ought to do it.

Hydration will be even simpler; one packet of Skratch Lab for every hour out there. If that starts to feel like a bit much I’ll just cut it with water when I hit the next aid station. Since I’ll start with a full bottle, that’ll mean carrying 4 packets until the drop bag and since I’ll have a full bottle waiting for me there, just two packets after that.

That should do it if all goes according to plan. Incredibly, once in a while it does.

Michael: 50 Miles: Over 60 Under 8

There should be flowers
Where the stones of my sister
Lie over the soil.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

The mathematics of my next goal is relatively straight forward; I’m going to run a 50 mile trail race in under 8 hours.

The way that breaks down is I’ll need to run about 1:35 every 10 miles.
That would look like this:
10 miles - 1:35 I’ve done that many times.
20 miles - 3:10 Manageable.
30 miles - 4:40   It’s been a while, but in the realm of plausibility.
40 miles - 6:20 Never raced that distance.
50 miles - 7:50 Add a few minutes for aid station stops and voila! I’m
Under 8.

The only kinks in this protocol is I’ve never run a 50 under 8:35 and that was a good five years ago. So am I going senile or is my ego on the fritz?

Maybe. But the reasons I feel I’m capable is that the course is relatively flat and all my other experiences have been with very hilly courses. For example, that 8:38 was done in the Headland 50 that had an elevation gain of 20,000 ft. The San Diego 50 gains only 4,000 ft. That’s a pretty flat course. So the challenge is trading hills for a brisker pace and hoping that’ll translate into a gain of at least 40 minutes. Sounds like a puzzler worth giving it a go.

Of course my condition going into the race and the weather along with all the other variables that go into ultras will come into play.

But lets lace up the shoes, or a couple pair of them next month and give it a go.

Michael: One Down

Younger woman’s eyes
Wander in my direction
And I am blinded.

Monday, December 20, 2018

With the postponement of the Xterra Crystal Cove trail race this last Saturday, my racing season came to an abrupt end and has given me just a little more time to reflect on my accomplishments and goals than I had wanted or anticipated.

More time than I wanted because I don’t enjoy long gaps between races as I don’t like to allow myself to get either to up or down on a past performance. I prefer to have a race pretty near on the calendar so I can tweak a training and racing plan around what’s next.

And what’s next is the challenge of running a 50 miler in under 8 hours January 12 in San Diego. That’s close enough to sharpen my focus through winter and keep me both away from too many Christmas indulgences and from basking in a pretty successful 2018.

In 2018 I ran 13 races ranging from 1 mile to a 50k. That was the plan on my first year back from the states after living in Panama for three years. Ironically, the only race where someone older finished in front of me was the State Street Mile in Santa Barbara. The irony of that is when I was in high school the mile was my forte and as a sophomore I only lost one mile race in league competition, although I also finished a disappointing 3rd in the league finals. Now I can’t even place in a mile race. That’s something I’d like to change.

But I’m not going to bend this upcoming year toward that end. This year I’m going to start with a focus on longer races. Then after that I’ll up the speed work a bit and hope that pulls me under the 5:37 I did at State Street.

But that won’t be the main focus of picking the pace up a bit in March. I’d also like to think with some intelligent training I could go back under 20 minutes in a 5k.

Even more of a delight would be to be competitive in a few more duathlons. I only ran one this year but it was by far my most enjoyable racing experience. Saddling up my old Gumby Guru tri bike was a blast. Yet another irony of the postponement of the Xterra race is that it allowed me to transfer the cost of that race to another one of their events so I’m now entered in a March duathlon. I’d like to do at least three this year.

Whether or not I can have as successful a year next year as last won’t be so much dependant on wins and losses as reaching my goal times. So many factors determine finishing place in any given race that there’s no point  worrying too much about that. If I train the way I should, do as I expect, and enjoy myself for the most part, I’ll be content.

Michael: What's in Your Drop Bag?

The cactus flowers
Are about ready to bloom
After the hard rains.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Next month I’ll once again run in a race where I can utilize a drop bag. But should I and how best to utilize a drop bag if I do, are questions that add to the intrigue of running an  ultra.

From one perspective the answer is simple; am I going to stop at any aid station at all for any reason? And no matter who you are, even an elite, the answer is yes. You’re going to stop for at least hydration and nutrition. You could avoid this by using a large enough pack, but nobody does. Why not? Because water is heavy and a 50 miler that’s going to take at least 8 hours is going to require at least 160 ounces of water. That’ damned heavy and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any one out there with a pack that has that capacity. That’s a load that’s really going to slow you down and you’re racing, for Pete’s sake.

Okay, so I’m going to stop at some aid stations. So then how many and what am I going to pick up at those stations? If  the weather’s mild and the aid station are about an hour apart, I can get away with just using a 20 oz. flask and only stop every hour. And even if I don’t carry any nutrition on me and rely only on what’s available at the aid stations, my stops shouldn’t be more than a minute. Over the course of a 50 miler, let’s say that’s typically going to add about 10 minutes to your time.

This basic recipe has worked well for me for events up to 50ks. So what changes for a longer event like a 50 miler?

If I could run a 50 in 6 hours, nothing would change. But I can’t. And at about the 6 hour mark, if I’m going to continue, I want to make some changes; particularly changes in shoes and perhaps packs to vary the stresses on my old joints. Solution? Drop bag.

Hold on there partner. Remember, you’re racing and racing is about time and drop bag pick ups aren’t just regular run through aid station affairs. They involve finding the bag and getting in and out of your shoes… and all that’s going to eat up time. So the question is, is the trade offs of a drop bag worth it?

For me, yes. The way I look at it, I’m going to stop anyways for at least hydration. And if I already have a loaded bottle in my drop bag, that’ll counteract some of the lost time of using a drop bag. And it only takes a couple of minutes to change shoes. And since everyone is different, I’m not sure if it’s possible to calculate the time difference between changing shoes or not. I can calculate the extra time in transition, but how would I calculate whether or not changing the stresses on my body from changing my shoes, or the placebo effect involved, adds or detracts from my finishing time?

The other unknown variable is how long it takes to locate the bag, and depending on that, the lost time could be significant. To some extant that’s always the roll of the dice in using a drop bag. But that’s just another of those variables that makes planning and running and ultra such a kick in the butt.

Michael: Cinderfella

The pitter patter
Of rain against the windows
Are the rhymes of spring.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

This is another one of my spins on the Cinderella story.

In Cinderfella we focus on the trail running prince who’s satisfied what’s her face, but has yet to find the perfect companion to his newly beloved Hoka Torrents.

But wait, you ask, if he’s content with one pair of shoes, why would he be looking for another? Oh, you naïve, possibly road loving beginner. No man, nor woman, should be beholden to only one pair of shoes. Haven’t you heard of rotation? Differing terrain? Differing purposes? Differing styles?
But enough of that. I’m looking for a complimentary pair to my Torrents because I’m hoping that changing shoes in longer ultras will pay off in improved performance. How? By changing the stresses on my poor older body and maybe throwing in a placebo boost on top of that.

In the past few months I’ve tried the Salomon Sense Rides, the Hoka Speedgoat Twos and Napalis. None of them have hit me yet as hands down winners. I do like the Napalis, but I did have a little heel pain after my last two hour run. The Sense Rides are growing on me and I’m hoping that it was just a long break in period that was the cause of my worries. But those initial uncomfortable runs still linger in my memory. The Speedgoats have been relegated to work/hiking shoes, which for me is one in the same.

Next up, I’m going to give the New Balance Summit Unknown’s a go. I’m hoping with the right replacement insoles and with their 10 millimeter drop, they’ll be the perfect compliment to the Hoka’s and they’ll both get me through 50-60 miles together. I figure going from the 5mm drop of the Hoka’s to the double the platform height of the Summit’s is bound to shake things up a bit.

Damned, there are a lot of shoes to try out there, and if the Newbies don’t cut it, I have a few others I’d like to try out. But I’ve only got 5 weeks to go, so decision time is coming soon.

Michael: A Belt I Can Live With

As almost human
She doesn’t talk much
But she tells the truth.

Monday, December 3, 2018

The Ultraspire Fitted Race Belt pretty much solves my one major dilemma when deciding on gear for ultra races. That problem is whether to go sans pack and rely on a shorts pockets - hand/butt cheek held bottle set up or use a pack.

I’ve always liked to race as minimally as possible, but because I don’t like to use a handheld or waist pack, I’ve often used a small vest, the last few years that’s been the Ultraspire Revolt.

When I’ve tried to use the shorts/bottle set up I haven’t found the right bottle or the right shorts. In fact, the last time I tried this I lost my soft flask with about 5 miles to go in a 30k. This belt pretty much solves those issues. It’s a very Spartan belt with just enough storage and features to use in any training or event where the aid stations are an hour apart or less.

With a Youtube search or a check on the Ultraspire website anyone can get a one minute briefing of its features. I’ll just give my slight variation of the way I use the belt; I like the flask behind me. In this position I have no problem either removing or replacing the 550 Ultraspire flask. And it sits, unlike almost all lumbar packs I’ve tried, on my hips and doesn’t ride up high onto my waist.

Now I did say pretty much solves my problems. The caveats are that with a full flask the belt does bounce a bit. However, this annoyance is easily solved in one of three ways; 1, Use a smaller or soft flask. 2, Don’t fill the flask completely. 3, carry the flask as a handheld until your first drink. I prefer the latter method as this is what I’ve been doing anyway using the shorts/hand-butt cheek method. But with the belt I now have much more storage and versatility.

The other problems would be in races where aid stations are further apart or where a waist light will be used. But no pack or belt is perfect for every situation. However, I do see this belt as having very broad training and racing applications and plan on using it in the upcoming San Diego 50 miler.