My UltraLife

 

If you’ve noticed I haven’t posted anything since Thanksgiving week end and that post was about trying to run after eating too much.

I have been inspired and flattered by so many new comments to my postings.  Sometimes the comments are on a post that is quite old, so I guess people Google a topic and end up here.  Thanks for the comments, they are quite encouraging.

I used “MyUltraLife” as a way to keep myself motivated while I was training to run the Double Marathon.   Since I have slowed the number of new posts, my life has become less Ultra and my waistline is widening, so I guess this site really worked to help me keep up “The UltraLife”.

I miss the days of being able to run 20 miles on Saturday and running another 20 miles on Sunday.  That was a good level of fitness.  Maybe I have forgotten the pain and have a false memory of how I felt at that time, but I’d like to get that feeling again…maybe with less pain!

So, I pledge to re-vive “MyUltraLife” and plan to be posting many exciting reports of my adventures with running, fitness, nutrition and life in “Ultra” mode.

Thanks to my readers for the encouragement.  I will strive to be a good example, and if not a good example, at least a living experiment of an UltraLife!

We’ve all heard the saying; “You are what you eat”.

I believe the the same is true about what we think.  “We are what we think”.  We become or condition ourselves to act in a way that matches what we think and feel about ourselves.

Recently I have caught myself  saying….”Now that I’m 50….”.  

It happens when I talk about my career; “Now that I’m 50 I should get a real job”.   It has happened when discussing exercise; “Now that I’m 50 I should find new challenges that are less extreme”.  

I hate it.  It scares me.  The last thing I want to do is start thinking old.  I don’t want to condition myself to limit activities or ambitions just because I have reached a certain age.  The scariest thing is that no one has done it too me.  I’m doing it to myself.

The last thing I want to do is sit around reading the newspaper on Saturday mornings instead of running, swimming or biking!

You are what you think you are.   If you think you are old you will become old.  If you think you are not capable, you probably won’t be able to achieve your goal.  It has to do with self esteem, self realization and self confidence.

Just think about all the 30 and 40 year olds out there that could run a Marathon, but they don’t believe they can so they never try.  They never take the first walk or short jog to start getting in shape.  I see so many walking heart attacks out there in restaurants and malls.  I believe that if they just changed the way they thought,  their actions would follow and they would eat less (better) and exercise more.

I hope I have caught and checked my poisonous thoughts.

“Now that I’m 50…..I can do more!”     I can Live an UltraLife!

We started early in the morning, just after sunrise.  A small, hearty crew, ready to run. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had 6 individuals runners and a relay team (5 runners)with a goal to run the entire course of 52.4 miles.

Everyone started strong and in high spirits, blind to the challenges we would face on our journey.

A few last minute instructions and we were off.

The course was laid out with check points every 5 miles miles.  You could call them support stops or check points, but rest we did.  We talked, we drank, we laughed, stretched, sat down for a while, then onward we went.  The goal was just to finish. With  5 miles to run to reach the next check point it  was a key mental plus to help us achieve our goal.   We rested, refreshed….even sat down….

then run….we did.

The support crews were great.  Most of them had never done this before….probably a good thing, because they helped us so cheerfully that Charlie who has participated in more than 150 Marathon events told us that this was the most friendly group of support people he had ever seen.  Yeah Support Team!….thanks for your help.  We could not have done it without you!

But we had miles to go……the day was long.

 

One runner went past the turn around point….and since she lives in Newport simply ran home;

and another decided to stop because the pain of a pre-race injury wouldn’t let him continue.

The relay team hurried along from runner to runner while the other individual runners trudged along.                  

Finally we made it to the finish line.  We started at sunrise, we ended at sundown.

I can’t believe we actually did it!  After a year of training, hoping and planning; it finally happened.  A goal achieved.   The idea that everyone told me was "crazy" or "stupid" was complete.  The reality of the accomplishment  left me giddy with excitement.  An idea that initially was just a whimsy of a thought turned into a real "Athletic EVENT" that many shared.  WE DID IT….we all DID IT!

 

 

Thanks to all.  Thank you for your participation.  Thank you to the volunteers for their cheerful support.  Thank you to friends and family who traveled from afar.  Thanks to the relay team.  Thanks for all the great photos!  Thanks to everyone for helping me make this dream into a reality.

It was a fantastic day!

"MyUltraLife"……Run, Stay Strong, Live Long

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With one week to go before race day I have spent a good portion of this week making all the final preparations.

1.) Buy Gu, hammer Gel and Cliff Bloks to help keep all the runners energized

2.) Pick up the Banner. 

3.) Check on the T-Shirts 

Hey if we have a banner and           T-Shirts, it’s like a real event!

4.) Rent a van to help transport spectators and family.

5.) Outline the course and paint directional arrows along the course so no one runs the wrong way!

Watch the road for the Ultralife logo and orange arrows pointing the way.  In many places you’ll only see the small orange arrow.   I didn’t want to over pollute the streets with spray paint.

Saturday, Sept. 6th myself and some of the people from the relay team will ride the course again so the relay team gets an idea of the course and to double check locations for the check points.

I’ve also lined up volunteers to help distribute water, Gatorade, gu and gels at each check point.  We will have at least 1 bike rider to help keep track of the runners and give guidance to the volunteers at check points, advise that we need a sag wagon (pick up a runner who dropped out), video tape the run and provide general support.

So the course is ready, T-shirts and banner are ready…I just hope the runners are ready!  It’s turning into a real event!

I agreed to go on one of those bus tours.  You know the ones where you get on a bus with 50 Chinese people and you tour around country in a bus that stops every 2 hours to let you out to pee or see some tourist site.

This bus tour went from Los Angeles all the way to the State of Wyoming to tour Yellow Stone National Park.

It took 3 days to get to the park.  The tour leaves the hotel at 7 AM and drops you at the next hotel at 8 PM (after dinner); a 13 hour day, 10 of which are spent on the bus.  Along the way we visited Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, Wy., The Grand Teton’s and finally, Yellow Stone National Park.

I got lots of reading done.  I read 4 books.

I was quite anxious.  Was this the best tactic 2 weeks before a 52 mile run?  Would my muscles atrophy?  Rest is good.  I hadn’t had much recovery time through the summer.  But was this a good idea?  I felt so cramped and dormant on the bus .  not to mention, we ate full Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner!

I’d been doing well lately on dropping a few pounds.  Sitting all day and eating 3 full meals was definitely back sliding.  I did skip a couple of dinners or only ate a small salad to try and compensate.

I also got in 3 days of running (4-6 miles each) out of the 7 day tour.  The most interesting run was at Yellowstone.  The elevation is 8,100 ft. above sea level.  Oxygen is a bit thin and you can really feel the impact.   I did 4.5 miles but slowly through a campground.  It was kind of cool to be running at that elevation.

All in all, the trip was enjoyable and relaxing.  We made a few new friends and got to see some interesting sights, and lots of wildlife.

I’ve been back a few days and have swam each day and run three times!  I’m feeling back to normal and what I can’t believe is that I lost 3 pounds!  Incredible!   The scales at the local gym registered 196 lbs.  That is the lowest weight in nearly 15 years!

I guess I should take more bus tours! 

A news story about a new study caught my eye with the headline; "Runners Live Longer, Stay Healthier".  This just confirms the MyUltraLife philosophy.   Run, exercise, stay fit and you will live a longer, healthier and happier life.

You can read the full story here:   Runners Live Longer, Stay Healthier

The study spans 20 years and finds that runners are Half as likely to die as the non-runners.

You don’t necessarily need to be a runner, but you do need to engage in frequent vigorous physical activity.

The report states that running not only reduced the risk of heart disease but also reduced the rate of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and death.

 

Keep active.  Keep Running.  Stay Healthy and live an UltraLife!

 

I know, everyone is so excited!  I did it, I completed a 75 mile week! Yeah! 

The key was not being lazy and missing a day of running during the week like I did last week.  By Thursday I’d completed 24 miles and only needed 2 long runs for the weekend to clock in the 75 miles.

At least I got in one of the 75 miles weeks, so I’m not too far off of the training plan.

Because of another swim meet and blistering 90 degree heat humidity, I didn’t begin my Saturday run until 6:30 PM.  I got home after 11:40 PM. 

I’ll tell you, running through some areas in the dark on a Saturday night can be a bit scary.   I stuck to the streets which meant lots of stop lights and cement sidewalks, but it’s safer and better lit than the flood canals (hobo’s and coyote’s) at night.   I headed due East on La Palma and went from Norwalk Blvd. all the way to Kramer/Glassel and back, which takes you through some interesting Spanish speaking areas.  

No matter what, I wanted to get my 25 miles booked, even if it meant running till midnight!   This run hurt.  It must have been all the cement.  I tried to run on the street as much as possible, but them damn cars wanted to use the pavement as well so I kept jumping back on the sidewalk.    With traffic lights, a pit stop and a bit of walking I made it home in about 5 hours 10 minutes.

Luckily and surprisingly I wasn’t sore the next morning.  A little stiff maybe but once I got moving I was fine.   I am still amazed that I can even do this (run the next day, I mean).

For my Sunday Run, I arranged with a friend to meet me in Newport beach.  I wanted to run the course, at least half way.   I ran to Cerritos Regional Park, then reset my watch and started heading for the beach.

The hardest part were the first 9 miles to Seal Beach.  The wind from the ocean was quite strong and a direct headwind.  

The wind through Bolsa Chica Beach was quite strong.  I saw many a pop up canopy with the cover blown off and the support beams bent.    Luckily the wind was pushing Southward so it worked to my benefit and actually pushed me down the beach. Thank God!

I felt that I was running slower than the day before, but heck, I’d just ran 25 miles the day before, I shouldn’t even be doing this!   I had taken a water and bathroom break at Seal Beach and walked through Huntington Beach Pier area (so many visual distractions!) but then slogged along towards Newport Beach.

The sun set as I entered Newport Beach.  It was fun to see people in their houses, viewing their lives through plate glass windows or open patios.  Many people were having parties or big family dinners.  Most were watching the Olympics.

I chugged along past the Newport Pier and then stopped at the Balboa pier, just a bit short of where our turn-a-round point will be.   I was surprised that I ran with less pain than the day before (mostly asphalt on this run) and I still felt strong during the last few miles. 

I finished the 25.10 miles from Regional Park to Balboa Pier in 5 Hours 5 minutes - not to bad for a second 25 mile run in 2 days.

The weeks mileage:

Tuesday                     8:08

Wednesday               8:05

Thursday                  8:06

Saturday                25.12

Sunday                   26.35 (1.25 miles run to the start at Regional Park)

Total:                      75.66

 

This will end up being my longest mileage week.  From now until the race I’ll be tapering down.  Next week is an easy 35 mile week followed by a 50 mile week (can’t slack off that much) then back to 30 miles and then really taper before race day.

This week was supposed to be a 75 mile week.  I’ll end up a bit short of that but I am happy that I was able to clock 45 miles between Saturday and Sunday.

I missed my Tuesday run because I was basically exhausted from watching the boys Junior Olympic Water Polo finals till 11PM Monday night.  Wednesday was the first day of Swimming Junior Olympics and I was able to sneak in only a 4 mile run.

Saturday I was at the Junior Olympic Swim meet in Mission Viejo.  Josh made the finals and that left a 5 hour break in the middle of the day.  I took advantage of the break and went for a 25 mile run. 

Sunday afternoon I ran to Seal Beach Pier and back (20 miles) for back to back 20+ mile runs, a personal first.

I was surprised that after the 25 mile run through the hills of Mission Viejo I wasn’t sore at all and felt great as I started my Sunday run.  

Totals for the Week:

Wed:         3.76 miles

Thurs:      8.15

Sat:          25.27

Sun:        19.89

Total:      57.07 miles

I must admit that I ran slower on Sunday, but I’m not going for speed.  I going for the mileage and building up of endurance.  It is a bit strange to run back to back almost marathon distance long runs.  You always read about recovery, but this training program doesn’t allow much time for recovery.

With just 41 days until race day, I just hope I’ll be strong enough and really ready for the double Marathon.

Next week’s schedule calls for 75 miles once again.  The J.O.’s are out of the way so I should have time to accomplish that goal.

Well, I almost did it again.  I missed the 60 mile mark by about 7 miles, but I think I did pretty well logging 52.85 miles with only 4 days running this week.

Wednesday:  7.95 miles

Thursday: 8.26 miles

Saturday: 22.72 miles

Sunday: 13.86 miles

If I would have stuck to my plan and run 8 miles on Tuesday I would have easily hit the 60 mile mark.  

As the week went by I figured I could take advantage of the 3 day, 4th of July holiday by adding in a Friday run, but NO….I hit the snooze button and slept till 10 AM!

I still wanted to reach my goal so I figured I’d just add a few miles to my Saturday and Sunday runs.

I started early Saturday morning but by 7 AM the marine layer was already burnt off (no cloud cover- which is typical for early mornings near the beach which later burns off as the day heats up), so I knew it was going to be hot. 

I ran past the Seal Beach Pier and towards Sunset Beach.  At my turn around point I felt strong, but my shirt was drenched with sweat.  I still had fluid in my camelbak but when I returned to the pier I bought a quart of cold water and gulped it down.

I roasted on the run back.  There was no sea breeze and the sun was burning hot.  All I could think about was the weatherman’s report from the night before that June 5th would be the most intense day of UV rays from the sun for the year.

I felt zapped of energy, walked often and really was in severe pain for the last 4 miles.  I thought to myself, "If I feel this bad during the 52 mile run, at least I know I have endured it before." I spent the last few miles in a mental debate; should I run home through the park which would add a mile to the run or just go directly home.  At the end, I took the direct route home, screw the extra mile!

What amazes me is that when I went for my Sunday afternoon run, not more than 24 hours later,  I felt great.  I had just run nearly a Marathon distance the day before and I was running again and felt strong.  

My Sunday run was the most pain less run I have had in more than a month.  Mind you, not pain free, just much less pain that I have been experiencing. 

Sunday was much cooler than Saturday.  there was a strong coastal breeze blowing inland, slowing my pace a bit, but I welcomed the cooling effect. 

My friend wanted to meet me along the beach, pick me up and have dinner.  I really wanted to run 21 miles and complete the 60 mile week, but as I ran along past mile 10, 11 and 12 I thought what the heck, 6 or 7 miles more won’t help me that much.   I was feeling good and knew I could keep going, but dinner sounded pretty good so I stopped, made a call to set a meeting place at the entrance of Bolsa Chica Beach.

I was proud of the fact that I can now run 23 miles on a Saturday and get back out and run 14 miles the next day.  A few months ago that would have been impossible.

If I keep it up, I know I will be ready for my 52.4 mile run Sept. 14th.

 

After struggling to keep up with the UltraMarathon training schedule,  I accomplish the mileage goal of 60 miles for the week.  

Whoo Hoo!  I did it!  I feel great that I accomplished this weeks mileage goal after falling short several times in the past weeks.

This was the first week that called for a long run on both Saturday and Sunday with 18 miles for Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday.

My Saturday schedule called for a Cerritos Aquatic beach party at Huntington Beach, so I decided to run to the beach!  The party started at 10 AM.  I started at 7 AM and actually was one of the first people to arrive.   The run was 18.44 miles and I finished in 3 hrs 16 minutes; a pace of 10 min 40 seconds per mile, which is pretty good for me for this distance.

After a short break I joined the kids and went body surfing…till 4 PM!

I was exhausted and woke up the next morning with that weird tingling feeling in my arms and legs which tells me that my muscles are still exhausted.   I knew the night before that a Sunday morning run would be out of the question.  If I waited till the evening when it started to cool off, I might not get home ’till 11 or 12 at night.

I decided to heat out at 3 PM, in the 90 degree heat of the afternoon.   There is almost always an ocean breeze blowing inland and today was no different.  The wind kept me feeling cool, but running against that headwind (even if it’s only a few miles per hour)

can be daunting.  All I could think about was using that ocean breeze to help push me home on the return.

After the 18 mile run the day before it took a while to get warmed up.  I know this route extremely well so psychologically I set mile stones to walk for a bit; 4 mile bridge, half way bridge, end of the river bed, but I didn’t walk for more than 20-30 seconds at a time.

I reached the pier, but my stop watch on hold and headed to the store and bought a liter of water.  Although I still had my drink in my camelbak, cool clear water was what I desired.  I downed the bottle and relaxed at the pier for a few minutes before heading back.

The first few miles on the return went well, most of the time I felt like my body was on autopilot.  At this point in my training running is almost like walking.  It’s just automatic.  Running is actually easier than walking.  I don’t even breath hard. I just keep chugging along. 

I made it to the halfway bridge without walking, but then my 20 second walk continued for nearly 2 minutes.  I pushed on with the goal of running to the 4 mile bridge before walking…I almost made it.   I walked under an overpass….ah, cool shade!  Then walked over the 4 mile bridge as well.

By this point my legs were really hurting.  Often times you know by the end of the run that your legs will hurt the next day.  During this run I didn’t have to wait till the next day, my legs hurt now! 

My pace was running about 1 minute per mile slower than the day before.  I tried to push harder, but realized that my finishing time didn’t matter, what mattered was that I was going to complete the 60 mile week!

I did it.  I finished the 20 miles in 3 hours 52 minutes with an average pace of 11 minutes 41 seconds per mile.

Back to back long runs are tough, but I believe these long weekends will really help me prepare for what is to come just 76 days from now!

I get to rest on Monday and then start it all over again with another 60 mile week on the slate.   I hope I can make it.

 

Side note:  They say that blog posts are supposed to be short.  I’m sorry if I drag on too long.  If you read the whole thing…..thanks!  I just can’t keep it short.

I’ve completed several marathons at at the end of each one I’m exhausted and think to myself, "This isn’t getting any easier, how the heck am I going to run 52.4 miles".

I have never run further than 26.2 miles, so today as I started out on my scheduled 26 mile run I felt pretty good and thought I would try to go further.  I settled on a turn a round point of 17 miles which would give me a 34 mile run.

This vide is my first attempt at filming with a cell phone.   I didn’t think I’d make a movie today, but then again I didn’t think I’d run 34 miles either!

Originally I had planned to start running at 4 AM so I could be finished at a reasonable time like 9AM.   I guess the pier swim yesterday wiped me out more than expected.  I hit the snooze button and didn’t move until 8 AM.

Luckily the weather was cool when I started out at 1:30 PM and there was a nice breeze.   My right foot has been bothering me, but it seems mostly healed.  It did hurt a bit with each foot fall, but my mile 7 it went numb, so no pain….I just kept running.

My running time was 6 hrs. 38 minutes.  Total elapsed time was 7 hours 15 minutes.  My Garmin watch stops counting when I stop.  I counts when I walk, but at stop lights, rest stops, whatever, the time stops ticking.   Today the elapsed time is so different because of the 3 phone calls wishing me Happy Fathers day from friends and family, so these were pleasant stops, my short breaks and the time I stopped to my Gatorade because I had drank the full 0 oz. of fluids in my Camelbak by mile 20!

I finished strong.  I ran all the way except for the occasional stop at mile stone goal points I set for myself.  Run to the bridge, for example. 

I could have kept going, but I must admit I was pretty wiped out at the end.  

I’ve got exactly 90 days to prepare for the 52.4 mile run - that will be 18 miles further than today…..WOW!   That will be a long day!

On Saturday June 14th the Cerritos Aquatic club attended the 58th Annual Pier Swim.  Of course, I just had to sign up.  I thought it would be a fun event for Josh and I to do together.  Little did I know they went out in waves by age group, but it was fine.  He got to see me and I got to see Josh and the team do the swim.

Unfortunately I didn’t win any trophies.  I came in 121st, but not last!

After the old men and women swam, the kids got their chance.

One of our young guys got 1st place and the entire team came in among the early finishers.

Later we had a body surfing contest and played volleyball.

It was a great day.   I missed my planned 7 mile run, but I’ll give myself credit for the pier swim, body surfing and volleyball.  It was a great day of fun at the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch for the movie….coming soon!

Here’s the movie.  I had a fun time during this Marathon.  Lots of crazy people.  More Elvis’ than any other Marathon I’ve ever seen and lots of great music.

I didn’t set any personal records other than finishing my 4th Marathon in 6 months, just a fun run.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I complained about anything, so I figure I’m due.

Just when the pain in my hips (IT Band) pretty much goes away, I get a pain in my right foot.  It’s called Plantar Fasciitis, or pain in the foot.  

I ran with the pain in my right foot during last weeks Marathon.  Each foot fall for 26.2 miles was painful.  I thought a day of rest on Monday would suffice so after a day’s rest I began running again on Tuesday.  I got all the way through my Saturday 12 mile run (20 miles total for the week so far) and I prepared for my Sunday 25 mile run.  I even woke up at 4 AM, but the first few steps out of bed told me there was no way I could run 25 miles with this foot pain.

So much for my 50 mile weeks!  So far I have completed 1 50 miler instead of 3. 

I know I need to build up my weekly mileage so 25 miles is like running 12 and 50 will feel like 26.   If I can’t get through this I’m not sure how I will be ready for the 52 miler only about 100 days away.

What am I doing to rehabilitate? 

- Taking some of my friend, Aleve (a pain killer) to reduce the inflammation.

- I bought new shoes!  I’ve found when I get these kinds of pains it’s a clear indication that Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!

- Stretching out those fibrous bands (see illustration)

- Massaging my foot.  I did this today at the pool during the swim meet.  People didn’t seem to appreciate seeing some old guy rubbing his feet.

- A day or two of rest.

I’ll get over this like I did the IT band and when I begin running again I’ll try to mix up my schedule to get more mileage in.  Who says you have to wait for a Sunday to do a long run.   And since I am now unemployed, I guess I could get a long run in on say, a Wednesday!

The company I founded almost 16 years ago, ADS Technologies, Inc.  has been sold.  Unfortunately it was like a foreclosure sale so I didn’t cash out a rich man.

On the bright side, I get a chance to try something new and different.  I’ve spent a lot of the past 16 years in product development, working with engineers and semiconductor companies to design products for ADS.   Now I will do that same thing but as a consultant for others.

I’ve just launched BlasterTek Engineering, www.BlasterTek.com    It’s a funny thing, the vendors that I owe the most money asked me to help make business for the future and I have one old customer who came to me with a product idea, so I guess I’m in the design consultant business!

I also have invested in a start up company named  The Cozy Bra Company - www.cozysportsbra.com 

 

 

 

This is a unique design and from what I have learned so far, there is nothing on the market quite like the Cozy Sport Bra and there are millions of women and women athletes who could benefit from it, so I expect the Cozy Sport Bra to be a big Hit!

I thought that when I finally sold ADS that I would have time to relax a bit and really think about what would be next….well, I guess I just dove into what’s next and I’ve been busier than ever so fa.  So much for relaxation!