2014 Highlights

April release of my novel, RUN

I will best remember 2014 for three things; 1) the release of my first novel, RUN, 2) an epic road trip out west, and 3) ultra marathon pacing. Any of the three would be enough to have made 2014 a decent year. Combined, however, they made the year (as the Chinese proverb would say) interesting.

Publishing the book was one of the scarier things I have ever done. Books really reveal a lot about an author. Fiction is drawn from a very personal well of thoughts, feelings, actions and emotions. Even if it is 'made up', it still is the product of one's mind. It hadn't occurred to me how exposed I would feel once I made it available to the public in paperback and on Kindle. Eight months down the line I'm feeling much better about it.

Initially I considered finding an agent and a publisher, but instead opted to simply put it out and move on to my next novel - working title, BASE. I don't know if self-publishing was the correct decision, but it did allow me to stop worrying about business and continue writing. RUN has gotten some nice write-ups on blogs, Amazon, and Goodreads. So I'm pretty happy with how it has done. I'm less interested in sales than in simply having people read and enjoy it.

If you are reading this and want to read the novel you can borrow it for free (if you arean Amazon Prime member or subscribe to Kindle Unlimited). Or you can order either paperback or Kindle editions here http://www.amazon.com/Run-Allen-Levine/dp/1497449146 . Either way, if you read it (even if you don't like it), please write a review and post it on a blog, Amazon, Goodreads, etc..., because indie books live and die by the review. Thank you!

Shoe of the Year - Mizuno Wave Ascend 10

Before I go on to the other topics of travel and ultra running, I want to take a moment and give a review of a road shoe. I know, I know. I am mainly a trail runner. But I do run on roads from time to time, and certainly have my shoe preferences. The Mizuno Wave Ascend 10 model was the best version of the Ascends I've ever used. Having the logo adhered rather than stitched was a welcome change. The cloth uppers were weak and wore out quickly - many other runners commented on this matter in product reviews on sites like Running Warehouse. The criticism of the uppers and the less-cushioned soles was valid. But you know what? I found that I liked the road feel that I got from the soles. Since I'm not a big heel striker, the firmness didn't bother me. As usual, the fit was flawless. Ive owned five pairs of Ascends over the years, and have never experienced a single blister. Now if they could just use slightly stronger fabric...

New Trails at Rock Chalk Park

One more quick note: Lawrence, KS has some lovely new trails (actually sort of crushed asphalt) dedicated to runners and walkers. They are soft, hilly, gravel road-esque, and fun to run. It is possible to go 3-5 miles without repeating much of the course. Trail plusses; there are no dogs, no traffic, easy access from good running routes, and close to the massive (and free) Sports Pavilion where post-run weights can be accessed.

Glamping in Moab

It had been many years since I took a true road trip. In September I drove my friend, Mark, back to his home and farm animal sanctuary outside of Reno, NV. On the way, we visited the Colorado National Monument, Arches, Moab, Canyonlands, and Bryce Canyon. The biggest surprise for me was the immensity of Canyonlands. The national park is, in so many ways more impressive than Arches, and yet is somehow overlooked. Bryce Canyon was as stunning as advertised. Moab was fun - I would love to go back and spend more time there. I brought my bike for Moab as well as Park City, UT on my way home. 

My Specialized Rock Hopper 29' just chillin' near Moab

My buddy, Mark, not really trusting the rail at Bryce Canyon

The best run I had of 2014 took place on the 8 mile Fairyland Loop at Bryce Canyon. Lots of climbing and a couple of spots where the ground fell away on both sides made for a challenging and exhilarating workout. The night before I had been trepidatious. But I navigated the course at a speed that was much faster than I had anticipated. Running surrounded by beauty on such a monumental scale made the run more enjoyable than anything else I did in 2014. 

Note: Bryce Canyon Lodge has a fantastic restaurant that can knock out excellent vegan dishes. 

Canyonlands - Awesome Park (Correct use of the word, 'awesome')

Atop the museum in Reno with Mark and Dianne

Bonneville Salt Flats On The Way Home

Before biking down the mountain in Park City, UT

After

Heartland 100 - 36 miles from the finish

I paced my friend, Paul, in two races in 2014. He and I ran the last 25 miles together in the Hawk 100. Then, a month later, I ran the last 36 miles of the Heartland 100 with him. I write 'ran', but really pacing for many in these distances is a combination of run, shuffle, walk, repeat. Both races were difficult in their own way. Not so much for me, but for Paul. It was interesting to see firsthand, the peaks and valleys competitors go through as they work to complete hundred mile races. Honestly, I loved pacing and will gladly do it again in the future.

Boulder

My last trip of the year was hanging out in Boulder, CO with a book club that had read my novel. I had a great time running, visiting museums, stores, restaurants, and spending time with friends (old and new). In the past year I have come to really love Colorado. I'm not a winter sport sort of person. But the state has much to offer in the other seasons as well. In 2015 I plan to return numerous times to road bike, mountain bike, and run in that wonderful place.

So that's a quick summary of the high points of 2014. 2015 should bring more travel in the EU as well as a return trip west. My resolution is to continue to run, bike, read and write in many more interesting places.  So until next year...

Injury and a Gratuitous Pic of My Cat, Lucas

So something popped in my ankle on a run last Saturday. Initially I thought I'd blown an Achilles. A reach down the back of my leg proved that was not the case. But some tendon or ligament between the back of my heel and my ankle bones had 'sploded (as Ricky Ricardo would say). A quick visit to the doctor yesterday to make sure there wasn't a stress fracture in the area as well confirmed the weirdness of the injury. Only very slight swelling. No issues with flex forward or backward. No discoloration. I just experience severe pain in the ankle when I cross my legs - like when you sit in a chair and cross your leg to tie a shoe. Really strange. It is diminishing day by day. So I've been biking in the interim. I also plan to avoid Clinton N Shore for a couple of months. There are trails (plenty of them) that torque the feet to a lesser degree.

Injuries suck. And this one, as I've ramped up miles to be able to have my pick of ultras next year - Big Bend, and a 3 day race in Canada leading in my imagination - is really happening at an inopportune time. But I've got to say that I've been relatively injury-free (other than a permanently painful hamstring) over the many years of running I've had. And since I can bike, swim, and will be able of kind of trot in a few days, this really isn't so bad.

Things for which I am thankful:

1) I was just under a mile into the trail run when I felt a pop. I didn't have too far to walk back.

2) Feetures socks always look good. 

3) Living in a first world country means I can see a doctor tomorrow.

4) well, there really don't seem to be any more upsides. Drat!

Rock Chalk Pics and A couple of Interesting Running Articles

As promised, I will have pics of the new trails at Rock Chalk Park dispersed throughout this post. The images do not show how hilly this course actually is, but they do give a good idea of how pretty it is even on a dreary day after all the leaves have fallen.

I did a lot of running and a little mountain biking (as recovery) this week. One day was devoted to hill training - something I rarely do.

The most interesting thing I read this week related to running was a short piece in Outside Magazine that discussed training at altitude. I had always thought that spending time training at altitude would give a runner increased red blood cells and a higher VO2 max. I think a lot of people believe that. Outside's article pointed out that recovery from training at altitude takes much longer than at sea level. That is a point that gets glossed over. Basically, the piece concludes that training at altitude will help an athlete race at altitude, but not much else. I look forward to reading the comments that I hope will be posted about this in next month's issue of Outside.

The second most interesting piece I read this week was a piece by University of Houston CC coach, Steve Magness. In his blog, The Science of Running ( http://www.scienceofrunning.com ), he give a very thorough explanation of how the IAAF is failing in its efforts to stop doping/cheating by athletes, as well as cover-ups by specific countries' governing bodies. He is an excellent and methodical chronicler for everything he writes about. His blog is well worth a follow.

Sharp viewers will note that the photos below look different than the others. They are. I spent the last couple of mornings running the beautiful Lawrence Riverfront Trails. The first shot is from about 4.2 miles out on the trails. This is actually the Mud Creek tributary that will join the mighty Kaw River in a quarter mile or so. It was just a peaceful place to stop and take a couple of pics.

My Favorite Books of 2014

My reading habits are a bit eclectic. If you put a gun to my head (but please don't), I'd say that I prefer contemporary fiction to any other genre. I normally eschew romance, western, sci-fi, fantasy, and almost all mysteries. For non-fiction, I prefer biographies or adventure/travel writing (either historical or contemporary). Sometimes science or pseudo-science can find a place in my library as well. To find non-fiction that I do not like, you simply have to type in phrases like self-help, pop psychology, and business biographies. Here's how to find the worst non-fiction available: if you see a lot of people dressed in suits in an airport all reading the same thing, chances are it is some bullshit 'how to sell more effectively' psychobabble that biz types love to read and then discuss - somehow this makes them feel as if they are bettering themselves and at the same time it makes them 'readers'. I will confess to falling into this rabbit hole on occasion - it is hard not to do so. I did once this year, with the book, Outliers. Sadly, the book's premise that 10,000 hours can make you an expert at whatever you seek to do (as long as there is some innate talent, perhaps), has been mocked and poked full of holes over the past couple of years. To me, the book was the single least-satisfying read I've had in recent memory. Gladwell's, The Tipping Point was good. Blink was OK. Outliers was terrible.  While reading it I kept thinking perhaps Gladwell should take a sabbatical. He's achieved great success making full-length books out of ideas that could just as easily have been explained in a couple of paragraphs.

Anyway, as usual, I digress. So here are my favorite books that I read in 2014. Again, these are not books that came out in 2014, but simply the books I found to be most interesting. There is not a top 10 or top 5 list. I'm just including the books I would recommend. While I read a lot of fiction, I am only putting one on the list for now (there are still a couple of weeks left in the year).

Non-Fiction

Everett Ruess: His Short Life, Mysterious Death, and Astonishing Afterlife, Philip L. Fradkin. This biography follows the early 20th century teenage explorer of the western US. Jon Krakauer wrote a bit about him in his book, Into The Wild. Everett Ruess, though, was certainly worth a full book (actually, there are several, and a few documentaries as well).

Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer. A book ostensibly about a murder in Utah, but much more a history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - the Mormons. It is deeply disturbing and illuminating at the same time. If you look back in this blog (or on my GoodReads.com page, you will find a much more in-depth review).

Waiter Rant, Anonymous. This is a fun read. Anthony Bourdain to us about the back of the house in Kitchen Confidential. Waiter Rant covers the front of the restaurant that interacts with customers. Great literature it ain't. But if you are looking for great stories and a quick read, this is the book you should grab next time you visit a library or bookstore.

Into The Wild, Jon Krakauer. We've all seen the movie and read countless articles about Christopher McCandless's wanderings that ultimately end with his tragic death in an abandoned bus in Alaska. But the book is better. Many people have written about how foolish McCandless was. But Krakauer makes a case that the boy was actually quite well-prepared and was, instead, the victim of a series of unfortunate events that likely would've befallen even more experienced outdoorsmen. Again, I have written extensively about this book in earlier postings and on GoodReads.

The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge, Jeremy Narby. I have probably written more about this book, and what led to my reading it, than anything posted here so far. Ultimately, the book is a fascinating attempt to prove the author's theory about the origin of knowledge and what we perceive to be real versus what others perceive to be just as real. I would recommend this book as the most interesting that I've read in the past couple of years. Don't let the title scare you off. It is a compelling read as well.

Masterminds and Wingmen, Rosalind Wiseman. I met with a book club in Boulder, CO in October. They had read my novel, RUN. The host of the club had also read Masterminds and Wingmen around the same time. So she discussed my novel partially in the context of Wiseman's book. I had a chance to read M&W, and immediately saw why the comparison was made. M&W is a handbook for anyone raising boys. I wrote about the book at length, so I won't go into it here, but in short, it is a fun and moving read. I have recommended it to many friends who have kids.

Rimbaud: The Double Life of a Rebel, Edmund White. As with several other books listed, I have written a review of this book on GoodReads. I chose the book because of its author, Edmund White, not its subject, Rimbaud. Neither disappointed me. I am not much of a poetry fan, but I was struck with the passion and bravery (in both style and subject matter) that Rimbaud exhibited over his very short writing career. White tells just enough of the poet's life to make this short biography a riveting read.

3 Cups of Deceit, Jon Krakauer. I guess this could be called my Year of Krakauer. Three of the four books of his I read this year made the list. You do not have to have read 3 Cups of Tea to enjoy this take down and dismantling of the best-selling piece of fiction that had been sold to us as fact. Krakauer deftly and succinctly (the book is very short) makes his case and sets the record straight for many people who weren't able to have the forum to clear their names and images after being portrayed in 3 Cups of Tea. A very good read.

Fiction

Disturbance, Jamie O'Neill. Disturbance is a very nuanced story narrated by a young man, Nilus, worried about major transitions in his life - his mother has died, and he and his father may lose their home. While this may sound somewhat mundane, the novel is anything but. O'Neill slowly builds the novel through the narrator's POV until a very clear picture develops about what is happening. The creep factor increases exponentially as the novel progresses. It is a brilliant work. I would highly recommend it to readers of contemporary fiction, horror, and mystery.
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So there you have it. My next post will be back to running. It will feature new photos of the Sports Pavilion Lawrence nature trails - a hilly treat to run. It will also have a review of a program designed to build core strength, balance and flexibility, as well as some listening suggestions for running.

End of Year Lists for Film and TV

End of year lists - For my lists, I follow the rule that if I saw it or read it in a specific year, then it counts as that year - even if a movie or a book is 20 years old.  I don't want to do top 10 or 20 lists. I just want to list the few I've enjoyed that I think others might like as well.

Movies & Television

Since my tastes run anti-big budget and anti-action, I hope to elevate a couple of movies people may not have seen.

Best movies I've seen this year (In no particular order)

How to be a Man - Starts out great and then goes a bit too Hollywood toward the ending. Still, clever and funny.

Simon Killer - Great movie where the viewer's perception of the characters changes dramatically as the film progresses.

The Trip - Since there are at least a couple of these, this is the one starring Steve Coogan. The Trip to Italy, a sequel to The Trip, also came out this year. Netflix streaming will carry it later this month. I will add it to the list if it is any good. Reports so far have been mixed.

The Story of Luke - Interesting little film about an autistic young adult.

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson creates a visually beautiful setting for this funny, poignant little film.

Boyhood - Honestly, one of the most over-hyped movies ever. So much so, in fact, that it almost didn't make the cut for me even though it is a good movie. I went in with huge expectations and was disappointed when the film turned out to be very good (on reflection), but not great.

Pride - Here's a late entry (actually seen after this post initially went up). Pride takes place during the Thatcher coal strikes in Wales in the 80s. A gay group in London raises money to help the striking miners creating an odd alliance city/country, gay/straight, socially liberal/economically liberal. Many people know of the strikes. But few know about this. The film has the wonderful tone of Billy Elliot or Waking Ned Devine. Very much worth a watch.

Best Feature Length Documentaries I've Seen This Year

Desert Running - This film follows several athletes as they compete in 4 x 250km ultra- running races in South America, Antarctica, Asia, and Africa. It will make you want to get out and run.

Somm - Ever wonder how much training you need to be the world's best sommelier? This documentary is oddly revetting as it follows several people in their truly obsessive quest to know everything about wine.

Best Tevelvision I've seen this year

The League - Hands down one of the funniest series I've ever seen. The jokes don't change. The characters are truly despicable. But the yucks are non-stop. In trying to think of another series that comes close in hilarity, I could only think of The IT Crowd (which had a different type of humor, but still resulted in belly laughs). Binge watch warning.

House of Cards - What can I say? Good job Netflix.

American Horror Story Season 1 - Holy crap, is this a scary (and deeply disturbing) show! When all was said and done, I tried to watch Season 2, but ultimately had to put this series on the shelf until I am able to recover from the horror I had already witnessed.

Alpha House - A much less serious political series than House of Cards, but still very good. Amazon picked a good cast and writers for this comedy/drama (I hate the non-word, 'dramedy'). It follows the lives of 4 right wing Republican senators who share a house in DC - funnier than you would think it would be.

Betas - Also a decent series from Amazon that follows the trials and tribulations that a tech startup faces as it tries to get off the ground in the Bay Area. The series sometimes can't figure out if it is a comedy, a drama, a romcom, or what. But it is good diversion if you're looking for a series to follow.

Extreme Weight Loss - OK. . . guilty pleasure. This series follows a different morbidly obese person for a year as the host, Chris Powell, works with him/her to help them lose weight. In the process, Powell attempts to get to address the root cause of the behaviors that led to his client's obesity. The stories are compelling, the efforts to cure and restore seem genuine, and the transformations are uplifting to see. It is much better than many other shows of its type on TV.

Running, Partying, Reading, and a Self-Serving Holiday Gift Idea

And thus ended another couple of typical weeks of Fall/Winter weather in Kansas. . .

Fluctuating temperatures from the teens to the upper 60's made running both challenging and fun. 100% of the 65 miles undertaken over the past 10 days were run on trails - something I don't think I had actually accomplished this (or any other year). Normally there are road miles in there somewhere. But with the addition of the trails behind the new gargantuan Rock Chalk Park / Sports Pavilion Lawrence facilities, I find less and less need to run on the roads - even near my home. When the place first opened, I would run over, run the trails, and then run home. But I have a real fondness for the new trails, and find that I would rather have all of my run on them. So, lately I've been driving over, so I can have the extra 4 miles of travel on the trails. The short, brutal hills make them an excellent part of my weekly training.

I will post pictures of the new trails soon (I keep meaning to do that).

I finished another couple of books this week. Jon Krakauer's, Eiger Dreams, did not disappoint. I don't know what it is about his writing that I find so compelling, but in almost all of his books, he makes me care about mountain and rock climbing (and those who do it) a lot. I also finished his book, Three Cups of Deceit. You do not have to have read (the massively fictional) Three Cups of Tea, to enjoy Krakauer's takedown of the work. It is a short, powerful book that will leave you shaking your head at how a good idea could go so terribly wrong.

I attended the Sunflower Outdoors and Bike party last night. There was so much beer and wine flowing at that shindig that I doubt many attendees will be doing too much biking or running this a.m. (other than to a cupboard for some ibuprofen). But it is was great to be there and to see a special business like Sunflower finish up another successful year. There is a fantastic blog about getting to, and enjoying the party, by cycling great, Steve Tilford, that can be read here http://stevetilford.com/2014/12/05/winter-mileage-rule-sunflower-bicycles-annual-holiday-party/ It is worth a read - spoiler alert - he biked over from Topeka. Nice!

I'm taking the day off from running. I'll finish some work-related emails and calls, and then probably hit my sauna (I know I'm lucky to have one) and read a biography of Rimbaud that has captivated me since I started it a couple of days ago. I'm not a big fan of poetry, but I may have to become one.

I'll be out with the Lawrence Trail Hawks for a 15 mi Clinton North Shore run tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Cold and mud should make for an especially fun run. If any reader wants to join in, just shoot a message to me and I'll get you driving directions.

Finally, there is a new review of my novel, RUN, at Honest Indie Book Reviews. The novel could make a good Christmas stocking stuffer (or Hannukah present) for the runner in your life. ;^) honestindiebookreviews.wordpress.com - Review


To see more review or to get the paperback or Kindle editions, click below:
http://www.amazon.com/Run-Allen-Levine/dp/1497449146/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417796885&sr=8-1&keywords=allen+levine

I promise to have trail pics next time!

Running in the Fall is Better than Falling in the Run - preceded by a deep thought

I woke up in the middle of the night this past week with a thought: Mid-life crisis occurs exactly at the moment when one stops looking forward, and instead shifts to gazing into the past. It is so easy to look at where you are in your life and mentally catalogue and second-guess all of the decisions you've made that got you to this point. I suggest that that is a practice not worth undertaking. Don't beat yourself up over past choices. Many of them were probably right for you at the time. But even the ones that were not are OK. You were younger then. Now you know more. Live your life as if you are just out of school and looking forward to what you can accomplish. See if you can set a goal for a day, week, month, year ahead, and take steps to reach it. I went back to sleep vowing to try to look forward as much as possible. I'm going to continue to try to live by that line of thinking as much as I can.

Now running:

It seems as if there is little that can destroy a week of running. Cold and wind can be held at bay by wearing the right clothing and picking the right trail that can block the breeze. Rain? No, that's just fun to run in. Heat? Nah. I either go early and avoid the worst of it. Or I pretend I'm training for Badwater. Ice or icy rain? Well, yeah. That'll do it. But so far this fall (knock wood), there has been nothing in the weather that will truly impede the committed runner.

I knocked out 39 miles last week. 29 were on trails. I normally try to get in around 30 mile each week. But my running club, the Lawrence Trail Hawks, were hosting the 10K and 25K Sanders Saunter trail races over the weekend, and I opted to volunteer rather than run. So I did my normal 10-ish mile Saturday run on Friday. I ran 18 miles in the new Hoka Mafates. The shoes took a bit of getting used to on steep downhills and turns. But overall, I found them to be quite adequate for hilly, somewhat rocky terrain. On Friday I wore them on the flat sandy surface of the levee. For that run, I felt good. My feet were incredibly comfortable with the mattress-like feel of the thick soles. I don't know if it was the height, the drop, or the very slight difference in weight of the Hokas vs my Mizuno road shoes (the Hokas are a bit heavier), but I did have a bit of muscle soreness in my quads (where I never experience problems) after the run. I will attribute it to an adjustment issue. All in all, my first week with the oversize soles was fun.

Yesterday, Sunday, the weather was spectacular. It felt like an early morning in Florida. The air was thick with humidity. The temperature was in the 60s, with just a slight wind. My main running buddy of late popped by and we hit the river trails. He and I have been running the much more difficult Clinton North Shore trails lately, and we both wanted a change.

While neither of us was really feeling the run early on, we knew if we just ran through the blahs that things would get better. We got to the farthest point on the trail and popped out the end onto a gravel parking lot that was next to a boat ramp littered with .22 caliber shell casings. We followed the access road to where it intersected with the levee, and then, for a change, took the gravel country roads back into town. I have biked the route many times, but had never run it. It was a nice change and we were in no hurry. We both had gotten our mojo back, and eased into enjoying what we were doing. We ran with wide open fields surrounding us in all directions until we hit the industrial area and had to deal with odd gas fumes and the stench of a dead fox. But we were feeling good. The last mile of our run was the fastest of the day. We cruised on the N. Lawrence streets back to the trail head before calling it a day. It felt so good to be in shorts and short sleeves. We both realized the run might be the last without a jacket for months to come.

Musings, Miles, Kinetic Revolution Training Program, and a Gratuitous Pic of my New Hoka Mafate 3's

I had a catastrophic failure on my 5 year old HP Pavilion notebook a few days ago. It is odd how we use the word 'catastrophic' to describe incidents that really are not. It's akin to the disturbing overuse of the word 'awesome' - which seems to have started with the hipster community and moved into the lexicon of the general population at an alarming rate (although I should point out here that I'm not truly 'alarmed' by this occurrence). In a similar vein, I've always found the British use of the word 'brilliant' (to describe things that are particularly not brilliant) to be hilarious. If you spend about five minutes watching the BBC (or its ilk), you'll see someone say something like, "I managed to get the last drops of jam out of the jar by using a long spoon rather than a knife." To which the response is always, "Brilliant." Is it really? I don't know, maybe it is. Maybe that is the outer limit of the person's mental and physical capacities. But I like to think that a species that is able to land a piece of equipment on a passing asteroid some billions of miles from Earth, would be able to find a more suitable descriptor for removing a gelatinous sugary sludge from the depths of a glass jar.

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, the computer. So, because I can't work, buy things I don't need, or seemingly wipe my ass without a computer, I made the immediate decision to purchase another. I got on my iPad within an hour of accepting the fact that my HP was not going to return to life, and ordered another device. Because I have an iPhone, an iPod (Shuffle), and the aforementioned iPad, for the first time in my life, I decided to splurge and buy a MacBook Air. As of this writing, I'm still getting used to the new machine - which seems to do everything my old machine did for four times the price (but it did come in better packaging). So I am now fully part of the Mac minions. I'll have no more comments on the subject until I do comment on it in the future... Let's stop now.

On to running. What a wonderful week. It was cold and windy. I braved the outdoors on three occasions (18F, 19F, and 26F), and ran on treadmills, an indoor track, and an elliptical trainer three times as well. The main issue I had on the outdoor jaunts was what to wear. Every winter it takes a week or two to figure out how to stay just barely warm enough, but not too warm. Sadly, I have failed in all three cold-weather instances so far. I have been over-dressed, and have returned to my house at the runs' conclusions with clothes that are about as sweat-soaked as if I had run wearing them in the middle of July (that's summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, for any readers from OZ or S. Am). With there being no choice but to continue to experiment, I'm sure I'll have more to report in the near future - including how I can cleverly trap moisture next to my body by wearing a wicking shirt, but covering it with a non-wicking windbreaker (my career as a sports clothing designer is obviously a bust).

So, with the weather being what it is, I opted to leave my brand new Hoka Mafate 3's untested until I can try them on surfaces I know that aren't slightly snow-packed.

These Herman Munster-ish shoes are so fun to look at that I've left them out in my living room. Every time I see them I smile. I've walked around the house in them a couple of times. They are ridiculously comfortable. I will have an update in the future.

One thing I have been doing while being stuck indoors is to start James Dunne's Kinetic Revolution 30 day challenge. http://www.kinetic-revolution.com/30daychallenge/ This program is easy and free. I would suggest it to everyone. Worst case, it will offer some new stretches and add a little muscle. Best case, it will improve your core, balance, and speed. Following the program takes 5-10 minutes each day for 30 days (duh). I'm on day 9. I find myself incorporating stretches and balance exercises into my pre and post run warm-ups/cool-downs. Having had hamstring issues, and having been to PT because of them, I can attest that some of what the program offers is exactly the same as PT. I have a runner friend with a bit of a sciatic issue who found one of the stretches to be quite difficult. It is one that I used to find difficult/painful as well. But I have a feeling that doing the exercise as suggested, with repeated pulses, is going to be a big help to him in the very near future. I heartily recommend that anyone reading this try out this remarkable running-improvement site.

So, next week I hope to have more info re: Hokas, an update on the Kinetic Revolution 30 day Challenge, and maybe a race report on the Sanders Saunter 25K and 10K - put on by the Lawrence Trail Hawks on the very challenging Clinton North Shore Trails.

RUN As Seen InThe Context of Masterminds and Wingmen

As I mentioned in this blog a couple of weeks ago, I was in Boulder, CO last month. A book group had invited me to attend their monthly meeting where they planned to discuss my novel, RUN - which had been the club's book choice for September. Part of the discussion involved viewing RUN's characters in the context of another book, Masterminds and Wingmen, by Rosalind Wiseman.

Being a single guy, I had not read any of Wiseman's works - and there are a good number. She is, perhaps, best known as the author of the book, Queen Bees and Wannabees. That book, about girls and girl culture, would become the basis for Tina Fey's excellent movie, Mean Girls. Masterminds and Wingmen is Wiseman's sequel for boys and boy culture.

When Masterminds and Wingmen (M&W) was mentioned a few days before my trip, I hit up Wikipedia and Wiseman's website in order to be slightly conversant for the book club's meeting. Since then, I have read the book, and I posses a fuller understanding of why M&W would come to mind for someone reading RUN.

In researching RUN, I spent a huge amount of time looking at videos of college and high school cross country teams. I probably viewed 300-400 races. But more importantly, I looked for teams that posted videos outside of races. I watched to see how they interacted both during training and downtime. I followed a lot of Twitter feeds, team Facebook sites, Instagram postings, and paid particular attention to the lexicon used by young runners in comments and photo descriptions. As part of the research, every time a music group, show, or star was mentioned, I'd dutifully track it down and familiarize myself with the subject as much as possible. For instance, I watched a whole season of Zoey 101 (something I would not recommend to anyone over the age of 14), after the show was mentioned in a tweet. In that case, I learned that Zoey was one of a number of shows  (ie Saved by the Bell, Degrassi, and Leave it to Beaver) that each generation looks back on as sort of an electronic comfort blanket. It is not that unusual to have a twenty-something watch an episode of the (to me, insipid) show, Zoey, because it is familiar and nostalgic.

In creating M&W, Wiseman went further than looking at how boys/young men talk and act. On an ongoing basis, she spoke with boys from different socio-economic groups, as well as from differing geographies and urban/suburban/rural settings. Rather than simply report, she analyzed what was behind the way boys/young men interacted with their peers, adults, and the world around them. And because she was thorough and inclusive in her research, Wiseman  created a work that describes the forces behind the boy culture experience better than anything I've encountered. I found several instances in the book where I was thrown into a reverie - which could be quite emotional - as universal adolescent experiences were covered. At the book's conclusion, I could see the importance its contents would hold for parents of boys. I could see the benefits that I, a single guy, would (and will) derive from Wiseman's insights as well. As people, we all are better off if we are able to understand those around us - their motivations, emotions, thoughts, and the triggers for their actions. It is also helpful to be reminded of lessons we learned, but may have forgotten, as we have matured. M&W is, in some ways, a guidebook for how to positively coexist and collaborate with a significant portion of our population.

Looking at RUN through M&W glasses was a fun and informative experience. The process taught me a bit more about my characters. I also was able to look backwards at M&W through RUN, and had some additional thoughts for Wiseman's work as well.

If you have read both books, keep reading below. If not, you still might find the following discussion interesting, but it won't likely be as meaningful as if you were familiar with both.

In the context of M&W, RUN's main character/narrator, Andy, could be described as a former associate who has become a champion (ital. are terms used to describe boy culture types in M&W). While Andy has mild OCD and ADHD, he has still been able to rise to a high social level because of his talent as a runner and because he can keep his conditions just enough under the radar that most people don't notice them. Chris, in some ways, is an associate, and in others, a limited mastermind - he leads the team, but is not the best runner on the team. Juniors Skids and Ben are both champions and associates, who will no longer be associates once Andy, Chris, and a character named Kit graduate, and Skids and Ben become seniors. And Chad, the antagonist, has obviously been a mastermind.  But now he is a mastermind without a posse since he has transferred to Westborough High from his old school for his senior year. So Chad, who many readers have found to be one of the more interesting characters, has trouble fitting in because, as a mastermind, he has only had to adhere to social norms that he created in the past. And now, in a new school, he finds the act of conforming to the culture to be nearly impossible.

Since the book is about cross country running, there is a good amount of content that, on the surface, fits neatly into Wiseman's descriptions of boy culture in relation to sports. Though cross country is not one of the most prestigious sports (ALMB, "act like a man") in M&W's estimation, it still has its own culture, practices, and contracts of conduct.

One thing M&W does not cover well (at least the edition I read) is gay/gay and gay/straight boy relationships and friendships. The book is hetero-centric with little examination given to the topic of gay boys. Even in discussing the 'friend zone', Wiseman only uses examples of boys wanting to date girls. Since 'friend zone' and sports are only discussed from a straight perspective, a good percentage of parents raising gay sons will find no easy answers from M&W. And that is too bad, because a big strength of Wiseman's book is that it can almost be seen as a go-to quick reference guide for many situations. I am hopeful that there will be a future edition that addresses gay and transgender kids. With suicide and substance abuse levels running high in that segment of our younger population, having more clear and supportive resources like M&W would be helpful to both parents and their sons.

The lack of a lot of gay information made it a bit difficult to fully cover the aspects of sports and friendships in RUN from a M&W perspective since a gay character plays such a large role in RUN (the narrator's best friend is gay). Yet there are certainly instances where examples are present. When a couple of kids break team rules, they learn that their actions have consequences. They are not hated or abused, but instead are made to follow the rules they had agreed to when they joined the sport. In another instance, bullying and rough talk are addressed by a coach. The kids, particularly Skids, a gay runner, are good at not letting too many sexist remarks fly by without challenge.

While Andy may be a M&W champion in disposition and in most of his actions, he is unable to act against the biggest issue the team faces. His associates, Chris and Skids (who, as I wrote earlier have some mastermind and champion traits), are ultimately the two who try separately, and in their own very different ways, to fix the problem.

I learned a lot by taking another look at RUN after reading Masterminds and Wingmen. I better understood my characters' motivations. I spent time looking back at my own childhood to think about how I fit in. I also examined how I interact with boys (and kids in general) in my life as an adult. Am I sending them the right message? Or am I falling into an ALMB role? With different kids, I think I probably do a bit of both. And that will, I hope change for the better in the immediate future.

While I am working on a new book (with very different subject matter) at the moment, I have been asked many times about writing a sequel to RUN. When I do, Wiseman's Masterminds and Wingmen will certainly be a top reference guide.

Book review - Under the Banner of Heaven

While I'm waiting for the results of the KS 6A Cross Country races being run at the legendary Rim Rock Farms near Lawrence, KS, I thought that I would share a review of Jon Krakauer's book, Under the Banner of Heaven. I write reviews for books on Goodreads every now and then. I rarely, if ever, share them on this blog. I thought I'd try it out. If I ever do post a review, I promise it will only be for a book I like. I don't see a lot of point in telling you about a book I don't think anyone should read - although movies are a different story (someday I'll post a list of movies I despise - watch out James Cameron, you have at least 2 on the list;-).


Under the Banner of Heaven is a very disturbing book. It is less upsetting in its coverage of the crime, around which the book is centered, than it is when discussing the founding and history of the religion to which the murderers adhered. To be fair, mainstream Mormons would certainly distinguish their beliefs from those of the Fundmentalist LDS of which Krakauer writes. Still, in looking at the founding of any religion (ie: Judaism, Christianity, or Islam), the backstory isn't usually a light-hearted walk in the park. And the founding of the Mormon religion, as Krakauer relates it, follows suit - and in some ways is much more upsetting because the events didn't occur in biblical times, but only 130-160 years ago.

The book is well-written and a gripping (if uneasy) read. It is hard to put down and stays with you once you finish it. In reading Under the Banner of Heaven, I was struck by how much I felt it reminded me (on a gut-check level) of Mao: The Unknown Story, by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday. While the books cover very different subject matter, they left me with the same queasy feeling - in fact, I could not get through the Mao book as much as I wanted to do so. The creation of a religion (not just Mormonism) seems to have a lot in common with the creation of a political movement. And violence, some of it on a barely comprehensible scale, is a trait both share.

Other than being a tale of murder and a historical work, Under the Banner of Heaven has a lot to offer in the way it looks at faith and how it changes during the course of people's lives. In some cases, faith grows stronger. In others, it lessens or adapts to accommodate changes in the world around the believer. Questions around faith are not uncommon in Krakauer's works. The way one of the people living in Colorado City loses faith in the course of the book (and ultimately professes atheism), mirrors the abrupt way in which Ron Franz stops believing in God after Chris McCandless dies in Krakauer's more famous work, Into the Wild.

In the end, Under the Banner of Heaven has a lot to offer. A reader will learn a lot - some of which s/he might not want to know. But the reader will come away with a better understanding of a truly American religion, and have quite a bit to think about in terms of the limits of religious faith and how it affects our personal and public lives.

Boulder, CO. - Nice place to be.

Boulder, CO - A River Runs Through It

After pacing my buddy the last 36.5 miles in the Heartland 100 ultra-marathon a couple of weeks ago, I stopped at my house overnight, and then headed west to Boulder, CO. A book group there had selected RUN as their novel for September. They asked if I would come for the club meeting where the book would be discussed. Honestly, it was a very flattering offer (and a first for me), so I said 'yes'. It also didn't hurt that the club meets in Colorado - one of my favorite places on earth.

Even though I was still hungover (in the legs) from the Heartland, I eschewed (after much consideration) bringing my Specialized Rockhopper 29er in favor of just taking running shoes. I knew my runs weren't going to be formidable, but I wanted to make sure that while I was in a running mecca, I would be running, not biking. NOTE: I am aware that Boulder is also a biking mecca.

The book club meeting went well. It was a pleasure to spend an evening with people who read, care about books and ideas, and are enthusiastic about knowledge for knowledge's sake. Several were also runners (or parents of runners). Wine and conversation flowed. I felt privileged to have been included. 

Running also went well. Before my first run at the ridiculously hilly (mountainous?) Chautauqua Park trails, I stopped by the Boulder Running Company store downtown. I had wanted to visit that store for many years. It was a little smaller than I had imagined, but choc full of running gear, maps, and things you don't see every day - like foot scanners (to show you what inserts to purchase). I was really thrilled to be there looking around. The staff was ridiculously nice and knowledgeable.

Like any good tourist, I picked up a BRC (Boulder Running Co) shirt patterned after the Colorado state logo. I also found a pair of Tifosi transition sunglasses that have already worked well in both sunny and shaded conditions. I'm a huge fan of the brand (and have had a pair that has held up well for the past 4 years). It was great to see such a good (and reasonably-priced) selection. Tifosi also makes sunglasses with reading lenses built in. I had never seen that, and I almost sprung for a pair of those as well. But ultimately, my wallet dictated that I just pick up the transitions.

Tifosi Transitions - looking pretty light in this pic.

I got a great run in with my host, Jeanne, the next day. We knocked out a reasonable 5 miles to, and then around, a lake. My legs had begun to recover, and it felt good to be out in the thin cool air.

While in the Boulder area, I got to see an excellent eastern European art exhibit at BMoCA, drank tea at the exquisite Dushanbe Tea House (a very unique place), and did a little poking around in the lovely nearby town of Louisville, Co. as well

Finally, I have to give a plug to Native Foods. After my run at Chautauqua, I did a quick search for vegan dining in Boulder. There were a good number of choices. I opted for Native Foods. While it is a chain, Native Foods is a truly vegan chain. Whenever I have eaten at one of their stores, the food has always been fantastic. And the one in Boulder is no exception. I actually ate there twice during my stay. Even if you aren't vegetarian or vegan, if you ever get the chance to try out one of these restaurants, you won't regret it.

As I left Colorado, I felt slightly less sad than my previous departure in August. This time, I know I will return soon.

Pacing the Heartland 100

View From Ridgeline Aid Station - 36.5 miles from the finish line of the Heartland 100.

I flew back from a quick business trip to LVNV on Friday. I had caught a very early flight on the heels of a late dinner with clients - ergo I had only a couple of hours of sleep.

I dropped my business suitcase in the garage, replaced it (in the back of my Element) with a duffel bag and two grocery sacks of running gear and sports nutrition stuff (and coffee), and immediately took off for points west accompanied by my running buddy, Paul.

Paul's an interesting cat. Besides having sailed solo on many occasions in a 26 ft boat across the Pacific, Atlantic, (and much more impressively) the Southern Ocean, and having hiked (again solo) across the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp, Paul is also an ultra-marathoner.  He's the same guy I paced about a month ago over the last 25 miles of the Hawk 100 Marathon. This time, he was signed up for the (on paper at least) easier Heartland 100 race.

I had agreed to pace him from an aid station manned by my Lawrence Trail Hawk running club buddies. The station, called Ridgeline, sits exposed to the elements, atop a plateau of sorts, 36.5 miles from the finish line.

Friday night we attended the pre-race dinner and meeting in the little Flint Hills town of Cassoday. There was not much in the way of vegan food available - an oddity for (vegan-filled) ultra-races these days. I ended up eating a pasta salad and lettuce with no dressing. We stayed at a motel in Emporia that looked a bit dodgier than it actually was. We occupied the room from 8 p.m. until we left to return to Cassoday at 3:30 a.m.

Saturday at 6 a.m. Paul took off with the other runners down .4 miles of paved road. It would be the last blacktop they would see for 99.2 miles. I chilled for an hour or so in the burg's community center - a metal pre-fab building that serves the small community's needs well.

As the sun rose, I drove to the Ridgeline aid station where I helped set up the tents and lay out food for runners who would be arriving on the way out and back for the next 18 hours. I remained there the rest of the day, alternately assisting runners and resting up for my upcoming pacing stint.

At 8:30 p.m. Paul came through the station for the second time on his return trip. He was an hour and a half ahead of schedule. I was suited up and ready to go. The weather was cold with a slight breeze. We took off along the wide ridge (pictured above). It was night. If it hadn't been cloudy, there would've been a huge moon. But as it was, it was really dark.

What followed was hours spent running in what truly felt like the middle of nowhere. Open spaces were warmer but a bit windy, and valleys were still, yet 5 - 10 F cooler. This Morton's Fork (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton%27s_fork) made keeping our core temperatures consistent a maddeningly difficult effort. The shocking hardness and rough rock/gravel surface of the back country roads made running (or walking or jogging) all very difficult on joints as well as the soles of our feet. I was using my Salomon Speed Cross 3's. They performed well, but I might've benefited from a trail shoe with a sturdier (or alternately, more-padded) sole. Hokas were in use by about a third of the entrants. Still, when I finished the 36.5 miles, I had nary a blister - something almost unheard of for a distance that great. Props to Salomon.

I won't go into everything that happened over the long dark night other than to say it was probably the hardest running Paul or I had ever had experienced. While we were prepared for the race, I was operating on a dearth of sleep, and Paul was running his second 100 miler in a month. These things factored into our night in a big way.

When the sun finally rose in the morning, the soles of my feet as well as my ankles were sore, but I was in a glorious mood. The vistas over mist-filled valleys were truly spectacular. I pointed out particularly beautiful views to Paul and Gary (a runner who hung out with us from around mile 85 onward). Both though, were a little less than enamored with the scenery and more focused on what was underfoot.

The last 8 miles were possibly the hardest of the run as I kept the pace as fast as Paul could take it. I chatted, encouraged, told jokes, cajoled, and yelled to keep him moving.

With .4 miles left in the race, Paul was able to pass two runners ahead of us. I stopped to assist a runner who was in some difficulty and make sure he got to the finish in a decent time as well.

I don't really have a take home from this race. On paper it should have been easier than the Hawk 100. Yet it proved what every hundred mile race probably does - nothing that distance is ever easy, and none should be taken lightly.

Paul stated many times during the race that he did not plan to ever return to the Heartland 100. I don't doubt that he meant what he said. But races that truly challenge you sometimes get into your bloodstream. My bet is that he'll be back next year. If he is, I'll up my pacing ante, and join him for the final 50.

Road Speed v Ultra Distance - My Week of Running

Running lately has been speedier than usual. I've mainly been doing middle distances - 5-10 mile runs and focusing on speed. This switch in focus has largely been due to my road racing buddies starting to gear up for some longer races (marathons or so). But even my trail running/ultra cohorts seem to be turning up the speed.

I got in a few good outdoor road (and one very fast indoor track) workouts last week. Those runs were capped off by a quick river trails loop run on Sunday. The first couple of miles were solid. The second couple required a bit more fortitude. By the third set I was starting to feel good again. And for the fourth (+.7) set of miles, we knocked out the fastest distances of the day. Breathing was key, as was fantastic 60F weather.

Saturday I did the last 'long run' with my ultra friend who I'm pacing in the Heartland 100. We did a 9.5 mile run on the levee. We had been doing runs in preparation for this race (as well as the Hawk 100 a few weeks ago) at a really, really slow pace. Basically, the idea is to go at a pace you can hold (or sort of hold) for 100 miles. On Saturday, however, we both had forgotten or eschewed our GPS watches. So we set off at a pace that was a little quicker than normal. I'm pretty good at telling pace when I run - usually within 10-15 sec/mi. I mentioned this fact to Paul (my ultra-running friend). But since we both felt good, we continued on at the pace.

On the way back, Paul suddenly picked up speed. When I mentioned this he replied that he had changed his form and the pace felt good. Around mile 7 he increased again. We were moving around 8 min/mile - way too fast for ultra training. I yelled out the time and Paul took off at a speed that literally left me in his tracks. I was running somewhere below 7 min and was watching him get smaller as he pulled away.

After another half mile or so he stopped to stretch and I caught up. He said that it had beenso long since he had really put on speed that it felt great, for once, to do it. His last short run before the 100 miler will be on Tuesday. He didn't seem too concerned about recovery, so I'm not either.

As his pacer for the upcoming race, I had planned to run the last 25 miles with him. Logistically, however, that got moved up to 36.5 miles last week. Initially I wasn't pleased about the development. But after some time to let it absorb, I'm much more sanguine. I didn't sign up for any ultras this year, and this will, at least,be a chance to do an ultra distance without having to worry about competition. I'll only have to worry about getting Paul paced through the last 36.5 miles. It should be fun.

I'll have a report on that next weekend.

Miles and Marijuana on Lawrence's Newest Trails

With the opening of Lawrence's new massive recreation center only weeks away, the building and its environs are available for public use already as part of, what has been described as, a soft opening. Today, as part of my run, I popped over to the center and did a quick tour of the facilities. The weight room is fantastic and airy. There was one guy using the room when I walked through.

"This is impressive," I mentioned.

He concurred.

The indoor track and the aerobic machines - 5 treadmills, 5 ellipticals, and a bunch of stationary and recumbent bikes - looked fantastic. There was a guy walking the track, but otherwise the space was deserted.

But I hadn't come to the site to workout indoors. I had run the 2.01 miles (exactly) from my door to the new facility in order to run some of its 6 miles of outdoor paths.

I thought the paths, being that there are six miles of them, would be easy to find. That proved not to be the case. I did a quick run around the circumference of the edifice which is longer than two football fields. No luck.

I knew, however, that I could see the paths from a point on the SLT trail that I also run regularly. So I headed out the west exit of the sporting complex (which also includes KU's Rock Chalk Park), and headed north toward the Lecompton interchange on the SLT trail. After a few hundred yards, I saw the new path coming down a hill to my right (east). I waded through tall grass and made my way across a little stream (being very careful to look for snakes), and made my way to the new paths.

And what can I say?  They are still under a bit of construction, but the milled asphalt is and exceedingly comfortable surface on which to run. I (seriously) think I spotted pieces of the old KU stadium track ground up into portions of the new path system as well.  

The path network around the park and rec complex is amazing. The surfaces are wide, hilly, and winding, making for a fun and challenging run.

One odd occurrence: as I ran up a hill and rounded a corner in the first mile of the paths I was hit with a very strong whiff of marijuana. I thought, why in the world would someone be smoking marijuana out here? I don't have anything against the plant or its use (and I really don't want this post to become a forum on the subject one way or the other). But it just seemed so strange. So I stopped to see who was smoking.

The answer - no one. There, in the middle of the city's newest (and truly wonderful) running pathway networks, was a good-size stand of marijuana in full bloom. I don't know what is considered to be good or bad examples of the plants, but there were buds all over these. So much so that the odor was a bit overwhelming when standing downwind. I think everyone who has grown up in Kansas has seen this plant in the wild. I just hadn't ever seen so much of it in one place.

Normally I write about animals I see in nature. Every now and then I'll write about eating mulberries or apples found growing wild along a trail. This stand of marijuana was just so odd because of its size and its proximity to the trail (about 2 feet away) made me wonder why it was left in place.

I resumed my run and finished the section of the trails I had chosen. All in all I got in a good 7.3 miles of road and trail running. The paths are the newest, and some of the best, additions to Lawrence's running offerings. I'm guessing the city will do something about the marijuana in the near future - it is hard to miss as you run the trails. But then again, this is Lawrence...

Running and a Review

Clinton North Shore Trail Head

The past weekend held two great days for running. Temps were relatively low, but humidity was high. For me, that meant that warming into the runs (in my case, getting my breathing going) worked well. I always find it easier to breathe when it is cooler. I do like the humidity, however, because it creates the feel of a really good (read sweaty) workout.

A bunch of Lawrence Trail Hawks and I met at 7:30 AM on Saturday and ran the route for the upcoming Sanders Saunter race. An oddly long amount of time was spent by most of us applying sulfur powder over the already copious amounts of DEET and other bug sprays we'd used. I believe everyone in the group had been victimized by the dreaded oak mites during previous runs. Anything and everything that could be deployed to hold the microscopic buggers at bay was utilized.  

So our yellow-legged group took off into the trees. The run featured two climbs up and down Sanders Mound (at the beginning and end). In between was the run to Lake Henry - out on the white trail, and back on blue. The views of Clinton Lake from atop Sanders Mound elevated everyone's spirits. 

Gary Henry, the group's fearless leader, used the run as his first return to the trails since completing the Hawk 100 mile race the week before. 

Sunday I decided to go where I'd have the least chance of running into another person. My run took me to the western portion of the Kansas River levee. I ran for 9.65 miles and passed a total of seven people. The levee is about as flat a run as one could possible have. I had the river on one side and fields and train tracks on the other. As usual, I tried to run a reverse split. I accomplished the task, but not as dramatically as I had earlier in the week on the levee's eastern side.  

I had two wildlife moments. Around mile 1.5 outbound I passed as close to a great blue heron as I've ever been. And on the return (with literally 25 meters left to go) I came across a massive copperhead slithering in my direction on the levee under the Kansas River bridge. I was surprised by this because I've only seen black snakes and garters in the area. Clinton (not the levee) is usually ground-zero for copperheads. I let the beautiful snake pass, and finished my run with a heart-rate that might've been slightly elevated above what the pace would demand.

Smith Optics Evolve

Finally, a quick review. A few months ago I won a giveaway from Adventure Journal. The prize was a pair of Smith Optics sunglasses. The pair arrived a few weeks ago, and I have been wearing them regularly ever since. Though not a style I would've chosen - my other pairs of higher-end shades (Spy Kash and Tifosi) are more geared toward sports performance - the Smith Optics have quickly become my pick for everyday wear. 

In terms of fit, I have no complaints. The glasses are snug without any tight/pinch points of discomfort. While mainly worn in ordinary (non-athletic) endeavors, I have used them in a round of disc golf. They stayed on my face even during the fast torque that comes with long drives.

While fit is good, where the glasses really shine is in their polarization. Honestly, I have never worn a pair quite like these. The lenses are large, clear, and very polarized (if there can be levels of polarization). I have not felt any fatigue while using them. They are far and away my go-to glasses for driving in sunny situations.

I want to take a second and thank both Adventure Journal and Smith Optics for introducing me to the line. I am a bit surprised by how much I really do like these glasses.

First return run

I felt good enough today (after having recovered from the ultra marathon pacing) to take on a reverse split 9.2 mile run. Clouds overhead and cool temperatures on the levee made for a beautiful running experience.

I never got into the zone that I like to go to when I run the levee. But today it didn't matter.

Now I must reluctantly return return to work. Get out and enjoy the day wherever you are. Life is short, and beautiful days should not be wasted. 

Notes from an Ultra Marathon Pacer

We've all seen countless pictures of trail races where sweaty, dirt-encrusted men and women emerge from a tree-line to sprint (or more usually, trudge quickly) to the finish line. I write this because, as much as I enjoyed participating in the Hawk 100 event over the weekend, I did not take any pictures. So you'll have to use your imaginations (unless you've been on the Clinton North Shore trails where the race is held), and simply picture everyone as sweaty, dirty, and tired.

After helping lay out the course's Bunker Hill and Goodwin Loop sections (the only adjoining open, grassy, hilly expanses in the run), on Friday, I returned to the race at 1 a.m. on Sunday to pace a buddy who was running the full 100 miles (there were 50 and 26.2 mile races occurring simultaneously as well). I had agreed to meet him for the fourth 25 mile loop of his run and make sure he finished with a good time.

My friend, Paul, is pretty good at undertaking major challenges, having sailed the Pacific (and Atlantic) solo on many occasions in a 26' boat, and having hiked alone across the Himalayas. He has also run many 50 mile and 100 kilometer ultras. So I wasn't too worried about his ability to finish the Hawk 100. We are both members of the club that was putting on the event. He had also been training on the course for over a month - knocking out 30 mile runs on a regular basis.

So I showed up at the start/finish line to await his arrival as he completed his third 25 mile lap. Around 3:30 am, he came in. He looked better than most (and slightly worse than some) of the other runners who still had a lap to go. After an unusually long break of 15 minutes (he changed shoes and socks, and ate a veggie burger and a cup of bean soup), we took off into the darkness.

He and I had both completed a marathon on the same course last year, and we both have run the trails many times. So it wasn't an unknown entity. Still, running trails at night is an interesting experience - as the world around you shrinks down to only that which is visible in the beam of your headlamp. I had brought a Petzl headlamp. I also had grabbed the ridiculously bright, rechargeable Light And Motion headlight from my mountain bike. I clamped the lightweight dynamo around my index finger and used it whenever I really needed to see what was coming up.

The hours of running in darkness were spent in easy conversation. Paul was lucid even though he'd been up and running for just over 20 hours. We chugged into the aid station at Land's End (4-5-ish miles in), filled our bottles and hydration packs, and had more soup - a potato chili made by ultra-runner, Gary Henry.  We then set off for a 6.5 mile segment that traced the edge of the lake and then took us to a switchback-filled hilly section of the course called Cactus Ridge (yes - there are nopale cactus on the ridge). The sky lightened before we arrived at the West End aid station, situated near the far end of the course. Paul was a bit tired - as one could imagine he would be.

Food now became the only fuel he had. All other stores seemed to be gone. I had him take grapes, crackers, and gel packs from the station so that he could eat whenever his energy flagged. We hit Bunker Hill and the Goodwin Loop and cruised through the two sections at one of the faster paces of the day, Paul led, and seemed to get his mojo back, with the food intake and the light of day lifting his spirits. Since I hadn't been racing for 24 + hours at that point, I was able to really enjoy the vistas of the lake and countryside that Bunker Hill provided. The air was cool and the sun shone bright in a cloudless sky. Bunker Hill and Goodwin were my favorite portions of the run. I felt lucky to be outside running in such a beautiful place.

After passing the aid station that serves as the entrance and exit to Bunker Hill again, we got down to the business of finding a way to finish the final 12 miles of the Hawk 100 mile race. The plan was to run/jog/walk 2-3 miles until Paul's food energy depleted, and then stop for 2-3 minutes while he ate and recharged for the next round. I let him lead when he was moving at a good pace. When he wasn't, I led and talked him on - pointing out easy places on the rocky, hilly trail to pick up speed.

When we arrived back at the Land's End aid station (which is situated at a junction of the 2 trails we were running - one longer and one shorter), it signified that there were only 6.5 miles left to go. We took a little longer than we had at West End (around 7 minutes), and then set off for the final push.

It wasn't exactly a slog. We ran a bit (actually we had one of the fastest miles of the day between mile 95-96), and I talked to Paul about how close we were getting. I offered calculations that would put us in way under the time limit. I kept all talk positive and upbeat - as I had for the whole run. It was a pretty good, but short-lived, portion of the run.

After taking a break with just under 4 miles to go, Paul announced that the food he was ingesting had stopped giving him any noticeable energy. He felt entirely depleted. I told him to take a GU gel shot (we'd been using Hammer Nutrition's banana-flavor, but had run out), which he did. After about five more minutes he still had no energy. I was leading - walking/jogging as quickly as I could to keep him going.

I could tell he wanted to stop for a break, but told him that if food wasn't going to work, stopping to rest would end up being a negative as his muscles and joints would stiffen (which they had been doing each time we stopped). This made starting up more difficult each time as he needed to walk a hundred yards or so before his legs gained enough range-of motion to run. I knew I had to now turn to the Well of Cliche. I told him that the mental and physical place he was in was where 100 mile-finishers are made. If it was easy, everyone would do it. When food no longer works, guts are all you have left to run on.

I said all this with conviction. While I have no idea how someone runs 100 miles (I have not done it myself), I do know that I have finished my (much shorter) ultra runs with nothing left in the tank but sheer will and determination to reach the end. And you know what? Paul seemed to agree with my assessment. I led. He followed - going to some depth in his mind and body that I did not want to contemplate.

As we approached the end of the trail, I stopped and told him that I wanted him to take the lead and run across the final field to the finish. And he did. Watching from the sideline as I peeled off, I actually had tears in my eyes. We had just run slightly less than a marathon together on a difficult course. I had done my job as pacer, and he had gotten his 100 miles.

Afterwards, as we sat eating veggie burgers, Paul paid me a couple of ultimate compliments for a pacer. He said that he couldn't have done it without me - certainly not in the time that we completed the last circuit. And lastly, he said that he thought the Hawk 100 was less 'his race' than it was 'our race'. Not at all true. But I really have to say that I appreciate the sentiment.