Free State 100k

We had a great week of camping at CLinton State Park last weekend for the Free State 100k. It was nice to spend 3 days just hanging out and enjoying the days instead of trying to get a list of crap done.
We camped next to Darin, Darcie and Jarret. It was weekend full of Mushrooms, Beer, Smores and running. I don't really have much to say about the race other than I am glad it is over so I can truly focus on Western States.


I finished about the same time as last year which is fine. I had no time goals and was simply running it to get in another long run. It was my 3rd 50+mile run in 5 weeks. The Mud, tornadoes, rain and hail made it pretty memorable. I am tired of doing those really long runs, it just takes too long to recover and get back to normal.

So, now I get to focus solely on Western States with about 6 weeks of solid training including 3 days at WS100 training camp memorial Day weekend. I have done a fairly food job of maintaining my weight but I am hooping to drop around 5 lbs before the race. I am doing a ton of core work also and trying to focus on strengthening that area.
Everything is going by so quickly right now. Both of the boys are into Baseball season full speed. Coaching Corbins team and Managing/Asst coaching tristans team has really been keeping me busy. I am back to having maybe 1 night sports free but there is a ton of stuff to do for Pop Warner football since I am on the board of directors we are already getting ready for the upcoming football season also so I am staying crazy busy, but I absolutely love it.
I am so freakin stoked for Western States, I have been running for about 3 1/2 years now, Western States means more than all of the other races I have done put together. I desperately want that Silver sub 24 buckle. I know I am much faster and stronger but just haven't put it together yet. I am saving it for this one, at least that is what I keep telling myself.
There have been a lot of tears at our house this week, our old dog Kramer is on his last leg. I brought him home over 14 years ago from the pound, I think he is a lab/Great Dane mix. He got ran over by a car when he was 1 year old, I had to borrow money in college to have his hip reconstructed. He has been in several times for other surgeries and has always pulled through. Tiffanie took him to the ER vet in the middle of the night once, he had a twisted stomach and his spleen was removed. She actually had to assist the vet with that surgery because there was no one else there at 1 AM. My kids are really really attached to him. Corbin was laying in the closet with him last night, crying, trying to get him to eat some food. He laid in his bed and cried himself to sleep last night and was almost late to school because he was trying to get him to drink his water this morning. Tristan has been carrying him outside to go to the bathroom, he can barely get his old body up so he has to have help to go outside. He has been having a lot accidents in the house and Tristan is always the first one there to clean everything up. It is amazing how they act so responsible and take such good care of him. It makes me proud to see that.

One of those days

Have you ever just had one of those days? You know what I mean right? Where it just seems everything is stacked against you, nothing goes right. Well I thought I had but unfortunately I was about to have one better....

4:30 AM...Rick for some reason calls our room at the Super 8 in Salina way to early, wakes myself, John King and Mark Stovall up for no good reason other than to let us know he is awake. We were staying at the same hotel so we could ride to the start together.
5:40 AM...We are in the hotel lobby ready to head to the start of Rockin K, John calls Rick to see if he is ready to go, Rick says he's in the lobby also?? Ummm, only one lobby here. Yep, we made our reservations at different Super 8's. No problem we will just meet up at the start. I think I know the directions but ask the lady at the desk who tells me a better way to get there, no thanks.
We hop on I70, wrong direction, turn around and head west. I called Rick to check the directions and we head south on 135, except we drove all the way to to the Louisburg exit. This is definitely not right.
6:15 AM...We sit in the car for 15 minutes trying to figure out where to go and finally get ahold of Rick, he says we have to go all the way back to Salina to hit 140, which is right by the Super 8 he stayed at. I think we were looking at his hotel and drove right by our exit the 1st time.
6:30-7:20 AM...John drives really fast we get to the start and watch everyone running off in the distance.


7:25 AM...Me, John and Mark all get started running, I haul off and at the first turn, run about 1/4 and see someone waving there arms,,yep I went the wrong way, 1/2 mile wasted.
Now I was seriously pissed off,,,I was Dead last place starting out, was going to be stuck all day out here by myself and I decided to just see who all I could catch the first loop. I caught Mark then John then some other guy who said "thats what you get for sleeping in late" I think it was supposed to be funny but I had no sense of humor. For the next 26 miles I ran like forrest gump. I passed a lot of people on that loop, some I knew, some I didn't. Every time I saw someone ahead I ran a little faster and caught them. I was really trying to catch up with Darin, Stuart or Greg and hope to hang one to one of them for the second half of the race, not to try and beat them but just to have someone to run with. I saw Stuart and Darin running along the fenceline the other direction, they were about 3/4 mile in front about 3 miles from the finish, so I was hoping maybe to catch up by half way through the second loop.
I finished the first loop in decent time. I refilled and headed back out, man the wind was sucking big time, I seriously had thoughts of turning around about 1 mile out on the second loop. The second loop is 2 miles shorter though, it wont be as bad.
I noticed an inbound runner go past the turn to go across a beaver dam and I pointed it out to him and also made a mental note so it wouldn't happen to me coming in. I was feeling a bit of dead legs but just kept running as much as possible. I ran out of water again and again, the wind was really drying me out. I knew there was a turn for Alexanders cutoff coming up soon. I was trying to make sure I would not miss it and add 2 more miles to the course. I saw the sign for the cutoff and was relieved to have not missed it, ran down the cutoff to the brick crossing but didn't see the ribbons indicating where to go, ran back up a bit, back down, hmmm.
I saw some blue ribbons to the right so I went off following them until I saw some striped ones also. There were a few footprints on the ground so I knew I was at least going the right direction. I ran for what seemed a really long time and finally came to the gate 6 aid station after being out of water way too long.
I saw Mark standing there, he had missed bluff loop on the first loop and then shorted it on the second loop so he was heading in to call it a day. He asked why I came in forom the wrong way...huh? Phil Sheridan got a big grin on his face and said I ran the double marathon course. I told him I took the alexander cutoff but got lost and went out the wrong way, he congratulated me for runnning an even longer route than the double marathon and sent me on my way to the bluff loop.
Sweet, now I have about 4 miles extra in for the day but oh well, at least I only have to fight this 40 mph wind for another 14 miles. I took it pretty easy on the bluff loop and was headed on the home stretch to the finish. I was going to try and finish strong and kept my head down running pretty good for a while. Actually kept my head down too long,,,realizing I was following the wrong color ribbons now.



Good thing I made that mental note about crossing the beaver dam when I saw the first guy pass it huh? I made my way back to the beaver dam adding another 1/2 mile or so to my route. Oh well, almost done now. Cue the big gust of wind....yep big gust and me falling off the beaver dam into that really thick black sewage stuff at the bottom of ponds. I sucked me in but I was able to use my water bottles to break the fall, no more drinking out of those sludge covered bottle for me.
Eventually I hauled my sorry butt across the finish line and just sat there for a while wondering what the heck was going on. I was supposed to run Brew2Brew the next day but Stacy and Rick talked me out of that, good thing, the way my luck had gone I surely wouldn't make it through all those railroad crossings in one piece!
All in all it could have been worse I guess, I did manage to avoid 3, yes 3 rattlesnakes on the course, that is a positive right?


KUS and the Sheridans did another great job with Rockin K, it was at least memorable. I wish I could have seen and talked with more people but maybe next time, see you at Free State.
It doesn't matter really, it was just another long training run working towards Western States. Every time something bad happened I would think about Western States and get past it. Bring it on Mr. Cougar, I will be waiting for you....

Rocky Finish

So, I did not end up with the results I wanted at Rocky this year. This is the first 100 where my goal going in was not to just finish but to finish well and try to push it a bit to see what I could do. It worked pretty well for the first 60 miles.




The first loop I started up near the front of the pack so I wouldn't get caught up behind a lot of people. My plan was to start pretty quick and stuck to that. I ran the entire first loop and ended up coming through at 2:58. A few minutes faster that I had planned.


Second loop I was still going pretty strong. I just wanted 3:30 on this loop to try and shave off about 10 minutes from last years 2nd loop. I hit the marathon and 50k point on the course strong. If this would have been a marathon or 50k I would have set a PR for either, hmmm, maybe not the best idea? Once I got through the 50k point I started having some bad quad cramping and was trying to put down enough fluids and S-caps to alleviate it but I just kept cramping for the rest of the 2nd loop. I ended up finishing the second loop in 3:30 and was nailing by time goals but was pushing a little too hard to get there.

The start of the 3rd loop I was shooting for 3:50ish. My quads were starting to hurt a lot from all of the cramping. I have been through this before and it is miserable to have cramping for so long. My legs were already hurting and the cramps make them soooo sore that it is almost unbearable for me. I kept checking my times and trying to not walk too much so I would not give up the 25 minutes I gained on the first few loops. I came through the 50 mile point at around PR pace for that distance also, man f I can just hold it together......Just keep pushing, get this loop over, I always run strong at night, just give me the night. I came through the 60 mile mark at 3:57 or so but may tank was on empty and I was struggling.

My back was really starting to hurt me and I was spent. I had not planned on stopping to sit down but I was pretty tired so I sat down changed my shirt, washed my face, ate some food and got my lights and night gear. Tiff was trying to be positive and help me as much as she could. Rick and I left and I just kept thinking how much worse I felt than I was expecting.



We left the on the 4th loop and ran the first mile or 2 and I got very bloated and was having some bad stomach issues. I walked most of the way to the next aid station. Stomach was gone and my back was just getting worse. By the time we got to Dam Rd I could not run at all. My back hurt so bad just to walk, every time I tried to run it just screamed out in pain. The last 14 mile of the loop were a mix of shuffling and fast walking. I had to keep 1 hand on my lower back, keeping pressure on it was the only thing that allowed me to move forward. It made staying upright hard because I was almost having to arch my back and then I was unable to look down enough to see the trail. So, that continued for the last 14 miles of the loop. I was mad, tried to run a few times but it just did not work. I took Ibuprofen and tylenol but the pain would not go away. I wanted so badly to run but just couldn't.
We finished the 5th loop and I knew my time goals were pretty much shot. The loop took about 40 minute longer than planned. Tiff said I could still beat last years time, I just need to run some, I just decided that all I could so was keep moving forward and not worry about anything else.

The last loop I was in a place I have never been. I am used to passing a lot of people at night, getting my second wind and running relatively strong. There was nothing there, I just shuffled along, pissed of and cussing to myself when someone was passing me. Rick kept me from walking too long at a time and was getting me to shuffle along for a 1/4 mile intervals. A lot of thoughts went through my head that last loop, I faced it that I made too many mistakes to reach my goal, I started a little too fast, I did not eat enough the first 1/2 of the race. I went through many aid stations and would fill up my handheld but forget to refill my waistpack bottle and then run out of water before the next aid station which caused alot of the cramping. Most importantly I used a waistpack which I only ran a few miles in previously. I destroyed my lower back and was the reason I was unable to run at night.


Rick asked me what I wanted about half way through the last lap and I said just finish I just want to get this over with. I told him, you know what this means right? This means I got to come back here next year and make this right. He just laughed and said I was going to have to pay him to come back next time. He told me a few times that I can't expect to run a PR every time.
I ended up finishing in 20:57. We sat in the tent for a while, I was disappointed that I fell apart so bad the last 40 miles. The pain got the best of me. It is a strange feeling to finish 100 but not be happy.
Once again my wife and Rick came through for me, gave up their weekends and spent their time taking care of me while I ran through the woods. Tiffanie is unbelievable at these races, she is the best I could ask for. Rick did a stellar job again, I think he likes to see me suffer :)

Congrats to Darrin, Nick, Danny, Colleen and everyone from K.C. who finished, attempted, crewed and paced. The KC nerds put in a good showing, hopefully the same will happen next year.

I cannot wait to get back at it again. I am pretty good at taking a negative and using it as motivation. I think I am capable of a lot more, at least I hope so. I fell apart but still kept going which is good, I know if it happens again that I can get through it. Now it is time to train for Western States. Everything I do training and racing will be centered around preparing to run my best in the race I may never get a chance to run again. I am looking forward to it and already have a plan of attack. I keep thinking of the 6 million Dollar man " Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology, we can make him better, stronger, faster."

Hard Work

I guess I will try to get packed up tonight for Rocky. It will be a bit in the warm side but very close to last years temps. I am really looking forward to getting on the plane and on the way. I am still not sure what I will be doing for Hydration. I have a single bottle Go Lite waist pack I may use with a handheld to start. Last year I ran with my Nathan HPL pack which worked well, I was able to go the 1st loop without having to stop and refill. I will likely try the 1st loop with the GOlite and switch if needed.
I am really amazed how much I have accomplished in 11 weeks. I went from being 198 lbs, running about 50/week to logging 1115 miles the next 11 weeks and dropping about 21 lbs. I really think the few months of low mileage helped to recharge everything.
Today I think I am in the best shape of my life. I had a thorough body fat and composition done yesterday. My body fat was 5.8% which is the lowest it has ever been. My hips waist and butt were about 1 inch lower than my previous lowest measurements. I weighed in at 177-178 lbs, a new low for me. Mentally I am focused and ready, I know it is going to be rough, it will hurt and there will likely be times when I feel like stopping. I will have mental lows, leg cramps, stomach issues, blisters, toenails falling off and who knows what else....I can't wait.

I know my splits from last year but will not wear a watch to track them. Last year Rocky was my best race ever, it all clicked. I have done my best to put myself in a position to have a good race. I am just going to go what pace feels right and see where each loop ends up. I need to get 60 miles strong. Rick will be able to pull me through the dark on those last 2 loops. John will be right behind me trying to catch me the entire time, even though he will be 700 miles away at home, he will still be there ........pushing me.

I can't wait for Breakfast on Sunday!!

About Time

Holy Cow! I have been such a slacker in updating my blog. It has been over 8 weeks with nothing, guess I have been spending to much free time on facebook instead.
I use this more as a personal journal which does not do me much good unless I actually write something huh?
Corbin broke his arm in December wrestling 1 day before his first tournament so we have decided to sit he season out and make sure it is good and healed. Tristan has wrestled a few tournaments but really doesn't have too much interest in it so I imagine he will not be doing any more tourneys this year.
Both the boys are in a winter hitting league for baseball and we are having tryouts for both of their teams tomorrow. Ella is still the best cheerleader in the world. She is going to sleep by herself at night. We got her a new LCD tv for christmas and she watches it for about 10 minutes and dozes off. Tiff really likes it because she was usually the one who had to lay with her until she fell asleep.
Tiff ran the Groundhog Run last weekend with a neighbor and did a little better than she was expecting in the 5k. I had thoughts of going also but hung out with the kids at home so she could do something without having to worry about them.

I have been running, a lot. I have averaged over 100 miles for the past 9 weeks, which is amazing. I really was not planning or anticipating running so much but I really had no reason not to. I got in 448 miles in December and have 426 so far in January. My 2 biggest months ever and back to back on top of that. Most of it has been on the treadmill during the week and long runs on the trail on the weekend. Running on the treadmill really lessens the impact and I can hold up to a lot more miles. I really have only had a few minor problems which have cleared up after cutting back for a couple of days.

My diet has been good, I have been tracking my calories for a few months and that on top of running so many miles has allowed me to drop a few lbs. I actually lost about 20 lbs since mid November when football ended. It has not been easy but I still am able to eat some good chocolate of some sort every night every night.
I ended up signing up for Rocky the last day of the normal entry deadline, I figured I might as well give it a go since I felt I was in shape for it. I am really looking forward to running there again. Hopefully the weather will be good and all will go well. John is not going this year which sucks. I like to have him out there to keep me moving. I did get SuperPacer Rick signed up to fly down with TIff and I to pace the last 40 miles which is awesome. There are many trail nerds going down for the race to run, pace and crew. I think there will be 10 or so running and just as many crewing and pacing, for many it will be there first go at 100 miles.

I feel like I have done all I can do to prepare myself to run well at Rocky. 100 miles is a long way and ther are a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong so we will see what happens.
After Rocky my focus will shift to Western States. I am where I want to be right now and will try to take my training up another notch to get ready for Western States. It is going to be a wonder butt kicking experience especially with Rick training for it as well. I cannot wait.

Kyle Amos and Tony Clark both finished HURT 100 last week, one tough, tough race. Props to you guys, you are freaking animals.

The past few weeks have gone pretty well as far as the running goes. Last weekend John and I ran Dude where's the trail 50k. It is one of my favorite events. This year there was more trail and markings to follow through the woods than before. Unfortunately the weather was very cold and windy which made for a long uncomfortable 6 hours but worth it none the less.


The previous weekend we ran the Nathaniels run 6hr in Olathe. Another cold night but we managed to get in another 30+ run there as well. It has been nice to start getting in longer runs on a regular basis.
Both the boys have been going to wrestling practice the past few weeks and will be wrestling in a tournament in Lathrop next weekend. They are both progressing and starting to pick up more each practice.

203 days until Western States,.,.,sounds like a long time but it will be here too quickly. I hope to get to a good level of fitness by February to allow for 3 months of good training. Lots of time and lots of miles.

So..,.,.now what??

It just seems like yesterday when we were starting out football practices , now they are done and the cold dark winter is beginning to set in, cheerful huh?

Tristan's football team won the Truman Bowl championship last Saturday. They were the first Kearney team to win this, so it was a pretty big deal for them. It was very cold and windy Saturday. I was on the sidelines helping out for the game and the biggest challenge was keeping the boys warm on the sidelines. Immediately after the game we had to drive 4 1/2 hrs to the University of Northern Iowa for another game Sunday. It was in a dome Stadium against a team from Chicago. We won that game 38-6 and then got to drive 4 1/2 hrs back home. It was a very busy weekend as always but I really enjoyed spending the weekend with his team since the rest of the season I was always at Corbin's stuff. Tristan had a blast in football this year and is going to be a very good offensive lineman especially if he keeps growing so fast.

Corbin had a rough time at the Championship game Saturday. He teared up a few times because he was so disappointed that his team was not playing for the championship also. He is so passionate about what he does it is scary, he has the heart of a champion. After talking to a few other coaches I am pretty sure he will move up 2 years next year and play with the older kids. I was hesitant but every coach I talked to said it it the best thing for him. Luckily for him we started wrestling practice last night so that will keep him busy for now. We are still hoping Tristan decides to give wrestling a shot since he isn't playing basketball this winter.
Ella has been running around the house cheering and dancing nonstop. We will have to figure out something for her to do soon. She likes to get us involved and repeat the cheers and clap along. The only word she knows how to spell is B-U-L-L-D-O-G-S.
I am hoping to get to the trails this weekend, I really, really, need to get in gear. I have missed running on the trails. The treadmill and roads are getting old I am having a very hard time with getting my calories down to a level to start losing weight. I am good until about 7:00pm then it usually falls apart. I am not going to decide on running Rocky 100 miler until the end of the year to see where I am at. There is no reason to run it if I am not focused and ready to do it 100%.