Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run.

Umstead. 100 Miles, check. Finished, check. Injured, check.

That is about the way I feel about it at this point. Umstead is a spectacular race with the absolute best race directors and volunteers you could ever wish for. Umstead is a moderate course with rolling hills that go from slight to a few that would be considered moderate/ steep. Either way it is a phenomenal race and a great race to get your feet wet. Last year I ran Umstead and DNF'd at mile 75. I entered again with the full intent of finishing no matter what. What I did not expect was to be on a wait list and not know if, or when I would get in. I got in though and was regretfully under trained, and in fact as some would say not trained at all. I would have to agree with my wife on that one. Either way, the following is a brief synopsis of how it all went down.

Friday, April 3rd.

Jen and I both have to work until noon and will head out after that. As we start the long journey to North Carolina we both can feel the irritation in our legs from such a long car ride. We were also slowed in our travels by a number of different obstacles either on the interstate or on the detours we inevitably had to take. One way or another we were going to get to Raleigh, and we were going to try and relax when we got there. As luck would have it our new freind Anthony Portera from New York was able to pick up my race bag at the pre- race meeting. We arrived in Raleigh and checked in to our hotel, had dinner and set the coffee for the morning. Off to bed to try and get some sleep.

Saturday, April 4th. Race Day.

Coffee, check. Chicken Sandwich, check. Clothes, gear, everything I need, check.
So now we are off and driving to the race start, as we pull into park we see a freind of our Ryan Jones from Pennsylvania. He will eventualy be top 5 in this race. Amazing dude I must say. I set my gear and get ready to toe the back of the line. No need in being up front, and no need to go out fast. Afterall, I did not train and had been instructed by my wife to take it very easy and go slow. Fire works and gun go off and we all shuffle into the dark waiting for the crowd to thin out and the sun to come up. Everything is going well and I am staying back and not moving to quick, wanting to keep my energy level high cause Im gonna need it in the end. Half way through the first lap I catch up to Tony Portera and beging to run with him for a bit. His coach, Lisa-Smith has him running slow the first lap. I stick with Tony for a few miles and then pull forward because the pace is starting to hurt a bit. I move out and keep going all the while feeling stronger adn stronger as I go. Everything is great all the way through mile 50 where I hit at about 9:30. Heck even through mile 62.5 I feel great except a small bit of pain in my right knee.

Miles 75-100.

At mile 75 I was fortunate to pick up Charlie as a pacer. Charlie has done over 100 marathons and is a coach for Galloway in VA beach. Charlie kept me going through the night and had great stories to tell the entire time. This is however when the pain sets in big time. The right knee is killing me and the blisters are hurting so bad I can barley walk. But walk I did and stumble i did. Either way, I was going to get to the finish. Walk, running or crawling...it was just going to happen I said. Miles 87.5 to 100 were by far way, way harder than 85-100 in Pinhoti. I had actually never hurt that bad before that i just could barely walk. The end was near, and that is all I wanted, just to finish and be done with the race. Thank God for the volunteers, the others out there and my pacer Charlie, I needed all of you for sure. Finishing in 26:14 I was happy to finish but my inner self still wanted to break 24hrs. Well, maybe next race.

Finish Video

Long Time no Write

I guess a lot can happen in a few months, in the month of February for example I went to Florida to do a 12hr bike race, Jen, , Jon, Andrew and Bryce all competed in Ironhorse in some distance each. Scott D'Angelo and I crewed, as well as Bryce crewing w/Jon after running the 100k.March was also a busy month as well, Jen, myself and Scott D'Angelo all went to Mississippi to do the MS50. This would be Scott's first leap into the 50 category, he just recently done his first 50k, Pemberton. So I am going to try and do a re cap of all those races in the next few days and make an effort to journal all these happenings. Also, since it is most fresh in my memory I will update my Umstead 100 post!

Ironhorse 100k, 100mile

Two days to go. Jen and Bryce are running the 100k. Jon and Andrew are running the 100 mile. The 100 has a strict 24hr limit and it will be a tough one. The course will be about as good as they come but things always happen on a long run. I am looking forward to this race, to hang with friends and to wathc my wife kick some serious assssss! More later....

Sebring 12/24hr Bike Race

Intro: A 12 or 24 hr cycling race in Sebring Florida Starting on the infamous Sebring Race track. 3 loops before sun up and an 89 mile out and back totaling 102 miles, then as many miles that can be had on an 11 mile loops up to 5:30 p.m. Then its the track from there......

What a great idea I thought as Jen told me about this race. I have been in need of a race like this and what better way than to involve my parents as well. Sebring happens to be very close to where I grew up, and in fact we love to go watch the races there. Boy, could I tell some stories!! Either way, I was in for my first ultra-cyclying event, which would pan out exactly like I had imagined. Well, mostly except for the wind.

Race morning began with my usual coffee and breakfast, I then drove to the race start at 4:59a.m. and arrived with enough time to get checked in, tour the "facilities" and line up at the start. The race began promptly at 6:30a.m. in the wee hours before daylight, but everyone else had lights, I did not. We started off quick, 22+ mph in the beginning on the track and it would just get faster from there. We all headed out onto the main roads just as the sun arose and this was a fast bunch of people. I got into the second group of riders as the first (likely cat1 or cat2) took off at nearly 30mph. We settled into 23-26mph with multiple people taking the turn on the pull, all the RAAM qualifiers were on there own, but some of these guys were doing 30 by themselves!

The ride was going well, very well up to mile 80 for me. I was on a 4:20 or so century ride pace and then I slipped back, lost the group and could not catch them. I tried, floundered and was then on my own! This was not a bad thing I guess, this paired me up with the elements, the struggle and the pain. Mile 80- 102 were very windy, very hot, and very long but I decided then I would ride this race by myself from here on out.

The head wind would begin around 10a.m. and would not cease the entire ride. 25mph winds at either your face, or your sides and for two brief 2 miles sections at your back. This was to be my struggle for the rest of the day! 8 loops on the 11 mile course and a finish with two on the track as cool down. My Astrale 8 says I logged 203.17 miles, the results show 200.6, I believe my computer, it is always right so.........

This was a doozie, a new challenge and a great experience that I will forever remember, and probably do again next year. So...Cheers to all that raced and to those who will race next year.

Disney Marathon 09'

My goal in January is to run a Marathon + every weekend. So far so good. Fat Ass 50k was January 4th, my slowest time yet, but a good run either way. Like I say, good friends always trump a sub par run. As for the Disney Marathon I will have to say ditto. The run started off well enough and I was on my way to a 3:35 marathon with the pace I had been keeping. Disney is not a terribly tough course except for the whole concrete and asphalt thing, the toughest part was the camber of the road. This became evident at about mile 18 when the wheels fell off. Now this phenomenon seems to have been the case for everyone, my wife, Scott D'Angelo, Rico Dorsey, Andrew Tate, Angela Harris all our friends that were there experienced the same thing. PAIN after mile 16. All of those for mentioned are experienced runners and this was a new experience. So I have to say that the concensus for Disney is that I will not bother again. I ran it in 04' did not care for it then and in 09' the rule is not the exception. (Made that one up)

Looking forward to the 30 miler on the AT, Mountain Mist and the 26hr run with my buddy Jon Obst for his 26th b-day. Should make for a great month.

Fat Ass 50k

A sore disappointment. I have had bad days, I have had good days, but Yesterday was a really, really bad day. From the moment I started running I could not breathe, I could not keep pace and began to experience pain in my stomach area. This would last the entire run. Hamstrings and IT bands would be making an appearance as well. This just made the day! Now I could not keep heart rate, I could not physically run a good pace either. Oh well, I guess that is why they call it a "fun run". Fortunately for me all of our friends from GUTS were there and they were at least the "fun" part. Aside from the run, getting to see everyone for the first time this year was great. As always a well stocked aid station and an ice cold keg make every event just a little more special. Jen was there helping and did a little run herself for a bit. It also seems every time we go to an event we meet more people and acquire more friends. In the end the day it was not a total loss, good company always trumps a bad run.

Yoga

HTFU you say? Lane is doing yoga? Yup, gave it a shot the other day and it seemed to help with my over used IT bands and my hamstrings. I never once thought I would be caught in a yoga class. Jennifer has tried to get me to go before and I refused. The thing is that I never thought it would do anything for me. Well, I was wrong. That s*#t works man. Either way I have to say I am pretty decent at it from the get go, I did not fall, I did not stumble and I did not stare at girls butts. Jen likes to do yoga in the very front, or maybe just the very front with me ;) Some of the poses were a bit strange but after doing them I could see where they were going and what body parts they were focusing on. I must say that I will probably continue on this yoga road and see where it takes me.