In awe

Blog

  • Day457 New year Day 2

    New Year Resolutions / What I want for Christmas

    Time goes by so fast. Couple months ago, I was training life-and-death for my biggest race at the time. I was in a rock and a hard place…due to many things coming together at the same time. Of course, I could just walk away and not run it. But the thought though was I’d rather run and suffer (or die trying) than not running it. Indeed it could have been bad.

    I did come away with a bit of pain. I am not sure if my legs would ever recover – at least any time soon without going through PT sessions.

    I was always a bit psychotic – extreme so to speak. I had to look up. Yes, I think I am a bit crazy. Now I am sitting in the comfy of my home, and happy I did it. There were so much happened between then. I did several other races. Wrote up reports on those.

    Every year between October to December, I lumped these months into one giant blob.

    I never really get around to asking what I want for Christmas. This year, it was a new computer. I reached a lot of personal goals. Yes, a lot of the goals were limited by my financial condition…like buying a fast bike. I held that off for a few years because money was not there. This year I actually could affort it finally! However, I did not go and purchase it, because I haven’t biked for nearly two years.

    For those who know me, I shop around a lot exploring all options, but in the end I usually don’t get anything (due to cost). Window shopping is my thing.

    I didn’t buy my bike or the computer. That was a long digression. Kinda. I had enough time to think on what I want, no not just the computer by something bigger.

    Resolution:

    1. run more. Run first thing in the morning
    2. run faster. 4:15 marathon…is that faster than last year?
    3. run farther
    4. run longer
    5. be more organized

    My resolution is different from last year or the year before. I am circling around the topic. Actually I wanted to have a blog post on identity.

    After 5 years of running, and in my 6th year now, my identity is tied to my running. If anything, I want to be identify as one who runs. Maybe now it is time for a rebranding: to man who travels.

    I actually don’t want to announce my goals or resolutions. Firstly, I read, once you announce your goals, it is twice as hard in getting them done because there is ton of blockers, trying to derail your plan. Second, I have not worked out the details. Third, I am a bit shy to share my goals to the world.

    My mom recent illness really helped me to clarify if I really want to pursuit my goals. During that time, I have been called selfish. It hit hard but I came away accepting the label. I am willing to achieve my goals above all else. My mom did not really get mad at me but she did mention later that my goal has to be balanced out with the needs of those around me. The answer is definitely yes I want to go for crazier goal in view of all that happened. TL;DR…I thought running 100 miles was crazy, I am ready for crazier thing.

    I might have flirted with the idea of hiking the appalachian trail or running across America or even traveling around the world. I have been and still is pushing it toward some distance future. What I want to say is, it is a step closer to reality today than six months ago.

    The issue has been how crazy can I get to do it. Now I think I am crazy enough to go for it. Why I am saying it is crazy? Because it requires a step of faith — like the bibical Abraham to leave his father’s house and go to a country he knew not. I am no Abraham. I don’t hear voices telling me to leave, but I am more convicted to leave now than six months ago.

    My biggest hold is and has been safety (financial security) at where I am now and it will definitely will scale if I don’t do anything crazy.

    The idea always have been make enough money then leave. It is the concept called Financial Independent F* Money. At least to have a way so I can come back and still have a job or some way to earn a living (like video blogging). It is always down to money, right? If we have enough money then we don’t have to work. I did some calculation – the only way I don’t have to work is when I retire at old age. I don’t have enough now to retire early. So basically I can’t do it in a conventional sense. For most people, the story ends here. Only way is to be unconventionally. Luckily, there are a few people who did just that and I can follow their footsteps (e.g. Cycling Jin – UniverseWithMe, who biked around the world the last 7-8 years and started out with literally nothing).

    I guess the biggest hurdle is always trying to convince myself.

    Have I mentioned before? I am thinking of retiring to a different country to a place that has a lower cost of living. How is this related? Well I plan to use the years remaining to visit those countries I plan to retire to. I have not fully thought out the idea yet, but yes there are a few youtube channels on this topic. Not trying to convince any one else or whether it is smart. It is something I want to do.

  • Day456 A new year

    A new year is a new beginning. Yes Day 1.

    I will eventually reset my blog to Day 1 maybe some day. Actually to those who didn’t know I have done so like 5 or 6 times already — not for this blog here but on 5-6 previous journals usually after about 500 ish days, I started to lose track and would restart. It is kind of my thing to see how long I can keep it up. It is not important to my readers to know.

    My new year has been quiet. Last year, … I don’t remember what I did. Usually, I think I go hiking or do a new year day race. I did not race this year. I slept in. Also usually on new year, I sign up for races. There were many races usually open after new year. I did not do so this year. Today I checked. Many races already had a waiting list — like the Rim to River 100 miler, which I kind of want to redo it, had over 100 people on its waiting list! If there is a race you really want to do, you have to set an alarm and sign up the moment the open. I am not one of those who like to be on a waiting list.

    Compare to last year, this year I did not have much momey on hand. Not that I did not do well, I did. I think I made more money than I ever did! The S&P had a whooping 27% increase — too bad I got in only at the end of the summer, so I got about half of that windfall. This is like closing your eyes and randomly throwing a dart and it hit the bulleye. I know, not the best way to do with your money. That is how I feel about the stock market. I opened another retirement account after watching a Youtuber talked about it (Graham Stephan). I also increased my contribution to my work retirement plan, so I have very little liquid cash on hand at the moment. So I am too poor to sign up for races.

    This brought me to topic I want to share. Nothing important like my running. In fact I celebrated Christmas and New Year by watching youtube and twitch. Youtube has been around for a long time and it has changed over the year. At one point, it was a best place to watch movies, but now they really has shut off all the illegal uploads. At one point it was my go to place for music and that too has been no good now since they want people to pay for their youtube music.

    What youtube for me now is live content and video premiers. Live content can be VOD (video on demand) from a streamer. I mean it is unedited videos – first hand POV video (point of view). Yes it is just as much as a time sink as any other media.

    Over this pademic I have grown to enjoy a dozen or so streamers. I wish I could list all of them here. I mostly enjoy artists – the art kind and also musicians. I started watching I believe in spring 2020. As now another year passed, many of the original people I followed had moved onto some other things.

    Many have returned back to their real world job. Streaming cannot support them full time. Only a few made it to the top. For many, it was not worth it. Still there are many small time streamers, and they do it because they enjoy in what they are doing.

    What I am trying to get at is life moves on. In a sense I am happy for them but it is also a lost to their “community” they established when they are no longer there.

    One of the streamers I watched, Technoblade, a youtuber, and considered as one of the best minecraft players, brought me sad news. Over the new years eve, he finally reached 10 million subscribers on his channel. It was a goal he set when he was 13 — that he wanted to be a youtuber and to reach 10 mil viewers/subscribers. That was a good news, but I also learned just a few days prior (though the news was out since end of summer) that he was diagnosed with cancer. They almost amputated his right arm during fall. He had not upload much. He still made a joke that he would not able to clap his hands when he reached 10 million. He did. Not sure now how his future in gaming be like. He is indeed entertaining just by listening to him talking, so he might be switching to something new in the future.

    I could go on and on how I got plugged into these communities. I don’t know much about them except their user id or their stream name, yet I felt connected to them with the stories of their life they shared to their viewers. Each of them are different, yet special.

    It reminds me I am not too different. In a sense, I am doing something similar. I am telling my story. I have my angle. I hope though I will be around for a while. Happy new year to all.

  • Day455 spontaneous

    Training has been hard…hard to get start again.

    Only way to be good at running/anything is to keep on training. The moment we stop training our body and muscles started to decline.

    I know all that.

    For me, there is never a good time to train. There is always something comes up and interferes.

    Only way to do it is to have it the first thing in the day before anything else. It means prioritizing.

    Or if not the first thing, willing to have it be the last thing before going to bed. Willing to do it no matter how tiring.

    Or have it in the planner. Set a time aside to have the run. It means to stick to the schedule. I used to follow the rule: no run means no dinner. This forces me to run early. Becuase we got to eat.

    I am mostly a night time trainerbecause that is when I have time. After all the work and a long day, getting myself out to run no question is hard. I forced myself out the door last week. At least I did it for two nights, Monday and Wednesday. One was near 2 am in the morning.

    It seemed harsh to train in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep, but I find myself feeling most free. There is a joy that I did not want to stop once started.

    It brought back my memory of my 100 mile race. Yes night time was the hardest time in the race, yet also the most peaceful to run. It was just you and the path without any distraction. All the scenery, cloud, tree, and even the path disappear. It is the lacking of sight that makes me really like night running.

    I only ran a total of 9 miles last week but the two evening runs were ones I enjoyed.

    I miss doing spontaneous run! It might have be guilted into it because I haven’t run for so long. Yet, not really feeling guilty once I started running.

  • Day454 WTF stop cussing

    Finally after all the training and races, I did not run much since. I guess it was a well needed rest for my mind and body.

    I went into running as a recreation to get away from the stress at work, but running had taken over my life and itself became a stressor. Kind a is. I need to be chill from my running.

    During the past five years, I had only stopped running four times. The first was when I got Lyme disease in 2018? The second and third time was when I came back from Atlanta last year during Covid, I did two self imposed quarantine with each one for 2 weeks. I went to Atlanta twice that summer, so took a two-week break each time. They were the longest pause from running I ever did. This compares to when I “ran” even when I had Lyme disease. The last two months (~10 weeks) had been my longest break since I started running. Sure, I ran three ultras during the same time frame, with one of them being the biggest race in my life (West Virginia Rim to River).

    The Last two weeks, I have been hampered with an injury, the same one I had during the last race at The Devil Dog. I did not go see my doctor but I think I pulled my left hamstring.

    Besides the injury, it was mostly other factors. I was busy with work at Work and have been putting in longer hours. Also the sun is setting so early now and I don’t have much desire to run after dark. All excuses I know.

    What I actually wanted to write is I have been watching a lot of youtube and twitch tv. One of the few that strikes my fansy is study/practice or working streams. I like watching professional artists or musicians honing their craft. True, many of them are boring to watch, but they put such long hours into their practice doing seemingly over and over again the same thing yet with a passion. Then comes the performance. We all like to watch their final masterpieces.

    I am fascinated because I want to emulate their passion into my running. I run usually only about an hour every day but these artists they could put on hours end whenever they pick up their brushes. I’m ranting here. I have been thinking at what point do I give up in my training to save my body or at what point I push through my training knowing I will injure myself even more. Convention wisdom is to listen to your body and rest.p

    If I am doing a once in a life time race, like a 200 mile race and I am like 90% done, I think I would risk injuring myself even permanently by pushing through. This Question came up often during races – like in my last race, I carried some painkillers on me. I could have taken them to shut off the feedback loop so I could push on. However, doing that is usually a bad idea because it means pushing beyond what the body or muscle is capable. It was not a temptation for me though at least during the last race to resort to painkillers. I pretty sure I was done running that day.

    What’s next? My mom called and was surprised I had no more races until next year like in March or April. I had never so long a break! I did not realize races stress me out until I realize I’m are free from them!

    So my itchy trigger happy fingers saw a race (two in fact) posted on Facebook yesterday and so I signed up. They said it is free! Who doesn’t like free races? I am not technically in the race yet. This race/organization is a bit weird, like old school weird. The race director picks who get to run it. The application process is just name, age, and email. They only allow 50-60 people. So, I don’t know if I get approved. I haven’t read the fine print yet. The race name is WTF50 (waterfall 50K). It was canceled or somehow I did it on my own last year. Yes, the day I went was snowing and I ran on a creek with snow and ice and water. It was really a WTF* moment. It was one of crazy things I did. I got a speeding ticket on that day too. Hopefully this year will be better.

    Second one? On the same weekend they (same organization) also have the Massanutten Academy Training Run/Camp #1. Also about 50K distance. I also want to run it. I signed up for Massanutten 100 mile race for next year and they say absolutely should do the training run.

    I better get some training for my two training runs. Yes the training run (WTF) is as hard as the Massanutten race itself. Merry Xmas.

  • Day453 Devil Dog / DNF

    In a race, it is given that we want to finish. Otherwise, it is just a training run. To me a race is the real deal and mainly the reason for me to run it – to prove myself of reaching a certain level or besting a course. Also the feeling on race day is different from on a regular training run because we spend months preparing for and anticipating it.

    Having finished so many races sometimes I forgot that in some races I might not finish no matter what our effort and planning we put in it. It is an inherent risk. We face the dreaded word of DNF – did not finish in our race result. It goes down in the record forever. True, some people don’t give a hoot about it. For me, it matters some. No one truly wants to run a race and to DNF it (unless it is the Barkley).

    Before running a big race, there is always the anxiety if I can do it, but usually once I get on the course, the feeling will go away and you rely on your training and experience to get you through.

    In Devil Dog, I never believe I would not finish it. I had done the mini 50K version last year and was familiar with the course. There is no reason of not finishing unless some freak accident occurs.

    I started the day perfect. We had great weather on race day – like those once in a century type of warm and mild day in December in the Washington DC area (around high 50s F, 10-12C). I woke up early at 2:00 AM that morning, having only slept for couple hours but I was not tired. I was excited in fact, and felt experienced and ready. I left the house around 3:30 AM. We had to park our cars at a remote lot and were shuttled into the race location due to the lack of parking spots (none), with the first shuttle running at 4 AM. I was there around 4:30 am and waited till 5:15-5:30. Race was supposed to start at 6. The race director graciously delayed the start by half an hour due to buses running late, so we had plenty of time to get ready once arrived. I just walked around the area until the time for the race to start. It was like a foreshadowing but I put the feeling aside.

    Devil Dog was to be my last “big” race for this year. I signed up when it was first open, maybe back in July. To me though, it was not that big. I felt given with my ability, even if I walk it, I would able to finish within the time allowed.

    I always believe, even if I don’t run it, I could walk to the finish. That has always been my belief in many races. Of course, I picked my races that allowed me to do just that. You can usually tell from the average pace of the last person from previous year and ask yourself if I can do that.

    Those who have been following know I ran a lot of races this year. 5-6 big races. I held myself back on most of them so that I could do the West Virginia Rim to River. I ran it and was satisfied with it. It had its struggles and in the end, they were overcome. After that, there were a few left over races, Stone Mill, JFK, and the Devil Dog. I really wanted to do all of them. I was feeling up to the task.

    I knew from a planning perspective, that I would not have the time to train it like a big race since it came immediately after the West Virginia race and the Stone Mill race. I had only couple weeks to train for it.

    The race had both the 100K and 100 mile runners together. Dual event on the same course and same starting time. For the 100K, the course consisted of 3 loops with the first loop being 3 miles longer. The 100 mile people run 5 loops (I guess without the 3 ish extra miles in the first loop).

    The whole race was all about struggling with my body. It was ugly, and rough and I was grinding out the time. Very soon into it, I was asking how much longer. It was not a good sign. The race had a 20 hour limit. It was a long race. Three hours into it, I already hit my limit, and I started walking for the next 10 hours. I don’t mind walking, but even with that, my legs started acting up. By the 12 hours, walking was difficult and I only wished to reach to the aid station so I could turn in my bib. I reached the aid station by 13 hours and was convinced, there was no way I wanted to be out on the course any longer. Simple as that, and turned in my bib to the race staff.

    For me, things started not going well by 17 miles (around 11 AM). It was not even a third of the way. It was too early in the race, but I hit the proverbial wall and had to start walking. I did not expect to be this tired this early. We were not even halfway in.

    Nothing I do could bring me back into my pace. I felt exhausted (not mentally) but physically the longer I stayed on the course. Even walking was hard. Every step was an effort. I got slower and slower. I kept on grinding it out. I run ultras so I know, what is normal tireness and this kind of abnormal wearying walk. I finished the first loop of 23 miles in 6 hours. Timewise, wasn’t too bad. If I could recover and would still able to finish the race. I was 30 people ahead of last person, but it was a bit concerning that this might be a DNF race for me. My second loop was much much longer, maybe around 8 hours. All those I passed earlier passed me back. I did not mind. I just want to finish (at least just this loop). I did not recover enough, but actually my strength continued to sap. I came in 15 minutes before the loop cut off, and probably was in the last place by now. However, we had to keep 7 hours on the last loop to finish within the final cut off and that what we had left on the clock.

    My left knee (especially the back of it) was bothering me. I felt it was swollen. I could hardly bend it. It was dangerous going down hills because I had no control over my legs, especially the left foot. Going uphill was not an issue for me, just downhill was hard. There were a few steep hills that gave me concern.

    My many falls in the West Virginia still fresh on my mind. I did not want a repeat. I felt this time if I fall I would definite injure myself and probably severely. In the West Viriginia race, while I fell a lot but I was not as tired at the time and was responsive and quick with my feet to allow me to do all kind of acrobatic stunts and not get hurt. In this race, I did not have the same fine control over my feet. I did not want to temp fate.

    In Devil Dog, I spent about 10-13 hours on the course contemplating if I were going to be DNF’ed. I had a sinking feeling when I stepped on the course. One was due to my lack of training the past 8 weeks. During the race, it was more and more apparent as the hours flew by that this race would be one I had to walk away before reaching the end.

    I ran significantly less the weeks leading up and it was frustrating with myself and my environment (a series of unexpected events). I was dealing with some conflict with family members and it really messed everything up in term of training. I am not blaming others but myself. Running is my (life) goal and the abrupt halt got me all worked up. And it was a feedback loop. Not running created more anxiety and it created more demotivation from running. I know it is my running problem and I got to be tough to face it and overcome.

    And I have been doing poorly overcoming my distractions that got in my way of my training. Not gonna lie.

    Surprisingly when I turned in my bib (a formality in a race to declare one’s intention of forfeiting a race) they said I was the first to do so (though not to me, but I overheard it), e.g. to give in so early. Yes, no one expected us to quit in the 100K since the whole race is gear to the 100 mile. We 100K seemed to have it easy. No feeling was hurt. I have been running for over 5 years and can take the blunt truth. I had been thinking all about it the whole day! I took it as a matter of fact. Later though many other 100k runners too DNF’ed, I guess at later aid stations. For the 100 mile runners, the drop out rate was near 50% (very high/we were on exactly the same race course). I did not need companions to make me feel better but it also was good to know later that I was not the only one. There was one who finished the course but was 4 minutes late, so still received a DNF in the result. I salute the person having perservered through the whole thing. Surely it is a heart break for the runner.

    I decided to call it a quit. It was not because the math says it is impossible, but I know my body could not take many more steps if I had gone on. I was doing maybe a hour a mile at the last mile. There were 20 miles more to go. The thing with this loop is the first half of the loop is easier than the second half of the loop. I felt I might make it halfway through, but it means I would be stuck out there midway at 2 AM in the morning (or they cut me at midnight), but still, being out in the cold was not fun. Why put myself through more torture, since one false step might mean face planting on the trail. I quit at 7 instead of at midnight.

    Looking back is 20-20. Whether I would have done differently, I don’t know. I might still have signed up and run it all the same if I know I was going to DNF.

    Just saying running sometimes requires a good state of mind. Running is battling of the mind and the body. I guess having a schedule would help! The past two months, I have anything but a normal schedule. That is another aspect if I want to be a good runner, I have to overcome it and find time for training in the midst of a busy schedule and many demands.

    The fact of life is things never get less busy. I have been running for 5 years and attest to this. You have to carve out time for training. While people sleep, I run. It was never easy. I looked back at my medals, finishing was only the top of an iceberge hiding all the countless hours of training.

    To me, I did poorly in the Devil Dog was because my lapse in training at the final weeks. I need to get my running consistency back up.

    My whole race experience of the Devil Dog seemed to sum up to this as well — I was stuck early and the whole race was how to get myself unstuck and maintain a consistent pace. It was a lost cause in the end.

    Nutrition, hydration, shoes were ok. I did get a bit of blisters being developed on my right little toe, but I took care of it at mile 20 and it was good till end of the race by applied salve, bandaged it and changed shoes and socks. Sleep was ok – I guess if I did the 100 mile, lack of sleep might become a problem.

    As for how I will do better next year, train on the course itself, and get use to the race course. I felt certain part of my muscles were not used to going so many ups and downs and walking on one’s toes. I am a big hill climber but not the little ones. You would think, if I can climb big hills I could do the little hills. Apparently they are not the same. I got to say, it is not an easy course, but it is not extremely hard that should cause a DNF. My DNF was wholely on my part for easing the training for the last few months.

    Hmm, also use all three drop bag locations. For me, since it was a 100K, I felt I only needed one location because I would come around to it every 5-6 hours. But there were times I wish I could drop off a jacket or pick one up sooner and not have to wait till I reach that 20 mile mark. I felt definitely, if I am to run it again, utilize all three drop points.

    Final words. Those who haven’t run it and want to do it, go for it. The race is good. Course is challenging and we had great volunteers. The race organization is well run. Don’t rely on buses. Camp out if able to, and have a crew, though not having one is not a problem either.

  • Day452 Retirement/Investment

    I went down this rabbit hole before. How much do I need to save now to retire some day? Which requires me to ask how much do I need in the future. This is probably my second blog post on this topic (retirement and minimal spending). What I suggested before was am extreme look but it is neither wise nor practical.

    Whatever, you read here, take it with a grain of salt because I’m not a financial advisor. They are just some thoughts I have.

    I spent some time (like over two weeks) calculating. My conclusions from the excercise are as follow:

    1. it takes a lot to save now for a small future amount. Like for me, saving a 20% income now will get me a 70% income at retirement. Plus ton of assumptions that might not be true 20-25 years from now. In a sense that is a good deal right, you have 3.5x the output? But it doesn’t feel that way. It feels you put in a lot now and get very little back. No one wants a 30% pay reduction. And saving 20% feels like a big cost.

    2. it is obvious the more being saved the better

    3. what is not obvious is we assume income just comes in, with very little work. It requires some financial knowledge like which stocks or mutual funds to invest in. That’s work.

    4. kind of follow from 3, retirement is not the end of work but is a new beginning or transition to a new form of work, generally this is investment. You got to learn how investment works to get the most from it

    5. I think a false conception I had before was saving for retirement is like putting money in a piggy bank and at the time of retirement, you spend from it. Money will run dry one day with this kind of thinking. There is no big enough piggy bank even of one saves 100% of present salary. The reason is we likely live longer than our working life could save. Also there is something calls inflation. Though most understand that they expect their money to make more money (e.g. to invest). One has to have to knowledge and actively manage it, otherwise, money will disappear.

    My point is it is okay not having a big enough balance, if one knows how to generate income from somewhere

    6. financial experts think we don’t save enough, which is true if only looking at just the saving side. The reason is people have various other source of assets other than a retirement saving account. Mainly it is their house. 49% millenials own a house or condo. They can down size when they retire. Also real estate is an investment because the price of property appreciates (and at recent times, greatly).

    7. Not sure how many do this, I think a lot do. When people retire they move to a state that has a lower cost of living. People move to Florida not just because of the warmer climate but because the state has no income tax. Wait, retire people has no earned income! or so we think. A lot of retirement incomes are still taxable!

    8. The more extreme type, like me, would consider moving to a different country. In my travel, I saw other countries generally have a lower cost of living. I have only been in Chile and Peru, (and Australia and Canada as well, but those places are not “cheap” to retire to). I felt I could live in the cheap places. There are popular destinations, like Taiwan, Thailand, and other asian countries or eastern european countries.

    9. Use the time now to prepare for retirement, means more than purely setting aside the money. It means learning a new skill and language to adapt to the life after retirement. Why skills? Mainly for me, financial/investment skills are what I need to be good at, for others it might be starting a second career like a business or be an artist or musician or a writer (or a blogger or streamer). I read writers don’t retire because they love what they do.

    10. I delved into life expectancy too and its calculation. I don’t think it matters but many retirement planning guides think it is important. My advice is whatever the life expectancy is, add a few more years.

    —-

    Long form for those who care to read.

    The deal with retirement is you never know exactly how much to save today. Generally, the more the better. The flip side of the question is how little is too little? I ran the numbers, to save 3% or less per year of my present salary is too little for me, though some (maybe many) of my coworkers are saving just that because that is the maximum our company used to match to our contribution (but they have stopped matching the last two years). 9% is the national average for my age of those who do have a retirement plan. I watched a video from the MoneyGuy, and they showed saving about 20-25% of ones income is preferred (with their math, not saying they are wrong, but whether it is realistic for everyone). The FIRE people (financial independence retiring early / young) aim to save 50% or more to retire as soon as possible. There are people who could do it. There is a range because everyone accept or see the risk differently.

    For a while, I was aiming for that the FIRE goal, though I never got up to the 50%. What is FIRE? There is a movement to save a whole lot so one can retire young. It stands for Financial Independence Retiring Early. This year got me into investing apart from my workplace retirement plan (and I opened a Roth IRA and a Robinhood account). I came away that investing and retirement is really the same.

    My personal advice (imho) is fund it up to the tax benefit limits the government sets (for 401K and IRA) and you are likely good. The reason is that will give the greatest tax benefits. However, not many normal people will or could do it. I myself have not “maxing” it either.

    Most retirement planning videos don’t look at the cost of saving. Imagine if you are making $50,000, it means saving $25,500 away (based on my age and tax limits), and that is more than 50% going toward retirement. Even if one is making $100,000, it is still a lot to save 25% for retirement.

    The biggest challenge for people and myself too is people don’t have that humongous amount of “left over” money for retirement. Obviously it is a tradeoff – how much money is needed today vs how much is needed in the future. So the question is how to balance that?

    For that I do not have answer what is the right amount. I think as a society, in the macro economic sense, people are making the most logical choice, and are at a perfect equilibrium of how much we should be saving.

    I used to base my saving off the social security taxes as a ballpark estimate of how much to save. My rationale, though flaw, is the government set 12.4% as a society of how much set aside for caring for the elderly, so I should copy and set aside that amount and I will be “minimally” set. The problem is social security was never a retirement plan, though we all think it is. By copying its number, I am building on that false assumption and it might not work. There is no underlining reason why 12.4% is the ideal amount. I was really into finding that “minimal” number to save.

    A way to balance the tradeoff is a need to understand the risks and benefits. How much I put away now will give me such and such benefit (and what implicit costs). As for me, like I only am getting 70% of my income in the future, that seems like a “lost” or disinsentive to save and it takes a lot now to get there. The risk is, at least one of them, will I live to enjoy it. I haven’t seen many videos or blogs talking about the risks or tradeoffs of oversaving/undersaving and how to measure that risk.

    A take away for me is we think of retirement as to work now, play later, especially for those who follow the FIRE movement! In a sense, it is a motivation to save. But if over doing it, you end up giving up or limitting what you can do while you are young. Some think I don’t spend it now, I will spend it later but there are certain things we can only do them now (say I put off that ice cream now and eat two in the future, but what if there is no ice cream). For me, it is running.

    Also, some (of my peers) can expect having an inheritance that help them in their retirement, which most likely will be houses/land, everyone biggest asset. It is a taboo to talk about our parents like we expect them to die so we can have their assets. It is not a definite retirement strategy but that is something that could help. Sure it has risk that the inheritance is split among sibblings and their parents might live for a long time well into your own retirement.

    In conclusion, there is no magic number to how much to save. We looked at it from a tax perspective. I threw out some numbers. There are guides available online. In the end, it is really a gut feeling. Many I know, don’t save (or have very little saving for retirement, at 3% or less per year) and this reflects our society, and I think they should be fine as our parents were (at least for now). As for my running friends – I think they are a poor lot, races drain their finances, yet they might be living the best of life and making the best choice. So don’t judge.

  • Day451 Stone Mill 50 (second time)

    The race came the week after the Rim to River 100 mile. Initially, I was not going to run it since it was too close to the big race, but after finish the 100 mile, I felt why not, I feel fine, let try it.

    I was not running for time and in most ultras I did this year, I was at the tail end group. I am usually not fast, but I finish. On average people usually finish around 10 hours. At Stone Mill, thanks to their extended time (2 hours) I was not the very last, but I did finished near the 12.5 hours, which is my average time for this distance.

    In the past, I did not race in the winter, because I don’t like being in the cold. Not that Rim to River changed my mind on cold weather running, but sometimes you have to suck it up and do it. I ran Stone Mill last year, (SM-Report1). It gives me an edge for this year because a lot uncertainties were already known. I felt it was a minor race or a long run and there was no pressure in finishing.

    As for what motivate to do it? I wanted to be out in the woods again. Last year it was cabin fever, and this year, there was that same desire, maybe was cabin fever too, but I was outside all the time! Also, I felt ready. Just a feeling if I don’t do it, I would be missing out. The race registration cost was cheap too.

    I ran plenty of races this year. Mainly for trainings and experiences that I thought I needed for doing the 100. 100 itself was not the end goal. I wanted to be a stronger, and more durable runner and run farther. People who could run long distances capture my fancy. I never thought I could do it myself back then or even a year ago. A little baby step here and there got me to where I am today. 100 distance is still daunting but it has become a little less so. I was afraid of the 50 mile distance a year ago, but now it is just a longer run.

    I enjoyed especially Stone Mill not for any special reasons. Given it is close to where I live is a plus. It is on trail. I saw a lot of local friends. Top of all, I did not expect this, but Stone Mill was my recovery run to destress the whole year of anxiety in preparing for the Rim to River Race.

    Recently, due to my mom’s poor health, I was faced with a decision to run or care for her. Of course, it is not one or the other, but it affected my recent trainings, though did not derail the 100 mile. With any race, being on the course is a miracle. I am more grateful because it is not just me but others who make it possible even if indirectly.

    I arrived early to the course and the lot was nearly full (because there were the early starters)! I stayed in the car to keep warm until near the start time before walking with the rest to the real starting place.

    You can signed up for an earlier start (it was not widely announced but was offerred in an email sent near the race date – the race is friendly to older runners who might need 15 hours, not a typo). The race director gathered us together. He made some announcement, I did not hear what he said (he did not use a bullhorn) since I was in the very back. It was probably about the course markings.

    Right on cue, he sent us off. He said he gave us five extra minutes at the end for some weird reason for he held up a few people from crossing the starting mat (I think to straighten the mat that was covering the timing device or wires) but I knew based on last year, he would give us an hour extra (unofficially/unnounced). Sorry for ratting on the race org. here.

    I know the cutoff time was not a concern. Still I wanted to finish within the 13 hour limit.

    Last year, it felt forever to get to the first aid station, this year, I was there in no time. It was pretty much the same sensation for most of the race. There was no point where it felt draging. I was mostly running by myself this time. The trail was empty but me – I figured, I am like a mile back from the bulk of the crowd. There was no pressure trying to keep up with anyone. Normally, I don’t want to be the last one, not because of embarrassment but you do not have a heads-up if a turn is coming, unless you are super good at finding your own way or being attentive to the trail. I don’t like looking for my way. I am one of those head down runners.p

    By the time I got to the first Aid Station (Rt 355), the morning has dawned. A fellow runner tripped. I felt sorry for her because I remembered her passing. Even the best of us fall. She had the image of an experienced runner unlike those around me. I forgot her name or number now. She was anxious or undecided whether she should stay in or quit. She did stay in because later she caught back to me. She did not say much and passed me.

    I started to catch up to people. I might have passed 20 or so runners by now. Quite a few. I know the race was still too early to be passing people but I would not want to be in the back. Some of these runners were a bit chatting loudly. I didn’t like that, so I wanted to pass them.

    We ran around Seneca Lake. Then we went to the 3rd Aid Station. Last year, I made a longer stop at the second Aid Station and took some pictures. Not this year. Last year I was freezing, but this year, we had warmer temperature, though later it got colder. I took some candies from Aid Station #2 at Long Draught. When we arrived at Aid Station #3 (Riffleford Rd), I refilled my hydration bladder and took more food/snacks. I was as efficient as I could be.

    The signage for this year improved. Last year was already good but this year was at another level. They were so much clearer. There were tapes on the ground marking the wrong way / do not enter and there were plates with clear arrows on trees at tricky turns (portion of this course is out and back, especially at Seneca Lake, couple three-way turns can be confusing for the new runners). This year, they were consistently marked the same way with the same material. The plates on the trees stood out. It was not that I need markings to know which way to run, just want to praise the race org for good course marking.

    I had no problem at all the first 15 miles. I ran through Muddy Branch just like during training. Mile 24-25 would be our first dropbag location and also the race halfway point. By now, I reached a group of stronger runners. They ran around the 10-12 min pace maybe, but I felt comfortable following them. For a while, there was a dude blocking the trail. He was a slower runner, but no one told him to step aside for us nor anyone was willing to pass him. About 10 of us were following him, and I was in the last position. We followed him at least over half an hour for two to three miles. Our group eventually passed him when he took a break. I was a bit annoyed by this, but our actually time lost at most was 5 minutes.

    As we got near Pennyfield Aid Station (the race halfway point), I felt stronger and surged on ahead, leading a new pack of runners, but unfortunately I rolled my ankle at that time as we were about half mile from the aid station. I am usually shy in leading anyone and when I lead, things like this tends to happen. They probably think I was showing off. It rained a bit during that time (11 am – 12). The rain came as forecasted. Light rain. The rain made me cold. I limped into the station.

    It might have taken me way more time than I wanted, I stayed for maybe 15 minutes. Yes, way too long. The fast people I was with left and even the slower people arrived. But I took time to change out my wet clothes and socks. My fellow friends (don’t know their names but seen them before) got me hot food and drinks, etc. It was a VIP treatment. I did not ask them but they came to me asking what they could get for me. I was busy with changing. I then had my lunch of the food they brought to me. Giselle, she is in her 80 and she still runs! I ran with her during one of Stone Mill trainings, she was glad to see me at Pennyfield. She was attending her friend who was sitting next to me. Yes we had chairs and might cause me to overstayed! She said, I come out to their every races now. Indeed! It was maybe my 5-6th time at their events.

    The pain on my ankle subsided. I warmed up after a mile or two of walking. I did walk-run. I was familiar with this method of running by now (recalled I learned how to do walk-run last year here). We were on the canal portion. Though it was not long, it was boring to run on. I don’t know why. The scenery was beautiful but just plain flat easy trail put me to sleep. I saw many others walking as well, but now we should have done 26 miles. I remember starting my watch (I knew I did not have enough charge for the whole 50 miles, so I only recorded the final 26 miles – Watch recorded it being longer; it should be maybe 24 miles). I felt like Rocky, with some heroric music playing in my head. Off I went. The next few miles were on the roads before we got back to the trail. As I started running again, I finally caught back a lot of people, because all of them were walking. I saw a fellow runner (Dan), whom I have seen earlier and I considered him one of the fast people that I wanted to keep up with, we later kept the same pace and were together for the rest of the day. We were running uphill, when most would walk.

    I reached Stone Mill ruins, like at mile 27-28, the namesake of the race. Dan seemed a bit low in energy and I encouraged him to keep up and he did. If he keeps at it, he would see a lot of people bonking – those who reach the proverbial wall, where they become super slow. He was checking his phone, but as I called to him, he got back on pace. Indeed, we passed a lot of people. I believe this section was what separated the normal marathon runners from the ultra runners.

    Soon a few others, a newer group of runners joined us. Dan (my newly made friend) led us for six miles to the next aid station at Rt 28 at an amazingly steady pace. This was the longest run without a station and also the toughest physically and mentally.

    After reaching Rt 28 aid station (don’t remember the mile, maybe around 32-34?), Dan was clearly showing fatigue – I think the faster pace finally got to him. He did not eat at the station. I hardly remebered him taking anything. I only remembered him asking for gatorade mixed with 50% water for his hydration – that was all the calories he was getting. I felt sorry, like I had used him to urge him to pace the group at 10-12 min pace (with no breaks!). I felt I had caused him to run harder than he should. Just my observation, not a critique. He waited for me while I got my food.

    The next section was longer (Seneca Greenway/Seneca Ridge), maybe about 8-10 miles, but we were back in residential areas, which means there were more sights to relieve boredom from the run. And there was an aid station midway, something I usually forget, because I set my mind on reaching Riffleford, but it was there at one of the road crossings. We took turns leading. Dan was doggedly keeping close. I did not discount him then. He was still in it but our pace was definitely slower.

    There was a guy called Jeremy. He did not introduced himself to us but other support crew called out his name. Maybe he is famous or a lot people know him. He was a quiet guy. He was normally in front of us and quite a strong persistent runner, sometimes our gap was wide, like quarter mile but we tried to keep up to him, keeping him in our sight as much as possible. We first saw him a long distance away, gradually we came up behind him. It was just me and Dan at the time. My eventual goal was to pass him. Everyone here would not easily give up like those we saw earlier. If we were able to pass them, they would remain strong. Jeremy and Dan were exactly that – everyone was resilient. There was an older woman too. She was always on the next hill (mountain) over far in the distance in front of Jeremy. Jeremy, Dan and I eventually caught up to her. Yet she would stay on our heels.

    We reached back to Riffleford. I saw more familiar faces. The Virginia Happy Trail People managed this station. I know some of them. Dan changed out for warmer clothes because evening was approaching and temperature would drop. I did not pack a drogbag for this location but carried my jacket on me, so theoretically I didn’t need to stop for too long. He had his headlamp back on his head and so I did too. We had maybe an hour of daylight. We have 8 miles left and we were 1 hour ahead of the cut off (2.5h to the final cut), there was no way for us not finish unless a freak accident occurred. I was still kind of holding that I could finish by around 6 pm. Because I was talking with Dan and self-absorbed at times, I missed a turn after leaving Riffleford, but luckily, I noticed it soon, either thanks to being more observant or the spider sense or just normal running ultra experience to notice when something is out of place. We backtracked.

    Jeremy was probably half a mile out in front. We were kind of slow at getting out the aid station. Jeremy later asked me what was taking us so long when I finally caught up to him like an hour later. He said he thought we were behind him. Getting lost did not help. Jeremy talked to me, but unfortunately, I was unable to understand his accent. Was it southern, country, west virginian, or maybe a combination? Not sure. I had to guess at his meaning every time he spoke. It was like I could almost understand but couldn’t. It could be I had runner haze too, now so late in the race. We were buddy buddy because I was gone for a long time and finally showed back up. However, now my concerntration was to press with all speed to the finish, leaving both Jeremy and Dan behind.

    I did not stop at the final aid station at Rt 355 Aid Station but immediately went out after reported my bib (we had to sign in/out).

    Everyone else stopped. I passed 5-6 people before the Aid Station and maybe another 5-6 at the station. I felt I had an edge.

    Night came. The final four mile section, though did not take me long to run earlier, but at night took me longer due to darkness. I had my light on at the brightest setting (recalling in West Virginia where I tripped and fell so many times, I did not want a repeat). There was no one immediately in front of me but a lot were behind me as I could see their headlamps bobbing behind. I did not get a chance to pass anyone else.

    The hill was alive with runners with their lights and sounds. It was all uphill. Behind were people who previously stopped at the Aid Station. Probably 10-15 people were behind me. I had to tell myself keep calm and keep a steady pace, but the adrenaline was pumping hard. I felt I was leading for the first time. I know we were near the end. I imagined being the fox and they were the hounds. Everyone was straining to reach the finish.

    I beat last year time by 20 mins. Jeremy came in about five minutes after me. Dan came in maybe 8 minutes a bit later after me. Good job! In ultras that is very close. A guy who said he almost beat me, he was like 30 seconds behind (a friendly competitor). It was very cold then. We grabbed our food and said our goodbyes. Dan wanted to go home immediately. He talked about his wife being away. I kind of wanted to celebrate it with him. I stayed a bit before going home. It was a good day.

    I ran it almost like last year except better (or maybe the course was shorter this time). Last year I was unsure of my ability and this year, I went in like I could not lose. I like having friendly companions such as Dan. Last year, I had two army guys, and I was the reluctant third camper. Giselle warmed my heart too. I only first met her this summer, but she remembered my name. Unlike her, I can’t recall her companion’s name. We all ran together before. I saw her couple times during the race. She was not running in it but was out on the course supporting her friend. She cheered and waved at me.

    My evaluation – it is a city race but also on trail. It is probably the hardest trail you could do in my area (oh, I forgot Devil Dog, we leave that alone). We had some entitled city runners, who littered on the trail. I was annoyed by that.

    Seriously, it was a good introduction to trail racing – like it was to me last year. After I have done some tougher trail runs, coming back to this race was a bit overkill, but then it is like visiting your high school reunion. I am proud to be a big boy now. I still might do it again, maybe quest for a daylight finish. It is a local race for me and I enjoyed seeing familiar faces as well helping new ultra runners.

    Indeed, after stressing out about the 100 mile race for a whole year, entering into Stone Mill was easy. It was still a cold, long, and kind-of-hard run, but overall it was relaxing. I can’t imagine myself saying that a year ago. It was a low key – truly a way to de-stress after a crazy hard race I did at Rim to River.

    TL;DR good race, nice day, nice people

  • Day450 R-21.11 review

    It’s day 450, by design I have to be introspective. Last review Day400, was at the beginning of the year. I already wrote all I did couple weeks (hello4) ago of all the cool races I ran this year, so I won’t repeat. Two 100 mile races, Rocky Raccoon and Rim to River, bookended the year. They were the reason I called this year a pop-off year for running. In between I also did some ultras I thought I did not have the ability to run.

    I felt thankful and fortunate and relieved to have done them. I was not fast. I saw some who did not finish. I ran with some of them at their pace. Most of the time I was at the cutoff and it could have been me being cut. I enjoyed all the races. If I did not run them, I would not have known I was capable to do them.

    Originally, I wanted to look back at them in a holistic way, maybe to draw some lessons or something profound from all these races. There are probably some lessons hidden or a common theme ran through them. There were friendship made along the way and moments I did not want to forget. They are now past. I am okay with not to focus on them and let them pass. All honor and glory burried in the sand of time.

    I want to say: Running was my life in 2021 and has been so for the past few years (more on this in a future blog; I wrote one up, but it was not ready to be published).

    Some asked me, how many marathons did I run this year? I don’t know. There is a page somewhere that tracks this, but off the top of my head, I don’t. A lot I think. Though I don’t really chasing after races now. I enjoy as much or even more just a long weekend run around my neighborhood. The distance no longer scares me. Long runs are cool and always what I look toward to at the end of each week — that pretty much what quarantine of 2020 taught me. 2021 was pretty much the same but in hyper drive.

    One word if I can sum up 2021, would be racing. I run races all the time but this year even though I ran so many races, the intensity of the schedule felt normal. I adapted to the intensity. Couple years ago, a schedule like now would be considered overloaded. Now, it seems there are not enough races to pack my weekends.

    I tried to run an ultra back to back for the first time, doing what I did when I ran marathons back to back (and earned myself a spot in the marathon maniacs club, back in 2018). So last weekend, a week following finishing the Rim to River 100, I signed up and ran the Stone Mill 50 (I hope to write a report on it). I thought I would die in Stone Mill but in the end, I ran a faster time than last year and I felt great afterward. No cramping no exhaustion. The body felt normal. I wanted to run another 50 mile this weekend (JFK), but common sense prevailed and also I wanted to show respect to my two friends who were running it by cheering them. I really believe I could have done three ultras in a row.

    The biggest struggle I had this year was trying to find balance between running and everything else. Work was nonnegotiable. Sleep/rest was also pretty much nonnegotiable – you could cheat one night or one week but it always comes back to bite you with unwanted down time. I rather stick to a regular schedule. You can’t cheat your body.

    The flashpoint came when my mom was sick and needed 24 hr care. I was in the midst of my final training for the 100 mile race. There is always another race to run but I had invested so much in it. Downtime came when you are least expected. In this instance, I was not the one who got sick but my family. It was a forced downtime nonetheless. In the end, I did run it at the expense of being hated/frowned upon by those who did not undestand why I chose racing over family. I did not understand fully myself. I took the plunge and hope for the best. But that what it is. By the way, she is doing much better and can now live independently again.

    I dodged a bullet that everything worked out in the end and I had a story to tell. But it could have been the other narative.

    What for next year? I will run more races. Maybe even more than this year (schedule). My goal is to run in an even longer distance race. I am seeking (to reach) the next level, whatever that is.

    Other than running, I spent lot of time on twitch (tv), and playing games. Yes this year, I got hook into gaming and twitch. Where did I find time for them right? or the money! I quit my gym membership (and dropped a phone plan) for twitch and gaming. Toward the end of the year, I also spent more time with investing in stocks and thinking/planning for retirement. I traded the money I set aside for a racing bike and a gaming computer to fund my retirement account! I think it was worth it but I had a bit of a regret too.

    For readers, what this post is about? who’s know. Maybe it is a preview for my next blog. We all have our own life to live and choose our action with the choices presented. That is pretty much 2021 for me, I chose certain actions and those were the results. There were surely other stuffs happened except they didn’t leave as strong an impression as racing, especially the 100 mile race, which was the central focus for me.

    Is that how I want 2022 to be? I will need to think more on this. Maybe it is a good post for the new year.

    A future post will dive in depth on this subject, maybe the struggle, the balance, and the rationale. I wrote a lot already, but I felt I only scratch the surface. Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Day449 Rim to River 100

    I was fortunate to take part in the Rim to River 100 at the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia of their second year race.

    Monday quarterbacking – Of course I could still have done better, such as be more efficient at the aid stations. I noticed many people I was able pass on the trail, but they were able to beat me back when going through an aid station because they were able to get in and get out under 5 minutes, while it took me about 15 minutes to get through one. There were as many as 10 stations. Granted some people might have a pit crew helping them. I might able to cut an hour or two off the clock if I have been a bit more efficient.

    Second – toward the end of the race, I realized many people were much better at walking up hills than me. Their walking pace is my running pace. Their gait seemed to be effortless. It was not even a fast walk for them. I saw both male and female walking much faster than me. I don’t think height is an issue here. There were shorter females who out walked me.

    That said, I signed up after reading a blog post from trailrunning100 (go check out her blog, she is a race director and she runs 100 mile races everywhere), and also by word of mouth from a few West Virginia running friends. I did it mainly because of the challenge and also for the beauty of the course. I think many people also had the same idea.

    As for preparation, In hindsight, I would say running a 100 mile race was a good preparation – here I mean Rocky Raccoon I did in February. It gave me a good base. Jokingly, but so true!

    I orginally planned to go out to the course couple times to cover the entire portion (I had covered only 20 miles the first time I went, there were still another 35 ish miles not yet covered – the course being an out and back, and so it is not necessary to cover all 100 miles). My summer and then fall didn’t give me the chance.

    Trails. The trails at Rim to River are not hard to run. I mostly walked though and it was all walking by nightfall. I am the back of the pack runners. For those who can run, this race is a cinch. I met older people who finished it in 30 hours easy.

    There maybe a few sections that were iffy (meaning for pros only) – like the part climbing up from the Kaymoor mine, the Arbuckle trail, and the single trail out to Ansted. Some were just too steep to run. And I think the single trail section to Ansted also was not runable, due to the fact it being an out and back race, you are held up there for people to pass by because the trail being narrow.

    There were some harder climbs especially at the end, but they didn’t bother me much. I mean those who were able to get through halfway are not doing to give up just because of couple hills. Same with me. Most of the big climbs were on roads earlier in the race, such as one to Thurmond. Some say the race had between 11,000 to 16,000 ft. I take it at their words. Some runners said 13’000 ft, the race organization said 16,000. I felt it was much less.

    Expectation. For the Rim to River Race, I went in first expecting to finish around 28-29 hours (we had 32 hours total) like at my last 100 mile. However, as night progressed, I had to reset my expectation a few times.

    Pacing. Walk/run ratio. I think I walked as much as 75% of time. The first half, I could maintain about 15 min per mile including rest time at aid stations. The race cutoff pace was 19 min per mile. I believe during the night, I was moving around at 24 min per mile.

    Gears and equipment. I used standard stuff, hydration pack, some people didn’t. I didn’t use poles but they might have been helpful. Poles were a norm here – think 50% or more carried them. I think all did toward the end. I wore layers. I switched shoes but I don’t think others did. All boring stuff. Water is heavy that is a fact when you are tired and I carried a lot but I still ended up being dehydrated. I only peed twice during the whole race — maybe because it was cold and I did not want to drink. Peeing was painful (I know, I might damage my kidneys).

    Chafing and blister control: I was good till near the end. I lubed myself at mile 60 when it became uncomfortable, though I should have done it much earlier, but after lubing I felt great, and no more chafe. I could move painfree. I have gotten lazier of not lubing before the race. A surprised story (for those in the know) at the end of a race, I overheard a female runner saying it hurt down there and it did not matter what lube she puts she said! Ah, pain only runners know. And I thought only guys have that problem, and now female too. Solution is of course to lube and lube often, but I think she is new to the long distance running. I was laughing inside when I heard her talked. I didn’t offer my 2-cent. Yes, the first time I ran long distance (26 miles) it was very painful!

    I relied solely on aid stations for all my food and snacks. I drank only water and skipped the pop. I did carry a package of gel from home and I used it. I had no problem with my nutrition. No matter what, you would be under calories. I ate when available, mostly chicken broth and ramen. Nutrition was something I worry about before coming into the race – they said to test and work out what best for your stomach. I threw up before in a race. I felt nutrition was something I did not have the time to figure out. In the end it was a non-issue.

    Aid stations. They were adequate. People were always enthusiastic to serve us when we came to one. They were always full of people, not like some other races at night where everyone is asleep. I am from the back of the pack too meaning the buck of the crowd already went through and I shouldn’t expect VIP treatment! But I did receive good stuffs (food and water) at every single one.

    They had portable heaters at night and they were a godsend. They were so comfortable that we did not want to leave. We had three drop bag locations. I used only two.

    Most stations were between 6-10 miles apart. The farthest one apart was 11 miles. I heard some runners were saying a bit too far. This was from Cunard (mile 27) to Long Point (mile 38/39?). I ran out of water on that stretch (and I carried 2 liters) but it was not a dealbreaker – because I was not thirsty.

    Incident 1/Race Highlight: One main reason for a slower run in this race was — I tripped and fell and broke my glasses in the late afternoon, around 4-5pm and it became apparent running at night was out of the question. The fall did not hurt me, but my glasses was broken into several (“many” pieces in my mind at the time) pieces. It was impossible to glue it or tape it back at that point in time. Several others runners tried to help by offering tape or super glue, but deep down I knew I had to do the rest of the race without my glasses.

    The true solution is I should wear goggles when running. I am just lazy to get myself a pair. My balance was super good though and saved me from falling many times. You came to rely not on sight but to trust your feet.

    By nightfall, I could not see the trail any more when lighting was dim – I was blind to rocks, roots, stumps, branches, and puddles, because everything were invisible to me. I had my headlamp but they were not super bright and though the brightness could be adjusted – I had never tested how long the battery would last if I had it on the brightest setting. I am guessing, maybe 2 hours max. I didn’t bring enough battery for the 12 hour of darkness, so I did not want to set it on the brightest setting. A brighter light might have helped me in seeing better and so run better. The 12 hour night time was a huge setback for me.

    I fell or stumbled many times at night. Most of the time, I was not hurt. Couple times though my wrists and hands took the blunt of it. After falling enough time, I decided to “team up” with other runners. I asked if I could just stay with them, having them kind of pace me. They could help me avoid most of the branches and other obstacles. A lady “paced” me while pacing her runner. We got through maybe 10 miles together. This was around miles 65-75. It lessened the burden of me trying to find my way without able to see much.

    I know and think a few runners got annoyed with me tagging behind. I leave their names/bib unidentified/and I’ll leave out the details – not worth repeating. I somehow could not build rapport with runners in this race unlike other races, not sure if they were super competitive or super stressed out. In the past, runners, especially trail runners are like a family. When you meet up, it is like a long lost reunion. So it is easy to connect. Not so at this race. This is not indicative of all runners there, just a few who were around me throughout the race, for example, the few runners I were with in the first couple hours were kind (at least acknowledged your presence like you belong with them), but unfortunately, I don’t think any of them finish. You know if you spent 30+ hours side by side, they would at least tell you their name, at the very least after the first couple minutes! But no, not so here. Not a good bedfellow! Not even after we finished together! I was happy my friend and his group of friends were there and I had my own celebration. Enough said, I won’t bring race into the discussion. There were surprising a lot asians on the course. In the past, it is rare to see another asian running ultras. In this race, there was one with my name too! A first! He is quite amazing based on his ultrasignup page.

    I appreciated one pacer especially for her help (She later introduced herself again at the end of the race as Katlyn) though with me not wearing my glasses I couldn’t able to see what she looks like or to recognize her in the future. She said she only did 15 miles leading up to the event, but that night she paced her friend for over 45 miles! The audacity. What a friend. She stopped and pulled me up when I tripped and fell.

    Anyway, I strived out on my own later in the night when I believed the two ladies who I kept pace (and it was hard to find people willing to let you stay behind) with might not have a chance at finishing the race because their pace was much slower than I wanted (Spoiler: They did finish and only a few minutes behind me, right on my tail) and the chance of finishing was slipping away. I used myself as a measuring stick in many races, calling myself the course unofficial sweeper, basically those who are behind me are likely won’t able to finish. So I felt I was on a sinking boat when I was with them.

    I fell once more after I left all other people. But my confident was stronger than before because daybreak would be soon (still was maybe 2-3 hours away, but mentally it was the expectation that the night was more than half over). Also by now I was back on the same trail (Kaymoore Trail) we were on earlier in the daytime and I kind of recognized all the bends etc, so I didn’t have to find my way. As long as I could stay on the same trail and I would be good till the finish. I felt I could move faster on my own.

    Incident 2. Staying on the trail was an art when you are in a drunken state due to the lack of sleep. By 4 AM, sleep deprivation started to get to me. I started seeing stuff – and without glasses any shadow would become like real objects. I was avoiding fake trees and brushes and beautiful falling leaves and more so as the night wore on. I was by myself, no headlamp in front nor behind. The trail was pitblack, except my own headtorch.

    I saw electrical leaves in neon color – with fluorescene glow, a beautiful sight. To me they looked so real and natural (like in the movie Avatar).

    Once, I walked off the trail toward the cliff side. I slid off but luckily not too far, otherwise, I might have ended in the river down in the gorge (namesake of the race).

    As much as I told myself to keep awake, but the body won (The spirit is willing but the body is weak). Most of the time though the trail has wide enough shoulders, so it is impossible to fall off of the cliff. Why was I sleepwalking? I felt I could close my eyes a bit and walk and rely on my feet. It was a bad idea because I felt asleep for real. But I felt asleep too even with my eyes open (I caught myself with my mind blank out several times). I forgot to ask for coffee at the last aid station during the night. This lasted maybe an hour before I became fully awake again.

    Incident 3. Other than stepping off the trail, when the course turned away from the main trail, I had another near saved/end experience. The Erkins Aid Station on the map showed it was literally on the trail, but on race day, the station was like 500 ft off to the right and on top of a hill by a road, that it couldn’t be seen from the trail. And I missed it, and passed right by the turn off.

    By now it was day time and I was awake. It was probably around 8 ish (7 in post day light saving ended), and sun was up though we didn’t see it. In my mind, I thought the way should be straight ahead. I passed a running team just then and I was putting on speed. But my sixth sense got to me and turned my head around in time to see a flash of headlamp (from one of the people I passed) going uphill on my right. And so I had to backtrack. That was a lucky break, because if they had the headlamp off, I would not have seen them or if I did not turn around to check, I would have miss it too, because I was so sure the trail and the race course goes straight instead of turning (yes, I have been a few races, where runners behind don’t care if someone is off trail — I think this race is highly competitive).

    I followed the tapes/flags up the side of the hill and occassionally I had to get close to the ground because I can only see about a foot in front of my eyes. My nearsightedness is that bad. I kept kneeing and bending down till I reached the hill top. A slow process yes.

    Not too far away was a picnic area (in my mind someone’s backyard, remember I couldn’t see well), with a shelter. I could hear voices, music, laughter and celebration. In my mind they were having a picnic – never did it occurred to me to ask – who in their right mind would be having a picnic at 8 am on a Sunday in the cold, (actually was 7 AM with Day light saving just ended during the race at 2 AM that morning, but the race people decided to stick to old time to avoid confusion with adding an hour or substracting an hour) .

    A lady came out and asked – if I lost my running partner. I said no, I was not looking for my running partner, but I am searching for flags to know which way to turn. She then led me to the Aid Station. It then dawned on me, ah all those christmas lights – of course they were showing the way to the aid station, and who needs flags when the Aid Station is obviously in front. Note, when I read about Erkins Aid station, I thought it would be on Erkins trail, but it was not. It was before the Erkins Trail.

    The people there were not having a picnic but they were there for us. It was both funny and tragic of not having my glasses – I could have turned the wrong way or ignored the aid station completely, which would be ground for a DNF or DQ (Disqualified/did not finish) because everyone must check in and out at every aid stations. Mind plays funny tricks on you in the early hours even after I was fully awaken.

    Main outake from all three incidents, most tailend runners have a pacer! I didn’t, otherwise all those getting lost, etc, could be avoided. I did meet several runners who did not during the morning, with one at the Erkins aid station.

    I am happy I finished and did it within the cut-off without a pacer. My friend Aaron was there and so were many others. It was a warm welcome at the finish. Katlyn came over said her congratulations – she (her runner) finished just minutes after me but I didn’t realized at the time because I was just too happy. But again kudos to her for her kindness and being a good friend!

    Why run this race? For the beautiful course, there were plenty of aid stations (and fun ones), the race is hosted at a resort – which is easier for support crew, and not as remote as it seems – Cunard, Fayetteville, and Ansted, are convenient locations along the course for crew access. I would add it was an out-and-back course – some might not like rerunning on the same path, but I found it reassuring on the way back to have something recognizable when you are tired. Some said it is a good first 100 mile to run – I think it is a bit tough, but for the daring, sure doable for first 100. For me, I couldn’t imagine how I would do if it was my first.

    Why not to run? The time of year tends to be on the cold side with chance of snow or bad weather. We were lucky to have clear sky, but it is West Virginia. Still, it was not as remote or rugged as a true wilderness run as I first envisioned. 27 ish miles were on the Ace Adventure Resort site and many of their trails feel artificial. Artificial trails are trails you have in the city. They are made by machines and not by hands (or naturally occured paths). Not saying they were easy, but it felt as if the course were just looking miles to add up the 100 mile distance – and it can frustrating, knowing you are at the finish but not really there yet because you have to go around the same hill a few more times. We ran on mostly manicured paths, some roads, and gravel. By manicured, it feels flat (rail to trail). At this time of the year, leaves covered over rocks and trails and it is dangerous and risky and challenging. Lastly, it was an out and back, so the excitement kind of fizzled out after the turn-around, though it wasn’t exactly the same path back but majority was the same.

    Final Words. There you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly. 100 mile race is a beast to tackle unlike 50 mile or marathons. I glad I signed up and ran it. The race reached and exceeded my expectation. People and staff were friendly. I had fun. It boosted my confident that I did a 100 and can do plenty more.

    If I have a chance, I would run it again for sure, but then also there are plenty other races to do.

  • Day448 Run schedule

    2022 Edition. Part of the tradition is around this time of year, I will reveal my next year race scehdule. couple weeks (Day442) ago, I already hinted/ let it known a few races I already signed up.

    3 marathons I signed up were, the Newport News One City, Grandma’s in Minnesota, and Salisbury in Maryland.

    My goal as always is to chip away my 50-states goal. Grandma is the target for that And I might likely go down to Atlanta to run theirs. One City and Salisbury are states I already did. They are just races I want to run.

    I also, signed up for a 100 miler – Massanutten. It is the big boy race. It will be one that challenges me at the next level. What I mean is I will be running like never before! 2021 was a pop off year, and 2022, definitely the real deal in running if I get Massunutten down.

    Other than these, there will be some repeats of 2021 and some volunteering. Some races are not determined yet. Catoctin, Iron Mountain, Rock n the Knob, definitely I want to rerun those. Rim Tahoe, is a new race and is a maybe. It has a lottery and requires traveling. Lake Ridge too is another repeat, I would like to do it on a weekend like I did this year.

    Some were deferred races from 2020, such as the Marine Corps, Rock -n- Roll, and the Richmond Marathon. I also want to run the Philadelphia Rocky Fatass, Philadelphia trail marathon and the Devil Dog 100. All these were kind a deferred race from 2020.

    By the way, I am kind of on the fence too on Laurel Highlands – a race I ran this year, but I want to run it one more time.

    By the way, the live schedule is on the site, and it changes from time to time.

    I also as with thousands other runners tossed our names in the lottery for Western States – one of the most coveted races for ultra marathoners. My chance of getting in is like 1:20000. One can only dream that I will make it on first try.

    I do plan out my races a year in advance. Kind a. All in all, my races are not much a surprise. My goal (A) Race is probably the Grandma’s Marathon and maybe Massanutten.

    ~~~2022~~~

    Marathon Goal: MN

    (Dec/Jan) (doubtful) Holaday Lake?, VA

    (Mar. 5-6) (reg’d) One City Marathon, Newport News, Va (race is on Sunday). Check back in Sept.

    (March 26?) (likely) DC Rock n Roll Half. reg is open

    (April 2) (Reg’d) Salisbury Marathon, MD, sign up is open ($85)

    (May 14) (reg’d) MMT 100. Definitely

    (Jun 4) (volunteering) 1st Weekend. 100k. Worlds End, PA. Should consider running it. very difficult. might defer to 2023

    (June 11) (not likely running/maybe crewingvolunteer?) Laurel Highlands

    June 18, 2022: (reg’d) Grandma’s Marathon, MN. travel required

    Jul 9. (likely) Catoctin 50k. Real deal this year. reg open Jan 1.

    Jul 16-17. (considering) (Hyped) Tahoe Rim Trail (TRTer) 100/50. reg lottery open is in Dec 5. Drawing Jan 1, Stroke to sign up. race is on Sat. 8 hr trail work req for 100Mi. Travel.

    (Sep 5) (considering/likely) Iron Mnt Ultra 50 – IMTR, labor day weekend. Don’t miss reg Jun 1.

    (Sep 12) (considering/probably) (Claytor Lake) Lake Ridge Endurance Run – 24 hr? defending my title 😉

    (Sep 25) (considering/but not likely) Pemberton 24x5K, Friday 7:00 pm – Sat 7:00pm. Reg open on April 28. only if i get in.

    (Oct 25) (reg’d/but need confirm, deferred from 2020 & 2021) MCM 50K, again! 6 hr is course limit. Need to re-reg in April.

    (Nov 13, 2022) (reg’d/but need confirm, deferred from 2020 and 2021) Richmond Marathon. ahhh, going to be intense

    (Dec 4): (not likely) Rocky 50 PA Fatass. http://www.rocky50k.com/. Always been considering, 1st of Dec

    (Dec 4) (Considering the 100M) Devil Dog 100K/100MI, Triangle, VA. As such this or Yetti. The full monty (race reg opens on July 4)

    ~~~2023~~~

    Marathon Goals: ME, GA