In awe

Tag: update

  • [Day566]

    A general update, nothing much for me to write about. Last week Catoctin run was hard.

    slight injury: My left ankle improved a bit but still hurt whenever I run. It takes a lot of stretching for the pain to go away. It wasn’t just the ankle being weak, it was everything hurts. Flexing and unflexing the foot hurt. It hurts when it is extended and it hurts when it is curl up. Rotating it too hurts. My left shin hurts too.

    My 100 mile race is in two weeks. Yikes indeed. I don’t know how that will be. Of course I cannot run with an injured ankle, foot, or what-not.

    Next week is Catherine Furnace Run. It is a 50K. I think it will be challenging. It will heat training. It will be my first time running it. The course is similar to MMT, at a nearby trail (two hours drive for me), but near the MMT race. I should be familar with it. I hiked around there and got lost before.

    Martha Moats Baker Race signup was this week. Originally I wanted to run it because the course was similar to Grindstone, and in the same vicinity. Then the Grindstone Organization (RD) sent out a call for trailwork/ volunteer session for the same day. I still need to fulfill my trail work (8 hrs) for the race, which means I had to turn down the Martha Moats Baker run. I am not happy, but have to do the volunteering service. I might take the Friday’s off to go there early to run on Friday, then Volunteer on Saturday, and then run again on Sunday.

    August 12 will be a busy weekend. This year, Iron Mountain Training run falls on that weekend too. I will miss it. I will miss the July training run too since I will be in Ohio for my 100 miler. IMTR (Iron Mountain) is very important to me. Because I have other races lined up already, I cannot cancel them. The best part about IMTR is their training runs. I have been going to them the last 3-4 years. They are usually my summer defining runs.

    My cousin said there are cheap flight to Saratoga, Fl, for only $75 and asked if I want to go to Clear Water Beach. He has been there last summer. They had cheap hotel near the airport. My mantra is I only travel if there is a race. So he asked me to Google for it if a race would match up. And there are races there! Tampa 100 is taken place in November (I think the first weekend). We ended up Google for youtube videos of the Tampa 100, however, ended up watching the Keys 100 race without realizing. He and I said maybe we will be the first one to do a documentary/video on the Tampa 100. However, on a more practical thinking, I don’t think I can fir another 100 mile race in my schedule, but I am open to it for next year.

    There is also the Clear Water Marathon in January. However, flight sales are not yet available for January. I am thinking I will still go. This will help me finish Florida in my 50 states quest.

    Relating to crossing Florida off, my plan initially was to do the Space Coast Marathon. However, the schedule falls on the thanksgiving weekend. As you know flights are expensive for that particular time. Clear Water Marathon would present a better alternative.

    I signed up a couple races this week but I don’t remember what they were. One was on the spur pf the moment, while waiting for Catoctin 50k to start. I met with Caroline at the start of Catoctin and she said, she signed up. I was surprised the race registration has open, so I signed up on the spot. It is a winter race up in a remote town in Pennsylvania. You know, they get a lot of snow up there. I don’t know why I signed up. Last year after I ran it, I said, it was a once and done race for me. Now, I signed up.

    That is all. My bandwith is still pretty low. There are just too many things going on in my private life. I will have a new housemate, so things been busy rearranging my schedule around to meet up and everything. This weekend will mostly spend cleaning and getting rid of things.

  • Another week [Day562]

    I am behind on a post or so, because nothing much (of interesting things) happened in my life. I go to work, I come home, and I get tired, and I sleep. Then I repeat. You can get tired by not doing anything. Also, you can get tired and can’t fall asleep. That is the worst.

    The post marathon blue really hits me hard this time around. My last marathon was in May. Someone please help me get out of this, jk.

    I don’t know if this is consistently happening every year, but I go through this cycle of being bored, then sign up for races, run them and get bored again.

    I ran, I trained, then I now in a phase where I pause. For what? I don’t know. I just don’t feel like doing much.

    Sure I want to run more. If only I can go to say the Grand Canyon and do the Rim to Rim to Rim (R2R2R), to run from one side of the canyon to the other side and back. That would be an epic adventure. Why don’t I? Because it is hard!

    There are times where I just have the spirit to sit down and take care of all the logistics in one shot. But I hate to make decisions.

    How I got the Bay Bridge signed up was my friend was next to me and and kind of telling me what to do. Bay Bridge is one of those big races like the Rim-toRim, but instead we are closing the longest bridge in our area (the Chesapeake Bay). It is about 4 miles long, so it makes a good 10K.

    When I was a younging runner a few years back, I dreamed of cross that bridge on foot. I actually did sign up, but lo and behold we have the pandemic and it was canceled or something. I was offerred to run as a virtual event. I received a virtual medal (it was a real one, they sent to me).

    Anyway, then I lost interest to do it after I came to run much longer distance. The glamor and novelty kind of worn off.

    Here I am again to give it a second go because my friend was thinking of going to do it but reluctant because he wanted to do an ultra the day before (Stone Mill), one which I actually signed up.

    I said surely you (or me) could do two events on the same weekend. So it is a new challenge to me. I know I could run a 50 mile and a 10K the next day. It is not even an issue. So I signed up.

    What I was going to write though was I had a thought while driving home that most of us can be a one dimension person. I am. I was thinking how light is polarize. In that with certain lense you could filter out its components. I was thinking how some streamers on social media can be so famous such as they get tons of views on their stuff when they post certain subjects. For example, I know some cosplayers, where they get tons of likes in their cosplay postings, but when they become their every-day-self say their game play on twitch, they have no viewers. However, they love doing their less glamorous stuff.

    Anyway, I was thinking, like how I like running and posting about running. I don’t know how to write about any other things. But as I was thinking light and EM wave (electro-magnetic) can be polarize, and it dawns on me, when people read my stuff, what if they have a polarized lense on, and I my topic is outside of their interest, I am like the polarised light get filtered out. Anyway, it is fine. It was just an insight while commuting to work.

    My life is pretty boring. I was thinking on what to write. Then of course, I write about the topics I like.

    Another thing I think is very impactful to me was during my run at the MMT Race. My friend was telling me to make time my friend because time was my enemy/challenge during that race since I was afraid I might get behind on my pace.

    Making time my friend is easier said than done. However, it means to me is to make the most of my time. In that race, it means to run smart. Always moving. Always look for ways to cut down the time. It means be faster at the aid stations, be faster getting out, be faster at climbing, be faster at coming down. Run when possible. No waste energy etc. It helps. It carries into life too.

    I have been thinking a lot, of what can be done now as whether to do it later. Yes, many times it pushes me forward.

    I ended the week with a surprised. I will be taking part in a 50 mile race, called OSS/CIA. It was a race I wanted to do last year or the year earlier. I got to know the race director these last couple years. It is a small world. Last weekend (two weeks ago, and three weeks by the time this is published) I was at the Old Dominion Race. I was cheering for my runner and some of my friends. Alex, was there. I did not connect him to being the RD of the OSS/CIA. He was crewing the second place finisher and some other runners. He knew me, but I didn’t know him. We chatted and such. Lo and behold, tonight we had the pre-race meeting, and he said hello, nice seeing you at the Old Dominion, and I looked closer. It was him! Silly me.

    That’s all for now. I don’t get everything solved in my life. Things are hectic. There is no perfect life. I don’t have to. I am just trying to hold onto a tiny piece where I found perfection.

    By the way OSS/CIA is hard. They say maybe 50-60 percent will finish. I remembered running that course (same as the Devil Dog), where it takes me 7 hours to do 26 miles. So looking at the course cut off of 13 hours, I will be a bit tight in time.

    Oh, note to self, half a year review is near. I need to refocus and get my second half of the year together.

  • Day521 I’m ok / 2022 race recap

    I have been recovering well the last two weeks. I just have nothing to blog about. I was thinking of doing some kind of highlight reel of my 2022, so here it is.

    It is also a time to pause, meaning what am I doing next. I know I have a bunch of races for next year. Nothing truly is challenging me except for the MMT 100 and possibly Teach’s Revenge 100 (OBX), though what I am excited about is the Toronto Marathon! Yes, I am thinking about racing all the time. I guess more to be revealed in future posts. Plus, I have a few vanity races such as Lake Tahoe, and maybe will do the CIM (California International Marathon).

    So much have happened in 2022. I had a great fall season! Nothing new here for those who kept up on my blog.

    I started up the year slowly, with a bunch of baggages. I was injured after last year Devil Dog, and I believe it sidelined me for at least 8 weeks. My mom was sick during November-December time frame that created ton of pressure in my family, resulted in a big dispute between me and my sister. I had hard time focusing as much as I tried to ignore the distractions. I tried to focus on the issue and not so much the emotional turmoils. Less talk/cry more work should be my motto. All in all, my spring training was delayed.

    Then I did manage a couple marathons in the spring, Newport News and Salibury. I was happy with my results though they were not my best time. I love those two races and they were on my list for a long time and finally was able to run them. I linked to their reports. Then I ran the Massanutten 100 (MMT) as I was returning to a good running shape. Though I did not finish the race, but it was the high point because it was a hard race and I gave it my best shot. It helped later in the year. MMT was supposed my A+ race.

    After MMT, I tried to reset quickly. During the summer, I trained and ran the Iron Mountain 50 (IMTR). It was also another high point to see if I could beat the course 12 hour time limit. I did not succeed but it was also a valuable lesson that I need to be better. And it propeled me into a strong fall season. I also ran Grandmas in Minnesota for fun. I had fun.

    There was no time to be upset about Iron Mountain. I was not much upset by it. A failed attempt is a failed attempt. Do better next time. Yes, I waited four years to run it, but there is always a next year. Iron Mountain was not an A race, but it was very close there, like a consolation prize. (I don’t really plan for B races).

    Things picked up fast in the fall. It was like I got an extra boost. I did a race almost every weekend. They were not hard per se but many were adventurous. I traveled to places like Ann Arbor and Atlantic City. They were places I have never been to. It is one of the reasons I like doing the 50 states marathons, to visit different places. There were many other races I did and they were all great, but they are just too many for me to remember and name them here. (I will try to find links to my spring plan, summer plan, and fall review and plan, where I mentioned some of them).

    A few of the races that stood out were the Stone Mill 50 and then JFK 50 and of course the Devil Dog 100. They were my biggest races. I could not imagine of even doing one, even last year much less all three together. I trained a whole season just for one event in the past.

    Devil Dog was the best because it was last and is in a league of its own. I can’t say enough. It was the most intense and most gratifying. My mind is blown away by it. I did finish and that probably made it a great year. It was as if I came back with vengence to redeem my last year failed attempt and the two earlier races of this year. I want to prove I can do it. It was a risky plan because the implication if I have failed again is huge and that was a reason I did not say anything about either the JFK or the Devil Dog, but I made a lot of noise about Stone Mill as a diversion.

    I still wish though to give a list of marathons I ran this year. Originally, this post was going to do it, but I got bored when I was about to get started. Maybe will leave this for another time. I ran maybe 5 or 6 of them. The list of all my races is somewhere on here or the internet, but I like to make some comments and reflection on them.

    Marathons do get easier now (this year). I did feel nervous when I ran Newport News, and other marathons but by the time I did the NCR (last one of this year), I was completely confident that I could finish. Even running a 50 mile is easier for me now at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year. My perspective shifted after completing the Devil Dog. I guess with trainings, the body can be conditioned to make the run seems easy.

    I still remember not long ago, I was thinking how could people run a two marathon distance in one day and I was amazed by that at the Roanoke Marathon where some runners signed up to do just that. I get exhausted just doing one. I know it is all about pacing, but still to my early days, it was impossible. I want to say 100 miles too is the same but I think, a 100 mile is a different beast. Spoiler: I will finally attempt doing a double marathon in Roanoke next Spring (already registered).

    Anyway, this weekend, if weather holds up, I will be doing a 50k “recovery” run (Naked Nick) in Pennsylvania. Should be an easy run. A race report will be available later. Question is can I do it? I don’t know. I only had two “runs” since my 100 mile race. When I said runs, they were more like a walk. OK we’ll see. Don’t ask why I signed up a race so close following my one hundred. I agree I am out of my mind sometimes.

    ps. or fyi. Seneca Greenway 50K registration opened two days ago. This is my favorite. Also I am thinking of fitting Shamrock Yuengling Marathon in my schedule. Yes, time for signing up more races when I have nothing to do.

  • Day416 more races

    I am biting a bit more than I can chew. I see it coming long before but I signed up more races than I can handle.

    Which race is it? The current one that concern me is the Richmond Marathon. I deferred it from last year because of the pandemic – later though they did host an in-person virtual race on a different course over couple weekends last November (not a Boston qualified (BQ) course though). That was interesting in itself where you could run on an actual course with mile markers and water stations and a real timing chip, but it was virtual in a sense you pick the day to run and when to run it. There were be people out there on the course but it wasn’t a horde of people like in a normal marathon. My friend ended up doing it while I went and did a different one that weekend – I think it was the Seneca/Stone Mill I did.

    So the story started there. I planned to run it this year same time (November) since the race is already paid for since it was deferred.

    However, I realized I signed up for a 100 miler the preceeding weekend of the Richmond Marathon. Realistically, I can’t do both. In self defense, I signed up Richmond before I tangled into ultras thing. Now though marathons seem less appealing.

    I am trying to convince myself still I can do the 100, and still do the Richmond.

    There is no way I am giving up the 100 for a 26. To do both means I will walk the marathon. Likely a lost cause at it. It takes about 7 hours – very fast walk 3.7 mi/hr.

    I don’t mind having a DNF (not finishing a race). I am unable to google the course time limits at the moment, but I think it should be around 7 hours. Generally 6-6.5 though.

    Likely though I will have to give up on the Richmond Marathon.

    Anyway, what brought me to this topic was I have couple races coming up and I am booking places to stay.

    Both races are in remote areas – the suggested option is camping at the race site is the way to go. I am a camper person myself but not for races. I like a good bed to sleep the night before and the night after. A good good place – with mattress and all, no funky motel if that can be helped. Interestingly both race sites have really early start time. The one in May starts at 5 AM, given the race is super long. So for me, it means 4 AM on location to avoid any last minute goofed ups (no murphy law here to mess things up – the nearest thing that happened to me was traffic jam to the race venue in the Frederick Half – that nearly had me in a heart attack).

    The nearest hotel I found for the race in May and I now booked is about hour and half away. I am looking at very little sleep night before and possibly will be up by 2AM.

    The race in June, this one is even outrageous. I am busing from the finish line to the starting line, leaving my car at the finish. The race chartered busses for us. I think the bus time is something like 3AM in the morning. So I had to be there like 2 AM or earlier. People said midnight because the parking lot there is tiny like enough for 20-30 cars! So not likely to sleep at all because it means I will be up at lot staking my spot for my car. Yup, organizer advices people to carpool or being dropped off, etc.

    The hotel for this June race is near though but the price is through the roof (looking at $200 a night). I haven’t booked it yet since it is hard to justify booking for the two nights in that I will spend very little time there because I will be running most of the time. Still having a good base of operation is a must, so I am on the fence for this one.

    There are cheaper hotels that are an hour away ($50 a night), and this is very appealing, except the question is will I able to make the drive there after I finish running. I learned from my race in Houston is not to risk driving anywhere after running a hard race. I was a zombie and on the verge of asleep behind the wheel as I tried to get back to Houston. One time is enough for that kind of life-death situation. Not going to repeat that again. A lot of former runners said they slept in their cars afterward… hmm. So that is likely what I will do.

    Until next time, bye

    P.S. Smoky Mnt update: I narrowed down the paths I will take, likely will be Menton Mackaye Trail (BMT) – from Fontana Dam to Davenport, for the remoteness and challenges that will test my camping skills. I’m a bit ambitious to do it in 4-5 days, where others do it as a 10 day trip. This trip will take place after my long race, so running the BMT is out of the question.

  • Day408 update

    Not much to update. My daily run is a bit better. My legs no longer feel heavy. However, I am still running very slowly. It is breathing problem now. You know, when you think you are out of breath, and have to stop running.

    It has been hard to run fast and far again. My fastest speed currently is around 11-12 min per mile. Most days were much slower (14-15). I used to run around 9-10 min per mile. Yes, I am slow. I remember 4 years ago, 8-9 min were normal.

    I feel like the vintage game Excitebike, if I push myself too fast, I would be ‘overheat’ and have to stop at the side of the road as penalty. I spent most of my run walking to “cool down”. I am not really overheat in the traditional sense, but I feel like my whole body screaming saying stop running. It is frustrating that most of my run is walking. I run every few steps (30 secs), and I would feel I couldn’t run any more and have to slow down to a walk. Then I feel good again and run a few more steps. It takes maybe 6 miles everyday to ‘warm up’ before I could run normally. Then it is a joy to be out.

    This is actually an improvement. I know I am getting back to normal. I am happy to be out there.

    I do wonder though, would it has been better if I take a month or two off before running again. I don’t know. I feel as soon as I get back out the better.

    Sleepwise, I finally reset my schedule. No longer do I go to bed at 8 pm. No longer do my body feel cold by night fall, which makes me want to go to bed.

    Yesterday evening was super warm, 50 F, but all my hands and feet were icy cold. I had on three layers, with a sweater. After a mile, I had to take all those off but the long sleeves.

    Saying this because I think something is wrong with my body. Originally I thought because I am hungry, so I was cold. But lately I started eating dinner at 4 pm, still I get cold around 5 pm.

    Anyway, the cold does not hamper me as it did during the first week back. I am in week 3 now.

    I want to put this somewhere. They say in a long race (50k or longer), to walk uphill and run downhill. I have been doing that. However, in a 100 mile, by doing only that, by the end of it, my muscle was so overused for running downhill. I started to hate every downhill. Need to balance, for those who are thinking doing long races.

    Misc. Also this should go somewhere, but I probably would not have an entire post on it. This week, I learned a late well respected preacher Ravi Zacharias, was found to live a double life (and would possibly have been charged for his sexual misconducts if he was still alive). I was late in learning about it. Most people already commented it on Feb 12, when the investigative report was released. It was a bombshell. It was not just an oopsie but was really bad because he did it over a long period and involved countless of victims and everyone around him was lied to. I then searched on Youtube for responses. I was surprised only mostly the younger crowd (people I never heard before) made some type of reactions. I am still processing it. I was hoping to hear from his peers or family. I guess his conducts were so horrible, there is nothing but condemnations and the older crowds rather kept their silence (there were couple of them now). Everyone was caught off guard because he hid it so well. My two-cent.

    How is the guy affected me? Not much. I listened to his talks before and he was a powerful speaker, but I never a follower of his stuff. It was never really my preference. Still it was a surprise how he set up the whole scheme around the world. Infamous. It is like something I would do – the big brain 😉

  • Day309 laying low

    I have been off the radar for almost a week after finishing the GVRAT race. It is still on going but I haven’t put much effort into it. The initial goal of running 1000k is done. I could go for the 2000k or even 3000k. Any way.

    Last few days have been a low point for me. When I run, I feel high, even when a run is very difficult and I would ask why am I doing this. But when I don’t run, it feels even worse.

    I haven’t done much in my personal life or running. Everything seems come to a halt.

    I am procastinating. Next week, July 4th weekend I will be heading to Atlanta to do my first 100 miler. It is a virtual race so I will be myself, but I will be running a actual mapped out course. Running aspect is tough. It is an endurance race. On top, it is the logistics, where to get food/drinks/bathroom. Since it is a self supported, I will carry most of stuff on me. There won’t be any place for me to swap out clothes or gear. Yup, lot of stuffs: flash light (s), phone, blinkers, safety reflector vest, socks, batteries, gps, watch, chargers, map, and turn-sheet. Navigation too will be tough, because I am poor at it. Then the stamina to stay awake and keep running. I am scared about the whole thing, so I have been hidding myself.

    Instead, I have burried myself in a chinese web novel (translated of course, since I can’t read chinese). I am reading Reverend Insanity. It is quite good apparently, but the ideology behind it is kind of mess up, but still it makes you want to root for the bad guy, like Death Note. It is definitely a Rated R novel, for death, violence and gore.

  • T-36:30:01.1 (~1 day away)

    Lunch! A coworker asked me what I want to eat for lunch I said spaghetti for three people and she cooked me some. Probably spaghetti is not my coworker’s (more…)