Going Paleo

After an exciting win and PB at the Woodstock Hallucination 100, I've been feeling...  sluggish.  I logged 28 miles the week proceeding Woodstock and 64 miles the week after.  My legs were being impetuously stubborn, while my heart rate and pace wasn't too far off what I would expect, the effort was overly difficult.

Between peaking, tapering, racing, and recovering, I think I've lost a little bit of fitness.  Maybe.  Or maybe mentally I'm out of the groove.  This always seems to happen to me after a 100.  This post-race burnout gives me a huge deal of respect for people who can string together multiple hundreds within a month, 2 months, or even a year.

After some serious beer drinking, football watching, and general chillaxing, I've decided its time to re-establish my base.  Lots of slow running with my heart rate monitor to gauge effort levels and really focus on staying in my aerobic zone.  Once a week I plan on hitting a hard tempo run or track workout to try to maintain some speed while hopefully re-establishing my base.

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got"  I'm not sure why this phrase keeps popping into my head.  Ever since I decided to wear my Hokas just for the heck of it at Woodstock, I have been interesting in changing some things up and trying some new things.

I've been a firm believer in being a carbohydrate monster to support my training.  Which is nice, because carbs are cheap, simple to prepare, easily available, and delicious.   But, in the spirit of trying new things, I'm going to try to paleo diet, with some minor adjustments for an athlete.  Its been a couple of days now, and so far I am really enjoying the new diet.  I'm not sure if there is a specific reason for trying the Paleo, maybe eating a higher fat diet will increase my fat metabolism, maybe not.  It has an almost asthetic appeal to me, as it just makes sense - eat like our ancestors who didn't have to deal with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  This really seems like the way we were "meant" to eat.

One thing that had me very interested in this diet is that the authors are both scientist, and the book (which I've owned for years) does an excellent job of promoting the science along with the philosophy.  The general goal is to remove processed foods from my diet.  I also noticed today that everything I've eaten this week has been gluten free.  I'm cheating a little bit and still making a recovery smoothie after my runs that has milk in it, as well as allowing myself some simple carbs after a run.

Weird things I've noticed:  I haven't needed a cup of coffee in the morning as urgently as usual.  I've eaten 4 dozen eggs so far this week.  My energy levels have been more stable than I recall them usually being.  I smelled ketones towards the end of my 10 miler today.

Food that has made up my week includes:  Almonds, grapes, bananas, oranges, apples, eggs, steak, nectarines, fish, carrots, potatoes, peppers, hummus, green beans, frozen fruit and vegetables, walnuts, fish, onions, olive oil, butter, and salads.

Some things are less paleo than others.  I don't know if potatoes or carrots are very paleo, but I'll never restrict nutrient rich fruits or vegetables, no matter what a diet calls for.

I'll update the ole' blog with my progress with the diet, some recipes I've come up with, as well as how it seems to be influencing my ability to train at 100+ miles a week. Also, I like this blog Primal Living

Hoka One One 2013 Race Shoes

I'm still not 100% sold on the Hoka concept.  More like 90%.  Anyways, I think a few minor tweaks to the Bondi B could make this shoe go from good to great, in my book.  Trying to find info on the Bondi B 2 is hard as hell, but I did stumble across new "racey" shoes from Hoka due out in 2013.  Interesting...

Kinda a bummer that both these shoes look so sweet - I'll want both, and Hoka is still on the pricey side of things (if you can find even find your size). 

Check them out at the Talk Ultra site:

http://iancorless.org/2012/08/24/new-hoka-one-one/

Woodstock 100 Mile Thoughts

About to start, Ryan Case showing how relaxed he is

My thought process during the race.

First loop

"Wow my heart rate is too high, whatever, I'll just keep going"

"That guys going too fast, I'm going too fast, we're all going too fast!"

"This duct tape feels weird now that my feet are sweating"

"Eat solid food"

"Hugh has sweet vertical runner gear"


Second Loop

"Hoka, Hoka, Hoka"

"I'm hot, I think I'll take off my shirt"

"Just a light rain, no big deal"

"I'm cold, I think I'll grab a shirt"

"Stop thinking and run"

"Why are these roctaines so chunky (gag)"


Third Loop

"Crap I'm cold"

"Eat solid food"

"Woah, Hokas are like ice skates in mud"

"There's my Dad, smile like you're still having fun"

"This jacket will keep me warm"


 Fourth Loop

"This jacket is not keeping me warm"

"Holy crap it's raining so hard my headlamp is almost useless"

"Totally exposed to the storm on this rail trail"

"I think I stepped on a frog"

"These shoes aren't draining at all"

"I'm so cold"

"I'm so cold"

"My feet are melting"

"I don't care if I'm in first, I quit"

"I hope Ryan and Jenny understand, I just can't keep going"

"How the hell do I get this poncho on?"

"Why am I putting this poncho on?"

Time of day per lap.  We started at 4pm (Photo Don Lindley)

Fifth Loop

"How did I end up back out on the trail again?"

 "These speedcrosses are way better"

"Die mud"

"How did I end up on the trail again?"

"Run damnit, no walking"

"Case is coming"

"These saltine crackers are so dry"

"Just keep talking to Jenny (my pacer), time will move faster that way"


Sixth Loop

"Hey there's Mike"

"Hey there's Jason"

"I think Jason just hugged me"

"Run, Damnit"

"Where did my pacer go?"

"Run that hill"

"Vanilla gel taste good?!?!?!"

"Fuel all the way to the finish"

"Case is coming, no walking"

"Its almost over!"

"Its over."

"Chair!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Chair!!!!!! (Photo Don Lindley)

Ok that was some fun "thought vomit" from the race.  Real stuff is down here.  It was a great experience.  Came into the race feeling more mentally and physically prepared than I have for any race.  Some of this excitement died off when I noticed the weather forecast becoming more and more foreboding. 

I decided I was going to fight my cautious nature and go out with the lead pack and just see if I could outlast those guys.  It was a  pleasure to spend the first couple loops in the company of several other tremendous runners, all of whom were on a mission to kick ass and push their own individual limits.  In retrospect, with such a long race, through running with/against one another, we aren't necesarily competing with each other so much as with ourselves, and using the community experience to allow us to reach our limits.

In the end, I think the weather got a lot of people, and it nearly got me.  The start was 80 degrees and humid and then it dropped down to 48 during the night and continued to rain from 8pm till 5-6am.  My crew saved me from a DNF by sitting me in front of a heater for 25 minutes at an aid station and getting dry socks/shoes and a poncho onto me, before literally shoving me back out into the rain and telling me they'd see me again in 8 miles.  While I didn't every fully recover from the butt kicking I took out in the storm, it was relatively smooth sailing from then on.  At some point I became aware that my buddy Ryan Case was giving chase, and I forced quite a bit more running out of my legs than I usually am capable of over the last 25 miles or so.  I guess this is "running scared".