My Track Record

Here are some quick results from the White River 50-Miler. Nikki Kimball won in a new course record of 7:40, eclipsing her previous mark of 7:45; Kami Semick was 2nd (and 1st master, male or female!) in a new masters course record of 7:46, replacing Ann Trason's 7:57; Meghan Arbogast (8:41) was 3rd; Carol O'Hear (9:01) was 4th. Julie Udchachon ran with Nikki and Kami for the first 27+ miles but eventually dropped out. Among the men, Mike Wolfe won in 7:00 despite wearing a button-down collared shirt for the entire race. The next five places went to Phil Kochik (7:07), Dustin Gilbert (7:09), Kyle Skaggs (7:13), Josh Brimhall (7:17), and Guillermo Medina (7:33), the only other men to beat Nikki and Kami. Full results are posted to www.whiteriver50.com.

I spent most of the race stationed at the point where the runners crossed Highway 410 (mile 2 and mile 27), making sure that they stopped for traffic. This could have been a boring job, but the guy doing this with me turned out to be one of the most amazing, insane, hilarious athletes I've ever met. This is someone whose "accomplishments" (suicide attempts?) include completing the Iditarod Great Sled Race by himself (i.e., without any dogs) and hiking/skiing/swimming from Alaska to Russia via the Bering Strait. Needless to say, Dimitri had no trouble filling the three hours that we were together with stories of his adventures, like the one about how, when he arrived at the Russian side of the Strait, the authorities thought he was a spy and threw him in jail. (After all, they reasoned, nobody hikes across the Bering Strait just for fun, right?)

In retrospect, it's funny that the White River runners were forced to put their trust in a crossing guard with a totally whacked-out sense of acceptable risks during endurance exercise. However, in fairness to Dimitri, I should note that he did an excellent job keeping the runners safe. I wish him well in his next expedition, which I think will consist of bicycling from Siberia to France.

Posted by crowther at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The White River 50-Miler will be held this Saturday at Crystal Mountain, Washington. Consistent with its designation as a USATF national championship trail race, White River always attracts a strong field. Here's a look at some of this year's leading contenders.

MEN

1. Phil Kochik (Seattle, WA). Two years ago at White River, Phil broke Chad Ricklefs' heart by coming from behind to win the USATF title by 24 seconds. Since then, his smoking times have caused much additional cardiomyopathy among his rivals. Among his recent victories: the 2005 American River 50-Miler and Sunmart 50-Miler and the 2006 Way Too Cool 50K, Diez Vista 50K, and Miwok 100K.

2. Josh Brimhall (Henderson, NV). Josh won this year's Zane Grey 50, one of the country's most rugged and prestigious 50-milers, so he should be able to handle White River's undulating, technical course. He also picked up a victory at the 2006 Lake Hodges 50K.

3. Kyle Skaggs (Glenwood, NM). Only 21, Kyle has already shown great potential, finishing 2nd to Uli Steidl at the Chuckanut 50K in March and 2nd to Josh Brimhall at Zane Grey in April.

4. Dustin Gilbert (Seattle, WA). Dustin is the top returning finisher from last year, having placed 5th, and was 2nd in the recent McDonald Forest 50K. He's a favorite among female spectators such as my wife, who describes him as "totally hot."

Dark horses: Guillermo Medina (North Hollywood, CA) and Andy Jones-Wilkins (Oakland, CA) both prefer 100-milers to the "short" ultramarathons but should still place well. Mike Wolfe (Bozeman, MT) is rumored to have defeated 2004 USATF 50K trail champ Scott Creel in some recent Montana races.

WOMEN

1. Nikki Kimball (Bozeman, MT). Nikki has not lost a trail ultra since ... well, nobody can remember that far back. She won at White River in 2003, 2004, and 2005, and is also the course record-holder. I can claim Nikki as an old friend because we went to junior high school and college together; does that make me cool by association?

2. Kami Semick (Bend, OR). Second to Nikki at White River in 2005, Kami won eight other ultramarathons that year, including the Miwok 100K and the Helen Klein 50-Miler. Her 2:53 marathon speed could prove valuable on the downhill dirt road from Sun Top (mile 37) to Skookum Flats (mile 43.4).

3. Julie Udchachon (Eagle River, AK). Julie appeared to be fading badly -- really badly -- in the second half of last year's White River race, then made an astonishing recovery to finish 3rd. A month later, she copped a USATF trail title at the Headlands 50K. Anyone who knows Julie and her son can tell that, if there is a perpetual motion gene, this family has it.

4. Annette Bednosky (Jefferson, NC). Annette had a sterling 2005 campaign, including a win at the Western States 100-Miler and a 2nd (behind the formidable Anne Riddle Lundblad) at the Mountain Masochist 50-Miler. However, she is returning from a hamstring injury and probably won't be at full strength this weekend.

Dark horse: Carol O'Hear (Seattle, WA) has not raced much lately, but when she's in shape, look out! She has decent road speed along with good trail stamina, as indicated by her 2004 results (1st place, Mt. Si 50-Miler; 3rd place, Western States 100 and Vermont 100).

Posted by crowther at 1:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

1. Muscles feel really, really limber.

2. Running shirtless inspires fewer motorist/pedestrian insults than it normally would.

3. Post-run weigh-ins provide an illusion of thinness.

4. No need to use a towel after post-run showers.

Posted by crowther at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Last week I had a really dumb idea that I found almost irresistible despite its obvious flaws.

The idea: to enter and attempt to win the White River 50, an extremely hilly 50-mile trail race held near Mount Rainier.

The flaws: I hadn't been training for this race. No trail runs, no real hill work to speak of, no long runs beyond 18 miles. Also, I'm a "rhythm runner" best suited to the roads, not trails.

So why was I tempted by the race? I think I was under the spell of the movie Cinderella Man, which we saw earlier in the month. It stars Russell Crowe as James J. Braddock, a boxer of the 1920s and '30s who lifted his family out of poverty with an improbable string of wins over heavily favored opponents. According to the film, Braddock fought not for ego gratification but rather to put food on the table for his wife and three children. Of the many possible reasons to pursue sports seriously, isn't that one among the noblest of all?

The parallels between my situation and Braddock's are tenuous at best. I'm not good enough at running to make a living at it -- not even close -- and my wife and I aren't in serious financial trouble. Still, I liked the "Cinderella Man" story so much that I wanted to stage my own scaled-down version of it. If I could buck the odds and win the $1,000 first prize at White River, perhaps we could get the house painted!

After two days of inappropriate fantasizing about all this, I finally admitted that my fairy-tale script was unrealistic. An inspirational movie is not an adequate substitute for actual training, especially when the competition includes guys like Phil Kochik. Besides, the Torchlight 8K is the same day as White River, and I hear they're giving out free plane tickets to the winner....

Posted by crowther at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

About ten years ago, I wrote down the following list.

WHY DO I RUN?

1. To develop a sense of where I am; to learn the local geography and topology;

2. To maintain a respectable level of general fitness;

3. To keep my weight down, and to increase my appetite so that I can eat a lot;

4. To refresh my mind when it grows tired of science and other weighty topics;

5. To channel my competitive instincts into something healthy;

6. To find out, with the aid of a stopwatch, exactly how well I'm doing; to experience the singular joy of having run a race faster than ever before;

7. To enjoy my body's capacity for change, and to explore the limits of that capacity;

8. To be faithful to a daily habit; to give my life a comforting sense of order, regularity, and periodicity;

9. To be part of a team; to help others develop as runners and in turn be helped by them, and to enter a social milieu where others share my interest in running and enjoy discussing it;

10. To feel physically capable and physically attractive;

11. To earn recognition, respect, and admiration;

12. Because it feels so good when I stop.

Unlike some other things I wrote during the mid-90s, this little essay (or whatever you want to call it) still rings true. My reasons for running now are the same as my reasons for running then, with one notable exception ... to be discussed in Part Two.

* * * * *

P.S. The website is once again accepting comments; apologies to anyone who tried to leave a comment between Friday and this morning.

Posted by crowther at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

We were getting ready for bed last night when a fly entered our bedroom. I grabbed a magazine and waited for it to land while Lucy made several amusing but ineffectual attempts to catch it in her mouth. My wife threw her support behind the dog: "Get it, Lucy, get it!" Suddenly the buzzing stopped. At Lucy's feet lay the now-motionless fly.

I was shocked, impressed, and delighted. Who knew that owning a dog could have such practical benefits?

We celebrated Lucy's kill by giving her a biscuit, and then we all slept very soundly.

Posted by crowther at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The name of this flavor is Energy Diet Citrus.

"Diet," as in "low in calories." Five per serving, in this case.

And what is a calorie? A unit of energy. A low-calorie drink is, by definition, a low-energy drink. It contains almost no fuel for your muscles or the rest of your body. You can call something an energy drink if it's loaded with calories, or a diet drink if it isn't, but an "Energy Diet" drink? That's more than I can swallow.

Memo to marketing people: look words up before using them! Blatantly unscientific claims can lead to lawsuits, as occurred with Powerade's "Amish drag race" ad.

Posted by crowther at 1:00 AM | Permalink

Blogging is definitely a guilty pleasure, at least for me.

There are so many noble and/or practical ways I could be spending my time right now. For example, I could be

1. Researching the causes of and solutions to global warming.

2. Rearranging the junk in our basement to make room for an office.

3. Recording the song I wrote for my friend Do for his birthday. (Which was in FEBRUARY.)

Instead, I'm flexing my typing muscles, because that's more fun. And I'll probably make the same choice again tomorrow, rather than, say,

4. Reading the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County.

5. Reading either Running at the Speed of Life or How to Date in a Post-Dating World, both written by friends.

6. Reading a book on pregnancy and childbirth. (Yes, my wife is carrying a few extra pounds these days.)

Occasionally, an unselfish choice and a fun choice are one and the same. Last Thursday, my wife and I went to Diane's "How to Date" book reading at Barnes & Noble, where we gave her our support and also had a few laughs at the expense of the other attendees, such as the woman who wanted to know why she gets so few dates in comparison to one of her friends, or the guy who insisted that there is one and only one "true love" out there for each of us.

Too often, however, entertainment value trumps substance, and options like

7. Learning matrix algebra.

8. Writing a Letter to the Editor.

9. Calling my grandmother.

get neglected.

So what's the point of listing tasks that I've been ignoring? I guess I just wanted to document the pangs of guilt that I feel from time to time. I've been told that I have enough guilt to be a pretty decent Catholic, although I don't have much inclination to pray, attend Mass, etc.

Then again, I could skip those rituals and then feel guilty about that, too.

Posted by crowther at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Howdy, folks! Floyd Flanders here. You may know me as the best-selling author of the book "Self-Actualization for the Utter Moron," or perhaps as the host of the popular radio show "Floyd to the World!" Because of my expertise in the field of Human Potential, I've been asked to critique Project IMPROVE, Greg's attempt to better his college PRs in the 1500-, 3000-, and 5000-meter runs. The latest result -- 8:48.1 for 3000m on July 5th -- confirms that this project is floundering like a bottom-dwelling fish, but why? The answer is simple, as long as you remember my Three Components of Successful Project Management: (1) realistic expectations, (2) help from appropriate experts, and (3) well-defined deadlines.

Regarding (1), Greg thought that he could knock off these previously untouchable times after a couple of weeks of speedwork. Think again, buddy! You're older than ever, and regaining youthful speed is about as difficult as catching trout with a coat hanger.

In terms of (2), Greg has failed to recruit anyone to pace him at these races. Winning 3Ks by 40 seconds and lapping 12-year-old girls may look impressive, but come on! If he wants to run fast times, that "I don't need any help" attitude needs to go!

As for (3), no deadline was set up front, and now there's a risk that the project will drag on indefinitely and interfere with Greg's training for the Twin Cities Marathon on October 1st. Given the project's uninspiring progress to date and its equally dismal prospects for the future, I recommend that it be terminated within the next two weeks.

In summary, Greg's disregard for the fundamental principles of project management has led to overconfidence followed by underachievement. I can only hope that he'll plan and execute his next project with greater care.

Respectfully submitted,
Floyd Flanders

Posted by crowther at 1:32 PM | Permalink

Our vacation isn't over, but our stay in Ocean Shores is. We lasted all of about 32 hours there.

We were walking along the beach yesterday, trying to keep our dog Lucy away from the omnipresent horse feces, when we decided that we had had enough. Enough of keeping Lucy penned up in the rear of the car.... Enough of sleeping on the ground.... Enough of preparing meals without a sink or countertop.... Enough of waiting in lines for showers of unpredictable water pressure and temperature.... Enough of listening to our fellow tourists set off firecrackers all day and all night long, as if part of some pyrotechnic endurance contest. Enough!

Having admitted our abject wimpiness, we packed up the tent and drove back to Seattle, stopping off in Olympia for a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant whose mood music consisted entirely of Stevie Wonder songs. Then we rented and watched Brokeback Mountain.

That's right: instead of actually camping, we watched a movie about camping. It was a horizon-broadening experience, though.

Posted by crowther at 8:45 AM | Permalink

Before my wife and I got married, we solicited marital advice from various friends and family members. Aside from my dad's immortal directive to "Be truthful but don't overdo it," one of the best suggestions came from our friend Rob, who said, "Take one vacation every year that's just for the two of you."

I suppose we got off to a good start by taking a honeymoon. But that was nearly four years ago; since then we haven't had a single getaway that didn't involve a race, wedding, or family gathering.... So here we are now in Ocean Shores, Washington, determined to engage in some long-overdue vacationing. The wind and clouds have limited our time on the beach thus far, but that's just a temporary setback. We're going to get out there and relax even if it makes us miserable!

In terms of lodging, we're camping rather than staying in a hotel. I'm not a big fan of communing with nature or paring life back to its essentials, but I am a fan of saving money, and it's hard to beat the $16-per-night rate of the Yesterdays RV Park. (A side question that has already occupied far too much of my time: should "Yesterdays" be spelled with an apostrophe? I think it can be argued either way.) We don't have a lot of activities planned -- a little mini-golf here, a few fireworks there -- but I may run twice a day just for fun. Vacations are for doing what you enjoy, right?

Today's workout took place at North Beach High School, conveniently located less than a mile from our tent. There are pictures of winged feet everywhere at this place, including some on the baseball dugouts, which made me wonder what kind of exalted status the NBHS track team might have. It turns out that the students here are collectively known as the Hyaks, hyak being a Chinook word meaning fast or swift. The home of the Hyaks would thus seem like an ideal setting for a track workout, and I did have a reasonably hyakish outing, completing 2 x 3200m in 9:58 and 9:57 with only a 400m jog in between.

Posted by crowther at 11:08 AM | Permalink