January 20, 2021

Running solo at roughly the 82 mile mark in the dark, quiet woods at Cypress Creek Preserve in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, a friendly volunteer said, “NICE WORK”! Smiling, I responded, “This is play time! For me this is more like a really long full body massage. It’s fun”.

I was only half joking about the full body massage, believing that we tend to attract more of what we focus upon, I try to focus on the fact that most of the miles do feel great. Accentuate the positive, and maybe attract more. It works more often than not in my experience. I felt lucky to be there, running with these people. It’s a privilege to push into “productive discomfort”, where growth happens with the help of many volunteers. And, in Florida, mid Winter, wearing shorts and a tank top!! We had to feel grateful for being closer to the equator.

Extra support for attempting my 19th official finish at the 100 mile distance was my wife Meg and our first born daughter, Lindsay. Running an ultra in the sunshine state got their attention! Meg and Lindsay kept busy from before the start until I hit fifty miles, then went to our rental for some dinner and sleep. They’d return by 3AM, Meg ready to pace and Lindsay ready to crew. My run was going very well and with a sub 24 hour goal, I had to beat my best 100 mile time by over an hour. Per my Suunto Ambit 3 GPS, I hit 50K a few seconds before 6 hours, 50 miles at 11 hours, and then a 100K at roughly 14 hours. Solid numbers for me! I was loving the fact that I had support and would see them so often. Typically I run these races sans pacer/crew. For a 100 mile PR attempt, I was excited to have support.

Till at least 3AM, I needed to stay focused and make no mistakes. My new mantra for the race and 2021 was “more” on the inbreath, and “love” on the exhale. Then, I flipped it, as love is both a verb and noun. “Love – More”. Try it, you will love it. If we focus on love, maybe we will get more? I have many regular mantras, such as “energy flows where attention goes”, “dig deep”, “DIG DEEPER”, and so on. And, I added some mantras that I came up with at the prior 100M PR at Pine Creek Challenge in September shortly after my 58th birthday. “The older I get, the stronger, faster and better I get”. While that might seem like BS, I knew I was experimenting with some solid ideas for actually getting stronger, faster and better.

Running the Long Haul 100 was a gift that kept giving. Not only was I lucky to be in Florida in January with below average temperatures ranging from lows in the mid 40’s and highs into the low 60’s with no rain, but the course had been adjusted down to get it closer to an actual 100 miles, roughly 101 total miles. I’d had the luxury of sleeping in a nice bed for three nights near the race, enjoyed some healthy meals, and hat gotten plenty of tapering time at the beaches and parks. There would be no “van camping” at Walmart this time! Many variables were coming together for this special race, a first Florida ultramarathon, and a first January 100 miler! About four weeks prior, a last minute opportunity arose to go tent camping with one of our daughters at Flamingo Campground on the Florida Bay! Six nights in the Everglades National Park provided a chance to acclimate to Florida weather and trails by running about ten mile per day for five consecutive days and this Ohio boy loved it!

The Long Haul 100 started at a gate with a one mile run towards the finish area, which is also the hub for the three trail “spurs” that make up a ten mile “loop”. We would run ten loops and run over the finish line each time. Once to the hub, we simply followed the arrows for three “out and back” spurs. This meant we would see the other runner many times, plus see crew if we had them, and our drop bag dozens of times. The main aid station was near the finish line, where there was also a DJ playing music for the entirety of the event. This area is where runners and crew could set up tents, effectively mini aid stations. Overall, it created a great vibe, a low key party atmosphere. Cars were parked outside that gate by the start, so getting gear and people back and forth took some effort, but us runner’s were not seeing, smelling or hearing vehicles. This added to the aesthetic value of the course. The third spur was the shortest, and the only one with some single track trail. I found the third spur to be the most scenic with giant ferns, sand, pine trees, coyotes howling, etc. I enjoyed the natural beauty of the entire course.

A second aid station was located at the end of the second spur, the longest of the three spurs. That aid station had hot drinks, veg broth and many other fueling options. I tried to use as little food as possible, and I took in less fluids for this 100 miler of any I’d run. The result, less bathroom stops, less tummy issues and a more efficient pace. In past races I tended to use food and drinks as a comfort and decided to go more minimalist.

The layout of the course, made it possible for me to run lighter than ever for the distance, carrying only a 6 ounce hand held bottle with one Gel. I was using Muir gels, as they are vegan, extra high calorie and offer a caffeinated option. Just before dark, I went hands free with a light hydration vest. The race provided Honey Stinger gels. Mango flavor was great and the caffeinated chocolate was ideal for the night run! The aid station volunteers provided coffee, vegan broth and at the main aid station I got hummus and guac tortilla roll-ups after each loop! Evidently I missed out on the vegan soup, but heard it was great. As usual, I packed too much food, and was pleasantly surprised by the choices of plant-based food options.

I had goals. My “A” goal was to finish healthy and we had a generous 32 hours, but we needed to be under 30 hours to earn a Western States qualifier. I wanted the qualifier but didn’t really believe I would be ready to earn the buckle at Western States unless I could go sub 24 on an “easier” course. Other goals included a PR, so anything under 25:02 was a 100 miler PR. Completing the entire race in thin, light Xero Z-Trail sandals with no socks was a key goal as well. To cover the distance with the least amount of protection for my feet was a high priority and evidence of a higher level of fitness. And, this would be my first 100 miler since hitting ten years on an all plant based “diet”. I like the idea of building more credibility by running well, even improving with age. Empirical evidence is not achievable, but with more anecdotal evidence, I could add to the mountain of well documented evidence for the power of plant foods increasing our performance as well as improving our environment, being kinder to animals, etc.

Why run in feather light sandals with no socks and bare toes hanging out? I wanted less weight to lift and touch down 180,000 to 220,000 times! That’s a lot of foot steps and every ounce adds up with each step. I believe running this way reduces injury risk while helping us run more naturally, more efficient. And the warm sun on bare toes feels nice. The breeze, the sand, all that sensory input; I soaked it up and loved it. On the downside, it must have been around 35 miles in when I decided I’d likely need to switch out of the sandals and into minimalist Xero HFS running shoes, as the pine needles and dry grass were causing some discomfort. A couple of times it felt like I’d been stung by a hornet, and many times the grass hitting my sensitive smaller toes became very painful. I used spray on skin lubricant on my feet to save time. Somewhere around 60 miles, I realized that some sporadic hot spots under foot were fading and the pine needles and dry grass were no longer bothering me. I ran all the miles in sandals with no socks, with dirty feet to show for it. As always; no blisters. Not a scratch. Perhaps it was the focus on protecting those exposed toes, but I only had one minor stumble and no falls. Typically a mid to back-of-the-pack runner, I needed the best run of my life to go sub 24.

Back in Ohio in the days leading up to the trip to Florida, I ran barefoot on our treadmill while watching Goshen, the documentary about the “Running People” from the Copper Canyons. See the short video movie review below for a short review.

And, on the trip to Florida, I started rereading the running themed best seller from 2010, “Born To Run”. That book helped me change my life and thinking in so many ways. It had been a few years since my last reading, so the timing for accessing the information and inspiration was perfect. My body was ready, I’d trained well, and my mind and emotions were right. This blog and my YouTube channel are based on what I now like to think of as “experiments in truth”. What happens when an overweight suburban dad and cancer survivor goes as “Raramuri” as possible, in Ohio.?

In chapter 25 of “Born To Run”, 3 “painful truths” about shoes are revealed. Since then, some pricey minimalist shoes have come to market, so things have changed. But in 2009, truth #1 was that “The best shoes are the worst”. In other words, the more expensive the running shoes, the higher the injury rates. Truth #2 is that “Feet love a good beating”. And truth #3 is that “Human beings are designed to run without shoes”. What I do seems contrarian, but in fact is logical and backed by science and history. Our feet are supposed to pronate. Your foot’s centerpiece, it’s arch, is the best weight bearing design ever created. Why weaken the arch with support? A shod foot can sleep inside an unchanging environment. Support an area, and it gets weaker, use it extensively and it gets stronger. The deconditioned musculature of the foot is the greatest issue leading to injury. A puzzling conclusion; the more cushioned a shoe, the less protection it provides! Our feet keep reaching until they feel something solid. Gymnasts land harder on thicker floor matts.

The great irony in much of the running shoe business is that the solution sold to lower extremity pain and injuries are shoes that are a root cause of these exact same problems! Smart people are being conned and harmed physically and financially, per the best seller “Born To Run”, which sparked a wave of new minimalist running shoe options. All that barefoot and minimally shod running caused a wave of injuries as many people rushed a change is generally a lengthy learning curve. More irony; the backlash to the minimalist shoes has been the hot selling, super padded “high heeled” “marshmallowy” ones. It’s a real pickle.

I was not at Long Haul 100 for the buffet of “free” food. I was in “business” mode, more than “party” mode. We’d invested some money to be in Florida for a few days and I had a rare chance to have some crew help, and a pacer for the finish! Sure I took time to chat with other runners and have fun, but I did not use my iPhone and limited distractions. Sub 24 finishers earn a giant, “artsy” green buckle. I had to stay focused on efficient forward motion. As my wife kept saying, no dilly dallying.

The Long Haul 100 sold out in December and was capped at 150 registrants due to the pandemic. Roughly 137 runners started, and 96 finished the full distance. The course is flat with some blacktop but mostly trails with some mud, packed dirt, sand, pine needles, some roots and a few rocks. Often, the course got wonky with ruts and lumpy sections. Complacency was risky. LH100 is my idea of a great lighter weight sandal course. Just one runner ran it all in sandals. Being that only runner surprised me, as I wouldn’t have to worry about getting sand in my shoes, or trapping excess heat in shoes. And it’s Florida. Flip flops and sandals are ubiquitous.

A couple of years ago, I read that the average length of time runners are “ultra runners” is about 3.5 years. Given that heavily padded trail shoes sell best, that “low” number is not very surprising. People don’t enjoy being hurt and those pricey shoes don’t last very long . From “Born To Run”, “If there’s any magic bullet to make human beings healthy, it’s to run”. Such an odd predicament! Shoe companies tend to give customers what they want and of course their customers want to run in shoes that feel comfortable. Those “overbuilt” shoes (comfort traps) then can negatively effect how they run, causing them higher injury rates, frustration and ultimately less running! Seems to me a running shoe company would want runners doing ultra marathons for a lot more than 3.5 years. Repeat long-term customers are golden. A win-win.

Long Haul 100 started Saturday, January 17th at 7AM, just before sunrise. This meant that to earn the sub 24 hour buckle, we’d have to cruise right through the chilly, dark witching hour Sunday morning and not benefit from the typical energy boost after the sun rises. Luckily my wife’s sunny energy helped pull me through at the faster pace needed, along with my daughter’s warm smiles and encouragement. They were invested in this goal. How could I disappoint, especially after years of advocating “less is more”. It was a team effort and it was close, but I snagged the last sub 24 buckle for this year at 35th place of 96 finishers. My time was just under 23:54. That left six minutes to spare. We started the last loop needing to make up some time, so we picked up about 8 minutes on loop 10. Ultrasignup.com, the website where most ultra results are kept by runner and race, calculated my finish time at over 30 hours at Long Haul. I had expected their software to estimate my time at about 26 hours. It felt nice to beat their estimate by well over six hours, hitting all of my goals. Everything came together, like magic. Energy flows where attention goes. Thanks to the many people associated with Long Haul 100 who helped make it happen!

And, some of the people who helped make it happen were far away. Sometime around 30 miles in, I suggested to my wife she post something on Facebook about me looking for inspiration to push for a PR. There were many dozens of encouraging responses. My wife would then run with me for a few minutes as a I passed thru the hub area to read me the messages. More Love. Love more.

I was pleased to hear that my girls enjoyed doing this. While Meg paced me the final 12 miles or so, I was mostly focused on getting enough oxygen and staying upright. As oncoming runners offered encouragement, I was mostly just thanking them. Prior to that, for most of the race, I tried to come up with something to say besides “great job” or “nice work”, as ultra running is something I view more as meditative adventure, as play. Every 2 or 3 hours, the same people would be oncoming, so I might say “looking strong”, “keep smiling”, “way to go”, “keep rockin”, etc. By 22 hours in, I was mostly tapped out, just grateful to still be on track to hit all the goals. Meg took over with encouraging runners, many looking like they were sleep walking.

Why run 100 miles? Why not? Running far is our super power. I feel I want to do this, and I’ll have the best life if I do this as long as possible. Running 100 miles is an expression of what we are at our primal core. Running is how we evolved and succeeded as a species. Read all about in “Born To Run”.

Get better at smooth, light and easy! Then, “fast” might happen. It’s magic.

Happy Trails.

“You don’t stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.” ~Jack Kirk (The Dipsea Demon) a mountain racer at ’96, in 2009.

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