Just got notified that I was accepted for sponsorship from Hammer Nutrition for next year. I think this will be the 7th year I've been associated with them. Hammer Nutrition is a great company that not only provides great products, but also great support for endurance athletes. I'm excited to spread the word and some gels next year. I plan on fronting a couple of runners with some product, provide some products for a couple of small races and do a few clinics and running store talks. It's going to be fun next year!

 Just published a fun little running poem book on Kindle. Funny Running Poems from Google Search was created when I started searching for running terms on google and noticed that sometimes the suggested search results created little poems. If you have a Kindle or Kindle reader on your computer, check it out. If you try it yourself and generate a funny running poem, post a comment here.

 Find it on Amazon: Funny Running Poems from Google Search

The off season is always a challenge for me. I usually take October off, then start my base training for the races I like to do in late January and February. Every year I plan on doing some weight training in the winter along with running and every year I do weights for about 2 weeks and quit. This time is different. Last summer, I was introduced to CrossFit. I only did it a few times since it was during my summer events, but I was hooked. For me it is a tremendously hard workout that I can barely survive, but it concentrates on my weak areas, upper body and hip flexers. Also, my trainer is there to continually push me through the workouts. If I do weights on my own, I never reach the levels I do now with someone making me. Anyway, I've been doing CrossFit religiously twice a week, but now I haven't been running enough. I do our Thursday night beer run and a Saturday long run, but I haven't been able to get back on schedule for my runs during the week. If I keep this up, I'm going to be ueber strong, but not able to run more than 20 miles! So next week, I'm going to run on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. That will do it!

Why Am I Running...

Why am I running Slower
Why am I running A Low Grade Fever
Why am I running Slower Than Before
Why am I running For School Board
Why am I running A Fever
Why am I running So Slowly
Why am I running Out of Hot Water
Why am I running And Not Losing Weight
Why am I running From God

SherpaHerb

 

I Run With...

 
I run with Goats
I run with Purpose in every step
I run with Scissors, it makes me feel dangerous
I run with 12 Gangs
I run with Trouble, Trouble is my Friend
I run with the Hunted
I run with Scissors

SherpaHerb

Last year I helped out at the Olympia Traverse, a multi sport event that includes a mountain bike leg, road bike, kayak, and running. It's a relay race but individuals can do the whole thing. It looked like everyone was having a great time, so this year I decided to do the whole thing myself. This was going to be a fun event since I had only been on my road bike twice this year, never have mountain biked before, and haven't kayaked either. But each leg would take about an hour so how bad could it be? I had an old mountain bike with cracks in the tires and no shocks, my road bike was ok, and I could borrow my brother in law's kayak. I took a test run on the mountain bike and the vibration was so bad it shook the bottle cage off. Not a good sign. My bother in law gave me a 10 minute lesson on kayaking and I was ready to go.

On race day, Dave, Matt and I showed up for battle. Dave was in about the same situation as me except he rented a nice mountain bike. Matt was a mountain biker so we knew he would get a big lead on us at the start. The mountain bike leg went as feared. My bike was hard to control and I couldn;t shift into the low chain ring on the climbs so I got passed by alot of bikers. Then I hit a stump and went over the handlebars but landed softly! I finished near the end of the pack and tried to make up time on the road bike. I passed a few people but I definitely was not in biking form. At the kayak, I found I was only a few minutes behind Dave and I could see him way in the distance. My kayak was fast, so I started passing people and catching Dave. I landed at the dock right behind Dave and immediately took off on the run since Dave runs twice as fast as me. But the other legs had taken there toll and I was just plodding along. After a few minutes, Dave caught up to me but with the same problem, just shuffling along. After the turn around, Dave waited for me but then took off since I was going to slow. Just before the finish, I finally caught Matt, and all three of use finished within a couple of minutes of each other. Glad for it to be over, but I will do it again next year, but I think I will train a bit first!

With the Capitol Peak Fat Ass canceled due to snow, I was feeling a little too well rested and unprepared for Orcas. Rob and I were the only ones making the trip this year with Dave coming along to help out with the race. We had a good trip up, made the 4:00 ferry and arrived at the lodge in daylight. We had a quiet evening and bedded down early in the bunk house with Eric and Jenny and a couple of others. The weather was so nice that I decided to run without a backpack, just a few gels in my pockets and a couple of handhelds. I started a little fast to get warmed up and settled down to a comfortable pace. I felt I did the first 10 miles too slow, but I was only about 6mins. behind Eric at that point. I was real good about staying hydrated and fueled prior to the long grunt up the power line trail, but as I started the hike up, I felt my calves starting to tighten up which was a new problem for me. Just before I crested the top, my lower back muscles spasm-ed nearly stopping me in my tracks. This happened to me last year midway through the Capitol City Marathon with the same results. I tried running down the gently sloping trail and was slowed by pain. Here was one of the fastest portions of the course and I could only move along at half speed! I tried more fluids and electrolytes but to no avail. As runners streamed past me I just chugged along in low gear. I found that by run/walking I could keep moving but I would need to drop. I caught up to early starters George and Karen Wiggins and Karen offered me some perscription pain killers but I had nothing to prove and didn't want to injure myself more. It was such a nice day, I decided to not drop at the water aid station but go ahead and do the hike up to the top of Mt Constitution so I could get some hill work and enjoy the great view up there. I made it to the top of the mountain about an hour later than I normally would, but felt great to be finished on a sunny day on such a scenic spot. The best part was the car that was leaving right then to go back to the lodge, so I got a ride down before I got too cold up there. I mostly felt bad about not getting enough mileage in.

It's been almost a year since my last post. Last year was good. I felt stronger than ever after several weeks of hill training at Rock Candy Mt.

I had a pretty good White River 50miler, fell down running uphill at about mile 17 and lost all my electrolytes. I finally made it out of the flat section at the half way point feeling great, but dehydration set in  during the next climb and it took me awhile to overcome. Ended up finishing just off my PR, but I was hoping to beat it by an half hour at least.

Cascade Crest was fun, then disappointing. I managed to fry my quads on the steep downhill before the tunnel at the half way point. Really hit me hard at mile 80 right after the No Name ridge aid station. I could barely walk on part of the fastest trail on the course. To make matters worse, Kris Ryding paced me from there, so she didn't get much of a run in but was very inspiring to have along. Again no PR as planned, took an hour longer!

I have an ambitious year planned with an early 100 miler at Badger Mt. Really looking forward to the Rainshadow runs in the North Cascades this summer.