This weekend I was watching the Olympic trials in Eugene. The 100M run was a spectacular race, watch the video below.
Tyson Gay ran the fastest 100 meters under any conditions in history, a wind-aided effort of 9.68 seconds to win the sprint final on Sunday at the US Olympic track and field trials. Tyson did not get the world record due to a 4.1m/sec tailwind. He did surpass a 9.69 run by Obadele Thompson of Barbados in 1996 that had a 5m/sec breeze boost.
Wow, that is fast, dang wind 
On August 8th 2008, Charlie Engle and Marshall Ulrich will leave San Francisco, CA and start running toward New York. Along the way people can join Charlie on his trek. NEHST studios is casting people to run along with Charlie. People can sign up to run 1 mile with Charlie and Marshall along with a camera crew and possibly some celebrities as the trek is filmed. Each mile will include 5 people that run along with Charlie.
The trek starts in San Francisco, CA and runs through the following states, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, & New York. Check out the map here. Around August 27th, the group will be near Ft Collins, CO. I signed up to join in the fun.
Charlie Engle has a website set up at http://www.runningamerica08.com/ that has more information about the event. You can sign up to run on this website. The site takes you to screentest.biz where for $3.95 you can sign up to run a mile with Charlie.
In February 2007, Charlie and two teammates became the first people in history to run across the entire Sahara Desert, more than 4500 miles. He averaged more than 42 miles per day for 111 consecutive days while crossing the most forbidding terrain on Earth. http://runningthesahara.com/.
You can find out more info about Charlie Engle at http://charlieengle.com/index.html.
You can find out more info about Marshall Ulrich at http://www.marshallulrich.com/index.html
I will keep you posted if I get selected to run.
Back in March I joined 24 hour fitness to get past my weight loss plateau and to further my running. Part of the sign-up package included 10 training sessions. I worked with Tom, one of the trainers at the Fort Collins facility. I saw immediate results in my weight loss and running. Tom showed me some great exercises and helped me set a base for building my endurance and speed.
During the 10 sessions, I ran a few races and set new personal records during that time. I had shaved 27 minutes off my marathon personal best to go sub 4 hours and took 5 minutes off my 10K time. By the end of my sessions I had dropped 15 pounds and gained some muscle in the process.
Since my sessions, I have lost a further 9 pounds and I have set 2 additional PRs on my race times. I took 14 minutes off my half marathon best and finally went sub 20 minutes on my 5K. The time that I spent with Tom was invaluable to me and my progress.
I will follow the regiment and I hope to lose an additional 10 pounds and qualify for the Boston marathon before too long. I wrote up an article on 12millionlives.com.
Thanks Tom
Just to get a feel here are 2 race photos, one from May 2006, the other from May 2008.
Here is a race photo from the 2006 Bolder Boulder
Here is a race photo from the 2008 Bolder Boulder
On Sunday August 31st, the largest group of runners will meet throughout the world and run. Nike+ is hoping to have 1 Million people log 6.2 miles with the Nike+ system. People can run wherever they live or race in one of 24 cities worldwide. Many gyms worldwide will host running parties and join the fun.
This reminds me of a little event called Hands Across America that took place on May 25th 1986. Approximately 7 million people joined hands and made a human chain across America. I was a part of the chain that spanned across Flagstaff, AZ (I have pictures somewhere). It was a great event and it raised nearly $20 Million for charity.
Well the date is now August 31st 2008, and we have a chance to take part in something monumental again. The Nike+ Human Race will span the globe as people show their support for the sport of running and one of three charities being represented. Participants can choose The Livestrong Foundation, The UN Refugee Agency, or the World Wildlife Foundation as their charity that they will represent.
You can sign up at http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/humanrace/index.jsp. This site has a lot of information about the event. Visit the site and see who is running, get training tips, and view more information about the charities. Watch for more exciting developments in July as products will be added and more information on how to get people to pledge for your cause. I’m not sure if there is a Guinness Record for largest race, but it would be cool to be part of it if there was.
What are you doing on August 31st? Why not go for a run with 1 million other people world-wide. See you on the 31st. Check out the video below to see Lance Armstrong talking about the Nike+ Human Race.
I ran up the mountain, and it was fun. Yes, it was uphill most of the way and the oxygen was less, but it was a great experience. I didn’t push myself too hard, and I enjoyed an occasional picture and breathtaking views. The weather was picture perfect, sunny, a few clouds, and nice temperatures. The complete photo album can be viewed at my Mt Evans Ascent Album. Also, check out the slide show on the Mt Evans website.
Official Time: 2:40:58 (11:07 pace)
Race Number: 103
Ranking: Overall – 93/374, Mens – 76/247, M3034 – 14/34
Distance: 14.5 (14.34 garmin) Nike+ – 15.31
Temperature: Mid 40’s at start, Mid 60’s at Finish.
Starting: Mt Evans Entrance Station
Ending: Just below the summit of Mt Evans
Start Time: 8:02 AM
Ending Time: 10:43 AM
Gear: Shorts, long sleeve tech shirt (SxD Nike+ Shirt), injinji socks, Nike Equalon 2’s, Hat, Forerunner 305.
Nutrition: Breakfast = Oatmeal, golden Raisins, honey
Nutrition: Pre-Race = 1 bag of Sports Beans, 32 Oz Gatorade, supplements (endurolytes, anti-fatigue, sportslegs, race caps & 2 Tylenol for Headaches).
Nutrition: During Race = Quencher gum, 30 oz GU2O with endurolytes added, 2 GU gels, 4 endurolytes, 2 Anti-fatigue.
Splits: (Based on Garmin Forerunner)
Mile 1 – 9:33
Mile 2 – 9:41
Mile 3 – 10:31
Mile 4 – 10:58
Mile 5 – 10:50
Mile 6 – 11:05
Mile 7 – 10:31
Mile 8 – 11:31
Mile 9 – 9:21
Mile 10 – 11:35
Mile 11 – 11:51
Mile 12 – 12:30
Mile 13 – 13:26
Mile 14 – 13:27
.33 – 3:50
Pre-Race:
Friday: I really wanted my Heart Rate monitor to work for this race. I thought that my 305 was no longer recording Heart Rate (After buying new batteries and a new Heart Rate Monitor and it still not working). I borrowed a friend’s 305 to use on the race and found out that my watch worked, but my Heart Rate Monitor was the problem. So, I wasn’t able to use my HRM for this race.
We Drove up to Silver Plume to spend the night at a friends cabin. We were much closer to the race start and would have a shorter race day drive. We stopped at Beau Jo’s for our pre-race meal. Dinner was a Beaughetti (spaghetti served in a bread bowl).
It was monsterous, and I made a dent in the bread bowl. I had ordered it with chicken, but the chicken didn’t make it to the dinner plate. Oh well, still a very tasty dinner. We opted out of the challenge (A 12 pound pizza for 2 with an hour time limit).
We then drove up to the start and checked out the area. We stopped at Ponder Point on the way up and enjoyed the scenery. Then it was off to the cabin to get some rest before the race on Saturday.
Race Day:
5:15 A.M. - Got up and prepped.
6:15 A.M. – Drove from Silver Plume to Echo Lake.
6:45 A.M. – Arrive at Echo Lake, walked 1/2 mile to pick up race packets. Walked back to the vehicle and dropped off packet. Applied sunscreen (I missed a couple spots). Remember to apply sunscreen to the back of the legs and the back of the neck. The sun at higher elevations can be brutal. We then hopped on a shuttle back to the start.
7:45 A.M. - Last minute stretching and preparing. Standing at the start line the incline of the road was noticeable. The air was a little thinner at the 10,600′ start line, but not too bad. We were told to be prepared on our run to the top. So I had a windbreaker tied around my waist and gloves and beanie in the pockets. I never needed them although 
8:02 A.M. – The race started a few minutes late. We were instructed to make our way to the left side of the road, so that we could see the traffic coming at us. The road was to stay open, and at times the road got a little crowded with runners, up hill & downhill traffic, and cyclists all enjoying the road.
Race:
Off we went, running up hill past the Entrance Station. I passed a sign that said Steep Grades and curves next 9 Miles. I thought what about the last 5? Around 1/2 mile in my calves starting asking me what I was doing, I kept quiet and moved on. I passed a pull off, I think it was for Mount Goliath and then had a sharp turn on the road. There were people cheering here and there the whole way up.
I felt pretty good, around mile 3 the trees started to thin out. I snapped a great picture of Echo Lake and continued on. I was enjoying the scenery and the run up the mountain.
I continued on, taking short walk breaks to enjoy the view, snap pictures and catch my breath. Around Mile 6 I saw some people taking a picture of some wildlife, so I stopped and snapped a picture too.
I came up to the 2nd aide station, I didn’t stop at any of the aide stations, but they were pretty well stocked. Some had bananas, pretzels, and gels along with water and Sports Drink. One thing missing at the aide stations were bathroom facilities. I never needed any, but once you get above treeline, there aren’t many hiding places.
Abyss Lake was viewable around mile 6, looking over the edge you could see it far below.
Soon after Mile 6 I took my first GU and some endurolytes. I felt good and continued my Run/Walk approach up. I wasn’t on any speed quest today, and it felt good to go out and run. The incline was noticeable and my calves quit aching, and other parts of my legs would pick up the slack. It was more of a hello we are here than an all out pain. It felt good to get the legs working. Snow was accumulated along parts of the run up, a subtle reminder that even though it was the first day of Summer, some places still had snow. Here is a shot from Mile 5.
So then, at 8 1/2 miles my legs whispered to me, something is different here, what is going on. A downhill – woah, what happened. I remember hearing something at the start about 2 downhills during the course, but thought, ha ha right. Low and behold, here was the first downhill. My legs opened up and lapped up the change. Mile 9 ended up being my fastest mile due to the largest downhill in the course. At the bottom of the decline was summit lake. I decided to stop and snap a picture just before mile 9 and then again at the lake, which had nice chunks of ice in it.
My legs were happy, a downhill, who would have thought… Then they saw what lay ahead, the destination was still over 2000 feet above us. Driving up, I remember seeing the summit from afar and I thought, this had to be one of the only races that you would see the finish before seeing the start.
So, the downhill was shortlived, and the incline started again. I continued on with my Run/Walk approach, giving my body a chance to rest every so often. Just before mile 11 came another shorter downhill, but it didn’t last long and the uphill battle was soon on the forefront. The last 3 miles turned out to be more difficult. The elevation started to make a little difference in the climb. I could hear other runners also having problems with the thinner air.
Just after mile 11, the road started snaking back and forth. Looking up I could see the summit and the observatory at the top. Above me started the switchbacks and the long winding road was upon me.
The last 2 miles took even longer, walking was taking the forefront and my breaks were turned into running breaks. After making a turn during the 12th mile, I was buffeted by a gust of wind. The wind would come and go every now and again. Not very windy conditions, but an occasional gust would greet you on a turn. I continued on, the finish was close. With one Mile to Go, I looked back down the road and saw that I had made progress.
At 14, I jogged up to a women and she asked me for water. I still had 2 full flasks so I gave her one and said that she could give it back at the top. A few minutes later she caught back up to me and handed me back the flask, she thanked me and continued on. Then above me on the road I saw the finish. I rounded another bend and ran to the finish. Whew, just made it under 2:41 with a 2:40:58. A little off of my 2:30 goal, but the journey was a great one!
Post-Race:
I went through the finish shoot and my timing chip was removed and a medal and water bottle were handed to me. I finished, I completed America’s Highest Paved Road Race! It felt good, I walked over to the bag recovery and felt for a minute a rush to my head, the headache passed quickly, and I’m glad that I had taken the Tylenol before race start. The finish line only had a few bananas and pretzels along with a good supply of water. It wasn’t greatly stocked, but the race instructions did suggest to put snacks in your summit bag to be waiting for you at the top.
I walked around for a little while and snapped some pictures of some Mountain Goats and checked out the view. I waited for my friend Steve to reach the finish line. Here are a few pictures that I took.
A plaque read I Can See For Miles:
Later, Steve crossed the finish line. We took a moment to rest, and then we saw the next goal. To climb up to the summit, just a few hundred feet above us… But not on a straight path.
A little while later, we were at the highest point on Mount Evans. First line of business was to capture a photo with my 1Miletogo Weezie Wipe with the Geological Marker showing the elevation of 14,258′.
Looking out across the vastness, we could see for quite a distance. Summit Lake was far off in the distance and I could clearly see that most of it was frozen over. Looking over the edge was a steep drop off.
From the summit you could see the observatory and the Crest House AKA, The Castle in the Sky. The structure was once a restaurant and gift shop but burned down in 1979.
We took a few more pictures, and another runner took a picture of Steve and I with the view in the background.
I was victorious over the Mt Evans Ascent. Steve and I had now hiked Mt Evans & Ran Mt Evans, now the only thing left was to bike it.
We made our way back down from the summit and waited for one of the 2 mini vans that would shuttle us half way down the mountain. A while later at 12:15 we caught a ride back down to Summit Lake where we boarded a bus to go back to Echo Lake.
After returning to the vehicle we drove over to Clear Creek School for the after race party. There were sub sandwiches and chips there. Soon, the winners of the race were presented, the 31 year course record was broken by a speedy 1:37:01 for a pace of 6:42 up Mt Evans. That is simply amazing to run that pace at the incline and elevation. For more amazing stats check out his bio – Wow is all I can say – http://www.skyrunner.com/bio.htm
Race Map:
Race Splits:
Race Elevation:
Nike+ Graph:
Race Bling: A sweatshirt and Medal.
20,000 miles and 5 years later, 61 year old Rosie Swale-Pope returned to Britain on June 17th. Her trip started out in October 2003 to raise money for Cancer charaties. Her round-the-world run has taken her through England, Holland, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and now to Scotland.
She had many near death experiences along the journey and ran through really extreme conditions. She is now in Scotland and she hopes to arrive at her home in Wales in August. This lady is just amazing as she had run ins with polar bears, grizzly bears, and wolves. She also came down with pneumonia, got hit by a bus, and she was washed downstream.
Check out this article for the complete story on one amazing grandmother!
The time is drawing near for the little 14.5 mile run up one of Colorado’s 14,000′+ peaks. You can check out some of the info about Mount Evans here. There are 53 “official” 14,000+ peaks in Colorado. Mount Evans ranks 14th in elevation at 14,264. There are actually 58 peaks over 14,000′, but there is a criteria to be a 14er. To be ranked, a peak must rise at least 300 feet above the saddle that connects it to the nearest 14er peak (if another exists nearby). For a whole list of Colorado’s 14ers check out – http://www.14ers.com/photos/photos_14ers1.html
My friend running the Mt Evans Ascent actually has a cabin near Idaho Springs. So, we are planning on going up after work on Friday and not worry about the 1.5 hour drive on race day. This is a good thing to help get a little acculmated to the higher elevation a little earlier.
So, I am making a checklist to pack my bag tonight and prepare for the run. The checklist contains your normal items for a race like fuel belt, shoes, running gear, Forerunner, etc. I will need to add a few things like tylenol for the elevation; jacket, gloves, & beanie for the unpredictable weather, and of course sunscreen for the glaring sun during the rise to the summit. I also plan on taking my Weezie Wipe for a summit picture . If you are wondering what a Weezie Wipe is, you can see a few here.
I will also be carrying my camera to try and snap some good pictures along the way. You can see some pictures from the 2007 Mt Evans Ascent here – http://www.skipix.com/skipixv2/viewsubcategory.php?lang=en&subcategoryid=102.
I will try and put a race report up Saturday, but it may end up being later. There is a post race party in Idaho Springs after the race. Results will end up on the Mt Evans Ascent website here -
http://www.racingunderground.com/mtevans/
So, keep an eye out here and I will post something soon.
Woo Hoo, I finally achieved an official sub 20 5K! The conditions were perfect, nice and sunny and not too warm. A nice rootbeer float waited for me at the finish
Official Time: 19:43 (6:20 pace)
Race Number: 939
Ranking: Overall – 42/611
Distance: 3.11 (3.11 garmin) Nike+ – 3.08
Temperature: low 60’s
Starting: Coopersmith’s Pub in downtown Ft Collins
Ending: Coopersmith’s Pub in downtown Ft Collins
Start Time: 8:03 AM
Ending Time: 8:23 AM
Gear: Shorts, short sleeve tech shirt (1Miletogo Relay Shirt), injinji socks, Nike Jasari’s, Forerunner 305.
Nutrition: Breakfast = Oatmeal, golden Raisins, honey
Nutrition: Pre-Race = supplements (endurolytes, anti-fatigue, sportslegs, race caps).
Nutrition: During Race = Quencher gum
Splits: (Based on Garmin Forerunner)
Mile 1 – 6:14
Mile 2 – 6:21
Mile 3 – 6:27
.11 – 0:44
5K – 19:46 (19:43 Official)
Pre-Race:
Saturday: Signed up at Runners Roost in Fort Collins.
Race Day:
4:30 A.M. - Got up and prepped.
5:00 A.M. – Ran an easy 4 miles.
5:30 A.M. – Breakfast & Shower.
7:15 A.M. - Drove the 2 miles to race start. Met a couple friends at the start, talked grabbed some water & stretched.
7:55 A.M. – There was a little confusion where the start was, we all ended up moving a few hundred yards down the road.
8:03 A.M. – The race started a few minutes late.
Race:
I was standing on the start line and everyone was getting ready, you know the usual looking at our watches and getting ready to push start. Someone behind me said I will be following him, 1Miletogo Some cones had to be moved out of the road, and then people started running. I guess the race started and we started to run after them. I was pacing with a friend, Aaron, so that we could both go sub 20. The course had a few very sharp turns, but I took them in stride.
We ran down the road and spun at the first 180 degree turn heading back down the other side of the road. I waved to a friend, Steve, pushing his two kids in a stroller and continued on. The race route then took a 90 degree turn and we started the long stretch down Remington Street.
Everything was going well, I started a little fast, but that happens with any race. We passed the 800m mark of the race. The first male & female to pass that point would get 2 round trip Southwest Airlines tickets and $100 cash bonus, it wasn’t me. I settled into the 6:20ish pace that I was aiming for and we passed the 1 Mile mark. Aaron was pacing me and he came close to a course cone and had to jump over it.
A little way down the road was some heavy construction. It seems that recently there was a water main break. The course went around it and I continued on. At the halfway mark the course turned and we headed down the other side of Remington Street. I passed the Aide station without fueling and continued on. Aaron was a few paces behind me as I continued down Remington and soon saw the 2 Mile mark.
I saw Steve pushing the stroller and he shouted something to me and I waved. I found out later he said 41. He had counted how many people were ahead of me. Not too bad. I started to feel a little fatigued, but I continued on, I had to go sub 20 minutes on this run.
With less than 400 meters to go, I exited Remington back onto Mountain Street. I looked at my watch and saw that I was at 18:20. I could do it. I ran down Mountain and did the 180 degree turn and then headed toward the finish. I saw Aaron waving to me on the other side, he said you have it, I knew that I would be able to get the sub 20. My Garmin beeped right after the finish line. It had to be the closest Garmin had been to the actual race distance that I have seen so far, almost perfect.
Post-Race:
I went through the finish shoot and grabbed a cup of water. I waited for Aaron, he was about 30 seconds behind me. He just missed the sub 20, he had some stomach issues around mile 1, but pushed through for a good finish.
We soon parted ways and I saw Steve come through the finish line with his kids. His wife met him and they congratulated me for going under 20. We grabbed a water bottle and a rootbeer float. It is amazing how good ice cream and cold rootbeer taste after running.
Race Map:
Race Splits:
Race Elevation:
Nike+ Graph:
The year was 1988, the NES was still hot and happening. After Super Mario & Zelda came Metal Gear. Most people who played the NES in the late 80’s should remember Metal Gear. One of the first stealth based games. Who could forget climbing into a cardboard box and sneaking past guards! The bigger than life bosses, all of the security cards that you had to collect.
Gaming seemed so great in those days, the Nintendo blew the Atari out of the water. Gone were the days of the single bouncing dot or the blob that was your character. Gaming had gone 8-bit baby!
Well, in 20 years, the Metal Gear franchise has seen multiple sequels, 6 games in total (one on the PSP). Now the 7th and final game that will star Solid Snake, the character that has been a major part of the series so far.
So, lets take a quick look of how far Snake has gone in regard to game play. Here is the video from the first Metal Gear video on the 8-Bit NES.
Here is the game play video from the New Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PS3.
Since the original Metal Gear I have played a couple of the titles, but I will need to look into MGS4.
In a little over a week I will be running this video. Lets take a virtual trip up America’s Highest paved road. The race will start at Echo lake which is a mere 10,600′ and finish just below the summit of the 14,264′ peak! Enjoy the video, my legs started aching as I watched it. The trip seemed longer than 14.5 miles.
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