Life on the Run

Saturday, January 4, 2014

2013 Wrap Up

Like many other people I am in the habit of looking back, reflecting, and planning at this time of the year. Don't take that statement wrong. I am not a "New Years resolution" guy. It's just not my thing. I review and resolve almost daily, so I rarely come up with self-help, uplifting, life changing epiphanies or motivations just because the calendar and culture incite self-doubts or aspirations. It is my shortcomings, varied life interests, and that incessant depletion of my time on Earth that continually motivate me to make changes in latitude or attitude.

With that in mind I am dedicating this post to some data and then another to some photos. Both will focus, as usual, on some of the sport and travel/adventures of my life. I also want to point out the fact that I really haven't put much thought into the upcoming year. I only know that I intend to greet the sun while I run, cycle fast while keeping the rubber side down, seek adventures in old and new landscapes, travel often cheaply, and comply with my insatiable desire to make and develop friendships.

My entry into the 2013 numbers and memories game . . .

Mileage that matters with (weekly doses):

Running miles: 869 (16.7 mpw) - at least one run* per week
Cycling miles: 1902 (57.6 mpw) - only cycled 33 weeks
Hiking miles: 225 (4.3 mpw) - appalling
Driving miles: 21,246 (409 mpw) - some long road trips

I am pretty sure that I ran and cycled fewer miles than any of the recreational and serious athletes I know of. This level suits me. I train for healthy living, not for a purpose in life. I don't get training injuries. I train smart for long term fitness and for happiness. I race to test myself and to enjoy the company of like-minded people. I drive a lot because I love the open road and because that is how I travel to most of these wonderful races and adventures.
*Many of the summer runs turned into walks as I struggled with the nerve injury.

Some other 2013 numbers that may or may not matter:

Weight: 143 lbs (since 1986)
States Visited: 15 (not nearly enough!)
Height: 5'9" (and holding since 1982)
Breweries Visited: 31 (a solid, but improvable mark)
Races: 15 (not including two DNS)
Nerves Damaged: 1 (pain in the neck!)
Age: 28 (since 1991)
BMI: 21 (static)
Summits: 13 (far too few for true happiness)
Wineries Visited: 14 (all in one day!) ((not really))
Resting HR: 34 (most mornings)
National Parks Visits: 8 (a down year, but I sense an upswing)
Broken bones: 2 (hey, it was a good year!)
Max HR: 191 (based on yearly tests)
Stouts Drank: 365 (I didn't count, but this sounds dreamy)
Ultras run: 0 (SAD - see note on Races above)

Top Performances - before the nerve damage was recognized - I was already dragging my left foot and weaving down the road on the bike - I just hadn't yet realized I was broken because of the slow buildup of symptoms.

Bike: 10K for Senior (ouch) Games (Eville) - 13:54 (26.8 mph)
The legs did not feel powerful that day and I rode the wrong
bike or I would have also raced the 5K - it was my
warm up in 7:28.

Run: Oak Barrel Half Marathon (Lynchburg, TN) - 1:19:59 (6:06 pace)
Not because I won, since I know the field was downy soft.
I've run faster there, but I ran alone at an even pace (6 splits
@ sub-5:50) on that tough course - and I set a PR of 7:08
on the fifth mile up Whiskey Hill.

Du: Du Worlds (Ottawa, CA) - The euphoria of getting to the starting line
was as exciting as stepping onto the podium with a friend. I am
extremely proud to have overcome the burdens of that life
changing experience. I am also thankful for all of the people
and technology (Polar) that manipulated my body and
guided me to that podium. The defining effort of 2013.

Most Enjoyable Race:

Turkey Track Trail Half Marathon (Pagosa Springs, CO) This race was well organized. The winding and rolling course was scenic and tranquil. And they put together the best post-race party EVER - at the Pagosa Springs Brewery. Also, I'll admit my vertical bias leans toward this race since it marked the highest altitude I raced at in 2013 with an average of 8000 feet. I only wish I had been acclimated and healthy. Come to think of it, the mocha and ambiance at Higher Grounds Coffee rivaled any I've experienced, including City on a Hill in Leadville. Hey, Pagosa Springs, do you need a darned good chemistry teacher?

Honorable mention goes to the LBL Trail Run because I love that trail.

Most Memorable Trip:

The Colorado trip (CO, USA) - I basically circumnavigated the state as I tried to keep ahead of and away from the fires (I failed over and over). I especially enjoyed the time spent exploring and hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park and at Mesa Verde. I've experienced them both before, but not like I did last summer. Huge thank you and hug to the Idiots who put me up and put up with me during my stay in the front range.

Honorable mention goes to the Tucson trip during which I raced, spent valuable time with family, and studied the desert at the amazing Sonora Desert Museum with friends.

Best New Brewery:

Easy choice here. Elevation Beer Co. in Poncha Springs, CO. I've experimented as a brewer for 25 years and I've tasted beers in 125 microbreweries as I have traveled all over the country. Beer for beer, these boys have formulated some of the fullest flavored and balanced ingredient beers I've tasted. Heck, I even liked their First Cast IPA - and I'm not an IPA fan. Because I wasn't going to be able to get any of this fine brew in Indiana, I removed several valued personal items from the car in order to take home a generous supply of Browns Canyon, Third Base, and False Summit to share with friends.

Honorable mentions go to the Lift Bridge Brewing Co. (MN), Wicked Weed (NC), and Pagosa Springs Brewery (CO). All three make great tasting beers that are definitely worth the visit.

Given that the nerve injury minimized my training and racing while also causing me to turn home en route to a major trip, I must admit that 2013 was a tough year that tested my mettle thoroughly. As usual, I will try to focus on the high points when I reminisce and story tell. The only other thought I have right now is, "It's time to move on." ST

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

GPS Approximations

I recently carried out a USATF certification of the local Turkey Day 5K course. The race promoter wanted the course to have the same start and finish line, so I had to make extra measurements. In fact, I toured the course eleven times to make sure it was as accurate as possible while adjusting for a common start/finish line.

Though I have not kept count, I believe that I have carried out this process more than 150 times dating back to the 1980s. This measurement went smoothly. The temperature remained constant, so six of the eight calibration rides, four before and four after the final three rides, resulted in the same number of clicks. I encountered light traffic, which allowed for tight tangents on the almost constantly arcing course. The three rides on the final course only varied by five clicks. That leaves me quite confident in saying that the race distance over the measured tangents was 3.107 miles with an error of +/- 0.001 miles (+/- 5 ft).

That accuracy and precision was with the Jones Counter. The GPS devices I had with me on those rides resulted in a completely different story. I know this has been chronicled in several articles published in national papers and magazines, but it seems that lot of people have not downloaded their data and then zoomed in on the maps. That leads them to believe that their prized GPS devices are super accurate, not to be questioned, measuring devices. Sorry. They are not. If they were, the sport federations would allow us to certify courses with them.

Here is a superficial look at how GPS devices work. GPS units receive transmissions from satellites in the GPS network. The receiver and satellite are set up to be in synch, so the receiver (your GPS watch, handheld, auto unit, etc) uses lag time of the satellite signal to determine position. The "Man" lets us have signals that come at time intervals resulting in, AT BEST, an 8-10 meter (25-40 ft) ESTIMATION of where the receiver is at a given time. Please reread that last line. It is important that you have that in mind before you view the satellite map images of my race during that recent 5K.

The shot above seems to indicate that I started on the courthouse steps. I assure you that I was just right of the center of the road. I am impressed with the luck of the two flags being so close together. This is not usually the case.

This second shot proves that I am, in fact, Superman, since I ran straight through two stone and steel walls of the hotel. This bizarre path folks, is the GPS drawing a straight line between two satellite transmissions. The device assumes we travel in straight lines between signal readings, so it often cuts off corners like this. Still, I like the image of me powering through those walls while maintaing pace.

More straight line "curves." This time they indicate that I was taking a shortcut - running through the grass and along the sidewalk. Yep. That's what I did. Shhhh.

The first U-turn. GPS devices have their minor shortcomings, but their largest errors come when there are U-turns or trail switchbacks. The likelihood of the device getting a signal at that pivot point is dependent on speed and, mostly, luck. That means "not very likely." Sure, I saw the cones at the end of the median, but I decided to leap over the median and run straight toward my friend, Jeremy, in a game of chicken. Yeah, that's what I was up to.

The second U-turn. Hey, I got away with it the first time!

The in-race measurement pictured above was 3.06 miles. The corner and U-turn errors seem to easily make up for the .05 mile error.

By the way, the GPS measurements during certification varied between 3.05 and 3.14 miles. That is a difference of 475 ft! (Remember, the Jones Counter had a consistency of about 5 ft) The route for the longest GPS measurement managed to go beyond one of the U-turns, then had me riding through the river for a quarter of a mile, (Superman. Duh!) and ended beyond the finish line.

The moral to the story is the same one projected in the articles appearing in major publications. Your GPS is a great tool for approximating distances, but it does not measure infallibly. So, please do not use your GPS measurements to tell a race director that their course is too long or too short. You might, instead, ask them if it has been certified with a Jones Counter using the stringent USATF certifying procedure. ST

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The day after Du Nats I was fortunate enough to spend seven hours touring the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum with some amazing people. We arrived early in the morning and strolled more than two miles along the asphalt and gravel pathways while taking in the sights and sounds of a living museum. The ASDM pays tribute to and offers a short course in the history and livelihood of the vast Sonora Desert which spans a vast area of northwest Mexico and the southwest of the U.S.

The 21-acre facility features more than 1200 native flora species and 230 native fauna species that are in 16 separate gardens throughout the desert landscape that makes up the museum. In other words, there was a lot to see. Enough that we were not able to see a few of the more elusive animals in our day-long visit.

Below are some of the amateur 200+ photos I took with my point and shoot Canon elf. Hopefully, these photos will entice you to spend one of your valuable days exploring and learning the ASDM. You'll be glad that you made the effort. Click and take in a slideshow.