St. Louis Girls on the Run 5k - May 2009

It was a wonderful day to run in St. Louis' Forrest Park today. Robin Rivard (STL-GOTR Race Director) and Jill Indovino (STL-GOTR Council Director) were kind enough to extend me an invitation to run their 5k, which is the culmination of their springtime Girls on the Run 24-week program.

It was really fun to meet the GOTR Family and helping set-up and takedown event material before and after the race. They also gave me the honor of presenting trophies to each of the overall and age group winners. What a blast!

The best part of the whole day was watching the youngsters enjoy the fruits of their training as they tackled the 3.1-mile course through the park along with the 1-mile fun run participants. If you’re ever in need of an energy boost I recommend tracking down the next GOTR event in your area and going along for a run with the kids – it’s great!

Thank you, Robin and Jill, for the generous invitation; it really was a special day for me.

Below I’ve posted some pictures & videos that help illustrate what a great time everyone had today…under a sunny, cloudless sky, and 65 degree temperatures.

Setting up this early morning with the guys:

The check-in is ready to handle the 3,500+ participants!

High five, girls!!!

Council Director, Jill, cheers on the runners as they near the finish...

We're nearing the finish...

These kids know how to celebrate!

Congratulations to all of the finishers today - great job!

Best for now,

Jason

Vancouver, BC - The North Shore Enduro with Club Fat Ass

The North Shore Enduro, From a Missouri Perspective…

It’s going to be tough to do the North Shore Enduro justice. That is a statement about more than just the race, too. The peripheral activities magnified the Enduro to a level of excitement and fun I’ve never experienced in running – seriously. You’re probably already sensing it, so I’ll just say it: I’m now spoiled forever on trails. Now, this is not a bad thing, this is a good thing. I learned a ton about running this weekend in only a few hours of being on the trails in Lynn Canyon.


I witnessed some of the highest level of running prowess you’ll find on planet earth (no joke), coupled with some of the most friendly, accommodating and hospitable people you can imagine. Throw in rushing creek waters; 600ft per loop of stair master 1,000,000 level climbs, roots, rocks and massive 50ft+(?) tall cedar trees – now you’ve got yourself a running event!

The winner, Mr. Gary Robins (new course record holder), ran 9 loops (over 40 miles) in 5hrs 34min 36sec and overcame approximately 6,000ft of climb. Let's call it about 8:20 per mile - INSANE FAST on this roller coaster ride. Well done Gary!

The North Shore Enduro is hosted by a wonderful group of ultra runners, Club Fat Ass, and they are based in Vancouver. I “met” Club Fat Ass through Andrea Reynolds, proprietor of Running Chics in Republic, MO. It is a really long story, so just trust me that I’m lucky to know these fine people – I truly mean that. Oh, and there’s a link to their site here on my blog (just click on the Club Fat Ass logo in the lower left corner of this page) and you can read all about them – they’re fantastic and I encourage you to check them out. If you’re looking for a good technical fabric running shirt, look no further than Club Fat Ass. It’s only $25(Canadian) + shipping and it’s the best money can buy, if you ask me.

So here’s the situation for the Enduro:

Format: 6hr run (go as far as you can in the time-limit), but you can stop any time you want (these are easy going, laid back people – easy to like)
The Course: Lynn Canyon in the stunning North Shore area – a trail loop that’s about 7.25k
Difficulty: ok, that’s subjective, but the trail offered everything from forestry roads, to perfectly groomed & wide trails, to some of the most technical roots, rocks, stumps, etc. that this Ozark Foothills runner has ever seen. And I already mentioned the 600ft climb, which went from a beautiful rushing riverbank to partially up the side of a mountain. All of this in only 7.25k – AWESOME! My Garmin added up 11,900ft of elevation change during my run (that's for 3 loops, so nearly 4,000ft per loop).

I only did a bit more than 3 loops in about 2hrs 24mins (just over 14 miles). Not too shabby given the terrain and it’s my first long run back since MO-AR TREK. But this wasn’t about a race for me, it was about being with some new friends, and my new friend Kristie was on the trail with Lauren too!

Some of the pictures tell the rest of the story. But if any of you reading out here ever get a chance to go to Vancouver, DON’T FORGET your running gear!

Jason

Why you'd do it...

I don't get the question as much now that I actually 'did' it - run from Kirkwood, MO to Bentonville, AR, that is. But before I ran, I was often asked "Why?".

I would be remiss if I didn't post this picture.

Girls on the Run of Queen City, out of the Springfield/Republic, MO area, sent me a gift today! And WOW, what a gift. Several of the 5th graders from GOTR Director Trish Hopkins' Queen City council actually took the time to make me hand-written thank you cards and a custom poster!

It's difficult to explain how something like unsuspected thank you notes from 5th graders could give me such a huge lift in spirits, but I'm sure you can imagine.

One of the funniest things about the notes: a consistency in their messages. All of the girls had written that they very sincerely appreciated our help for their council and nearly all wrote that I AM CRAZY for running 300+ miles.

I emailed a note to Trish that I agreed, it was crazy - but the girls well being is WORTH IT.

Thanks GOTR Queen City. I'm looking forward to tuning in to heroic epics of your own someday - whether they be epic runs or otherwise.

Sincerely,

Jason

What happens after 317 miles?

It's a good question. The answer, at least from me, is "I have no idea".

Many thanks to my friend, Roger Hill, for prompting me to write a "1-week" follow up note.

I have to say, there's definitely a coming down period. It was fun to be out on the road every day. I only had to worry about the steps in front of me. It was all that mattered at the time and a common demoninator that stripped away any 'uneccessary' extras. When faced with days of running, making progress is really all you concern yourself with. Quite liberating in a way, and I recommend it to anyone reading this post.

I'm feeling pretty good (thanks for asking, Roger!). I've tried to take advice from the people who know best and rest my left leg a bit. Within the last week I've had two 1-hour volleyball sessions and a 2-hour hike on a nice trail near St. Louis.

Yesterday I actually went for a run. Felt pretty good, honestly, and I'm super excited to be headed to Vancouver, BC, Canada this weekend to 'run' in a Club Fat Ass event dubbed the "North Shore Enduro". It's a 6-hour race on a loop course that is about 7-8k in length.

I've never been to Vancouver, but I know it's next to some serious mountains. I'm not a great trail runner (or great 'any other type of runner', for that matter), but I'm very glad to be meeting some friends of mine, Kristie C., Ferg H., and Sibylle T. - plus some others.

Even if I have to hike/walk the North Shore Enduro, it will have been worth the flight to B.C. I love the outdoors, mountains, and tall evergreens. It's going to be AWESOME.

I don't have any races planned in the STL area in the near term, save the Girls on the Run 5k in St. Louis at Forrest Park on 5/17/09 (Sunday). If anyone is interested, it's a fun race starting at the Muny in Forrest Park - and I encourage you to come out in support of Girls on the Run.

If anyone is interested in a run near STL in the near future, by all means, leave a post out here and I'm most likely to take you up on an invite.

Would love to hear from you all on how your training and races are going if you care to comment in a post.

Best for now,

Jason

Numbers & Such

Many people have asked for stats on the MO-AR TREK. I’ve included information below that may help answer some questions I’ve fielded.

The best I can do is providing the information that my GPS watch (Garmin Forerunner 305) recorded during MO-AR TREK, plus a couple of little ‘anecdotal’ tid-bits Lauren and I thought of. I really don’t know how accurate the Garmin is. I haven’t researched that, and I don’t plan to because MO-AR TREK is about helping Girls on the Run, not about racing or results. Besides, had it been a race, I would have been the 1st AND last place finisher! Nonetheless, I do like numbers and data, so I find it interesting as well.

The clock stops for no one (sort of). MO-AR TREK was not a continuous run - I'm pretty crazy, but not THAT crazy.

From the start of the run for each day until the final mileage was achieved for that day the clock ran 100% of the time, whether running, walking, changing shoes, picking my nose, etc. The clock was stopped after running for the day and restarted at the beginning of the next day’s run.

Prepare to be unimpressed, especially you faster runners!

Total Distance: 316.86 (509.94 kilometers)
Total Running Days: 9
Avg. Miles per day: 35.21
Avg. Minutes per mile: 12:37
Avg. Miles per hour: 4.7
Fastest Mile (minutes/mile): 8:12
Slowest Mile (minutes/mile): 37:04
Fastest Pace total day (minutes/mile): 10:47 (Day 2 – 38.08 miles - Union, MO to Leasburg, MO)
Slowest Pace total day (minutes/mile): 14:31 (Day 7 – 36.17 miles - Springfield, MO to Verona, MO)
Longest Run: 40 miles (Day 5 - Hazelgreen, MO to Niangua, MO)
Shortest Run: 21.42 miles (Day 9 – Seligman Hollow, MO to Bentonville, AR)
Calories Consumed: 44,429
Weight Change: -3lbs
Avg. Heart Rate: 133 bpm
Elevation Ascent: +31,813ft
Elevation Descent: -31,108ft
Total Elevation Change: +705ft
Pairs of shoes rotated: 5
Blisters: 0 (seriously, I’m even amazed at this one. The heat never got too bad and I used a lot of petroleum jelly on my feet – seems to have done the trick! Plus, good shoe fit is KEY)
Avg. Attempts for Lauren to ‘get it right’ with the tape on my left leg: 3
Dead Roadside Opossums: 38
Number of sports drink & water gallons consumed: 16.5
Favorite recovery food or drink: Chocolate Milk with additional skim milk powder added (for extra protein post run)


Let me know if there are others you think of that I might be able to answer for you. I'll be glad to provide the info if I have it. Just drop a comment out here and I'll repsond with a comment so that anyone else interested can see the info.


All the best for now,

Jason

Day 9 - 21.42 Miles - Seligman Hollow, MO to Bentonville, AR

Seligman Hollow, MO - The beginning of the end:

It was a beautiful day for running! Temperatures were lower and winds, while gusting at times, were more cross than head on. It was a nice change from the previous couple of days. Knowing you're near the finish, as in any run, can be a big boost too. Equally as big a lift was having my younger brother, Jon along for the day. Here's a video of us starting the day:

Jon and I had a few tough hills in the early miles. I decided to push it up this one a bit. It's debatable who actually won the race to the top, but I think I did. However, I know Jon took it easy on me since it was "my day". Oh, and Jon didn't wait long at the top of the hill to turn on the gas and remind me that he could have blasted me. Thanks bro, for letting me think for a moment I had some gumption!

I have to admit, I felt a little guilty that I didn't have at least a full marathon distance to cover on the last day. However, 21.42 miles was a welcome change from the grueling 35 to 40 mile runs I'd been managing for the previous 8 days. I decided to make sure I put in a good 1/2 Marathon time, assuming I could muster one, and then just enjoy the last 8 miles on cruise control. That worked out really well.

More milestones:

We crossed the Missouri/Arkansas border about 1.5 miles in to the run. From there, we set our sights on the 300-mile mark, which was 4.76 miles in to the run. Eventually, we even broke through the 500k point at 15.76 miles into the run. It was really fun to have so many big marks land all in one run.

Friends:

Just before we reached the 500k mark, I was joined by Kevin O'Neill (my best bud). Kevin even ran a stretch with me! Kev told me he never doubted for a moment that I would complete this run when I told him about it months ago. Thanks Kev, your confidence in me means a lot!

A modern day hero:
Lisa is the council director of Central Missouri Girls on the Run in Clinton, MO. A few people over the last 9 days have accused me of being a hero, but I pale in comparison to real heroes. Lisa is a real hero. In fact, in my book, she's a super hero. An accomplished marathoner herself, Lisa ran 5 or 6 miles of the final day of MO-AR TREK with me just to show her appreciation for what we've been able to do for her council. Lisa works with young girls every year to improve their esteem, their fitness, and their understanding of their own aptitude. Lisa makes a difference in our kid's lives every day. Thank you Lisa, for joining me for a run & to help us celebrate the completion of MO-AR TREK. You are truly amazing! You can bet you'll see Lauren and me in Clinton, MO in the future to visit you and your GOTR participants. YOU are my hero.

A sprint to the finish:

As for the finish, it wasn't just me who deserved to cross that line. Lauren and I ran the last bit together. This is significant, because Lauren would never run, unless in a life threatening debacle with a carnivorous animal. As we neared the finish Lauren turned to me and asked if I would sprint to the finish. So we did. This embedded video shows our last push. Sorry, Lauren, for turning on the speed too much - but at least I did wait for you to cross through the tape with me! :D

Celebrate!:

We, of course, would not have come all this way without celebrating. It wasn't an over the top party. I'm glad about that because it's not really my style. Instead, we have tasty & healthy homemade food and fun games to play, like washers! What a blast! However, the party didn't even last until dark because Lauren and I were so darned tired that we crashed a bit early. All in all, it seemed that everyone had a great time. Thanks, Mom & Charlie, for hosting such a nice party.

More to come:

There are some things that are worth fighting for. I believe that the health of our children is one such cause. This was easily the most difficult task I've ever taken on in my entire life. It was worth every step and all the pain and frustration of the journey. In my mind I'm sure I "quit" a million times over the course of 9 days, but I never voiced it out loud. I just figured out a way to keep going. I'm not a gifted athlete, I'm an average guy. Before MO-AR TREK, I've never run more than about 80 miles in 1 week. I'm not fast either, but I learned that when I believe in something worth fighting for I'm willing to go the distance no matter how long it takes. There are many others out there willing to fight too. Consider that with your help we've raised over $6,300 to be shared among 3 Missouri Girls on the Run councils. There's a lot more on the way because several people pledged an amount per mile completed for the MO-AR TREK. I'm hopeful that we can get to $8,000 plus. Thanks for supporting this cause and the Girls on the Run councils in Missouri!

Most of all, thank you Lauren, for helping me reach my goal. We did it together, and I'm proud of what we've accomplished for ourselves and for Girls on the Run. You were with me every step of the way, never doubted me, and always supported this crazy idea 110%. We really are best friends, and have demonstrated through MO-AR TREK that love is a verb, not a noun.

I'll be making another post later today. I'm a "numbers" person and I know many of my ultrarunner friends will want to know some of the stats. Things like elevation change and other factoids are helpful in understanding the scale of difficulty of long runs. I'm happy to share that a little later today as Lauren and I make our way back to St. Louis - in a CAR.

Please know that I received and loved EVERY ONE of the comments you all posted out here on the blog. I'm sorry I couldn't respond to all of them, but know that they helped - each and every one of them. Feel free to post more questions and comments as thoughts come to mind and I'll be happy to respond.

All the best from Bentonville, AR,

Jason

The home stretch

One last tape job ought to do it! Jason is on the last three miles. It's been a long journey. Many highs, many lows. He conquered every mile, every yard, every foot, every step. He doesn't have many to go now until that frost brewed victory beer.