2011 Pocono Marathon Preview (& a Local 10k Review)

Me at the Pocono Marathon Start (2009)

Next weekend I will toe the line at my third "Run for the Red" Pocono Marathon.  This race has somewhat of a warm spot in my heart as it was my first marathon and still is where I hold my current marathon distance PR.  Back in 2008 when I decided to start running, after not having jogged more than a couple miles since high school cross country, I set my sights high on a marathon.  I decided to start an 18 week training program on January 1st and so began looking for races in early May that were somewhat close to central Pennsylvania.  Pocono sounded like a good first-timer course, and was only a few hours away.  I signed up after my 9th week of training.

...and the rest, as they say, is history.

While my running interests the past few years have shifted more to those trail-related, and while I generally enjoy a fun 50 mile ultra over a pavement pounding race, I still get excited about this Pocono road marathon.  I associate Winter and Spring training with running around the neighborhoods, parks, and gamelands of State College in preparation for this race and the start of the Summer running season.  I sincerely missed this race last year (despite being on an amazing trek along the PCT) and am very glad and eager to be back on the entrants list again.  

Some Course Updates:  

Apparently since 2009, the course has changed a bit....for the better.  Historically, the first 6 miles or so involved a rather unfavorable out-n-back portion.  According the website and course map, this has been changed so that it is more linear now with a slightly better elevation profile too!  Both welcome changes in my book.  Also, this year, there will be official pacers in the race for 5 minute intervals ranging from 3hrs 20 mins, to over 4 hours.

Training and Preparedness:

I have never in my life trained harder for a long distance race than I have for this year's Pocono marathon and upcoming season.  I still used a modified Hal Higdon style training program, but I stepped it up to a 5-day-a-week program (with one day a week cross training and cycling days).  My weekly mileages were on average 5-10 miles higher than any previous program I've used.  My running the past few months has been greatly improved over any previous season or year.  6 weeks ago, I tested out my racing legs by running in my first "official" race of the season part way through my training program.  I went out and ran a local 10 mile road run averaging 7:29 miles.  I could not believe that I ran this fast, but gladly accepted it.  During the past 13 weeks of training, I've never run what I consider to be "race pace" for my weekend long runs.  To me it's more important to run the miles, not the times.  Yet, with that said, I comfortably ran my 22 mile peak week long run two weeks ago averaging 8:25 miles.  This is the same pace that I PR'd at the Pocono Marathon two years ago...and I was not running anywhere near "race pace".    Over the past three months, I've watched as my average times have come down.  Starting my training, I was averaging 8:45 miles, just like usual, and now I am averaging almost a minute faster per mile on my shorter runs (~7:50-7:55)...and this is still not running what I consider a hard "race pace".

  

While I'm not running nearly as many miles as the elite or hard-core runners, I still managed close to two-hundred miles in both March and April.  I've also noticed that my heart-rates have been much improved.  At some point about half-way into my training, I noticed my average heart-rates had come down significantly.  Usually I averaged about 155 bpm on an normal run.  Now I'm averaging in the 140's, even when running 7:45 - 8:00 pace.  So why all of a sudden are my times so much better and why has my performance improved....especially since I'm not getting any younger?  Well I thought a lot about this and attribute it to a couple of things.  Here's what I've come up with in my unprofessional/non-medical opinion.

• Adding in a 5th day of running every week.  Not only does this increase my mileage, and limit my rest days, but it adds a back-to-back component on the weekends and has me running the day right after my long runs.  I think this acts as sort of a kick start to my metabolism and performance.  This is sort of what I call the "hardening up" factor.  I equate it to hiking multiple long days in a row on a thru-hike.  Rather than run a long run and then vegetate the next day, I force my body to heal quickly and not get "too comfortable".  I am probably imagining this, but it just seems that it forces my body to keep functioning at a higher performance level.

• Increased Mileage.  This goes along with the previous comment.  I think the simple act of increasing my mileage is generally a good thing for performance.  This is the first time that I used an "intermediate level" training program.  I felt it was time I graduated from novice.  So far it's paid off.  My peak week this year was 50 miles, 10 miles higher than previous years.  When ultra season begins in June, I'm hoping to up that to closer to 70 miles/week.

• Pace Style Runs.  I really tried to "push" at least one run each week.  This was usually on one of my shorter Tuesday or Thursday runs.  I made a conscious effort to pick up the pace a bit.  I think that throwing in a day or two of higher intensity pace running each week has made a difference.  For me, a "pace run" isn't "race pace", but it's faster than my normal "comfortable pace".

• Cross Training.  Historically I've treated the "cross training" day in the training program as a glorified rest day.  I would convince myself that walking around town constituted cross training.  Once in a while, I would do some strength training or go on a day hike, but usually I just sat on my ass.  This meant I basically took Sundays and Mondays off...giving my body too much time to sort of, re-sloth.  During my training this year, I've made a concerted effort to cross-train.  Back in March, I bought a new touring bike and have been taking it out at least once a week for long rides.  In addition, I've been riding into school at least 2 days a week and walking into school at least 3 days a week (4 miles round trip).  In general, I've made an effort to walk a lot more too.  Cycling still baffles me a bit as far as overall fitness.  Every friend I have here at school that is an active rider, is rail thin....yet a lot of runners I know, even those that run 40+ miles a week, still have a bit of body fat (myself included).  I've worn my heart-rate monitor while riding and my heart-rate is always much lower than when running, and I always burn less calories.  Generally I average about 130 bpm while riding.  This is certainly in the aerobic fat-burning zone, but even on a 25 mile ride, I burn way less calories than when I run, say, 13 miles.  In light of all of this, I don't really understand why cycling would make a person thinner than a runner...but there still seems to be some truth to it.  I think there is something fundamentally different about the way our bodies burn fat and use energy when cycling...over running.   I think that by adding in this component into my training, it's not only helped me become more fit and thin, but also improved my fitness level.

• Diet.  For the past few years I've wanted to find a healthy diet that I'm happy with.  Since 2005,  I've become more aware about my genetic predisposition to the risks of heart disease and since tried to improve my overall diet and eating habits.  I tried the vegetarian thing for over a year, and I was pretty miserable.  In addition, it didn't help my cholesterol numbers come down at all.  I haven't really been able to settle in on anything that I've been truly happy and/or excited about.....until recently.   I decided about two months ago, that I wanted to try to shift a large portion of my overall food intake to fruits.  Who doesn't love fruit right?  In addition, I wanted to make an effort to increase my vegetable, and other raw food intake as well.  No, this does not mean I'm a vegan, or a fruitarian, or a raw-foodist.  I still eat fish, some chicken, and grains.  I am not trying a fad, or changing this based on some book I read or video I saw.  It just seemed to be common sense to me....fruits (and vegetables) grow out of the Earth in their natural form...and this is how our body should be fed.  How can eating an orange NOT be healthy?  So, I've been buying a lot of produce lately (mostly fruit) and try to snack on fruit all day.  I eat seeds and nuts too, but try to limit my snacks to good, raw fruits and veggies.  Don't get me wrong...I still eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast, still have a daily cup of coffee, and eat a piece of chicken once in a while.  Overall, I've been really happy with how this has worked and how it's made me feel.  It sounds cliche'...but I just feel better.  In addition to simply being healthier, eating more "raw" foods requires more energy for my body to digest.  Cooking food, in a sense, partially breaks it down before you eat it...meaning that your body has to work less.   There are some foods that I have also simply cut out or limited significantly.  In short here are a few notable changes I've made to my diet:

• Lots of fruit - oranges, tomatoes, apples, plums, grapes, strawberries, lemons, cantaloupe
• Cut out dairy almost completely.  Not sure why cheese is marketed as healthy because it's terrible for you.  I've cut it out completely as it's very high in fat.  Replaced milk with plain organic soy milk.  Other than a little ice cream treat once in a rare while, a little yogurt, and a little cream in coffee, I try not to do dairy anymore.
• Replaced a lot of bad fats with good unsaturated fats.  Lots more cold-pressed olive oil, avacados, and raw peanut butter.  Lot less saturated fats in general.
• Daily lunch salads (usually with lots of tomatoes! - I absolutely love tomatoes)
• No alcohol.  OK...well almost.  I partake in a glass of wine here and there, and still have a beer rarely, but when I go out with others, I generally have a soda or water now.  In my mind, alcohol really is a sort-of poison for our bodies (especially our livers - mine of which is already at a genetic disadvantage) despite the benefits of a glass of red wine once in a while.  It's also a lot of empty calories.
• Try to do healthy fish at least two times a week.  At least one serving of fresh sushi a week.
• Smaller portions.  Not rocket science here....but it's amazing how much we try to cram in our stomachs.

• Weight.  When I got back from Antarctica, I was in less than ideal shape.  Working in the cold down there made me notably more hungry than normal and I ended up eating quite a bit to stay warm.  It didn't help that the cooks there made us incredible food.  While my BMI value still said I was "normal" I was right up there at the high end.  For my height, a weight of 167lbs was nearly considered "overweight".  I still felt I looked "average", but I knew I needed to slim up a bit.  I wasn't worried though as I always put a few pounds on in the dead of winter and knew the running would burn that off.  Since I started running and have found a happy/healthy diet, I've shed nearly 13 lbs and am down to a much healthier weight of 154 lbs.  I would still like to shed a few more, but I'm not forcing it.  I think my body is coming into a sort of equilibrium.  This 13 pound shedding has certainly improved my running times.  Simple introductory physics tells us that it takes less energy to move less mass.  As I've leaned up, my fitness has improved.  A lot less stress on my joints too.

• Training Run Variety.   Historically I have had my set training runs.  Set loops or out-n-backs for each distance.  I would look at my schedule to see what I was running that day, and do that particular run.  For this year, I've really tried to mix it up a lot.  Every day, I change my course so that I'm always running a different training run.  This has really helped to keep my runs fresh and exciting.  This has been a huge mental help and kept the long runs from being monotonous.  I think you always run a bit faster when you are simply "more into it".  This also gives me an excuse to play with google maps more....and you all know how much I LOVE playing with maps and geography in general (see "Seed is Planted" post).

• Setting Goals and Short "Test Races".  Setting tangible goals for myself has always been a strong motivator.  I find it very hard to go out on weekly runs, when I don't have a race in my sights.  Signing up for many big races this year, and signing up early, has given me very real goals to work towards.  This has kept me focused, even during long and trying weeks of school work.  Throwing in a few "test races" along the way has also been a big help.  It makes the wait for the "big race" not so long.  Half way through my training I ran that 10 miler and did surprisingly well.  It felt good to just be running with others in race mode for a change.  This weekend, I ran my second running of a local 10k here as a last little race before the big run next weekend.  I completely shocked myself at how well I performed, and I ran over 5 minutes faster than in 2009 shattering my 10k PR time (see details below).

GOAL:

Well here it is.  I've never been bold in my race goals.  I generally set a conservative goal with a more hopeful secondary goal.  This year I'm taking a risk and setting the bar a bit higher for myself.  My goal for this upcoming Pocono race is to break my previous marathon PR time of 3:39....something I truly didn't think I'd be able to do.  As a secondary goal, I want to try to break 3:30.  This is a very lofty secondary goal, but I think I'm capable of it especially considering my training run times.

1. Primary Goal:  Break Marathon PR Time of 3:39 (from 2009 Pocono)
2. Secondary Goal: Break time of 3:30

Wish me luck!

I am adopting a strategy of famous US marathoner Ryan Hall this week...and that is to put the marathon completely out of my mind all week.  Starting Monday morning, I will do my best to not think of the marathon at all until Saturday when I'm finally driving to it.  I am ready to run, I have trained hard, and now I will simply wait and enjoy my last taper week.  When the weekend comes though, I will get fierce and ferocious.  I will hit this race hard and with fervor.  Bring it!

Biedleheimer Sidewinder 10k: A New PR! (Review)

As I mentioned above, I ran a 10k this weekend as a sort of last shakedown of my preparedness.  Being only 10k, I don't feel it was long enough to really negatively impact my marathon taper as I was supposed to run an 8 miler anyway (although some might argue).  I was a bit fired up for this race as I knew from running it in 2009 that it is a fast one.  It's a really fun course along fire roads near Tussey Mountain with an overall negative elevation profile.  The course is actually leg #4 of the Tussey Mountainback 50 miler that is held here in October.  My time from 2009 was 45:53, and I was just hoping to beat that by a minute or two.  When the race started, I headed out at what I thought was a good race pace.  My heart rate was high, but not obnoxious.  At about the half-way point I realized that I was actually in 3rd place overall (of over 50 runners).  I have never been in third place for any race ever....so it was pretty exciting...BUT, this is when I realized that I probably went out a bit too fast.  I had actually made the half-way mark in under 20 minutes.  I couldn't believe this.  For 3 years now I've been trying to break 20 minutes on a 5k, and I haven't.  My best 5k time is 20:10...yet today during a 10k, I passed the half-way point in 19:45.  Unreal.   By mile 4.5, I was hurting...as I obviously went out too fast, and by mile 5, I was struggling quite a bit.  I forced my way through the last mile slowing down a fair amount, and inevitably got passed by a handful of people.  I didn't think that I had any chance of breaking 40 minutes so I eased to the finish once I realized there was no one close behind me.  Little did I know I'd be kicking myself later for that decision.  When the finish was in sight I saw the clock at a distance and it said 39:55.  DOH!  Had I pushed it a little harder at the end, I might have actually broken 40 minutes for a 10k.  Instead, I finished 8th place with a final time and new 10k PR of 40 minutes 32 seconds (40:32).  I still cannot believe this.  This equates to a 6:32 pace.  Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic with this time, even if I could have maybe broken 40 minutes.  I cannot believe I basically ran my best 5k pace ever, on a 10k course.  According to my running log (www.runningahead.com), my VO2max for this race was actually 51.2.  I have never broken 50 on any race....ever.  So overall it was a huge success.  The atmosphere was one of a trail run.  Very fun, friendly, and non-comptetive type people....just out to have some fun.  I love this type of run.  Can't wait to do it again next year.

(PICS and official race details - They adjusted times based on age using the WAVA system.  This is why even though I finished 8th, I "placed" 13th.  It's weird, but I only care about my raw time)

Very happy that the running season has begun!

...onward...

Reminiscing and the Big News

What an interesting week.  My little experiment to "unplug" was rather successful.  While I did cheat a couple of times to check weather and a few news bits, I held true to my goal of not surfing nor watching TV.  Last week I managed to get through quite a bit of school work and also spend more time with some hobbies that have been shelved as of late.  I would say in all honesty that I wasn't quite as productive as I'd hoped, but certainly more than I had been.  It was nice being able to sit at the coffee house with a book.  A real honest to goodness book....and just read.   I was the only one there without a laptop open.

Lots going on recently too.  Started my marathon taper, so my running schedule is finally easing up a little. Really looking forward to kicking off this year's running season in two weeks.  One of my biggest distractions this past week has been with trail reminiscing.  This past weekend was the Day-Zero PCT Kick-Off in Southern California.  All of the this year's aspiring thru-hikers were hanging out just as I was one year ago.  Thankfully, the organizers moved the kick-off back a week to help with the record snow this year.  I know a couple of people that were there and have since started their thru-hikes (Good luck Tommy!).  I had desperately wanted to attend again and catch up with some of my fellow class of 2010 hikers...but it just wasn't economically feasible  Add all of this to the fact that it was 4 years ago yesterday that I started my Appalachian Trail thru-hike and this marks the first year where I am dealing with two significant thru-hike anniversaries.  Needless to say my mind has been wandering a lot to thoughts of the trails.

and then...

Last night I decided to pop the TV on to see what kind of news I'd missed all week....and the bombshell dropped.  American Navy Seals had located and killed Osama bin Laden.  There were thousands of people in the streets here at Penn State screaming, chanting and celebrating......as I'm sure there were all over the country.

To be honest.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.   My very first thought when I heard this news was one of relief.  Finally this long chapter hanging over our heads can be closed.  The world is safer and a horrible and evil man will no longer be able to kill innocent people.  But to celebrate?  Celebrate what basically amounts to an assassination carried out by the US?  The whole eye for eye bit?  Don't get me wrong.  The man was as evil as they come, and surely deserved to be brought to justice.  Thousands of people around the world have died because of this man.  But to intentionally assassinate him, and then celebrate it openly seems a bit off to me.   Celebrating this will only make the extremists more angry and probably treat this act as one of martyrdom.  The 2nd in command person will simply be promoted and things could become even more heated.   Like I said, I'm just not sure how I feel about all this....but I'm sure some will read this post the wrong way.   Understand that I do love this country, and I do love the freedoms we are all allowed because of thousands of brave men and women.  I am aware of all the sacrifices that have been made.   I still vividly remember sitting in a meeting at my previous job on that Tuesday morning back in 2001...when the planes started hitting.  I remember how angry I was at that moment.  My only sense of uneasiness from all of this comes from the celebration of the death itself.  There is a very palpable sense of revenge, a very real sort of eye-for-an-eye, "take that" attitude I see from people concerning all of this....and to me this should not be the primary afterthought on our minds following such news.  What does that say about us?  Partying in the streets?  Really?  Today should be the day we dedicate to those who lost their lives because of this evil man, and day that we can finally let all of those truly rest in peace.

Anyhoo...

Think I will try to continue my moratorium on technology for a bit.  It will be hard, and I will still squeeze in a blog entry here or there, but for now I have lots to get done for school.

Happy trails class of 2011 thru-hikers....wish I could be out there with you.

Digital Disconnection Week

In honor of Earth Day, and for the sake of my own productivity and peace of mind, I've decided to take an entire week off from digital distractions.  Due to my academic obligations, I cannot quit all forms digital media, but I have decided that starting Sunday I will make an effort to unplug from all forms of distracting media for a week.  I'm trying this as sort of an experiment on my productivity, but also as a way to recapture some "fresh air" in both the literal and metaphorical sense.  I miss the days of being able to truly breathe in the world.  Just 15 years ago, I remember coming back from class freshman year, going to the coffee house with notebooks and textbooks, and watching everyone there simply read a book.  There was no wi-fi, no real cell phones, no kindles, and no facebook.  People talked, people laughed, people played scrabble, people enjoyed life.   On campus today things are very different.  All this week I've taken times to simply stop and observe the undergraduates and it sincerely makes me sad.  If I stand on the beautiful grass-filled quad near the steps of the Old Main Building here and look around, here is what I see:  I see dozens of undergrads all walking aimlessly while looking down at their phones.  Everyone is plugged in.  Everyone wants to talk to everyone else EXCEPT those that are right next to them.  Most of the time these students are scarfing down an unhealthy snack, wearing dirty sweatpants and shirts, and aren't watching at all where they are going.  They are zombies, with more of their "life" inside the confines of a small an imaginary world that exists inside of a smart-phone.  It is so easy to get caught up in it though and I'm just as guilty.   Just 5 years ago, I wrote my thoughts down with a pen inside a composition notebook.  Now, just like everyone else, I put them on blogger.com.  I'm sure there is some sort of happy medium in all of this, but I do now acknowledge that the world is evolving to a more digital one....this is unavoidable.

I think back to one year ago on the Pacific Crest Trail and how easy it was to go without all of these things.  Sure I had a phone, but it was almost always turned off (except for the 20 minutes a night where'd I'd write a journal entry).  I didn't care about websites, or emails, or television....and it was spectacular.  In Antarctica, I had no access to anything except very limited email....and it was also spectacular.  Now, back in my digital corner of life, the distractions are right at my fingertips, and so easy to get sucked into.  Well, I need to prove to myself that I can go without just like before.  I like a simple life, so why shouldn't I make it happen?

And so, I'll see how it goes.  Who knows, maybe I'll do so well that I'll do it for more than a week.

For those that want it spelled out, here's what this all means:

I will/may still,

• Check school email (simply can't avoid this until this summer when I take off for short vacation)
• Keep my phone on for calls only
• Work on research related data and writings on my laptop
• Use internet connection to download scientific papers, and pertinent research materials.
• BUT, will keep internet usage to an absolute minimum.
• Listen to music on iPod
• I might still update my running database (but only immediately after completing a run)

I will NOT,

• Watch any television
• Use phone for texting or surfing
• Surf any sort of websites not related directly to schoolwork
• This means no blogger, no news, no social media, no trailjournals, no youtube, etc...
• Play any sort of online or computer digital/video games (I almost never do this, but am listing anyway)
• Use GPS or digital mapping software.  (atlases are still just as good)
• several others I'm forgetting
• Probably not do DVDs either...hoping to turn off TV completely.  Might consider still going to see a movie with someone.
• So basically, any non-school-related digital distractions

Things I look forward to doing that I have missed:

• Spending more time with people (both specific and in general)
• Playing my guitar more
• Reading real books
• Talking to, and having conversations with real people
• Sitting on my outdoor deck with real lemonade
• Taking time to make a good meal
• Kayaking
• A true feeling of freedom
• Actually enjoying my runs
• Riding my new bike more
• Simply getting out more
• etc etc

I realize this all sounds a bit cliche', but it's something I want to do for myself.  I hope to breathe in a little of that fresh air again.

So, here's to unplugging this Sunday!

Pacific Crest Trail: One Year Later

Southern Terminus (1 year ago)

One year ago, I was sitting comfortably in Dulles airport having missed my connecting flight to San Diego.  Already, my pre-adventure to hike the PCT was off to a not-so-fortunate start.  Washington DC was blanketed with a thick fog and our plane, having attempted three landings, was forced to divert to Pittsburgh.  After an hour on the ground in the lovely steel city, we then made our way a second time to DC and landed.  I was already stressing about how I was going to make it to the kick-off in time.  I had a whole detailed plan for taking various city and rural busses to make it once in San Diego.  Now it was all up in the air.    I sat there waiting to be moved up the flight wait-list for another flight to San Diego and turned my attention to a TV that was showing some "Breaking News".  It was about the large explosion that happened on some oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.  Many people were thought to be killed or injured.  I quickly realized how trivial my "bad day" was and made a decision right then and there, to relax....and no matter what obstacle or challenge came my way on this upcoming adventure, to not get worked up or stressed about it.  I was supposed to be doing this hike as a way to bring myself back in to alignment...not put myself further out of it.  I breathed in, and breathed out, and told myself, "things always have a way of working out".  (As a side note, we all know how the oil rig explosion turned out.  11 men were killed and the environment was severely impacted).

Six hours later I walked out of the front doors of San Diego airport, stood at the curb, took in a deep breath of the ocean air....with absolutely no plan or idea how I was going to get to the kick-off.  I had missed all busses and had no place to stay.   

No stress......I kept thinking.

15 seconds later, a car drove by, honked at me while someone screamed out the window, "PCT HIKER? Hop in!"   That's when I knew, things were going to be ok.  The trail magic had started.  I was graciously allowed to stay with Scout and Frodo (trail angels).  I ate a whole mess of food, slept in their back yard, and met lots of great hikers.  The next morning, I got a free ride to the southern terminus at 7:00 am, and was able to hike up to the kick-off right on schedule.   Little did I realize this small taste of trail magic would end up heralding an entire theme of kindness along the trail.

Scout and Frodo house (1 year ago)

For almost my entire journey along the twisting and often snowy tread of the PCT, I was greeted by wonderful people, altruistic attitudes, and honest intentions.  Sometimes it's easy to forget in the busy lives we all lead, bumping our way through crowds full of short-tempered and often short-sighted people, that true kindness and those with real vision, still exists.  On so many occasions, houses were opened up to me.  People drove me around, never asking for money, and often for tens of miles.  I was constantly offered free food and had the amazing experience of hearing the most wonderful stories from just about every walk of life.

One year later I look back with an almost disbelief of it all.  I have been gradually compiling my blog entries, journal entries, notes, and photos over the past year into a sort of personal "memoir".  A single source that I can go to to relive my experience.  Just as I wrote a year ago in my epilogue, when I read through it, it still feels as though I am remembering a movie about someone else.  It's hard to truly believe that I was in that "movie" despite having many very lucid and detailed memories from the journey.

Sitting here at my sterile desk, in my sterile office back at school trying to put together notes for my next thesis/manuscript, it's hard not to wish I were back out there.  There is certainly a part of me that wants to just say "screw it", and leave this to go on another wandering.....but now is not the right time.  I am content with where i am right now.  I am focusing this year on school and the ultrarunning as well as a potential smaller trip this summer.   There is that next big idea floating in there, in the back somewhere, which will someday make it's way front and center.  Thru-hiking is a part of who I am now and that will never change.  Part of my being is now inexorably tied to it and will be as long as I live.

So moving forward, I hope that we may we all enjoy the various wanderings and adventures in our own lives, and show as much kindness to others as we can.

-lakewood

"A life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust.  It is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically" - Thoreau

"Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life, that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them" - Thoreau

Leaving the border (1 year ago)

Filling up vial with Mexican Dirt

Dumping Mexican dirt 2663 miles later in Canada

Note:  The actual date for this should be April 22nd.  I arrived in San Diego on the 22nd, and started hiking the 23rd. 

What's on for 2011?

Out for a jog in Antarctica

It's usually about this time that I put together an update and a video rambling off my "goal for 20xx"...something new to push myself.  Something different.  While I certainly have not become apathetic, nor have I given up on this philosophy, I'm just having a hard time thinking past the next two days lately.  This holds especially true in light of the enormity of my PCT trek last year.  This will obviously be a step-back year with a much different approach.  I have thought a bit about what I'd like to do this year besides the immense loads of research and schoolwork, and while I've come up with a few interesting ideas, I haven't decided on anything definitively.  Mostly, this year will be a close repeat of 2009.  I have plans to run a lot of trails and compete in some ultras.  I can tell you what I do know.

• In May, I will be running my third Pocono Marathon....the official start to my 2011 race season (although I did run a 10-mile race a few weeks ago as a warm up, and may do a 10k here or there).
• For Memorial Day, I will be spending the weekend with family up in Rochester where I will run a 5k race with both my sister and mom.  The first time the entire Fegy family will be running together.  (dad will be there too).
• Some time in May or June, I hope to head back to one of the first places I ever hiked, and this time with good company, to do a little 42-mile slow-paced fun jaunt along the Black Forest Trail
• I have no scheduled races in June, but will probably sign up for the Laurel Highlands 50k as a primer race for July.
• For 2.5 weeks in June I will again be playing in Colorado at the Ice Core Lab!
• In July I plan to run the Finger Lakes 50 and Vermont 100 again.
• Rest of July and August is still being worked out.  If I decide to do something different, it will be in here somewhere.  I have thought a lot about incorporating either my kayak or new touring bike into the mix though....and whatever I do, will be limited to ~ 2 weeks.  I will say that I am seriously considering the Long Trail though.
• September - December I will be laying low and really focusing on school.
• December - Off to Antarctica again....for the last time. :-(

I guess once I figure things out, I will try to post the details up here.  Regardless of what I decide on though, it will undoubtedly be memorable.

hike on/happy trails/happy running everyone 

make your lives extraordinary

Earth: The Operators' Manual

ETOM airs this Sunday at 10:00 PM on PBS

While I certainly have made comments on various hiking/running equipment here, I don't normally use this site as a means to "plug" any sort of product or program.   Well, I am going to break my own rule here and make an exception for something that I particularly think is worth it and that I belive in.

My advisor here at Penn State, Dr. Richard Alley, is an incredible and inspiring individual to work with and to work for.  When I came to Penn State, I didn't know anybody in the world of glaciology or climate.  Everyone told me, "oh...you've got to meet Richard, he's awesome!".  Little did I know that a few months later I'd be asking him to be my advisor.  Penn State is unique in that you can be accepted into the graduate program without having a set advisor from the start.  You can take a semester or two to work through classes and then choose an advisor that you feel represents your interests the most.  Hopefully, they have grant funding for you, but even if not, there's opportunity to TA classes for your tuition/stipend.   After one semester, and several talks with Richard about bubble ice, I knew it's what I wanted to study and that he was who I wanted to work with.

...and I was off.   Bubbling away.  I have been so fortunate to not only have been under the guidance of such an inspiring scientist (and National Academy Member!), but I have also been able to spend time in Colorado and Antarctica....3 (and soon to be 4) times!   This is also putting aside the fact that my other committee members are just as inspiring (Sridhar and Todd).

Considering just 5 years ago, I was staring at a wall inside of a cubicle telling myself , "this isn't what I wanted to be when I grew up", I feel that my life has been blessed since.  I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunities that have come to me these past 4-5 years.

So....with that all said.  I am putting this link up to a program that airs this weekend.  The program is called "Earth: The Operators' Manual".  It is part 1 of a 3 part series on how we know that climate change is actually real, and the real unbiased science behind it....as well as positive ways we can move towards sustainable/renewable energy.  Richard is the host and has also written a companion book, which I've been unable to put down since I started reading it.

This is really important.  People bicker back and forth about the "myth" of climate change, arguing that it's all a "government conspiracy", or a conspiracy among scientists to get grant money.   Richard doesn't care about the politics...he cares about the real science.   One of the first thing he says in this program is, "I'm a registered republican, I go to Church on Sundays, and I care about the future for my daughters".  This is not something you'd expect a "crazy left-winger climate nut" to say....which is what a lot of people think climate scientists are.

I beg you all to watch this show with an open mind and try to remember that I work for Richard and that I know him...and can tell you that there is no spin, there is no "agenda",  he's being honest and speaking about the true science.   I found a very old journal entry I made years ago that I think still applies...it went something like this:

We absolutely HAVE to take on the issue of global climate change.  It is real, and it is happening. If we could all just for once, stop and pull away the political spin, and just try to talk about it like the intelligent evolved people that I thought we were, and not the stubborn, argumentative, brats we've become.....we might actually lead the world in this fight (instead of lagging behind every other country).

Where's that "U-S-A" chanting crowd we all saw after 9/11?  We need them back....and we need to start fighting real threats.....not 92 year old grandmothers taking off their shoes at airports.

Anyhoo....give it watch people, and see what you think.  It airs this Sunday at 10:00 PM on PBS.  I have hope for the future and I know we can achieve greatness in this world....but we have to stop acting like bratty children.  It does no one any good.

http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com/

Richard answers ten common frequently asked climate change questions:
http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com/faq?page=1

Have Publication, Will Travel

After 3 and a half years of coursework, writing, editing, re-editing, and figure-tweaking...my first peer-reviewed scientific manuscript has been accepted (Journal of Glaciology).   This manuscript is based on the research I did for my Masters Degree...basically a cleaner version of my Thesis.  

Cool, am I done now?   *kidding*

In all seriousness, it's nice to see hard work pay off.  I remember back in my old office-working life I switched to a higher paying job that involved project management.  Sure, the bigger paychecks were nice, but there was no longer that tangible reward or payoff from my hard work.  Years would go by and I would simply move from one project to another.  It was a real downer not to have anything physical to look at and say, "this here, this *thing*, is what came out of those years".  I guess I could say these servers are up and running because I help build them...but it just wasn't the same.

There's a lot of negative talk about working in natural sciences, and sure the job market does stink right now.  People always quote the , "publish or perish"line.  Sure there's some truth to that if you want a good academia job, but publishing also gives you tangible accomplishments, something I like.

So may this be the first of many peer-reviewed papers that I write over my next x-number of decades.  Hopefully, they won't take as long to finish in the future :-)

As a side note, a fellow grad student in our department here (thanks Rebecca Boon) gave a recent talk on her research, and used iMovie to make an animation of how we all travel to Antarctica.  I didn't realize the new version of iMovie had these built in features (I still use the old '08 iMovie HD).  I liked it so much that I put this little animation together to show you all the travel involved for me to get to my field site, WAIS Divide, so that I can get ice-core data for my PhD.

Keep in mind, this doesn't include the 5 hour drive from State College up to Rochester.

Times:  

Roc - Chicago ~2 hrs

Chicago - LA ~4hrs

LA -  Auckland ~13hrs

Auckland - Chch ~1.5hrs

Chch - McMurdo ~5hrs

McMurdo - WAIS ~3hrs

Getting to WAIS Divide, Antarctica

Here's Rebecca's Original Video which highlights a lot of what the Penn State ice-geophysics folks due down in West Antarctica (...and yes, I'm the "PhD wannabe"....sigh)

Spring Service, The Fat Ass Phenomenon, and Rest Days

Lloyd Hall - Start of the Philly 100

"No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps, No Whining"

For those of you wondering, this is the official slogan of what are affectionately known as "Fat Ass" events.  I am somewhat sheltered in my little corner of the "running world"...and just kind of do my thing...so have been previously unaware of such events.  Well that all changed this past weekend.

With Spring rapidly burgeoning, I decided to knock out some volunteer/service time at a local race.  This would cover me for any potential ultras this season.  My brief internet scan of ultras came up with the Philadelphia 100 endurance run.  I have never really been to Philly and I thought it would be fun to take a day trip down there (about a 3 hour drive).  I emailed the race director and asked her if there was room to help out at an aid station...and she told me something along the lines of, "well there's no real aid stations, but you can help out at the main start/finish station by watching peoples stuff and helping if they need anything".   I remember thinking what kind of 100 miler doesn't have aid stations?  This is when I discovered Fat Ass events.

For those of use that make the plunge into ultrarunning, we all know well how expensive race fees can get.  Add to that the cost of travel, hotel rooms, food...and suddenly an already expensive $250 race costs over $600.  The upside is that you get well manned aid stations, great help through the race, medical stations, t-shirts, swag bags, and belt buckes (or other awards).   In an effort to sort of "stick it to the man" and make it more simply "about the running", several folks banded together and created Fat Ass events.  Long story short, a Fat Ass event is a FREE ultra run that is set up by runners for runners.  There is no aid, you bring your own support, food, and crew...and run however you want to.  You keep your own time, and everything is based on the honor system.  Bascially, it's a organized group long-run.  A truly awesome idea.

This was what the Philly 100 was.  I drove down on Saturday morning and made my way to the start of the 8.5 mile Schuylkill Loop.  This loop is done 12 times in order to finish the 100 miler.  I sat there all day as runners came in finishing various loops and gave them whatever support I could.  I had an absolute blast.  I chatted away with other runners, met two grand-slammers, and even met a runner who last year completed the grand slam AND badwater.  That's some craziness.  On the drive home I couldn't help but think what a great idea these Fat Ass events truly are.  A group of people that love utrarunning, get together, and simply have fun with it.  I am a firm believer in this sort of mentality.  Sure it's nice to do the "official" races, of which many I'm sure I will do, but I am certainly going to start keeping my eye open for any local Fat Ass events.

REST DAYS:

On a side note, This whole experience has made me realize the value and importance of rest days.  My current training program has me resting every Friday...with a cross-training day on Mondays (which I now call my cycling day).  This is an aggressive schedule for me as I had previously rested two days a week.  Needless to say, Fridays are a beautiful thing.  I have come to love Fridays so very much.  The days that I can truly be a potato...because I've earned it, and because my body needs it.  What I've come to realize is just how important these rest days are.  I don't care if you are thru-hiking the PCT or training to be an olympic marathoner, you need a rest day in there once in a while.  This past weekend, because of my service at Philly, I decided to do my Saturday long run on Friday.  Then, when I did get home Saturday evening, I decided to do my Sunday 8 miler that night so that I could take Sunday off instead. On Sunday morning I got asked to join a group on a 25 mile cycling trip.  Who was I to pass up my first group ride on my hot set of new wheels?  I decided to swap my cross-train Monday to Sunday...and push my rest day ahead another day.   So I sit here now on Monday, having gone 9 straight days without a break, and my body is tired.  Usually I'm excited about my rest days, but today all I can think about is how I have to run again tomorrow.  

Moral of this story: Take and enjoy your rest days regularly...and don't put them off too long.

Old Antarctic Explorer

Well today my little corner of the world revolved around Antarctica.  Word came down from on high today, and I have been asked to make one more return trip to WAIS Divide this upcoming season (2011-12 season).  I know what you're thinking.  Wasn't this past season the last season of drilling?  Well...sort of.  It's rather complicated, but the long story made short is that there is indeed another season of ice-coring coming up later this year.  It will be quite different from years past however in that drilling will not start until late December or early January and will be limited to a very small amount of ice.  There are other projects taking precedence over the drilling for the first half of the season.  For me, this is a win-win situation.  Not only do I get to go back to WAIS and be a part of an amazing project AND continue my own side-work with surface and snow-pit observations, BUT it will be a shorter season than normal.  

This is fantastic!  

Don't get me wrong, I love field work...especially in Antarctica, and I love being a part of the WAIS Divide project, but for three years in a row I've missed My birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and been away from friend and loved ones for nearly three months each go 'round.  I would like to actually be around for the Christmas Season.  Well, I will still likely miss Christmas this year (as my departure would be the week before), but I will be around for Thanksgiving and a good part of December.  This also means I will only be away for a little over a month total too...which is still a long time to be away, but much nicer than 3 months.  This really is an absolutely perfect scenario in my book.  The WAIS camp this year will be very minimal and much different than previous years.  Not sure how it will be managed or run, but there will certainly not be a 40+ camp population for the entire season.

So....lots to plan and look forward to this upcoming school year! 

As a side Antarctic note,  after three years, three field seasons, and over 6 months of my life in Antarctica...I finally received my official service medal in the mail today.  The Antarctic Service Medal is a tradition started back in 1960 and is one of the only official military medals that can be awarded to civilians.  I was pretty excited, and honored, to receive it.

My official Antarctic service award and medal

4 Years of Motion

(Mile ~45 at the Vermont 50 - 2009)

I am not a runner.

Let me rephrase that.  I don't think that I was meant to be a runner, or born to be a runner.  I don't run fast, or efficiently.  I probably over-pronate...or under-pronate.  My stride is most definitely wrong and I likely don't breathe at the right times.  I still run in big bulky running shoes and not trendy "fingered" footwear.  I am a rather old fashioned runner, despite the latest crazes or what the latest "scientifically backed research" tells me I am doing wrong.  I'm not up on the latest technology and still wear old beat up shirts that I got free at some race.  I don't have some deep seeded passion for running that "I've known since I was s child" and there have been many times that I would have rather done something more fun than go on Tuesday afternoon 6-miler or a Saturday 18-mile long run.

There are some people though, that are runners.  They just are.  Some of those people, the most elite, can run 5 minute miles, finish marathons in 2 hours 15 minutes, finish the Leadville 100 in 17 hours, and have VO2max values over 75.  I am not one of those people, and pending some sort of insane change in my life dedications...probably could still never be.  I'm just not wired that way...the elite athlete way.  I like to think that I was more wired to be a hiker...my true passion of motion.  Despite all of this though, I still run.

Over four years ago I set in motion what would become a new way of life for me.  I had succumbed to lifestyle of familiarity and comfort.  A lifestyle that didn't involve any real "motion".  I was stagnant on so many levels.   In 2007, I changed this in one fell swoop with what seemed a ridiculous and impossible goal: To hike the 2175 mile Appalachian Trail...all at once (a thru-hike).   After 3 and a half months of walking, I stood at the northern terminus sign with an incredulous look on my face, and a feeling inside that I hadn't come close to feeling in a very long time.   I vowed to not lose that feeling ever again.  I remembered having it when I was younger, but somewhere along the line...lost it.

When I started a new graduate school program that fall I went through the motions of classes and work and that feeling started to fade again.  That Christmas, I sat across a table from an old friend back in my home town.  We traded stories over a few beers and he told me how he was training for his first marathon.  I remember thinking that I ran cross country back in junior high school...maybe I could try to run a marathon.  It felt like it would be a tangible goal.  Something I could work towards while still in school, and perhaps regain some of that feeling that had started to wane again during the previous busy semester.

So I did....and I'm telling you this, because as cliche' as it sounds....if I can do it, so can anyone.  There are dozens of great marathon training programs out there.  Me...I used a slightly modified novice Hal Higdon program.  This type of program is an 18 week long build up routine with a few step-back weeks built in....and it really works.  I went from not having run in over 10 years, to completing a marathon in under 4 hours.  A lot of people have asked me how I trained, or what program I used...below is an example (this is the intermediate program that I'm doing right now, similar to the novice, only stepped up a bit).

     I sit here now some 4 years later and realized that since taking that first step on Springer Mountain back in 07, I haven't really stopped moving.  I haven't stopped trying to keep that feeling alive inside of me.  Training for and running races, hiking long distances, and wandering off to various places is one sure way that I know how to.  

The reason I bring all of this up, and have written it down, is because I was sorting through all of my running photos in iphoto today....and realized all of the different running memories I've begun to accrue. I remember when I graduated from college years ago, my parents got me a Dr. Seuss book..sort of half jokingly.  The book was "Oh the places you'll go".  I like to think that this was the first little message telling me to keep moving

After finally sorting all my pics, I found several that when I looked at them....I could remember the exact and specific emotion I was feeling the moment the picture was taken.   Like I said in previous posts on here, I write a lot of these entries so that I don't forget things.  

So as a reminder to myself, john, here is why you should always keep moving...

When you feel like you're losing that forward motion, re-read this post, and remember that feeling you had when...

Finishing that first marathon you trained so hard for...in under 4 hours

(Pocono Marathon - 08)

Knowing you were going to finish that first 50 miler

(VT 50 - 2008)

Actually finishing your first 50 miler

(VT 50 - 2008)

Starting your first "repeat appearance" at a race

(Pocono Marathon - 2009)

Knowing you were about to start a beautiful and insanely 

muddy course that was actually a "training run" for the VT 100!

(Finger Lakes Fifties - 2009)

Making it to mile 76 in my first 100 miler and getting

to run with my first Pacer

(Vermont 100 - 2009)

Not believing that you just finished your first 100...and in under 24 hours

(Vermont 100 - 2009)

Running in the one race that I wanted to be a part of 

more than any other single race...and feeling ecstatic.  Especially

after being told by doctors only a few weeks before the 

race that your foot was probably broken.

(Leadville 100 - 2009)

Actually finishing the Leadville 100...to this day the one running

achievement I still can't believe.

(Leadville 100 - 2009)

Running and finishing the Rochester Marathon 20 years after dad did.

(Rochester Marathon - 2009)

Knowing you were there for another runner...by playing a part in 

helping a first-time 100-miler cross the finish line

(Pacing at the Oil Creek 100 - 2009)

And of course, do not forget...

Stepping off of that plane for the first time in West Antarctica

(WAIS Divide - 2008)

Finishing the your first Alpine Thru-Hike

(Colorado Trail - 2008)

Finishing the Impossible

(Pacific Crest Trail - 2010)

And of course....lastly....

How it all began

(Appalachian Trail Completion- Aug 15th, 2007)