Catch-up

   So, my first real post here is kind of a catch up for things I've been doing and have just done.

First, I've been training with some great folks Wednesday nights on some great trail runs. This has helped me to get much better at runnig. I love trail running and it's great to do it with some groovy folks. This would be thanks to the encouragement of irondreama. This has helped me to get some needed extra miles in the bank also.

Second, was my first (attempt) at a trail marathon (Mystery Mountain Marathon - M3). For reasons uncontrollable I was able to complete 13.1 half marathon, but could in no way complete the full 26.2 as I had so wished and trained for. That's ok. I will nail it next year. The following is my post on the SCV forum about that event.

Cat took a few pics along the way that I hope she doesn't mind me stealing.

   "Those pictures, along with a thousand others will be burned into my mind until next years M3. Let me devulge. How to BONK MAJOR! First, come to race day and have four bowel movements before you hit the start line. Yahooooo! Second, make sure your blood glucose level is about 350 mL/dL Now start running. Your first 3-5 miles will be OK. Feelin pretty good they will. Then, your system will start dumping lactic acid into your muscle tissue because your sugar is out of line. You may have taken insulin to bring it back into line, but that won't help you know. The Lactic Acid Dump Truck already has your address and he's got plenty to dump. Now, keep hydrating because you know that even under normal circumstances you need to, but under the rules your playing with today you need to even more. No worries, the water won't help you anyway. Your getting tooo much lactic acid way to quickly. First, your calves start to feel it. "Keep it steady...pace,pace,pace. Maybe II'll run through it." you tell yourself. You probably won't be so lucky. Sure enough, mile 9 and you can now feel the lactic acid in all zones from calves to shoulders....oh shittttakeee..this is gonna hurt big time. "Keep running" you tell yourself, because you ARE NOT a quiter. Besides, you're in the middle of the woods with miles to the next aid station. "Oh look, the insulin is working, great it will bring you back in line and give an element of stability." Ah, but you will drop far faster, possibly dangerously so, than you think. Ok, stop do a finger stick....crap man you're at 81 mL/dL you better eat something like quick. Eat, walk, eat, run, eat....keep going. Man these freakin hills feel like someone tore off your calf muscles and left you to run with out them. You think to youself..."OK, I ran Wednesday night. 7 miles in 41 minutes, so I know I can keep up with this." No matter how bad you feel, and this is the worst you have ever...EVER, felt keep going. Oh and when you reach "The Decision" point of no return...let me tell you it's a million times smarter to forget your hopes of finishing an actual marathon and just limping in so you can live another day. This is a fraction of what went through my head yesterday. Truly, it was the sweetest poisoned apple I've ever eaten. Thank goodness I had someone like Cat there to back me up and watch out for me. Cat....I'd run through hell with ya. Let's do it again when my glucose is on target, and I can then actually not slow you down but keep a good click. I trained my tail off for this and got punished pretty bad...welcome to the club officially now Mike....right!"