June- San Diego done and Badwater Approaching

Hey,
Sorry I haven’t written in awhile. Going on a honeymoon and planning a wedding will tend to make things rather busy. In the beginning of May, I finally kicked the shin splints that had plagued me for 2 months. Of course, this happens as I’m getting ready for a wedding. Fortunately, I was able to get some running in before the wedding and even on the honeymoon. The island that we were on in Fiji (Matamanoa) had a trail that ran the length of 1 mile from one end to the other. It was pretty much two large hills without any real straight terrain. I would run “Island Repeats” back and forth in the mornings for an hour after breakfast. In New Zealand, I ran with my childhood friend Tim Gibb in a local park that surrounded a lagoon. While the distances were 4-6 miles at a time, it did help get my body back into the swing of things. When I returned, it was 1 week before the San Diego 100, which I intended as a benchmark of my fitness. I want to make sure that June is filled with 100+ mile weeks before a week and a half taper to Badwater.

The San Diego 100 was really a tale of two races. On the one hand, I ran a very relaxed 9:29 first half. After a 9 minute break, I came back into mile 70 at 13:50 still feeling relaxed and confident as the sun set and darkness approached. On the other hand, the last 30 miles were a tale of how to simply grind it out. The section from mile 70-76 was a slog fest. After a 10 minute break to prepare for the night time weather, I didn’t realize it heading out, but an insufficient light from my headlamp made seeing through the thick grasses below a challenge. On several occasions, I knocked my feet into rocks and stabilizing logs on the dirt pathway. I was slowed to a crawl on the rockiest sections, leaning backward for fear that in the fog that one wrong step could lead to a faceplant. A 1:52 for that section was just the beginning. The slow pace cooled my body down, giving me the shivers that mentally started to challenge me. I broke for 30+ minutes, and that was the end of my 20 hour pursuit. The rest of the night was filled with freezing rain, a heavy mist that gave me less than a few feet of visibility for significant distances, and a mental outlook that was more focused on just getting through. 25 hours after I started, I finished. While it’s easy to look at the final 30 and see some level of failure, I think the value of that 30 miles will bear itself out at Badwater.

Ultrarunners are always searching for that mental toughness that will allow them to “flip the switch” and turn it on even in the darkest of circumstances. We expect the worst to happen, but we also expect the best of what we have to offer to come out. Being able to fully experience the kind of sleep deprevation and mental darkness that comes with an experience like I had in San Diego this year will only help me when I’m struggling in the middle of the race to get over the pleateau and turn on the jets from Darwin to Lone Pine. Putting the full 100 miles on my legs will help to boost my training and help me make June the kind of month I’ve needed for awhile to have an A level performance at Badwater this year. It’s been an awkward year with the training sporadic due to the shin splints and other circumstances, but I’d like to think that by forcing me to switch it up, I will come into this year’s race a little bit fresher. My steely focus is firmly fixed exactly where it needs to be. With this experience to fuel me and the full support of my crew behind me, I’m still eyeing a sub-30 hour finish even with a few hiccups this year (which are to be expected and planned for). We're also getting a Spot Messenger so you can track us online in real time where I am at. More details to follow next update.

I’m back and I’m looking forward to a great month training with my crew and baking in the sauna again. I’m also looking forward to building some more wells in Uganda. I’m trying to negotiate with a company to make financially supporting the wells a more regular thing for them. Stay tuned. Be sure to donate if you can on the website, www.seegundyrun.com. Saving the lives of those who can never repay you is always a good thing.

God bless,
Gundy

Time to Meet El Diablo, 2009 edition

After agonizing over this decision and 5 weeks of torturous shin splint pain since Napa, I've decided to run the Diablo 50. Although I lament the training time lost, I also know that with the base I developed in January through early March, I should be ok fitness-wise. What I really want to know is where I'm at based upon where I want to be. With my hybrid approach to training (ultra endurance with marathon speed work), I have a number of key targets to hit in the marathon and San Diego 100 to try to give me a better read on meeting my goals for Badwater. I feel good about making an attempt at Diablo and hopefully if there is any discomfort, it won't be too bad and it won't be related to this recent injury. I'm really not sure exactly where this injury came from, but I've looked at everything from shoes to stretching to muscles imbalance to muscle tears. I have never been injured like this in a long time and hopefully won't have to deal with it again. The biggest loss hasn't been the exercise since there are other ways I've been trying to do it (elliptical/bike/etc.). No, the biggest loss has been the stress relief; I've been more tired and more stressed without an appropriate physical outlet. Although I've tamed my expectations for this race, I will nevertheless push it if I feel good and the opportunity presents itself. I hope to show enough discipline over the first half of the race to put myself in good standing to finish strong.

And as a quick reminder once again, we're raising $18,000 to build 6 wells in Uganda to serve over 7,000 people. If you can help, go to http://seegundyrun.com/How_To_Give.html. Please help if you can! :)

Wish you all the best and God bless,
Gundy

Update in a Paragraph

I haven't written in while so here's a brief summary of the last month and a half in a paragraph. Rocky Raccoon was a tough one, with a 9:30ish split through 60 and feeling good. A badly sprained knee and some general discomfort led to a final finish at 20:14. Tough, but I still believe that my yearly goals are still in sight. My speed felt very comfortable and in good condition leading towards the San Diego 100 on June 6th. The Napa Marathon was a pretty smooth race through a steady and somewhat heavy rainfall. It was a bit slower than I was tracking at in training (3:02 vs. 2:56 based on training bases) but a solid, disciplined effort in less than ideal conditions. I am incorporating heavy doses of tempo and interval work into my training over the next 3 months, so that I continue to build my marathon capability to stay on target for my yearly goal in the marathon. Oh, and I got accepted to run Badwater again. So I'll be using the Diablo 50, Quicksilver 50 and the San Diego 100 as precursors to the race. What can I say.....I'm just praying that my training and my experience will take me over the top this year. Discipline, as always in this sport, is the key so that in the last 1/2 of these races I can let it ride. And one final thing, we're raising $18,000 to build 6 wells in Uganda to serve over 7,000 people. If you can help, go to http://seegundyrun.com/How_To_Give.html

Gundy

It's been awhile

Ahh.....blogging has taken a back seat for awhile, but I'll be back at the end of the week! When you run a lot, sometimes it's hard to take time to blog as much as I'd like.

Heading to Texas to tackle the Raccoon

Time to round ‘em up and head to Texas!

It’s time to head to Texas for the Rocky Raccoon 100 in 3 days, so I figured it was time to write something new on this site/blog. Life is good right now….in fact, life is always good. It’s already 1 weeks into 2009 and the season is getting underway. I’m sure, like most runners, January is dedicated to getting back into the swing of things. I do a number of what I like to call “for the love of it” runs, focusing less on pace and more on simply enjoying being out there. For most of January, I spent Saturday morning/early afternoon enjoying the trails of the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tamalpais area. On a couple of the runs, the idea was to keep approximately the same pace I wanted to run at RR. On another one of the runs, I was just out there to enjoy nature and getting a gang-load of miles. My runs went 32, 42, 30 and 30 miles respectively.

I reduced my running workload, with tempo runs thrown in, during the week so that I would go into each of these long runs with a little bit of a fresher body. It really helped and the times/mileage for those long training runs is a nice confidence boost going into the race on Saturday. My weekly mileages in January peaked at 85. While my mileage this week should top 130 (with the race on Saturday included), I plan on focusing this week as well as the following 2 weeks on intense speed/tempo training with 80 mile weeks in the cue to get primed for the Napa Marathon.

As far as the race on Saturday is concerned, I have probably the same worries as everyone else. As always, the biggest concern will be nausea induced by electrolyte imbalance and/or dehydration. One reason why I focused on making sure I got those long runs in, especially that 42 miler, was to come into this race with a measure of confidence in my hydration and fueling strategy. During most of those runs, I mixed in GU and eGel(Crank) with trail mix and bananas. One of the reasons my run at Mother Road 100 in November was going so well was probably due to using almost all solid foods. While this course doesn’t lend itself to the easy exchange of supplies possible at Mother Road (which was an open road race with a small trail section), I do plan on going to the Costco and picking up a bunch of bananas, trail mix packs, and mini-chip packages.

During the race, I plan on quicker first loop with the slowest being loops 2 &3. After that, I’m just hoping I have enough in the tank to take to get around/close to first lap time for the rest of the race. While I’m flexible on this depending on how I feel, this is definitely how I think it’ll shake out best. The goal is sub-17 with flexibility to go down further if its warranted or adjust up if necessary. As always, I’ll constantly evaluate where I’m at and go from there.

Of the other competitors, I’m probably most excited to see Jamie Donaldson again. Having raced with her twice at Badwater, it’ll be nice to see her out on the trails. She’s definitely a dynamic racer who races in the mold of a Scott Jurek, patient and deliberate in her approach to a race. Her race this past year at Badwater was eerily reminiscent of Scott’s 2005 Badwater, finally moving into 1st position with 1/3 of the race left to go. That patient approach is what is so hard to come by, particularly in a race like Rocky which almost lures you in to the “go for broke from the start” mentality.

I met her for the first time prior to the 07’ Badwater and was pretty shocked that she had seen the Google video of my team’s race in 2006. Sometimes when you post things there or on YouTube, you automatically assume that no one really looks at that stuff. Of course, she ended up become an internet ultrarunning phenomenon not only because of her talent, but also her perserverance in the 07’ race to continue up the Mt. Whitney portal climb with debilitating shin spints. It’s that commitment and perservering spirit that we all strive for in this sport and makes it pleasure to see her wherever our paths may cross.

I'm still figuring out the fundraising program and how that's going to work, but when I get it together, I'll be sure to post all about it both here and at my website. I’m pretty excited about this race to set the year off on the right foot, literally and figuratively. I’m sure that echoes the thoughts of most people when it comes to that first race of 09’. It’s time to pack up, toe the line and get moving. Time to let it ride….

God bless,
Gundy

2009: New Year and New Challenges

Hello, 2009!

Wow, I can’t believe it’s a new year. I’m pretty excited going in to this year considering how 2008 ended. I’ve been giving my body a chance to recoup while spending time both in the gym and out on the trail. I did a 50k at Rodeo Beach at about 70% at the end of December as a training run to get myself jump started for training for 09’. Overall, I’m primed and ready to go. I set a few goals/resolutions for 09’ which include the following:

1) Raise $18,000 for development programs with WHM in Uganda
2) Run sub-30 hours at Badwater (if accepted)
3) Get weight down to 169 lb. by the Napa Marathon and maintain that weight
4) Run sub-2:50 marathon by the end of 09’
5) Run sub-18 hours 100 miler
6) Finish top 5 at a 100 miler

Some of them are probably easier than others, but I’m not afraid to put it out there and let it ride. I’m not afraid to fail and realize success is never guaranteed. However, considering what a good ending to 08’ with Mother Road 100 and CIM, I feel really good going into 09’. I hope to go out there and exceed my expectations for myself. I’m trying to stay away from the “A” goal, “B” goal and “C” goal stuff, because I find that for me, if I get too caught up in it I sometimes settle for less than I should. I know the “top x” goals are more dependent on who’s running and how they’re running, but since I hate to nail in on an exact time right now, they correspond to about the goal times I’m looking at. Placing is one of those things takes care of itself as long as I take care of the running part. While I’d love to far exceed those goals and I train with targets beyond those goals, they represent excellent physical, mental and spiritual tests. Of course, the most important goal is always listed at #1. Here’s to all of us going far beyond our expectations in all the areas of our life in 2009 and to the people and things that God has placed in our lives to help us get there.

God bless,
Gundy

2008 California International Marathon (CIM) Race Report

So here it is. My CIM race report: From Folsom to Sacramento.

I was looking forward to getting back to the road, having spent a good deal of my year on the trails. CIM was a way to help bridge the training time between November to Rocky Raccoon 100 in February. I like to race, and had been yearning for the opportunity to get that sub-3 at this marathon as evidence that I’d be ready to take another big step forward in my ultramarathon racing. People seem to have this impression that if you run ultramarathons, you will automatically lose your marathon speed. But, I’ve used a hybrid approach to training, combining the core elements of road marathon training with the longer, course-specific runs of trail running. As I’ve progressed in running ultramarathons over the past 3 years, I’ve found that my speed has been developing in part due to the muscular strength required to run the ultra distances. While admittedly most all of the marathons I’ve run over the past 3 years have been either with others (as a part of their goal races) or not at 100%, each year I’ve been able to run one goal race and continue to drop my personal best in the marathon. CIM has been “that race”, as much for its place on the calendar and proximity to San Francisco than anything about the course profile. I try to choose races for a variety of reasons, but I must admit that sometimes it’s fun to find a course where you can turn and burn.

Going into this race, I had been dealing with soreness and tightness in my right hamstring for over a month. Running the Mother Road 100 had actually helped to loosen it up and stretch it out, but it still persisted at highest intensity effort. The 4 weeks of training were not much to write home about and I wouldn’t have even gone for sub-3 if it wasn’t for a couple of key marathon pace runs in the two weeks prior to the race. I’m not too much of an advocate for the taper, so I did my traditional week long taper. What can I say? I like to run and find that my body is looser and more ready to go with the shorter taper than most marathoners.

In effort to skip the details that often clutter a good story, let’s skip straight to the race. With a cool 36 degrees F start and mid-40s F high temperature, it was a great day to race. While slightly lower than the “ideal” 50 to 58 degrees F, it didn’t matter in light of the awesome cloud cover and spirited crowds that gathered at strategic intersections.

Here it is:
0-13.1 1:28:20 (Chip)
13.1-End 1:32:12 (Chip)
Final 3:00:32

Honestly, I didn’t pay too much attention to splits, especially since course topography can vary between miles. The volunteers kept calling out 6:47 pace, which sounded good to me. In a race that was a wild-card as far as performance, I just paid attention to how I was feeling and making sure that I put out “even effort”. It helped to have the 3 hour pacing group nearby to pal around with for the first 9-10 miles. I spent the next 10 miles going back and forth with a running friend, before he faded back and I spent the rest of the race trading places with individual runners. I maintained that lead on the ever-thinning sub-3 hour group till 23+ miles. Having a time advantage on the group by 25 seconds, I had planned for a slight fade. But with the hamstrings tightening up, it took just enough off my closing speed before a final finish of 3:00:32. While a little disappointed I didn’t drop the opening half by about a minute considering how fresh I felt, I had no reason to be disappointed with being 33 seconds off of a predicted 2:59:59 finish. It just felt nice to run a good PR and set it up well for a killer 09’.

Of my two remaining goals for the year, a sub-3 marathon represented the greater prize. It represented an increase in marathon speed that most don’t associate with runners who dabble in ultramarathons. I still have longer term goals for the marathon and it holds a place in heart as the place where all this running stuff began. I believe that to the contrary, the road and trail ultras have made me stronger due to the emphasis on climbing and downhill running, as well as the persistent mental/physical effort that one is forced to endure.

I’ve targeted getting to 2:50:xx as a sort of standard-bearer to have the right combination of speed and endurance to fully compete at the 100+ mile distance. I have the endurance; now, I just want to add the necessary speed to support that strength. While I believe that may take until sometime in 2009, I believe it can be done with the right combination of weight loss and intense training. I have always run at around 180 and believe this is the year to reshape my body at around 169 to compete effectively. It’s been a long process to lose the weight/muscle that has served me well in many other athletic pursuits, but necessary at this key juncture if I want to compete as a runner more than just an athlete. This has meant trying have appetite control in the face of pretty darn good-looking holiday meals! It is often quoted that each pound lost equates to 2 seconds per mile; hopefully, I will lose the weight in a way that will not compromise the necessary power and speed. At least my knees will thank me for not having to carry as much of “me” as they usually do.

Going forward, I feel great going into next year. 3:00:32 is good, but not good enough. I’ve set the bar for a sub-2:53 “A” goal and 2:54 “B” goal at the Napa Marathon on March 1, 2009. In addition, I have started to formulate goals for the Rocky Raccon 100 in Huntsville, TX in Feb. of 09’ (don’t want to state them quite yet!). Most importantly, I’m already at 175 lbs. and hope to work my way to that ideal 169 lbs. by mid to late February. I can say with certainty that I have my eye on applying for Badwater again in 2009 as my “A” race, which will make it an incredibly busy year in general. I will do whatever it takes to make myself faster, stronger and tougher. Even in this rainy season in the Bay Area, I will find a way to make it to the track or the roads or the trails to do whatever I need. After the Napa marathon, Uncle Andy has already formulated a training plan which will include 10 x 1 mile hill repeats up Twin Peaks in San Francisco and Mt. Tamalpais twice a week in order to prepare for both the climbs at Badwater as well as the climbs at many 100 milers.

As the year winds down, I’ll be setting my other goals for 2009 in the next couple weeks as I set my race schedule for next year. I’ll also be setting goals for fundraising for a new set of projects in Uganda. I am thankful that my running can be a powerful witness to my character and support the work holds the highest place in my heart. Good times are ahead. Merry Christmas and God bless,

Gundy