An Eventful Weekend

I had a half great, half unlucky weekend.  

Saturday was the great part.  I had planned to train by running with Krishna in the John Dick Memorial 50K, but he twisted his ankle during our Wednesday LPTR run so I was forced to leave him behind.  I finally got to experience having a crew, and it was everything I had hoped and more.  I ended up running a bit more than 18 miles, and it was a pleasant experience.  My right quad cramped up during the last four miles or so, but it wasn't too bad, especially since Krishna had the brilliant idea of picking up some beer during my last lap.

Zach Bitter won the race with a time of 3:33, so I feel motivated to do some speed work.   I should mention that not only is Zach super fast, but he is also super friendly and personable.   

The unlucky part came Sunday night.  I had just gone on a quick recovery run with Krishna when I thought to myself, "Hey, I bet Ray's is deserted since its Superbowl Sunday!"  In case you're wondering, Ray's is a super fantastic amazing indoor mountain bike park that is open during our icy Wisconsin winters.  It was--in fact--deserted for a Sunday night, so I was going faster and taking more risks than usual.


I was feeling pleased with myself for escorting some little girls away from a blind spot on the XC loop.  "Girls, this isn't about you getting in trouble--it is about you staying safe!"  I felt like a cartoon superhero, complete with charming smile and thumbs up sign. Its true, we love cheese up here.


Ten minutes later I was even more like a superhero.  I got some air, superman style, but by flight was stopped short against a conveniently inconveniently placed ramp to the second level.  Swoosh, with your powers combi... crunch.  My glove had to be cut off.  The only good thing that came out of it was that I was able to point to my mangled finger and tell the girls "Now you know why I said it is dangerous to play over there."   That'll teach 'em.


I had surgery to screw my poor phalanx back together Wednesday, and now vicodin is making everything seem more interesting and entertaining.  Hopefully I will heal well and will be back to waddling/running in about 10 days.  Playing piano will take more time, though.  Boo :(

     Today I feel like a real Wisconsinite, because I completed my first real winter run. Seven miles on the Ice Age Trail in the snow may not sound like much, but it was like running in sand. Very cold sand. I have to give props to Krishna for sticking with me the whole time, even though I slowed him down significantly. It was such a relief to finally arrive at the lodge full of skiers and LPTR runners.

     LPTR is the acronym for the Lapham Peak Trail Runners. They're a group of folks who really like trail running, and most of them are ultra-runners. I'm always excited to tell people about them because they've built a club that helps to make you a more competitive runner without the pressure that I've felt from other running clubs. Don't get the impression they aren't serious-- there are plenty of elite runners in the group.

     However, it is an encouraging environment, and the general attitude is kind of reminiscent of the Hash House Harriers -- a drinking club with a running problem. Running with LPTR feels as natural as getting together to have a beer with your buddies. Sure, you're pushing yourself to get faster and stronger, but once you finish, you get to join up with the group and shoot the breeze. Of course, it helps that the lodge has a lovely cast iron stove.

What better way to kick off this blog than by announcing that I have finally committed to my first ultra-marathon?  I have finally put money down on a race: the Ice Age 50k.  Here is the race site.  Krishna ran the 50 mile version with our good buddies, J&J last May.  This is a picture of them at around 6 am, just about to start on the long haul.

I took this photo near the restroom.  I still associate a stench with this photo, despite how cute it is.