Boston Marathon - A Different Type of Hurt

Turn right at 26 miles in the Boston Marathon, enter the Heleford Street, turn left and enter Boyleston. It remains to pass 0 and 2 miles of the most cult marathon in the world. You can hear the loud click sound of the fan from both sides of the street. The last 26 miles were on the hands of visitors. However, in this last section, obstacles do not reach them. You are alone and step on double yellow wash. You experience 1000 burden. You are in the center of the stage and are the focus of attention.

As a result, you look around, clap in applause, and they lead you to the last step. But there is nothing to see, and the applause hand only looks blurry. Your eyes are still in front and look at the yellow and blue finish.

Many runners value this last moment of the Boston Marathon and permanently in memory. However, when I think about it, I can only think of pain and feeling that the race ends. There were many races in my life, but Boston in 2024 is definitely different.

Last week, I thought about running pain. And why are you coming back again?

The preparation for the training Boston was quite good. I usually focus on trails and Ultra, so I was the first unit for the highway marathon (the third highway marathon in my life).

In Thailand in December, everything began in a class of steam and moisture standards. If you study a new space, you can easily get miles. When I returned to the United States, I won the personal half marathon twic e-at first in the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon (1: 115: 47), then in Portland Sham Rock Half (1:14:40), I suddenly I won. I was training twice a week and bought Sports Slippers Hoca Ciero X1 for myself. I ran 65 miles a week.~I ran 65 miles a week to prepare for the race. I'm swimming. I was running really fast (for me).

pace

One of the major differences between marathon and 10 0-miles is the wrist and pace. Regardless of whether it is good or not, the marathon will become a slave of your wristwatch numbers. In any MP training, fight and drive to achieve a specific pace. For two months to Boston, I understood my marathon pace and tried to match it ... 5:50? 5:55? 6:00? 6:02?

My marathon training was done around this time. COROS predicted that it was 2 minutes and 31 seconds, and I knew it was hostile, and after running 150 % closest to my heart rate, I wanted to make a fairly flat split. It was right that I thought this was impossible.

As a result, he ran in the first half in 5 minutes and 54 seconds, and decided that if he did well in Newton Hills, it would exceed 2 hours 35 minutes 00 seconds. The goal of "A" remained within 2 hours and 40 minutes.

In retrospect, I think this was actually the right situation, but I had to be careful about the steamed bath. The temperature rose to nearly 70 degrees, and the pace dropped in the second half. In fact, I was pretty prepared to run on a flat expressway in 2 minutes and 35 seconds on a chilly day.

Pain analysis:

The pain I experienced in Boston was neither a waist nor injury. This was the "peak of physical power" that I actually experienced. I put out everything I could physically.~Two hours and 40 minutes physiologically, this makes sense.

By the way, my maximum heart rate is within 205 times per minute, and the anesthesia threshold is within 200 times per minute. My running statistics

• More than 80 % of the running was performed in 4 (184-200 beats per minute), and the average heart rate was around 180.
• The average heart rate for 90 minutes (15 miles) in the middle of the race is 191. 93 % of the highest heart rate!
• At one point at each kilometer, my heart rate reached at least 197 times per minute.

This basically means that it is almost all of the race, close to the probability of aerobic exercise or at that level. This was the peak of my physical strength on that day. This is different from the image of pain. I want to lose my pace. I want to get closer. I want to create something, but I don't want to keep impatient.

Split on the day of the race

This also tells you your strengths and weaknesses as a marathon runner. I have a chance to survive~2 hours 40 minutes threshold run. This is great, and the usually hig h-end runners are happy. Last but not least, if I want to improve the time of the marathon, I need to "increase my sel f-limit" and need to increase my aerobic ability.

This is incredibly different from a 10 0-mile race. But in the 100 miles races, I drive myself to the limit. Most of the 100 miles races are held in Zone 2. With the first 70 miles, your pace is similar to the running session on Sunday morning, and the real race starts in the second half.

Greetings to nephews and niece at 14 miles

I am often asked what the difference is between a marathon and a 100-miler. A marathon is about reaching the pinnacle of physical opportunity, a scientific equation for hitting a certain pace within a certain heart rate/endurance threshold. A 100-miler is about problem-solving and ingenuity. They are completely different.

I have found that I love the different emotions that each distance and vehicle emphasizes. A 100-mile trail run feels and hurts differently than a mile on a treadmill.

Runners love to suffer. And suffering is painful. Considering how and why we experience different forms of pain has made me a better runner. I am ready to keep trying.

Boston Marathon 2024 2:39:23, 412 / 26, 491

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Oregon Cascades 100 & 2023 Recap

82 miles of the Oregon Cascades 100 Photo by James Holk and Alpine Running

2023 was a great season that ended with a win at the Oregon Cascades 100 on August 26th! It's nice to get my first 100-mile win in this exciting and beautiful race.

The OC100 was (probably) my last race of 2023, so I'll talk about the season as a whole here, with an emphasis on the OC100.

Kicking things off at Boston Marathon:

My season started with the Boston Marathon in April. Growing up in Boston, I only participated in races for a while, but never ran myself. As a result, I've been waiting a long time for this action. I tend to shy away from road marathons as a rule, preferring trails and ultramarathons. For example, this is my second road marathon (I qualified in Bergen, Norway last year). I've already complained about the problems of training for mountain races while living in Amsterdam, but for the Boston distance, it turns out to be very convenient.

After getting married and going on honeymoon, I shortened my training block in January. I had a strong race and a PR of 2:47 when I arrived in Boston a few days before the race. I felt noticeably outdone without my (carbon) super (even though I had my topo ultrafly...). I think I need to invest in a super for a serious road marathon). Any chance I'll get to Boston in 2024?

Running in Boston was still a low-key technique. I'm addicted to being in the front row of ultras, but renting a space for 1000+ people in Boston was a reminder of how many great runners there are.

My nieces and nephews are wearing t-shirts that say "Love you to heaven Uncle Davis" 🥰.

Exploring the Austrian Alps

Thanks to the Boston Marathon, I was able to learn the basic leg speed before the Ultra season, which had to record longer days, began. In the moon, I went to the Austrian Alps, especially the Kaiser Ski Mountains. He ran 88. 7 miles and 19. 956 feet (6. 082 meters) for four days. It was a wonderful route.

We recommend this route to runners and tourists regardless of the value of training, such as wonderful mountain hut systems, assists in the route, and light access from Munich! I am grateful that I have to enter some unimaginable space in the world .... The elements of the Austrian Alps have all the opportunities to rent the first space. 。

The last day of the Kaiser Crown Route

Longest Day 100k - Spa, Belgium

Kaiser Crown has been preparing for the first Ultra start this year, the longest 100km Verigum in the spa. That day was the first hot day in the summer, and almost everyone was not used to the steam room.

As a small thing that I implemented from the longest 100km day, I basically had to change my personal hydration project. The denial of the race was the first hot day in the summer, when Hana 87 degrees (30 degrees) was suddenly recorded. It wasn't the best race this season, but I was realized how disciplined it should be to ride a perfect coil as a jaguar notebook.

Belgian longest 100km race start course

In the fifth space passing through the final feature at 11 o'clock, we used almost 2 liters of water per hour (!), And only once in the tenth miles. Last~9 hours racing. Physiologically, I was sweating nearly 2 liters per hour.

In recent years, nutritional supplementation during the race has been confident, but the use of water and electrolytes in the lead has been decided by feeling and instinct. In actual training, running without peeing for more than 4 hours means that I have the fastest dehydration. It's time to alleviate a more detailed calculation. The amount of sweat varies depending on the temperature, how much sodium is contained in the sweat, how much water should you drink, and what products to apply? The host family did not understand all of them.

The next day, after the "longest day", I applied for a sweating analysis of precision water supply. It was very valuable. Now, I have actually lost 676 mg of sodium per liter of sweat (this is the lower limit of sweating range).

Before I noticed this data, I simply wasn't using enough electrolytes. The sodium levels in the products I was using were pretty low. Now I monitor my electrolyte intake closely and used a combination of PH500 tablets and 250mg capsules at the Oregon Cascade 100.

Plantar Pain:

After running the Longest Day 100km in Belgium in early June, I developed plantar fasciitis. For runners who have had PF, it's not a "survivable" injury. The trauma is pretty loud.... You start out hurting every day and then get weaker. Running can be "feel good" but can also do more damage than it's worth.

As a result, I took a 10-day break from running from mid-June and started cycling to stay in shape. I spent a lot of time with Peter and his team at Art of Physio in Amsterdam and went to the gym 5 times a week to strength train. "Strength training" might not be the right word here. I taught toe yoga, calf raises, and stability work. By staying away from heavy weights and focusing on the small muscles in my foot, calf and ankle, I was able to heal my plantar joint.

After about 7 months, the PF in my forefoot was gone, but the pain had moved to my pinky. During my run up to the 100 miles, I ran less than I had hoped, but I did a few 4-6 hour races to get myself in shape for the start.

The week leading up to the Oregon Cascades 100, my pinky was still bothering me. It wasn't until a day or two before the Oregon Cascades that I realized it was most likely athlete's foot and not plantar fascia at all. I took some medicine and my foot healed. Even a minor illness can be a serious stressor before a race.

Final Training Block:

On August 1, Lucy and I packed up and left Holland. The last 4-5 years in Amsterdam have been unimaginable, but we are still waiting for the right guidance to travel together and explore the universe.~6 months

The three weeks of staying in the Netherlands were full of two things. In the last three weeks, I transferred a 9 0-minute train 90 minutes one way to find the nearest hill. In the last few years, I've been familiar with this hill called Posbank. The curves of the tip, curves, and road curves are all into. Before leaving the state, it was completely appropriate to spend this long time with this old friend. It was like saying goodbye to an old and wise soul.

Before leaving, I also created this sad and famous "Dutch mountain" loo p-STRAVA section. If you live in the Netherlands, please look for it!

On August 1st, when we leave for the United States, I can say that I was ready to give up on the train!

90 minutes by train from Amsterdam.

Before leaving the Netherlands, we donated many of our belongings. And in the typical Amsterdam style, we were allowed to carry everything from the window!

The last night in Amsterdam. I miss a walk along the canal!

Oregon Cascades 100:

Lucy and I visited Boston and Portland's family in August and went to Sestrier, Oregon for racing.

On the first day of the race, on the first day of the race, I went to Sisters by car, and a big smoke caused by the forest fire in the Eugene area greeted me. The first day of the week and Tuesdays (AQI) is 500-700. The race director says that whether the race will be decided or not. However, if the AQI index is 150 or more, a "severe decision" will be forced.

Near the race 5 days ago Sisters. AQI is within 500.

Fortunately, the wind direction was advantageous for us, and everything was clear on Thursday morning! I am grateful to the race director for telling me this!

The sky changes quickly! In the morning of the race, near Bend. Photo: James Holk & amp; amp; AMP; Alpine Running

Crew meeting before the race!

Mile 1-30

The race started at 6 am. The first 20 miles start modestly, most of which are uphill. The 2-4 % slope can make the illusion that you are not working as hard. I controlled the story while watching my heart rate and breathing.

At the beginning of the race, I was in the first place to be a runner of about 20 people, and I felt room from the perspective of competition. I didn't have any questions about my project, and until the 70th mileage, I didn't think about my "ranking".

Looking back at the split, I was in the 15th space around 15 kilometers.

Somewhere within 10 miles (center). Photo: James Hork, Alpine running

It was getting hot around 10 o'clock, but I knew I couldn't meet the team for the next two and a half hours, so for example, my own frozen strategy (icebest + ice cap + cooled water + sunscreen + I asked for a spare water bottle). But it was like this. As a result, I focused on eating and drinking and drinking.

Shooting: James Hork, Alpine running

Relief profile

Distance profile. Half of the course consists of an altitude difference of 12. 000 feet, and the finish is a pure down of 30 miles. And all of this runs a smooth, butte r-like single truck!

There are 15 support points in total, of which 5 are manned.

30-70 miles

There was an uninhabited support spot at Miles 31 and 9, and I picked the ice and poured it. Interestingly, the ice pack's seal was not yet torn.

The first command spot was 36 miles, which was a good energy supply. It was a wonderful team that was efficient, relaxed and enjoyed all day. Happy team = happy runner. Thanks to Nancy, Steve, Anna, Bill, Lucy!

As the day progressed, the pit stop at the support station became faster and faster. According to my calculation, I spent 30 to 60 seconds on each support station without a crew and 90 to 120 seconds with a crew. Other than that, it never stopped throughout the day. Once! Piss, breathe, shift backpacks, dreams ... If you apply the mentality of "1 seconds and 1 second" in one mile race to the 10 0-mile race, the lace scenery will change completely.

My intentional concentration on the infinite movement was a big difference between this 100 times and the other 100 times I ran. At first, instead of standing and peeing, I peeed while walking. And the point is that piss does not actually take the cumulative time, but that I was focused on moving forward. I didn't want to interrupt my personal flow.

My physical makeup was probably nothing special, but psychologically it took me to a place I had never been before. I had a bottomless challenge to complete, and learned a lot along the way.

Skyliner at mile 36

Slammed for nude vest + salmon cap ice

At mile 49, at Marsh Lakes, I went up to Lucy with a serious look on my face. I knew something was wrong. She basically passed me and my star pisser, Riva, who was forced to join me at mile 84, had a tragedy and was in clinic with a broken collarbone. Thus, I was without an assistant.

Everybody has that moment in the middle of a 100-mile run when something suddenly appears. It took me a certain number of seconds to grasp this information, but I nodded "okay" and continued on my way.

(Later, at mile 84, Live, bandaged and with a broken collarbone, still came to support me. Bandaged and with a big smile on his face.) If there was a low buster today, this was the start from the Dantiment support point at mile 56. It was a very hot day, 15-20 miles to the "Dantiment" support point, and an elevation gain of 2, 500 feet. I purposely slowed down my pace and focused on drinking, cutting down on the time of the water supply method to drink the last drop when I reached the next support, to avoid unnecessary weight.

When I arrived at the Dutchman support station (mile 56), they told me that I was actually in the second space (this was news to me). I ignored this information and stuck to my own will, because I didn't want to know what space I was in now. I remember that they actually declared, not the last, actually, the favorite delay will determine 13 minutes.

I drank a Mountain Dew and took more electrolytes + gels. The task was "to reach mile 70".

For 15 miles, the favorites doubled their superiority over me. At mile 66, the difference was 24 minutes.

70-100

At mile 73, Park Meadows, a volunteer at the support station told me I was 26 minutes away from my favorite view. He has experience, and that's actually impressive.

At mile 70, it was time to push!

At mile 74, the lonely descent to Sister Bend began. The sun was already out, and even though I had a bit of a respite in the steam room, the smoke was rolling again.

Shooting: James Hork, Alpine running

Shooting: James Hork, Alpine running

This was an area where I was really nervous. I was glad I had two headlamps (one on my head, one on my belt). I was able to use all the light I had. That said, I tripped over rocks and roots with my toes and fell 4-5 times in this area. After the falls, I slowed down and didn't want to risk any more injuries.

Descent to Sister, around mile 80. Photo by James Holk & amp; Alpine Running

Shooting: James Hork, Alpine running

At mile 84, I saw the team at 1514 assistance paragraph. I had just finished a strong section of trail and was feeling great! The team told me I was up to 13 minutes.... The race is on! The race is on! I drank some mountain dew and ran happily back through the darkness.

Then at mile 92, I finally saw the headlights in front of me. Travis, the leader at that time, had been leading all day and was running a great race. I decided to skip the assistance point at mile 92, catch up with Travis, and go to the leader. It was almost a strategic mistake to pass the assistance point, and I ended up running out of water until mile 95 or mile 6, when I last saw the team. Luckily, I was able to hold out until I got some water and was able to run to the finish......

Last circle along the course with Pappas! Photo: Alpine Running

It was awesome to do a lap around the school track with my dad! Finished in 18 hours and 1 minute. This is a new distance, and it's a lot of fun, but I'm sure I'll lose it in the near future. I'm looking forward to seeing what other fast times are set on this highway.

At the finish of the 100, a variety of emotions arise. Gratitude, relief, and joy--.

Overall, finishing this race, I didn't feel as "broken" as I had before. I was tired, of course, but excited and proud of my accomplishment. Being surrounded by my loving family was a special moment that I will never forget.

Photo: Alpine Running

Photo: Alpine Running

Photo: Alpine Running

It's hard to wake up when I'm tired.

Gear

Topo Ultrafly 3 Boots

Salomon S/Lab Speedbob Hat

Petzl Actik

Nathan Speeddraw Plus 22oz

Naked Hydration Vest

Naked Running Belt

The 100 miles on this day was my personal best. As a result, I was able to borrow the space for the third place in a row! It is no coincidence that this pre-race training was the most alternative, effective and injury-free of my life. It was the most endless training run (in 2019 I was required to wear the SD100....). Then it was canceled twice due to Covid). 3 years of classes - that's a long time!

San Diego 100 (June 2022)

Training:

My faithful training unit was strong enough. Weekly mileage was in the 80 km range, and I was free of injuries and unnecessary lethargy.

In April, on my personal biggest training weekend, I decided to forgo my regular routine of running 50 or 100 km 6 months before race day. Instead, I ran a 2-year combined race to run a little shorter distance.

I wanted to focus on high training, not "dirt miles", but of course I had the chance to run 100 km. The last 20-30 miles were run at a fairly low aerobic pace. In the end, all training should function as a goal.

During the training weekend, I went to Bergen, Norway. On Saturday, I tried the Jubilee Takeoff (Jubilee Stein FKT) (35 miles, 9000 feet elevation). I didn't reach the FKT. It was a bright and hard 9 hours on the trail.

In the morning, I ran the Bergen City Marathon. I've been training competitively for a number of years, but I never signed up for a full-scale travel marathon or anything like that. In fact, it was a good example!

I finished the Bergen Marathon (1600 feet elevation, hilly) in 2 hours and 54 minutes. During the race, I felt strong and never once got discouraged!

This made me confident to start San Diego. I was ready, I just had to solve the mystery.

View of Jubileumsstein (a small road in the Bergen area, Norway).

Lucy also ran the Bergen marathon with me and loved it!

Training in the heat and on hills:

As I mentioned in my previous race report, one of the obligations of living in the Netherlands (the flattest country in the world) is the poor access to hilly terrain. A large number of participants came from certain districts of Maastricht (South Holland), where you can find the Dutch "mountains".

Besides the stiffness classes, I focused on thermal training in the sauna. The heat in San Diego was around 80 degrees (27 degrees), but on this day it "felt" closer to 90 degrees (32 degrees). The line was open, without shade or coating.

From a physiological standpoint, one of the mistakes that almost everyone makes is to acclimatize to heat too early in the training cycle, or to replace it. I only did 11 days of thermal training. Thermal training consisted of sitting in a 195F sauna in a chair whenever I had the opportunity (usually 15-20 minutes) during standard training, when the main heat of the body was already elevated.

I did thermal classes in a rotating, intensive fashion for 11 days before leaving for San Diego. It's not easy, but it's effective! In fact, I think it was the perfect acclimatization phase and prepared me perfectly.

I also bought a nude vest vest, which proved to be quite effective in the warm 19. heat! Other texts

I put 5 pounds of ice on my chest and back, replenishing it at every support point.~Overall, I didn't suffer from the heat all day, and I think that's thanks to my training and the dike strategy.

David Roche Ultra Nine coach used this excuse in the western states not so long ago (#6). Athletes around the 100 are coming into the steam room more prepared than they used to be. They are becoming more reasonable in overcoming the heat. And this impacts the more solid finishing times and fall records we care about in all sports.

Race Preparation

The San Diego 100 race runs into Cuyamac, California. I slowed down in an old mining town called Julian, about 20 minutes away from part of the start. I arrived in Julian 4 days before the race, so I had enough time to basically get used to the time difference with Amsterdam and enjoy the whole universe through Julian cake. Tons of pizza too.

The distance from the San Diego 100 is pretty comfortable for the crew. I was only able to see my team for one day at the Joint Marie 7. It has 13. 600 feet per elevation is hilly, but the "running" line really played into my hands.

Great team! Dan, Steve, and Nancy

The Kong line at the start. Wide background until mile 2.

Rikbeth Race

"Just keep going"

That was my mantra. I wrote this on my water bottle and repeated it out loud countless times heading into the day.

As for race strategy, my coach and I broke it down for the first 58 miles.

58 miles. I focused on nutrition and hydration. I drank 25-30 ounces of water per hour and burned no more than 300 calories. For the first 6 hours of the race, I urinated twice an hour for fear of hyponatremia, which resulted in increased salt usage. Salt and water balance needs to improve in future races.~At the start, the first 20 miles were left 5 to 10 minutes from the leading group, as he missed the first 15 to 20 groups.

35-40 miles are considered to be the most difficult distance. Overcome Kanyon Norve and climb up to near 2, 000 feet. Most runners pass this place during the hottest day of the day.

In this part of Kang Young Noble, I missed 12 runners. Immediately after that, someone suddenly said I was third in the help point. I felt that my power came out in myself and repeatedly told myself, "Keep running smoothly, Bakayaro!" It's still long.

Over 58 miles, you will enter the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and start down 8 miles to the flat aid station. This single section is almost smooth, so you can increase your pace with a certain rhythm. This section is incredibly removed, and is as beautiful as a picture. I passed some tourists running on PCT. For a while, there was no race, no other runners, and it seemed to be alone on Saturday.

From the viewpoint of the race strategy, I started pushing this part of this distance and starting pushing ... If you are in good shape. And that was the case. So I learned to move forward and pushed it.

On this downhill, it accelerated very much and arrived on the flatness of the Sibet. But when I arrived and looked back, there was another runner 30 seconds later. It was a shock. I "burned the race" and needed a recovery mileage.

Looking at the Sivet team, he probably spent a minute at Aid Point and returned to the same 8-mile PCT section. I was very close to the runner who was together on the descent and was in the fourth place. It was the lowest in my race. Two hours later, I knew that the podium was low, so I stubbornly climbed the slope and won 2-3 kilometers.

But the straemile race is a long race. I don't know what will happen, more than 30 miles! < SPAN> At the start, the first 20 miles were 5 to 10 minutes from the leading group, as they missed the 15-20 groups of the leading 15 to 20 people.

35-40 miles are considered to be the most difficult distance. Overcome Kanyon Norve and climb up to near 2, 000 feet. Most runners pass this place during the hottest day of the day.

In this part of Kang Young Noble, I missed 12 runners. Immediately after that, someone suddenly said I was third in the help point. I felt that my power came out in myself and repeatedly told myself, "Keep running smoothly, Bakayaro!" It's still long.

Over 58 miles, you will enter the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and start down 8 miles to the flat aid station. This single section is almost smooth, so you can increase your pace with a certain rhythm. This section is incredibly removed, and is as beautiful as a picture. I passed some tourists running on PCT. For a while, there was no race, no other runners, and it seemed to be alone on Saturday.

From the viewpoint of the race strategy, I started pushing this part of this distance and starting pushing ... If you are in good shape. And that was the case. So I learned to move forward and pushed it.

On this downhill, it accelerated very much and arrived on the flatness of the Sibet. But when I arrived and looked back, there was another runner 30 seconds later. It was a shock. I "burned the race" and needed a recovery mileage.

Looking at the Sivet team, he probably spent a minute at Aid Point and returned to the same 8-mile PCT section. I was very close to the runner who was together on the descent and was in the fourth place. It was the lowest in my race. Two hours later, I knew that the podium was low, so I stubbornly climbed the slope and won 2-3 kilometers.

But the straemile race is a long race. I don't know what will happen, more than 30 miles! At the start, the first 20 miles were left 5 to 10 minutes from the leading group, as he missed the first 15 to 20 groups.

35-40 miles are considered to be the most difficult distance. Overcome Kanyon Norve and climb up to near 2, 000 feet. Most runners pass this place during the hottest day of the day.

In this part of Kang Young Noble, I missed 12 runners. Immediately after that, someone suddenly said I was third in the help point. I felt that my power came out in myself and repeatedly told myself, "Keep running smoothly, Bakayaro!" It's still long.

Over 58 miles, you will enter the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and start down 8 miles to the flat aid station. This single section is almost smooth, so you can increase your pace with a certain rhythm. This section is incredibly removed, and is as beautiful as a picture. I passed some tourists running on PCT. For a while, there was no race, no other runners, and it seemed to be alone on Saturday.

From the viewpoint of the race strategy, I started pushing this part of this distance and starting pushing ... If you are in good shape. And that was the case. So I learned to move forward and pushed it.

On this downhill, it accelerated very much and arrived on the flatness of the Sibet. But when I arrived and looked back, there was another runner 30 seconds later. It was a shock. I "burned the race" and needed a recovery mileage.

Looking at the Sivet team, he probably spent a minute at Aid Point and returned to the same 8-mile PCT section. I was very close to the runner who was together on the descent and was in the fourth place. It was the lowest in my race. Two hours later, I knew that the podium was low, so I stubbornly climbed the slope and won 2-3 kilometers.

But the straemile race is a long race. I don't know what will happen, more than 30 miles!

The race turns right and returns along the same path (PCT) and starts the 8 mile climb. The sun was already out, so I took one long sleeve shirt and two packs at the aid station. At the aid station, I tied the shirt around my waist because I didn't want to waste time. I didn't take it off for the next 2 hours, and I couldn't stop to put it on. Then, after 2 hours, it was so cold that I stopped for 30 seconds to put my shirt on (over my backpack) and it warmed me up. Lesson learned: body heat is worth sacrificing 30 seconds.

Sunset:

At dusk, an ominous darkness fell over the desert. The sun that I thought would be hot after a few months suddenly disappeared. Yet all the runners who stayed on the trail survived it. As I've said before, what I like most about the 100 miles is the attitude towards the sun. There's something unique about working from sunrise to sunset without stopping.

The road was winding and the wind howled. I saw headlights, up, down, and in the distance. Half a mile, five miles.... depending on where the road took me. The light ahead could be a car headlight. It could be a shooting star. It could be a runner behind me. Every light I saw was a question: Who? How far? What's that?

After a while, the questions faded and I was left alone. Just me, just one runner. I could see nothing but rocks and dirt under my feet. Sveta had enough to scare dozens of desert rats, who desperately dodged my steps and burrowed away from the next runner.

The chase:

At mile 71 (Dale's kitchen) I turned to help and was told I was seven minutes behind. At the next help point I was told I was six minutes, and I started to get hopeful. And I started to get hopeful.

At mile 84 (Pioneer Mail 2 Assistance Station) I picked up pacemaker Dan Friedman. Dan is an old friend of mine who lives in San Diego, and while he's not an avid runner, I thought he'd be ready to test me! Of course, I knew he wouldn't have imagined it.... but I thought he'd enjoy it. It's always good to have a friend like that.

We arrived at Pioneer and Mail and immediately asked for the distance to third place. They answered me "2 minutes". My father later said that this was what I did mainly to increase my motivation (the difference was close to 4 to 5 minutes), but my father knew the exact words. I increased the energy and hit the first post. I was in a hurry. And I didn't stop until I reached the goal.

When I ran the miles, I reached the third run and made a big jerk. He was not just running, he was in a hurry. This is unusual, and it was great to "chase" until this late at 100 miles. And racing tactics are very important here ... Every 30 seconds I had Dan covered the headlights by hand and had you see the scoring distance. I wanted to make sure the headlights could not be seen on the strategy.

In the last assist station-91 miles (sunrise 2)-, I thought it was the third place in the margin. I couldn't see the runner behind. I drank water and left the Aid Station in less than 30 seconds.

But the race did not end.

Dan ran behind me at the 96 miles point and said, "You can see the headlamp."

"I asked how far?"

• "It's just behind," he replied.
• The fourth runner was caught up again! It was a shock. We ran one after another. Mile 97. The race has begun! This is the reason we do, and we imagine in training.
• I opened the distance again. Adrenaline has disappeared. In such a case, I feel the physical condition after training ... Every time I got a bias, I started little by little and tried to throw the runner behind.
• I was demanding more and more from Endurance bikes ... I was powering up more and more. The body reacted, pushed, and everything was "clicked" again.

Topo Ultrafly 3 Boots

Salomon S/Lab Speedbob Hat

Petzl Actik

Nathan Speeddraw Plus 22oz

Naked Hydration Vest

Naked Running Belt

My pacer Dan smiling at the finish!

52 Marathons | 52 Weeks (Nov 2021)

The Beginning

The obligatory photo of my legs at the finish.

Thanks:

A huge thank you to Angela and BJ from SD100 for organizing such a great event. It was worth the wait of 3 years and a great "purpose run"!

Thanks to Scott Trero from Runfastah (that's my 10th Western States 100 finish!). Without your help and training, I would not have the fitness or confidence.

Thank you to Peter and Ramon at Art of Physio Amsterdam for actually keeping me healthy!

My Team: The Best in San Diego!

Gear:

Topo Ultrafly 3 Boots

Salomon S/Lab Speed ​​Bob Hat Cap

Petzl Actik

1. Nathan speeddraw plus 22oz
   • Naked Hydration Vest
2. Grateful Dead Buff
3. 2020 年 10 月 10 日、私偯オランダの小さな町の巣にある農場目覚めた. To order, please contact us at 580 は週末にアムステルダムから逃げ出し、暖房のない小さなトレーラーでゆっ ??? な背景を見つめた。朝露が草の上 ? 応えてニヤリと笑い、自分の仕事 Home page 26. 2 ? んどの悪い冒険がそうで Home page づく．そして近づく．
4. No. 1 2020 10 November About COVID-19 Home page ン、商店が対象となった〃 ? タカーを借りて、アムステルダムから東へ車で約 2

For the first time, while running on the marathon for the first time, I started planning, thinking, "It was fun! There was a possibility that it could be realized again on the right weekend.

For me, Michael Oltis's "Game in A Hundred Metres" was 100 minutes and 100 seconds in 100 months (I happened to meet Michael a little at the time of Jaberena 100). I got a sense of security from the fact that Michael is an ordinary young man making extraordinary luggage. He is not a skilled runner. There is a problem on a dedicated bet, and there are problems that must be overcome, but there is no excuse in his own charm heading for the goal.

My plan is only a small part of Michael's achievement, without any crazy logistics in the race. The best thing about your running plan is that you are actually a referee. You set a standard, observe the compliance, and take responsibility.

🍂 Fall 🍂

My standard was set in October 2020:

I need to run 52 marathons for the correct 365 days.

I rush to the marathon once a week. In the unlikely event that you get injured or sick, prepare a "spare" marathon. "When you finish the marathon, for example, it's not fundamental, for example, 52 marathons in 52 weeks.

The marathon does not need to be an official certified race. This would be difficult due to the fact that most races are postponed for Cobid.

Even if you run a more marathon distance (for example, 50 miles), this is just one marathon.

The marathon is required to continue in a single substitute (for example, you cannot arrange 10 miles during the day and have dinner and then arrange 16 miles again).

In general, these criteria can be reflected when they are satisfied. In March 2021, I hit and missed two marathons (not Kobid). Other than that, there were no major injuries and I was able to finish 52 marathons. Saturday morning was the production period before the marathon, and I cherished it with all elements. It should be noted that in fact, in the first half of 2020, I was still preparing for the San Diego 100 races (as a result cancellation), but my marathon plan became a mechanism to prepare for this race. That is.

The following are the situations and details of what leaked that year.

This is the first windmill that ran in your annual plan. For 52 marathons (42 times I ran in the Netherlands), I collected hundreds of windmills. These buildings have some precise, sweet, and eternal ones.

❄️ Winter ❄️

All channels must maintain your attention towards the marathon year for you. In fact, this applies to any runner at any distance. Route? Change the route, change (or delete) music, run with someone, change speed, run in a new area or area where you live.

Firs t-class runners tend to value discipline. But even the most successful runners need diversity.

I learned of the concept of running on a large city with Ricky Gates' #Everysinglesstreet plan (a record of an adventure running on all streets of San Francisco). I was interested in the photos, skills, and the original layout. I have been in Amsterdam for more than two years, how much do you consider this city? How many not wel l-known places have you searched or avoided? Did you see all the stations? Did you meet millions of motorcycles? Such a question began to turn around in my head.

🌼 Spring 🌼

The symbol of Amsterdam is "inner ring" and "outer ring". The inner circle is a rather colorful and friendly area, and is crowned by elegant canals, lanterns, and colorful trees. In the center of Amsterdam, there is a district where wine red lanterns and mischievous stalls are lined up. In my plan, I decided to run the "all street" on the Amsterdam internal ring line (immediately renamed #EvalysingLecanal).

In the fall of 2020, for me, it will remain forever as a month after walking around Amsterdam with a map and marker. It was an unforgettable skill that took me to every corner of the big city.

Planning behind the scenes #EversingLecanal

In most #EverysingLecanal marathon, I had to carry a paper map and marker and understand what I ran or did not run. Avoid double returns is more difficult than you think. Most people do not know that the Burgundy lantern area in Amsterdam is the most beautiful building in large cities. I was able to explore this area several times during the marathon and when there were no tourists around.

☀️ Summer ☀️

Final result: Amsterdam's internal ring line / street (almost) walked all (almost)! To be honest, I missed some of the eastern part of Amsterdam. unfinished. Click here for interactive maps.

When the winter darkness came to Amsterdam, my plan continued. In the dark, a presenter with a headlamp. I continued to run 5-6 days a week and usually did a marathon on Saturday morning.

On Christmas vacation, Lucy and I decided to rent a truck and head for Switzerland. On the way, I continued my marathon journey and I was able to frolish it in the mountain I was finally bored!

One of my favorite photos throughout the year. Switzerland, Interux Marathon NO12. Shooted with iPhone X.

Returning to the Netherlands, the trip on the van was boring in the mountains, but it was time to tighten the preparation for San Diego 100 (not yet canceled).

In March, I started Germany and decided to run a very lively time for Shipbeckpad, the goal of the Netherlands. This course is a 5 0-mile course that runs along the elegant artificial starting point of the canal, which was once carried by two states. On this day, the weather was very good, I made every effort, and as a result, I set up an FKT. For example, this route is quite fresh, uniform and easy to pass. This route is not considered competitive, and it would be great to see what kind of opportunity to introduce expensive athletes. If you are looking for an interesting route, please visit NL's "Hidden Pearl"!

After the shipbeat pad, I continued to prepare for San Diego and continued the marathon plan. I wanted to go through the FKT, so I aimed for another route entitled the Kritan Pad in the Netherlands. This route starts at the railway station in Marstricht, and will be the end of the railway station in Ma Strichit. Located in the southern part of the state, there is a chance to cross the worl d-known cycling zone, stepped on a real "hill". It was a beautiful race and a cool route, but the implementation was not perfect. I was almost ready for Boram, and as a result, I came to 44 miles.

At the starting point of the Krite Land Pad. Mastricht station

Fun rout e-all day

With the arrival of the summer, the sun settled down, and KM fled. My body became stronger and the marathon became a daily routine. The marathon was given to me more easily than a day, but after that, I had a bad illness. Eventually, the SD100 was postponed and decided to participate in the Ultra Marathon, Veluwezoom in the Netherlands. A race held once every two years at Veluwwezoom National Park, runs 11 km on Saturday afternoon, 25 km during the day on Saturdays, and 60 km on Sunday.

Velvezoom race for 2 days and 3 days. As a result, I won the first place! I am glad to be able to participate in the race again.

The first day is a sprint finish! There are many holidays.

Run "3 Sisters":

On the moon, we went to Oregon (Lucy's hometown). 3 Sisters Loop, a beautiful loop route of 60 miles passing through some of the most beautiful terrain on the northwestern part of the Pacific coast. Passes through 5 different burn zones with an altitude difference of 2, 500 meters. I was shocked by the calm, tragedy, and regeneration that occurred in these burned zones. For me, an yest coaster, this was fresh and different, and I could never forget it. Lucky was that the great support team was together. Lucy's family took 6 hours by car, giving me a cola and hugged on the way without a mobile phone. Both were very comfortable and uplifted.

Other highlights

The summer adventure did not end with this. For a few months, I ran a marathon in France, Spain, Belgium, Denver and Boston! I often ran alone. I sometimes ran with friends and family. Wherever I was, I found a new, new road, and many reasons for thanks. There is no end to talking about each run, but the photo tells it:

#52

Lucy and I got engaged on a lighthouse in Mallolka. This photo was taken a few minutes later.

Massachusetts Marathon with Ben#47

A huge thank you to Angela and BJ from SD100 for organizing such a great event. It was worth the wait of 3 years and a great "purpose run"!

The 51st marathon marathon before going to work. Only me and Amster. Beautiful morning

After running with Steve, I bought a baguette.

What I learned:

No. 46 of the Devente Marathon, Colorado

Marathon No. 46 finish in Quures Field

Many people don't know, but Amsterdam (and many other cities) have a commemorative plate for those who have died in the Holocaust.

I have stepped on dozens of plates in the middle of the marathon, but I always stop and read the name.

There is always a good story. On October 9, 2021, I woke up in Amsterdam. It was not surrounded by cows, but it was a cool morning that was so eerie than the previous year. It was the year of pandemic and the year of running. I saw a lot of new places and new things, but there was no thrill for a moment. But looking back, I hope you can use that as a base. It's like building a foundation for something big. Is the 50km race the next step?

I put my feet on the ground and grabbed a trainer.

"It's a good day to run.

The Best of:

In the last marathon, I ran Fondel Park with my friends in Amsterdam. A wonderful support team!

Click here for a list of all 52 marathons. There is also a strava link:

Looking at the situation in a broader scope (literally, I'm talking about the Earth's situation in 4 or 5 billion years), I'm not very impressed with what I've accomplished. I don't mean to be derogatory, but if you think of the human situation in the context of possibility, we really haven't been that prominent in this world for that long. And running 52 marathons a year is a micro number that is elementally ridiculous in the grand scheme of things.

To make this assumption clearer, let's assume the Earth's situation in the guise of a calendar year. Homo sapiens was sighted on December 31 at 23:36:

So, it wasn't that long ago that humans appeared on this world. This is an unimaginable wonder to me, and shows that human potential is only just beginning to unfold. For those who have read Sapiens or Human Nature, this will not be new information. But it has been fundamentally unravelled.

As an exercise, think back to what you did on what day and at what time earlier this year. For example, between 10:04 and 10:28 in the morning on January 15th. Do you remember anything? Who did you talk to? What did you talk about? That was the earliest. That's the situation for the entire world population. PUF. That's it. It's a comical reminder of how temporary our lives are in the vastness of time.

Ultra Pad Netherland (UPNL) FKT (June 2020)

Scop-Swishh-Wishh; Scop-Swishh-Wishh

Let's continue with the fact that humans have only lived on Earth for 400. 000 years. In reality, we have been rushing all of our time. This is not comparable to the fact that running was noticed in the Industrial Revolution or anything like that. If you read books like Born to Run or The Road to Sparta, you will understand that. For us, rushing is natural. Yes, including ultramarathons. We run for survival, for food, and for communication, just like humans.

So when I think about my running, one element is that I was born into a generation that was not dedicated to hunting and gathering, did not fight like hunter-gatherers, and did not like ultramarathons. In fact, it is an advantage and a probability that I can hurry. I run because it is fun, not for survival.

4 minute mile, 2 hour marathon... the list goes on and on. I will never come close to one of these records. And this is not a bad thing. When you compare yourself to the situation of the planet and humanity... or the situation of humanity, this has the potential to be terrifyingly frozen. But in the end, we can only work within the framework of ourselves and our individual possibilities. This is what I will focus on.

Favorite album: Take Off and Shrink the Third Reich, William Shire

Most played song: Scarlet Begonias & amp; amp; gt; Fire on the Mountain, Grateful Dead Group, performance at Barton Hall, May 8, 1977.

The most colorful marathon: 12th place in Switzerland's Interlaken and 40th place Oregon.

The most difficult marathon: No. 45 in Amsterdam. This was the third marathon in three states a week, running on Sunday night after a 7-hour drive. It was pretty lethargic.

Tred milling marathon: 1 time

The most unforgettable marathon: The 35th tournament held on Mallorca, Spain. At the end of the race, I was going to propose to Lucy, and the ring was in the ultra pack. She had an accident on a moped motorcycle (she was fine), but she was unforgettable to give me a phone call at FaceTime at 20 km. The plan was ruined, but the next day we got engaged!

This was my metronome.

4:30 am. The area was wrapped in the dark. Except for the owl's cry and the voice of the animal running to the branches, I could only hear the periodic sound of the water, "Shisushisuisui," on my back. The water jumped like a healthy baby, but a terrible sound resounded from my ears to my chest.

How long will my intelligence stick to this sound? I tried to calm down and concentrate. An endless day was waiting.

The sound continued. Swish Swish Wish, Swish Swish Swish.

Looking back a few months ago, I didn't stop running.

When the decline begins, there are two options: 1. Frozen as a frog for winter, hibernate, frozen as frogs from June to August.

Fastest Known Time

Frog during hibernation.

In summer, it jumps from water lily to water lily.

There is also a time. Some stories require rescue or withdrawal. I still have time to go out, adventure, and explore. However, these scenarios may be contrasting. It's a subtle balance, but you can do both. In some space, it hibernates and goes out in a certain space.

For many people, the word "COVID" is synonymous with hibernation. Since February, most of the world has been hibernated. Almost all companies hibernated, cooled their heads, and saved money. At the physical level, we were hibernating from others. People who get sick are hibernating for their health and to protect others. This is all true. Hibernation is not "fun". The excursion on the weekend is not interesting either. In fact, the economy is decelerating. Almost everyone's work has faded. Almost everyone's life has faded.

Descente defines as clearly as possible what is fundamental. He emphasizes Maslow's hierarchy of needs, prioritizing survival and family. Anything else is sacrificed because there is no other option. You threw it away and probably never tried to pick it up. And that's not a bad thing.

So really, yes, sometimes there is no other way than hibernation. Decline can take away our options. This is one of many tragedies. But some people still have options. What we don't want to sacrifice is what we value most. I was lucky to be able to make a choice in life these past few months. I chose to freeze like a frog from June to August, including the winter.

In some aspects of my life, I naturally went into hibernation. For example, during the social project, I went into hibernation and stopped seeing my friends as often. I also hibernated at work, focusing on leading plans and canceling values ​​when doing unimportant work. I focused on making sweet things and having quality conversations. I was going to go on a trip when hibernation was over.

If I don't do that, I'll remain a frog from June to August. Time has been a gift for many, including me. More time with family, in person or over video calls. Nearly everyone has taken the opportunity to browse old photos, new experiences, or finally catch up on the piles of book reservations that have been growing for years. Time to catch up. Slowly. Most of us found time to rebel, speak out, calm down, or even think a little more, think a little harder, to make sense of it. It is in the low periods that we work on that create stability.

For me, running was something I would never sacrifice. I kept running, jumping from lily pad to lily pad, looking at my fresh load.

What on earth is an FKT?

• I was originally scheduled to run the San Diego 100 on June 5, but it was postponed due to COVID-19.
• When the race was postponed, I dove deep into my training, and as a result, found other running events to participate in and adhered to social distancing. FKT stands for "Fastest known time". Fastest Known Time. com offers a selection of routes from highly structured competitive mega-campaigns like the Appalachian Road and 14 No Run to the most unknown short routes laid down every day. If you want to know more about how FKTs have developed, you can read the comments about Buzz Burell (founder) or listen to the Fastest-known Time Podcast. Buzz is a great face in the ultrarunning sport world and has a lot of impressive FKTs on his account.
• I was interested in Ultra Pass Holland for several reasons. First of all, it is a distance that runs through three different state parks in the Netherlands, characterized by an abundance of reliefs and facades. Secondly, the start is 40 minutes from Amsterdam, where I live. This simplified the logistics and eliminated the opportunity to travel to other countries with closed borders. And I ended up running 50 miles in training in April, and it turned out that I was actually lapping a percentage of the UPNL distance on an autonomously created route. In fact, for example, I was the epitome of the beauty of distance, and the knowledge of turns and wriggles is the advantage of aid every time.

The Route

Why try to pass an FKT?

There are no hordes of screaming fans at an FKT, no pompous starting line with music, no powerful support points, no literally solemn beer tents. There are no sponsors or souvenirs, no medals or trophies. There are no warm-ups with other runners, no conversations about equipment, no friendly fun, no sharing of suffering. There is no physiological competition around you. There is only the spirit of last time.

FKT is one of the most unfinished experiences in the world of running, and this confessed to me. There is something fascinating about waking up on an ordinary day and doing something that people do not try to manage many times. There is only you, and everything comes with the click of the clock. And you go on a journey. Just once.

Navigating an FKT route is done autonomously. Typically, using a map, compass, and GPX file on a watch, phone, or other device. Some FKT routes are marked, while others, like UPNL, are unmarked or combine multiple route systems. As a result, anyone trying to follow the route must navigate using GPX. Every wrong turn (and there were many) added valuable seconds to the running clock.

The fastest known time to complete the UPNL is 20 hours and 59 minutes. I completed it in 19 hours and 19 minutes.

The FKT format has some original details, which I will tell you about here:

First, there is the trade-off between success/failure of an offensive. To spread ripples or not. To win or lose. In a normal race, you probably have some goals based on time, placement/rank, etc., and they are likely to change as the race progresses. For example, when you're not feeling well, you might want to get ahead of the runners nearby. You might want to get in the "top 20" instead of the "top 10". In other kinds of FKTs, there is probably no benefit to the fuss. It depends on the goal at the start, and for certain people, some FKTs are more relaxed, and some FKTs where you just try without the goal of breaking the record.