Trail Runs, Crewing, Heat Stroke, and Being a Rock Star as Usual…
When I look at my Google calendar of this year, there is not a single week or weekend where there hasn’t been a race, a show, or some sort of trip and when I was recently asked when my next free day off was, my only response was “maybe sometime in June?” I do terribly with down time, so all of the activity is good for me.
Brandon Nicholas and James Mann (my director and cinematographer for my music video) had the premier of their movie, Desert Son last weekend. The movie was great, the shots were absolutely beautiful and it even featured the same piano that I beat the shit out of in my music video. Actually, the location of my music video was the same as the location for this movie, so it was kind of cool to see the old house again! I can’t believe we shot that a year ago.
Brandon Nicholas and I at his premier
Last weekend I went to the Leona Divide 50 miler course to do a training run with Brian Krogmann, Adam Bowman, and Kate Freeman. We had beautiful weather and I was feeling great. Kate and I stuck together and visited the whole time. When we finished our run I wished we were running longer. Afterwards we went out for pancakes at More Then Waffles in Encino. Krogmann took me there a while ago and I have to say, the Ultima (pancakes topped with SO MUCH FRUIT) is incredible. Especially if you get the Grainy Day pancakes. It got really hot that day and although I was feeling strong during the run, I must not have been paying much attention to my hydration or salt (I actually didn’t take any Salt Stick that day). When I went out for run number 2 of the day, I took a minute to rehydrate and then spent the next hour or so throwing up. Weird. The rest of the evening was spent in bed trying to cool off and get some fluids in.
View from Leona Divide training run
Ultra-Kates!
Monday of last week was not my best day. It was the day after my little dehydration spell, I was feeling tired, didn’t go on a run, had a very full day including a trip to the dentist (horrifying) and a bill from the dentist (even scarier) with a rehearsal in the valley to top it off. However, as soon as I got to rehearsal everything just felt better. I was rehearsing with Nina Storey for her show at Hotel Cafe later that week and the entire band is made up of great people and playing music with them at the end of the day was the best way for me to re-center. I guess it was one of those moments where you know you’re on the right path – btw, I’m reading The Alchemist for the second time right now, love that book.
Rehearsal with Nina - playing my 2nd favorite piano in the universe.
Very serious.
At our Hotel Cafe show on March 31st. No Brig to style us this time :-/
On Tuesday night of last week I did a midnight run with Daniel, Berns, Garrett and Erin under the full moon. We ran at Los Liones and had a great time!! I’d like to do this run again in the day time. I haven’t been on this trail for a while and it seemed like a good quick run! It was a clear night and up at the top it seemed like we could see the entire city. I just kept thinking “This city is huge, there are so many people, why are we the only 5 people doing this right now?”
I made this video for the Coyotes this week (my trail running group). April Fool’s Day run!
This past weekend I volunteered at Sycamore Canyon (18/30k/50k). Sarah Spelt is an incredible lady and her races are a lot of fun (PCTR) and I felt like karmically I owed it to her to lend a hand, but really, I enjoy hanging out at these things even when I’m not running them. Sycamore Canyon was originally on my list of races to do this year, but it didn’t seem smart to do this less than a week before American River 50 miler. It was Daniel and Garrett’s first 50k and also my friend John Weselcouch’s first 50k. John and I were co-captians of our college cross country team. I remember back then when he and I would talk about longer distance running he said to me “Not a step more than a marathon.” He won the 50k on Saturday which blew even me away – beating Dean Dobberteen who I saw win the San Juan 50k only a few weeks ago. John called me yesterday saying that he’s really pumped about the distance running. I’m really pumped to see what he’s going to do!
John Weselcouch and I after Sycamore Canyon 50k
My roommates and training partners, Garrett and Daniel
My picture in April's UltraRunning Magazine!
I have a show at Genghis Cohen tomorrow night. Wednesday night show = I hope I can get people out! This weekend is American River 50 Miler which I’m very excited about. Every race is such a surprise. I’ve yet to find one that I didn’t love and I expect American River to be no different!
Mardi Gras Marathon Video Blog
Running with the Garmin 405 showed me that I have no idea how to pace myself in a marathon. Granted, it’s the first marathon I’ve run in a year since I’ve only been racing ultras lately, but I think I hit a mental wall at about mile 16 and ended up finishing with fuel left to burn. It was a good workout and a beautiful course though and I had fun playing with the watch. Next up – L.A. in 2.5 weeks.
Thriv Smell Test Challenge
This week I did some product testing for the brand Thriv. One of Thriv’s claims is that the bamboo their clothing is made of naturally resists odor. In this video I put this theory to the test by running all week in the same Thriv top.
Twin Peaks 50 Miler (er… 53ish Miler)
When the Twin Peaks 50 Miler website warned of 17,000 feet of climbing, they were not kidding.
5:00 am yesterday morning marked the start of the Twin Peaks 50 Mile Endurance run (though the actual distance is closer to 53 miles). The only other course I had to compare this to was the Headlands 50 miler which was 7,000 feet less of climbing and it still completely destroyed me. I went into the start of this race cautiously, careful to save my quads for the 10 mile stretch of downhill I would face at the end which can easily result in broken bones if your muscles are fatigued and your reflexes aren’t sharp. Yes, this was going to be a long day of slow climbs and my only strategy was to stay positive and expect it to hurt.
The first climb went up for about 7 miles before we got to a more rolling pattern. The fire roads were in bad shape with crevices sometimes a couple of feet deep. I noted that I would be running down this same path at the end of the race and in the dark. I fell twice just running up the hill so I knew that I’d have to be particularly aware at night on the way down.
10 or so miles in we reached an aid station before descending down a steep single track which seemed to be entirely loose rolling rock. Right off the bat I was loosing my footing, rolling my ankles, slip sliding down the switchbacks and using all the balance I had not to go tumbling over the edge. It was the first time in my running career that I actually was a little frightened of falling. I’m an all out downhill runner and I don’t like to hold back, but in order to not launch myself over the side of the mountain, my running technique needed to be adjusted.
Andy Kumeda, Catra Corbett, Linda Mcfadden, Craig Slagel, Erin Chavin
At mile 14.5 we hit the Holy Jim aid station for the first of two times. This is where my drop bag was. In an effort not to spend too long at aid stations, I grabbed a pb&j, refilled my camelbak with water and hit the trails, completely forgetting to re-stock on food, so I was off on a 7.5 mile climb with only a chia mix to eat. But I’ll tell you what, if all you have to eat are chia seeds, you aren’t too bad off.
I felt stronger on the ascent up to Santiago Peak than I had felt all morning and I used this momentum to increase my speed a little and begin to break away. We got high enough in this climb to reach snow! At the top of Santiago Peak I stocked my camelbak with a handful of Oreos and took a pb&j in each hand and started running down the mountain. For the first time all day I felt like I was running naturally. The single track I hit was a little rough, but I was feeling more confident in my footing and less scared without a drop-off to worry about. At the end of the single track I took a wrong turn and climbed up the fire road for about a mile before being turned around. Almost every runner I talked to made this same wrong turn.
Chowing down on chia!
I continued the downhill to Holy Jim (mile 30) to pick up my pacer Garrett. At this point I took a dip in the creek in an attempt to ice my quads before scaling up the rocky single track I had nearly tumbled down earlier in the day. The icy creek definitely helped my quads. I felt refreshed going into our next climb. This was the hottest part of the day and I passed a couple of runners sitting in the shade cooling off and resting, which I hate to say, made me feel like the race was over for them. The only instruction I gave Garrett was not to let me sit down. It’s all over when you sit down.
Me, Brian Kroggman and his pacer Bev Jones Carpenter
foreground - Bev Jones Carpenter, Brian Krogmann, background - myself, my pacer Garrett Hamilton
This 4 mile climb lasted at least an hour and a half. After topping off our water at the top, we headed down the fire road to the Indian Truck aid station before climbing to the top of Santiago Peak for the 2nd time. At the aid station I tried to get clarity on where to turn and how to come back down the mountains, but the volunteers actually didn’t know what to tell me. The race was a little confusing and some of the turns were not marked well and on top of that, most of the volunteers didn’t have knowledge of the course either. I was carrying the course directions from the website on me but this was completely useless unless you knew the names of all the trails. I did not. I ended up figuring out the rest of the course by asking a veteran runner of the race. I figured now that I knew how to get back down, I wouldn’t get lost again and i could just relax and enjoy the rest of the run.
Snow on the way up to Santiago Peak
After hitting Santiago Peak for the 2nd time, there is about a 10 mile run down to the finish. Garrett and I got about 4 miles into this before finally needing to turn on our headlamps. Garrett ran next to me, letting me lead the way and set the pace but providing me with more light from his headlamp and flashlight so that I wouldn’t fall into the crevices. This was the strongest running I did all day.
Finally we got to the base of the fire road and reached a point where you could turn, or go straight. I remembered having to turn left at the beginning of the race so I lead Garrett and I down to the right. I still don’t know exactly what happened but now we spent about 20 minutes being completely lost. Most of this is a blur to me, except that I remember being so upset that I started to dry heave and cry while Garrett calmly just told me to turn around and keep running. After two attempts and some bad directions we found our way down the rest of the hill and into the finish area.
I finished with 14:20 (goal was 14:15) only 1 minute slower than Headlands 50 miler, but with an added 3 miles and 7,000 feet of more climbing. Turns out I also placed 2nd overall for women. Not a bad run.
More importantly I got to spend the whole day with friends, running, enjoying the views, and just being grateful that I have the ability to do what I do.
Video Recap!
The Odds are Good but the Goods are Odd…
The first 10 days of the new year have proved to be nothing but awesome, and I hope that this indicates what the rest of the year will hold. I’m beginning to see glimmers of light within my music career, getting more shows, beginning to get paid more frequently, and writing new material that I think will actually stick.
Last week I played at Hotel Cafe with Nina Storey and the rest of the band. This is the third time I’ve played this show with Nina. I’ve really enjoyed doing this with her because the band is basically the same folks each time around and they are all people I genuinely enjoy playing with and hanging out with.
Singing for Nina at Hotel Cafe
Nina Storey at Hotel Cafe January 2010
I’ve started to notice the positive effects of training harder and higher mileage recently during my training runs and workouts. I’m planning some pretty fun races this year. This is what I have so far:
Feb: Twin Peaks 50 Miler
March: Malibu Creek 50k
April: America River 50 Miler
May: Miwok 100k
June: San Diego 100 Miler
August: Pikes Peak
October: Oil Creek 100??
Yesterday I ran in the Boney Mountain Half Xterra race and surprised myself with a 1st place age group finish. It was a really fun run and I had the benefit of previewing the course last weekend when I ran it with the Coyotes. There are some good climbs in that course which I really enjoyed. My downhill running has improved tremendously over the past few months as well. I used to be pretty tentative and slow in the downhills. Now, I’m sure if I fall I’ll go tumbling down the mountain, but I’m really enjoying the downhill running more and find I’m becoming more natural at handing more technical sections of trails.
At the start of Boney Mountain (I'm far right)
Moeben Love (Bev Carpenter, Me, Erin Chavin)
Team Top to Top/Creative Citizen/Coyotes. All of us placed in our age group. Daniel Weissauer (left) and Dominic Grossman (right)
1st place Women 20-24
I’ve also started running in the New Balance Trail 100′s (WT100) and I LOVE them. Especially coming from a heavier brand like Salomon, the 100′s feel incredible and light, but still possess some essential features of a trail shoe as far as grip and protection goes.
Daniel Weissauer and I both breaking in our New Balance Trail 100's out at Boney Mountain
Yesterday was also the kickoff for my brother’s trail racing series, Forge Racing, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m so proud of him for putting this series together. It’s really great to see people come together and get the city of Baton Rouge spending more time outside and being active. Love it.
This week I head to Boston to visit some old haunts before flying to Denver for a few shows and the Parks and Recreation Showcase to try and book some shows through the summer and fall. If I’m lucky I’ll get some good altitude training in and try not to feel left out while my buddies get ready for Rocky Raccoon! It’s okay, many more races to come…
Javelina Jundred and the Music and L.S.D that followed.
I’m not really sure why it has taken me so long to give some sort of race report on Javelina Jundred, my first 100 mile race. Maybe the idea of reporting a 100 mile adventure seems a little much to take on in writing. You go through an incredible range of physical and psychological conditions during the course of a 100 mile run, especially if it takes you over 30 hours to complete. The thought of sitting down and doing a full recap is exhausting.
I also believe that I have many more hundred mile races in my future. This is not the epic event of my running career. It is merely a first glimpse into the world of 100 mile running. I have learned that I am tougher than I think and running brings me a peace that I have found no where else in my life.
My sister and I spoke during the days leading up to the Javelina Jundred. I told her that running makes me present. It pushes me so much into the present moment that I can manage to completely turn my mind off and just enjoy the silence of the trails, the smell of the woods, the company of another runner, appreciate the strength and power that is my body, and not be interrupted by the chaos that can be my mind. It is similar to the feeling I get when writing or performing music, only without the melancholy.
So as for a full race report on Javelina, I don’t think it is necessary. I will say it was one of the most fun 30 hours of my entire life. I learned that my will is stronger than my feet and my legs were built for distance. Running in the desert made me believe that a cactus can have an emotion, coca cola might be the greatest thing ever invented, and dragons really do exist. I got to witness the power of incredible friendship and crewing and see the largest moving Halloween party on the planet. What an adventure.
Three ultra-kates before the race (Katie DeSplinter, me, Kate Martini Freeman)
My number
Having ALL the fun
Me and my bro-in-law Fred Knapp rocking our Salomons.
Party in the desert!!
Still smiling!
Me and Coach Jimmy
Sun is setting...
Blister crew working the night shift
...and into the next morning
last 10 miles...
Finished at last
Sleep at last
Feet before...
Feet after
Thanksgiving weekend I went up to San Francisco with Brian Krogmann to watch/crew for the Quad Dipsea. On Thanksgiving morning Brian and I went out with friend Rick Gaston and some of his running friends to run a double Dipsea. One time through the trail is just over 7 miles and kicks off with somewhere around 650-700 stairs. Twice through was enough for me. Watching the quad 2 days later was incredible.
Me (in all black) on the Dipsea trail
5 weeks after my finish at Javelina I raced the Ridgecrest 50k on December 6th. This was my first ever trail run and ultra marathon last year. Our weather was chilly with headwinds on the climbs reaching 20-30 MPH. In spite of all of this, I beat my time from last year by almost an hour, finishing in 5:14. I was hoping for a sub-5 hour time, but I am incredibly happy and proud with the way I finished that race. I felt strong and recovery time was none. This race has boosted my confidence in what I can take on and accomplish in my races of 2010.
I’d also like to take a moment here and say how much I love my Moeben sleeves after last week’s race. I can’t stand being overdressed for running, but without my sleeves I would have been absolutely freezing in that wind. My Wigwam sleeves don’t hold a candle to them. If you’re looking into running sleeves, check Moeben out. They’re stylish and warm and there’s certainly nothing wrong with supporting a small business.
with Brian Krogmann at Ridgecrest 50k, both rocking our Moeben sleeves
On the music front, I have had a string of excellent shows during this past stay in Los Angeles. I played to a full room at Genghis Cohen the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. It was encouraging to see so many people come out to a 10:00 show on a Tuesday. This is the first L.A. show I’ve played where I got to take home door money. Things are coming along. I also played at The Joint this past Tuesday (Dec. 8th) and also had a great turn out. Again, I got a share of the venue’s door money and sold some CD’s as well. I am so grateful for the support of my friends and followers in the Los Angeles area. I rarely play shows out here that encourage me in the least, but those two shows gave me quite a lift.
playing at Genghis Cohen
On Thursday (Dec. 10th) I accompanied Nina Storey at Hotel Café’ where Sara Barielles sat in the audience as we opened for my new favorite band, The Rescues. What a night. Playing with Nina always trips me out a little bit because of how badly I wanted to be just like Jeremy Lawton (her former keyboard player) when I was a teenager.
me with Nina Storey (right) and Nicole Latorre (left)
Now I’m sitting in the Las Vegas Airport en route to Baton Rouge for the holidays. I hope the next couple weeks will serve as a little bit of a break for me to get some writing done and book some more winter/spring shows. I’ll also be deciding which ultra I’ll be doing the first 4-6 weeks of the New Year. Suggestions are certainly welcome.
Javelina Jundred 101.4 Mile – VIDEO BLOG!
A written update will follow soon. What an incredible experience.
First Hundred Miler this Saturday
This Saturday, October 31st, is my first 100 mile ultra-marathon. I’m feeling overall pretty good, though a little nervous. I’ll be running in the desert just outside of Phoenix.
The race starts at 6am on Saturday morning. If I have cell reception, I’ll be tweeting updates throughout the day. You can follow me here – http://twitter.com/KatelynBenton
Or you can track me at the race website. I’m number 534. http://www.javelinajundred.com/webcast/live_results.html
Wish me luck.
One Week to Javelina Jundred
As of right now, the forecast for next Saturday in Phoenix is a high of 73 and a chance of showers. PERFECT.
* crosses fingers *
Javelina Jundred in 11 days
I am less than two weeks away from running my first 100 mile length ultra-marathon. I’m feeling good about the last 6 or 7 weeks of training and if I handle my taper right, I should be going into Javelina without injuries and eager to run.
I’m trying not to concentrate on the things that are worrying me about the race. I have a list of concerns, but all I can do is try and stay positive and take care/listen to my body.
I just got back from a 3 week stay in Los Angeles and am now in Colorado until I fly to Phoenix for the race next weekend. The back and forth leaves me a bit disoriented. I’m not sure who exactly I am or what I’m doing and this race seems to be the only thing in my life right now that I am feeling in control over. I’m not sure how I’m going to feel when this race is over. I hope I can find my North soon and start to feel a little more balanced.
Speaking of balance, I got this Power Balance bracelet this last weekend that makes me feel like I have super powers. It made me nauseous the first half hour I wore it, but I did notice an immediate improvement in my balance.
Headland 50 Mile Ultra
This past weekend I ran my very first 50 mile ultra marathon. First of all – the video Blog. Enjoy!!
Now, take a look at the elevation map.
First 25 mile loop
Second 25 mile loop
Looks more like a ski slope than a trail race! Because of the way May and June went, I came into this race knowing how under-trained I was, but didn’t doubt my fitness and my mindset and that’s truly what made the difference. This race was a gigantic success. I felt comfortable, I was euphorically, stupidly happy, I had no nutrition issues, no GI problems, no dehydration or nausea, what a positive experience. I may go as far as to say this was one of the most wonderful days of my life. Knowing I was under-trained actually took a lot of edge off of the race. It was like a day long moving picnic with beautiful scenery and I happened to also be running. 
Near the end I was having a hard time with the downhills. At mile 47 I had to stop running the downhills. As you can see from the elevation map, the last few miles are at a pretty steep grade going down. The last segment of the video where it shows me seeing the finish was taken about a mile and a half out of the finish. It took me close to an hour to do that last mile and a half because of the steep downhill. I’m glad I had my headlamp! When it got dark at the end, it was still challenging to stay on course with the headlamp.
It’s been 3 days now and I feel great. My quads are still a little sore, but no big deal.
Ultra marathons are the best.
Katelyn Runs First 50 Miler on Saturday
I am less than 2 days away from my first 50 mile ultra-marathon. When I was training for my first marathon less than 4 years ago, I would have never imagined that I would be running 50 now, and training for my first 100 miler! Unreal.
For those of you who are interested – this is the race I am running on Saturday.
Wish me luck!
Here’s the letter I sent to my family today regarding the race:
Hi Family,
Just a reminder, tomorrow I will be leaving for San Francisco for my 50 mile ultra-marathon run on Saturday. I can’t describe the joy I get from trail running and the way it has completely transformed me as an athlete. I never thought there could be a sport that could be so physically demanding and mentally rewarding and I owe a lot of my preparation for this race to my trail running coach, Jimmy and his trail running group.
Some of you have expressed some concern about running this far of a distance. Just to ease your mind, I wanted to fill you in and let you all know that these races are not run how you may imagine. I will be hiking almost all of the hills (there’s a 1000 foot elevation change on this course). My running pace on flat ground will be no faster than 12 minute miles (the pace for a 24 hour 100 mile race is 17 minute miles, and that is considered extremely fast in this sport). I plan to stop at every aid station (every 4-5 miles). I have practiced eating and I know what works for me to a point. I’ll be consuming between 200-300 calories per hour and will also be taking electrolyte replacements. I have enough sunscreen to run for a week. I’ve been eating like a champ. I’m peeing clear. I am completely un-injured and I intend to keep it that way.
Also, I have been training with some of the most elite athletes I have ever met in my life. The advice, training, and nutrition tips I have recieved come from finishers of some of the most difficult races in the country including Badwater and the Western States 100. This is the same group that my buddy Dominic has been training in and used to prep himself for his 154 miler this past Spring.
I know the difference between fatigue and injury. I will not hesitate to drop out of the race if I truly think I am doing harm to myself. I will have the opportunity to get medical assistance at each aid station. I will also be carrying my phone with me the entire time even though I’m not sure if I’ll have reception. Your phone calls are welcome, by the way. I would love voice mails and texts of encouragement during the race.
Last night I met with Coach Jimmy for a pep talk and he said something that made me feel great and will hopefully make you all feel better. He said that with everyone he trains, he always has at least one or two concerns about his athletes right before they go into a race. However, he said he didn’t have a single concern about me and this race.
The rule of pacing for endurance running is “double the distance, triple the time.” I’m a 4 hour marathoner, which puts me at a running pace to finish at 12 hours. This is my flat surface running pace only though. I will be stopping at aid stations and power hiking hills. Don’t be alarmed if I don’t call or check in until 15 hours after the start. My guess is it will take me anywhere from 13-15 hours to finish. I’ll call someone as soon as I am done, assuming I have cell phone reception. Worst case scenario, I’ll call someone from the home I am staying at when I return on Saturday evening.
Hopefully this helps some. I have no doubt that this will be the hardest physical challenge I’ve faced and it won’t be pretty, but the weird ultra-trail running disease has worn off on me and for some ungodly reason, this makes me happy.
Talk to you soon!
love,
katie
2 weeks, countdown begun
Today marks 2 weeks until my 50 mile race at Headlands. Training has proved to be an interesting balance. As I posted before, May-June provided some significant challenges but I came into July feeling stronger, lighter, fitter, and healthier than I have in a very long time, except for the loss of muscle. I’ve been attempting to build back my strength without over-training too hard only weeks before the race. Coach Jimmy’s excellent advice is to intentionally go into this 50 miler under-trained, rather than show up at the starting line already injured. I have other races to think about, like Javelina Jundred in October 
Today will be my last 20+ mile run I think. I may do a couple of 10 milers twice a day in the next two weeks though.
If anyone actually reads this and wants to help me out, I could use mixes of your favorite music so I have some fun and interesting stuff to run to for what could be about 12 hours of running.
Back on the Run
Well, after about a month of feeling absolutely terrible, I’m starting to feel like running again. I’ve hit a mental and physical wall recently including poor nutrition, poor sleep, and weak runs (if I run at all). I’m convinced that at this point, if I can just get myself out on some runs, my appetite will return and I’ll be able to sleep again. The result of this last month has been some noticeable weight/strength loss and the inability to run hills. Blah.
This morning I ran at Sullivan Canyon with my trail running group. I felt better than I’ve felt recently, but still slow and a little reluctant to push myself. My run was cut a little short when I realized I had lost my car keys somewhere on the trail, but overall it was a solid 45 minutes of running and I’m happy I made it out. Plus, the comradery of running with a group really helps. After the run we all went to Pete’s to get coffee and I think that that 20 minutes of post-run bonding was just important to me as the run. I’m determined to get myself back into the physical shape I need to be in to run the Headlands 50 miler in August and possibly even the Javelina Jundred (100 miles, whatt??!) in October.
Here’s a couple pictures from my “run” 2 weekends ago. There was a really pretty moment at around 6:30 AM when I was coming down hill at Westridge and had a great view of the sun coming up shining down on Santa Monica. Trail running is all I care to do these days and this is why.
Early on in the run, about 5:30 am at Westridge
Sunrise in Santa Monica
The very talented Corey Schreppel came to visit me last week. Corey was the drummer and engineer on my EP as well as one of my favorite people. We recorded rough piano and vocals for a new song called Invisible Man which I will hopefully have finished within the next month.
Me and Corey Schreppel
Corey + Breakfast = BEST DAY
My weekend in pictures
Coffee plus accordion. another typical morning.
This weekend my friend Dominic ran 154.2 miles to raise money for parkinsons. Here's me joining him for the last day of running.
Routing out the last miles of the 154.2.
what an emotional finish! Dominic did awesome! 154.2 miles in 40 hours.
Some of the support crew at the finish. Dom's Mom, his two sisters, me, Dom, Dom's Dad, Kate and Jimmy
And finally, on Sunday afternoon I recorded background vocals for Nina Storey's new album.
So much good stuff wrapped into one weekend! Certainly fitting for a blog titled “music and long slow distances”.
188 Miles for Parkison’s Disease and other updates
I got this picture from my friend Toby’s camera. The music video could be done by this weekend- stay tuned….
This Sunday night is my CD release party/show (for Los Angeles). So far the turn out looks like it will be pretty good. I’m still really excited that the venue isn’t having a drink/food minimum or charging a cover. I mean, my friends will drink and eat, it’s just nice to be able to tell people it’s a free show and actually have it be free.
Finally – a running update – Next weekend is the Ragnar Relay. It is a race from Santa Barbara to Dana Point. The distance is 188 miles and it is divided between up to 12 people with 3-4 running legs each. My buddy Dominic is doing it, only he’s doing the entire distance himself! (His blog is here, his training is mind-boggling)
Dominic is raising money for Parkinson’s research. His Dad has Parkinson’s.
I volunteered to keep Dominic company during his late night runs. I mean, I’m not running 188 miles, probably more like 20, but I like to feel like I’m contributing to his cause in some way by at least relieving a little of the emotional stress of 188 miles.
Seriously, check out his blog. My brothers are both insane athletes, and Dominic’s training still blows my mind.
New shows – travel planned
I’ve been preoccupied spinning my wheels with things that I’m not going to post about just yet (music video is so close to being finished), however, I have been busy booking shows and travel plans for the summer. I have my Los Angeles CD release party/show next weekend at the Culver Hotel in Culver City. They are being very generous and allowing me to have my show there and not charge admission. So cool.
I’ll be in Baton Rouge during the first week of May doing some press interviews and a small CD release show. I’m currently planning on being in Denver at the end of May, then back in Louisiana at the end of June, and back in Denver at the end of July/beginning of August. If I can manage it financially, I’d like to continue the constant traveling and performing between these three cities. We’ll see how it goes.
I’m not training for anything right now, which is a new feeling. I have been hitting weights more frequently and have noticed a very quick and noticeable change in my body. I haven’t been running the long distances that I had been doing over the winter, but when I go out for runs, I’m feeling very strong and comfortable. I have a 7 mile loop that I like to do as somewhat of a time trial to see where I stand. I try and run it at a comfortable pace, one that I could hold for a marathon, and I’ve actually dropped about 2 minutes off of it in the last 4 weeks. Anyway, I hate to say it, but when I don’t plan my schedule around my training, my music (business wise) progresses much smoother. I’m not saying I’ll stop training, but maybe I’ll limit it to 1-2 ultras, 2 winter marathons, and some 10k races in the summer.
I got a cool blog plug- check this out: http://perfectlycursedlife.com/?p=547
Mardi Gras Marathon
I should post about this before I start to want to update on other things more.
Last Sunday (Feb 1) was the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans, LA. In my training plan for the last 6 months, I planned to use the momentum from my 50K in December to PR in this race. Instead, I spent the last 2 months recording songs and being a terrible athlete while being a productive musician. So instead I ran like, 25 miles a week so I wouldn’t get fat while I listened to headphones in a dark room all day…. *sigh*
I should have learned from doing this race last year never to do this marathon again. I think that the half-marathon, which is held at the same time, is absolutely worth doing. It’s a lovely course that starts at the Superdome, heads into the French Quarter right as they finish rinsing the puke and urine from the sidewalks, heads up St. Charles to Audubon Park, which is lovely, and back down St. Charles and back to the Superdome. This is a relatively pretty and entertaining 13 miles with fairly impressive crowd support for a city that has taken a major hit with it’s population and tourism over past 3 years.
The second half of the marathon is a nightmare.
You spend about 3 miles running to City Park. These 3 miles aren’t terrible. They aren’t scenic, at all, but there are still some supporters hanging around to keep you somewhat motivated. It’s the 6-7 miles around City Park that make me want to die. You’re running the perimeter of a park for about an hour (or more) looking at the same park. The problem with this is that City Park took a pretty bad hit with Katrina. What used to be a beautiful park with A: People and B:Lots of Oak Trees is now abandoned and naked. It’s ugly. It looks neglected, and for someone who once enjoyed City Park during it’s glory days, it’s 6-7 miles of depressing.
Also, due to the road work, you spend a good chunk of the race running on this funky unfinished road that is basically some sort of wire grid filled with concrete? Ouch.
I give the race a B- for me. It doesn’t help that instead of eating like… foods I’m used to eating and stuff, I spent the previous 4 days vacationing at my Dad’s house eating every variety of cookie and cake and filling every meal with Jambalaya. The day before the marathon was my brother and his wife’s baby shower, in which I consumed about 2 pounds of cheese. So when I couldn’t poop on Sunday morning, who’s to blame? Oh well. Totally worth it.
So Sunday morning pre-race poop didn’t work out well. Also worth mentioning (aren’t you glad I’m writing about poop?) is the volunteer from hell before the race started. I arrived with my brother’s girlfriend (Robin) about 40 minutes before the start time. We were trying to find a place to go to the bathroom. We found a porta potty that was locked up and then heard an announcement that the bottom level of the Superdome was open for the use of restrooms. We got down the first level to find chaos and stupidly long lines. Outside there were about 4 or 5 porta potties with a line of about 50 people. We figured at least we could see the end of that line, so we committed to it. Little did we know that there were in fact about 20-30 other porta potties, but we couldn’t see them and there were no signs. So finally, Robin and I get to the front of the line. This volunteer starts yelling at all of the runner’s in line that this was the “Volunteer” line only and that the “Runner’s toilets” were “that way.” She then tried to force everyone out of the line and bring them to the end of another line that stretched out for an additional 50 people. I, of course, do not move. What I *wanted* to say as she got super pissed, was that hey- our race starts in 5 minutes. I’d be more concerned for the volunteers if I saw a line of 50 nervous volunteers about to poop their pants. I’m sorry, but you just don’t have the same urges as the other 6000 people here and regardless, we will ALL be gone in 5 minutes and you can use all of the potties. But instead I said, “I know you’re just trying to help.” Robin and I both got to *go*. Ah, the mini-dramas of Marathons.
But it was to no avail because Katelyn ate too much cheese.
Race start and finish area at the Superdome
Anyway. The first half of the race rocked. I ran Galloway style with my reps being 8 minutes run 1 minute recovery, drink, eat. I used the Luna Moons for food and drank water. The Luna Moons are pretty good, but still stick to your teeth which is a pain. Anyway, My pace was pretty strong. I came into the 10k mark at 52 minutes and finished 8 miles in 1:10. I got to the half point feeling comfortable at around 1:55. I was planning to finish at about 3:50 at this point. The moment I started the second half of this race I felt like shit. I think it was mostly mental because I ran this course last year and knew how boring it was going to be. However, I didn’t start to slow until the park. My god, the GI issues I was having was just not right. I mean, I felt great, then suddenly really awful cramps, and as soon as I took my recovery, they subsided until I started running again. I stopped to *go* twice, both trips were of minimal success.
post-race potty with little success
At 22 miles in my muscles started to spasm a little. I was probably a little dehydrated, but nothing major, just enough to be a pain. My Dad jumped in with me at mile 23 and ran those last 3 endless miles back to the Superdome.
Mile 25ish with friend of the family Justin helping to cheer me on.
I finished in 4:15 and had the most awesome breakfast afterwards. That’s really the only reason I do these stupid things – the t-shirt, the medals, and the gigantic celebration breakfast.
Recovery was fast. I was ready to run by Tuesday (but didn’t until Thursday). I’m not sure when my next race will be at this point. I’ve got some other stuff to train for…. stay tuned
I did however get really stupid blisters. Seriously, no toe was spared. I almost never get blisters. I have since retired those running shoes.
The best post-race shoes ever! (topsiesonline.com
Also- update on the EP soon. It’s sounding great and I’m psyched. I love working with Corey more than most people love most things
Also Also- I bought the domain name MusicandLSD.com so eventually, that will be the new web address for this blog. I have to wait until I have the $20 to give to wordpress in order to route it.
ok. g’nite
Playing at NAMM- and I suck at speed work
I got to perform at the NAMM show on Sunday! I performed at the PreSonus booth and recorded the show with the StudioLive mixer. I really enjoyed the show and managed to gather a little bit of a crowd even though it was near the end of the last day of the show. Playing with Toby and David was a lot of fun. It made me miss playing with my Boston band.
I did reps of 200 yesterday and I felt like I was going to die after the second one. It’s been far too long.
My expectations for the Mardi Gras Marathon have gotten pretty low…. but I still think I’ll do well. Maybe not a PR. We’ll see…
I’ve set a goal for the EP to be mastered by February 15th. *so exciting* more to come.
Race Update and NAMM!
Remember that 50K from last month (see video blog below)? Turns out the timing system was a little screwed up and I actually got 3rd in my division. Not bad for a first timer!
As for recent training, I’ve been slacking a little. During my 20 miler on Monday, I got a little un-inspired and over-heated and dropped out of the run thinking “this isn’t fun. I know I can complete the distance” which is true… but I still feel pretty bad about not finishing the run. I’m planning to run New Orleans on February 1st, and originally had the goal of a PR, but I’m not so sure at this point.
On the other hand, I may be under-estimating the impact that training for the ultra has made. We’ll see I suppose.
On the music end- the EP is rolling along. I have a few more things to finish up. I still need to re-record the piano (probably next week) and am waiting on guitar parts from my wonderful and talented cousin (with quite the list of credits) Jim Odom. I’m very excited about the new stuff and can’t wait to post it here and on the website so I can share it with all of you!
I was invited to play at the NAMM show this weekend and managed to throw together a last minute band including David Haynes and Toby Karlin. We’re playing on Sunday (2:00 PM in the PreSonus Booth), and I’m very excited about it. I worked at the PreSonus booth last year and personally think that our booth was one of the most exciting booths with the best sound. Maybe I’ll get my hands on the recordings and post them here later.
Stay tuned 
High Desert 50K VIDEO BLOG!
The 31-Mile Ultra Marathon (Music and L.S.D. episode 2)
Here’s the video blog from last week’s ultra in Ridgecrest, CA. Enjoy!
3 days after…
I’m feeling pretty much recovered today, except this weird crampy knot thing in the arch of my right foot. Any ideas? If I rub it, it stops hurting, but the moment I put shoes on and walk around (regardless of the shoes) it gets tight again almost immediately. Lame
In other news… recording piano and vocals starting this weekend! *so excited*
First 50K – High Desert 50k in Ridgecrest, CA
Yesterday I set a personal record- I ran the farthest I have ever run at one time.
To most ultra-marathoners, the 50K (or 31 miles) is practically a training run. I, however, am a novice in the world of ultra running, and have never run a step more than crossing the finish line of a marathon.
I decided to run this 50K back in August. I thought that training for such an event would help me overcome the last few miles in my marathons. I’ve been pretty strong in my marathons up until about mile 22. That’s when I mentally start to crash. By training for a 50K, I’ve had to pack on a little more mileage than I’m used to and then race a distance that overshoots my marathon goal by 5 miles. I’d have to get through those yucky 22-26 miles and then continue on for another 5. That way, when I returned to my regular 26.2 distance, it wouldn’t feel so bad.
I think that this will work (we’ll see when I race my next marathon in New Orleans on February 1st). But this is not all that was accomplished yesterday.
First of all, it is worth noting how well the event was put on. The Over the Hill Track Club (OTHTC) put on this 50K in Ridgecrest (there was also a 30K). Packet pick-up the night before went smoothly, they had an indoor start/finish area where you could hang out inside before the race to avoid getting cold and then shower after you finished. The support on the course was great. The aid stations were all stocked with all the sugar, salt, and hydration products you could imagine, the finishers medals were pretty cool (though it would have been cooler if it had the year and specified which race you ran). They even ordered a bunch of pizzas at the end of the race. So, thanks guys. You’re all awesome.
I’m no trail runner. Well, I guess I can’t say that anymore, but I certainly haven’t been training on trails. I ran cross country in college and take an occasional trail run when visiting my Mom in Colorado and that’s the extent of my trail running. Though for the most part, the trail for yesterdays course was pretty clean (a wide path with no large debris), for someone who exclusively runs on roads, the surface alone was an open invitation to break both of my weak ankles, which roll at almost every opportunity. That took some getting used to. The softer surfaces were the worst, my steps sinking into a direction I didn’t expect and having to quickly compensate in order to not give myself a sprain.
However, the terrain kept me attentive and demanded that I stay in tune with my body.
The views were amazing. I arrived in Ridgecrest after dark on Saturday and harshly judged the town as “the middle of nowhere” only to see upon sunrise that this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. To one side of the town is the rolling hills of the Mojave, to the other, mountain peaks reaching into the clouds. The scenery took my breath away throughout the entire course.
The first 13 miles of the race flew by. The first aid station was at 5.5 miles and I couldn’t believe we had already gone even that far. There are no mile markers on the course. You only know where you are by seeing a paper sign hanging off of one end of a table at each aid station. I saw Max and Chris (my two supporters) the first time around mile 14. At that point I was feeling great. I would see them again at mile 17 or so. Between miles 14 and 17 the hills started to kick in just a little.
After I saw Max and Chris at mile 17, things started to hurt a little more. It felt like it was up hill for at least another 6 or 7 miles. Every time you got to the top of one hill, you would see another one just ahead. Here’s what else I learned- I need to train on more hills. I got my ass kicked.
On top of my quads growing more weary by the second and my IT band on both legs tightening up for the first time in over a year, I had to go to the bathroom (#2) and every time I stopped to… take care of it, the urge went away. For some reason, I only needed to go while I was running up hill. If I walked, I didn’t need to go anymore. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time in those uphill miles stopping and starting. I probably could have saved myself about 10 minutes had I not had some weird GI stuff going on. But that’s alright. I’ve never pooped on a race course. Still. But now I can say I’ve tried.
At about mile 26 things started looking up for me. We were going down hill now. I was able to lengthen my stride a little which loosened up my IT bands some. I still had to watch my step because there was some loose rock or just ankle sprain opportunities if you weren’t careful, and after 10 miles of hill hell and quad havoc, it’s harder to have that control on the down hill (this is similar to the effect that heartbreak hill has on it’s runners in Boston. You hit the hills near the end after doing miles of down hill, then have down hill again and thus, virtually no control of your quads if you’re not a hill runner. also- this ultra is about 10 times more difficult than Boston).
It’s weird to say this, being a runner who has a hard time in marathons miles 22-26, but the last 5 miles of this race flew by. I think I was just thanking God for the hills being behind me and that I could stretch out my legs again. I got to enjoy the run a little more at the end.
Most of the run is a blur. I suck at meditating. When I try to do it I can’t clear my head for more than a split second before the next thought comes stomping in. However, when I run, I can think about nothing for miles. This is what I did my first Boston and this is what I did yesterday. I spent the at least 3.5 hours of yesterday’s race in meditation, only paying attention to the beautiful scenery, the ground beneath my feet, my breath, and any pain in my body (and delivering positive energy to these places). I finished the race not only feeling physically accomplished, but feeling like I gave my mind a complete cleansing. It’s a wonderful feeling to be on the same team as your mind and your body.
I used the Galloway method for the entire run. My intervals were run for 8 and walk for 1. No matter what. I never skipped a walk break, even when I was coasting down a hill. I was consistent and started from the very beginning and I think it paid off big time. Today I have little soreness aside from my quads. I didn’t tire out during the race. I was able to stay alert and sharp, and I finished at a pace that was comparable to my starting pace (I did slow significantly during the hills). Over all I completed 38 intervals which comes out to about 5 hours (I stopped the interval timer when I was checking in at an aid station or trying to… “go”). I finished the race in 6:02 (which means I spent an hour and 2 minutes either trying to poop or hanging out at the aid stations, refilling my water bottles, snacking, etc.) Overall I’m proud of my time. I was hoping to get in under 6 hours, but I’m still very proud. I didn’t keep a timer going outside of my interval timer, so I didn’t know how long I had been running for until the very end.
I learned that marathoners are kinda… babies, or wimps? maybe a little snobby? Don’t take this the wrong way marathoners, I’m one of you. I’m the one who shows up with my special race foods and has my stop watch ready to go to get the exact splits I want and don’t care who I have to step on at the beginning to get there and stop at each water station to make SURE I don’t get dehydrated, and always know EXACTLY how fast I’m going and EXACTLY how long I have left to run…. it’s a wonderful sport.
But during my introduction to the world of ultras I found a new mentality that I think I like more. Just go out there and run. Yes, be prepared, yes do the training, but the race itself is something to play with, not something to take on or accomplish. Each course has something to show you, teach you about yourself, and all of us who have our eyes glued to our stopwatches, trying desperately to get that new PR or a Boston qualifying time, we miss it. We micro-manage our races so we can try to do the impossible- demand the result we want. You can’t do that. All you can do is train, eat right, and try not to hurt yourself. When it comes to race day, just run. Of course it’s important to have goals, but I can’t count how many times I’ve talked to runners who have tried for “the last 4 marathons” to qualify for Boston only to finished pissed off or injured.
In this race there were no mile markers, no crowd support, no way to quickly calculate splits. If you got a rock in your shoe it didn’t matter because chances are you already had a pile of sand under your toes anyway. I hope that I can take this mentality with me to the starting line of the New Orleans Marathon on February 1st, and I challenge any marathoner out there who hasn’t tried a 50K yet to do it. It will change the way you look at your running and your racing.
And for those of you who are interested, here’s my gear:
BOA shorts (note to self, light purple is not a good color to pee on yourself in)
Champion tank top with built in bra (awesome support)
Smartwool socks (my feet were CLEAN at the end of the race. it was almost kind of weird)
Asics 2120s (I love these shoes. Too bad I hate the 2130s and the 2140s. But no blisters, no rubbing, not even a black toenail. These aren’t even trail shoes. I love these shoes!)
Under Armour thin headband to keep the bangs out of the way
Amphipod Runlite fuel belt (I used 3 bottles and a larger food pocket) I thought this did great with no bouncing whatsoever, but today I have bruises on my back from where the water bottles were sitting. I think I’ll try a camelbak next time.
