Another big one, another glory - Shavi's second 50-miler race

AR50 (American River 50) - the 50-miler race on April 6, 2013, Saturday. It was Shavi's second time running this race. He completed the race in a wonderful time of 8 hours 51 minutes, beating his last year's record of 10 hours 33 minutes. I could not believe it - an improvement of 1 hour 43 minutes from his last year's race, in spite of his real bad back and shoulder ache since the prior day. Blame it on his long sitting hours and late night office meetings until midnight or so the last two days.

The race starts in Sacramento and goes all the way up to Auburn. It was overcast that day which was good for him except for the last 2 hours. He still kept pouring water on himself during the race, to cool himself down. He did not stop for more than a minute at any of the aid stations. I saw him at around mile 26 (Beals point, Folsom) and then at mile 41 (Rattlesnake, Granite Bay). He looked strong at both those points. I wasn't expecting him to be back in under 9 hours at the Finish line and was busy chit-chatting with people. I had almost missed seeing him cross the finish! It was awesome. He was looking strong.

After race also, he was much better this time than last year. He was running around on Sunday, doing all his chores. Guess, his training paid off well and the weather was supportive for him.

He was among the top 125 runners out of around 1100 registered entrants. I am so proud of you, Shavi. Next coming up - 100K (~61 miles) race in May 2013!

Way Too Cool 50K and Way Too Cool Shavi

Not only was the race way too cool, but Shavi's performance in this race on March 9, 2013 was also way too cool. He did this 50km (around 31 miles) race for the 2nd time this year and improved his last year's record by 41 minutes which is considered phenomenal in the running world.

The race: Way Too Cool 50K is run by around 300 runners in a beautiful little town called Cool, CA. The runners are selected through lottery.

How did Shavi improve significantly? The answer to this can be better told by him but I think it can all be attributed to better training and a very healthy diet. This is surely not easy but we did it and he gave me yet another reason to be proud of him!!

Good luck for your next big one, Shavi. AR50 (the 50-miler race) this coming weekend (April 6, 2013)!! Excited!

Running a marathon in crazy rain and strong winds

It was amazing when Shavi improved his Personal Record (PR) by 7 minutes in CIM (California International Marathon) in those really strong winds and craziest of all rains. This was his 3rd time running the CIM, which was on Dec 2, 2012. It was a whole new science the day prior, trying to figure what to wear and what not. I got to run two legs of the relay, making it around 13.5 miles, since two people from a relay team backed out at the last minute and I sure was available. It was a great experience and so much fun running in the rain. The rains and side winds were seeming to slap you in the face but this was the first time, I realized that I loved running in the rain. With 1000s of people cheering the runners and 10,000+ runners completely soaked in water stomping their feet in water puddles on the roads, it was a fun time but it was not an easy race.

Here are some tips for running long distances in the rain and wind:

1. Use a trash bag as a rain-cover for yourself and trash it on the way, once it solves its purpose. Be careful that your bib is visible to identify your pictures later on:)

2. Wear as light as possible or have layers which you can throw away while running.

3. Some people wear plastic covers/plastic grocery bags on their shoes. That did not seem to work very well with anyone I knew.

4. Wrap the mp3 player in a waterproof covering. A ziploc plastic bag worked for apple shuffle for me.

5. Salt capsules might melt in the rain. So, put them in a careful place.

6. Use lot of Vaseline on your feet, even if you never have chaffing. Rain can lead to chaffing due to the socks rubbing your feet.

7. Use lot of glide and Vaseline on your body since I know so many people who got badly chaffed in the rain – people who never get chaffed otherwise.

8. Shavi double-taped his nipples to prevent chaffing.

9. For running in a headwind, if you can find a partner that works best. You can take turns in 'drafting' the other person, so that you get a relief from the direct wind.

10. Because of the rain, you might feel that you do not need enough water to drink, but do not skimp on drinking water and taking the right nutrition. Fatigue and cramps will kick in later in the race if you do not pay attention.

11. After the race, change clothes right away. Once the body stops moving, it starts shutting down. You do not want to be in cold-wet clothes when the body needs heat.

12. Just have FUN. Remember running is all about fun. There will always be another race and another day where you can do better.

This year’s CIM was really hard on many people who could not meet their goals but I am proud of Shavi for exceeding his goals in this one, even when he was feeling tight hamstrings the day prior. Not to mention that we took a red eye flight that evening to Florida. The coaches suggested Shavi to take an ice bath after the run and wearing compression socks on the plane. The suggestion worked well.

Any more tips on running in the rain are welcome!

Races for 2013.

2013 has barely started and I have already booked myself for the next 7 months. I won't lie. It is freaking me out a bit. Specially the one in July. Here is a Laundry list of races I have signed up so far:

1. Way Too Cool 50 Km (WTC) on March 09.
2. American River 50 Miles (AR50) on April 06
3. Big Sur International Marathon (BSIM) on April 28
4. Gold Rush 100 Km on May 11
5. and the craziest race of them all: Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Miles (TRT100) on July 20.

WTC, AR50 and BSIM I am not too worried about. Mainly because I have run those distances before. BSIM will be my first marathon out of the Sacramento area - so I am actually looking forward to it. And secondly BSIM will be more or less a training/taper run before my first 100K run two weeks after the race.

The Gold Rush 100K will be my first 100K run. It is going to be brutally hot, but I think I should be able to survive. I have a good feeling about that race. And my finishing goal is not going to be too crazy fast to be much of a big deal.

What is giving me the woozies is the TRT100mi. It's not only a 100 mile run, its in trails with a minimum elevation of 7000 feet and a maximum of ~9000 feet. I have never trained in the mountains in that kind of elevation. So let's see what the next 28 weeks has in store for me.

I hope to stay strong and fit during my training, as the training itself is gonna require a great deal of mental and physical strength.

For emotional strength I know Ruchi will be along the way for FULL support. :D

Western States Lottery

Over the weekend I put my name up for Western States (WS100) Lottery. Ever since I did my American River 50 mile race in April, I have been going back and forth on should I do WS100 or not.

I finally took the plunge, thinking that the chances of getting in are around 10% - so even if I do not get in, I can atleast better my chances for next year. What WS100 organizers do is that if you do not get picked a certain year, they will leave your name in the 'hat' for next year. So the following year if I plan to apply again, the 'hat' will have 2 entries with my name on it, essentially doubling my chances.

WS100 is a prestigious ultra race. It was the very first 100 mile trail run pioneered by Gordy. Gordy was crazy enough to showup on foot to a horse race when his horse was hurt and was not able to participate in the race. Here is a picture of Gordy and I at the Western States finish line in June 2012.

Its not 'easy' to get in. To even put your name in the lottery, you have to first qualify. I qualified this year by doing AR50 in under 11 hours. AR50 is one of the 50 mile races on the WS100 qualifying list of races. You can read Ruchi's post on my AR50 race this year.

WS100 is a great chance to be among the ultra-running legends like Killian Jornet and Scott Jurek and Ellie Greenwood.

Now the restless countdown to the lottery day on December 8th begins... Fingers, Toes, legs, arms - everything crossed... GULP... 

20 miles and strong

Going from whining about running a mile to running 20 miles like a champ in one year - That's me! And I am somewhat proud of myself:) Running long distances is not easy, at least for a non-athletic person like me but it is now that I am learning to enjoy it. The aches and pains, soreness, blisters, muscle tears, bad chaffing leaving behind ugly marks, sun burns etc - long distance running comes with all of this. Sometimes I have to wonder: Is this the torture that we are subjecting to our body, which leaves us feeling happy and excited, once we are done? Well, I feel humans like taking challenges by nature. Challenging yourself to do something strenuous or something that you never thought you could, gives you the happiness. Excellent way to relieve your stress and feel rejuvenated.

Last weekend when I ran my longest ever, 20 miles, I was very excited about it since I finished strong and I could have never imagined myself running that distance. Took me less than 4 hours with walk breaks. I never registered for the popular marathon in Sacramento in December: CIM (California International Marathon), thinking that I can never go beyond half-marathon (13.1 miles) distance. And now it is too late since CIM is full. But never mind, there is always a next time. I will train myself again for this torture!:) I am enjoying training for marathon with my running group.

The weekend before this, I ran another half-marathon in October 2012: Urban Cow in Sacramento. Shavi paced me and help me improve my PR (Personal Record) by 6 minutes, which I thought was incredible. My PR now is 2:20 hours. Again, it wasn't easy for me and I thought I was going to die towards the end when Shavi was pushing me real hard but I crossed the finish line, alive! You never know your limits, until you cross them. But I could have never imagined doing this without Shavi.

I have learned that "training right" is the key and practice makes you perfect (not really, but close). We all have our limits but until we keep going, we will never know what are limits are. For instance, the other weekend, I ran 17 miles on Saturday and then another 10 miles of trails on Sunday and I was all good. I feel powerful now. The beauty of the trails makes you feel refreshed by the end of it. For sure, the uphills kill you, but then where is the fun without the hills!

I am still not crazy like some other people around me - running 50 miles or more but it is now, that I have come to realize the feeling of happiness after doing such long distances. I am proud of Shavi for being one of these crazy people who run the ultra distances.

Do not let the heat stop you - Running in the heat

There was this wonderful article that I was reading online on RunningWorld.com, just in time for our next half-marathon, MOO-nlight half tomorrow in Davis. It starts at 7pm when the temperatures would be in upper 80s. To make it worse, Shavi is going to run it without having fully recovered from his back spasm, that happened a few weeks ago. Since he wouldnt read this good long article, I thought to copy the important points from the article and paste them here for him.

Here it goes:

Running in sauna-like conditions can throw your internal equilibrium seriously out of whack. The body normally cools itself by moving blood—which is mostly water—to sweat glands in the skin, says Douglas Casa, Ph.D., A.T.C., COO of the University of Connecticut's Korey Stringer Institute. The glands create sweat droplets that carry heat to the surface of the skin, where it evaporates.

Once your body temperature climbs to 104 degrees, you're in the heatstroke danger zone. Continued hard running at this temperature can overwhelm your cardiovascular system. Hit 105 degrees for 30 minutes or more and your body may start to cook from the inside out. The hyperthermia can weaken the heart, cause the kidneys and the liver to shut down, and cause cell damage. Exertional heatstroke has arrived.

Three things as per researchers could optimize performance while running in heat:
1. Acclimatization, getting your body used to exercising in the heat;
2. Proper hydration, which stocks blood-plasma stores and replaces fluid lost through sweat;
3. Pre-cooling, which involves deliberately lowering core body temperature within 30 to 60 minutes of the starting gun.

For morning race:
1. Eat salty food with dinner. Sodium not only makes you thirsty (so you drink more), it helps your body retain fluid—and the final 24 hours before a race is a critical period to hydrate.
2. Drink 600 milliliters (about 20 ounces) of water three hours before bed. Check for light-colored urine. If it was darker than the color of straw, my instructions were to drink an additional 300 milliliters, or 10 ounces. (Drinking to the point of colorless urine can cause hyponatremia, a condition where blood-sodium levels dip to life-threatening low levels.)
3. Morning day race: Drink 300 milliliters to top off your tank. Eat more salt, like an extra-salt bagel.
4. Pre-cooling is the process of deliberately lowering core-body temperature 30 to 60 minutes before exercising in the hea, maybe Drink a Slurpee one hour prior to start.
In 2010, researchers from New Zealand found that runners who drank an icy, sweet drink ran 10 minutes longer on a treadmill in a heated room than runners who drank syrup-flavored cold water. The "ice slurries" lowered their core temps, which may have allowed them to run longer before their bodies overheated. In short, they were better pre-cooled.
5. For runs of an hour or less, drop your pace by 30 seconds per mile. For runs over an hour, scale back by 60 seconds.

The best thing about heat illness is that it's preventable. "You simply have to pay attention to how your body feels," says Douglas Casa, Ph.D., A.T.C. "If things feel strange, back off." Here's what happens if you push it too far—and how to bring yourself back.

HEAT CRAMPS: Painful muscle contractions that occur during or after intense exercise
The Cause: Muscle fatigue, water and sodium loss
The Symptoms: Dehydration, cramps, fatigue
The Treatment: Massage, rehydrate

HEAT EXHAUSTION: Inability to continue exercise due to overwhelmed cardiovascular system, depleted energy
The Cause: Exercising in hot or humid environments, dehydration
The Symptoms: Include fatigue, irritability, nausea
The Treatment: Move to shade, elevate legs, apply ice bags, rehydrate

HEAT SYNCOPE: Fainting episode that occurs in high temps, typically during initial days of heat exposure
The Cause: Coming to a standstill immediately after activity, or standing suddenly or for long periods causes blood to pool in legs
The Symptoms: Dizziness, tunnel vision, pale skin, weakness, decreased pulse rate
The Treatment: Move to shaded area, elevate legs, rehydrate

EXERTIONAL HEATSTROKE: Potentially fatal condition characterized by a core temp of 105° F
The Cause: Includes vigorous exercise in a hot environment for more than one hour, poor fitness
The Symptoms: Include hyperventilation, disorientation, dizziness, vomiting
The Treatment: Full immersion for 30 minutes in cold (35 to 59° F) water

Reference article, can be found at: RunnersWorld