Stage 17 - Pfunds (pic)

The apple blossom in the foreground is amazing right now, and covers miles of fields. Villages and mountains beyond are each more beautiful than the next.

Stage 17 - Pfunds (Austria!)

I'm very pleased to have arrived in Austria. Italy was a long and at times very difficult struggle, but 59 of the original 68 starters have made it.

The middle section of today's stage - before we hit the border - involved some long, serious uphills. As an analog, imagine running for 15 miles, then spending 3 hours at the gym on a stair stepper, then running another 15 miles. Oh, and at 35 degrees and into biting northerly headwinds. (See, I don't want to make this sound easy!) To compensate, the scenery was again beyond superlatives.

The most dangerous part of the entire race so far was a 3-mile stretch of unlit tunnels, which we had to share with cars and 18-wheelers. We were thoughtfully issued with reflective jackets before entering - nice touch, eh? The stuff of nightmares - but I think everyone made it.

Stage 16 - Schlanders (pics)

Covered bridges, castles, rivers, mountains, all accessible by apparently endless cycle paths. This is a cool place indeed.

Stage 16 - Schlanders (pics)

Littered with beautiful schlosses, I've been very impressed by this Süd Tyrol region of Italy.

Stage 16 - Schlanders

Today went very well. The hills were not of the up, up, up variety, except in two places. The weather was ideal - cloudy & cool. The scenery was out of this world. And my mojo at least partially returned, as nothing really hurt too badly, and I was finally happy with my running.

Austria tomorrow! If only I could get rid of this hacking cough...

Injury treatment

People get desperate! Here Shiro from Japan is practicing moxibustion (okyu in Japanese) on Frenchman Christophe Midelet's leg injuries. It involves setting little incense-like cones on fire at acupuncture points on the skin. Ouch!

Sorry to report that Christophe is still struggling each day.

Stage 15 - San Michele

Whew! Not as bad as & thought ... except for the last 5 miles, but we'll get to that.



So last night I finally managed some good quality sleep, after my fish and salami sandwiches (no, NOT mixed together...ugh). I also experimented successfully with taping anti-inflammatory pads to my feet, which helped to reduce footfall pain, so this morning it looked more like I was running than hobbling.



The first 40 miles continued along the bike paths by the Adige river. No car traffic, but Sunday cyclists everywhere. Headwinds were less, but the afternoon was hot - in the mid-eighties - so nice for the cyclists, but not ideal for us.



The last 5 miles into San Michele were up, up, up. Not exactly what the doctor ordered, but good preparation for the next two stages, which I think will be equally hilly.



One interesting point of note is that this part of Italy is German-speaking. Every sign is a mélange of German, Italian and English. Tomorrow we head to Schlanders (still in Italy - see what I mean?) before hitting Austria on Stage 17.

Stage 14 - Nomi

Most of the day was spent on bike paths on the Adige river, as we headed north upstream towards Austria. Traffic was either light or non-existent, but headwinds made much of the day uncomfortable. Cyclists looked at us strangely, but were interested to hear about our route.

Stage 14 - Nomi

The scenery was spectacular - vines in the foreground, medieval town and castle behind, all framed by beautiful Alpine geology.

Stage 14 - Nomi

A very tough day for me today...but let's start with positives:

We're two weeks done, and we've run an outrageous 575 miles;
We're only two days from Austria;
The weather today was sunny and very warm;
My blisters are healing, and I have no achilles or shin splint problems (quite rare here);
The scenery is spectacular - I'll try and post a couple of photos later.

OK, for the negatives:
My feet were really horribly painful today, especially my left one;
There was a fierce headwind for much of our 43 miles today - that gets very draining;
Tomorrow's stage is at least 5 miles longer, and way hillier. Given that I took over 10 hours to complete today, tomorrow could be as much as 13 hours - ouch!

So tonight I skipped the restaurant dinner so I could spend more time elevating and resting my feet. I've kept the protein and calories coming with salami and fish sandwiches, washed down with copious quantities of yoghurt. Like I always say, a glamorous life! And in 9 short hours, the fun begins again.

Stage 13 - Pescantina

Jan the medic (known affectionately now as Mister Blister) worked his magic on my feet this morning, and I made some judicious, last-minute shoe and sock modifications. The net result was my most pain-free day on the road so far. I ran 42 miles in up to 84 degree heat, most of it with my Swiss friend, Christian Marti. We finished in a little over 9 hours, and saved plenty for the hills, which start tomorrow.

As it's May Day here in Europe, truck traffic was blissfully light. I really don't enjoy running as a contact sport.

We are now level with the south shore of Lake Garda, to its east. Tomorrow will be spent working our way 43 miles to the north end of the lake. We have only 3 days left in Italy, before moving on to Austria. Tomorrow's our official two week anniversary! Now I've got my "flatland" legs working again, it'll be interesting to see how they respond to hills, which they haven't seen in days.

Too much pasta, too little time

It will be many years before I'll be able to face rigatoni again! Meals tend to be interminable (when all you want is sleep) and uninspiring (seems like all the caterers have heard that stuff about runners "carbo-loading" - there's never an ounce of protein - or flavor - in sight!).

Sorry for bitching.

Race versus journey

My Trans Europe experience is very much a journey, not a race. I know that if I pushed for good times and obsessed over my classification (which I think is currently somewhere around 40th), then I would end up injured and abandoning. So my "strategy" is paying off thus far. But what's happening in the race up front?

One great feature of the race is that the first 12 finishers from the previous stage get to start 1 hour later at 7am. Because of that, we get to see them scream past us sometime between 3 and 4 hours after our start. It is amazing to see how consistently hard they can work.

The leaders are currently Rainer and René, both from Germany. Today - for the first time - I actually saw them working together, rather than trying to run each other into the ground. They are running 3hr30 marathon pace...the whole way! Japanese and Scandinavians make up the next few places.

On the women's side, Hiroko for Japan is dominant, but Ria from Holland is having a great race too. Japanese and Germans make up the other leader places.

These are amazing, humble people I am privileged to have gotten to know. I hope they are enjoying the journey as much as me.

Stage 12 - Ostiglia

An amazing day! It started inauspiciously; cold, windy and rainy. I was very tired at first from yesterday, and just slogged through the first 15 miles. Then, suddenly, the course headed onto a bridge...which turned out to be across the River Po. A truly dramatic sight - at least 3/4 mile wide, and extremely flooded. Water and flotsam was flying downstream beneath us. But it got even better.

Our course took us along the towpath on the other bank for about 5 miles. There, suddenly, off on the horizon, were unmistakably snow-capped Alps. After nearly two weeks of toil getting to this point, it suddenly all seemed worth it! I got quite choked up. I know it'll take us a couple more days before we start climbing, but if I was Hannibal, I'd be putting in the elephant order now!

I was done running before 1pm, so had plenty of time for miserably cold showers, laundry, and a walk to town for a kebab (well, not too veggie, but I really need protein). Today's 31 miles were much nicer than tomorrow's 43!

Stage 11 - Alberone

Today was, simply put, exhausting. We ran 54 miles - more than two marathons - and lots of people looked very much the worse for wear over dinner.

The course was quite flat, as we're crossing what is I guess the Po delta, a huge expanse of very fertile farmland which was once under water. The weather for the "first" marathon was nice - cool and cloudy - but severe thunderstorms built up in time for the "second". Let's just say that it rained a great deal, and very quickly. It also left the narrow, two-lane roads covered in huge, muddy puddles, which compounded traffic problems.

Tonight I'm sleeping in a church - the hall was full by the time I crossed the finish line a full 12 hours after our 6am start. A strange feeling, but I could honestly sleep anywhere at this point.

Tomorrow is a much kinder 30 miles - more of a sprint, really! One piece of trivia I worked out on the road - today I completed my 50th Ultra run (i.e., greater than a 26.2 mile marathon). Shame I'm too tired to celebrate!

Stage 10 - Lugo

Stage numbers finally in double digits - woohoo! (Sorry for the delayed posting - many tasks after
running today, including a long walk from the town square finish to the gym, an MRI, medical tests, and laundry.)

Today's 43 miles was blighted by 3 "police on scene" car wrecks. The first one included 3 cars, a truck, and three fatalities. Horrible. I thought the race might get shut down, but they directed us right through the middle of the carnage. It put our lives and adventures into perspective.

The course was long, flat, sunny, and very dangerous. One or two more have abandoned today for both physical and mental reasons. It's never easy finding the right words to say to folks who are devastated by quitting. A big preoccupation is tomorrow's monster 54 mile stage, which most of us are silently dreading.

I just had my medical measurements taken. Unfortunately, I've gained a lot of weight (5kgs, or 11lbs). This happened to me in Germany too. I have to work with the doctors to quickly figure out how to reduce my "water weight". Extra salt & bananas haven't been doing the trick.

OK, on to dinner. It'll be Jenny Craig for me soon at this rate!

Stage 9 - Bellaria

Today's 45 miles was in two distinct and completely different halves - the first was very hilly, through some spectacular scenery just inland from the rocky coastline, and the second was a gale force windy half along the mainly deserted seafront, including the resort town of Rimini. Both were draining in their own way.

For our efforts, we were greeted at the finish by cold showers for the first time. But at least we're staying in a modern volleyball gym tonight.

Consecutive long days and hills are causing lots of shin splint issues, even amongst some of the leaders. I actually overtook one of the top ten guys in the final miles today, as he hobbled cursing to the finish. At least one more competitor has abandoned today, and I'm expecting more over the next two long stages.

I continue to eat well. Sore feet are my only real complaint. I'm going to experiment with a different pair in the morning, but will leave my current shoes with the 20k aid station folks, in case I need to switch back.

We leave the coast tomorrow - goodbye Adriatic! And after 9 stages, we're actually one seventh done. Good thoughts.

Stage 8 - megablister postscript

Before Jan operated, he first took a photo of "the biggest blister he's ever seen". Avoiding infection is the key - once again I have a rubber glove on my foot til bedtime. He'll tape it in the morning before we run.

OK, I promise to post no further ghoulish blister shots!

Stage 8 - Fano

A 46 mile day today. Very big hills for the first third into Ancona, then plenty of flat stuff along the seafront to Fano. During the day, the weather cooperated - again cool and cloudy - and there were nice tailwinds along the coast. Now, however, is not so good. Heavy rain and strong winds have blown in as I lie in my tent, as yet unwashed and unfed. I guess our good fortune had to come to and end sometime!

My running today felt good despite persistently sore feet and a couple of new, supersized blisters. Hopefully I can track Jan the medic down shortly, and get some treatment. I was running for 10 hours today. Although I'm tired, a lot seem in worse shape than I. We have four more of these longer days ahead too.

I'm eating well at the aid stations , which I think is helping me stay relatively strong. Today I concentrated on getting lots of bananas, as I think my potassium levels may be low. I washed them down with cheese & salt on crackers, tomatoes, apples, gherkins, salami sandwiches, peanuts, cake, chocolate, cookies, granola bars, apple juice and coke. Great diet, eh? Luckily my dental hygienist Michelle gave me some heavy duty fluoride toothpaste before I left!

Well, I'm off to brave the elements in search of food, and hopefully a shower. Thanks for all the kind comments from friends, family, former co-workers, Rogue runners, and anyone else who's following along. It really helps me through the long hours on the road.

Stage 7 - Porto Recanati

One week successfully finished. Here's what feet look like after a 272 mile week! Both are pretty swollen, and so I've moved up a shoe size. Jan my medic friend has done a good job preventing infection in the two blistered toes. Last night I slept with my toes bathed in iodine, and wearing a rubber glove...on my left foot! Curiouser and curiouser.

Today was an OK but fairly long stage - 45 miles. The weather cooperated - cool at the start, then a mix of sunny and cloudy. As today is a national holiday in Italy, truck traffic was much diminished, but there were loads of holidaymakers all along the seafront which made for quite a bit of dodging and diving. I again ran most of the day with Jean-Hervé - our paces and temperaments are quite compatible. My legs and feet felt good til halfway, but then started to feel tired towards the end. Fancy that!

Two more days along the coast, then we'll start to venture inland towards hills and eventually Alps. But I'm getting ahead of myself - one slow day at a time. Oh, and I understand from rumour that we've had our first two "abandons". :( I'm expecting more with 3 very long days ahead.

Endless lines for food

The speed of Italian catering cannot hope to match the calorific demands of 68 runners and their crews. Lines seem endless - not good for ravenous folk. Tonight's pizza line seemed particularly tortuous.

Luckily, Trond and Ria had gone on a brief shopping expedition earlier today, and returned with 3 half chickens for us. A lifesaver. We fell upon and devoured them like my dogs would have.

Stage 6 - San Benedetto del Tronto

Today started, like all days on the Trans Europe Footrace, at the ungodly hour of 4am. The mad scrum which is breakfast is at 5am, and then we start running at 6am. This continues anywhere between 6 and 10 hours, with aid stations every 6 miles or so.

Today was our shortest stage so far - just over 30 miles. The weather was fairly perfect for running - cool and cloudy, rain threatening but not materializing. I finished not long after noon, blissfully early to be able to start recuperation.

So now I'm showered and lying in my sleeping bag on a gym floor, hoping to get a few hours sleep before dinner. If dinner is on time at 6pm, I can usually get to bed by 7:30pm. Nightlife? Not so much!

Today's course continued along the Adriatic seafront. There were few hills, and miles of still deserted beaches. We're now north of Rome (which is on the opposite, Tyrrhenian Sea coast), so it feels like we're making progress.

My legs and energy levels felt good today. My only issue today is with very sore feet, which despite the love I heap upon them don't seem to appreciate the 227 miles I've run in the last 6 days. Hopefully anti-inflammatories and a cold soak will give some relief before another longer stage tomorrow.

Stage 5 - somewhere beyond Pescara

Quite a hilly first half today, then lots of sunshine and heat as we passed along miles of seafront. Not bad for this Texas transplant, but others from colder climates didn't seem to appreciate it. It's not quite the season yet, so everything is starting up but not too crowded.

As expected, quite a few runners are starting to hobble badly with shin splints. Downhills are particularly aggravating for them, and there were plenty of steep ones this morning. I'm doing OK - blisters no worse, and sensible, conservative pacing means I'm not yet hurt.

I ran a lot today with my French friend Jean-Hervé - we helped each other through the long miles. Right now, I'm blogging from my tent - tonight is its maiden voyage. It's quite comfortable compared to a crowded, noisy sports hall. The line for the showers seemed endless a while ago.

Anyhow, today's done - tomorrow is another (thankfully not too long) day.

Post-dinner soak

Dinner was finally great - antipasta, lasagna, salad, chicken & fries, and fruit (and wine for some). I was preternaturally hungry. It's amazing what a psychological lift food gives fatigued people.

Now I'm standing in this VERY cold pool, with the Adriatic Sea in the background, hoping to calm my hot, aching feet. Life is good!

Stage 4 - 162 miles done

A more scenic day today. Grey skies all day, but no rain. We ran parallel with the coast, with our first major climb into and out of the town of Vasto. Today's course was supposed to be 39 miles, but my GPS had it measured at over 40.

This is our second campsite night - another crowded bungalow, but with its own shower & toilet. Not too bad.

The race up front is starting to heat up. There are at least 8 very strong runners, who are already starting to duke it out. Three Germans are in the lead; I'm rooting for my Norwegian and Finnish friends, Trond and Janne. Predictably Hiroko is leading the women's field - one amazing runner. I, on the other hand, am probably enjoying the journey more than they all are, comfortable in the peleton and getting to know some new friends. I just wish my Japanese was better - but at least my Italian is improving!

OK, nap time for this tortoise!

Stage 3 - the final birthday celebration

My wonderful French friends - Gerard, icole, Jean-Herve, Melyne, Alain, Christophe, Roger, Fabrice & J-B - just gave me a great birthday cake complete with candles. (I can't seem to post the picture...anyhow...) Excellent friends to spend my birthday with, if I can't be home.

Stage 3 - the birthday stage (cont.)

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes - too many to reply to individually, I'm afraid, as my conscious time is short, and my technology is limited here.

Today was long - 45 miles - my legs felt very tired and heavy after 123 miles in 3 days. No surprise there! The day was rainy and windy, and traffic along the main Adriatic coast road, the SS16, was pretty ghastly. The police were very much in evidence. They cruised up and down with flashing lights, and didn't seem to appreciate our presence. They did not, however, seem to care much about the prostitutes plying their trade every couple of miles at the side of the road. Extraordinary.

I was done in a little over 9 hours. It's a long time to be on your feet. My aid station fare today included: salted tomatoes, pickled gherkins, chocolate cookies, pears, apples, bananas, cheese on crackers, bread, coke, apple juice and water. I think I covered most of the major foodgroups!

Right now we're holed up at a campsite for the night. The great news is that we get bungalows with a shower and real bunk beds. Birthday luxury!

Tomorrow is back down to 39 miles. Blisters continue to multiply, but should be OK with a little suffering, plus disinfectant and needle treatment from Jan tonight. It's a glamorous life, eh?

OK, nap time, then the usual dinner adventure to come.

Stage 2 - the birthday stage

It's Hiroko's birthday today too. One crazy party likely tonight - after 45 miles today, I might even stay up til 8:30pm!

Stage 2 - the gruesome post

Not for the squeamish. Toenails on my left foot are starting to take a pounding, even despite running with toeboxes cut out of my sneakers. I think maybe slightly tight socks plus rain today were the culprits. Jan the medic has worked on them already. Now I need to invent a modified sock design to alleviate the pressure on what's left of my toenails for tomorrow's longer stage.

Stage 2 - the pretty post

Today's 69km (43 miles) was mainly lined with vineyards. Who drinks all this wine?! The wild flowers bordering them are just fantastic right now. I captured just one typical sample. Poppies, daisies, and lots I can't name. Spectacular. I hate to be disloyal, but Austin bluebonnets don't come close.

It drizzled refreshingly most of the day, and the temperatures were ideal. I'm whipped after over 8 hours of running, but now I can lie on my "bed" (bliss!) and console myself with the thought of being 3 percent done!

Boston

In all the excitement, I nearly forgot...good luck to everyone I know running Boston today... enjoy your "victory lap"!

Barletta

Here's our spacious accommodation in Barletta. We are now officially 57km from Bari. Day 1 was a short stage of "only" 36 miles. It was flat, it didn't rain much, and the wind was mostly at our backs. The route was a mixture of scenic Italian seaside towns, ugly industrial complexes, and long, straight country roads. I'm tired and my legs are sore, but nothing too bad. My blood pressure reading at the finish was 90 over 60 - no wonder I felt like I was about to keel over again! Apple juice and a seat helped.

At one point today, a policeman stopped me and asked where we were going. I respectfully addressed him as "Signore", described the countries we were passing through, and our destination, Norveggia (Norway). He was duly impressed, and even drove past us later and gave a friendly wave.

I ran sensibly and conservatively today, let some faster people like Mike Friedl and Hans Damm go at halfway, and finished in a middle-of-the- pack 6.5 hours. Coach Claire should be proud! OK, now I'm really hungry. Dinner is in one hour. I could eat a veggie horse.

Blogging on the start line...

Ain't technology wonderful!

A rainy but cool day...a great day to be in Italy and on the road.

Luggage hostage crisis just ended!

Big sigh of relief - I've never been happier to see two suitcases. Like Joni Mitchell said, "you don't know what you've got til it's gone".

I've picked up my race number, and now everyone's in town and raring to go. Now I'm going to try and wash my dirty clothes before they run off to Norway without me.

Benvenuti a Bari, part "due"

With no luggage in sight, I decided to go walking, to get oriented, and hopefully to find the race site at Stadio della Vittoria. I did both, and ran into this delightful specimen on the sidewalk in one of the seamier parts of town. Delightful.

The good news is that I managed to find the stadium, race director Ingo, the medical team, and a number of old friends - Jan, Tomas & Helmut from Germany, Gerard & Nicole from France, Trond from Sweden and Ria from Holland.

I gave blood and urine samples (I swear I'm "clean"!), and spent a very uncomfortable & claustrophobic hour being MRI'd.

Three days to go. I have one pair of sneakers and the clothes I'm wearing. I ask you - would Lance put up with this?! But at least the man on the Hotel Boston desk has been very helpful trying to track down my luggage - full marks there. Patience, patience.

Benvenuti a Bari

Welcome to Bari, indeed! It would have been much nicer if my luggage had arrived on the same day that I did. It's still worryingly missing - thanks a millions, Alitalia. And doubly infuriating as they charged me nearly $400 in overweight charges.

So after a long wait at the airport to file a missing bag claim, a taxi driver brought me to my hotel. He had absolutely no regard for any street sign, road marking or speed limit. Neither did he seem to believe that sharp cornering at 70mph was in any way challenging the laws of physics. I think I tipped him more as an offering to the gods, than for his maniacal service.

Roses from Kenya

Thought for the day, six days from the start...
I was supermarket shopping today in England with my father, and spotted a huge display of roses. "They're probably from Kenya", he suggested ... and he was quite correct. I was amazed - roses grown in Kenya, then shipped and sold in UK suburbia. Now, I'm sure that Kenya could use the export trade...but...how surreally ungreen is all that? Trucks at both ends, cargo ship in the middle, and all for perishable items which last a week. Maybe not the biggest contributor to global warming, but crazy wasteful nonetheless. And last time I checked, roses do actually grow prettty well in England!

I've had 3 comfortable runs each day since I got here, just to keep everything flexible, and to remind my legs of what's to come. Today Claire joined me along the towpath of our local canal, and we chatted for 6 easy miles. Miraculously at this stage, nothing hurts. I fly to Rome and then on to Bari on Thursday. I'm ready - or at least as ready as I'll ever be!

Austin is one Fit City

And big thanks also to Pam LeBlanc of the Austin American Statesman, a long time supporter of my crazy adventures, who gave me a nice plug on her Fit City blog today. Don't trust her natural modesty - Pam's a strong runner these days, and to prove it we chatted the whole way. We also had a lot of fun shooting some video with Jorge, and I worked on them both to run Lake Tahoe with our Rogue Running group in September. I'm betting even money that they'll be there!

Local TV last night

Thanks to reporter Jim Swift, our local news station KXAN ran this great piece on my race last night.

L'Aquila earthquake

The epicenter of today's tragic earthquake in Italy was only about 30 miles west of our race route on days 5 and 6 (April 23-24). A terrible nightmare situation for everyone in the region. I wonder what damage we'll see along the way? Our campsite plans on the nights of stages 3 thru 8 could be affected, but I'm pleased that we're not staying in sports halls or school gyms on those nights, which could be weakened by today's quake, or even destroyed by aftershocks with us sleeping inside them. Scary stuff, and yet another horrendous unforeseen complication for our poor race director Ingo, as he tries to get us through Italy.

It's April tomorrow!

Gulp! Only 19 days to the start of the race. What was once years, and then months, away is now just around the next very sharp corner. Today was officially my last day at work; my co-workers sent me off in their usual wonderful style. All I have left to do now is running, packing, eating, taking care of my dogs, and attempting to stay healthy.

I know race director Ingo Schultze (behind me in this photo) is having problems arranging accommodations in Italy. He's a great guy, and I hope he can work something out. Camping is our fallback strategy, which is fine with me unless the rain gods decide not to cooperate. At this point it looks like I'll be spending my 54th birthday weary and under canvas. Cool, eh?

Four weeks to go...

For the last two years, time has moved very slowly towards the start of this race. Now it seems to be picking up the pace. I have several big things I need to get done before the start - a family wedding in New Jersey, retiring from my corporate job after 23 years, getting all my equipment together and carefully packing it, running a decent number of final training miles, and then travelling to the UK for a few days to see my family, before flying on to Bari in Italy.

My chief nutritionist Claire has recently switched me to a veggie "Engine 2" diet. I feel surprisingly good - plenty of energy, and a certain "lightness of being". And it's all very tasty. I gave up alcohol last July, and now goodbye to meat and dairy, at least until the race gets underway. What an ascetic life!

Some interesting news with 5 weeks to go

Wow! Race Director Ingo has just announced that the 2009 Trans Europe Footrace will be accompanied by 3 scientists and a mobile MRI machine from the German Research Foundation and the University Hospital of Ulm. They will be scanning participants regularly and doing what sounds like some fascinating research. Scans will include musculosketal system, brain and mind (or whatever's left of it!), heart and cardiovascular system, and body composition. Very cool stuff. I hope it can help me contend with - or at least understand - issues like the shin splints I had to deal with across France.

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An ironic morning...

My commute to work on foot this morning was interrupted by a lady making a right-on-red turn in a large SUV. After hitting me with the hood on her passenger side, she managed to run over both my feet, and then knock me to the ground with her wing mirror. Why was this ironic? Because my first appointment of the day was with my friend Sarah, our Notary Public, who had kindly agreed to notarize my will this morning. Not a moment too soon, it appears. Now my left foot is very sore, along with my grazed right hip - hopefully nothing broken, so close to the start.

3 months to go to Trans Europe

I celebrated having only 90 days to go to the start of the race last week by running 90 comfortable miles. I've run 300 miles in the last 4 weeks - that's good, except the race will require 300 miles EACH week! Oh well - tortoise and hare attitude required.

Apart from fatigue, the only part of me that's hurting at the moment is my right hip, glut and IT band after 12 or 13 miles. But that does mean that my feet, shins, achilles, quads, hamstrings, SI joint, back and abs are all holding up just fine! I'm always thankful for small mercies. My Raynaud's phenomenon is getting significantly worse, and is making my right hand ever more cadaverously cold and white, but my many pairs of gloves and mittens will hopefully deal with that problem.

Each day, I'm more excited about getting going with this adventure. I've booked a hotel room for 2 nights before the race starts at the Hotel Boston in Bari. I will be there just as Claire heads to Boston again for the 2009 Marathon - what cool symmetry.

I've achieved New Balance!

Christmas came early for me this year, thanks to the good folks at New Balance. Six shiny new pairs of 757s arrived at my Hoover's office today; they should hopefully get a grateful me & my aching feet across Europe.

Four months to go, and feeling strong. My plane ticket to the start line in Bari, Italy is purchased, as well as an optimistic return ticket from the airport closest to the finish - Alta, in northernmost Norway - 10 weeks later. Just the small matter of Austria, Germany, Sweden & Finland in between!

Lake Tahoe 72-mile Ultra

This race starts at 12:01 a.m. at the Pope Beach, Nevada finish line of the Marathon, and the 72.2 mile course is the circumference of the lake. Just before midnight, about 20 intrepid souls with headlamps and reflective gear briefly milled around before been sent off towards the “bright lights” of South Lake Tahoe, home to tacky gambling casinos and a few drunken late-night revellers.

My run started smoothly and easily. Each runner was supposed to have a support crew & vehicle, but I wanted Claire to catch up some overdue sleep (she’d just returned from the UK where grandbaby #2 Ben has just been born), so I ran alone, hoping that the liquids I’d cached the previous two days were still there. Thankfully, they all were. I carried a small waistpack containing two PBJ sandwiches, some GUs and plenty of heavy dose anti-inflammatories.

Once clear of South Lake Tahoe, the streetlights ended, and without light pollution the most incredible display of stars and galaxies came into view. From time to time, I turned off my headlamp for 30 seconds, to get the best possible view. Words cannot describe the sight – a most remarkable 5 hours of stargazing. The lights all across the lake were a perfect man-made complement to nature’s phenomena. The temperatures never got below freezing, and there was almost no wind. In all, a perfect night to run through.

Before 5 a.m., I heard my cellphone ring. It was Claire checking in on me. I was pleased to report good progress. I’d reached 20 miles - the top of Spooner Summit at over 7,000ft - by 3:15 a.m., and was closing in on Incline Village at about 30 miles, still feeling strong as the dawn started to send the stars to bed. Suddenly though I started to have what we can delicately describe as “tummy problems”. Each time I needed to deal with one of these little problems – at least 3 of which I can clearly remember - I would emerge from portajohn or woods to see one or two of my competitors who had passed me while I was indisposed, and were now headed off ahead of me into the gloaming. This was a little worrying and dispiriting, but gradually my system returned to normal as I crossed the stateline back into California with about 37 miles to go. Ultrarunning does teach you patience and the need to accept the inevitability of fate. Eventually I pulled back on the folks who’d passed me, and realized that they were by that time in sorrier shape than I.

Between miles 60 and 66 there are some monster hills on this course and the combination of 75 degree temperatures and brutal climbs was taking its toll, but I confess that I did feel super-strong over the last 6 miles. I had managed to qualify for Western States by completing the first 50 miles in under 11 hours (actually 9 hours 35 minutes), and I got a nice piece of mantelpiece decoration for finishing fourth overall in 14 hours 6 minutes. This was my last real test before attempting Trans Europe in Spring of 2009, and I was very pleased that I managed to complete it feeling strong and without the injuries and pain that have been troubling me for the last two years.

Triathlon Long Course World Championships

Claire placed an outstanding 9th in her age group at the ITU World Championships in Almere, Holland on Sunday. Like many other competitors on a very sunny day, she struggled towards the end of the run, but put in great swim and cycle performances, and beat her goal time of 9 hours by 10 MINUTES! Most importantly, she wasn't intimidated by a field of awesome athletes from all over the world. I was a very happy witness & proud "tri sherpa".

Nine months to go

The start of Trans Europe in Bari, Italy is 9 months away, and it finishes 11 months from today in Norway. Midsummer's Day, in fact - so far north, I'm sure it will be daylight for all 24 hours. I can't wait to get to the Arctic Circle and see the Northern Lights. I'm feeling very good these days; all my muscle problems which made 2007 so miserable & painful for me have receded, and training is going very well. 70+ miles this week was no problem, and so I'm getting more confident that I will be able to ramp my mileage and make it to the start...making it to the finish will be an altogether different and harder challenge.

I like this quote just in from the ocean rower Roz Savage, who's right now in the middle of the Pacific Ocean:

In ordinary life on dry land, I get so wrapped up in the general busy-ness and bustle, and it's only when I get out on the ocean, or into the mountains, or otherwise into the wild, that I am reminded that in the overall span of time and space, my little life - although very important to me - is smaller than a grain of sand on a beach.

Back from Nepal

We made it to Everest Base Camp, and climbed Kala Patthar, both in the 18,000ft range. The last hour or two to Base Camp was terrifying - heading up the Khombu Glacier, we had massive avalanches on our right side and rockslides on our left, as we picked our way over snowy, rocky terrain. Tom got hit by a flying rock on the leg, but adrenalin was flowing, and we made it.

Two weeks sleeping in a tent without seeing a vehicle - let alone a wheel - was a unique experience. The scale of the Himalayas is unforgettable yet so hard to describe, let alone photograph. But as ever, it's good to be home.

More photos at:
http://s316.photobucket.com/albums/mm354/rsecker/?albumview=grid

Busy June...

I'm heading to Nepal and Mt Everest base camp with my newly graduated son Tom, before he leaves Austin to become a UNC Tarheel. Other son Rob heads to Anchorage, Alaska by bike with the Texas 4000 program, and Claire does her first Ironman in Coeur d'Alene. A crazy month!

Shoe collection

Lots of people ask me - probably because they can't think of any other topic - "how many pairs of shoes do you get through"? Well, this weekend I dug into my Aladin's Cave of past and present sneakers, and came up with this Emelda Marcos-like array. Yikes.

Dallas White Rock Marathon

Claire had an oustanding race on Sunday, finishing in 3:49.11, a 4-minute PR. She was fourth in her age group, and looked strong both early in the race and for the last 6 miles, when I was able to ride my bike alongside her. I'm very proud!

Here's Claire, me and our friend Carolyn Mangold at the Expo, meeting with our Austin friend Dick Beardsley (former London Marathon winner; second at Boston to Alberto Salazar), and Bill Rogers (4 time winner of Boston and New York).

Next up...

...injury and health issues permitting, that would be Trans Europe Footrace 2009. Only now - two months after returning from Germany - am I feeling able to contemplate this mother of all challenges. Each morning when I wake and get out of bed, I fast-forward in my head to April 2009, and think "Would I really want to start another 50-miler today...and tomorrow...and the next day?" I'm not sure if I'm just being respectful of the enormity, or terrified at the prospect of hurting again, so much and for so long.

Two interesting and well observed pieces of reading recently:

From Dr. Rowly Brucken's "Who are we? A paradoxical explanation of Ultrarunning":
Ultrarunners...have to possess an inner core of arrogance. We think we are supermen and superwomen, that we are mentally and physically tougher than most, and...possess the resources to triumph in the end. And yet ultrarunners are some of the most humble, friendly, approachable people I know. We intimately know our bodies and minds and how vulnerable and frail they can be. We know of failure, of injuries that take too long to heal, of having to drop out of a race. We know of the necessity of teamwork with pacers, supporters, race volunteers, and communion with complete strangers on the course that will get us through the dark miles. Everyone who finishes can give thanks for the love, patience and support of others. We each know this, and we are proud of ourselves and grateful for others...
Amen to that!

And from Stevie Smith's "Pedalling to Hawaii":
Chronic fatigue is an evil, creeping thing that imperceptibly shrouds the mind like a fog, whispering negative thoughts, black emotion, paranoia and resentment.
Oh yeah, I can relate to that too!

Made it!

...actually in some style, as I was really hauling today, feeling great, & ended up finishing in the first few. My final ranking was 14th - coulda been top ten if I hadn't had fat feet for so many days. But so it goes.

Thanks again to family, friends & co-workers for the huge support, and to Diana, J-B & Jan for not letting me quit when I was down-and-out and desperately wanted to on Stage 8.

Oh, & by the way, did I mention?...I JUST RAN ACROSS GERMANY! Woohoo!

If the town name ends in -berg...

...you can rely on a nice bracing climb to end the day. We're now in Feldberg, which is true to its suffix, but with only one day left, no-one's complaining. Today was easily the most beautiful stage - 'Sound of Music' gorgeous. An early threat of rain never materialized, and so the day was cool & perfect for running. My mojo returned as my feet were almost pain-free for the first time in 2 weeks, and I finished ahead of some of the better runners. Definitely a 'feel good' day.

Diana had a great first Ultra today! Only her natural modesty & respectfulness of others stopped her from crossing the finish line first. She blistered (no pun there) through 31 very hilly miles in 6 hours. She's very happy, & we're very proud of her.

So the show winds down tomorrow with the final 37-mile stage into Loerrach. I'm expecting the usual mix of emotions - elation at finishing, tempered with a tinge of sadness as things come to an end. But being able to sleep past 4am will be something to relish, at least!

Black Forest ice cream...

...greeted us at the finish line in the center of beautiful Sankt Georgen. Blue skies & views of pine covered hills from our gym windows give this place the first 5-star rating of the race. Diana's research just let me know that we're close to the birthplace of the cuckoo clock.

Today's mercifully short 34 miles was no major issue for anyone, though my feet continue to complain loudly about being tenderized for 9 hours a day.
Tomorrow Diana is still planning to run the stage. It will be a fun day, before we finally bring it home on Wednesday's final stage into Loerrach.

A cool, hot Sunday...

A blissfully flat course under lovely sunny skies gave me my quickest finish so far. Feeling stronger each day.

We've reached B-celebrity status here in Horb am Nectar. In how many other sports would kids be asking this particular grandpa with grotesquely swollen feet for his autograph? Or be handed a microphone in the town square just before the finish line, and deliver a speech of epic German schoolboy standards & receive rapturous applause? How bizarre, how bizarre...

Anyhow, two particularly hilly Black Forest stages ahead, then a downhill run to the finish on Wednesday. Diana's signed up to run Tuesday's stage as an 'Etappelauferin'. Should be a fun change of pace for her, after selflessly looking after me all these days. Her first ultra!

Stay tuned as the hills - mountains? - beckon.

Just 4 more days!

Today's 39 miles were disposed of by all except one runner - that leaves just 21 survivors from the original crew of 41. These are very, very tough folks, believe me - dropping out so late in the race is a sign of major injury issues, usually severe shinsplints.

I'm running OK each day for the first 6 hours or so, but afternoons are very difficult for me due to cumulative fatigue & very sore feet. But so it goes. My times look horrible on paper, but my only concern right now is to make it to the finish line on Wednesday. My chances improve with each passing day.

Happy Sunday!

A much better day...

A quick summary of the best day so far:

'Only' 45 miles!
Beautiful weather.
Outstanding Bavarian farms & villages.
Nice lady who offered me a bunch of grapes (vineyards are everywhere).
My legs are back & working!
Only 5 'even shorter' days to go.

Got plans for the weekend? Me, I'm planning to run. Have a great time whatever.

A very tired me

Running two plus marathons in a day isn't easy - believe me! - especially on slopes that make Mt. Bonnell in Austin look flat. I'm wiped out. And in 6 short hours, I get to do it again.

Diana got me through some very tough times again today. I honestly don't think I'd have made it this far without her. Sometimes you just get lucky - the planets aligned.

So 6 hopefully not such tough days to go! Loerrach will be a wonderful sight.

Peace and love.

Another long, tough day

No surprise there! 47 miles, only 35 degrees at the start. Had to save plenty of energy for tomorrow's even longer stage, so it proved to be a very long day on my feet.

We're well into Bavaria now, so the landscape is becoming spectacular. My swollen hands & feet continue to bother, despite lots of salt intake.

The dropouts continue. I think we're down to only 23 of the original 41 entries - tortoise & hare stuff! 10 stages done, only 7 left, hopefully.

Back in the game!

Well, the karmic influence of all those wonderful messages, plus a stern talking to by Coach Diana, got my sorry body out of bed at 4am, & onto the start line by 6am. The cold, lashing rain was a delightful touch!

At least I could run again today, albeit very slowly. Doubling up on anti-inflammatories (Vitamin I - sorry, kidneys) seemed to help. A relatively 'short' but very hilly 40 miles took me ages to complete, but at least some progress.

Just before the finish, we crossed a huge, wide open field. There, right by the road, was an old disused East/West checkpoint tower. Quite a spooky bit of history.


Back to 50 miles tomorrow - fingers crossed stilll.

'I don't like Mondays...'

...at least not like this one. A brutally hilly 50 miles which - due to tons of walking on account of my painful, swollen feet & quads - took me an ungodly 14 hours.

J-B, Diana & Jan did a fabulous job at 50K persuading me not to quit there & then, so I made it to the race's 602.5K midpoint late in the day. Some consolation there. But I didn't make the official 13 hour time cutoff, so between that & my painful extremities I may be a non-starter tomorrow morning.

I'll try & sleep off the pain, but I'm none too hopeful. Sorry to disappoint, but this is physical, not mental.

Cheers for now,
Russ

So German at the finish line...

Ooompah band, sausages, beer, & Germans. A great end to a nice day - sunny weather, less wind, & some slightly stronger running from yours truly. My feet are nastily swollen, & I've gained yet another pound - the medical experts are speechless!

Thanks again - family, friends & co-workers - for all the kind posts & messages. They do keep me going through the tough times.

7 days & 533K (325 miles) done, but a few more hills ahead.

Less ouch...but very windy...

...and I've GAINED 4 kilos - that's 9lbs! My daily weigh-in with the medical team shows that my legs are expanding as my arms are shrinking, & my feet & hands are grotesquely water-filled! Oh well...

Anyhow, today's stage was shorter - 67K, a shade under 40 miles. We ran under huge turbine windmills, & also for a while with some nice locals who are training for Berlin Marathon in 2 weeks.

Diana ran 10K with me today, & continues to be a huge help during the inevitable 'dark times' each day.

Six stages down, 11 to go. 29 have survived thus far. Hills started today :( Switzerland here we come!

OUCH

My feet are very sore today...maybe the beginning of plantar fasciitis? But good news, no cankles...yet. 73K today in 10 hrs 45 mins. A few more dropouts today, I think we are up to 12 out. Very high mileage in the early days (250 miles in 5 days) was rough. The shoe surgery worked, and my toes felt much better today. Weather is getting better each day, with a high of 70 today!

We are staying near the beautiful Elbe river tonight. Today Diana wanted to take a picture of me finishing; she ran next to me in sandals, and I swear I couldn't keep up with her!

Tomorrow the distance is about 60K...so relatively short! I just hope the sore feet can hold on a few more days, but as the cliche goes..."taking one day at a time".

High dropout rate

10 folks are out of the race already, due in large part to so many very long early stages. Today's 50 miles felt better for me, except for a lot of pain in my feet. 11 hours 20 minutes or so. Whew, I'm tired. The next couple of stages are slightly shorter, so this might work.

We're about to start a surgical procedure on my shoes, which should help to relieve pressue on my toes.

Oh, & the doctor tells me I've gained 3lbs already - go figure.

7 toenails left still ...

...they're dropping like flies! Luckily Jan the medical man (who also did a nice job on Diana's tire - see Day 1) is an excellent toenail repair guy too.

Today's 60 mile stage was verrry hard. I was well into the 13th hour, but it's over. The longest day is done. I'm totally whipped - until 4am tomorrow!

Thanks everyone for the messages. Technology is too primitive to allow me to respond to them all.

Now to sleep...perchance to dream.

Russ

55 miles is a long way to run...

...especially when you have to run 60 miles tomorrow. But so it goes.

The weather was much kinder today, & the course alternated between beautiful paths by lovely fields, and deathly spells of running facing huge trucks & buses without any shoulder.

Diana ran some pieces with me, which helped raise my flagging spirits. It took just over 10 hours, & thanks to a railroad crossing near the finish, I managed to finish with J-B (again) & my Norwegian friend Trond. 11th again overall, I think.

Now I'm astonishly tired - another 4am wake-up tomorrow. Looking forward to some shorter stages soon!

The Baltic Sea

Russ again...

Does the name Baltic Sea bring to mind howling gales, freezing rain & U-boats? Well, we had two out of three of those at the Baltic Sea start today. Miserable conditions until the last 10K. I ran 65K in just over 7 hours, & crossed the line with my French friend J-B.
Diana was an absolute trooper, picking up a flat in the early part of the race. Thanks to Jan, her charm, die Polizei, Hertz, & a garage, she managed to avoid a DNF!
4am wake-up call tomorrow, followed by 80+K. It'll be interesting, after a tough stage today.

Out German the Germans

From Diana:
We had quite an introduction to the Deutschlandlauf participants today- everyone in their undies.

As we set up camp in the first gym of many, initial data was collected from the runners that will be compared throughout the stages of the race. In the middle of the gym men and women stripped down to their skibbies and stood in line waiting to be poked, prodded, weighed and measured. A collection of cups filled with urine accumulated on the bench, awaiting later testing. It was quite a sight and welcome to this phenomena of ultra running.

We just finished a kick-off meeting being introduced without a clue of what they were saying, I hope it wasn't anything too important. I think I will eventually pick up on this language.

With the first day under my belt, I look forward to what is to come...

We made it to the start...

...but only after a brief detour into Poland, of all places. Diana & I met as planned - on time - in Berlin airport, picked up our rental car, and were doing oh so well navigating to the Baltic Sea town of Stralsund, when we realized that we were on a very bumpy road with no exits, and eventually a border crossing. A quick check of the map confirmed that we were incontravertibly entering Eastern Europe. After some grovelling apologies to bemused guards, we were given our passports back, and sent back from whence we'd come.
Eventually we reached Stralsund, & met up with charming race director Ingo & my friend Hiroko from Transe Gaule.
Diana snapped some photos, & I'll post them online as soon as we can get our technology to cooperate.

Heading to the start...

I'm scheduled to leave Austin today, arriving in London tomorrow morning at 7am. Nothing hurts today, and thankfully the tube strike is over, so I'll be able to visit my parents and make my connection on to Berlin with less travel misery. Two wonderful things yesterday - a waterstop themed party at my company Hoover's to send me smiling on my way, and a "care package" of logowear from my friends at Rogue Running. Before that, on Sunday night, a delicious meal with our ultra swimming friends, David & Leslie Blanke. Thanks, everyone! And last night, my last pair of Asics arrived courtesy of UPS - a good omen, surely?

2 weeks to go...

It's getting down to the wire, and I'm still running with some physical aches & pains, but mentally I'm thrilled to have found someone to crew for me - my new "personal coach" Diana Wightman. It's so great to embark on an adventure and have someone working with you who's just as excited & enthusiastic - if not more - than you are! Between us, we have a lot of stuff to carry across the ocean; the list seems to get longer each time we talk. We meet up at Berlin Tegel airport 12 short days from now, and drive to the start in Stralsund.

My enforced taper continues as I head to the start line. My necessarily conservative first couple of stages might work to my advantage later in the race as those who are better prepared do too much, too soon (at least that's my working hypothesis). Well, we'll see.

1 month to go...

(I nearly called this post "1 Month til D-day", but that's probably crass and so inappropriate for a Brit heading towards Germany?) What am I feeling right now? Nervous and excited. Nervous because I'm ill-prepared and low-grade, long-term injured. But excited because the adventure is within spitting distance! I'm looking forward to seeing my friends from Transe Gaule - Trond from Norway, Hiroko from Japan, J-B from France, and maybe more. I'm very excited too to gain a whole new perspective on Germany and the folks who live there. Til now, my experience has been confined almost exclusively to Bavaria (for skiing & motorcycling in the mountains & summer walks round the lakes) and Frankfurt (for business). Now I should get to enjoy a whole new dimension of sights, smells and sounds.
In the words of our hapless president, "Bring it on!".

July 4th - 9 weeks 'til Deutschlandlauf

I'm getting nervous as Germany approaches, as I can't seem to shake my injuries, despite dosing up on Meloxicam and sticking Lidocaine patches on my aching body. I feel great from a cardio perspective, but beyond 8 or 9 miles the pain and tightness in my lower abs, right piriformis, hamstring and sciatic nerve start up, which turn the end of each of my twice-a-day workouts into a bit of a death march. I'm getting through 20+ miles a day relatively comfortably, but there's a big difference between 20 and the 45 miles I'll be averaging for 17 days in Germany.

I've been inspired by a couple of athlete friends lately. Steve Sisson was talking over dinner the other night about 100-mile races, and the need to go out and *suffer* in training. That's a good thought to keep in my mind, as I do just that through soreness and pain. I'm adding "suffer" to my usual running mantra of "relax and float".

And yesterday, as I was running to work, I saw my long-distance swimming friend David Blanke heading to a workout. We chatted briefly; seeing him again reminded me that, however hard ultra running may feel, it can't match the mental and physical effort required to ultra swim. Running for 9 hours, even in bad conditions, can't match to toughness required to swim across big expanses of sea.

These are good thoughts for me to carry across Germany.