Run It Fast®

The Run It Fast ‘Race Across the USA‘ relay continued to move eastward on Day 2 with the Suzy Michelson Team starting the day with a comfortable lead over the Jeffrey Price Team. But is that how the day ended? Who made it to Arizona and who didn’t? Who was the star performer of the day? All those answers await you below!

Day 2 saw 56 of the 60 runners put down a total of 596.0 miles. Amazingly that is 30 miles more than these four teams aggressively, on fresh legs, put down yesterday on Day 1. Every runner on the Charlie Taylor Team and Suzy Michelson Team once again put down miles today maintaining ‘perfect attendance’ of their team members over the first 48 hours of the race.

The Charlie Taylor Team’s Seth Crowe left the Crowe’s Nest late, last night for a run, only to return home, and leave it for four more runs today. Amidst cold temps and rain, Seth kept Crowe, Crowe, Crowe’ing his leggy-boat aggressively down the street. A throw-back Flintstonian who easily averaged more miles with his legs today than his beat-up Chevy pickup can garner coasting downhill with a full load.

A man on a mission with five runs of of 10.07, 10.31, 12.0, 3.0, and 2.01 for a total of 37.39 miles. Seth is the Race Across the USA Performance of the Day.

Kimberly Atkins impressed her team (SMT) and competition by walking 26.22 miles today in the brrr, brrr, bodiddley, frigid cold. An impressive feat for sure.

While Georgia native Heather McComb (JPT) knocked our her second consecutive 20+ mile day with 24.12 miles for a total of 44.14 miles over the first 2 days. Barry Reece (SMT) did the same as well with 22.0 miles (49.02/2 day total).

Other big mile stars from Day 2 included Chris Clemens (SMT) 25.55 mi, Randy Broadway (HST) 21.0 mi, and 8x Badwater 135 veteran, Karla Kent (JPT) 22.58 mi.

Day 2 Mileage Results of the Race Across the USA

• Suzy Michelson Team – 184.84 miles (12.32mi/runner)
• Jeffrey Price Team – 162.9 miles (10.86mi/runner)
• Charlie Taylor Team – 153.47 miles (10.23mi/runner)
• Hope Shull Team – 94.79 miles (6.32mi/runner)

RIF’s Race Across the USA Overall Standings (thru Day 2)

1. Suzy Michelson Team – 373.81 miles (186.91mi/day, 12.8% completed)
2. Jeffrey Price Team – 305.19 miles (152.60mi/day, 10.5% completed)
3. Charlie Taylor Team – 280.4 miles (140.20mi/day, 9.7% completed)
4. Hope Shull Team – 202.84 miles (101.42mi/day, 7.0% completed)

The Suzy Michelson Team kept unleashing big run after big run and made it to Needles, AZ before midday. They kept the pedal down with three team members going for 20+ miles and a total of seven in double digits. They gathered 184.84 miles on Day 2, almost matching their impressive Day 1 total of 188.97. The Suzy’s have now set their sight on making it to Flagstaff, AZ tomorrow. If the lactic acid in their legs and the high altitude getting to Flagstaff doesn’t slow them tomorrow then nothing might.

A member of another team was peddling a rumor around that Chris Clemens was trying to talk his team into a ‘quick’ detour north of Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon for a quick R2R2R out and back. Whether true or fake news, SMT captain Shane Tucker will use his school room laser focus and discipline to keep his team on track.

The Jeffrey Price Team was one of two teams to put down more miles on Day 2. JPT ended the day with 162.9 miles, which topped their Day 1 total by over 20 miles. They kept thinking they could see the SMT far in the distance, and it kept them a churning. However, that dry arid air, and desert landscape was likely creating a mirage that didn’t match reality, because they finished the day in a strong second place with 305.19 miles but a big 68.62 mile gulp behind the SMT.  They did increase their lead over the third place team by +9 miles.

Team Note: Aaron Braunstein has been placed on the Disabled List with a calf issue. His status is Day-to-Day.

The Charlie Taylor Team spent most of the day with bedazzled eyes after Seth Crowe put down his 5-run performance of 37.39 miles. But later in the afternoon, the team kicked into gear as every member once again put down miles including strong double digits from Steve Acciarito, Tiffani Glass, Jeremy Reed, Elva Matamoros, and Joshua Holmes. The team’s strength so far has been it’s consistency and snacks. Steve has taken it upon himself after his morning runs to make sure everyone’s nutrition is on point. He has dubbed himself the ‘Snack Coach.’ Say what you will but multiple cups of chocolate pudding has kept this team from boinking and also from putting down more miles than they need to this early. Luckily the team RV is always nearby as the desert is barren and mostly treeless during this stage of the race. They finished the day with 153.47 miles, a +26 mile jump over yesterday. This gives them a total of 280.4 miles solidly ahead of the HST and still within reach of the JPT.

That leaves the Hope Shull Team. Let’s just say the Cracker Barrel hangover is not a myth. The HST was sluggish from the start today. Some pundits worried HST would come out too aggressive today trying to chase down the other teams to try to erase the early deficit they amassed yesterday. By 10am, no one had that worry any more. By noon, team captain Marylou Corino said something that we can’t repeat here. But she theorized that if they stopped for lunch at the Cracker Barrel, in Needles, Arizona, that it would somehow reverse the curse, hangover, or whatever. She was probably just hungry. The team did bond over lunch, soothed some egos, and put down respectable miles in the afternoon. This included double digits from Ben Herron, Rachael Anderson, Randy Broadway, and Marylou. They only ran with 12 runners today and that for sure played a factor. They finished the day with 94.79 miles and are a good bit back of the pack, but there is thousands of miles of race to go. Their stated goal is to make it to Kingman, AZ tomorrow night.

Team Mileage Leader of the Day

• Suzy Michelson Team – Kimberly Atkins (26.22 mi)
• Jeffrey Price Team – Heather McComb (24.12 mi)
• Charlie Taylor Team – Seth Crowe (37.39 mi)
• Hope Shull Team – Randy Broadway (21.0 mi)

Top 10 Mega-Miles of the Day

1. Seth Crowe (CMT) – 37.39
2. Kimberly Atkins (SMT) – 26.22
3. Chris Clemens (SMT) – 25.55
4. Heather McComb (JPT) – 24.12
5. Karla Kent (JPT) – 22.58
6. Barry Reece (SMT) – 22.00
7. Randy Broadway (HST) – 21.0
8. Tom Orr (JPT) – 18.39
9. David Nichols (SMT) – 17.75
10. Karl Studtmann (JPT) – 16.35

Top 10 Race Mile Leaders

1. Barry Reece  (SMT) – 49.2
2. Thomas Fowler  (SMT) – 46.2
3. Heather McComb (JPT) – 44.14
4. Chris Clemens (SMT) – 40.55
5. Seth Crowe (CTT) – 39.46
6. Karl Studtmann (JPT) – 36.62
7. Jeremy Reed (CTT) – 36.31
8. Kimberly Atkins (SMT) – 36.25
9. Alex Barrientos (SMT) – 35.33
10. Randy Broadway (HST) – 35.0

Daily Updates and Standings Archive

• Day 2: Run It Fast’s Race Across the USA – Showdown in the Desert 
• Day 1: Run It Fast’s Race Across the USA – And They Are Off…

The Run It Fast ‘Race Across the USA‘ relay got off to an amazing start today. It was almost as if all four teams were shot out of a cannon from the Santa Monica Pier towards the East Coast.

All four team’s eager to run in the newly minted ‘smog-less’ Los Angeles air, took off like 7-year old’s at a 5K with ill-regard to pacing or exactly where they were headed (more on that below).

Day 1 saw a remarkable 57 of the 60 runners put down a total of 566.24 miles. Every runner on the Charlie Taylor Team and Suzy Michelson Team put down miles today.

Jeremy Reed, of the Charlie Taylor Team, set the tone immediately, not just his team, but everyone in the race, when at 12:01 am he laid down a strong 12.0 mile run. He followed it up later in the day with a 11-mile piece.

But the big-mileage stars of the day were Barry Reece (27.02 mi) and Thomas Fowler (31 mi) from the Suzy Michelson Team.

Other heavy hitters from day one included Alex Barrientos (SMT – 20.05 mi), Jeremy Reed (CTT – 22.11), Heather McComb (JPT – 20.02), and Karl Studtmann (JPT – 20.27).

Our youngest runner, Juleann Roberts (HST) put down 7.02 miles.

RIF’s Race Across the USA Standings (Day 1)

1. Suzy Michelson Team – 188.97 miles (12.6mi/r)
2. Jeffrey Price Team – 142.29 miles (9.49mi/r)
3. Charlie Taylor Team – 126.93 miles (8.46mi/r)
4. Hope Shull Team – 108.05 miles (7.20mi/r)

Now the good stuff. Where exactly are the teams after Day 1?

Well, they might be at a convenient care by Thursday, but the Suzy Michelson Team, with smoke still on their soles, is currently at 188.97 miles. They are halfway between Barstow, CA and Needles, AZ resting at a Motel 6 for the night. No word yet if they set an alarm or not.

Next down the road is the Jeffrey Price Team at 142.29 miles. They are about 15 miles past Barstow on I-40 with hopes to get to Needles tomorrow and close the gap with the SMT.

The Charlie Taylor Team currently sits in 3rd, with 126.93 miles, and is also sitting at a honky-tonk in Barstow just as Charlie would have insisted. They appear to be well lubricated for the road ahead tomorrow. No word if they will start back from the honky-tonk around 3am or attempt sleep somewhere.

If the Hope Shull Team is telling their family and friends they are in fourth place then they are probably be congratulated proudly by them for being in 4th. Hopefully, they didn’t finish the sentence with, “…out of four teams.”

More detail could be added, but to get straight to the point for Hope’s Team, a wrong turn just off the I-10 ‘mare’ miles into the race led to a quick detour to Gus’s Fried Chicken. Once there the team refueled on chess pie, sweet tea, and chicken. They also used the opportunity to study the map and refocus on how to get back on the correct route. They did finish the day strong and made up a good bit of lost time. They finished the day with 108.05 miles and are near Bell Mountain which is just past Victorville, CA. Victorville is the site of the first Cracker Barrel in CA that opened just two years ago. Marylou insisted the team finish with a team meal there before retiring for the night a couple miles on down the road.

Team Mileage Leader of the Day

• Suzy Michelson Team – Thomas Fowler (31.01 mi)
• Jeffrey Price Team – Karl Studtmann (20.27 mi)
• Charlie Taylor Team – Jeremy Reed (22.11 mi)
• Hope Shull Team – Kit Brazier (18.24 mi)

Top 10 Mega-Miles of the Day

1. Thomas Fowler – 31.01 (SMT)
2. Barry Reece – 27.02 (SMT)
3. Jeremy Reed – 22.11 (CTT)
4. Karl Studtmann – 20.27 (JPT)
5. Alex Barrientos – 20.05 (SMT)
6. Heather McComb – 20.02 (JPT)
7. Kit Brazier – 18.24 (HST)
8. Tom Orr – 16.09 (JPT)
9. Chris Clemens – 15.00 (SMT)
10. Randy Broadway – 14.00 (HST)

A long way to go, but it was a wonderful start to the Race Across the USA Relay.

Run It Fast’s ‘Race Across the USA’ kicks off at midnight on April 13, 2020. It will pit four teams comprised of 60 Run It Fast members racing each other across the United States. The race starts on the Santa Monica Pier in California, just outside of Los Angeles, and will go all the way to New York City.

The teams will cover the 2,907 miles by team members submitting their day running/walking/hiking miles to their team captain daily. This will be done via screenshots of their Strava/Garmin/GPS from an outside run or via a photo of their treadmill displaying the appropriate data.

The four teams are named after Run It Fast members that passed on from us way too soon. It’s a simple way we can help remember them and keep their legacy close to us.

Race Across the USA Team Names

• Charlie Taylor Team
• Hope Shull Team
• Suzy Michelson Team
• Jeffrey Price Team

Team Rosters for the Run It Fast’s ‘Race Across the USA’

Participant Rules:

• Can start Monday 4/13/2020 at 12:00 A.M. of the time zone you are currently residing in.
• No less than 1.0 mile for any outing. You can submit as many runs/walks/hikes you want a day that you do. Each one just must be at least 1.0 miles.
• You MUST have GPS (prefer Strava/Garmin) and send a snapshot of each run/walk/hike to your team captain within 24 hrs. If you happen to forget to turn in your miles you have 48 hrs to get them in before those particular miles expire. Treadmill miles count too and just need a snapshot sent as well. 
• Map will be updated 1x per day with all team progress.

Any other rules that need to be created or issues that arise will be decided and agreed upon by the four captains.

A big thanks to all these runners taking part, and a special big thanks to the captains:  Shane Tucker, Marylou Corino, Melissa Price, Joshua Holmes, and Jill Williams, who is our Mission Control helping keep us straight with all the numbers and logistics.

American ultra-legend Michael Wardian has been declared the winner of the Quarantine Backyard Ultra after finishing the 63rd lap of 4.1667 miles by himself for a total of 262.52 miles. One more official lap than the Czech Republic’s Radek Brunner.

The event was hosted online by Canadian coaching group, Personal Peak. The Quarantine Backyard Ultra had about 2,500 starters from all over the globe.

The concept of the race is that runners have 60 minutes to finish running 4.1667 miles. With the world on lockdown, this virtual event allowed runners to do it from the comfort of their own home on a treadmill or doing it outside. They were asked to verify their results on Strava and/or on Zoom that connected all the runners participating in the race. The event was comprised almost evenly of some runners on treadmills in their homes, others running outside in their neighborhoods, along with one Russian man running laps around his living room, and another man in Canada running laps around an empty coffee shop in his socks.

The original race format was created by ultra race mastermind Lazarus Lake in 2012. His Big’s Backyard Ultra has become a hot destination in Bell Buckle, Tennessee where the best runners from around the world descend every October to see how long they can go before they time out or quit.

The final four was comprised of two Americans and two Europeans. Wardian and Brunner had been battling it out for round after round after American Greg Armstrong bowed out after his 43rd lap (179.17 miles), and Sweden’s Anna Carlsson quit after 46 laps (187 miles). Anna was the last female in the field and an inspiration to many as she ran her laps on the snow and ice in extremely frigid temps.

The finale of the event was not without controversy though. Radek and Wardian both finished the 62nd lap (258.4 miles). Moments before the round 63 bell was to ring, Radek climbed back onto his stationary treadmill and finished his drink, as could be seen on the live feed. As the bell rang to start round 63, he handed the discarded cup to his wife, who then exited the frame. She returned a few seconds later to deliver an iPad. Under normal Backyard rules any aid after a round started would be considered a DQ. However, the Personal Peak rules for the event clearly stated that this was not a rule for this event.

Click HERE to Watch the Zoom Feed as It Unfolded Live (Fast Fwd to the 4 hour 54 min mark)

Radek stood on his treadmill for a minute in place, and then almost two minutes as he positioned his book/papers and his iPad. He was in no rush and going through his usual routine. He seemed very alert and mentally ready to go. The Personal Peak RD, Travis, along with Laz, on the Zoom feed tried to tell Radek that he needed to get going. During this time, he stood on the treadmill oblivious to their comments as he couldn’t hear them. I’m not sure if his Zoom feed was on mute on his end, muted by Peak Performance, or if there was a delay in the internet/Zoom connection over to Czech Republic at his home.

Finally, after about 104 seconds into the 60 minute countdown clock, Laz could be heard on the Zoom feed saying, “It’s over,” and walked away at literally the very moment Radek’s treadmill started moving with him running at

58:15 remaining on the clock. Personal Peak ruled that Radek had not started the loop promptly enough and he was DQ’d out of the race although he kept running (at least until 20 min left on the clock when the feed went dead again)

As stated on the Personal Peak website: “you must be back on your treadmill when the bell rings to start the next lap.” Radek was clearly on the treadmill.

Elsewhere on the site it states: “Participants must be in their starting corral at the bell, and must leave immediately to start their loop.”

Did Radek know the the bell had rang and the clock started? He clearly couldn’t hear on his end what was going on or what the RD was trying to tell him. He for sure had not quit the race. He was on his treadmill going through his routine to start round 63 and running by 58:15 on the PP countdown clock that was displayed.

Is there a vast looseness of the rules from an official Backyard Ultra to this Virtual event? Yes, of course. Many runners, even finalists couldn’t even be seen to see if they started some of their loops or not. Radek had his entire show live for the world to see the entire time.

Radek, per the Zoom feed started with 58:15 remaining in the 63rd round and kept running until the feed went out with about 20 minutes left on the clock. He never timed out on any of the loops, and he never quit. In the spirit of the Virtual Challenge’s popular appeal, and it’s loosely interpreted rules (until round 63), he should have been allowed to continue in our opinion.

Did Laz’s words at the time carry weight with the Personal Peak RD and his decision? That’s very possible for sure. Laz is the Backyard godfather.

It was Personal Peak’s event, and ultimately their call for sure. They confirmed this as well in a tweet:

Were the RD’s tired, exhausted, and infuriated with the YouTube and technical issues? Without a doubt, any RD would be, much less one manning multiple days. thousands of runners from all over the globe while trying to wrestle all the technology and headaches that came with it.

Laz upon after a few minutes reflection on how it ended posted on his Facebook page the following about how it unfolded:

“maybe i am the only person who is glad not to be in charge.
not this time.
people tend to see the world in black and white,
and with the screen of not having to make decisions when things go grey
deal in absolutes.

being here in quarantine in the house on the hill,
and handcuffed by a near total absence of technological skill,
i dont know how many people saw the events that unfolded at the start of hour 63.
but here is what i saw….

with the caveat that i had finally gotten to sleep for a couple of hours…..
i did not realize it at the time,
thinking i had just taken a nap between the start of hour 61 and the start of 62
i actually slept thru hour 62 and it was time for 63.
i got to the computer during the countdown.

as the final minute counted down i just saw radek’s treadmill standing alone.
it got under 30 seconds and still no radek.
i thought he must have quit.

then with just seconds left here is radek.
he gets on his treadmill and is just standing there.
i am yelling at him,
which is useless because he cant hear me.
by a minute after the start i think he is done..
almost 2 minutes in, he starts running.

the race management disqualified him.

maybe in the world of people who are absolutely certain they know the right answer i am the only one
who is glad to not be in charge today.

mike did his 63rd hour,
and now he is the winner.
radek was left with the taste of ashes.”

It should be noted how immensely popular this ultra baby Laz birthed in 2012 has become all over the world even before this Quarantine Backyard Ultra. There are now Backyard Ultras all over the world that serve as qualifying events where the winner often wins a coveted golden ticket to Big’s Backyard Ultra.

I have hosted last runner standing events for eight years, including the longest, continuous running one in the world, the Trail of Fears, since 2012, along with The Cannonball, both in Tennessee. I know the Backyard rules, and the spirit of the rules fairly well at this point. I know and have had to interpret some of these gray area issues before, and I usually decide them with one simple question, “Was there an unfair advantage gained?”

I don’t believe an advantage was gained here, and believe this fell well into the gray area that Laz mentions in his Facebook comments above.  If between a rock and a hard spot, or delving in between the black and white, deep within the grays, the tie should go to the runner…quite literally.

This would for sure have been a tough decision for a Race Director at a real, in-person event where all the variants were more equal and both were on the same course and starting in the same corral. But with the setup of this Quarantine Backyard Ultra for a fun escape from what’s happening in the world, and the massive large following it had going for days, I would have erred on the side of letting it continue on and play out. I don’t envy the decision Personal Peak had to make. I have no doubt it was a tough one.

It would have been fun to see Radek and Michael duke it out until one quit or timed out. Without a doubt it was disappointing that the event ended on a technicality of a loosely interpreted rule in the event (up until that point). But that doesn’t take away from an amazing 63 hours that enthralled the endurance community in a time when we have no other sports to watch or entertain us.

Mike and Radek both put down two epic performances when considering not just the total distance, but the varying difficulties each were facing. Radek on a treadmill in his home in the Czech Republic for the duration of his run, and Wardian out in the conditions near his home in Virginia which were very wet and cold at times.

Mike messaged me after the race and simply stated, “That was incredible. Would have loved to keep pushing each other. What a champion,” referring to Radek.

All of late drama aside, Personal Peak did an amazing job putting together this widely popular Quarantine Backyard Ultra. It was extremely professionally done. They put this together very quickly with nearly 2,500 runners from all over the world. The dynamics of that many runners and trying to connect them all with technology, on many levels with the social component of the live Zoom feeds broadcast to YouTube was simply amazing. The hourly Twitter updates were almost on the hour and made the race easy to track. Personal Peak managed the issues that arose as well as anyone could, and they always had a backup or end around to keep the live video feed and updates for the masses to watch on YouTube and then Facebook after they were booted off YouTube.

Congrats to Mike on the win, Radek on an amazing performance, all the finalists, and everyone who participated over the course of three days. A big thank you to Personal Peak on an amazing production that entertained so many of us when we all needed this fun distraction to follow and root for our favorite runners.

HUMAN BEING Eliud Kipchonge Breaks 2 Hour Marathon barrier with transcendent super human time of 1:59:40.2. The first person ever to do so.

The greatest marathon runner of all-time with a modern day Roger Bannister moment doing what many thought for a long time was humanly impossible breaking 2 hours. A mind boggling, inspiring accomplishment for the ages.

The Kenyan native averaged 4 minutes 34 seconds per mile for 26.2 miles.

Congrats, Eliud and to the fastest pace team ever that worked in perfect unison to help secure the sub-2.

#RunItFast #ineos159 #eliudkipchonge #nohumanislimited #sub2 #fastestever

Steve Troxel set the American 60-64 age group record for 48 hours by running 220.1647 miles at the Six Days in the Dome race in Milwaukee, Wisconsin over the August 23-24, 2019 weekend. Steve is a Jackson, Tennessee native and 60-years old.

Troxel trained months for the event with the intent of breaking the record. His practice ‘run’ with the 48 hour race at 3 Days at the Fair went poorly by Troxel’s standards and expectations (read about it HERE) back in May, but provided valuable lessons and experience that primed him to make the essential corrections to achieve his goal and break the record at The Dome.

The previous American age group (60-64) record was held by John Brown with 183.99 miles. Troxel bested that mark by over 36 miles. Steve was also wanting to break the world record that he thought to be 218 miles, and it was, but the IAU recently updated their site that a European gentleman ran 235 miles last year. Steve finished second overall at the race to Olivier Leblond who finished with 228.7067 miles.

His distance automatically qualified him for the historic Spartathlon 153 mile race in Greece.

Steve was crewed by his wife Sherry Troxel and training partner Arthur Priddy. The race was hosted by Steve Durbin of Durbin Race Management. All members of Run It Fast.

Congrats to Steve, aka Professor Fartlek, on his amazing record setting performance.

Click to join Run It Fast – The Club

Lessons Learned from my 48 Hour ‘Failure’ at 3 Days at the Fair

I didn’t want to post about my race at 3 Days at the Fair this past weekend, but I figure that if I post about my good races I really should post about my bad races as well. One of the reasons to post about bad races is to encourage others not to make the same mistakes. However, even as I hope others will learn from my mistakes, they probably won’t. Why can I say this? Because I certainly have read many posts warning me about the mistakes I made and I obviously didn’t listen! Perhaps you need to have a clear failure to cement the lessons deep into your neural processing. I can only hope that this failure was bad enough that I won’t make these same mistakes again. I repeat, I can only hope!

3 Days at the Fair is held on a certified one mile loop in Augusta NJ. The race has many different events – 10 day, 6 day, 3 day, 2 day, etc.. I signed up for the 2 day – 48 hour – event. I felt very confident about my ability for this race since I had run 150 miles in 31:30 in March and felt reasonably good at the end. Between March and this race I had put in a short marathon training block and run a PR of 3:13:58 at the St. Jude Nashville marathon just 3 weeks prior to the start of my 48 hour race. I tapered well coming into this race and felt good several days out. Nothing but good things to say about the location of this race and the way it was run.

First the good things about my race:

The best part was definitely the people. First, my son, Shawn Troxel, and grandson were able to come out as crew. This was so fun! And when my race ended early, we made the best of it and enjoyed a trip into NYC. Memories! I was also able to meet the great Gina Slaby. Well, I didn’t actually meet her, but I did say “Good job!” as she passed me several times an hour. I was able to meet and chat with Amy Mower – who won the 48 hour race – and Benjamin Timoner. I also met David Christy and Jimmie Barnes. I was able to run with Jeff Hagen, who holds several American AG records, and Steve Tomajko, who has run for the Canadian 24 hour team. The ultra running community is simply incredible!

As far as the actual race, I believe my preparation was good, except for the one big mistake listed below. My training was good; my sleep was good; and my taper coming in was good. I was well prepared. I also think I did a good job with nutrition. So far, it seems I have this somewhat figured out. Things may certainly change as I run longer times or have to push harder, but my body seems to respond well on mainly liquid calories, about 125 per hour, and then a supplement of other stuff like coke, chips, and sweets. This requires a little monitoring of the “other” stuff but it seems to be manageable.

Now for the mistakes:

The first mistake has been several years in the making. I train hard. I run lots of miles and am learning about the different energy systems and what paces are needed to train each system. However, I have never been good at stretching or strengthening my core. This has never really been a problem, other than the embarrassment at not being able to come close to touching my toes, but when combined with my second mistake I was almost unable to even start the race.

My second mistake was deciding to drive 16 hours to the race. I don’t think I will drive that far to a race again unless I travel with someone else who can do the driving while I lie down or recline. The race started on Friday morning so I left home early Wednesday and drove 11 hours before stopping and sleeping in the back of my van. When I got up in the morning I could barely walk. My back was so messed up that I couldn’t even think about running. I drove the rest of the way, checked into a hotel and spent the rest of Thursday working on my back with stretching, heat, and ibuprofen. I was able to make it to the start line but I truly hope I have learned this lesson. As we ask more and more of our bodies, and especially as we get older, the extra things like core and stretching (and other things like diet and strength) become more and more important. I am now absolutely committed to making core and stretching a prioritized and integral part of my training! Note: I am an anti-NSAID runner, but I took several doses before and during the race.

My third mistake was with hydration and actually probably began on Wednesday. I’ve never been good with drinking while traveling and tend to focus on an early coffee and maybe a Monster to keep me awake. I have a little bit of old man prostate issues which can sometimes lead to bathroom emergencies, so my traveling solution is to not drink. Not smart when you have a race coming up. On Thursday I was so focused on my back that I only had a cup of coffee in the morning. On race morning I, again, only had a cup of coffee with breakfast.

As the race got started, I drank my calories but this was only 8 ounces per hour. The temperatures were mild and there were no triggers to tell me I needed to drink. After 8 hours I hadn’t peed so I went into the bathroom at the first indication that I might have to go. What came out was about a tablespoon of very dark liquid. On the way out of the bathroom, I momentarily blacked out and had to stand still while I figured out where I was. After running another mile, both calves cramped and caused me to fall into a pile of mulch, which was quite fortunate. Several other runners quickly came to my aid and helped me back on my feet after I screamed and pounded the ground for a few minutes.

I started drinking extra water but I was 11 hours in before using the bathroom again. What did I learn? I obviously started the race dehydrated. There is no excuse for this! You need to come into a race fully hydrated. ‘nuff said! Then, once the race started, I was so focused on how I was feeling, with concern about my back, and my pacing, that I didn’t give hydration the thought it required. Yes, I know we should be concerned about drinking too much, but I certainly did not drink enough. What will I do differently? I will make sure to start the race hydrated. I will also go extra slow for the first hour, which leads into my final mistake, and drink a little extra to make sure I have a good bathroom break sometime in the first couple hours.

My last mistake, at least the last I can think of, is pacing. For this, I owe a big apology to Bob Hearn. It’s a little presumptuous of me to call Bob my mentor, but I have learned so much from his race reports on The Puzzle of Running and consider myself a disciple of his system. It was as if I just did a data dump on what I had supposedly learned. This is quite frustrating. I felt good starting the race and was glad that my back was allowing me to run. I decided to just run my regular easy pace for the first hour. The problem is that an easy pace is completely unsustainable for an ultra distance event – unless you are one of the top runners in the world. My thinking was that my goal pace, which is several minutes per mile slower than my easy pace and requires walk breaks, is kind of difficult when you are feeling good and rested, so why not build a little “tired” into the legs to make the goal pace more reasonable. Stupid, stupid, stupid! All this does is expend unnecessary energy. After the first hour I was 14 minutes ahead of schedule and I fell into thinking this was good as it allowed me to go slower than goal pace for a bunch of miles and stay on goal.

After the first hour, I tried to slow down and take walk breaks but my pace was still too fast for the next hour…and the next. At one point I was 47 minutes ahead of schedule. My goal pace put me at a very aggressive mileage for the full 48 hours. When you set a goal like this, you ought to be terrified – TERRIFIED! – if you find yourself ahead of your goal early into the race. What did I learn and what will I do differently? For a relatively flat course, I need to have a much more detailed plan of how much I am going to run and how much I am going to walk, from the very first lap. I also need to plan my running pace and my walking pace in order to meet my goal pace. Then I need to race by a Thou Shalt Not go faster than goal pace for any mile, or at least as averaged over every few miles. I also think I will go slower than goal pace for the first hour to let my system relax before settling into a rhythm.

I decided to end my race at 91 miles at 18:13:16. I have zero regrets about stopping when I did. It was the right thing to do! My anterior tibialis had been hurting for the last few hours. I’m sure this was due to a combination of dehydration and poor pacing, especially with trying to go too fast while walking. You need to train your walk, and you should train to walk fast, but once in a race I think you should pull back from your fastest walking speed. There may have also been a problem with wearing the ankle strap with the timing chip. I might see if there is an option to wear or carry this another way in the future. When the anterior tibialis becomes inflamed it is difficult to push off while walking. For the last hours it hurt more to walk than it did to run. I had a prior injury to this tendon and know that if damage occurs, the recovery can be very long. I am now several days post race and my anterior tibialis has no lingering pain. After the race, my back quickly tightened up and it will take several more days before I can think about running, but I’m content with stopping and with the lessons learned.

I’m looking forward to getting back to training and am really looking forward to my next race. I am registered for the 48 hour race in the Dome in August and may try to sneak in a race in GA in July.

Thanks for reading!

Steve Troxel
RIF Member

Join Run It Fast – The Club

[photos: David Christy, Steve Troxel]

Brentwood native Jason Loyd won The Sequoyah Marathon at Pinson Mounds State Park on November 25, 2018 with a new personal record time of 3:14:33. It was a fourteen minute PR for Loyd who had last set it at the same race in 2016.

A speedy three-some that included Jackson natives Karl Studtmann and Randy Broadway along with Loyd blurred around the 2.91 mile looped course for the first 10+ miles together as those in attendance enjoyed the smoke show as these men seemed as if they had been catapulted out of a jet from the rest of the field.

Loyd was on a rail, extremely consistent with his splits around 7:30’s as Stuntman and Broadway fell back off the strong pace. Broadway stayed close in second for several miles, with Studtmann falling back to third place, as Jason started to run off away with it eventually leaving Broadway behind by a good bit.

Studtmann then passed Broadway for second around mile eighteen. Karl put some substantial distance between him and Randy, as Randy, with the win out of sight, went into conservation mode for his 100K the following weekend in Kentucky. Karl took second place with a strong showing in 3:26:20 with Randy rounding out the men’s podium in 3:43:50.

It’s the first win for Loyd and would have been a BQ time if only the course was a BQ certified course.

Canadian Marylou Corino, running her third consecutive day of races after back to back 40 milers, was the female winner in 4:07:17. Corino completed four races over the three days and was the female winner, not only at The Sequoyah Marathon, but also at the Black Diamond 40 Miler and Double Black Diamond 40 Miler.

The Sequoyah Marathon female top three was rounded out by Heather Coon in 4:22:38 and sixteen-year old Morgan Seech running her marathon debut in 4:40:06.

The Sequoyah Marathon Results
1. Jason Loyd – 3:14:33
2. Karl Studtmann – 3:26:20
3. Randy Broadway – 3:43:50
4. Marylou Corino – 4:07:17 (1F)
5. Chris Clemens – 4:17:28
6. Heather Coon – 4:22:38 (2F)
7. Mike Samuelson – 4:36:27
8. Morgan Seech – 4:40:06 (3F)
9. Joseph Montgomery – 4:46:00
10. Kelly Oswald Paul – 5:09:38
11. Stefanie McKinney-Holliday – 5:30:10
12. Marj Mitchell – 5:49:16
13. Aaron Smith – 5:58:10
14. David Wingard – 6:30:23
15. Michelle Leigh Talbott – 6:40:49

The Sequoyah Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K Results

Our 14th Run It Fast member Beth Hosick has finished The Vol State 500K in 9:01:23:48. Beth who lives in Lexington, Tennessee, which is mile 92 of the course, was crewed by her husband Chris Hosick.

It’s got to be hard to keep on during this event when you live on the course and could easily return to the comforts of home, but Beth persisted past Lexington and relentlessly, day by day, pushed towards The Rock. Congrats to Beth.

Overall Top Finishers – tracker
1. Grant Maughan – 3:22:02:59 – 314 Miles – KING OF THE ROAD
2. Rhoda Smoker – 4:12:05:35 – 314 Miles – First Female to The Rock (3rd fastest female time ever)
3. Andrea Kooiman – 4:14:40:59 – 314 Miles (2nd Female, 4th fastest female time ever) RIF
4. Brian Trinkle – 4:19:59:23 – 314 Miles
5. Alan Abbs – 4:19:59:40 – 314 Miles
6. Regina Sooey – 4:20:27:54 – 314 Miles (3rd female)
7. Rich Flint – 5:00:19:35 – 314 Miles
8. Douglas Long – 5:01:17:13 – 314 Miles
9. J.T. Hardy – 5:01:19:13 – 314 Miles
10. Tim Purol – 5:11:45:45 – 314 Miles
11. Kimberly Durst – 5:19:06:50 – 314 Miles (4th female)
12. Rob Greer – 5:20:41:40
13. Carl Kidwell – 5:21:28:14
14. Cathy Downes – 5:21:28:59 (5th female) RIF
15. Bo Millwood – 5:21:43:43
16. James Fleming – 6:00:34:51
17. Terry Bonnett – 6:07:04:36
18. Lisa Van Wolde – 6:07:13:11 RIF
19. Steven Smith – 6:07:30:09 RIF
20. Seth Crowe – 6:09:05:45 RIF
21. Seth Wolpin – 6:09:55:16
22. Chris Clemens – 6:15:34:57 RIF
23. Ben Yancey – 6:18:37:39
24. Chad Burgess – 6:23:20:06
25. Rebecca Gartell – 6:23:20:28
26. Ken Chappell – 6:22:44:59
27. Jim Halsey – 7:01:35:07
28. Eric Houser – 7:03:13:34
29. Sherry Meador – 7:04:00:40 RIF
30. Anastasia Hutchings – 7:04:01:04
31. Sal Coll – 7:04:01:57 RIF
32. Cary Long – 7:06:24:24 RIF
33. David Nichols – 7:06:39:29 RIF
34. Ray Krolewicz – 7:06:54:32
35. Angie White – 7:10:30:41
36. Kelly Shaer – 7:10:31:19
37. Rob Donkersloot – 7:11:56:04
38. Sergio Bianchini – 7:18:55:10
39. Rick Lehto – 7:18:55:56
40. Kendra Schoffstall – 7:20:32:36 RIF
41. Harold Donnelly – 7:21:02:20
42. Danny Warren – 7:22:34:17
43. Bernadette Dubois – 7:23:51:30
44. Natalia Harrison – 7:23:52:52
45. Shenoa Creer – 8:03:13:33
46. Polly Choate – 8:03:32:30
47. Jameelah Abudul-Rahim Musaahid – 8:04:25:04
48. Tasha Holland – 8:05:52:42
49. Cathy Nevans – 8:07:07:03
50. David Oglesby – 8:07:08:14 RIF
51. Ruth Cunningham – 8:08:42:20
52. Janet Duncan – 8:09:57:53
53. Sharon Carver – 8:10:59:02 RIF
54. Laurie Matecki – 8:11:17:33
55. Cherie McCafferty – 8:13:47:34
56. Ray Baum – 8:14:30:22
57. Clay Vick – 8:15:03:21
58. Karen Heath – 8:15:37:35
59. Colin Heath – 8:15:38:02
60. Michael Crenshaw – 8:16:14:45
61. Rhonda-Marie Parke – 8:16:25:10
62. BJ Timoner – 8:16:54:37
63. Jeff Russell – 8:18:22:57
64. Sarah Oliver – 8:18:23:36
65. Veronica Johnson – 9:00:05:53
66. Beth Hosick – 9:01:23:48 RIF
67. Pamela Smith – 9:02:14:38
68. Sean Halstead – 9:02:34:36
69. Fran Libasci – 9:02:35:46
70. Carol Manwaring – 9:04:16:53
71. Jeff Manwaring – 9:04:17:24
72. Tim Nelson – 9:05:59:54
73. Andrea Lynn Sloan – 9:06:00:40
74. Lisa McFadden – 9:06:32:49
75. Tim Hardy – 9:07:30:48
76. Terrie Wurzbacher – 9:08:36:33
77. Garry Price – 9:16:46:50
78. Edward Masuoka – 9:16:47:07
79. Juliet Brundige – 9:19:23:48
80. Richard Westbrook – 9:20:03:54
LINK TO FULL RESULTS

Congrats to Andrea, Cathy, Lisa, Steven, Seth, Chris, Sherry, Sal, Cary, David, Kendra, David, Sharon, Beth and the other seven Run It Fast members who started this race.

Run It Fast Members at LAVS Results
Andrea Casella Kooiman – 4:14:40:59
Cathy Downes – 5:21:28:59
Lisa Van Wolde – 6:07:13:11
Steven Smith – 6:07:30:09
Seth Crowe – 6:09:05:45
Chris Clemens – 6:15:34:57
Sherry Meador – 7:04:00:40
Sal Bill Coll – 7:04:01:57
Cary Long – 7:06:24:24
David Nichols – 7:06:39:29
Kendra Fields Schoffstall – 7:20:32:36
David Oglesby – 8:07:08:14
Sharon Carver – 8:10:59:02
Beth Ann Russell Hosick – 9:01:23:48

Day 9 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 8 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 7 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 6 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 5 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 4 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 3 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 2 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 1 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)

Congrats to Jackson, Tennessee’s David Oglesby on reaching The Rock to finish the prestigious Last Annual Vol State 500K.

I met David at local 5K’s in Jackson 8+ years ago and dubbed him ‘5K Dave’ because that’s where I would always see him. He then delved into the dark side and ran a half marathon, marathon, ultramarathon, 100 miler, and now a 314 mile ultra from Missouri all the way to Georgia.

From this day forward ‘5K Dave’ is now ‘500K Dave.’

He is the fifth Jacksonian to ever complete the Vol State 500K and was the 50th finisher. 5, 50, 500.

You define what Run It Fast is all about, David. That relentless attitude to give it all. He was also one of RIF’s very first members being RIF #19.

Run It Fast’s Sharon Carver had never gone further than 40 miles before starting LAVS as a unscrewed runner. She had her highs and lows throughout the race along with her doubts but her positive spirit carried her 314 miles to The Rock where she finished in 8:10:59:02. A new personal long by +274 miles. Congrats, Sharon.

Overall Top Finishers – tracker
1. Grant Maughan – 3:22:02:59 – 314 Miles – KING OF THE ROAD
2. Rhoda Smoker – 4:12:05:35 – 314 Miles – First Female to The Rock (3rd fastest female time ever)
3. Andrea Kooiman – 4:14:40:59 – 314 Miles (2nd Female, 4th fastest female time ever) RIF
4. Brian Trinkle – 4:19:59:23 – 314 Miles
5. Alan Abbs – 4:19:59:40 – 314 Miles
6. Regina Sooey – 4:20:27:54 – 314 Miles (3rd female)
7. Rich Flint – 5:00:19:35 – 314 Miles
8. Douglas Long – 5:01:17:13 – 314 Miles
9. J.T. Hardy – 5:01:19:13 – 314 Miles
10. Tim Purol – 5:11:45:45 – 314 Miles
11. Kimberly Durst – 5:19:06:50 – 314 Miles (4th female)
12. Rob Greer – 5:20:41:40
13. Carl Kidwell – 5:21:28:14
14. Cathy Downes – 5:21:28:59 (5th female) RIF
15. Bo Millwood – 5:21:43:43
16. James Fleming – 6:00:34:51
17. Terry Bonnett – 6:07:04:36
18. Lisa Van Wolde – 6:07:13:11 RIF
19. Steven Smith – 6:07:30:09 RIF
20. Seth Crowe – 6:09:05:45 RIF
21. Seth Wolpin – 6:09:55:16
22. Chris Clemens – 6:15:34:57 RIF
23. Ben Yancey – 6:18:37:39
24. Chad Burgess – 6:23:20:06
25. Rebecca Gartell – 6:23:20:28
26. Ken Chappell – 6:22:44:59
27. Jim Halsey – 7:01:35:07
28. Eric Houser – 7:03:13:34
29. Sherry Meador – 7:04:00:40 RIF
30. Anastasia Hutchings – 7:04:01:04
31. Sal Coll – 7:04:01:57 RIF
32. Cary Long – 7:06:24:24 RIF
33. David Nichols – 7:06:39:29 RIF
34. Ray Krolewicz – 7:06:54:32
35. Angie White – 7:10:30:41
36. Kelly Shaer – 7:10:31:19
37. Rob Donkersloot – 7:11:56:04
38. Sergio Bianchini – 7:18:55:10
39. Rick Lehto – 7:18:55:56
40. Kendra Schoffstall – 7:20:32:36 RIF
41. Harold Donnelly – 7:21:02:20
42. Danny Warren – 7:22:34:17
43. Bernadette Dubois – 7:23:51:30
44. Natalia Harrison – 7:23:52:52
45. Shenoa Creer – 8:03:13:33
46. Polly Choate – 8:03:32:30
47. Jameelah Abudul-Rahim Musaahid – 8:04:25:04
48. Tasha Holland – 8:05:52:42
49. Cathy Nevans – 8:07:07:03
50. David Oglesby – 8:07:08:14 RIF
51. Ruth Cunningham – 8:08:42:20
52. Janet Duncan – 8:09:57:53
53. Sharon Carver – 8:10:59:02 RIF
54. Laurie Matecki – 8:11:17:33
55. Cherie McCafferty – 8:13:47:34
56. Ray Baum – 8:14:30:22
57. Clay Vick – 8:15:03:21
58. Karen Heath – 8:15:37:35
59. Colin Heath – 8:15:38:02
60. Michael Crenshaw – 8:16:14:45
LINK TO FULL RESULTS

216 Hour Run It Fast at LAVS Check-In Update
Andrea Casella Kooiman – 4:14:40:59
Cathy Downes – 5:21:28:59
Lisa Van Wolde – 6:07:13:11
Steven Smith – 6:07:30:09
Seth Crowe – 6:09:05:45
Chris Clemens – 6:15:34:57
Sherry Meador – 7:04:00:40
Sal Bill Coll – 7:04:01:57
Cary Long – 7:06:24:24
David Nichols – 7:06:39:29
Kendra Fields Schoffstall – 7:20:32:36
David Oglesby – 8:07:08:14
Sharon Carver – 8:10:59:02
Beth Ann Russell Hosick – 301

Day 8 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 7 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 6 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 5 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 4 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 3 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 2 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)
Day 1 – Vol State 500K – Run It Fast Members Update (2018)