personal blog of Kris Howard
Running related posts and content, including ten episodes of my geekgirlrunner.com podcast
And the winner is…
Ptinutz (aka Amanda) has won my drawing* for Marshall Ulrich’s book Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America. Thanks to those who left comments!
*I disregarded the comments from me, Steve, and Heather. That left six comments, and the generator came up with 3!
Book Review – and a Giveaway!
The upside to being sick is you get a lot of reading done. Today I finished Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America. I got sent a sneak preview of this a few weeks ago by the publisher! It’s the true story of Marshall Ulrich, an extreme athlete and ultramarathoner who, at 57, ran all the way from Los Angeles to New York City. (YouTube video) If you want to get your own copy – and I highly recommend it – it’s just gone on sale and there are some special promotional deals on his site. OR you could just win a copy right here! Avery Books have given me a copy to give away to one of my blog readers. If you’d like to win it, just leave a comment on this post. Next Wednesday at noon, I’ll use a random number generator pick a winner.
Now for my review…
I cracked this book open expecting something light-hearted and fun, maybe in a similar vein to Chris McDougal’s Born to Run. By the end of the first couple chapters though, I didn’t actually like Ulrich very much. He’s a flawed hero, and the touching story of how he got started in running (as a way to deal with stress from his first wife’s death from cancer) quickly sours when he begins to use running as a way to push his subsequent wives and children away from him. He spends a lot of time away from home. He participates in some extremely dangerous events (such as climbing Everest) when when his family beg him not to. Once his mind is fixed upon this transcontinental journey, none of his wife Heather’s entreaties can dissuade him. He even admits to feeling resentful of the time she spent caring for her dying father! I wasn’t sure I liked this guy at all.
And then somehow, once he actually got on the road and started running… Ulrich started to win me over. I started to cheer him on. Yeah, the guy’s clearly a nut. (He had all his toenails SURGICALLY REMOVED, for goodness’ sake!) He has his flaws, just like everybody else. But with every step, he was convincing me – and his wife, and his crew – that this was a goal worth pursuing. His descriptions of the misery of the run and the brief moments of transcendent happiness will be familiar to every runner. I winced with every injury and setback. (The photo of his feet after his plantar fascia ruptures? HORROR. I am going to hug my podiatrist next time I see him.) As an expat American, I also loved the attention he paid to each state and all the varied landscapes he ran across. I was especially amused to see the mention of his friend running to Fort Wayne to buy him new gear in Indiana and how happy it made him. (Hoosiers, represent!) I’ve never really had the urge to drive across the U.S. – much less run the whole way – but he got me thinking about it.
One thing I liked about that book is that it isn’t a straight progression from A to B. Sure, the main storyline is his run across America, but he uses that as a jumping off point to discuss his own running career, the history of ultramarathons, charities that he supports, people who meet and run with him, and even worthy local businesses along the route. The constant threat of catastrophic injury looms on every page, and the personal relationships (and internal politics) of his support team get strained. And then there’s Charlie! He actually was doing this event with someone else, but as you can probably guess, that doesn’t really go according to plan. I found myself feeling the most sympathy towards Ulrich’s wife, Heather. She didn’t want him to do this thing, but once he committed, she was supporting him 100%. (I will admit my jaw dropped when he described crawling into the RV with her, stinking and dirty after 18 hours of running, only to paw at her like a teenager because the run was screwing with his sex drive!) Ulrich is not stingy with praise for his wife or the other members of his crew. They worked their asses off for very little reward other than seeing him reach his goal. The acknowledgements at the end of the book are vast, and that’s what finally turned my opinion of this guy around. He may have been self-centered in setting the goal, but he certainly wasn’t when it came to giving credit to everyone who helped along the way.
Couple other things I liked: The book includes a neat graphic along the bottom of most pages so you can see how far along (and how high up) he is at any given point. It’s got some great photos sprinkled throughout, even though every now and then you see one you wish you hadn’t (like the aforementioned feet). There are several Appendices that give information I was curious about, like the logistics of planning and carrying out a run like this. (He even gives sample training plans! Yeah, not doing that.)
Overall I’m probably no closer to understanding why Marshall Ulrich feels compelled to push himself to such extremes. But he admits, neither is he. He starts by running away from guilt and responsibility, but by the end of his run he’s running towards something new. A chance to rest; a chance to reconcile with his family; a chance to reflect on a long career. I hope he found what he was looking for.
Week 15
After last week’s monumental distance, this week ended up being a lot shorter. Sunday I went out for my scheduled 10K with the Snook. We did 1:1 all the way to Newtown where we met Miss Fee for a jog around Sydney Park. Great run with good friends! Monday I was feeling frisky so I did a Spudds circuit in the evening. It was a good workout, but my hamstring was feeling pretty tender afterwards. Tuesday I gave blood, so a deserved day of rest. Wednesday I meant to do Spudds again, but I felt pretty crappy. My allergies were acting up, and I had an awful sinus headache. I piked and rested. Thursday I still had the headache, but I dragged myself out for an easy jog at lunchtime. That afternoon, I discovered the point of my left cheek/jaw was tender and sore… which meant my mystery infection has returned! (My doctor suspects an infected salivary gland.) I took Friday off to rest and get antibiotics. WHAT A SUCKY WEEK.
Apr. 10: 10.31km
Apr. 14: 4.71km
Total this week: 15.02km (9.4mi)
Total in 2011: 359.22km (224.5mi)
In order to meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 317.3km right now. So I’ve still got a hefty 40km cushion. One more week of cutback before the next long one. Hopefully I’ll be feeling better by then!
Edited to add: I’ve just re-read last week’s entry… and I TOTALLY JINXED MYSELF, DIDN’T I? Gahhh.
Two very timely Galloway links popped up in my Google Reader today:
If you’re a runner and you’re interested in Galloway’s methods, you should listen to the Extra Mile Podcast GALLOWAY EDITION. I’m loving it. Of course, it helps that he sounds kinda like my Grandpa Bill. I get to learn good running technique and feel like I’m listening to my Grandpa at the same time! 🙂
Week 14
Woohoo! Probably my longest running week EVER. I had my excellent 20-miler on Sunday, then two easy 5K runs through the week to recover. I also managed a session at Spudds on Wednesday. My right hamstring/butt/hip is still a bit tight, but I’m being vigilant about gentle stretching and taking walk breaks on these runs. I’m also thrilled to report that I have OFFICIALLY SIGNED UP for the Macleay River Marathon 2011 on June 12th. Only 66 days to go!
Apr. 3: 33.08km
Apr. 5: 5.10km
Apr. 8: 5.51km
Total this week: 43.69km
Total in 2011: 344.2km (215.1mi)
To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 296km. Wow. I’m up to nearly 50km of cushion. I don’t necessarily want to revise the goal upwards yet though, as I’m sure my mileage will drop off after the marathon. I’m definitely thinking Bay Run, City 2 Surf, and Sydney Running Festival as my winter/spring goals, so that will keep me training. But I know from last year that a cushion can disappear pretty quickly, especially if you get sick… *KNOCK ON WOOD*
Week 13
I’m still having some hamstring issues. This is my last cutback week before the 20-miler on Sunday, so I’m trying to rest it as much as I can. Sunday night I went out for a 10K and recorded my best “Magic Mile” time yet: 9:49! Monday night I had an hour-long massage focusing on my legs and butt, and it was pretty brutal. Tuesday I did an easy run at lunchtime just to try to shake out the soreness from the massage. Wednesday was my Spudds class, where I had a good workout. Today I’ve got the day off work, so I decided to turn my normal Friday run into a brisk walk to Newtown and back (to save my legs for Sunday). I’m still counting it in my mileage though. 🙂
Mar. 27: 9.74km
Mar. 29: 5.01km
Apr. 1: 5.32km
Total this week: 20.07km (12.5mi)
Total in 2011: 300.51km (187.8mi)
To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 275km right now. That leaves me with about 25km worth of cushion.
This Sunday will be my longest run ever: 20 miles (32km). I’m actually looking forward to it. I have my route planned out. I have a few friends who’ve volunteered to run parts of it with me. I’ve got Endurolytes, energy gels, a Mophie Juice Pack Air to extend my iPhone battery, and a new SPIbelt to carry it all in. LET’S DO THIS.
Today’s “dailymission” over on dailymile is to post your most unflattering running photo. I’m sure you can guess which one I posted.
NPR had a story recently about whether running hurts your knees. Great news – it doesn’t! In fact, it looks like running actually helps ward off osteoarthritis. Just be sure to go out slow, especially if you (like me) are on the heavier side of the bell curve.
Macleay River Marathon News
Thanks to a Google Alert, this week I spotted this CoolRunning thread about the Macleay Marathon. (That’s the one I’m training for.) This year they’ve had all three races (Marathon, HM, and 10K) certified because they’ve changed the course somewhat. The website will be going live and entries will be taken from Friday, April 1st. Apparently there’s a field limit so I’ll be registering as early as I can. There does appear to be a time cut-off, but it sounds like after that you just have to run on the footpath because they have to open the roads.
I’m getting excited!
Running Music
I got an email from Jimmi asking: “Have you ever shared your running playlist? I have just started training and I’m not sure what music to use.” Here’s my reply:
Hi Jimmi! Nowadays I mostly listen to running podcasts, actually. My favourites
at the moment are:
B-HAG Running Podcast
Running with the Pack
Running the Golden Years
You Don’t Have to Run Alone
Slow Runners Club
When I was first starting out and doing Couch to 5K, I loved Robert Ullrey’s podcasts for it. They’re mostly just dance music, but the intervals are built in so you know whether you’re meant to be running or walking. It was really helpful.
If you prefer music to talking when you run, Podrunner is a great show. The DJ
organises each show around a specific “beats-per-minute”, so you can find out exactly which tempo you like to run to.
I hope that helps!