Lose the Turkey Fat Ass 50k

Lose The Turkey Fat Ass 50k

When: November 28, 2009

Time: 8 am

Where: Kensington Metro Park/Island Lake

Get out there and move your duff to eliminate the stuff consumed on Turkey Day. An easy “fat ass” ultra, with no fee, no aid, and probably no awards to be given. Mainly on bike paths, with about 13 miles of trail. Wear something hunter orange to avoid being confused as a deer in the woods. Contact dirtdawg50k@aol.com for more info.

Course:

Begin @ Kensington Metro Park. *Note* There is a daily $4 entry fee if you do not have a permit. Park at the East Boat Launch and head west on the bike path trail. Just before heading over a bridge, there will be a path to your left that goes under I- 96. Follow the path under the freeway and into Island Lake. At the fork just above the short hill go right. Follow the Island Bike Path. Just after the 3 mile marker on the Bike Path there will be a turn off to the left. Follow that an into the Mtn. Bike Trailhead. *Note* There are port a potties located here.

Follow the blue trail head markers and continue on the trail until past the 8 mile marker. There will be a Two Way Direction Sign with a blue arrow pointing forward and a yellow sign turn left. FOLLOW the yellow sign to the left. Continue on the yellow trail until you return to the trailhead parking. Return on the bike path back to Kensington Metro Park and your car. Total Distance to this point approximately: 23 miles. (approximately 13 miles of this are trail)

To complete the 50k distance…do one loop on the Kensington Bike Path (approximate distance 8.5 miles)

For those of you preferring to do a shorter distance less than a 50k and don’t want to get lost, or run trails…you can just run loops around Kensington. Each loop is approximately 8.5 miles. Or run the 23 miles out and back section and stop.

I expect for many of us to run together as this is not competitive at all. Somewhere in the 5 hr 30 min to 6 hour range for the full distance and will probably incorporate some walking.

NOTES:

1. There is no fee to run this (ok..except for the daily entry fee to the park. Most times though in the fall, there is never anybody checking the cars for permits)

2. It is HIGHLY ADVISED that you wear something hunter orange or very bright out on the trail section. I ran it this past weekend and saw some hunters out there.

3. There is no aid. I might have something set up at the start/finish, and somewhere along the way, but it is a approximately 23 miles for the first loop.

4. You are responsible for your own safety out there. This is merely a loosely organized fun run that just happens to be a wee bit longer than a marathon.

5. Please email me with your interest so that I can begin to take a head count

Kensington Metro Park:

http://www.metroparks.com/global/kensington_map.php

A short video about the course can be found here: @ Just Finish

Detroit Free Press Marathon

Armed with with sweet new shiny socks, I ran the Detroit Free Press Marathon for a 5th time. This was the 32nd running of the event, and the first time that the event had sold out. The only reason I was able to run was because they opened up an additional 250 marathon slots during the expo. I entertained no time goal for the marathon other than to have a good time and snap some photos seeing as how I was coming off a "fat ass" style 50k the weekend before.A new start/finish line had been constructed for this year. This was also the first year for wave starts. For the most part, it seemed to alleviate crowd congestion at the beginning and allow runners to get into their groove right from the start.
I never get tired of running up and over the Ambassador Bridge, as runners cross over from U. S. to Canadian soil.
A view of the Detroit city skyline while running in Windsor.
The Free Press Marathon boasts the only "underwater" mile as participants run back into the U.S. via the Windsor Tunnel.
Belle Isle
In the end, I ran it in 3 hr 47 min and had a blast with over 13,000 fellow runners. Despite the happiness I felt at how the city came together for such an event, a moment of silence/remembrance should be given for the 3 fallen runners who died during the event. We should all remember how lucky we are to be out there moving forward

A runner is born

A little over 3 months ago, I received an email from my freshman college roommate via Facebook. He had heard that I was doing a bit of running, and was wondering if I would be interested in giving him a few pointers about getting back into running. Memories of all nighters, pizza, beer, sleeping in past our 8 am classes and putting on 20 pounds began running through my head. Without hesitating, I asked him for his number and told him I would call him that evening.

Upon calling Trent, he said he needed to make a change. Despite being in the armed services for several years and coaching his son's hockey team, he had fallen out of love with exercise and put on a few pounds. A few pounds I asked? Conservatively, he said, he had put on about 70 pounds. I told him to be ready at 6 am the next morning, we were going for a walk.

The next morning we walked. We talked about the past but more importantly the future. He had reasons for making a change. They were sleeping soundly as we walked around the subdivision. He wanted to feel better about himself, have more energy, and most importantly be able to play with his kids without having to stop and catch his breath every minute. He thought running would be the quickest way to drop some weight, but there was a problem. Running as he remembered it, was punishment during football and rowing.

I told him if he was really interested in making a change, then we were going to start slow. Due to his weight, I told him, there would be no running for at least a month. The first month would be dedicated to establishing a routine with not only forward motion but diet as well. He would begin by walking and building up his endurance. I told him that if he just started running that almost certainly he would get injured and would begin a vicious circle of injury, couch, injury, couch, etc and then where would that get him? Secondly, I had him start writing down everything he ate and when. One of the biggest culprits and I know a lot of parents who tend to do this is to finish your own dinner and then whatever your child doesn't as well. Probably, not what he wanted to hear, but I told him that if he did this then after one month we would start to look at adding in some running. Furthermore, I told him that I would meet with him weekly and we could go over the plan as we first walked and then ran.

A month went by, and Trent stuck to the plan. He walked 3-4 times a week and began to watch his diet. As a result, the weight slowly began to come off and he began asking when he could start running. I told him to pick a local 5k and gave him a couch to 5k program that we modified as he initially had some shin pain. His goal race was the Big House 5k. I ran with him the first time he ran 2 miles without stopping and the look on his face was amazing. I could see he was beginning to love running.

Soon enough the school year began, and respectively we both became sick and busy meaning that we didn't get a chance to run together again until the day of the race. 12 weeks and 25 pounds lighter, Trent had done more than he thought he could. The 5k that we ran was just icing on the cake. From walking to running a full 5k, he embodied what it means when someone is inspired to make a change. A runner has been born.

Running for a cause

I will admit that I am selfish. Selfish when it comes to running. It is my thing. If I don't get to do my thing on a daily basis, then I tend to not play so nice with others for the rest of the day. It is the glue that holds my day together, sparks my inner child to remember what it is like to run free, and every so often gives me a creative thought.

That being said, for all the years that I have been running, it has always been about the next race, the next medal or the next tshirt. It has never been about running for a cause, or running to raise money and maybe that was all a result of being self centered and young. However, within the last year, my priorities have shifted. Yes, I am still selfish about my running, but now I have begun to focus more on giving back to the community that has given me so much.

It all started with viewing a couple of videos from Ashland Dave and The Finkelstein about their respective endurance events where they pushed the limits of their endurance. I know it was on a run, and couldn't tell you when, but when I got home, I got on the phone and called my sister. An idea had been formed.

I was nervous at first, because it as a subject we really didn't talk about anymore. You see, my niece, Madison, lived only a few short days before dying from Spina Bifida. According to the data, Spina Bifida literally means “split spine.” Spina Bifida happens when a baby is in the womb and the spinal column does not close all of the way. Spina Bifida is the most common birth defect that disables people for life. Every day, about eight babies born in the United States have Spina Bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine. There are varying degrees of Spina Bifida with increasing level of complications that can affect a person's day to day functioning.

So, when I called my sister, I stated that I had this idea. If, I said that I could get video and pictures from my 100 miler, and put them into a movie format, would she be ok with it if I then talked about it and promoted the idea that I would send people a copy of my experience for free and if they chose to, that they could then donate money and all proceeds would then be donated in Madison's name. I told her it was just an idea and wasn't even sure if it would work out, but that I would keep her posted.

When I sat down and started working on the video, I thought I was on to something. Unknowingly, my crew had captured what I felt was the essence of my journey, and I thought it would be compelling enough that people would want to then donate. After giving my sister the first copy and she okayed it, I then talked about it on my last episode of the podcast. Now, I know there are people out there that don't listen to podcasts so I thought I would use my blog for a plug as well.

If anyone would like a copy of the movie that I put together based on my experience at the Burning River 100, send me an email @ dirtdawg50k@aol.com or a DM on twitter @ dirtdawg50k and I will ship you a copy. I will include the instructions if you choose to donate.

WWFOR Promo

Reflections and Moving Forward

It has been 3 weeks since Burning River, and I still have some trouble putting into words what the experience of completing my first 100 miler has meant to me. First and foremost, the support and kind words from everyone who has commented on the blog or email or twittered is simply amazing. I really never thought that my simple challenge to myself would be of enough interest for others to follow along or could be inspiring.

A crew member said to me the other night on a trail run, that I looked all business as I came into aid stations throughout the experience and was I having fun throughout? As the miles ticked by and the day wore on, I found myself even at my lowest point, focused on moving forward and know myself well enough that I was in a groove. Getting into a groove for me is why I get out there day after day. Rhythmically moving your body over the terrain at times makes it feel like an out of body experience. The reflection on my face and general demeanor may seem business like, but inside I was having a blast. I had no other distractions for that day but to run, how much fun is that! If I have said it once, after my family, the thing I love to do the most is to just get out and move forward.

There are lessons to be learned from this experience. First, is that I could complete a 100 miler on a training plan that kept my time away from my family to a minimum. I firmly believe that since this was really a 5 year journey from when I started doing ultras regularly, it allowed me to build a significant base to handle the increased volume and intensity. Secondly, I could not have completed this journey without my crew. Being my virgin attempt at the distance and hitting that low point, I needed their encouragement when I looked like crap and was thinking of quitting, and comraderie on the trails late at night to ride the wave of emotion to get back on track. It is an experience that will bond us forever. Third, I have said numerous times in the podcast or even on the blog that I was an ultrarunner, but really struggled with it to be honest. If I was an ultrarunner, I felt I was on the bottom of a totem pole. That being said, Burning River exposed me to an amazing group of people from all walks of life, shapes and sizes who were there to not only challenge themselves, but to reconnect with others and enjoy their time out there.

So where do I go from here? Perhaps the most important thing I learned about the experience is that no matter the pace, I just want to keep moving forward. There is no better feeling than to walk out your doorstep and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Burning River Finish

This video was sent to me courtesy of Rick, a fellow runner and listener of the podcast. He was there pacing a friend and met Dirrty Girl @ one of the aid stations. Thanks so much Rick!!