Race Spotlight - Destin 50 Beach Ultra

Weekly Spotlight: Zane Holscher - Destin 50 Beach Ultra

Congratulations to Brandi Zakrzewski for winning the comp entry into this years Destin 50 Beach Ultra! A huge thanks to Zane for donating this! Be sure to buy your raffle tickets at www.raceraffle.com and help support SOWF, this also make a PERFECT Christmas present for that special Ultra Runner in your life!!!

1. Can you tell me a little about your event? The Destin 50 Beach Ultra has 50K and 50M distances and takes place on the white sand beaches of Destin, Florida on February 17, 2013.  I created the race to benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) and every dollar goes toward putting on a great race and the SOWF. 

2. This year, leading into your event you have begun a special fund raiser. Who is that going to benefit and how does it work? The Destin 50 was created to benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF).  We encourage all runners to raise funds for the SOWF and this year we reached out to race directors all over the nation to get entries donated for us to raffle for the SOWF.  They responded in true ultra fashion, blowing us away with generosity.  To date, we have over 90 entries in 30 states! This means we will have 80+ people winning free race entries.

3. Where can we find more information about the Fund Raising Event? All the races up for raffle and instructions how to buy tickets are at  www.raceraffle.com.  You just buy tickets online and then rank all the races in order of preference on our website.  We will fill out the paper tickets for you and have the drawing on Feb 17th at the Destin 50.  If folks don't want to buy a ticket they can still donate to the SOWF there.

4. This year you have several folks attempting to break the world record, how did that all come about, who's racing and what is the current record? In an effort to raise awareness for the SOWF Sean 'Run Bum' Blanton and I talked about putting together something unique for the 2013 Destin 50 Beach Ultra.  We were kicking around the 24hr idea when I approached Mike Morton with the idea.  Being in special operations, and an all around great guy, he liked the idea and it really took off from there. We have a team of some of the greatest ultra runners in the nation to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for 'Greatest Distance Run on Sand in 24hrs'. The current Guinness record is 83.04 miles and the greatest known distance (not certified by Guinness) is 94.08 miles. Each of our runners is unique, but they are a great team together.  I have already been enjoying the banter and challenges between the runners.  It is pretty interesting that 23 years separates our oldest and youngest runners but they all seem to have an unlimited supply of energy and positive attitiudes!

Mike Morton, who everyone reading this is sure to know after his amazing 2012, is the men's 24hr American record holder, 2012 24hr World Champion, 2012 Badwater winner, 2012 USATF Ultra Runner of the Year. 

Connie Gardner is the women's 24hr American Record Holder, 2012 USATF Ultra Runner of the Year, and just ran across Ohio last weekend.

Joe Fejes was on the American 24hr Team in 2012 and is a very experienced fixed time runner.

Sean 'Run Bum' Blanton has ran over 80 ultra races in just a few short years and, as mentioned, helped come up with this event.

Dustin Krajewski is a Leadville 100 finisher who has been my best friend since we were about 10 and is representing me and all of us 'non-elite' runners.

5. A lot of talk within the Ultra community lately has be in regards to course distances and the validity of the advertised distance. For your event to qualify for a World Record, you had to have your course certified. What was that process like? Our ultra courses have always been very close to the advertised distance since they very close to a straight line.  But the measurement of the 24hr course has been quite a process since it is all on the sand and the beach is constantly changing. These factors make it impossible to measure with the normal distance wheel. According to Guinness, it has to be measured within 1/2 meter, so we enlisted the equipment and expertise of some of our special operations troops who are specially trained to survey airfields.  They have extremely precise GPS survey equipment that we have used to layout a straight line 1 mile out and back (2 mile total) 24hr course that is within an error of .3 meters.

6. Will we be able to track the runners during the event? There is internet at one turn-around point, so we plan on posting hourly updates on our Facebook page at the very least.

7. On a personal note, how did you get involved in running and ultimately putting on this event? I had been running marathons for several years and had talked a lot of friends/family into running marathons.  One was my cousin, Jake Holscher, who really got into running and started taking on ultra events.  During his first Leadville 100, he asked me to pace him the last 23 miles and that was my first exposure to ultra running.  I was simply amazed by him and the other runners there.  That same summer, I moved to Destin, Florida for a new assignment with the Air Force and was getting involved with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.  With no mountains in Destin, I wanted to create something that would really test people and raise money for the SOWF. Having already put some miles in on the beach, I thought 50 miles in the sand would be pretty tough and unique. Four years later, I am still in the Air Force and I spend most of my spare time trying to improve our events and raise more for the SOWF.

8. Where can we find all the details for your event? www.destin50.com has a ton of information on all our events.  I also encourage folks to email me personally at destin50@live.com with any questions they have. 

FREE STUFF!!! Zane has agreed to donate a comp entry into the 2013 Destin 50K or 50 Miler to one lucky reader. Be sure to sign the Guest Book and tell us why you want to race for free, be sure to put Destin50 in your post!!! I'll be pulling one lucky winner on December 14th at 8:00pm. Please support this amazing cause by purchasing a raffle ticket. www.raceraffle.com

Weekly Spotlight: Dan Hernandez - Ledesma Rails to Trails 50K

Weekly Spotlight: Dan Hernandez - Ledesma Rails to Trails 50K

Update: We ran a random number generator to pick our winner for the free entry, and congrats to Kerrie F for winner the Comp Entry! Thanks again to Dan for all his efforts (along with Michelle Daniels!) for putting together what will become another GREAT Ultra event!!! 
My very first Spotlight is on Savannah, GA's newest Race Director, good friend, and Mr. "Savannah Running" himself Dan Hernandez and his Ledesma Rails to Trails 50K. The event takes place on Jan 12, 2013 in Savannah, GA and features a 50K, 25K and 5k. The first time event is to benefit the Savannah Rails to Trail with much needed Trail Maintenance and upkeep. Dan and I first met on Twitter almost 3 years ago and has been a runner, a volunteer and a photographer at several of our events over the years.

1. How did you come up with the Race idea?

I’ve wanted an ultra in the Savannah area for several years but I did not know how to go about putting one together.  Then, last Spring I ran into Tim Waz at the Shamrock 5k in downtown Savannah and asked him about doing an ultra in Savannah with the proceeds benefitting the Rails to Trails restoration which has been eroding at an alarming rate.  That started the ball rolling.  In the middle off this past summer, Michelle Daniels, began raising her concerns about the rapidly deteriorating Rails to Trails with the Chatham County Commissioners.  That’s when she and I teamed up in trying to find ways to raise awareness about the Savannah Rails to Trails.

By late August, Tim and I began serious discussions about bringing an ultra to Savannah for the sole purpose of helping in the restoration costs and maintenance of the Rails to Trails.

Here is where it gets even more interesting, - We approach Fleet Feet about putting on a race benefitting the Rails to Trails and what do they recommend?  Yup, you guessed it, doing an Ultra!

2. What is the estimate cost to get the Rails to Trails property repaired?

I do not have the expertise to answer that question but one of the Chatham County engineers told me the problem areas of the trail could be fixed from $25,000.00 to $30,000.00.  Mind you, this is a maintenance fix that would more than likely have to be addressed again in the near future which this engineer actually admitted to me.    

In 2009, the Rails to Trails was built up and restored at a cost of approximately $400,000.00.  In less than three years the trail is back to where it was before the 2009 restoration, unfortunately.

3. What kind of role has Social Media played in the role of advertising this first year event?

The short answer?  An immensely significant role!

I do not believe this race would be happening if not for Social Media.  Social Media has allowed us to effectively promote this race without any significant financial cost.  

Through social media we’ve been able to reach runners that have registered for the R2T 50k from as far away as New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee, Puerto Rico.  

In promoting this race we’ve effectively used Facebook, Youtube, dailymile, twitter, Pinterest and web blogs.

4. What is your running background?

I’ve been a dedicated runner for the last twelve years.In that time frame I’ve run numerous 10ks and half marathons, 2 ultras, 1 marathon. One of my big highlights in running came in 2008 when I ran my first ultra marathon, the Boulder 100.  I placed second overall with a finish time of 24:07.  It’s funny but I made the leap from half-marathon to 100 miler.  I then, did the marathon afterward. The upcoming Delirium 24 hour race will be my next quest for 100 miles.  This time I hope to complete 100 miles in less than 24 hours.

5. As a first time Race Director what has been the largest lesson you've learned? 

Oh my gosh, how much I have learned!!  It’s difficult to decide on just the one biggest lesson learned because there are so many things I’ve had to learn and learn fast!  But, if I must answer what the one biggest lesson learned so far, I would have to say it’s the importance of being organized.  There is so much to putting together a race but it will not happen if you do not organize every aspect of the race.  You have to compartmentalize every aspect of this race and be ready to answer any and every question a potential sponsor(s), runners, government entities etc. ask.  And, believe me, you will be expected to know what you’re talking about and how you are going to make it happen.  

6. Where can runners find more details on the event?

There are several online sources where you can get information on this event.  

1. Lowcountryultras is hosting the LSM R2T on it’s website: http://www.lowcountryultras.com/Rails_to_Trails_50K.php
2. We have a Facebook page that gets updated daily:https://www.facebook.com/SavannahRailsToTrails50kUltraMarathon2012
3. Fleet Feet Savannah also has a page for the R2T Ultra: http://www.fleetfeetsavannah.com/ultra
4. Lastly, the registration site, ultrasignup.com: http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=17809

 Thanks Dan, we appreciate you giving us the additional insight on the race and look forward to the event!!! If you'd like more information on the Ledesma Rails to Trails 50K, please visit one of the links above.

FREE STUFF!!! Dan has agreed to donate a comp entry into the 2013 Ledesma Rails to Trails race to one lucky reader. Be sure to sign the Guest Book and tell us why you want to race for free!!!! I'll be pulling one lucky winner on December 8 at 8:00pm.

Sticking to it...

Another week of very solid training! Nothing exciting again, other than the fact that I have been able to continue pressing the miles with almost ZERO discomfort to the outside of my right knee. The weather has begun to drop, with lows in the mid 60s at night and highs maxing out in the mid 80s.

I'm heading out to Turks & Caicos this week for a week trip and plan on running a 50K on Tuesday morning. I feel that my body is up for it, so we'll just see what happens!

Another Episode of Ultra Running #Waz200 is now up. Check out the latest product I review: Goat Head Sole Spikes

Running with Waz: Episode 2

See ya on the road!

Back in the game

So after 5 weeks of consistent training, I raced today for the first time since April (Francis Marion Dirt Dash 1/2 Marathon - 1:49:26). That was 6 months of nothing more than 2 or 3 miles at a time, maybe once or twice a week. Over the last month I have already logged 350+ miles and have been feeling very strong again.

My training plan over the next 10 months puts me with over 4200 miles of training and racing as I lead into my next goal of racing and going after the course record at the Viaduct Ultra Marathon (Current record 73:48 200 miles)

Between now and next July I am going to begin recording highlights of my training and racing with a video blog of the journey.  

Enjoy! See you on the trail!

So negative... yet positive!

Kinvara 3

     My training plan of late has had nothing but mileage for each day. No other goals, no labels such "tempo" or "Zone 3"... nothing but miles. When I headed out tonight, the rain began to fall slightly, and the air was pretty cool. Just to get to the end of my driveway is a perfect half mile. As I turned onto Hwy 462 (kinda like the highway from Pet Cemetery) the roads were clear and for the first time ever I did not have to run on the shoulder. A quick first mile got me off the the main roads in a very comfortable 8:06 and then I was free!

     

The back roads around my house are simply that, BACK ROADS! When people drive past me, as I run practically naked with my long hair bobbing behind my headlamp, the looks are of utter confusion as to "way is that boy always runnin'..." But outside the strange looks, the road are fairly empty and everyone is always considerate (or afraid) as they pass.

     

Mile two came quickly, just pass Cherry Hill Cemetery, in 8:06. Now to a long time competitive runner, seeing a negative split simply becomes a challenge! The game was on! Over the course of the next few miles I continued to press out faster and faster splits, in a game of "how long can I hold on". My weekly log called for 7 miles this evening, so at the 3.5 mile point I turned around and headed back home.

     

The rain continued to fall, heavier now, and the miles were clicking away...7:47... 7:32... 7:13. Now I know that my no means did I set any records on the roads tonights, but once again a run of redemption and validation reconfirmed my return to running. Next week it may be time to add some labels to my workouts. See you on the trail!

7 Miles: Cherry Hill Road  8:06, 8:01, 7:57, 7:47, 7:32, 7:13, 8:24 (cool down)

Like a runner...

Sunrise on my way to
get Dry Needling

     Over the past year I have not logged in many miles and the miles that I do have in were mostly done with an amazing amount of pain and discomfort. I raced twice this year: 1. Delirium Ultra 24 Hour Endurance Race: a disappointing 92 mile finish missing out on a kick-ass Belt Buckle after pulling off the trail for 4 hours because of the cold! 2. The Palmetto 200 Relay race which ended with me becoming the van driver while my team picked up my slack from not being able to run past the mid-way point of the race.

     After the 200, I began seeking out treatment for my injured knee. My treatment began with Active Release Therapy and then I switched over to a more aggressive Dry Needling technique. The basis of Dry Needling is easy to explain: insert a wire filament into your flesh to activate the muscles trigger points to aid in breaking up scar tissue from over use AKA: Ultra Running. There is NOTHING fun about it, it is extremely painful and takes a few days to get back on your feet again after each treatment. IT HURTS... A LOT!!! 

The sun sets in my backyard

     After my third treatment (and not being able to barely walk for 3 days) I noticed on my first "long run" of 3 miles that I had zero discomfort in my knee any longer. I continued to go through my daily stretching routine (something that I have NEVER done as a runner) and realized that I was ready to begin pressing my distance further and further. Over this same time period I began having to travel some with work again. Sleeping in hotels is something that I have never been able to do so I replaced some of those early hours with longer and longer runs. After 5 straight days, I was running strong and was able to keep pressing the miles. I had my first real "return to running" this past Saturday when I met up with my good buddy Paul for some miles on the trails on Pickney Island. This would be my first group run since February of this year. IT FELT GOOD! So good that I decided to stretch it out like the old days and I felt something for the first time... Something that I missed.

Satisfaction

     I felt the Earth passing under my feet as my feet lightly made contact with the ground over and over again. I felt my heart and lungs expand and could feel the power flow through my body. I felt the cool marsh air against my sweaty flesh, cooling my core as I pressed harder and harder. I felt like a runner. A runner that could just go out and do what he enjoys, what he loves, what he's good at! Run when and where I wanted to. How far or how long I wanted to. At that point I was a runner again! The photos in this post are from a few of my runs over the last two week and one of me after my run on Pickney... that's the look of a happy runner. See you on the trail!!!

Soft Tissue Damage and Active Release Technique

Towards the end of March, I was out for an easy mid-afternoon run when I felt something “tweak” on the outside of my right knee. Not thinking much about it I continued running. Within a half mile I could barely put any pressure on my leg and I ended up walking back home.

After a quick Google search I smacked on an ice-pack and kept it elevated for a few days with a steady flow of Motrin. After the third day I decided to run again. My typical easy 9 miler turned into a very short and very painful 1 mile limp. This wasn’t good! I now had less than 3 weeks until my next race, a 200 mile relay meant for 12 runners that I would be taking on with only 3 other Ultra runners. A few more days passed before sending out the “hey guys, do you want to replace me?” warning flag. I was met with 3 solid, “naw man, let’s do this!”.

My knee held up well for the first 15 miles, thanks to being heavily taped with KT Tape. The pain level increased from a “3” to a very sharp “9” on my next short 2.7 mile leg. I had just completed a marathon and was in the most pain I had ever felt from running. Now this was NOT good!

After returning home I took a week off before going out and trying to run a mile. Big mistake! Now not only did my knee hurt while I ran, but my calf, IT Band, Knee, EVERYTHING hurt all the time. I went back to my good friend Google looking for answers. After finding nothing but words like “scope”, “surgery” , and “running retirement” I switched over to Twitter. My cousin Jason, is the Co-Founder of “Competitive Edge Performance” in Tampa Florida and quickly responded with three words I have not heard before “soft tissue damage” and highly recommended that I look into the Active Release Technique or (ART) to begin the recovery process. Once again, back to the Google!

I found that Active Release Technique treats soft tissue Injuries, relieves pain, and restores normal tissue function. ART is a new and extremely effective approach to treating soft tissue injuries and the resulting pain. It is a patented method of treatment developed by Dr. Michael Leahy and is utilized by more than 3500 certified providers, including medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and athletic trainers worldwide. The technique is very popular with professional athletes and teams (NFL, NHL, NBA, etc.) and is used regularly by amateur and professional athletes alike, not only to help with rapid injury recovery, but also for improving their athletic performance. In recent years this method of treatment has begun to gain recognition among the general public as well, as more certified practitioners utilizing ART have entered the healthcare arena. (source: http://www.activerelease.com/)

I quickly began treatment with Dr Titus out of Savannah, GA and felt the effect of the therapy after the first day. So what does the treatment consist of? It is a series of massage techniques that focuses on the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves in the affected areas to combat the overused muscles.

Typically soft tissue damage will occur in over-used muscles in one of three ways:

1.        Pulls, tears or collisions
2.     Micro Trauma (small tears)
3.     Hypoxia (not getting enough oxygen)

Each of these can cause the injured area to develop scar tissue in the affected area. Once the scar tissue binds up, it ties down tissues that should normally move freely. As the scar tissue continues to build up, muscles become shorter and weaker, additional tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. ART directly focuses on these key areas to return the runner back to the road.

The personal response that I have had after two treatments has been significant enough to have me post about my treatment and has turned my outlook around to the point that I am mentally in the Fall race planning mentality now. I highly recommend looking into Active Release Technique to any and all Ultra Runners that that are experiencing an over use injury. Just get on the Google and look it up in your area!

See you on the trail…

Links:

http://www.activerelease.com/
http://www.gocompetitiveedge.com/
http://www.lowcountryultras.com/